Nick was running over his evening's checklist at the last possible second. He wanted to be asbolutely certain that this night would be perfect, hence his going over the list nearly fourty times. Or was it closer to fifty? He'd stopped keeping track.
It was Friday night, his and Judy's weekly date night. But the red fox had a feeling that tonight would be special in many ways. For once, he and Judy were actually going to a fancier restaurant – no Pawlive Garden or other relatively common eatery. Instead they were going to a five-star restaurant, Gusteau's. Being as famous as it was, most mammals who could eat there were among the more wealthy, but Nick knew the manager, and had called in a favor or two. They would be given seats that overlooked the city, a free meal, and glasses of whatever drink they desired, even if it was from Remy's own stash.
The sound of the front door opening caught his attention, and Nick immediately snapped upright as he looked over the kitchen counter. Judy was walking into the living room, setting down her messenger bag with a sigh. She looked around once, amethyst eyes lighting up immediately upon spotting Nick. "Hey, Slick!" She called, walking around the marble-topped barrier between them.
"Carrots, what're you doing here?" Nick asked, grinning widely as he reached down to scoop Judy up and give her a fierce hug and a small kiss to the top of her head. She giggled into his chest and hugged back, before responding.
"I live here too, you know." Judy looked up at the fox with a warm light in her eyes. Nick feigned an expression of shock.
"Really? And I just thought I was losing my mind, finding all these little rabbit clothes in my bedroom." He set the rabbit down, gently slapping his paw against his forehead. "It all makes sense now! The carrots, the gray fur. I was worried I'd finally hit my mid-life crisis."
"You would've hit that about three years ago," Judy laughed, turning to grab her bag and return to their room. Nick shook his head, grin stretching from ear to ear as he watched her disappear into the bedroom, before letting his body relax. The reynard let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in, before plucking a glass from the cupboard and pouring himself a drink.
Nick brought the glass to his lips, jumping and almost dropping it when he heard Judy call his name. "Yes?" He called back.
"Casual or fancy tonight?"
"Casual or fancy? Did we have something planned for tonight?"
Judy poked her head out from the bedroom, doing her best to pout at Nick. "It's date night, Nick! I figured you would've had all day to remember since Chief Bogo told you to stay home today."
Nick looked up in mock thought, tilting his head from side to side. He could hear Judy's faint chuckling at the way his ears flopped slightly, and was unable to help but smile at the sound. "Oh, right! Date night! Let's go... Fancy."
Judy just nodded, disappearing into the bedroom once again. Nick knew he was running short on time, but the sound of the shower started him gave the fox relief. He drew his phone from his pocket and looked over everything: Reminders for their reservation, Remy's confirmation text that everything was set up, and nothing but excitement from Clawhauser in the form of a tidal wave of smiley faces. As Nick was about to put his phone away, it buzzed to signal a new text, this one from the Chief.
Remember, Wilde: I want an update tonight.
Nick rolled his eyes, chuckling softly as he sent out a reply. Can do, sir.
With a light sigh, the fox pocketed his phone and looked out at the living room. He had spent most of the day cleaning as best he could, and to him, everything seemed spotless. He had vaccuumed, dusted, washed just about everything he could, watered the plants and windowsill garden, and even showered early. All that was left was to change.
Nick's ears perked as he heard the sound of the water in the bathroom turning off, signaling an end to his extra time. Did she really shower that fast? Or was he just being strangely slow? It didn't matter; Nick was sure that everything would be alright, despite the plethora of doubts and ridiculous situations his mind was concocting. To put himself more at ease, the fox made his way over to the closet in the corner of the living room and opened the door.
Inside was boxes, coats, boots, and winter clothes, some being dusty from lack of use. Nick carefully drew out a series of boxes, stacking them up in the form of a makeshift staircase. Up he climbed, teetering to one side more often than he would've liked, but to his dismay he was too short to reach the top shelf he needed. Glancing around and, at finding nothing else to stack, Nick gave a groan before hopping up to reach the top shelf. His fingers barely clung to the edge of the box he desired, pulling it back to the edge with him as he fell. Again and again he jumped, each time bringing the box down, until it finally came with him – and fell right onto his head.
Nick winced, biting his tongue to not let Judy hear him yelp in pain, before slowly climbing down and disassembling his staircase. Now, filled with excitement at the item he had retrieved, Nick shut the closet door and carried the box to the couch. He used a single claw to slice through the packaging tape holding it shut, before opening it with tentative care.
Inside, specially tailored for him and him alone by his father, was a suit. Black, cotton, two-piece, and the perfect size. Without hesitation, Nick began to change out of his casual clothes – a simple red t-shirt and black sweats – and into the two-piece suit, making sure to not cause any wrinkles or creases Judy might find unslightly. Was he overthinking things? Most likely. But in his mind, he needed everything to go right.
In the bottom of the box, sat three untouched items: A pair of golden cufflinks, with a vine pattern depicting the letter W on the front; and a small, black felt box. Nick wasted no time in adding the cufflinks to his suit, but was much more apprehensive with the box, as if it would burn him at the touch. Nervousness tore through him yet again, and Nick felt himself grow slightly nauseous. His eyes traveled over to the entertainment centre, where several framed pictures of him and Judy stared back at him.
One of a trip to an amusement park, where Nick had gone on the same roller coaster several times in a row, making him somewhat sick (Something Judy had yet to let him live down); Another of a simple picnic, plaid blanket beneath them as the lay side by side for a selfie; One of the two asleep at their desks at the ZPD, fallen asleep after a long day (Clawhauser had taken the picture); and yet another, of Nick making bunny ears with his fingers behind Judy's head.
Seeing all those images brought back memories of why he had decided to do this, and strengthened his resolve. The nervousness and nausea gave way to excitement and butterflies in his stomach. Nick nodded firmly, setting the box in his pocket just in time to hear the bedroom door open. "Nick, are you read-" Judy started, cutting her sentence short as she walked into the living room. Both mammals were at an immediate loss for words.
For Nick, it was because he had never seen Judy wearing this particular dress before. It was a pale blue, like that of distant mountains on a cloudless day. The front ended just after Judy's knees, the sides angling down to meet behind her little above her ankles. The top was at once modest, but hugged Judy in a way that drew Nick's attention to her form. The cuts on the dress were clean and seamless, and appeared to be glittering slightly as Judy made subtle movements.
It took a moment for Nick to realize his mouth was open, and he swiftly snapped it shut. Judy walked closer, pausing once she was a few feet away, giving Nick a look over. "Where did this come from?" She asked, smiling softly. "The fanciest I've seen you get up is a dress shirt and slacks. Is this what I've been missing out on?"
Nick let his expression turn to his usual smirk, looking down at Judy warmly. "And no one told me you had an actual dress. You know, I'm pretty sure it's a crime to hide this from me," he chuckled.
Judy rolled her eyes, grinning. "What're you going to do, arrest me?"
"You know, while I'm sure that's an option," Nick said, leaning down and placing his paws on his knees. "I wouldn't get to enjoy my evening with you then, would I?" He drew himself upright again, smiling as widely as Judy was as he began to head for the bedroom.
"Where are you going?" Judy asked, turning to watch him go.
"I'm missing one more important piece to my ensemble," he replied, walking straight to his dresser. Nick opened up the top drawer and pulled out a familiar tie – one he now considered lucky, given that it had gotten him through many tough times on both sides of the law. With practiced motions, Nick slid the tie around his neck and pulled it tight, making sure it was in place as he walked back out to meet Judy.
"Ooh, and here I was thinking you couldn't look any more handsome," she commented, looking over Nick as he returned. The fox laughed, flashing a smile as he gathered up his keys, wallet, and phone.
"You should never think that, Carrots. I have no limit on being handsome." Nick turned around, eyes widening as Judy grabbed at his tie. She drew him down to her, their noses almost touching as she looked up at him. Nick's heartbeat quickened as she tilted her head back and nearly brushed her lips against his, Nick shutting his eyes as he pressed forward. He was stopped, however, by his tie tightening around his neck, and Judy pulling away.
"And you should remember what happens when you let your ego get too big," Judy snickered, letting the fox go. Nick barely caught his balance before falling to the ground, eyes flying open as the rabbit stepped away.
"Right, I forgot. Of all the things of mine you like to get big, my ego is second." Nick looked down at Judy, smirking as the insides of her ears turned pink.
"Nick!" She half-shouted, looking around briefly, before picking up the now-empty cardboard box the suit had been in, and bringing it down over the fox's head. Nick chuckled, giving a light wince as the box hit him. He lifted the edge of it with a finger, keeping his smirk in place as he saw Judy cross her arms and tap her foot.
"No no, see, you're supposed to shout it after the date," he said. "Well, more like moan, but-" Nick was cut short by his own laughter as Judy started swatting at him with a random couch pillow. It didn't take long for the fox to toss the box from his head and catch the pillow, crouching to place a kiss to Judy's forehead before pulling away. "Now then," he said, finding nothing but amusement in her infuriated expression, "I believe we have a date to attend?"
Judy's expression melted to a smile at this, and she nodded. "I believe we do," she agreed. "And this was your week to choose. So where are we going?"
"It was my week?" Nick asked, faking surprise. "Oh, no! I thought it was your week! But don't worry-" he quickly continued at seeing Judy's ears fall in disappointment. "I'm sure I can think of something on the way."
Nick turned to walk out of the apartment, his tailtip flicking Judy's nose. He could picture her face scrunching up in an attempt to not sneeze, and mentally counted down to the moment when the adorable, high-pitched achoo sounded behind him. With a faint chuckle, the fox continued to lead the way to their car.
óÓÒò ~
The night was going well so far. Judy had been pleasantly surprised at finding that they were going to eat dinner at Gusteau's, and the view the two had been given was simply phenomenal. The restaurant was several stories tall, and overlooked a vast portion of Downtown. During the day, one would be hard-pressed to find any awe outside of the scale of the city, but at night it was a different story. Far below, mammals and vehicles of all kind milled about, the various lights from shops casting dancing shadows along the ground. Their seats, however, were high up enough that the sound generated from the activity below was but a low drum, a comforting background noise to accompany the talk of other pantrons within the restaurant.
Judy was having a potato curry, laden with spices and vegetables that, even to Nick, was extremely good. Nick, rather than ordering his usual dinner of fish or chicken in some form, settled on a salad topped with croutons, dried berries, and a raspberry vinagrette. They both had water to drink, but shared a glass of wine courtesy of Remy. The ocelot waitress came by often to make sure they always had a full glass of either drink, ensuring Nick a drink whenever his mouth grew dry out of nervousness.
During one particular lull in their conversation, however, the nervousness became a hard stone in his stomach. Judy broke the silence after a moment, asking Nick a simple question. "Hey, Nick? Did you ever think you would be here?"
"What? You mean top floor at Gusteau's? Not in a million years – the food might be good but the prices are ridiculous."
"No, not here" Judy chuckled, pausing to have a spoonfull of her curry. "I mean, here. As an officer of the ZPD. Not hustling in the streets every day."
Nick nodded slightly, thinking over the question as he set down his fork. He chewed the bite he had to buy some time, before settling on an answer. "Well you know, I was hustling for a very long time. Years and years, I learned the streets and mammals who walked them. Back alleys and shady business were where I flourished. I was making hundreds a day, I had friends, partners, money – I was the happiest fox alive."
Nick noticed how Judy's ears fell to rest against her back, and he could feel her slight disappointment. She looked down at the table, mouth slightly open as she searched for something to say. But, Nick beat her to it, turning to look out over the city as he spoke. "But then you know what happens? This cute little fluffball walks into my life - Well, more like barged, really," Nick earned a chuckle there, despite the light kick Judy had given him at his casual use of the word 'cute'. "Spouting this and that about a missing otter and felony tax evasion, or some such nonsense. She tries her hardest to make me feel some pity, some need to help. And when that fails, you know what she does? She blackmails me," Nick chuckled here, turning to face Judy with a bright smile. "Correction: She hustles me. And she hustles me good. Drags my sorry tail all across the city for two whole days on this missing mammal's case that was, honestly, none of my business.
"But no matter what roadblocks we hit, this little rabbit, she finds another way. She works her way through this web of secrets that leads her to not just her missing mammal, but the whole ZPDs missing mammals. Then this conference comes along and, she gets caught up in the moment. Says some things I know she regretted. I don't take it very well, and just disappear. I was hurt. But three months later, three long months of failed hustles because of that rabbit constantly being on my mind, she finds me. Somehow she finds me hidden away under a bridge outside of town, and she somehow manages to drag me into another mess."
Nick and Judy were watching one another now, both holding a constant smile as Nick continued. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going, or why he was recapping their time together like this. But to him, it felt right in some way. "A huge mess that was. You know, we lost a train in that one. But throw in some good acting skills and the two of us managed to take down a corrupt little sheep mayor. Then I give in; off to the police academy I go. For months, I don't expect to see her, but in the middle of my training, poof there she is. Encouraging me. Cheering me on. Believing in me.
"Then I graduate, and this lucky fox manages to get put in the same Precinct as that fluffball. And while I'm sure it was partly to save her Chief the headache of her tearing through partners like tissue paper, I still can't help but feel like she had some sway in it. And for two years I'm her partner – taking down the bad guys, giving speeches at schools, and filing more paperwork than I ever thought possible." Nick paused here to take a drink, letting Judy's faint giggle of amusement rise over the background noise. That sound alone made him smile even wider, the nervous stone in his stomach growing lighter. "And over those two years, she and I get closer than I expected. After just one year, we start dating. A few months after that, she moves in with me.
"So to answer your question, did I ever think I would end up here? No, No I did not." Nick looked down at his meal, reaching over to grab his fork for another bite. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention though, and he saw Remy waving to catch his eye. The rat gave him a thumbs up and tilted head, a silent question of if everything was okay. Nick nodded, but knocked his fork over and onto the floor. The fox leaned over the edge of the table and looked for where the fork landed and, upon not seeing it, began to shift in his seat. "I've got it," he said, holding up a paw as Judy moved to do the same. The rabbit nodded and shifted back to her seat, and as Nick fell to a knee to look under the table, his heartbeat quickened.
Now. Now was the time to ask; he had been searching for a way to get to this point and now here he was, without a single thought. "Hey, Judy?" He asked, looking under the table. He reached into his right pocket with one paw, hoping she couldn't see his movement.
"Yeah?" She asked, lifting her feet slightly to help him see. Nick saw his fork at the far side of the table, and began reaching for it.
"My turn to ask a question. And I need you to be honest with me on this one," He said, hissing lightly as he grabbed the fork, drawing it over with him as he drew out from under the table.
"Go ahead," Judy replied, waiting patiently for him.
Nick could feel his resolve slipping the longer he took. If ever the fox had the courage to ask, now was the time. "I've been thinking long and hard about this," he started. "And I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but I just want to be sure."
Nick looked up at Judy as he left the cover of the table. She was looking down at him curiously, head slightly tilted and amethyst eyes glimmering faintly as she waited for his quesiton. Nick took a deep, steadying breath, drawing the ring box from his pocket.
"Judith Laverne Hopps, would you truly make me the happiest fox alive, and marry me?"
Nick wasn't sure what he was expecting to happen. A shout? Maybe some kind of denial? Deafening silence from the other patrons as they somehow overheard his question and halted their dinners? The thundrous booms of the heavens opening up and striking him down?
Instead, nothing changed, save Judy's expression. It changed from one of curiousity to that of shock, then awe, and finally of affection. Her eyes darted between Nick's eyes and the ring, the brightest smile across her face. Nick had been very specific with what the ring looked like, as it was something that he had hoped would always remind her of him; A silver band with a small citrine in the center, small emeralds on either side. Fitted just to her size, Nick had spent hours trying to make sure it was the perfect ring, for a perfect night, and a perfect rabbit.
Judy slowly slid off her seat, eyes finally having locked to Nick's as she stepped over and threw her arms around him. Nick returned the gesture with one arm, only pulling back when Judy did. She immediately cupped his cheeks and brought his lips to meet hers, pulling Nick into deep kiss that warmed the fox to his core. He couldn't help but let his tail sway happily with the action, Judy slipping back into a hug as they broke the kiss. "I could take that as a yes?" he asked.
Judy nodded into his shoulder, and Nick could feel her shudder as she let loose some tears of clear joy. She leaned up a moment later, voice slightly shaking yet filled with affection.
"What took you so long?"
óÓÒò ~
A little cheesy, I know, but I had this stuck in my head and really wanted to get it out there. Apologies on any spelling errors or something along those lines – it's currently... 4:45 AM here, and I'm running on low sleep. This is supposed to be a one-shot but if for some reason everyone wants a continuation, be sure to let me know. -N'yrthghar
Happy Holidays, and a happy New Year as well!