Waves of sleep came to help his mind drift away, pulling him in and swallowing him whole. His snout was the only thing poking out of the cavern of sheets he had made for himself, trapping his body in a comfy burrito of relaxation. "Nice and toasty." he thought to himself. It was the most comfortable he'd ever been that week. Between work (Bogo had made him do all of Fangmeyer's paperwork for a week as punishment for pulling another howl prank) and getting Judy to chill out, Nick had never really had a chance to just lie down and be peaceful. Plans for the next two weeks began to flash through his mind. Sleeping in bed with Judy, sipping wine in the bathroom jacuzzi, ordering food to their room, sleeping a bit more…maybe they'd even check the cruise out if they had time.
A sharp pain arose on the bone of his snout, right in the middle. Someone had flicked him. The fox groaned, wrinkling his nose in displeasure. "What?"
He heard his bunny sigh, unamused. Her paws felt around the blanket burrito, looking for his head. This was the third time he had fallen asleep on her. If she didn't make him wake up now, there was a chance that she would lose him for the rest of the day. That wasn't happening. Not on her watch. She found his ears and tugged at them through the blanket. "Nick, it's thirty degrees outside. How are you not panting your lungs out?"
"Talent, I guess." Nick responded. He rolled over, away from the sleep ruining bunny. It wasn't his fault he was born like this! Try as he might to resist his instincts, foxes were nocturnal animals. On average he needed around three large fox sized cups of coffee to function, and on this particular morning he had none. Since joining the ZPD he'd gotten better about it; nowadays he could bring himself to sleep at around 1 AM instead of 4.
The rabbit wasn't having it. She jumped onto the bed and attempted to drag Nick off of it, but found that he was a lot heavier than he looked. Huffing in frustration, she grumbled "It's Nine o' clock in the morning, Nick." Her fox grumbled, and continued to give no response. Judy crawled to the foot of the bed and faced away. She dragged a finger down one of his legs, or at least what she thought was one of his legs. "City folk, always needing their beauty sleep. If you don't get out of bed and walk around this ship with me right now, I swear to God…I'll put a blueberry ban on any food we eat in the next two weeks."
That made Nick pause. She wouldn't, right? "You wouldn't."
Smiling at the fact that she was getting somewhere with the stubborn fox, Judy kept with the ruse. "I will. And I'll get you on patrol with Fangmeyer for a week, when we get back."
"I don't have to listen to you."
Game time. While she wasn't particularly good at guilt tripping, she found that getting sappy with Nick tended to make him more inclined to her will. Judy put on her saddest, cutest voice that she could and sprawled herself over the fox's side. "You do if you don't want to ruin my very first vacation ever, which I'm spending with you because I love you…"
Seeing Nick's head pop out of Mt. Bedspread brought a giggle out of the bunny. He was really cute when he was grumpy and sleepy! Judy helped him out of the tangled mess of sheets and threw his clothes at him. "Poor baby. I'm sorry for cutting your naptime short." she cooed.
Nick only glared. "I am so whipped." After getting dressed he walked past her and gave himself a once-over at the vanity, adjusting his tie and smoothing his head fur back. "When we see everything, can we come back and sleep?"
Shaking her head and smiling, Judy dragged him to the door. "We'll get some coffee, if you're good."
Nearly an hour later and the two found themselves meandering near the front of the ship. They'd seen most of what the ship had to offer (spending around 15 minutes at a spa that Nick refused to leave), and just had a few attractions left to look at. Judy examined the map in her hands with a zealous intensity. "Okay so that way must be the other pool, which must mean the aquarium is that way…"
"There's an aquarium?"
"Yeah. Everything except for sharks. Kinda weird though, they have dolphins. Those things are a hell of a lot more scary." the rabbit remarked. Slowing her stroll, she turned back to her companion, just barely suppressing a cringe at his exhausted face. "Uh, you wanna get some food or something?"
Nick shook his chest left and right, hoping that his limp neck muscles would make his head follow. "I'm fine. We can keep going."
"Come on, we've covered plenty of ground for now." Judy said, smiling gently. She grabbed Nick's tie and dragged him towards the nearby food vendor. "Lets get some caffeine and fruit into you before you pass out."
The fox didn't resist, welcoming the small bit of guidance into his life. After deciding on food and ordering a couple ramen bowls (can't be blueberries and carrots all the time), the couple found a table by the edge of the ship.
"I can't believe we only have two weeks here!" Judy gushed, "You could probably spend two months on this ship and not get bored."
Nick chuckled, the sentiment not completely connecting with him. "I'm glad you like it so much. Bogo probably killed someone for our tickets."
They each slurped up their food, giving pleasant moans of approval at the flavour. The noodles were silky, just hard enough to be barely considered al dente, the broth was rich, and the various vegetables spread around the dish were nice and crisp. The sheer quality of it all almost made Judy forget that she paid fifteen dollars for a bowl of ramen. She swallowed her mouthful, and looked to her map once more. "Where do you wanna go next? We still haven't checked out the casino, I'm not much of a gambler, though. There's also––"
"An ice rink!" Nick said, voice almost rising to shouting volume. His phone had vibrated while Judy was looking at her map. A text, from none other than Chief Bogo. Nick made an internal note to find out how exactly his cell phone still worked and stood up in his seat, slamming his hands on the table and batting the armrests on his chair with his wagging tail. "Get up, Carrots. We're going!"
"I think you need to slow down a little, sli–oh!" A goofy grin on his face, Nick grabbed her hand, whisking her away from the table and into the inside of the ship. The rabbit barely had any time to argue, but honestly? She didn't care too much. It was nice to see Nick so energized after his rough start to the morning. And so she let herself be taken away, like a princess being kidnapped by a charming rogue.
Many twists, turns and staircases led them to a rather fancy looking staircase, leading underground. The railings shined so brightly that one might think they were made from solid silver. Mammals walked shoulder to shoulder, squeezing in either to get through the entrance or out the exit. All had various degrees of excitement on their faces, and the liveliness chatter implied that there was a very good reason for their mood. Nick, used to weaving through people in a timely fashion while dragging his partner with him, got through the doors without any trouble. They found themselves at the end of a very long crowd, and upon seeing what was at the front, their jaws dropped.
The rink stood in the midst of a crowd, and it was beautiful. It was a perfect circle, around half the size of a football field. Only a set amount of animals were allowed onto the rink, and guards watched vigilantly from all corners, daring anyone to barge in and ruin the picturesque vibe. Glass surrounded the skaters on all sides, softly projecting light into the rink and tinting the air with a gradual roulette of pinks, purples and blues. The ice on the floor was the impressive part. Some way, somehow, it was perfectly clear and didn't scratch no matter how many mammals skated on it. The very ocean that they were sailing on was visible underneath the patrons, predominantly washing everything with an ethereal teal colour. Dozens of couples dancing on water in a giant snow globe. Judy watched, wide eyed. "How is this not at the front of every brochure?" she thought out loud, "I would have known if there was something like this here…"
A voice spoke from beside her. It wasn't Nick's. "It's something we like to keep on the down low. We don't advertise it, but we don't stop anybody from wandering in, either. We're hoping that it'll spread through word of mouth."
Judy turned to her right, surprised by the newcomer. A rather short cheetah was standing where Nick once did, smiling gently. He was dressed in a slick navy suit that complimented his fur, which glowed with such a sheen that one could mistake it for woven gold. Whoever this was, he clearly had some sort of station. The cheetah extended a hand, introducing himself when Judy took it. "My name's Michael. I work with Seabear Cruises. You're officer Judy Hopps, correct? It's a pleasure to meet you. You and that Nick Wilde are heroes."
Beaming, the rabbit put her hands on her hips and stood a little straighter. "All in a day's work, sir." Being humble was important. Nick was vain enough for the two of them already. Speaking of… "Um, I suppose you haven't seen my partner around? He was standing right where you were."
"I'm right here, Carrots." Nick piped in. He stood behind Judy, wearing a smug smile that, weirdly enough, portrayed some genuine excitement. Holding up two pairs of skates, he looked at Michael. "I've gotta find some way to thank you for this."
The cheetah shook his head. "It's an honour to be able to do this for you. My sister would have been next on Bellwether's list if you two hadn't stopped her when you did."
Judy began to speak, "We really appreciate the offer but–whoa!" she felt herself being picked up and carried away. Judy kicked her feet in the air, uselessly protesting. "Nick!"
"See you around, then! Thank you so much!" Nick waved jovially at Michael as he dragged Judy through the crowd and across the room, towards a series of seats where mammals were changing into their skates. He unceremoniously dropped her on a particularly soft, but very cold chair and crouched down, grasping at one of the rabbit's feet to help her.
She pulled away and crossed her arms, upset with his conduct. "It's not very nice to just pick someone up against their will, Nick."
"Oh Carrots," Shrugging, the fox met her unhappiness with what he always did: irresistible charm and a smile. He tugged on one of her feet gently, seeing if she would let him help her this time. Her foot didn't budge. "I can't help but do crazy things when I'm excited. And I am. Very, very excited. We're going skating! You know, I might even forgive you for not letting me sleep in."
"Nicholas." Judy groaned, and grabbed the fox's shoulders. Her gigantic eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she forced her words out through clenched teeth. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don't know how to skate?"
The realization hit him like a bullet to the chest. His mouth opened slightly and his eyes widened. He'd always figured her as one of those girls who was freakishly good at any and all athletic pursuits, but it made sense. It's not like there was much need for any ice skating in a small town such as Bunnyburrow. Nick searched his mind for the best possible response. "Oh."
"Yeah. 'Oh'. Now why don't you go return these skates and we can continue our–" An excited laugh interrupted her sentence. She tilted her head, asking. "What's so funny?"
Grinning like a madman, the fox ruffled Judy's head fur. "It's funny. I was just thinking about how fun it would be if I was the one to teach you how to skate. But now I actually can!"
"W-What? Nick, I don't know. We still have to see the rest of the ship…"
"We can do that tomorrow. I'm not taking no for an answer here, sweetheart." he said, grin dying down into a simple smirk. A gleam in his eye caught Judy's attention, a special window into Nick's vulnerable side that he saved only for life threatening situations. And skating, apparently. Her argument died in her throat, and she stopped resisting his efforts. She noted that she'd been doing that a lot, lately. Nimble fox fingers tied a pair of skates onto her with admirable speed, and soon she was walking up to the rink.
Michael had given them special passes that allowed them to skip the crowd and get in with the next group. Judy's heart pounded in her chest. Her legs wobbled slightly, skates messing with her sense of balance. "Relax," she told herself. "You've brought down two conspiracies, three drug rings, and four bank robberies since becoming an officer. You can handle a little bit of ice."
A thought came to her. She turned to Nick, who'd been watching her amusedly through those expressive green eyes of his. "Why are you so excited about skating?"
He shrugged. "My mom loved to skate. When I was a kid she'd take me to this rink in Tundratown…I was always nervous because it was an arctic fox joint and we were the only reds there." A pause. The last group to be on the ice was getting off now. The two shuffled up to the entrance as he continued. "Every time we went I'd tell her about how insecure I felt. We were like two drops of blood on an otherwise perfectly white ball of snow. I felt like I looked weird compared to them. Mom would just scratch one of my ears and tell me: if everyone was looking at us, we'd just have to give them something worth watching."
The fox's eyes glazed over as he recalled the fond memory. Judy smiled at him lovingly. Seeing Nick so vulnerable was admittedly a bit jarring, but the fact that he trusted her to open up a little made her feel good. They entered the rink, door closing behind them. It turned out that the glass was soundproof too. Soft violet light emanated from all around as music played from hidden speakers throughout the rink. She managed to glide across the ice rather effortlessly for a few yards. Her legs shook like crazy; a combination of her inexperience and her mind's confusion at her apparent standing on water. Her arms were held out to her sides, waving frantically on occasion as if she were a child pretending to be a plane. Managing to steady herself for a moment, she turned back to look at her fox.
She slipped fast, but Nick was faster. In a quarter of a second he was crouched down beside her, holding her in his arms. The confused, dreamy look on her face told him that she had no idea that she had fallen in the first place. He chuckled. Dumb little bunny. Smirking at her, he teased. "Careful, honey. I don't want to explain to Bogo how I managed to get you killed on your first vacation."
She tilted her head back slightly, letting her ears tap the cold ice. A sigh escaped her as she was helped back onto her feet. "This skating thing is clearly not gonna work out unless you hold me the entire time."
It was clearly a joke, but Nick just shrugged and skated towards her. "Okay."
Gliding around her, the fox took her hands in his and guided her into a rapid spin. Judy twirled shakily, suppressing a yell as she tried her best to not fall over. When the world stopped spinning Nick had one hand on her waist and another grasping hers. His eyes bore down on her intensely, raising her heart rate and bringing a rush of heat to her face. One would think that she'd have stopped acting like a schoolgirl with a crush once they hit 2 months, but as much as Judy hated to admit it, moments like these happened more often than not. God, the smell of him was simply intoxicating. She suppressed a depraved shiver. Foxes had scent glands all over them, a lesson that she learned that a day or two after moving in and asking why everything smelled like violets. Simply being around Nick marked her as his, and though she would never tell him so directly at risk of being teased until her death, she loved it. And she could go on and on about his fur…
A thumb rubbing the top of her hand brought her mind away from him and back to reality. Nick smiled, bringing her close to him and holding her protectively. No words were needed. He would take the lead on this. The lights changed again, violet haze shifting into a pink one as a new song started to play.
Nick skated backwards, slowly so that Judy didn't fall again. Poor little rabbit couldn't stop looking down at her feet. He brought her closer, straightening her posture and bringing her head against his chest. Slowly they joined the other skaters' paces and began to circle around the rink. Occasionally he would whisper small tidbits of instruction; all variations of "Leave it all to me." and "Calm down, Carrots. I can feel you shaking." A couple of minutes into the song and she finally started to listen. Her legs ceased to tremble as if they were in an earthquake, and she even began to smile a little. Her technique, still amateur and inexperienced, began to improve. Nick sensed her growing confidence and began to waltz with her, deciding to have a little fun. He took a stride backward and pulled her in, quickly switching their positions.
Her gigantic lavender eyes widened, but she wouldn't let herself be taken aback. Not again. Her legs threatened to give out for a microsecond, but she quickly adapted to the quirks of skating backwards. She pulled herself into Nick's chest and drew back again, slowly spinning the two of them as they skated. They continued to dance in the midst of the other skaters, a couple of which saw them and started dancing too. To the smug fox's surprise, Judy kept up with his movements the entire time. Maybe even pushed the pace a little bit. His smile widened to impossibly giddy amounts. They sped up, adding twists and turns and flourishes here and there. On occasion they would split apart, dancing on their own until gravity brought them back together (or Judy looked like she was going to fall again). Soon they were routinely weaving through the other patrons, elegantly swaying in time to the music.
A minute passed, and eventually the song was at its last chorus. The light changed for a final time, and Nick shared a look with Judy. Time to bring their little show to a close. They made their way to the centre and stopped skating. A few of the other skaters slowed to watch them. They begun to dance in place. Judy noticed that it was just like dancing normally, except a little more slippery. Many a formal ZPD function brought out the couple's graceful side. Every time they made everyone else on the dance floor look like trash. A roll of her hips, fluid sways, and a couple of twirls later and the song was at its climax. Nick pulled her into his arms again, and skated backwards, turning himself and sending them into one last dramatic spin. As they slowed he lessened his support and dropped her in a controlled manner, they stopped spinning in time for a perfectly executed french dip. The song ended, and silence came.
He brought her up, and immediately they held each other, drawn together like magnetic puzzle pieces. Both closed their eyes as they basked in the warmth the other provided. The fox and the bunny. The cop and the (former) conman. The only two people in the world.
A couple of stray cheers gave Judy awareness that people were watching them. She pushed Nick away to a wholesome distance, blushing. A robotic voice sounded out from the rink's speakers. "We apologize for your inconvenience, but your time on the rink has run out. Please leave the area in an orderly manner to let others come and use the premises."
Blue sky stretched above Nick and Judy on the way back to their room. The heat on the deck was a pleasant change from the cold air in the rink, and the two basked in it happily as they walked along the edge of the ship. Animals enjoyed the ship's facilities all around them; lounging on lawn chairs and looking over the edge of the deck at the ocean. Judy could only feel just as happy, and though Nick wouldn't come out and say so his wagging tail told her that he felt exactly the same.
"-rrots. Carrots?"
The rabbit under question perked up. Nick laughed. "You're getting all day-dreamy. Are you gonna go home and write about me in your diary? Don't tell me that a little dancing on ice is all it takes to sweep a tiny little rabbit off her feet?"
She scoffed. "I was trying to find a way out of here."
"And back to our room, where you can use our handcuffs in creative ways?"
Judy ignored the remark and her feverish blush as they came up to the door of their room. Beginning to slide her card-key in, she noticed something was wrong. The door…it didn't feel like there was any strength behind it. On a whim she pushed it open.
The room was absolutely trashed, The walls were scratched up, reminiscent of Mr. Otterton's limo on the night of the Nighthowler case. Furniture was turned over and smashed, bits of broken wood and nails scattered around the carpet. The once beautiful silk bed was ripped apart, filling spilling out of it like guts from a murdered corpse. Judy's brain went numb as she walked through the room. The bathroom mirrors and the glass around the shower were all shattered, shards sprinkling every inch of the tile.
"What the hell…" Nick could only mutter his thoughts to himself. He wasn't particularly angry, just confused. Who would do this? "I-I'll go get a manager."
"Nick." The fox stopped, looking back at the bunny who called his name. She had a wrinkled piece of paper in her hand. "They left a note."
