You know there are quite a few fics out there in which there are problems between couples because of their lack of communication, right? This chapter is like hardcore porn for me in that sense.
Chapter Text
Of course they wouldn't sleep twelve hours straight.
Nick woke up before midnight, both his bladder and his stomach requiring his attention. He got up, careful not to wake Gideon up, and looked at his silhouette before going anywhere. 'God, he's cute.' At some point he shifted in bed and now his butt pointed at Nick's side. Well, it wasn't a bad sight.
The slender fox quickly solved his business in the bathroom and went to the kitchen/dining-living room. What looked like an unopened pizza box on the kitchen table made him cringe a little; it reminded him of what happened a few hours ago. Not that he regretted it, but doing something like that wasn't really him. In a way he felt like he had overstepped his boundaries. But he got something he'd been wanting for two entire days in return, right?
Nick ate a couple of slices of pizza in absolute silence, realizing when he opened the box that he wasn't its first visitor.
Gideon wasn't as tired as Nick, and despite immensely enjoying his company, his stomach wasn't that satisfied. He couldn't survive on imaginary butterflies alone.
That's why as soon as he heard the older vulpine's soft snores, he got up and went straight to the kitchen. Maybe it was because he didn't have any in almost two decades, but chicken tasted like a miracle to him even if it was on a lukewarm pizza.
He went back to bed after eating half of it.
Nick couldn't possibly know any of this, but Gideon fell asleep just an hour and a half before he got up.
When he was done eating, he sat on the couch. He had some thinking to do.
When he got back to bed it was almost three in the morning
At 6:30 Gideon's alarm went off. Good thing he was already awake.
He fished his phone from the pile of clothes next to his side of the bed as quickly as he could. He didn't want to wake Nick because he forgot to turn it off after leaving Bunny Burrows.
But when he stopped it, it was too late; Nick was awoken.
The slender fox turned to look at his companion. He rubbed his eyes and stretched his tail.
"Mmmhey…"
"I'm so sorry; I didn't know the alarm was on."
"'S okay, what time is it?"
"Half past six."
"Late enough for me."
Waking up next to someone they met in person less than 24 hours ago wasn't usual for any of the foxes. At first both of them were silent, but then, as if they were synchronized, they smiled at each other; their reason for being there was a very convincing one.
"Yesterday you said you liked me." Nick said. He sounded like a sleepy version of the sly fox everyone believed to know, but the underlying feeling of happiness and… something else was undeniable.
"Yeah, you said it too." Gideon replied in a similar fashion. Even his eyes were half-lidded. Was he sleepy as well or was it something contagious among foxes?
"And… you still think the same?" The officer on vacation (mostly) jokingly asked as his slim paw was welcomed by a plumper one.
"Well…I didn't have time to change my mind." The pudgy baker kidded back squeezing the other's hand.
But they were nervous. Was any of this right?
Nick couldn't stop thinking this was going too well. He wasn't used to have what he wanted, so why would it be any different this time?
Gideon enjoyed being with Nick, but he didn't know until what point. He couldn't say they had any type of relationship. Did he want a relationship? Did Nick? Did they want the same? Did they even mean the same when they said they liked each other?
Their doubts drove them to break their touch, and only their pupils maintained their position in the other's eyes.
Gideon tried to push those doubts to the back of his mind; maybe time would answer his questions.
But Nick on the other hand wasn't so patient. He felt like he couldn't afford to waste any more time, two decades were more than enough.
"Do you think we rushed things up?"
"Huh?"
"We met yesterday, twelve hours ago we said we like each other and then we slept together."
"Nick-"
"And I don't want to put any pressure on you, because… you really feel the same, right? I mean, you didn't feel forced to say you do, did you?"
This wasn't the somewhat distant fox Judy told Gideon about.
"No, Nick. I really do-"
"Because I… I don't know. It's like I went too far. Maybe you weren't interested but after what I told you you felt pity or-"
It's not easy to trust someone when you spend more than half of your life deceiving people. But Gideon didn't have any reason to lie.
"NICK!" The pudgy baker had to interrupt him. Nick was insecure, that was obvious, and Gideon had to make him realize he meant what he said... even if he himself was still unsure. "I like you, I really do like you. Gosh, I'd even say I love you..." Nick eyes went wide. Did he just say…? "You're right, we met yesterday, but I feel like I already know you; like I can trust you. I… I can't explain it… maybe it's because I… I've never really been with anyone and you are the first fox I've ever met… or maybe because we were made for each other, I don't know! I'm just happy I met you and I wanna spend time with you."
Nick was still in shock, 'He loves me…?' but he listened closely to everything the other fox said. Gideon was insecure too, but if their feelings were requited, what was the problem?
"I… I know what you mean," After taking a moment to absorb everything he had just heard Nick could talk again. "It's like my… my instinct is telling me to be with you."
"Yeah. I guess we're animals after all…"
"Yeah…"
They both turned to look at the ceiling. Why were they feeling so defeated if they agreed on what they felt? Now they knew what the other was thinking. Were they still nervous? Did they regret confessing?
No.
That made no sense.
"Hey, Gid…" The slender fox propped himself up on his left elbow. When he had captured the baker's attention he said what they both needed to hear. "I think I love you too.".
Of course everyone is scared of the possible consequences when they fall in love, but love entails certain risks: you can get hurt, you can lose everything you have, you can lose yourself… but at that point, Gideon Grey and Nicholas Piberius Wilde didn't care.
At least, they didn't seem to care.
Just like they say in every cliché romantic movie, none of them had felt anything like this before. The only difference was that, in this case, it was true. Instead of butterflies there were grasshoppers leaping in their stomachs, and in place of two actors playing the roles of a couple were two regular mammals.
Gideon stretched his left hand to touch Nick's face, and the slender fox reciprocated the action.
Slowly, they got closer to each other, green and blue irises facing at every moment, until finally there was no distance between them.
At first their muzzles just brushed against each other, but they shared a common goal.
Their first kiss could be described as "experimental."
They just wanted a taste of the other, a confirmation of what was happening. It wasn't hungry, it wasn't chaste… their first kiss was intimate. A moment they'd never forget. A proclamation of their feelings.
When they separated, their faces matched; both were blank.
The next second their reactions matched again; they were laughing hysterically.
This was going fast, really fast, just like their hearts were beating, and they had to admit it was scary, but they couldn't afford to care at the moment. Right then all they needed was each other, and right then they had each other.
Who'd say they'd end up like this just three days after seeing a picture of each other?
…
"Hey Giddy, what if we take a picture?"
Judy wasn't enjoying her temporal position.
Why would chief Bogo designate her to detentions? She even missed being a meter maid; at least then she had something to do!
Her first day with Gibson was… uneventful, to say the least. Nobody was put under arrest, and she spent her shift texting her siblings.
Gibson wasn't really welcoming or a very talkative partner. In fact, to this day Judy hasn't heard him pronounce a word; he just grunted to communicate with her.
If it wasn't because he didn't know her, at least in person, she'd say he hated her: he wouldn't let her sit at his desk, the only one in there, or do any paperwork. He made sure she knew she was unwanted
But Judy was tired.
Even if she was one of the best officers on the force, trying to convince Bogo to assign her to any other position was pointless, and since she didn't want to spend another day reading how fast carrots were growing from a few hundreds of different bunnies and answering the same questions over and over again, ('Yes, I'm doing good. No, Nick's still not my boyfriend. No, I haven't seen any corpses yet.') she'd spend this one with Clawhauser.
The receptionist didn't mind sharing his donuts with her. Besides, Clawhauser's cheerfulness could be contagious. Sometimes.
"(…) and that's why Nick's on vacation."
"But isn't Gideon your friend? Why didn't you take the week off?"
Clawhauser might be innocent, but he isn't dumb.
"Well… because I can't let the ZPD down! Being a cop was my dream, Ben! Would you take a week off your dream?"
Who knows if that was the real reason, but it sure sounded convincing. At least to Judy.
Before the cheetah could answer her question she received a text. She thought it'd be one of her siblings asking about dead bodies again, but she was wrong.
"Speak of the devil…"
Gideon sent her a picture with the caption "ur a great matchmaker. thank u very much."
It's a selfie of her two fox friends, and… Gideon is holding Nick? Wait, are they shirtless? Is that Nick's bed?!
And what's with the caption?! Wait, Gideon doesn't write like that…
[Nick?] - 06:44
[no im Gideon]
[gosh darn]
[see?] – 06:45
[Sure]
[So you two are like…]
[Together?] - 06:47
[of course]
[Gideon is in the bathroom now]
[but we`re spending the week together]
[i mean]
[im Gideon gosh darn i make pies] – 06:49
[Congratulations, I guess]
[I can't say I'm surprised] - 06:50
[thanks?] – 06:51
"Oh, they sure are getting along." Clawhauser commented with apparent nonchalance after taking a peek at the picture Judy received.
"Uh… yeah…" Judy couldn't tell the truth; Nick didn't want anyone to know, and Gideon… well, Clawhauser didn't know Gideon. "You know, fox meets fox, and they… err… become best friends… uhh…" It was obvious she wasn't used to lying, but at least Ben didn't pressure her.
But this bugged her a little. She knew for sure Nick could convince anyone to believe the sky's actually red, and she also knew he thought Gideon was attractive... what were his intentions? Judy wouldn't say she didn't trust her best friend, but when you have a past like his…
She didn't want any of them to get hurt.
[wait]
[im not sure if youre calling me attractive or a whore]
[or maybe youre calling gid a whore]
[youre an awful friend] – 06:55
[I DIDN'T MEAN THAT]
[I'M JUST SAYING THAT YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND YOU GO GET IT] - 06:57
[now youre calling all gay people whores?] – 06:58
[NO]
[Anyway, I'm glad for you guys if you're happy, but Nick, please treat him right] - 07:00
[He's the perfect gentlemammal, Judy]
[see? Im treating him like a king]
[i even made coffee] – 07:02
Judy had to put her phone down before reading those three last messages because certain cheetah had been reading the rest along her and she was forced to shove two donuts in his mouth to stop him from squealing.
"FO FIFH IFH FAY?!"
"Ben, please, please please PLEASE, promise me you won't tell anyone." She had failed Nick. He didn't want anybody in the precinct to know, and now someone knew. And that someone was fond of gossiping. And that someone talked to many officers every day… 'I'm a dumb bunny. Nick is gonna eat me. And Gideon too, probably.'
Clawhauser ate his gag with ease and spoke in the calmest tone he could, which still was a few decibels over his regular one. The fact that he was grinning like a Cheshire cat and pushing his cheeks up made the whole thing worse.
"So… yes?!"
With a sigh of defeat Judy nodded.
"I knew he was on my team!"
"Wait, what?" The bunny looked up at the smiling feline who was now typing on his own phone. She had to admit Benjamin had always been really… "feisty", but that doesn't mean anything. Anyhow, she wasn't expecting that to happen.
"Don't act surprised, Judy." Clawhauser replied matter-of-factly without lifting his gaze from the screen of his device.
"Ben, I just-"
"It's okay." He interrupted her calmly, putting his phone back into his pocket. "It's not like I tried to hide it."
Judy didn't know what to answer. They never talked about that kind of things; she didn't care much about it. But she did care about the promise she made Nick, and seeing Clawhauser texting someone as soon as he knew about his sexuality worried her. "Uh, Ben? Who did you just text?"
"Chief Bogo."
"What?! Why?!" Did he tell him about Nick? Was it really necessary to inform their superior about that? Would Nick be in trouble?
"Because now he owes me twenty bucks."
"...excuse me?"
"Wellll... we made a little bet: many people think you two guys are together, but the chief and I thought you weren't. We talked about it and he said you were "too professional" for that and I said he just wasn't into you... and I was right." Clawhauser felt a little guilty after admitting that, but hey, he just won 20 dollars.
Judy wanted to do many things at the time: punch Clawhauser, punch Bogo, ask why they didn't ask any of them first, and ask why they talked about that kind of stuff. 'Talk about unprofessional…' She had to settle for the last one for her own sake.
The feline pulled his own "sly cheetah" expression and simply said "Because the chief and I are a little unprofessional ourselves."
"What do you...
…
Oh. Oh! OH! OH, YOU TWO ARE-!"
Now it was his turn to shove a donut in her mouth, or at least try to: it just reached her nose, but the effect was similar. "And since we're going to keep Nick's secret, you're going to keep ours. I'm doing this because I trust you, Judy."
It was fair. It wasn't like the Clawhauser she was used to, but it was fair.
"Tell Nick to come over for lunch, you guys can have the money."
"...do you really feel bad or do you just want to meet Gideon?"
"...yes."
Judy tried calling Nick to no avail, 'Has he lost his charger again?' and settled for the next best fox. Gideon answered his phone, she told them what happened, and after a brief conversation with way less yelling than she expected, the vulpines agreed to Ben's offer.
Nick's reaction to Clawhauser news was a simple "I knew it."
Aside from that, not much happened that morning: Clawhauser told Judy about the officers that were LGBTQ+ 'What do you mean Francine was born a Frank?' Nick posts on social media made less sense than usual ("squishy. soft. good.", "a smaller bed with two tails is for the best", "cats with horns are real", a picture of ten bags of flour on his kitchen table...), and Gideon, who was actually Nick using Gideon's phone, texted Judy things like "i purr when nick touches my hair", "im very strong and i can lift nick", "grocery", and "holy shit carrots my oven really worms!
...
*works"
When the real Gideon discovered what his romantic interest had been doing he apologized to Judy, but she didn't mind that much; it wasn't like she had anything better to do.
Around 12:30 the foxes appeared at the police station. Judy was chatting with a tired-looking Clawhauser. He enjoyed talking to people, but six hours of "Tell me how Bogo is when he's not wearing his uniform" could tire anyone.
Nick greeted them in his usual demeanor and a somewhat shy Gideon was being observed by Benjamin. That made him a little uncomfortable, and if you add that to his involuntary accent you get a furry and stuttering bundle of nerves that, in Clawhauser's words, "is perfect for Nick!"
After Benjamin and Gideon introduced themselves to each other the cheetah guided the group to Bogo's office. He knocked twice before entering displaying the smuggest of smiles and stretching his hands.
If it was someone else entering like that the buffalo would probably gore them.
At first Bogo ignored him and laid his eyes on the pair of foxes.
"Wilde, is he…?" His voice was stern and his expression would make babies cry, but he secretly hoped they'd crack under his pressure; the bet with Clawhauser had been going on for so long that losing now would be like losing one year of his life.
That's too dramatic.
Well, he just didn't like to lose.
"Yessir!" Nick mock-saluted and looked at Gideon out of the corner of his eye.
The baker fox was a little intimidated and unsure of what to do; he thought of imitating the other vulpine but eventually he nodded under the pressure of being wordlessly asked if Nick was telling the truth.
This admission only made Judy's doubts grow. 'They really mean it, they're serious…'
Bogo let out a deep sigh trough his nose and fished his wallet from his back pocket. He handed a twenty dollar bill to Clawhauser, whose expression hadn't changed since they stepped into the office.
"What, no kiss or anything?" The cheetah half-jokingly inquired. It seemed like everyone was picking up Nick's ability to tease people. He'd miss being the only friendly asshole around.
But Ben was lucky looks can't kill, because Bogo would have enjoyed that very much at the moment. He'd have enjoyed kissing him too… maybe after killing him just a little bit.
Soon after Clawhauser convinced Rhinowitz to cover for him behind the counter for thirty minutes and Judy went to get changed. Her shift ended at 12:00, but learning about her chief's morning rituals was more important.
Benjamin and Gideon left the building first since the cheetah wanted to get to know the mammal capable of stealing Nick's heart and Gid's politeness didn't allow him to tell the feline no. The pudgy fox tried to tell him they weren't really sure of what they were yet, but that only intrigued Benjamin even more.
And Judy used the moment the slender fox had created when he said he'd wait for her to ask him what she wanted to know. She tried to sound casual, but Nick was the one who knew her best; she couldn't fool him. He could pretend she could fool him, though…
"So… how did it happen? Did you confess or…?" She trailed off, pretending not to care about his answer.
"Eh, it was something mutual."
"Really? I mean, Gid told me he's never been in a serious relationship…"
"Uh huh. He told me about a… ferret? But it was more of an experiment." He wasn't that interested in having this kind of conversation with anyone, but he took her question as mere curiosity at first.
"Oh and… is it serious? You met each other yesterday, and one day is, like… not a lot of time."
"Who knows? Six hours are enough for some people."
"Well, yeah… but-"
"Judy." Nick cut her off. He used her real name; she understood he was serious.
"…yes?"
"Stop."
"What do you-?"
"I know what you're doing. Please, stop."
Subtlety wasn't her forte, both of them knew that. She sighed and accepted her defeat. "Nick, I'm just worried about you two."
"We're adults; if something goes wrong it'll be our problem."
"Aside from my family you're the people I care about the most. I don't want any of you getting hurt."
"I don't want that either…" But he wouldn't tell anyone he also thought it was crazy how fast everything was going. 'We're just getting to know each other' or 'we're just having fun' weren't excuses he wanted to use. He wanted something stable, he wanted someone to be there for him when he was feeling down, he wanted someone to share his darkest secrets with… he was lonely.
He didn't want anyone to know, but it was the truth.
They walked up to the two chubby mammals waiting for them in silence.
Clawhauser insisted on going to Bug Burga, Gideon wasn't used to fast food restaurants and was willing to try, and the not so dynamic duo didn't care much about where to go; suddenly none of them was hungry.
Benjamin took care of the silence that threatened to set in by asking Gideon about his job. 'Oh! Judy didn't tell me you were a baker!' Actually the pudgy fox wanted to bring a couple of treats for Nick and Judy's colleagues, but his police counterpart wouldn't let him slave away during his free week, even less after learning that was the first time he ever took a break from work.
Once in the establishment Clawhauser helped Gideon with his order, and the other two officers settled for a couple of juices.
After finding a place to seat at, the chubbier mammals realized something was wrong between Judy and Nick. Gideon thought it'd be better not to intervene, but Benjamin…
"What's with the long faces, you two?" He asked before taking an unhealthy bite off his first burger. Cheetah's appetite I guess.
Nick didn't even look at him, but Judy, who was sitting next to Ben, put on the best fake smile she could and answered. "We just… have differences on what to do while Gid's in town. Don't worry about it."
"Yeah, she always knows what's best for everyone, even when she has nothing to do with anything." The former con artist muttered under his breath. Gideon was next to him, so he heard him clearly, and the bunny's hearing allowed her to hear him as well.
"Nick, I told you, I'm worried about-"
"About what?!"
At this rate, having scenes at restaurants would become something usual.
Nick knew her well enough to know, or at least suppose, what was all this about: trust issues. Didn't they get over those a long time ago?
"I… I told you. I don't want any of you to get hurt."
Both Gideon and Benjamin were really confused. 'Is this about going to the theme park?' The baker thought. In his mind, Judy was still the innocent bunny who once said she wanted to be a cop; unable to think badly of anyone, someone who believed in justice above anything else, someone who still saw the world through rose-tinted glasses.
But he was wrong. Judy learnt how life really was, and she also learnt that happiness wasn't easy to get.
She was legitimately worried about her two fox friends: she was aware of their "lack of experience" when it came to relationships. Nick was right, maybe she shouldn't have said anything, but unlike him she didn't usually hide her feelings, and she just wanted the best for both of them.
Nick was angry. You could tell by the grip he had on his plastic cup, but before he could say anything he'd probably regret afterwards, Clawhauser intervened again.
"Judy, don't you think they know what they're doing?"
Benjamin Clawhauser of all animals actually understood what was going on.
He had to go through something really similar when he told his mom about wanting to be a police officer, or being gay, or being in a relationship… because, just like Judy, she worried about those who were close to her. Perhaps a little too much sometimes; and perhaps not enough about herself, but she worried too.
"Ben, this isn't what you-"
"Judy, I'm not the loud and dumb cheetah you think I am." She was taken aback by his words, but sadly, he wasn't wrong. Judy never got completely ridden of her prejudices. "Hey Gideon, do you enjoy being with Nick?"
The addressed mammal thought they were talking about physical pain, so the question caught him off guard. His answer was a serious look and a couple of quick nods.
"And Nick, do you enjoy be-?"
"Yes." The slender fox cut him off with a monosyllable, but he wanted to say much more.
The two vulpines spent the morning learning more about each other. There were things they didn't get to talk about, but it was clear they shared those: they had problems just because of what they were. Both of them were foxes.
And both of them had spent too much time by themselves.
Finding someone alike, a confidant that would understand them, was nothing less than a miracle.
There were many things they didn't share, but why would they focus on those when they had a whole lot of other things in common? The two foxes considered to have found an equal, and at the time, none of them had any complaints about the other.
What if they liked different TV shows or different deodorants? Love's blind, deaf, and has no sense of smell.
Love is a feeling.
But "love" is a strong word too.
And they also shared the lack of it.
"I don't see the problem here, Judy." Clawhauser settled.
She had to understand this wasn't her battle, and it seemed like the cheetah got the point across.
Now she was feeling bad. She wanted the best for everyone, but it wasn't her duty to decide what the best was. She looked down at her cup and nodded. 'It's their life, you dumb bunny.'
After a moment of tense silence filled with Ben's munching, Nick spoke up. "…I'm sorry, Carrots."
"Huh?" She tried to look at him, but his head was down too and his eyes were fixated on his own cup.
"I bet you had good intentions, but I thought you… you know… don't trust us."
"No!" 'I'm not sure' "That's not it, Nick! I… I'm just a nosy bunny. I should apologize for-"
But Gideon's idea of what was going on couldn't stay on his mind anymore. "Is this about the theme park, Judy?" He was dead serious. The previous argument made him a little mad too. "We're not kits anymore, you know?" Well… his reaction made that debatable.
Everyone stared at him.
"What?" The rabbit asked as she unconsciously raised her left eyebrow.
"We'll ride on the Ferris wheel if we want to! And the rollercoaster too!"
Clawhauser bursted into laughter after hearing that, and Nick had to hide his grin behind his cup.
Luckily for him no one realized he didn't speak in his accent, not even himself. But he wasn't feeling like doing any explaining at the moment.
Even if he wasn't the insecure and rage-filled fox he once was, Gideon could still get angry. His pride and self-esteem might be damaged, but there are little intact bits that, when handled the wrong way, could make anyone fear him.
The guffaws, which the bunny had joined when she understood what was going on, didn't help at all, but when the fox next to him grabbed and squeezed his paw, he calmed down.
They explained it was all a misunderstanding, and Gideon himself ended up laughing too.
Good thing he had no ill will.
During their somewhat tumultuous lunch, the Cheetah "convinced" the two foxes to go out and have a drink.
"You know that place, 'The knotty playground'?"
"Isn't that the gay club that got closed after Gazelle's crew was caught with their weight in molly?"
"THEY WERE FRAMED! But yes. It's under new management; now it's a super chill lounge bar with colorful cocktails, special happy hours and cute bartenders."
"Okay, sure. What do you say, Gid?"
"Sounds good ta me! 'Sides, I wanna experience tha big city nightlife."
Clawhauser also invited Judy, but she declined. She said she needed to fix her sleep schedule. She wasn't lying, but she also needed to talk to her mom. Anytime she was feeling down, a long conversation with her about nothing in particular always helped.
It was hard for Judy Hopps to forgive herself whenever she made a mistake, and even if she tried her hardest, she couldn't always learn from them.
When Nick got home he turned his phone on and sent her a text.
[thx again for setting us up]
A joke would surely lighten the mood, right?
She read it, but she didn't reply.
And here they were now; it was 20:03 and Nick, Gideon and Clawhauser were waiting for Bogo inside the bar.
Ben didn't lie; the place was really nice. It was clean (that was a novelty), chillout music was playing at an almost inaudible volume, the lighting made everything look lighter, white couches formed open but intimate spaces that resembled the classic booths you'd find in places like this, and its personnel seemed really friendly.
The slender fox approved of it. Whoever was running this place now knew what they were doing. 'A honey badger you said, Ben?' But the only thing he could think about at the moment was how the usually stoic buffalo would behave outside the station. 'Bogo drinking. Bogo… dancing, maybe?' and above anything else, he was eager to see him interacting with Clawhauser.
A really fit lynx served them a smile and what Ben called "pink panthers" each and they sat at one of the small tables close to the entrance so it wasn't hard for Bogo to spot them. Nick and Gideon sat together, and Benjamin sat on the opposite couch waiting for his partner.
The drinks were sweet; in fact it was almost impossible to tell they were actually alcoholic, which could either be beneficial or harmful depending on how the night evolved. But the foxes saw the lynx pouring tequila in the cocktail shaker; not that they really cared since they didn't have to wake up early the following day.
"So, Ben, how come you've convinced Mr. Serious to go out on a Tuesday?" Nick asked referring to Bogo, saving Gideon from another flurry of questions from the cheetah.
But he couldn't really blame him; he had spent most of the day doing the same. The vulpines sure were taking seriously the 'knowing each other' part.
"Oh, well, it's actually thanks to you. Remember that time you told him he'd have a heart attack if he didn't take it easy? Because he does." Clawhauser answered casually before taking a sip of his drink.
They engaged in small talk, and before any of them could realize, the fourth member of their party had joined them. Nick was the only one surprised to see him wearing a salmon shirt and… smiling at Clawhauser and the bartender?! when he got there.
The buffalo ordered his beverage and sat on the spot reserved for him before giving a quick kiss to Ben.
"Hubby, this is Gideon Grey, you met this afternoon." The cheetah put to good use his likeability and introduced them without using the word "boyfriend" because he never got to hear it from any of the foxes.
The baker fox, who had had time to finish his drink, stretched his right paw to shake the buffalo's hoof. "Nice to meet you."
That was the first time he spoke that night, not because he didn't want to say anything previously, but because he thought that alcohol consumption might dismiss any question about the accent Clawhauser had heard that afternoon. He liked the cheetah, but people with such a lively personality weren't his forte.
"Macario Bogo, likewise." Was the police chief's reply, who couldn't avoid looking at the other fox, who was practically staring at him. "Wilde? Are you okay?"
Oops, he had been caught.
He had to compose and scold himself for breaking his character before answering in the coolest way he could. "Yeah… a little shocked, though. I thought your first name was actually 'chief'."
"Very funny, Nick." Bogo highlighted the fox's name, which surprised the vulpine because his superior had only pronounced it three times since he started working as a police officer. "But since we are off duty, I'll let you address me by it."
"Alright… Macario."
The buffalo told the group that the lynx who served them told him the next happy hour would start at 20:30, which was in seven minutes. Clawhauser told them the new owner thought that having happy hours that changed daily would be a good way to attract customers, and whoever they were, they weren't wrong: the place wasn't crowded, but there were mammals sitting at almost every table.
The cheetah practically dragged Gideon to the bar; they'd wait until the clock hit the hour and they'd come back with drinks for everyone.
"Like a little kit with a new toy…" Nick commented when they left. Clawhauser sure liked meeting new people.
"Ben seems to like your… Gideon." Macario replied. He was friendlier than Nick once thought, but that didn't mean he was any good at making small talk.
"Yeah… I like my Gideon too." The fox said, mostly to himself. A second after a devilish smirk crossed his face. "Are you jealous, Mac?" If he wasn't at work, teasing his chief wouldn't get him fired… right?
"No."
But at heart he still was Chief Bogo.
"Are you?"
"What?"
"You heard me, Wilde. Do you fear that Ben might steal Gideon from you?"
Was he serious?
"No, I don't..."
Why would he say something like that?
"Are you sure? Because I know Ben really well, and sometimes he can be surprisingly persuasive…"
Oh!
"You're joking, right?"
"Yes, Nick."
It's true; Bogo's sense of humor could be a little twisted at times.
Nick and Gideon were still unsure of what they were; both of them avoided the direct topic during the day, and Judy's doubts made his even worse. He tried not to worry about it, but it was hard. So his joke backfiring was actually a heavy blow for him to take.
But, once again, he wouldn't let anyone know.
"Hah… you're bad, Mac. I'm going to go help them bring the drinks; surely they'll need my muscles." A light joke and a mock flex of his arms and he was waiting next to the chubbier mammals.
Right then, his brain told him to do two things: hug Gideon and drink.
One hour after the three predators were, at least, tipsy. Bogo wasn't fond of alcohol and the ride back home was on him, so he stuck to iced tea.
Around fifteen minutes prior this happened:
An unidentifiable creature stood in front of their table in absolute silence, his eyes shifting among the four of them, but before any of them had the chance to ask him what he was doing or what he was, he handed Bogo something that resembled a business card.
"First Unit of Real Synthetic or Organic Naturalized Animals?"
Macario didn't understand what that meant. Was that… thing artificial or what?
"Or FURSONA, for short." The creature finally spoke. His voice was both monotone and cartoonish. A strange combination for a strange being, I guess.
Clawhauser, who had enjoyed five of those pink panthers by then, raised his paw and asked "why… are you red, and purple and… and blue, and y-yellow?" slurring his words a little.
It was a legitimate question; that creature's fur didn't look natural or healthy for what it's worth. And, for some reason, he was wearing an explorer costume. Perhaps he got lost on his way to one of those comic conventions?
The "fursona" didn't answer his question, he just nodded. No one could really tell what his intentions were; his face was blank and his hands were interlaced behind his back.
Nick, who was a little less intoxicated than the other predators, asked "what are you?" coldly: he was having a good time and a weirdo interrupting them wasn't something he wanted.
The colorful explorer nodded as he did before, but this time he replied shortly after. "I'm a mammal that resembles a wide variety of canidae. I'm here to mate with you."
Okay, that was… bold.
Clawhauser burst into laughter when he heard that and Gideon giggled into his glass, almost spilling his drink over himself. Nick and Mac didn't find him that entertaining; they looked at him in mild disbelief, the fox with a hint of anger too.
The… canine? didn't look fazed at all. He fixated his eyes on Gideon, making the baker stop giggling after seeing that prominent snout pointed at him.
"What are you?" The creature inquired in his robotic but squeaky voice.
"Uh… a red fox?" The question caught the pudgy vulpine off guard, and in his state he wasn't sure of what to say.
"Good. I'll have sex with you first."
That was it.
Bogo stood up trying to intimidate him, but it proved to be useless, not because the buffalo wasn't able to do so, but because at the same time Nick, who was on the edge of his seat since that thing opened his muzzle, lunged at him. The fox gripped the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the buffalo, who quickly grabbed his forearms, immobilizing him.
"Listen to me, fuckhead. If you don't leave us alone, I'll bite your throat out." It was a low growl, exclusively audible for the threatened creature.
"Kill him, b-boys!" Clawhauser cheered.
But that "fursona" didn't even blink. "I understand you don't want to take part in-"
Nick's right fist didn't let him finish his sentence; he had had enough. If he was sober, probably he wouldn't have done that, but with enough alcohol his emotions sometimes escaped his control.
An oblivious prey would even say he had gone savage by the way he bared his fangs. A little more and his mouth would start foaming.
After a blur of movement Bogo was holding the slender fox back and the security guards were taking care of the sex offender.
They had heard of someone disturbing their customers previously, but this was the first time someone actually confronted the aggressor.
Nick finally sat next to Gideon again, holding the baker's paw under the table trying to calm down. The pudgy fox thanked him but he also told him he didn't care that much about what that thing said.
He stroked the former con artist's back, slowly soothing him, stopping his shaking… and thinking about how much he enjoyed seeing Nick punching that guy. It was the second time the slender fox defended him, and he had to admit it felt good. But he feared getting used to Nick confronting anyone who said something they shouldn't to him.
Even if Nick had his own reasons for wanting to do so.
Okay, sure, this was a LGBTQ+ and interspecies friendly establishment, but no matter what your sexuality, gender or species were, there were boundaries someone should never overstep.
They decided not to mention that event ever again.
But the position the vulpines were in prompted Gideon to break their somewhat tense silence with the following question.
"So… how did you guys start dating?"
Something in his head told him it was an appropriate question… hopefully it wasn't the alcohol.
Well, everyone seemed to have sobered up some.
The two addressed mammals, who were holding hands under the table just like the foxes, looked at each other before Clawhauser replied with a sad smile. "When I got shot."
Both vulpines looked at him with bewildered expressions, but the cheetah continued before anyone had the chance to say something.
"Well, no… I mean, that was seven years ago and…"
"Benny, calm down." Bogo interjected, sensing his partner's nervousness. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"No, no, it's okay…" Benjamin took a deep breath and started again. Even with his vacillation, the cheetah had everyone's full attention.
"It all started seven years ago, during my second year on the force. I was on patrol, my partner and I found this group of kids in an alley… and they were nervous. We were close to Shady Place, in the Rainforest District, and you know what's usually going on there." Nick nodded and whispered something to Gideon about that area. 'It's not a place we want to visit.' The pudgy fox blinked in understanding and Clawhauser continued.
"It was all… really fast, as they usually say. I didn't even feel any pain. I just remember… waking up in a hospital bed with this guy next to me." He looked fondly at Bogo, who locked eyes with Benjamin for just a second, as if sharing that memory with him made it less painful.
Clawhauser didn't go into much detail; he still thought that moment ruined his career in the ZPD. 'I went from being the fastest mammal on the force to the fattest.' But, even if that was true, he wouldn't change a thing now; he liked his current life more than he could have ever imagined.
"Ben… how old are you?" Nick asked unknowingly interrupting the moment between the cheetah and the buffalo.
"36"
"You're older than me?!"
"See, Macky? My beauty products work." Benjamin turned to face Bogo, who smirked and replied "I never said they don't; I said you don't need them."
'They look like a married couple.' Gideon thought, unaware of how unusual it was for the buffalo to behave like this… at least under Nick's eyes.
"You've been together since then?" The slender fox, who looked like the sly self everybody was used to again, inquired as he unconsciously squeezed the other vulpine's paw. The baker stopped caressing his back when the fox cop asked Clawhauser about his age, but they never let go of each other hands.
"No, but it was when we… understood." Macario replied this time.
"You understood?" Gideon asked then, feeling Nick's momentary grip and reciprocating it.
"Yeah… back then I wasn't the chief, but I talked to all of our superiors when I heard they were thinking of demoting him when the doctors told us he shouldn't go on patrol anymore and-"
"My left knee is made of metal." Clawhauser interjected this time.
"The thing is I didn't know why I was doing it, we weren't that close, bu-"
"Because you loved me." The cheetah interrupted again matter-of-factly.
"Perhaps, but I didn't know."
"Or maybe you didn't want to accept that you were in love with me."
"Oh? You say that after I-?"
Nick fake coughed loudly to interrupt their banter. It didn't really bother him, in fact he understood what their "understanding" meant, and he secretly hoped Gideon did too; but he also wanted to know how the story continued.
"Ah, yeah, yeah…" Clawhauser resumed. "Mr. I Always Loved You here ("Hey!") took care of me during my rehab," He made a little pause there. He left out the bit about the depression he went through; that was something only Bogo and him would know. That was the main reason he put on quite some weight at first, but a comment the buffalo made concerning his hips convinced him to stay chubby, "and eight months later, when Macky became the chief, he made me the first male receptionist on the ZPD."
"Aaaand…?" Nick and Gideon insisted, leaning forward, waiting for the grand finale.
"I confessed after the Gazelle concert a year and a half ago." Bogo finished casually, giving place to a very anticlimactic ending.
"…that's it?" Nick asked. "I mean, it's not a bad story, but…" He trailed off, gesturing with his free hand and rolling his eyes making them understand he expected a different closure.
"I didn't take you for a romantic, Wilde." The buffalo joked, taking a sip of his tea.
"I liked it." Gideon commented, turning to face Nick, who was still rating the tale.
"Well, there was drama and action, and if it was Bogo who confessed… I'll give you a seven out of ten."
"And what about you two?" Clawhauser retorted without any real malice. "Judy told me you met yesterday…"
That was a territory the foxes didn't want anyone to step in, but not replying could lead to a bad ending; even worse than what telling the truth would entail.
The former con artist looked at Gideon looking for some kind of approval and then back at the prying couple. He grabbed his own glass with his free paw and drank its content down, letting the pudgy fox know how nervous he was. Finally, he replied. "We met yesterday and we confessed this morning."
Bogo put his glass down. He tried to look at both vulpines simultaneously to no avail with a blank expression, and when he finally locked eyes with Nick, he asked in his gravest voice "And you were complaining about our story?"
But he couldn't keep his serious façade any longer and started laughing uproariously a moment later. Clawhauser thought it was romantic: they just met and they had already told each other what they felt.
And the foxes… they wanted to get out of there. No matter how much they tried to deny it they were still unsure, and that was something they had to solve by themselves.
Trying to hide his growing agitation Gideon checked his phone. No new messages, no lost calls… but he found a good excuse: it was 21:53, and if Nick and Judy told him the truth, the cops had to wake up really early. "Hey guys, it's almost ten. It's okay for you to stay up late with your job?"
Bogo stopped laughing to check his watch, and indeed, they'd have to head home soon. "Last round?" He asked the group before standing up.
Clawhauser shook his head and the vulpines said they were fine as well.
"I'll go pay then."
When he came back he didn't allow any of the foxes to pay for their consumptions, which greatly surprised Nick: not that he thought his chief was stingy, but he didn't expect him to be the type of mammal that treated someone the first time they went out together. Besides, their lunch was on him too.
The ride back home in Bogo's silver SUV was silent for the most part, excluding a couple of comments from Benjamin. It was an amicable silence, but none of them had much to say at the time.
Once the foxes reached their stop they got out of the vehicle, not without bidding their goodbyes to the interspecies couple first.
Finally the duo was back at Nick's apartment, alone together once again.
"Well, that was fun." Gideon commented as Nick closed the door behind him.
"Yeah, I guess…" The slender vulpine was still avoiding to think about the not so entertaining moments they lived that night. He knew he shouldn't dwell on what anyone said, but it was hard; over the years he had learned he had to protect what he cared for. "So, what do you think of my friends?"
"They seem nice… but Benjamin sure talks a lot." The baker leaned on the couch and looked at Nick.
Both of them were in a somewhat awkward situation: they were alone, which would mean they could talk freely… but none of them dared to face their demons. They wanted to ask things, they wanted to know things…
Well, they had learnt things; things they didn't needed to know. They spent most of that day "getting to know each other" using Internet tests which, frankly, none of them took seriously.
'What's your definition of success? Hmmm… clean underwear every day.'
'Really, Gid? The right answer is no underwear.'
'Gosh darn!
You like it when I say that stuff, right? How's y'all doin' ova' 'ere?!'
Well, at least they laughed together.
But now they didn't have a screen to look at.
Nick was starting to get nervous. He took a quick look around his apartment and the gears in his head started spinning…
"Hey, what do you say we have one last drink?"
"Oh, ah… sure!" Gideon quickly replied a little disconcerted by the sudden proposal. He couldn't complain, though; he also felt like he needed that "extra help."
"We have to compensate for going to bed so early yesterday." And with that joke Nick went to get everything ready.
Fifty minutes and four tall glasses of a mix of regular and black vodka with pineapple juice later both foxes were in a similar state than when they were at the bar. Perhaps a little giddier.
"…and before… before that guy told us he wanted to… he wanted to 'do the do' with us…" That expression got a guffaw out of Nick, but the pudgy fox continued. "Ben told me about… Macaco? That was his name, Macaco?"
"Macario, Gid."
"Yeah, about Macario's wang."
Nick laughed really hard at that; he knew Clawhauser could be a little indiscreet when he was drunk, but his chief's penis wasn't a topic he touched on before.
"Gid, why do you say those things?"
"W-what things?" Gideon shifted his position on the couch to get a better view of the other fox. He turned to his side, lifting his left leg and crossing it on the spot between them.
"You know, 'do the do', 'wang'…" Nick wasn't feeling so overwhelmed by his doubts anymore. In fact, he was planning on putting an end to them as soon as the alcohol acted and he had the guts to say what he wanted. He wasn't a heavy drinker, but you know what they say about desperate times and desperate measures…
"Ah… that's 'cause there're always… always cubs at my store. There, lookin' at the, at the… the pies and the cupcakes... but I can say 'fuck' too! And 'dick'!"
Gideon was clearly tipsier than Nick.
There was a brief silence during which the fox cop took a few deep breaths the other vulpine ignored.
It was time.
"Hey, Gideon… what are you really like?" He had to be grateful his façade didn't falter… much. But making a question like that while drunk without hyperventilating was an achievement.
The addressed mammal looked at the slender fox with half lidded eyes for a few seconds as he assimilated those words.
He was aware of his state, but he didn't mind giving in to the warm sensation he felt and making a fool of himself; what was the point of getting drunk then?
However, he sensed Nick was serious.
"Hmmm…" The baker rested his chin on his left fist and pointed at his plaid blue, gray and white shirt with his free hand. "I don't usually wear one of these when I'm at home."
That wasn't what the slender expected, but he'd have to roll with it. "Okay, that's a start." He started unbuttoning his own shirt, reciprocating the other's look.
When Gideon realized what he was doing, he blinked twice before smirking. "Are you sure about that?"
"We already saw each other this morning. Don't tell me you're going shy on me now…" Nick was famous for being a teaser.
But the false sensation of confident bestowed by alcohol made everything easier. "No, no… but you're drunk."
"Me?" The slender fox finished taking off his shirt and dropped it on the ground. "You're drunk!"
The pudgy vulpine didn't even unbutton his: he just pulled it over his head before dropping it next to the other. "I know."
The current situation actually surprised Nick: he wasn't expecting this! What was Gideon thinking? Maybe he knew what he was doing? Did he want to-?!
"Hey, Nick…" The former con artist's train of thought was interrupted by his temporary roommate. "I don't know." 'Huh?' "The last time someone asked me that I was twelve… and I flipped my therapist off.
…
What are you really like?"
Did the apparently oblivious fox just turn the tables? Wasn't he… about to pass out? Or trying to seduce Nick?
Perhaps he really did know how to hold his liquor.
"Hah, you got me there... I have no idea."
The short silence that followed was everything Gideon needed to muster up the courage to say what he had been thinking about since that morning.
He looked at the black flat screen in front of them and sighed.
It was time… again.
"You were right, Nick; this is rushed. Maybe… uh, I heard this in a movie but, we… fell in love with the idea of the other?" The pudgy fox sounded really sure of his words, and the sudden change of subject caught Nick completely by surprise.
"What? What do you mean?"
"It's like… we didn't know much about each other, but we had this idea of how we were… I don't know if I'm makin' any sense…" Well, maybe he wasn't that sure of what he was saying, but the other vulpine got the point.
"No, no, you're right! I understand! It's… crazy, but I think I like it. Hah… look, I… I've spent the entire day shaking because I've been thinking of how our future together would be like and… I'm scared because we really don't know that much about each other…"
"If I'm honest… I don't think I need to at this point. I like it when you tell me things about you, but I don't want you to feel, uh… pressured to do so."
If someone from Bunny Burrows heard him they wouldn't believe that it was Gideon Grey who was speaking.
But he was right: do you really need to know everything about someone to fall in love with them?
The slender fox smiled at that. 'God, he's cute.' But since they were being honest… "What if I told you I was scared of falling in love?"
"I'd tell you I was too." It was Gideon's turn to smile. They weren't sharing tragic backstories anymore: they were talking about themselves, actually getting to know each other, and that harmony made them both feel truly ecstatic.
"I've always been alone and I thought 'love can't be that good', but now all I want is you to be happy… but I'm still scared of… letting you down."
A little known fact about Nicholas Piberius Wilde is that he's actually vulnerable.
"Why would you?"
"Well, I… I've done many things wrong and-"
"So what?" Gideon interrupted. Nick wanted him to be happy, but he also wanted to make the other fox feel the same. "I've done fucked up things too, but we're not perfect! I'm not gonna… accuse you for your mistakes."
"I'm not gonna accuse you for yours either…"
They needed a moment.
These last two days have been emotionally exhausting.
And three days ago they didn't even know each other.
Perhaps they could be happy with each other, but this… this was surreal.
But those were their feelings. It was and it wasn't their choice at the same time.
They didn't regret a thing.
"I think I know what the problem is…" Gideon started once again, his dilated pupils meeting the attentive officer's.
"Huh? You do?"
"Yeah… we're both scared of messin' up and end up losing… I don't know, the other? Ourselves?"
Nick imitated the baker's position on the couch, carefully resting his right leg on the other's left and his muzzle on his left paw. "Hmm… I can't say you're wrong…"
Before he had any time to dwell on the same thought that had been consuming him during that day, Gideon spoke up. "What if we ignore all that and we focus on the present?"
It wasn't really a question; it was more of a resolve full of determination.
Nick froze for an instant.
"Gid, that's…"
"No, no, listen to me. We'll be ourselves, we'll enjoy our time together, we… we can try to solve any problem we face together, and if it goes good, then great…"
The baker couldn't believe he was saying that. He was putting his feelings into words, and…
"…and if it doesn't?"
…and Nick felt like crying. This is what he wanted: none of them was forced to do anything, they'd just be together… he didn't need anything else.
"…we beat each other to a pulp?"
Nick started laughing, softly at first, but it grew into a hysterical bout of guffaws in a matter of seconds. He was crying again, just like the previous day, but for a completely different reason.
For the second time that night, his emotions took over and he lunged at Gid, hugging him and placing kisses all over his muzzle.
"I love you. I love you (kiss), I love you, (kiss) I love you, (kiss) Gideon Grey! God, I've wanted to do this all day!" Nick suddenly stopped and looked at the surprised face under his, his enthusiastic expression shifting dramatically. "Oh… oh, sorry. Did I go too f-"
But Gideon didn't let him continue when he reciprocated the embrace and nuzzled his chest before placing sloppy and wet pecks of his own (well, they were practically licks) on the other's snout. "I love you too, you silly fox!"
Eventually they calmed down, but that didn't mean their feelings had changed.
Nick was holding Gideon as close to his body as he physically could; they were lying on their backs, Nick resting directly on the couch, and Gideon between the other's legs.
Back against torso, head against chest, fur against fur, skin against skin…
It was dark and their eyes were closed. It almost looked like they had fallen asleep, but Gideon wanted to know one more thing.
"Nick, are you still scared?"
"No, not anymore."
"Me neither…"
And… one more.
"Nick, you still lie to people?"
"…yeah."
"Why?"
"Safety."
"You lie to me too?"
"No."
"…will you?"
"I don't know…"
"Is it because… you don't wanna get hurt?"
"...yes."
"I won't hurt you, Nick."
"I won't lie to you then."
"Will you hurt me?"
"No. I'll never do that."
"Good. Then I won't lie either."
…
"Hey, Nick?"
"Hm?"
"I love you."
The addressed mammal smiled to himself and let out a small sigh before kissing the other's tufts of hair. "I love you too, Gid."
…
"I don't wear pants either when I'm at home…"
They drifted off to sleep shortly after.
Can a relationship that's gone from "I-just-met-you-but-seem-nice" friendship to love probably fueled by loneliness actually work? We'll see!
BTW, I should have chosen another title; a bad pun doesn't reflect the "constant analysis of emotions and actions" I've accidentally created. But at first I was like "haha, yeah. Meet and fuck for one week straight!"
A little bonus – At the bar
"Aren't you scared of what people might say if they found out at the station that you two are…?"
"No." Both Clawhauser and Bogo replied at the same time.
"There are rumors, it's true, but-" The buffalo tried to explain, but his inebriated partner interjected abruptly.
"But unless someone catches us screwing in the locker room again we'll be fine!"
The foxes laughed. Bogo… not so much.