Author's note: this is continuing the story from "A Fox for Thanksgiving". This one is gonna get pretty explicit, more so than the prequel. So, it's rated M for a reason. I tried not to make background info too unnecessarily detailed; it gets in the way of the smut-fest. Obviously, I don't own Zootopia, and no one paid me to write this.

Chapter 1: On Carnivore Row

Nick did all he could, but when flu season hit the ZPD, Judy Hopps was the only one well enough to be his partner on a scout out that evening. Bogo had been discrete and sensitive to his requests to not work with Judy, but eventually his hooves were tied. Nick didn't stress about it; Thanksgiving was no longer fresh in his mind. The sting of shame was a little less painful. They were past the holiday season. He knew that back in Bunnyburrow, everything had settled into a shade of January slush-bucket grey. But in Zootopia, everything was the same: temperate and sunny. Except he and Judy hadn't spoken outside work for almost 2 months, and they hadn't been alone together since.

They got their briefing from Bogo and were on their way to Carnivore Row on the east end of town. Pretty typical scenario: check it out undercover, report back. As they were walking to the car in the dark, Judy hung back a few steps and stopped.

"Nick?...Shouldn't...Shouldn't we talk about what happened?"

"Yeah...probably." Nick sighed loudly and scratched behind his ear.

"What happened, Nick?"

"I'm pretty sure I molested you on a train."

"I mean...why?" She asked, pleaded. Nick stood up a little straighter and delivered the answer he'd rehearsed.

"Because, Judy, I have unmanaged feelings for you that were intensified by biological urges. Although that's no excuse, it was my first time in the autumn, and I let it get the best of me. I took it out on you." He turned to look at her directly.

"I'm sorry." He meant it. He was. Judy was silent. She just stood there. She was holding her paws up to her chest.

"I forgive you, Nick." Nick exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Thanks, Carrots."

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I still feel, kinda, I dunno, weird about it. But I'm choosing to think the best of you." She smiled a heart-breaking smile. He didn't deserve those feelings or that smile. He was such a dick.

"Just don't do it again." She said, sweetly. Nick smiled and put up two fingers.

"Scout's honor."

Judy sat silently in the patrol car next to him. The awkwardness filled the car like humidity. He'd opted to drive this time. It would give him something to focus on. Since he'd deliberately tried to not look at Judy prior to their little friendship mending in the parking lot, he did finally notice that Judy was dressed really cute for this undercover patrol. Skirt and leggings, pullover, light jacket… She knew they were checking out a shop front on Carnivore Row, right? She looked just a bit too wholesome. Carnivore Row was a seedy part of town, full of run-down apartments and shops for every vice imagined by mammals. Seriously, were there little hearts on her pullover? What was she thinking…

Although she'd forgiven him, it's not like nothing happened. The ride over wasn't exactly long, but it felt like the moment after you tell an inappropriate joke and you're just embarrassed forever. Judy hadn't responded to his actual feelings. What does "think the best" mean? Did she trust him again or not? He knew things would never go back to the way they were. So, what was it going to be like now? He'd settle for "partners", but he'd kill for "friends". These were the sorts of things that they both thought about instead of talking to each other.

They parked a few blocks away from the shop suspected as a drop-off point for smuggled drugs. It was called MUZZLOVE. Stupid name. But as they walked around the corner, he realized how appropriate it was. The window had a huge poster of a tiger. A well-built tiger, muzzled, whose wrists were bound in some kind of leather clasp. Oh...it's this kind of place. He noticed Judy pause slightly as they came into view of the shop.

"N-No way."

"Oh, way, little bunny. Heh." This was just his luck.

"A...novelty shop?"

Their job was just to scout it out as customers. Judy went in first. If she was nervous or embarrassed, she'd gotten much better at hiding it. The shop was barely lit and full of all manner of lewd displays. Collars, muzzles, leather, vinyl, leashes, spikey things, lubricants, every size and style of dildo proudly on display...Nick whistled.

"Impressive." There was some sort of harness contraption on an elephant mannequin. That couldn't be comfortable, but comfort was hardly the point. The point, it seemed, was to make sure the elephant's trunk and front legs were completely immobile. The trunk was encased in chrome clasps and unforgiving vinyl, held straight down with straps around the front legs and waist. Ouch.

"This is barbaric." Judy's voice was low and dismissive. She wasn't as innocently shocked as she was at the naturalist club. This wasn't embarrassing, it was low.

"Now, now, violence is a part of everyone's nature."

"Haven't we all evolved beyond that?"

"Evolved beyond sex? Hardly." He couldn't help an embarrassed smile. What happened to Nick was more than proof enough that this particular part of nature wasn't going anywhere. Nope. Shame still stings.

"This is just brutal. An outlet for mammals to be cruel to one another."

"Look, this kind of thing has been around for a long time. Sex WAS violence; mammals used to actually fight for mates, remember learning about that in school? Thousands of years of evolution and talks about consent, but where did all the urges go? Some of them ended up here."

Nick knew he had the factual upperground. Although the moral ground was lost, the whole idea still held a certain appeal to him. 'Anyone can be anything'. Ok, but what if you wanted to be a little mean? A little primitive? He thought back to his time in Bunnyburrow, how he was ruled by those primitive drives. How he felt positively predatory in the corn maze and when he...well...kinda assaulted Judy on the train. Yes, he regretted that last bit, but the appeal wasn't lost on him. He couldn't tell Judy that her scent and the feel of her was always in the back of his mind. He couldn't say out loud how he wanted to feel her beneath him. Foxes are certainly on the smaller end of predators. He couldn't tell her that feeling physically powerful over her felt damn good.

"No civilized mammal would ever participate in this."

"Look at you, Miss Small-Minded."

"Muzzles have meaning. They represent a distrust of predators. What predator would allow themselves to be muzzled?" the thought of being muzzled made him feel a little sick. The wire cage around his mouth; he remembered the metallic taste it had.

It was then that a display piece caught Nick's eye. It was a zebra bust with a leather muzzle. Unlike the cage style, this muzzle was like a leather glove for your face. The snout was completely covered in the light brown sleeve, and shiny chrome rings held the ties in place around the back of the head. The result was tight and firm, but the leather looked soft. Nick tried not to think too hard about what it was made of when he ran his paw over it. It was like velvet, a tactile pleasure to touch.

"Yeah, that's a customer favorite." Nick was startled by the young wolf who appeared next to him.

"R-really now? Why's that, do you think?" A cursory check of the shop confirmed that Judy was browsing near the cash wrap, actually doing her job while he was (apparently) distracting the associate.

"Yeah, sales have been great for muzzles. It's mostly thanks to this new pred-prey hook-up scene, ya know?"

"No, do tell."

"Yeah, predators say wearing a muzzle makes prey more comfortable and willing to go on the offensive. It's an acknowledgement of the threat that predators still present by allowing someone else to control it. Both partners find that pretty fulfilling. I've heard there are some clubs where all preds are muzzled. Voluntarily, of course." Nick just stared at the muzzle. Fangs would definitely be less menacing if you couldn't see them.

"I think this style is hot right now because it makes it so the wearer can't even talk. Facial expression's really impossible. No smiling, nothing. All you've got to communicate with are your eyes, ears, and any growls or cries you can muster. Kinda like way back when."

In the past, Nick's mouth had been his livelihood. His quick wit, confidence, and hustles were all based on his ability to convince with his words. But lately, his mouth had caused him nothing but grief. The things he'd said to Judy, the way he... Yeah, nothing good. What would he do if he couldn't talk? How would others act around him if he just kept his mouth shut? If all anyone...if all Judy could see were his eyes and ears, what would she think? Would she actually give him a chance if he couldn't lie or keep secrets?

He looked back at her; she was perusing lubricants as casually as you'd buy hand soap. He had missed her. He hadn't confronted the loneliness he'd felt these last 2 months because he knew it'd hurt. He wasn't wrong. He exhaled slowly, his breath catching a little in his throat. Maybe things would turn around now. Of course, he didn't deserve a chance. But his feelings were out in the open now, and she still forgave him.

He turned to the display. This wasn't like the muzzle of his youth at all. It was softer, more purposeful. The mammal wearing it would be forced to be honest. This wasn't about a lack of trust, it was about gaining trust.

"Hmmm...since the whole 'savage' thing blew over, there's been a resurgence in support for pred-prey relationships. So yeah, I'd say our clientele is split 50-50 or so." The wolf had wandered away while Nick was thinking to himself. Now, he was answering Judy's question as she made her way towards the exit. Nick shook his head a bit, refocused, and walked out after her. The wolf reminded them that they were welcome back anytime. Nick noticed that Judy had slipped something in her jacket pocket. A receipt? But she didn't buy anything. He wanted to say something, but decided not to.

They walked back to the patrol car in agonizing, awkward silence. They had just visited a sex shop "together". He wanted to ask her if she'd noticed any carrot-flavored lube. It'd be funny. Maybe she'd grace him with a giggle. But for some reason, he just kept putting it off.

I'll wait another few seconds. Just a little longer.

He kept saying this to himself, but they had already reached the car, buckled in, and were heading back to the precinct and neither of them had said a word. Judy was driving.

"You're quiet." she said, without only a little feeling. Nick didn't reply.

"What, did that shop make you feel uncomfortable?" She was trying to tease him to cheer him up. Nick looked at her and cocked an eyebrow.

At some point since they left the store, Nick had decided to try a little experiment: he wasn't going to speak for awhile. He hadn't decided how long, but he was just going to keep his mouth shut; he wanted to see where it went. No smiling, either. No laughing, no smirking (God, how he loved to smirk, especially at Judy). Eyes and ears, only.

"So, I didn't notice anything suspicious by the cash wrap. Place was pretty clean and the store front was larger than I thought, so that back room must be pretty small. Just a break room and some inventory. Anything about the clerk catch your attention?" Nick shook his head.

"Why are you being so weird? Come on. This is work." She bumped his shoulder with her fist and smiled. He was grateful for the physical contact. But he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Well... Anyway…" Judy continued on in a stream of consciousness about all that she'd seen. Details, assumptions, things to follow up on. Nick listened intently, nodding where he felt appropriate. After a few minutes, the conversation started to shift.

"The clerk said their clientele is an even split between predator and prey. I really hadn't thought there'd be so many predator customers. I mean, half the merchandise in there is offensive to predators. Did you see that one harness set with claw marks all over it? So tasteless. It's like they're ok with being treated as untrustworthy. I mean, prey can bite and scratch with the best of them. It's not like predators are the only mammals that are physically threatening." Judy had started rambling. Nick recognized this. She was filling the awkward silence with her voice. Was she nervous? Why was she babbling on? Nick offered only small gestures in response while he studied her carefully. She was glancing at him occasionally through the corner of her eye.

What are you doing, Judy? Why are you still talking? Nick ached to say something. He'd passed up so many great pun opportunities.

They came to a red light, and a cheetah and a rhino were crossing the street. They were obviously a couple. The high-pitched giggles, the casual contact, the gentle brush of hooves and paws. They looked happy. Nick suppressed a smile, but Judy just stared.

"Huh, well, look at that."

Judy, awkward much?

"Well, I'm happy for them. But I mean, jeez, that's gotta be tough right? How could that ever work out for them? They're not even in the same family; it'd never work, right?" Judy turned to look at him. Nick looked back at her, and he locked eyes with her. A sudden, familiar tension had filled the patrol car.

"Even if the culture around them accepts their relationship, their families might not. Their coworkers and bosses might not be ok with it, especially if they're involved in PR or something. Not that I think they should be discriminated against, and they should totally do what feels right to them, I'm just saying it's what some mammals are like. Am I right? Tell me I'm right." She looked at him, a hint of a smile on her face. He almost fell for it. He didn't smile back. He just looked at her. He was blank. She swallowed, exhaled, and turned back to the road. It was only another 30 seconds or so before Judy started up again. Her attempt to neutralize the tension growing between them was to keep blabbering on, saying whatever came to mind. Nick was loving it. She was getting herself tangled up in her thoughts; there was no good place to stop, so she kept going.

"Oh, and then there's the size difference! That's gotta be tough. I mean, I'm not saying you've gotta be the same size, but a gap like that's hard to bridge. How are you supposed to be intimat-I, I mean sheesh, poor guy can barely kiss her, she's so much taller. I-I wonder what the risk of injury is. Imagine taking that 911 call, oh man." There it was. She brought up sex. Nick heard it in her voice that sex was the topic she thought about first and was trying to avoid saying out loud. He was watching her tumble down a rabbit hole of her own making. Nick saw it all unfolding before him like a treasure map. He knew where she was going, and she didn't need his help getting there. Next, she'd start with the hypotheticals. About a minute later, he was right.

"I mean, not that I would, but if I ever had a predator mate, he'd have to be small. I mean, not like rodent small, but comparably sized. Wh-who wants to get stepped on when you're on a date? So tigers, lions, bears are out...a dog, maybe?" Nick's heart was in his throat as they pulled into the ZPD parking lot. He felt like his insides were tied in a knot that was too tight. For the last 17 minutes, he'd been completely silent. Had he ever gone so long? He realized he'd been clenching his jaw for some time. His mouth felt stiff.

"What about you, Nick? I mean if you...had a...um…" she didn't finish her question. She didn't have to, obviously. But Nick didn't answer. He just looked at her. She hadn't made eye contact, her hands were still at 10 and 2. Then, slowly, she pulled her paws into her chest, turned and looked at him. Her eyes were big and serious, her ears lowered. She wanted an answer.

You already know what I think. He just kept looking at her. Maybe she could read his thoughts if he thought them loudly enough. She really was pretty. She had lovely fur, a great shape, and that little nose… who wouldn't be enamored with her? When Nick still didn't respond, she wavered. She glanced back and forth between him and her paws before sitting back slowly, as if defeated.

"Judy." She shot upright at the sound of Nick's voice.

"Y-Yes?"

"You shouldn't waste time submitting your report. Bogo will definitely say something if he sees that you need overtime for this." Judy paused longer than he thought she would.

"O-oh! Right, right, I'm gonna go do that." She grabbed the keys, shut her door, and practically ran to the ZPD. Nick let out a long sigh. His shift was just starting. Good thing he had a lot to think about.