Of everything Nick knew Judy was, there were a few things he never thought she would be: A liar, a cheat, a quitter. But the rabbit was full of surprises, and tonight she had surprised him several times over. Judy Hopps was, much to the fox's surprise, a party animal.
This was showcased at the ZPD's New Years Eve party, held at Precinct One. The officers had decorated the entire inside with various party items ranging from old Christmas decorations yet to be taken down, to brightly colored streamers and balloons normally used for a birthday. Tables ladened with snacks were set up, drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic were put out, and appropriately festive music had been put on over the building's speaker system. Even the normally stoic and emotionless Chief Bogo had been sporting a party had and broad smile the whole evening, enjoying drinks and snacks as he oversaw the party.
There was the usual messing about that was to be expected at any good party – jokes that were followed with jovial laughter; the usual teasing of partners as they attempted to find some kind of juicy gossip; the occasional squabble over the remaining sweets when they had been whittled down to one or two; and of course, the pranks. Though Nick had done his best to reign himself in, he was still unable to help but partake in all of this.
He brought back out all his old jokes, good and bad, and told them with no hesitation. He both made up and 'let slip' some gossip he had been storing up since his joining the force, and swiped away a few treats from the unsuspecting officers arguing over them. But his favorite was to prank mercilessly – nothing nefarious, but small things. Filling Clawhauser's jelly donut with dijon mustard, for example. Or switching out one of the truffels with a carefully-folded empty wrapper. Trivial things at best, all in good humor and comraderie, and the fox was not the only prankster. Throughout the night he saw other officers, including even Chief Bogo himself, giving in to the mood and pulling a few practical jokes on the ZPD team.
It was during all of this, however, that he was unable to keep track of his little rabbit partner. Judy, while a good mammal through and through, did have limits even she didn't care to admit to. And so as the party wore on, she had found herself drinking more of the vodka punch than she had expected. Nick only noticed when it was too late, though. Judy had gone from a relatively reserved bunny, lightly bouncing to the music where the few mammals shuffled in an excuse for a dance, to a rabbit who was loudly whooping and hollering with the music, springing into the air without control at times and clearing the 'dance floor' – literally, for a brief moment.
When Nick finally saw this, he excused himself from the conversation he was having with Wolford and made his way over. The fox waited patiently for Judy to notice him and bound over, noting how she teetered slightly as she neared. "Heya, Slick," she said, grinning widely as she went in for a hug, only to end up bumping against him. Nick rolled his eyes, but smiled as he hugged the rabbit to him, before setting a paw on her shoulder to steady the bunny as he kneeled down to be eye level.
"Alright, Carrots, how many cups of punch have you had tonight?" he asked. Judy looked up as she tried to remember, but ended up shrugging. "And I thought you bunnies were good at math," he chuckled. "The answer is five, Carrots. And I'm pretty sure, judging from your... Dancing, that that's about three too many?"
"Whaat? No, I'm fine," Judy said, shaking her head. "Oh! You should dance with me!"
Her partner shook his head, standing up and setting his hands on his hips. "I think you need to rest for a little bit, Fluff. You've been bouncing around an awful lot."
"I'm fine," she insisted. "But really, come dance with me! It's so much fun, I bet you'd love it! Pleeaaase?"
"I've danced before," he reminded her. "But I think I'll pass. One of us has to be able to walk home, you know," he said with a slight chuckle. But the more he watched Judy, the more he became a bit concerned. She was leaning from side to side, clearly a bit off balance, and she was suppressing the occasional giggle. While he too had had some of the punch, he knew he wasn't the one making her tilt or giggle. He checked his phone for the time, thankful that it was nearly midnight. "How's this. We'll stay until the new year starts, but then go home, alright?"
"But Nick," she started, turning and pointing to the dance floor. The fox held up his finger to silence her, shaking his head.
"Butts are for sitting, Carrots. Besides, you have to go see your family tomorrow, don't you? You still have to pack, so you have to get up at a decent hour."
"Fiiiiiine," She sighed, leaning forward and pressing her head against him. Nick chuckled again, patting her back. She seemed to have gone from energetic to tired in the brief time she had stopped dancing.
"See, was that so hard?" He asked. Judy mumbled something like 'Yes' into him, making him roll his eyes again as he looked around for a place to seat the rabbit. If he was lucky, he would be able to keep her in one place until it was time to go.
He spotted a set of chairs normally used for mammals who had to wait in the lobby for whatever reason, and slowly began to guide the bunny to them. She gave a small whine of protest as her pillar moved away, following after him until he had her sit down. Nick took up the same seat, as most were too large for either one, and rested his chin in his palm as he watched the party. Judy wound up pressing against him and closing her eyes, yawning widely. The fox carefully pushed against her and flicked his tail up to his side, letting it act as a pillow for the bunny as she leaned on him.
It didn't take long for her to start snoring softly, bringing a smile to Nick's face. When his fellow officers walked past, most made an "Awwwww" face, and were quick to silence Clawhauser once he saw the two. But, for the most part, they left the two mammals alone, and Nick found himself drifting off once the rest of the present officers began to loudly count down. Nick began to count with them as he forced himself awake, clapping as noisemakers and bells sounded off the start of the new year. A few officers hugged, some jumped and shouted, a few kissed, and the rest cheered.
Judy stirred beside him, drawing Nick's attention away from the rest of the room. "Happy New Year's, Carrots," he said. The rabbit mumbled something back to him, before again leaning onto his side, blinking open her eyes slowly. "Let's get you home?" he suggested, stretching and pushing himself from the seat. Judy let out a grunt as her head almost hit the chair, sitting up and rubbing her eyes as she looked around.
"'M coming," she muttered, pushing herself to the floor. When she kept blinking as she crouched from her landing, though, Nick decided on a better course of action.
"Alright, Fluff. Come on." Nick turned around and crouched before Judy, back presented to her. "Hop on."
Judy seemed to need little direction beyond this, crawling onto Nick's back and wrapping her arms around his neck. Nick hooked his fingers underneath her and stood up, feeling the rabbit's soft breath against the back of his neck. He shivered slightly, a bit tickled by the feeling. He walked towards the front entrance, giving the mammals present a brief salute as he pushed through the doors.
Cold night air met him as he descended the steps, and he was surprised that Judy didn't stiffen at the sudden temperature change. "At least I know how you are with too many drinks now, right Carrots?" he muttered, looking both ways down the street. His home was much closer than Judy's was, though she would need to pack in the morning. Then again, this seemed like her first time having too much to drink, or anything at all, and he didn't feel comfortable leaving her all alone.
Sighing softly, Nick set off in his decided direction. The streets were mostly empty, though the few mammals that were out and sober enough to recognize a fox carrying a rabbit shot him curious looks, until they noticed the uniforms they wore. Nick just gave a slight smirk and nodded as he passed, giving no pause as he went.
When he opened the door to his apartment, Judy's soft snores had faded, the rabbit having slipped into a slightly deeper sleep. Nick took great care as he set her down on his couch, silently making his way to his bedroom and retrieving a few pillows and a blanket for her. When he came back, he gently lifted her head and set the pillows under it, before placing the blanket over the rabbit. He then went to his kitchen and poured her a glass of water, setting it on the coffee table with a pair of painkillers for when she awoke.
Nick gave Judy a quick look over, nodding at being convinced she would sleep comfortably and, should she wake before him, she would have at least have something waiting for a potential headache. She wasn't drunk, no, but she was most definitely not sober when she had fallen asleep. A small smile spread across his muzzle before he let out a yawn.
Every year he made a resolution that, despite everything, he had seen through. He was determined that this year woudln't be an exception; he was sure of his feelings. And, if he had read Judy right, she felt the same. But he couldn't, and wouldn't, press or force anything.
Nick looked over his shoulder as he walked for his bedroom, chuckling at the single ear that flopped over the side. That was just another small thing that helped him decide what his resolution was.
This year, he'd tell Judy how he felt.
I had a Christmas one-shot planned, but unfortunately, that didn't get finished in time. Here's a little bit of something for everyone to start the new year off with. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New years!