This is a direct sequel to my first story, "And You and I". It is suggested to read that first before continuing into this story.

This chapter uses the songs "From the Morning" and "Northern Sky" by Nick Drake. I will say at what point in the chapter to listen to each song. I hope you enjoy!


Chapter 1: Edge of Twilight

Spring waited just around the corner, but the chill of winter still managed to linger in the air. As Nick slid the close door open and walked out on the balcony, he inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of the park across the street. Every so often, the scent of freshly cut grass would waft up to the balcony. Being constantly surrounded by the smells of urbanization, Nick enjoyed the momentary bliss. After letting out a sigh, he walked over to the railing and stared out over the park.

The sun had set almost half an hour prior, but still left small traces of pink on the distant horizon. Rooms of surrounding buildings remained dark while some emitted the glow of fluorescent lighting. Although Nick found himself more often than not missing the soothing environment of Bunny Burrow, he still found some comfort looking out over the calming nightlife of the city.

As Nick leaned over the railing on his apartment balcony, he found his mind wondering back to the previous months. It had been almost seven months since he and Judy solved the arson cases in Bunny Burrow. During that period of time, their relationship had only strengthened with each passing day. Sure, there were bumps along the way, but Nick expected every last one of them. There was no such thing as a perfect relationship. He viewed any relationship as being similar to owning a car. It needed to have periodical checkups and routine maintenance. If you just went about without occasionally checking for problems, then they day would come when your car would die on the side of the interstate. Small problems built up over time.

That's why every Thursday night, Nick had decided that he and Judy would both sit down and talk about anything they needed to let out. It had never been more than a small complaint about Nick not hanging his towel up to dry after a shower, or Judy leaving dirty dishes in the sink. To any other couple, these seemed like miniscule problems that shouldn't have any effect. Nick, however, knew that a small coolant leak would only grow worse as time went on and get into the engine. They had both made a promise to the other that there was no problem not worth mentioning.

"Has Finnick texted you back yet?"

Nick was pulled from his thoughts as Judy stepped onto the balcony, a glass of wine in each hand.

"Let me check."

Nick chuckled as he spoke and pulled his phone from the pocket of his jacket. He had grown into the habit of just slipping on a zip-up hoodie after a post-workout shower. Knowing how much it teased Judy, he left it zipped only halfway up. There was nothing she loved more than feeling the luscious beige fur of his chest.

"He just sent me one. It looks like he'll be here in ten minutes. Let me go ahead and text him the door code."

As the pads of fingers pattered away on the screen, Judy placed the stem of a wine glass in his paw. He placed the rim to his muzzle and took a sip.

"Blueberry? Damn, Carrots, where did you find this?"

Judy giggled and took another sip from her glass. She stepped close to Nick, resting her head underneath his arm. Now that Nick had begun to work out more often, she had grown to love the feeling of his every-growing muscles. It was nothing really impressive, but was enough to make Judy sigh in pleasure.

"Don't sound so amazed. It came from the bottom shelf at the gas station by the ZPD Headquarters."

Nick let out a laugh as he took another sip.

"I thought you like the expensive stuff I bought?"

"To be honest, I can't tell the difference a ten dollar and a thousand dollar bottle. There's no distinguishing for me. All I care about is that it's, at the very least, mid-sweet."

Nick finished off his glass, turning to head inside for another.

"Already finished" Judy asked over her shoulder, a hint of amusement present in her tone.

"You know how much I love blueberries. This almost tastes as good as the blueberry lube you bought. There was nothing sweeter than licking it from your-"

"Our neighbors are out as well, Nick."

Nick peaked his head out the door, gazing at the balcony next to theirs. The elderly raccoon couple next door had set down the books they were reading, their jaws dropped down in awe and disgust. The female dropped her coffee mug, shattering it into multiple ceramic fragments.

"Sorry! He just loves to tease!"

Without saying a word, the couple hurried inside and shut their sliding door closed. Judy turned to face the inside of their apartment, her face donning a look of playful anger towards Nick. As he turned from the kitchen with a full wine glass, he caught sight of her expression.

"Did that seriously make you angry?"

Judy tossed back her glass.

"No, but your comment doesn't exactly make me want to laugh either." She spoke with a hint of amusement to her tone, failing to keep a false falsetto of anger. "I guess we'll never get to know them well, thanks to you."

Nick pulled an album from his collection and removed the record from the jacket. As he placed it on the turntable platter and dropped the stylus into a groove, he replied to her.

"In case you haven't notice, they've never been too fond of us to begin with. Whether or not it's because we're an interspecies couple, or because Fangmyer threw up about one hundred dollars' worth of Scotch in front of their door after the party we hosted last week, what I just said doesn't really put us in a worse position."

Begin "Oh Darling"

As he walked back outside, he found that Judy had turned to face out over the city. Whenever she turned her back to anyone during a conversation, it meant something was bugging her. Whenever she did it to him, she was either fooling around or was bothered by something almost insignificantly small.

"Alright, Carrots, what's up? I'm going to take a shot in the dark and guess it was what I just said."

Judy gave him a small smile as he wrapped an arm over her shoulder. No matter what her mood, she was always overcome with calmness when she felt the warmth emitting from his body. Inhaling without making a sound, she took in his scent mixed with that of his blueberry wine.

"I know you meant it as a joke, Nick. It's just that I don't want people thinking badly about us. I know you have a sense of humor that borders on the line of revolting sometimes, but I just wish you would check your surroundings before you make those kind of jokes. You never know who could be listening."

Nick took a sip from his glass, letting his thoughts process for a few moments. After a pause, he set the glass down on the flat top of square railing. Looking down at Judy, he kept an arm on her as she continued to look out over the city.

"You're right, Carrots. I guess I should be more cautious of who could be listening to us sometimes. From here on out, I promise I'll make good on that."

Judy nuzzled into his side, rubbing a paw over the soft fur of his chest exposed through the jacket.

"But…"

She stopped swirling around in his fur, but couldn't bring herself to pull her paw away from the taught muscles of Nick's stomach.

"But?"

Nick finished off the remainants of his glass. He rested it back down, causing a soft clink to momentarily fill the air.

"It's my turn for you to hear me out."

All though Judy typically fought any counterarguments, she had grown to make an exception with Nick. Knowing full well that he knew when to act serious and abuse an opportunity for rebuttal, she decided to hear him out.

"Alright, fine. Go right ahead."

"Not everybody has to like you; or us for that matter."

Judy turned her gaze from the lights and gazed up into Nick's emerald eyes. Her mind at first raced with thoughts of confusion, but she knew that Nick always had a reason for saying something. She may not have always agreed with the logic behind his words, but she never that he never just said something without a force driving that thought.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't have to win over the affection of everyone. There will be mammals in this world who won't want to be our friend. I know you want the neighbors to think of us as the flawless couple who lives a fantasy life. We may not have a completely flawless relationship, but it's extremely damn close. Those two don't see it like that though."

Judy opened her mouth to try and let out a response, but Nick stopped her with a finger placed over her lips. With his arm still draped over her shoulder, he pulled her a tad closer.

"In my personal opinion, they will never see us to be anything more than the two freaks that live next door. I know you want them to like us, but you need to consider that some mammals just don't change. And to be perfectly honest, I'm alright with that. Let them keep thinking what they think. They're not going to change."

Judy looked down, an expression of sadness beginning to form. No matter how much she wanted to pout, she kept telling herself that Nick had a legitimate point he was trying to make. Letting him see that it upset her surely would not better the situation.

"But that doesn't mean they have to affect how you enjoy your life. Mammals can go around disliking us, and that doesn't have to affect our lives. Just remember one thing for me, Judy."

He placed a paw under her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. There was no sign of joking or anything that would make Judy think he was not being fully serious with her.

"Never let them see that they get to you. That's how they win. Keep your head held high and walk tall with pride."

Nick fully embraced her. Judy continued to feel his stomach, his muscles slightly tensing under her touch. As Nick rested his chin on top of her head, she shut her eyes and let her mind wonder off. There was nothing more comforting to her than being held by Nick. As soon as they stepped into the apartment, the seemingly impenetrable outer shell he wore in public would open up to let her in. Under the relaxed exterior he displayed to the public, there was a soft side. Judy had never known a more tender mammal in her entire life.

"Carrots?"

Judy was reeled back out of her thoughts, suddenly returning to the reality.

"What?"

"Did you not just give me a lecture about checking my surroundings? I know no one is out here to see us, but I think the raccoons next door would've had a heart attack had they still been out here to watch us."

Judy looked down to find that her paw had slipped beneath the waistband of Nick's sweatpants. She was surprised that the heat radiating from his crotch hadn't pulled her attention back a while ago.

"I… I didn't even realize. I'm sorry."

Quickly withdrawing her paw, the insides of her ears quickly blushed a deep crimson.

"It's okay. I fully understand. Even after taking a cold shower, it still manages to retain a decent size."

She reached up and punched his shoulder.

"Learn to take joke, will you" Nick asked with a laugh as he rubbed the impacted area. Part of the action was a show, but part was because Judy could actually pack a decent punch given her size. His attention was pulled back inside the apartment as three knocks echoed to his ears.

"I'm going to take a guess and say that's Finnick."

Turning from Judy, he walked back inside the apartment. As he continued to the front door, he could make out the faint outline of his small fennec friend through the frosted glass. Opening the door, it revealed that Finnick was straightening… a tie. Nick hadn't even expected him to show up in his green shorts and polo shirt with the red stripe. Never before had Finnick shown the initiative, or even the desire, to dress respectfully.

"Now you're really making me feel like I overdressed." His low, booming voice seemed to shake the glass in the door frame. Nick glanced down, suddenly realizing he was still wearing his hoodie and sweatpants.

"I apologize. It completely escaped me to go change."

Finnick grabbed his arm, pulling his head down to his level. He balled his paw into a fist and tapped the top of Nick's skull.

"I've said it many times before and I'll say it again. That bunny is messing with your mind."

Releasing Nick from his grasp, Finnick stepped over the threshold and into the apartment. As he walked past, Nick caught a whiff of… cologne? Shutting the door, Nick turned and continued towards the hallway which led to his and Judy's shared bedroom.

"Just give me a minute to change. Go in the kitchen and enjoy yourself a drink."

He vanished around the corner, leaving Finnick to his own desires. As his mind became excited over the thought of a cold beer while entering the kitchen, he was soon face-to-face with Judy. For the evening, she had donned a simple, yet elegant, lavender dress. The ears that had been lying flat against the back of her head up until this point suddenly swiveled up as she caught sight of Finnick.

"Well hey Lil' Toot Toot!"

As she jokingly reached out to pinch a cheek, he caught her wrist. His face had morphed into the typical demeanor of 'pissed off' that Judy had become accustomed to over time. But behind his furrowed brow and piercing stare, she thought she could see a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You'll never let that go will you?"

As Finnick walked past her to retrieve a drink from the refrigerator, Judy could do nothing else but stand speechless. At the very least, she had expected Finnick to return her gesture with a growl and clicking his sharp teeth together. Something had changed in him. He was… happy…

"Alright, all changed!"

Nick emerged from the hallway, wearing a pair of black slacks and a dark blue dress shirt. Even with his shirt tucked neatly into his pants without so much as a crease or fold, he still managed to wear his tie slightly loose. It never amazed Judy that no matter how dressed up he got, Nick always kept his ties from having a stranglehold on his neck.

"It smells great in here, Carrots! What are you cooking?"

Judy continued to stir the pot resting atop the stove. Steam billowed from inside and slowly climbed towards the ceiling before fading into nothingness.

"Carrot soup."

Finnick looked at Nick, opening his mouth and pointing a finger inside. To avoid drawing Judy's attention, he decided to not let out a fake gagging sound.

"I also have some crickets baking in the oven for the two of you. Big, strong predators need their energy."

Nick walked up behind Judy, giving her sides a gentle squeeze. Out of stupefaction, Judy dropped her wooden spoon and it disappeared into the boiling orange liquid.

"I will definitely be needing some energy tonight."

Judy quickly rotated her head over her shoulder and shot Nick a cold glare. Unaffected by her silent threat, Nick opened a draw to his right and pulled out another spoon.

"Don't act like you should be embarrassed. You see that tiny fox standing over there?"

"You're pushing it, Nick" Finnick mumbled, a growl managing to sneak its way into his tone.

"Well, Carrots, that fennec fox over there has no right to be judging you when it comes to our… night activities. You see, when it comes to his personal love life, we're saints by comparison."

Finnick's scowl only worsened as Nick met eyes with him. His pupils had shrunk in his hazelnut irises, now fully transformed into concentrated beams of anger.

"Since I fear for my own wellbeing, I'll just leave it at this. Let's just say that Finnick has, on more than one occasion, been known to bring rope and handcuffs into his van."

"Alright, Nick, that's enough!"

Finnick's voice sonorously echoed around the apartment. Even after all the years they had been friends, Judy felt Nick slightly tense up behind her, knowing he still had a respectful fear of his friend. The small fennec was not to ever be underestimated.

"Calm down, buddy."

The oven's timer caught everyone's attention, momentarily causing the room to go silent. Judy, however, swore that she could faintly hear the sound of Finnick's outburst from moments before still bouncing off the walls.

"Sounds like dinner's ready. Shall we eat?"

Finnick shook his head, walking into the kitchen to lend a helping paw. His brow had unfurrowed, but small traces of his outrage where still present in the way he moved. Judy handed him a bowl and plate. As he took them, it took all his willpower to not rudely snatch from her grasp. He knew deep down inside that his anger should only be pointed at Nick.

"I set our places at the table. You're sitting at the head."

Finnick nodded a silent thank you and walked over to the dining room table. As he approached, he took notice that one of them had given him a taller chair to sit in. Whenever he would visit anyone else, there was either a stack of books placed on the chair or a booster seat. For the first time in his life, someone sat him at eye level with the rest of the guests without demeaning him.

"I know you want to keep your dignity."

Nick had snuck up behind him, carrying his own meal. As he sit the dishes down at his place, he gave Finnick a grin. It wasn't his typically conman expression; no, this was pure respect for Finnick.

"It's always fun to fuck with you, but that doesn't mean I still don't respect you."

Finnick found his anger gone, realizing that it was completely pointless to hold a grudge on Nick. Sure, he sometimes crossed the line, but that never meant that he still had no respect for his small friend.

"Thanks, Nick. That means a lot."

Nick nodded and took his seat. Finnick hopped up onto his chair as Judy walked in from the kitchen.

"So Finn, what's new with you", Nick asked with his mouth full. Judy cast him a glare of aggravation, easily notifying him of his lack of table etiquette.

"Nothing much. I'm still just doing the same old hustles to get by. At first, it was difficult without you. But I was quickly able to adapt."

Finnick took his spoon and began eating from the steaming bowl of carrot soup.

"C'mon Finny", Nick let out with a chuckle. "Do you really think that after all the years I've known you, I wouldn't be able to tell when you were lying?"

Finnick paused, his mouth open and the spoon stopped in front. Not being at nearly the level of deceitfulness as Nick, he found trouble in hiding his surprise.

"The second you stepped in the door dressed so nicely, I knew something had to askew. There were two problems with that. Number one: I have never seen you wear a dress shirt under your own freewill. The last time that happened, I had to force into one for a hustle. Number two: what you're wearing easily costs about two months' payout from hustles."

Finnick continued to sit motionless, his gaze not daring to meet Nick's as it remained turned towards the living room windows.

"Don't be afraid to tell me anything, Finnick. You've been like a brother to me for God knows how many years. There should be nothing that you're afraid to tell me. Please, just tell me the truth."

Letting out a sigh and dropping his spoon back into the bowl in front of him, he placed his elbows on the table. He cracked his knuckles and finished off the last of his beer. Making eye contact with Nick, Finnick did something Nick had only seen a handful of times. He smiled. This, however, was not the façade he put on during hustles, or when his force contorted with laughter at some other mammal's expense. No, this was legitimate… happiness.

"You just couldn't let me surprise you, could you Nick?"

Finnick lightly laughed, causing Nick's mind to stir with confusion. There had only been a handful of times in his life that Nick had seen his best friend actually happy. He hadn't expected anything like this to occur when Finnick had called him an hour ago.

"Since you really want to know, I…"

Nick and Judy both leaned in, their ears perked up as they prepared themselves for the bombshell.

"I got a job."

"You… you actually got a real job?"

"As hard as it may be for you to believe, yeah, I did."

After recovering from his momentary shock, Nick shook his head.

"What made you decide to stop hustling?"

"Well, it was you, or in this case, the absence of you. You and I both know that I am not the type to go around sharing my feelings. It would usually take dangling me over a bridge before you could get me to say anything. Since you're my brother, I'll make an exception."

Finnick gestured to Judy, who had now propped her head up with her elbows on the table.

"I'll make an exception with you, too, Judy. You make my brother happy, so you make my happy."

She caught her gasp before it escaped her throat. This was the first time she had ever heard Finnick to refer to her by her real name and not a nickname like Nick constantly did. Not that the nicknames upset her, but the use of her real name had thrown her off guard.

"As I was saying, things really changed after you left for the police academy. When you and I met some fifteen odd years ago, that day erased something from me that had been plaguing me since I was a kit. You got rid of that sense of loneliness.

"Why don't you two go out on the balcony and enjoy your drinks? I can make dinner!"

Nick and Finnick looked at each and nodded in agreement. Finnick grabbed his beer can and Nick snatched the bottle of blueberry wine from the bottle. Although he hadn't planned on finishing it off tonight, that idea had died almost an hour ago. Pouring the remaining wine into his glass, Nick walked back to his turntable and placed another record on. Dropping the stylus, he walked out with Finnick onto the balcony.

Begin "Us and Them"

Nick pulled a chair up against the railing, allowing Finnick to stand at his height and lean on the railing. He hopped up on the chair, resting his beer can on the railing and crossing his arms.

"Alright, Nick, I had my interrogation time at the dinner time. Now it's your turn. What's up with you?"

"Just the typical shit. You wake up early, slave away at work, come home, eat, sleep, and mindlessly repeat the process all over again in the morning."

Finnick chuckled and took a sip from his can.

"You mean to tell me that there's absolutely nothing interesting going on at work?"

Nick sipped his wine.

"Well, Judy and I like to spice things up every once in a while."

"Let me take a guess. The perfect role model of a cop you call your girlfriend won't go further than a small practical joke. Something tells me she would be horrified to have a group of fellow officers but a lottery ticket together."

"Actually, I plowed her in the evidence room."

Finnick choked on his beer. In an attempt to keep the bitter liquid in his mouth, he failed as it escaped over the railing. From below, they could hear two mammals yell out as they were drenched in the bitter liquid.

"You're shitting me."

"Not one bit."

"How in the hell did you manage to convince her? I highly doubt that she actually went along with it."

"You see, my fennec, that's exactly where you're wrong. Take notice of the time of the year. It's almost Spring. Two foxes, such as ourselves, wouldn't think much of this time of year. But for bunnies, it means only one thing. Mating season."

"You really do love her, don't you?"

Nick kept his attention pointed out over the park.

"I do. I really, really do."

Finnick could tell that his mind was hard at work. Although it was impossible to take even a small peak at what was rushing through that clever brain of his, Finnick could tell he

"Have you considered proposing to her?"

This slightly threw Nick off guard. Although his eyes had opened slightly wider, the remainder of his complexation maintained a subtle calmness.

"Many times."

"So when do you think you'll actually do it?"

Nick let out a sigh, his chest heaving. He hadn't planned on discussing this with anyone, but Finnick had given him no other choice. After all, he had left the little guy to fend for himself since he became a cop. He felt it was only right to open up to him.

"I'm not sure yet. I just know it'll be soon."

"You feel like you've waited long enough?"

"I do. Just don't think I'm a coward or anything. It's not I haven't waited long enough. I just don't know how to do it. The only thing I fear now is either going way over the top or completely low-balling it."

Edited by Jack_NWH