Bittersweet

Nick walked along the boardwalk of Sandy Ridge, absent-minded by recent events. Waves crashed calmly against the shore and the sun shone in a cloudless sky, betraying the sorrowful event that he had just escaped from.
She was gone.
It was hard for him to grasp, but it was true. She was gone forever.
Dressed in his black suit, the fox stood out like a sore thumb among the crowd of civilians in their swimsuits and beachwear. But he didn't care; he came here to remember the good old days from before.
Nick remembered how they used to walk along the same boardwalk; laughing, eating ice cream and just enjoying the warm beach. But his heart still felt cold, even under the midday sun.
He remembered how they would stop and sit on the lone bench by the pier, drinking sodas and whistling with the bottles as they emptied. The fox made a small grin at the memory and ordered two bottles from the stall that they always bought from. Sitting down, he opened one for him and one for her; clinking them together before taking a sip.
The wind blew across hers and whistled a note; the fox couldn't help but shed a tear. If he closed his eyes, then it was like she was still there. How he wanted to hold her, to hug her, to tell her how much he cared. But she was gone, and no amount of dreaming would bring her back. He remembered the last moments that he spent with her.

…

She had been released from the hospital, not because she was better, no, but because the doctors conceded that they couldn't help anymore. He couldn't believe them, didn't want to believe them, but she stayed his paw and asked him one thing:
"Please, take me home."
And he did, against his judgement, he drove her home.
"It's okay, Nick," she told him on the way. "Our lives are only borrowed. I guess I just have to give back mine earlier than I thought."
"No," he replied choking on his words. "You can't, I won't let you. We'll go to another hospital. We'll-"
She placed a paw on his arm to stop him.
"Nick," she said in a comforting tone. "Stop. I'm tired of the hospitals and the doctors. I want to be home where I can at least feel alive for one last time. And I don't want you wasting your time on me."
He looked at her with teary eyes.
"You're not a waste of my time," he whispered as he pulled up to the small house.
"Well I at least don't want you to regret the choices you make," she told him as she got out of the car. "Go and live your life, don't worry about me. Just know that I'll always love you, no matter what."
And he said nothing in return.
The next morning he stopped by to make sure she was doing fine. And he found her in bed, at peace.

…

Nick opened his eyes to the pier before him, tears running down his fur as he recalled the memory. He looked down at his bottle, now empty, and brought it to his lips to blow a note. It rang low, like his heart. The wind picked up again and blew over her bottle; the note sung high.
I third note followed, meeting halfway in between, causing his ears to perk up. He looked over to the end of the bench, and found a bunny with her lips against a bottle of soda.
"Judy?" He asked, bewildered.
"Hey Nick," she replied, giving a weak grin. "Need some company?"
He gave her a small smile in return.
"Thanks."

"I feel really bad, you know," Judy confessed as she finished her soda. "She sounded like an amazing mammal. I wish I could've met her."
"I'm pretty sure she would've loved you," the fox meekly replied. "How did you find me, anyway?"
"Finnick thought you might be here," she admitted. "But he didn't say why."
Nick kept silent for a moment before answering.
"We'd come here every so often, when I was a kit. This was our favourite spot to sit and drink sodas."
Judy looked at the lone bottle that stood between them on the bench; the wind whistled across it once more.
"So that one is hers," she concluded.
Nick nodded.
"It's been so long since we came here," he quietly said. "But I remember it like it was yesterday."
They sat there for a moment longer as the wind continued to blow the lone notes across the bottle. Eventually, Judy got up from the bench and helped Nick pull away from his sorrows. The two black-clad animals walked back down the boardwalk, leaving the bottle to whistle on the bench.

…

Nick opened the door to his childhood home, a gift he had been left with. He was hesitant to walk in, as the last time he did, he was assaulted with loss of his mother. But this time he had company, Judy had offered to help clean up around the house, an offer that he gladly took up on. He gave the bunny a quick tour of the place, recalling memories in every room; it felt soothing to be back after having been gone for so long.
As the two arrived in the dining room, ending the tour, Judy noticed an envelope in the centerpiece of the table. She felt that it was out of place and plucked it from where it was. It was only at this point that she noticed that her name had been written on it. She asked Nick if he had placed it there, but he just shook his head. Curious, the bunny opened the envelope and took out a letter.

Dear Judy,
I wish I could have met you myself, but I feel like I already know enough about you to know that you care for my son. For a long time I felt that I had lost him, that he had closed himself off to everyone, even me. I always wished that he would make some friends, start a family. But he always stayed alone, with that fake smile that he wore everywhere.
Then out of the blue, you came along, and flipped his life around. Now I see him surrounded by friends, never alone, and with a happy smile on his face. And whenever he called me, he wouldn't stop talking about you. Judy Hopps, his Carrots.
I'm sorry to have to put this burden on you, but I need you to take care of him for me. Please Judy, take care of my little Nicky for me.

Always watching over both of you,
Vicky Evelyn Wilde

Judy had read aloud the letter to Nick, and she couldn't help but feel her eyes well with tears as she did so. The fox sniffled back his own as he pulled her into a hug. The bunny still felt a small weight inside the envelope and poured out the contents into her paw: two golden rings shone in the light. The two cried their hearts out at their loss.

This one-shot was directly inspired by the song 'Bittersweet' by Zac Brown Band.
AN: Thought I'd try a change of pace for once. Man, did this hurt to write. I originally thought to put this in 'From the Melting Pot', but thought better of it, since it would see more eyes as a stand-alone piece.