A/N: I probably put too much effort into this.
A Really Big Favor
Nick and Finnick have been arguing for about an hour now in Finnick's van.
Nick says, "Come on, Finnick please do it for me?"
Finnick replies, "Are you serious? Do you even know what you're asking?" Finnick is more and more frustrated with each passing minute.
"Of course, I do! That's why I offered you a year's salary just to try." Nick is desperate for this favor.
"Do you even realize how many traditions you're breaking just for doing this?" Finnick tries to talk Nick out of it. "We'll be outcasts and it might not even work."
"I thought it was the best way. I didn't know anything about it." This means a lot to Nick. It's a really big favor that he's asking Finnick for. "I don't know anyone else okay?"
"You realize how … absurd this sounds… don't you?"
"It's not my fault that all information related to these activities is kept secret, ours are as well. I asked nearly everyone. I had to bribe some of them to gain information."
"Are you sure this is not an elaborate joke?"
"Ours are no less strange. I want to do this right the first time."
"Fine, I'll be there at the Vulpine's Ascent tomorrow at twelve. Now, get out of my sight!"
Finnick agrees to Nicks request. Nick feels extremely relieved. He really doesn't want to screw this up. He tries to remember that, it's just a routine thing and nothing to be afraid of. Nick leaves Finnick's van and heads home. Nick now lives in a small apartment ever since he stopped hustling and started working for the ZPD.
As a part of the mammal inclusion initiative a new experiment is being done in Zootopia. They are starting to include specie specific festivities as a national holiday. This is to further understanding between Zootopia's diverse population. Tomorrow, is the Foxfest, where foxes celebrate all they have accomplished.
Nick has made plans with Judy for tomorrow. They will celebrate the Foxfest together. Nick has been working with Judy for the past two years and in the past few months he started working on an elaborate plan uncovering one of the most hidden secrets. Zootopia has a diverse population but all the species keep secrets of their own.
Nick gets ready for bed and hopes that his planning is all worth it. He has a lot riding on this and decides to follow through with it. Information didn't come cheap, it is one of the most prized secrets. He hopes the information he manages to obtain is correct.
Morning comes after a restless night's rest. Too much is riding on this event for Nick to sleep well. He puts on his Hawaiian shirt and brown pants. He is ready to meet Judy for the events of the Foxfest.
Nick drives to Judy's apartment. He overhears Bucky and Pronk. Bucky says, "Bunny's all excited and didn't sleep well yesterday."
Pronk comments, "She kept talking about Nick."
"Did you hear that? Nick is here."
"Does it matter?"
"Shut up!"
"No, you shut up!"
Nothing seems to change with those two. Nick meets Judy. Judy is dressed in an orange shirt and red pants. Nick says, "Are you ready?"
Judy replies, "Of course, this is exciting one of the holidays foxes celebrate is finally known to everyone."
"I still don't know any rabbit holidays."
"Sorry Nick, it's standard that we keep it to ourselves. You wouldn't want to celebrate them anyway, they are rather strange." Judy is thinking about a holiday involving multi-colored eggs and chocolate. Nick drives them to where the festivities are taking place.
The arrived at Downtown Zootopia. The streets are filled with animals in fox suits instead of just wearing red and orange. Judy says, "Maybe, I should have gone all the way, I can't believe so many animals are openly celebrating this."
Nick replies, "You're perfect the way you are."
Nick's tail slithers around Judy's waist making her shiver. "Come on, let's check out the events." They stumble an event that reveals the courtship and mating habits of foxes. Scheduled to begin in ten minutes. Tons of animals were there dressed in fox suits for the occasion. They are all seated and waiting for the event to begin.
"Can't we go somewhere else?" Nick really doesn't want her to learn about all this.
"Nick, this is my chance. I want to understand everything. You know how valuable this is right? It's kept extremely secret that it's not even available on the internet. It's only for an hour. We still have an entire day."
Nick decides that it's hopeless to persuade her otherwise and grudgingly attends the presentation with her.
Out of everything that can possibly go wrong: Nick's mother, Vivian Wilde is the speaker at the presentation. She never told him about this at all and her inclinations to participate in the event. Then again, they haven't really been in close contact ever since he ran away from home.
Vivian speaks, "Greetings Zootopia, I am Vivian Wilde. I am honored to present to you the mating habits of our species. It's only right that starting from this day forth that our customs are kept secret no longer… "Vivian detailed the various customs of foxes and the difference between the various subspecies.
After the presentation Judy says, "Is Vivian related to you?"
Nick hastily replies to ensure upmost confidence. "No, not at all. We are not related. Not related at all."
Judy thankfully drops the subject. "Come on, let's check out the other events."
They stumble upon another event detailing another secret that foxes have kept amongst themselves. Grooming, it's preferable that they lick each other's fur clean. This activity can be done as either an act of friendship or romantic expression it is rarely done because foxes prefer this to remain hidden. Thus, only done in private.
Judy sees other attendees of the event have decided to lick their friends clean as well. She decides to try. Nick says, "Judy, what are you doing?"
Judy replies, "Grooming you. Now, sit tight."
"But…."
"What? It's an act of friendship and what foxes want the most but have yet to do so in public."
Nick can't find the words for Judy to stop. It's not that he minds that much but to him it's more for a romantic expression. The event didn't cover that clearly and he isn't about to tell her that to him it's romantic. The event isn't really wrong but didn't go in detail about how each subspecies of fox viewed grooming.
Nick takes solace in that fact that everyone's doing that activity as a part of celebrating what foxes are so it doesn't seem too suspicious. Judy's tongue feels lovely as it travels up and down his fur. After about thirty minutes animals start to leave.
It's eleven and time for lunch. Nick takes Judy to the Vulpine's Ascent a rather classy restaurant dedicated towards primarily vulpine and canine clientele. Many of the animals are trying vulpine dishes even though it's not what they normally eat.
Both of them order a salad with crickets on top. They both dig in and start to eat. Nick notices Judy trying to force down crickets. "You don't have to go that far you know."
Judy replies, "I want to, it's only for today. Everyone else is doing it so, why can't I?"
Nick doesn't think it will end well but doesn't stop her regardless. He admires Judy who changed his life so much. They reminisce about their first case together and how they became friends. Nick wants something more but never dared to ask.
Soon, his plan will be revealed and he's rather scared of how she will react. Nick starts to hyperventilate. "Nick, are you okay?"
"Everything's fine. Nothing's wrong at all."
Judy is rather upset at that response. "Nick, today is a celebration about foxes, why are you keeping secrets from me?"
"I'm not…"
"Don't think I didn't notice your hesitation in all the events we attended. Today, secrets are supposed to be over. Why are you keeping so many secrets from me?"
"But…"
"Today is supposed to be a day of understanding of what foxes are. That's why so many secrets about them are revealed. That's the only information I ever had on these areas."
"You didn't tell me the secrets of rabbits."
"You never asked." That remark stung because it is true. He never asked Judy about the secrets rabbits kept.
The clock strikes twelve and Finnick shows up in a black suit carrying two bouquets of flowers, one of tulips and one of roses.
Finnick yells, "Nick, catch."
Nick catches the bouquet of roses. They both ask in unison, "Judy Hopps, want to go on a date?"
The rabbit courtship customs from what Nick has pieced together over many months before setting this plan in motion is that when courting a rabbit, the male must friend a friend that he thinks is also worthy of her affections someone, better than himself. The one who asks, has his friend give him a bouquet of roses. The rose represents that he himself is flawed but still loves her. Tulips embody a symbol of perfection which the friend supposedly is. The doe is then free to choose who she wants, sometimes it's both.
Nick is waiting for Judy's response. He has no idea of if this is true or false, it's simply what he has managed to piece together while asking everyone but Judy herself. He wanted the moment to be perfect while not ruining their friendship at all. This knowledge didn't come cheap.
Judy is overcome with emotion, given what she learned about foxes today. The very mating customs of foxes and rabbits are so different. Foxes usually mate for life and are monogamous and it's usually the female who starts the process. Nick somehow managed to find all this out without her having any knowledge of it at all.
Judy cries. Nick thinks he has ruined everything by setting this elaborate scheme in motion. Maybe, she will choose Finnick instead and reject him. Not all, proposals went according to plan. Nick starts sweating while waiting for an answer. It is her choice but what will she choose?
Judy doesn't really like Finnick but per rabbit courtship customs, it's generally the coldhearted ones who outright deny one. The worst ones pick the one who isn't even proposing. She feels like she owes Finnick a date because he is also breaking a lot of fox courtship customs by doing this.
Judy finally composes herself. "Yes, I will date both of you."
A/N: Crackshipping, figured I'd give it a shot. Intended as a one-shot. Let me know if you liked it.