Judy's maniacal laughter filled the diner.
Nick's ears perked up as he tried desperately to shush her while his eyes were scanning all around from embarrassment. Other mammals were staring and talking about them from their tables.
"Whiskers! Ya gotta calm down! It wasn't that funny. Other mammals are looking!" he scolded in a whisper yell.
Judy stared at him still with a goofy, toothy smile like Flash when Nick told him that pregnant camel joke. She was still laughing and giggling stupidly in between. Her face was cherry red.
Nick just stared back and slowly brought his paws up to close her gaping grin, he couldn't help chuckling awkwardly himself. She just looked so ridiculous and adorable.
"You're gonna drool all over the table, Carrots…"
"Oh cawm awwnn Neek… it was totally hilari-funny! Just think about it!" she babbled while waving her paws in front of his face and her face leaning forward. Her eyes were bouncing around everywhere.
"Carrots, I know it's funny I was the one who told-" He was cut off by the rabbit.
"Nick… Nicholas… Nicholayyyyooouhhh…. Nicky." She suddenly giggled at that last nickname.
She placed two paws over her mouth in surprise with wide eyes "Oh my gosh! I'll call you Nicky now!" She said with a squeal.
"Please don't." He pleaded in an annoyed tone, while his paws beckoned her to quiet down.
"SO. Nicky… The reason why you call a three humped camel pregnant is cuz…uhhmm… is cuz that's… that's uhh… that's where the baby is! D-Do you get it? It's so funny!" She continued to lecture while clasping her head like it's a mind-blowing revelation.
Nick sighed in frustration. "Alright Jud, you can tell me all about it when we go home ok?"
He looked up to signal the waitress for the check.
"Go home? But Nickyyy…I…" she paused to smack her lips and her eyes closed to a squint. She looked like she forgot what she was about to say.
He chuckled awkwardly again "Hahaha… ok, Carro-"
"BUT… I'm- *gasp* we should go dancing!" she suddenly let out in an outburst, her eyes widened.
Nick quickly placed his paws over her mouth.
"Shhh!" he shushed again.
She giggled and whispered excitedly while bouncing in her seat "We should go daaancing~" Her paws gripped the edge of the table while her head leaned toward Nick. Her tail wiggled a bit in excitement.
The moose waitress swung by, "Alrighty! Here's the check lemme know if you folks need anything els-" She looked at Judy who was staring at her with a wide smile.
The waitress looked at her with some concern then looked at Nick, giving him a suspicious look.
He laughed awkwardly "Ha-ha-ha ok! Thanks a lot Sandy! Just leave the bill there, I'll get it." He quickly swiped up the check and paid the bill.
"Keep the change! Come on let's go, Carrots…" He got out of his seat and helped Judy off of hers then they made their way to the door.
Suddenly, the moose stopped Nick and Judy by clearing her throat authoritatively. Nick slowly turned around.
"I'm sorry, but I just have to ask…" She squatted down to look at Judy in the eyes sincerely. "Honey… are you sure you want to go home with this gentlemammal?"
Nick was shocked and a little offended at first, but understood where the concern was coming from. Other mammals were staring too.
Judy just flashed a huge smile. "Yeahhhh~ Don't worry about it! He's… mah boyfrieeendd~"
The moose and Nick both looked shocked and were speechless.
"Oh." The waitress turned to look at Nick with wide eyes.
"Uhh… hehehe. Yeah?" he answered sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.
"Oh! Well sorry to come off so rude! I was just concerned was all." She apologized.
Nick was already pulling Judy out of the diner. He waved quickly at the waitress "Yep! Thank you very much. Have a great night! Bye!" Judy was wobbling and stumbling from trying to keep up.
"Be safe, yall~!" The moose gave the couple a double take before shrugging and returning to tend to other customers.
Nick dragged Judy out to the parking lot and sat her down in the car.
Before he entered the driver's seat he quickly exhaled into his paw and whiffed it.
Nope definitely would fail the breathalyzer test.
Judy suddenly hopped out of Nick's car and wobbled her way over to the cement concrete bumpers in a vacant parking space near Nick and sat down.
Nick hadn't noticed she got out.
Suddenly she grabbed Nick's paw. Nick jumped a little and quickly looked down to see a drunk, toothy smiling rabbit.
"Youuuu admitted you were my boyfren…deh" she smiled at him smugly and quarter-lidded, pointing at him with one paw.
He just stared at her with an awkward and uncomfortable look "It was just so we can get out of the restaurant Carrots, you know it's not true" He answered quickly and shook her paw free while he went onto the sidewalk to try hail a cab.
"Hey…. But…. But I like youuu Nicky…"
His ears perked as she glanced at her, but he quickly turned away focusing on getting a cab.
"No really, Nick! I do… I lik-"
"You're just drunk Carrots. You won't even remember this in the morning."
"I remember what happened the last time we got drunk." She replied suddenly.
Nick's heart froze and he felt his stomach implode. His face reddened.
His brain stopped for just a moment before its machinery slowly resumed.
Wait… she knew what happened this whole time? Then why did sh-
"I just said I forgot cuz I tricked you~" she said stupidly and proudly as she followed up with a giggle.
Suddenly, he stopped looking for a cab and slowly walked over to Judy with a flabbergasted expression.
...
"Wait… so you knew? Then… why?" he tried hard to find better words.
She had a hard time sitting straight as her body listed slowly to the left and the right… backward and forward…
But Nick could tell she was trying really hard to keep her balance and her answers coherent.
Judy cleared her throat and tried to look at him with a serious drunk face.
"It's cuz… I… wished… to uh.. I wanted to know if you felt the same… I know we're partners and all… buttuhhhhh….. I-I donnoah… I just like you… We have good times, don't we Nicky?" The whole time she spoke, she was flailing her paws around hoping to help convey her points, but she just ended up looking like a broken puppet.
Suddenly she looked up at him with a disappointed look. Her tone became low and quiet "Annnd… yeah… But… I remember…I remember that you don't feel the same way... don't worry…"
But her recollection of that incident only worried him more. He continued to look at her with furrowed brows. Slowly he sat down next to her all the while carefully observing her.
"Carrots…" he started, but quickly shut his mouth not knowing what to follow up with.
For a long time, they just sat in silence. Judy just stared at the parking lot light. Nick just stared at her.
She turned her head to look at the ground. "I don't… I don't even like drinking…" she suddenly said in a sad tone while slowly shaking her head.
Nick looked her a little confused but still primarily concerned. "Then why did you.."
"Because!" she turned to look at him in the eyes. Her eyes were watery. She wasn't crying though. He could tell she was trying very hard to stay strong.
"Because, I… I feel braver when I'm drunk…and…" She started to look ashamed. "It's the only time it feels like… there's a chance you'd love me back." She said with her paws clenched on her lap as the tears rolled down her eyes. Her nose twitched uncontrollably.
He looked at her with great sadness of his own. His eyes glossed over.
Judy's desperate search for courage reminded him of his own desperate search. At least she somehow found some, but he was still too weak… and far too afraid.
"Nick… why…" She sniffled. "…Why don't you…?" Her voice broke as she shook her head in defeat and now the tears were really starting to roll. She was sniffling incessantly, but she was still fighting the violent outpour of sadness welling up behind her eyes.
Nick's eyes also watered a bit. It killed him to see her like this. Especially if it's just something he could fix, but he just did not have the guts. Come on! What the hell are you doing? Don't let them get to you! Don't let HER get to you!
He simply said nothing. Just wearing a remorseful look on his face.
She broke down and began crying into her knees. The tears sent shudders through her body as she sobbed.
He didn't know what to say as he just watched her cry. His heart hurt so much, but his mind and body did nothing. All he did was stare at the ground and place one paw on her shuddering back.
Her sniffles and cries were muffled, but he could feel the genuine pain.
"Uh… Carrots…" His voice was a bit shaky. Why can't I just say it to her? He was trembling slightly from the deep inner conflict.
She looked at him with tears still streaming. Why can't he love me?
They both just stared at each other for a long time in the dark parking lot illuminated by a single light. The stars covered the skies and the moon was slightly obstructed by wisps of the silhouetted clouds.
Suddenly a cab pulled over by the sidewalk.
The window rolled down. "Hey! You two need a lift? I saw you waving earlier, I had to make a huge U-turn way down near Herd's Herbs." The raccoon cab driver spoke with a gruff voice.
Nick stood and looked up at him. "Uh…" He looked down at Judy. She buried her face back into her knees. It's probably best if we finished this at home, I can pick my car up in the morning. "Yeah sure. Thanks."
Nick carefully helped Judy into the cab.
The whole ride back, neither of them spoke a word to each other.
He had Judy's head in his lap as he lightly rubbed her ear, he faced out the window of the cab.
Judy's breath reeked of alcohol and her eyes were swollen and red.
Nick just gazed half-lidded at the passing lights and décor of Zootopia while reflecting on the events that had just occurred tonight...
As they entered Nick's apartment complex, Judy was still very wobbly and uncoordinated, so Nick had to piggy-back her up the stairs.
This initially fun evening had gone south really quick. And Nick blamed himself entirely for it. I shoulda never let her drink.
He shook his head angrily as he gingerly laid Judy down on his bed. Quickly, he dashed to the kitchen to move his trashcan beside the bed. He also brought 2 glasses of water as well. He was anticipating the poor rabbit's eventual need of 'outward cleansing.'
She looked like she was falling asleep already as she writhed around in the blankets and mumbled incoherently.
About another 5 minutes passed, she was still shifting around uncomfortably as if in distress. Her eyes were shut tightly though.
"Hey… you just gotta drink some water." He sat her up and held the glass to her small mouth as she drank it slowly.
She started coughing as he pulled away from choking on a little bit of the water. He quickly placed the glass back down on the nightstand and slapped her back to help clear her lungs.
Finally, when that ordeal was finished. She lied back down exhausted.
He never seen her like this. Her spirits seemed so drained and her complexion was terrible. Her fur a total mess.
I did this… He sighed. Nick stared at the mirror on the wall.
He thought about how Judy was the whole reason he turned his life around. She was the reason he could even fathom on believing in himself again. She gave him hope and newfound purpose. Something that some mammals can search a hundred lifetimes for and still never find. This crazy rabbit had changed his life forever in all the best ways. So why can't he just give her one small 3-worded phrase? A phrase he already wants to say deep down inside.
He looked at her. Fur all ruffled, lying in awkward uncomfortable positions, writhing, and moaning in discomfort.
To make matters worse, suddenly Judy sat up quickly. Her neck started craning back and forth as she made a gagging noise.
Oh god. Here it comes.
He quickly positioned her head over the trash can.
After a few more gagging head movements, Judy suddenly upchucked most of her dinner and half of her soul into the trashcan.
She groaned in pain as she wiped her mouth. "Uhhnnn… I think… I think that's bette-" her head suddenly recoiled as another jet of her food shot into the trash can.
Nick just kept patting her back as he cringed a little at the sight. It wasn't his first time having to help someone with their party foul. It was just incredibly hard to see Judy in this state.
As she finished, she let out a few retching coughs and spat out excess saliva. Her eyes were almost in a daze. Slowly, she seemed to recover from the onslaught.
"Ok… now that's better." She said with a drunk grin. "I'm sorry Nick…"
"Don't worry about it." He pat her head and quickly offered some water. She accepted it gladly and used it to quench her endless thirst and to gurgle-cleanse her mouth.
She lied back down with eyes wide open staring at the ceiling and exhaled.
Her head was still pounding, but she felt she regained some clarity.
Nick slowly placed the cup back down and lied down on the bed just about a foot away from her, he also stared at the ceiling.
The clock ticked away on the wall.
Tick- tock- tick- tock- tick
…
…
…
10 minutes passed like this. Both of them completely unable to sleep.
Judy turned to lie on her side facing the edge of the bed and away from Nick.
…
…
…
Suddenly Judy felt Nick's arms wrap around her waist as he brought them closer together on the bed.
Her eyes widened. Is this a dream?
She felt Nick's snout placed gently over her shoulder. His breath was calm, but she felt his heart jumping out of his chest against her back.
Her face reddened. This was almost surreal.
Neither of them spoke as they laid their quietly yet intensely. His heart was still beating rapidly, but hers quickly caught up to his cadence.
…
…
Suddenly, he placed a paw on her shoulder as he slowly turned her around to face him.
His emerald green eyes were wide open staring into her big round amethyst eyes.
Both of their cheeks were flushed.
…
…
Suddenly Nick broke the silence. "Well…"
…
…
"I hope you'll remember this."
Her eyes widened as he spontaneously planted his lips firmly onto hers. His eyes closed as hers only widened.
This moment of passion passed as quickly as it had started.
As he retracted from her face, his eyes slowly opened. His heart calmed. Suddenly everything felt right.
This was all he felt when he was desperately trying to rescue her.
This was all he felt when he saw her bleeding and dying.
This was all he felt when he sat next to that hospital bed talking to an unconscious bunny.
This is all that he feels now. Right here. Right now. No more fear, no more bullshit.
She stared at him still with eyes wide open. She blinked twice as if in a daze.
Nick smiled. "I love you, Judy." He made sure to state it audibly and clearly. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed as he quickly pulled her in for a tight embrace.
The dams erected by doubt and fear just collapsed. Now the emotions came rolling through... and so did the tears.
Never let them see that they get to you… What a load of crap…