A/N: Over 3000 views and a ton of followers and reviews...you guys are amazing! I've been super busy lately, but I managed to pull another one of these out in between chapters of my new story, "The Search for Turalis" (shameless plug...go check it out!). Word of warning, this one is a little heavy and contains references to alcohol, but is still safely in the "T" rating. Enjoy, and let me know in the reviews section what you thought!
A Fox's Folly
Judy tapped her foot impatiently. She'd texted Nick twice now and hadn't gotten a response. She knew they'd had a hard week, but it certainly wasn't like him to just disappear after work.
Two days prior, they'd dealt with a fairly gruesome scene. Judy wished all their cases were simple things like robberies or traffic violations, but she knew that part of her job as an officer of the law meant dealing with the far uglier sides of Zootopia. The images of the scene were burned into her mind, and she knew they'd never leave. Unfortunately, that was to be expected. She knew it was part of the job...an unfortunate, harrowing part of the job.
By the time they arrived on the scene, it was all over. The neighbors had called in a report of a domestic disturbance, so the closest officers to the scene were dispatched. Nick and Judy responded, but it was far too late. The lifeless body of that tigress was the only evidence of the struggle that had taken place. Her husband had fled the scene, found a couple hours later by other officers. He willingly confessed to murdering her after finding out about an affair.
Nick had seemed to handle the situation surprisingly well, even when Judy was very taken aback by it. She was thankful to have him there, as he offered her a paw and a shoulder to lean on when she needed it. After clearing the scene for ZSI to come in, Bogo instructed them to take the remainder of the day off. Judy relaxed that evening, calling her parents and talking with them. Nick had picked her up some dinner and they shared it at her apartment. He seemed to know what to say to someone who had just witnessed something so horrible. Judy managed to suppress her tears for a little bit, only letting them out once Nick was gone and she was alone.
Thankfully, today had been spent cleaning up paperwork instead of crime scenes. But for the whole day, Nick had seemed just a little off. His wit was slightly dulled, just enough for Judy to notice. Things he would have normally picked up on went without commentary. When pressed, though, he insisted he was fine. Judy, considering herself to be likely the only expert on the subject of Nick Wilde, knew better.
When the two were clocking out for the day, Judy knew she had to confront him. She quickly grabbed her bag and ran to the locker room to change, but by the time she was ready Nick was nowhere to be seen. Two texts later, and her foot was tapping. She made her way to the front of the station, hoping maybe he would be there.
"Clawhauser!" she called as she got there.
The portly cheetah looked up from his latest donut and waved. "Oh, hey Judy! Where's Nick?"
"I was hoping you'd tell me. I went to change and he vanished."
"Hmm…" said the cheetah, stroking his chin. "I think I saw him leaving a little earlier, but I was a little distracted." Clawhauser lifted his phone up, showing Judy that he was watching the latest Gazelle video.
"You're not helping," she sighed. "I've texted him twice now, and he's not responding. He's been...off all day, and I can't help but worry ever since we had that murder case earlier this week."
"Yeah, I heard about that one. Sounded pretty bad. I know if i were you guys I would have just balled up into a corner and cried."
"It was pretty bad…" she thought out loud. "But still, it's not like him to just leave me hanging. Especially on a night before our day off like this."
"Oooh, big date planned?"
Judy blushed as she rolled her eyes. "Clawhauser...it's not...it's not like that."
The cheetah grinned and let out a sigh. "Uh huh...and I'm skinny. I've seen the way you two act around each other. Always flirting and-"
A stony glare from the bunny shut him up.
"Okay, okay, goodness." He leaned back a little and picked up another donut. "You know, he's probably just out somewhere letting off a little steam. A first murder scene is nothing to joke about, and needing a break afterwards is nothing to be ashamed of."
Judy's ears lowered, but she nodded. "You're probably right. I guess I just wish...I wish he would have told me where he was going."
Clawhauser looked on at the little bunny, his heart aching for her. "I'm sure he'll get in touch with you when he's ready."
A small, somewhat forced smile came over Judy's face. "Thanks, Clawhauser. I'll see you later." She waved and turned to head out of the station.
As she got out into the street, she couldn't help but have Nick on her mind. She was really worried about him. Judy had talked with her parents and Nick about how she'd felt, and let herself feel the pain of seeing another life taken. She cried it out, and even spoken with the station's psychologist the next day per Bogo's orders. Nick hadn't said a word. She knew his usual motto of "never let them see they get to you", but this was different. This was deeper and more personal. Holding this in could really hurt him in the long run.
She pulled her phone out and decided that calling him would be best. The phone rang a few times until she heard the familiar sound of Nick's voicemail.
"Not here, leave one."
She sighed again. Even his ringtone bore his smug arrogance. She waited until the tone.
"Nick, it's Judy. Call me as soon as you get this."
She put the phone back in her pocket as she continued down the street. She had unconsciously started walking towards Nick's apartment instead of the subway. As she approached it, she stopped again. What if he's not there?
She called again.
"Not here, leave one."
Desperate, she bounded up the stairs to his apartment and banged on the door.
"Nick? Nick?" Bang. "You in there?" No answer. She spun around and leaned against the door, letting her back slide down it as she sat on the floor. She raised her paws to her face for a moment, trying to dispel her worry. "Maybe he just went out to eat, or maybe to visit his mother?" She smacked herself lightly on the forehead. "Stop worrying so much, you dumb bunny! He's a full-grown fox, he'll be fine!"
She stood up and made her way back down out of Nick's complex, reassuring herself the whole way down. She didn't need to worry about him, he could take care of himself. She needed to worry about herself, after all. If Nick was out taking care of himself, then she could do the same. She should go out, get something to eat, maybe hit the bookstore on the way home and pick up that new J.K. Growling book she'd been meaning to read.
Sighing with a tiny amount of relief after her decision, she felt a little weight lift from her shoulders as she made her way back towards the subway station. Nick will call when he's ready. She repeated the thought to herself a few times. Stop worrying about him. Stop thinking about him. She thought back to what the station's psychologist had said to her the previous day.
"Unfortunately, it's not a matter of if an officer will encounter death on the job, but when. Everyone handles it differently, but we're always available if the affected officers need someone to speak with afterwards."
Judy thought on it for a moment. "Everyone handles it differently…" she whispered to herself as she descended the stairs to the subway. How had she handled it? The initial sight of the body was a little numbing to her. She and Nick had to force entry into the apartment after there was no answer. The lights were all on, music playing softly from the kitchen. Instinct and training kicked in as Judy immediately scanned the room for movement, stopping suddenly at the sight of a body on the floor.
Judy had rushed to the body, immediately checking for signs of injury only to see a tigress lying in a pool of her own blood. Without allowing her any time to process it, Nick urged her to search the rest of the apartment and question the neighbors while he called in the find per protocol. It wasn't until the medical unit arrived later and officially pronounced the tigress dead that Judy had let the fact sink in.
Standing just outside the turnstiles of the subway, Judy's breath caught at a sudden thought. Nick had protected her. He hadn't wanted her to see the body any more than she needed to. He calmly directed her to another action to keep her mind from the obvious. He took that burden on himself to call in the body, to deal with processing the scene while Judy was outside asking if anyone had seen or heard anything out of the norm. In the back of her mind she knew the tigress was dead, but Nick stood in her place long enough to distract her so she could do her job.
Why did he do that? We've both been through the same training...I know how to handle those situations just like he does. Why would he…
Her thoughts were shattered by a buzzing in her pocket. She quickly pulled it out and breathed a long sigh of relief to see it was a text from Nick.
[Sorry for silent treatment Carrots. Meet me at The Turalis on Pine Grove and Burrows.]
"The Turalis?" she said out loud to no one. She'd never even heard of the place. Quickly looking it up, she noted it wasn't too far from where she was now. She text him back.
[I'll be there in a few. You better have a good explanation for ditching me at the station.]
She quickly made her way out of the subways station, relieved to hear from Nick but even more worried now knowing what lengths he went to for her. The sun was just starting to set, often being lost behind the tall building of Savannah Central as she made her way across the busy streets. She past Nick's complex again and moved further downtown towards one of the rougher ends of the district as she finally saw her destination come into view. Judy and Nick must have passed by the place several times per week on patrol, but she had never noticed the small bar sitting snugly on the corner. Its wooden sign looked rather rustic and called back to olden times.
Once inside, she quickly noticed a particularly down looking red fox sitting alone at the bar. She saw Nick cradling a half-empty glass in his hand as he sat and stared forward, and suddenly her worry was replaced with a little indignation. She walked right up behind him and cleared her throat.
"This place seems a little shady, even for you."
Nick's ears perked up as his body jerked in surprise. He spun around in his seat to see an less-than-jovial glare staring directly into his green eyes.
"Glad you could join me, Car-"
"Don't you Carrots me, Nick," she interrupted. "You left me at the station after acting weird all day, then you wouldn't answer my texts or phone calls-"
Nick backed up a little and raised his paws in defense. "Now Jude, I can explain-"
"-I went to check for you at your apartment and you weren't there and then I finally thought to myself that maybe you're just a full-grown fox who can take care of himself and where do I find you? In a bar, getting drunk."
Nick reached back to his glass and picked it up, motioning towards it with his other paw. "Carrots, I'm not drunk-"
"I was worried sick about you!" she cried, her anger and worry coming out in an pained mix. "I didn't know if it was something I did, or if it was the murder case we had, or if something was wrong with you, and you just wanted to slip away and get hammered!"
"Carrots…"
"I walked all over the district for looking for you!"
"JUDY!"
"WHAT?" she yelled, blushing once she realized how much unnecessary attention she was bringing to the two of them. She stepped back a little, pushing her ears back with her paws and tried to regain her composure. "What, Nick?"
"I'm drinking water. I'm not drunk." He raised the glass up towards her face. "See? Nick good fox. Good fox."
Judy stared blankly at the glass for a moment before looking away, slightly embarrassed. "Oh...I'm…I'm so sorry Nick, I just-"
Nick set his drink down and reached his paw out to Judy's shoulder. "Don't stress it. Though I'm flattered you'd be so worried about little ol' me."
Judy turned back to him, slightly annoyed now. She gave him a solid punch on the shoulder and sat next to him as he laughed. "Well then, what were you doing here?"
"I came to see an old friend," Nick said, motioning over to the other end of the bar towards the bartender.
The bartender, an older gray fox, turned and saw the duo. He was shorter than Nick by a bit, and his muzzle was splotched with a little white from age. He had on a white buttoned shirt covered by a brown vest, and a red newsy cap adorned his brow. He waved at Nick, saying something inaudible to the patrons at the other end of the bar before coming down to speak.
"Oi, Nick, who is your lovely friend here?" he said as he approached. His voice was smooth and had a light, airy accent to it that reminded Judy of older movies she'd seen as a kit.
Nick smiled as he gestured towards her. "This is Judy Hopps, the one I was telling you about."
The older fox looked her over for a moment, making Judy feel slightly uncomfortable. A smile and a chuckle broke the awkwardness, though, as he slapped the bar before him.
"Haha! Nick, I never figured you for one to chase cottontails!" he laughed as he reached over and pushed on Nick's shoulder. Both Nick and Judy's faces filled with blush as they turned away from each other.
"Thad...it's not like that," Nick stammered as he brought his water to his lips. "She's my work partner and friend."
The gray fox laughed a little harder at their response before finally calming down and leaning on the bar before them. "Ha...well forgive me, Miss Hopps, for accusing you of being involved with a fox of such ill repute, then."
Through her blush, Judy simply smiled and nodded. "He's not so bad once you get past the bad jokes and ugly ties." That made the fox laugh all the more.
"Ooh a quick one, I like her, Nick!" he exclaimed. Tipping his cap slightly, he leaned forward and offered his paw to Judy. "Thaddeus VulFurrin, at your service, my dear."
Judy took his paw in a firm handshake, only for him to turn her paw over and dip his muzzle down to place a kiss on it. Surprised, Judy took her paw back and blushed again.
"Oh...my. Well…" she stammered, earning another laugh from Thaddeus and an eyeroll from Nick.
Nick adjusted himself in his seat, sitting up straighter as he let out a fake cough. "The smooth fox before you, Carrots, is an old friend of mine."
"Friend?" scoffed Thaddeus. He turned to Judy. "What he means, love, is mentor. All the charm and wit this kit here may think he developed on his own was taught to him by yours truly."
Nick groaned. "Please, Thad. You showed me how to pull a few hustles and gave me a few pick up lines when I was eighteen. That hardly counts as a mentor."
Thaddeus laughed again as he reached for Nick's glass and refilled his water. "Keep telling yourself that, mate. Now, as for this bonny young bunny here…" he said as he turned to Judy. "...what brings a lovely vision like yourself to a dreadful place such as this?"
Judy smirked as she looked directly at Nick. "This dumb fox right here."
Thaddeus and Nick's eyes both widened with a small amount of alarm as Nick turned slightly towards Judy. "Um...Carrots...I know you and I are pretty cool with the whole 'dumb fox' thing, and I'm positive Thad here doesn't mind either, but you may want to keep those to a minimum considering your current environment."
Judy raised an eyebrow, slowly turning her head to look around the bar. She was so full of concern on her way in she had failed to realize that every single patron of the bar was a fox. All around her were red foxes, fennec foxes, arctic foxes...not a single other type of mammal. Her ears lowered as far as they could go as her face went a little pale.
Thaddeus simply stroked his chin a little before speaking again. "Perk those ears back up, love. While the vast majority of my patrons are foxes, I never turn away a paying customer. Foxes are, if anything, used to being ridiculed, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. However, you do stick out like a sore bunny here."
Judy quickly turned to face the bar again and pulled her ears over her face as she whispered to Nick. "Why did you bring me to an all-fox bar?"
"Relax, Carrots, it's not like it's exclusive or anything. From time to time wolves, ferrets, bobcats, even otters come in. Heck I've even seen moose in here before. So it's not a big deal for a bunny walk into The Turalis. I mean, come on, being the first bunny in the ZPD was a much bigger deal than being probably the first bunny in a fox bar."
Judy laughed a little, dispelling some of the tension. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Thaddeus simply smiled at the two. "Well then, Nick, if this bonny bunny is your date for the evening, shall I get you two a real drink then?"
Judy blushed again, turning her head as Nick simply laughed.
"Ha...you know Thad, I think I will have one, thanks." Nick slid his glass of water to the side to make room for a mug. He looked coyly over to Judy, who raised an eyebrow.
"Thought you weren't here to get drunk?" she chided.
"Carrots, you wound me," he said as he raised his paws to his chest. "One drink does not a drunk make, and now that you're here to keep me in line I figured it would be okay to have something to help take the edge off the week before our day off tomorrow."
Suddenly Judy's original purpose in finding him crept back into her mind. She had to ask how he'd handled the murder case so deftly, and how it had affected him. But she also knew after a little over a year of being Nick's friend that direct questions were never a good approach.
"So, one drink is all it takes to calm you down after a long week like this?" The question was harmless enough, and his small chuckle let her know she was going to get some form of answer.
"Yeah, I suppose so. It was a long week, after all."
"But nothing too tough for a foxy fella like you, huh?" she said as she slid over just a bit, closer to him. Nick slowly turned to the side, catching her violet eyes peering into his.
"What's the angle, Hopps?"
Judy's ears perked as she sat up a little. "No angle, just trying to have a conversation with my partner."
Nick looked back forward, letting out a sigh. "Jude, I'm fine."
"Are you?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
Judy's ears fell again. "I...I wasn't. I had to talk with people, I had to-"
"I'm fine, Carrots."
Judy looked up to him again, searching his profile for anything she could see to let her know how he was feeling. He had put his wall up completely. The fox stared forward for a brief moment before turning back to where Thaddeus had run off to.
"Hey, Thad! How's that drink coming?" The older gray fox nodded and came back towards him with a glass mug in hand, filled to the brim.
"I don't have to tell you, Nicholas," said Thaddeus as he placed the mug in front of Nick, "to not let this get to your head too quick tonight, especially with such a lovely young doe around."
Nick sat back a little, letting a soft laugh escape. "I think I'll be fine, Thad."
"Just remember, son, a fox's folly fetches further folly."
Nick nodded, sitting up as the two began singing together. "For a fully foolish fox falters fast."
"If a fancy fetching female finds a fast and fearless fool…"
"A fox's folly fetches further folly!"
At the end of the tune, both foxes let out a laugh as Thaddeus walked back to the other end of the bar. Nick reached forward to grab the drink placed before him and took a sip before turning back to a very confused Judy.
"What was that about?" she asked, eyebrow cocked.
Nick smiled. "It's an old fox drinking song and proverb." He motioned towards the patrons of the bar. "We all know it. The idea is that if you're too drunk to sing the song, you're too drunk to heed the warning it gives."
The bunny simply looked on at him for a moment, processing the words of the song. "It's a catchy tune, you'll have to teach me sometime."
"Sorry Carrots, foxes only," he smirked. She gave a big, playful frown at him, causing him to laugh. "But maybe I can make an exception, seeing as you're quite the sly bunny." Taking another sip from his drink, he turned to her again. "I'm sorry for leaving you at the station like that. I shouldn't have done that without saying something."
Judy ran her paw over her ears. "It's fine, Nick. I was just...I was really hoping you would have told me if something was bothering you."
"I told you, I'm fine."
Judy sat up and grabbed Nick by the tie, pulling him down towards herself and locking her eyes on his. "And that lie would probably work on 99.99% of the general mammal population, Nick, but not on me. I know you too well." She scanned his eyes for a moment, raising her eyebrows as she peered into them.
Nick's emotional mask was at the top of its game, however, as she couldn't even catch it wavering slightly. "You know, if you wanted to get this close to me, Carrots, all you had to do was ask." He simply smiled and wiggled his eyebrows a little bit, causing her to shake her head and release him as she huffed and sat back in her seat again. She could only barely suppress a smile from her face. How does he always do that?
Judy leaned her head back as she reached her paw up to press into her eyes. "You are impossible sometimes, you know that?"
"Only the best for you, Jude," he chuckled. He took another sip of his drink. "You know, if I'm that stressful, maybe you need something to cool off after a long week, too."
Judy looked at him, then to the drink, then back at Nick. "I hardly ever drink, Nick. You know that."
"I know," he sighed, staring into his mug, "but if something were bothering me, I'd think that maybe...just maybe...having a drinking buddy would help a little bit." He turned and gave a weak smile to her.
Judy held her breath for a short moment. This is why he asked me to come here...he does want to talk. Maybe he thinks he just needs a couple drinks to loosen up, first. She slowly slid her seat up closer to the bar, placing both paws on it as she slowly nodded. "Okay."
It was Nick's turn to be surprised. "Okay? Just like that?"
"Okay. Just like that." She smiled at him. "I don't drink very often, so I don't know what's good. What would you recommend?"
"Maybe a carrot-o-rita?"
Judy just rolled her eyes. "That can't be a real drink."
"Or at least not one they'd likely have at a fox bar. I think I'm the only one here who can tolerate Carrots for any length of time."
Judy shoved his shoulder. "Shut it, Wilde. You're a thousand times more of a pain to put up with."
"And yet you still insist on being my partner," he said, nodding slightly. Her glare made him laugh as he picked his drink back up and took a longer sip. "Let's get ol' Thad back over here and get you something."
Before she could say anything, Nick had already waved Thaddeus over and put in an order for a lighter beer. Thaddeus poured the mug and slid it to the bunny. "Here you are, love. I'll just put it on Wilde's tab." He smiled and winked at her.
Judy simply smiled back and then looked at the drink. It was the same size as Nick's, probably much larger than she needed. But this was for Nick, after all. She took the mug in both paws, lifting it up to her mouth and taking a sip. She let the drink roll around in her mouth for a moment, a slight grimace overtaking her face.
"Wow...this is kinda...strong," she said with a little cough. "How do you drink this stuff?"
Nick let out a small laugh as he picked his drink up again. "Years of practice."
Judy simply rolled her eyes as she took another small sip, not grimacing as much this time since she expected the flavor. The drink wasn't bad, but certainly not something she was used to. However, if drinking it meant she could get past the famed emotional stoicism of a certain fox, then a little bitterness was worth it.
Time moved by slowly for the two as they both partook of their drinks. Judy relayed more of her afternoon's adventure trying to find Nick, and Nick apologized again after realizing she had gone all the way to his apartment. Judy noticed that during her explanation, Nick had put away his whole drink and hers was barely a third gone.
Thaddeus, being an expert bartender, also noticed his drink was gone. Without even asking, he poured another and placed it before Nick.
"Thanks, Thad," Nick said, smiling. He slid his empty mug away, replacing it with the fresh drink. He turned back to Judy, seeming to smile a little wider as she continued talking.
"And that's when I got your text. I'd never even heard of this place, and I didn't even know you went to bars." Judy motioned around her at the other patrons. "I guess it makes sense for foxes to have a bar that caters to them, but I'm surprised that I haven't gotten any looks for being here."
"Foxes get a bad rap for being sly, thuggish, even downright mean at times, but like any type of mammal it's usually just one rotten apple that spoils the bunch." Nick eyed her for a minute, smiling. "I guess I was a pretty rotten apple when you first met me."
Judy smiled, a little sheepishly. "Yeah...just a little."
She took another sip of her drink. She hadn't even gotten it half way down and she was starting to begin feeling effects. Judy didn't drink often, and had of course never been drunk in her life, so she wasn't as used to the effects of it. She decided she'd slow down and keep up the conversation. Nick had now drunk almost three times as much as her, so she decided to see if he was more willing to open up now.
"But...you've proven to me that you're a lot more than that." She reached out and placed a paw on Nick's arm, just like she had that day on the sky tram in the Rainforest District. "I'm sorry I judged you so quickly when we met."
"You had every right to," Nick replied. Unlike that first time, he didn't pull away now. Instead, he moved his other paw over to hers and gave a light pat. "I was those things to you, and to everyone around me. I didn't give you any reason to trust me."
"Not until later, when you stood up for me." Judy pulled her paw away, placing both paws on her drink again. She lowered her head a little. "You stood up for me when no one else did. You protected me from Bogo...and from my own doubt."
Nick sighed. "I just hated seeing someone be put down so hard just because of what others thought they were supposed to be."
"I guess we had that in common."
"Yeah, I guess we did." Nick took another long drink from his mug. He sat back for a moment, his face a bit more relaxed now. "I'm glad you found me, Carrots."
"I'm glad you protected me, Nick." Judy looked up, catching his green eyes in hers for a moment and smiling.
"I couldn't let Buffalo Butt kick you off the force like that, so of course I had to do something."
"No...I don't mean then. I mean this past week."
Nick eyed her for a minute, looking slightly confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Come on, Nick, I'm not that naive. When we responded to that domestic dispute call...you took over immediately and sent me back out so I didn't have to be there. You took the brunt of dealing with the...the body."
Nick looked forward again. He shook his head slightly. "I did what I was supposed to per protocol."
"Yes," she replied, "and what I knew how to do as well. But you noticed my shock and sent me out, taking care of it yourself. You...you protected me."
"Carrots…"
"Nick, that's why I was so worried about you." She turned in her seat to face him, placing her paw again on his arm. "You did that for me, helped me through the situation. You were there for me, got me dinner, helped me calm down...and I wasn't able to do the same for you. The first time seeing a dead body like that...it's nothing to take lightly."
Nick sighed, lowering his head as his ears pressed back. "It wasn't."
Judy stopped, her ears perking at his words. "Wasn't...what?"
"It wasn't my first time seeing a dead body."
Judy sat back, letting his words sink in. "It...wasn't?"
"No." He took another long drink from his mug, nearly finishing the second drink entirely. "On the streets...alone...especially in some of the rougher areas of this city...you see things, Carrots. Things you can't unsee."
"Nick...I'm so sorry-"
"Don't be." Nick's stoic stare had returned for a moment. "It was a long time ago."
"If you want to talk about it...we can," she replied, hope in her voice.
"When I was in my early twenties. I had some friends...acquaintances, really...heavy into partying and all that. I tapped out, saying I wanted nothing to do with it. I got a call that night saying they'd gotten into a wreck and they needed me to come get them." Nick leaned back in his chair, putting a paw to his face. "I got there before the ambulances did. Two of them were already gone, the third sitting on the curb in shock. He was the one that called me."
"Nick..." she said, bringing her paw to his.
"So, it wasn't the first time I'd seen someone dead. Nor was it the worst. I remember having to deal with that, pulling their bodies out of the car before the ambulances got there. I didn't want you dealing with that. I didn't want you to have the scars I do." Sitting back, he finished off his second drink, tapping the mug on the bar as he set it back down. The sound caught Thaddeus' attention, and he came over.
"Might wanna slow down a little, Nicholas. You haven't been here very long, after all. Pace yourself, mate."
Nick simply nodded to him. "It's been a long week, Thad."
Thaddeus looked over at Judy, noting the concern in her eyes. "Looks like it. I'll have you another ready if you need it, but I'm cutting you off after that."
Judy caught Thaddeus' attention for a moment, getting a nod from the older fox that spoke volumes. She could tell even he wasn't used to seeing Nick like this. Judy sighed, realizing there was just so much about Nick that was still hidden to her. She knew she was his best friend and she was probably able to get deeper than almost any other mammal in his life, but it was still frustrating to know how much more was under that mask of his.
Nick sighed and nodded to Thaddeus. "Yeah, one more then."
Thaddeus moved slowly, pouring one more mug for the younger fox and placing it in front of him. "Folly follows the fast and fearless, fox."
"I know. I promise I'll slow it down." Nick slid his empty mug towards Thaddeus before taking the third drink in hand. "I've got someone here who takes good care of me, just in case something were to happen."
Judy blushed a little, smiling. She looked to her own drink, noting she was finally about two thirds through it. She had begun to notice the bitterness was smoothing out the more she drank. Her body was warm, and she definitely felt more relaxed. She just hoped that Nick wasn't closing up on her after the last exchange.
Thad walked away, leaving the two alone again at the end of the bar. Nick took a small sip of his drink, turning back to her. "Sorry, didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't. I'm just glad you're being honest with me." She smiled at him, gaining a weak smile in return.
"You don't have to worry so much about me, Carrots."
"Yes, I do." She turned entirely towards him, facing him and looking to his eyes. For a moment, they did nothing but look at each other. Finally, after knowing him so long, she could begin to see the cracks in his mask. His eyes weren't hollow anymore. There was a genuine hurt that was just beginning to surface in them.
After a few moments, Nick turned back towards the bar. "Just because I'm your partner doesn't mean you need to dote on me like that."
"Nick…" she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his side. "You're much more than my partner. You're my friend...my best friend. I care about you. I care about you a lot. I'm glad you told me."
Nick shook his head, playfully pushing Judy off of himself. "Alright, alright, enough of that. Didn't know you were a pawsy, clingy drunk."
Judy sat up, laughing as she punched him on the shoulder. "Oh, please. What was it you said? One drink does not a drunk make? You've had three times as much as me. If anyone's drunk, it's you."
"Carrots, I'm a professional. I'm not drunk."
Judy smiled coyly. "Really?"
"Really."
"Fine. Prove it. Sing the song."
Nick raised an eyebrow, looking back to her. A smug grin was plastered on her face. "You're serious?"
"Serious as I can be." She sat back in her chair, folding her arms. "Sing the song."
Nick let out a nervous laugh. "I don't just sing on demand, Jude."
"Come on, I'll sing it with you. I think I remember the words." She cleared her throat before singing. "A fox's folly fetches further folly…"
Nick smiled at her. "Carrots, I never knew you had such a lovely singing voice. Like a fluffy angel."
"Oh hush you." She cleared her throat again, stopping this time before singing. "Um...I don't remember the rest."
He laughed. "With that steel trap mind of yours? Fine. I'll teach you." He sat up, turning towards her before simply speaking the words of the song. "A fox's folly fetches further folly, for a fully foolish fox falters fast. If a fancy fetching female finds a fast and fearless fool, a fox's folly fetches further folly."
"So...the folly is being drunk?" she asked.
"Kinda. The 'further' folly is doing something stupid afterwards."
Judy thought for a moment before a devious grin appeared on her face. "So...are you a 'fully foolish fox', Nick?"
"Hardly. I told you, I've got a lot of experience with this stuff."
"Well…" she looked up towards him, catching his eyes. "Am I a 'fancy fetching female'?"
Nick quickly turned his face away, attempting to hide his own blush this time. "I mean...well...you're not...not that."
"Not not that? So I am?"
He laughed nervously again, taking another sip of his last drink. "Jeez, Jude. That drink seems to have made you a little lax this evening."
"I'm perfectly fine with how much I drank. It's you I'm worried about." She stood up in her chair, putting her at full eye level with him as she pulled his face back to her with her paw. "Sing the song."
He looked into her eyes for a moment, noticing how beautiful they were. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd noticed that, but tonight it was added to by the intent he saw in her eyes. He relented, smiling as he turned himself back to her and left his drink all but forgotten.
Clearing his throat, he began the song. "A fox's folly fetches further folly."
Judy took the second line. "For a fully foolish fox falters fast."
Nick paused for a moment, never letting his eyes leave hers. "If...if a fancy fetching female finds a fast and fearless fool…"
Judy began leaning closer to him, lowering her voice as she finished the song. "A fox's folly fetches-"
Her words were cut short by Nick as he leaned forward, allowing his lips to touch hers. The light kiss surprised both of them, seemingly involuntary but also inevitable. Before he knew what was going on, he felt Judy push a little harder into the kiss as she raised her paws to his face. His paws acted of their own will, reaching up and lightly holding Judy's shoulders as the kiss deepened. It was heavenly, both of them allowing a lot of unspoken feelings come out through a single act.
Judy finally pulled back, ending the kiss. She stared directly into his eyes again, noticing there how shocked he was at his own actions. She smiled a pure smile as she leaned forward, laying her head on his chest as she hugged him. Nick instinctively put his arms around her, holding her closer to himself.
After what felt like a small eternity, Judy finally laughed. "I guess that makes you a fast and fearless fool."
"I guess so."
Judy pulled back for a moment, raising her face to his again. "Nick...I care so much about you. And the reason I care so much is because I love you."
"I care about you too, Judy. And I think you've had a little too much to drink tonight."
Judy rolled her eyes and softly punched him on the shoulder. "Way to kill the mood, Slick."
"It's a talent of mine." He smiled. Judy couldn't help but keep her eyes on him for a moment before leaning back to him and placing her head on his chest once more. Together they sat for what felt like forever in silence, just taking in each other's warmth.
Before long, Thaddeus had come back over and simply gave a chuckle at seeing the two. Nick gave him a look that quieted the older fox down. Thaddeus simply walked back to the other end of the bar snickering.
Before long, Nick noticed Judy's breathing was getting longer. "Hey, Carrots. You falling asleep down there?"
Judy jerked a little, sitting up and fluttering her eyes. "No, no...I'm awake." A long yawn came out of her, something Nick couldn't help but think was adorable. "I'm perfectly fine."
"Uh huh...I can see that." Nick pulled his phone out and noted the time. "It's getting kinda late. Why don't we get cab and get you home?"
With her eyelids suddenly very heavy, Judy could only nod. "I guess my drink hit me a little harder than I thought."
Using his phone, Nick managed to call a mid-mammal sized cab and have it meet them out front to take Judy home. He motioned for Thaddeus to come over and settled up the tab for the night's drinks. Thaddeus smiled at him and winked as Nick helped Judy down from her chair. She leaned on him as the two talked out of the bar together.
Outside it was night time, the street light near them flickering as they waited for the cab to arrive. Judy simply pressed into Nick's side, nuzzling him as they waited. He picked his paw up, running a claw gently down the length of her ear. With each stroke she shivered slightly, nuzzling him even more. Finally, the cab arrived and Nick held the door for her to climb in.
Once inside, he gave her address to the driver, an overweight muskrat. They hadn't even made it a block or so away before Judy had fallen over in the backseat of the cab and laid herself on Nick's lap. He continued stroking her ears, noting it didn't take long for her breaths to even out. She was asleep.
Nick simply shook his head and looked down at her. It was amazing to him that this wonderful female laying across his lap was so comfortable with him. He was a fox, after all. It just was so...unnatural. A fox and a rabbit...snuggling together like this. And yet, for Nick...there wasn't anything he'd rather be doing. Judy was the only one he'd ever known in his life that could get this far under his mask. She never gave up, always pushing him to be better. Of all the mammals in the world...he wouldn't rather have anyone else sprawled across his lap in the back seat of a cab after a little too much to drink. For the first time in a very long time, Nick was genuinely happy. He'd never been so glad for traffic before in his life, as it prolonged the time he was allowed to hold her like this.
Emotions Nick had imprisoned in the back of his mind for years were suddenly coming out with a vengeance. He always knew Judy was amazing, and always knew he'd end up falling for her. Maybe now he could finally have someone he could take his mask off for. Perhaps he could trust her as much as she seemed to trust him.
Eventually, the cab pulled up in front of Judy's apartment complex. Nick nudged Judy a little, getting her to groggily sit up for a moment while he paid the fare. Stepping out of the cab, Judy leaned back onto Nick, seeming to sleep while standing. Cautiously, Nick stooped down to pick her up and carry her in his arms.
"Goodness, Carrots. You're a total lightweight. Thankfully literally as well." He carried her up to her floor, patting down her pants pocket to find her keys. Opening the door to her meager abode, he entered and gently laid her down on her bed amongst a dozen tiny stuffed animals. By this point, she was sound asleep, rolling peacefully on her side towards him as he stood back up.
Nick stood and watched her for a moment, taking in how beautiful she was. If you had told him two years ago that he'd be completely smitten with a bunny...Nick would have gladly told you where you could put that kind of nonsense. But here he was, overwhelmed by her, even as she slept. He leaned down, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead before walking towards the door.
He stopped to turn her light off, smiling at her once more. "I love you too, Judy. I hope you know that," he whispered.
Judy simply smiled. "Do I know that? Yes, yes I do."
Surprised, Nick laughed. "Sly bunny."
She yawned deeply. "Dumb fox."
"Goodnight, Judy. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes, you will."
The biggest smile of his life crossed Nick's muzzle as he closed the door. Tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting.