A/N: Howdy! Hope you guys wanted more of this, we're having some fun with this one! Some 'Paws-on' experience, so to speak...
As always, huge thanks to GameBoy for his assistance with this story, as well as AW2 and the uh... 'Fluffy Stuff' =3
Guest: Who knows? Even if he loses, Judy may just be able to talk him into it... Not gonna confirm or deny on anything this early, though!
Admiral Cimar: Is Skye extremely interested in the stripey little ball of fluff...? Yes, yes she is. =D
Hope this update alongside AW2's helps tide everyone over for a bit while I work on the next installments for all!
Sincerely,
TOG.
/)_/)
(^,^)b
Crimson & Clover
Chapter 6: Extracurricular Activities
Nick and Jack spent the remainder of the evening setting up a small campsite after checking to be sure it was okay to do so in the fields, it was too quiet to pass up on, they found a spot just outside the treeline on the far edge from the event grounds.
"You really screwed the proverbial pooch." Jack commented.
"Bite me." Nick countered.
Nick was actually upset about the snafu that afternoon, but he couldn't figure out why. She was just some random bunny, an acquaintance at best.
"Are you really that bent out of shape?" Jack asked, he'd known the fox long enough to tell he really was put off by it.
"Yeah, I'm genuinely pissed that some scatterbrained doe is probably never going to speak to me again." he stated with as much apathy as he could manage, it was far from convincing.
"...You really are, aren't you?"
Nick let out a low growl at the prodding, "And?"
Jack rolled out his sleeping bag before turning to the fox with one eyebrow cocked, "What's the deal?"
Nick continued adjusting his own bag, brushing off the inquiry.
"Hey." Jack persisted, Nick ignored it, until a bag of salmon jerky nailed him in the back of the head, "Talk, or I start pulling out the granola." Jack threatened, hefting a ziplock stuffed full of bars, "I don't want to waste these babies, but I'll do it if I have to."
Nick deflated a bit, grabbing the previous improvised missile and proceeding to gnaw on a piece while he flopped down, facing the buck.
"I don't know. She just sorta... get's under my skin?" He wasn't really sure how to put it, and it bugged him that he couldn't figure out what it was about her that was eating at him.
Jack watched him for a moment, taking out one of the bars in his paws, sitting cross-legged, opposite the fox.
"I can understand that. So I guess the question is, why would some bunny you've only just met be able to bypass your 'nonchalant cool guy' crap?"
"Do you think I'd be so annoyed if I knew?"
"You gonna try and talk to her, maybe figure that out?"
Nick shrugged, ripping off another piece while his usual passive expression fell into place, "Nah, not worth the headache."
This comment was met with a granola bar saying a very forceful hello to a fox's forehead. "Oi! what the hell, Jack!?"
"I did warn you." the buck stated simply through a crunchy mouthful, "You know it's shit like that, that made you shut down in the first place."
Nick opened his mouth for a retort, only to snap it shut. He couldn't argue with the one mammal that had not only pulled him out of a funk, but had- for all intents and purposes, prevented an effective relapse.
"Based on everything leading up to our little bet, she may just be willing to hear you out and give you a chance to find out what it is about her that's getting to you."
The fox simply grumbled at that, another point he couldn't argue. He chewed the idea a bit, alongside the strip of jerky currently hanging from the side of his maw. Jack lounging back on his paws, watching the fox.
Nick finally tipped to the side, landing with a groan and thud while the buck's muzzle curled into a smug smile.
"You really think I'd be able to recover on this?" Nick mused aloud, "Enough to get to the bottom of it, anyway?"
Jack's smile twisted into a grin as he followed suit, laying on his back, ears splayed to the sides, "I think you can at least give it a shot, worst thing that could happen is I win the bet." chuckling, he continued, "If nothing else, I can talk to Snow and see if she'd be able to convince Clover to hear you out."
Nick rolled his eyes at the buck, "Smug little bugger..."
Jack's chuckle grew to a low laugh, "Not my fault I have a way with the ladies." the low laugh turned into a fit as the jerky came sailing back into the buck.
"That's as close to eating snow as you're getting before I win this bet, Fuzzy!"
"That's more like it!" Jack managed to reply through his laughter, Nick finally dropping his walls again and joining in.
"Check it out, we'll just happen to bump into them again tomorrow, and I'll slip Snow a note. Cool?"
"Whatever you say, I'm not gonna hold my breath on it until I see it work."
They lied there in silence for a short while before a thought occurred to the fox, one he knew was running through the buck's mind.
"...You're just looking to get some one-on-one with that vixen, aren't you?"
"Hey, that's not the goal here." Jack said with false innocence, "...It's just a nice little bonus." he finished with a coy tone.
Nick clucked his tongue at his friend, "You dirty little birdy." the two broke into a gale of laughter after maintaining straight faces as long as they could. eventually they regained enough composure to settle down for the night.
"Night, Nick."
"Night, bud." the fox paused for a moment before adding, "And thanks."
Jack stretched, repositioning himself to sleep. "Don't mention it, I know things are still rough... gotta watch out for each other."
Skye and Judy were sharing a similar dilemma, though from a slightly different angle, and a decent distance into the trees, they'd found a small clearing where they could build a firepit.
"Are you really gonna lead him along?" Skye asked, popping open a strange little bag, the contents immediately bursting out with a 'Poof', she went about roughing up the previously compressed pillow while Judy unfolded an old paw-crafted quilt, leaving the item folded over once, she wasn't a fan of sleeping bags, they felt constricting to the bunny, claustrophobic, even.
"Only until I find out what he's hiding." she replied with a devious grin.
"You are one twisted little bunny, you know that?"
"And?" Judy shot back, popping open one of their bags of cured fish.
"I dunno, he seems nice enough..."
"M-hm. And I'm sure it has nothing to do with his stripey little buddy." she stated with a glance at the vixen, 'I know you' written all over her features.
"Of course it does!" Skye chirped with a toothy smile, Which is why you aren't going to take this too far."
"Oh?" the doe said, crossing her arms while she turned to face the vixen, "And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?"
It was Skye's turn to give her a knowing look, "You don't know when to quit, and given his reaction at the bonfire, he's been through some shit."
Judy's ears drew back at that, she couldn't argue with the statement, "Okay, but how does that give him a right to act like a jerk?"
"Never said it did." Skye replied, "Just saying it doesn't necessarily deserve the same, he doesn't seem like the type to break at the drop of a hat, but you can never tell how close someone is to having a serious breakdown, particularly those with a well developed poker face like him."
Judy couldn't argue that, either, so she deflected.
"And what is it with you and your fascination with bunnies, anyway?"
Skye giggled, "I just like little guys... easier to pin down." she said, letting her tongue loll out with a very satisfied tone.
"And you call me twisted." Judy said with a laugh.
"I saw the way you were eyeing Crimson, what's up with you and your fascination with larger mammals, eh?"
"Safety." she stated as if it were obvious, "I'm a bunny, we tend to go for a larger mate, it's natural."
"And pinning a smaller mammal under me isn't natural for me, being a predator?" Skye quipped with a smug look.
"Not when it's for that."
"Pinning them down... for hours..." Skye continued, knowing it would dissuade the doe's argument.
"I get it, Skye. You're a fiend." she said, Skye wasn't done yet.
"All hot and bothered, locking them down, paws first..."
"Yep, I get the point." Judy said, ears going red, Skye's musings putting thoughts in her head about being helplessly pinned down by a fox.
"Making them beg for mercy..."
A russet fox she'd barely just met.
"Holding them there until I've got what I want..."
Hot breath washing over her fur.
"Every..."
Dull claws digging into cold, hard ground.
"Last..."
breath coming out in short, heated pants.
"Bit..."
Teeth locked onto her scruff.
Judy let out an involuntary squeak at the thoughts, breaking Skye's roll. "Oh... I know that sound..." Skye stated with a grin reminiscent of a crescent moon in the dim light, her tail starting to sway behind her, "You uh... need a moment?"
Judy's ears turned three shades darker, "NO!"
Skye just laughed and stepped out of the tent, calling back far too happily, "I'm gonna check out the river, you've got ten minutes!" much to the bunny's dismay. Skye had unfortunately walked in on Judy during a very... stressful period in her life, and caught her relieving said stress, she knew what that squeak was, and her nose had already been assaulted with the doe's spiking scent.
Judy just flopped onto her belly when the tent flap rustled shut, hearing the sound of water hitting hot embers shortly after.
"I know that sound." she repeated mockingly, "You've got ten minutes!"
She continued grumbling for a moment, before she finally decided "To hell with it." and set about 'relieving some stress' as her prior train of thought crept back from the recesses.
Nick and Jack ended up laying there for a while, neither able to fall asleep, they'd gone for a walk, enjoying the quiet of the night, mostly just skimming the outskirts of the field.
"I think I'm gonna head back, I've got my fill of nature for tonight." Jack stated, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the tent when Nick's nose caught the smell of smoke on the light breeze.
"Hold up..." he took a couple more draws of the air, just to be sure, "I think someone left a fire burning, or something."
"And? Its probably just some folks still partying."
"Too quiet." Nick stated, spotting a pillar of smoke rising from the trees, "They probably got high, started a fire and forgot to put it out."
"We're not on fire watch, Pal. You feel free to investigate, I'm going to bed." Jack said with a yawn, "Let me know how it goes, Ranger Wilde." the buck called back with a mock salute.
Nick just rolled his eyes, if someone left a fire going this close and it spread, their tent wouldn't be safe for long. Mind made up, he followed his nose through the trees, eventually coming up on a small campsite not unlike their own. He approached the tidy, if shallow, firepit that had been constructed with some river stones, it looked like someone had dumped water on the flames, but they were far from being properly extinguished.
"Anybody home?" he called, somewhat jokingly. Getting no response, he searched around a bit, spotting a small bucket, still partially filled, he took the item and poured the remaining contents over the embers, fanning away the resulting smoke, he grabbed a fallen tree limb and stamped out the bits that were still glowing.
Satisfied, he rolled his eyes and made to leave, "You're welcome, ya nitwits."
That is, until he heard an odd sound come from the tent, he paused, perking his ears toward it. it sounded like some kind of weird keening.
"Guess they didn't actually leave it completely unattended..." he muttered, "Hello?" he called slightly louder than before. A few moments later he heard another 'squeak', more strained than before, more desperate. Naturally, his curiosity was piqued, and his mind ran through a large range of possibilities, the one it ended on was the possibility that whoever was inside the tent had potentially overdosed on whatever they were likely using, having grown up in Happy Town, it wasn't exactly an uncommon event, and it was hard-wired into him to investigate before all there was to find was a cold body.
He growled at himself, knowing this was likely a mistake, and poked his head into the tent, what he found effectively fried his brain, there she was, Clover. The same bunny he'd slighted earlier that day, and she was far from danger, though she was certainly in a compromising position.
The fox froze in place, knowing he should just walk away before she registered that he was there, gawking at her... activities. He would've registered the heavy scent permeating the tent had it not been for the smoke of the fire, now it hit him like a freight train.
Judy's eyes slowly drifted open, half-lidded and looking quite satisfied, she could still see the emerald eyes of the fox she'd been using to assist in her ministrations, but he looked more shocked than predatory.
The fur on Nick's tail bristled as the doe gazed at him, violet eyes blazing, those eyes slowly widened as she clearly came to the realization that he was staring at her, dumbfounded.
"..." she gave a slow blink as her pupils constricted, Nick's ears slowly pulled back as the doe's own flicked nervously before flaring out to the sides, "Oh my God..." she muttered, looking from the fox to her now non-existent modesty, she grabbed the closest item she could to cover herself, which just so happened to be one of two plush dolls she never traveled without.
A red fox.
Nick finally found his voice, "I am so sorry..."
"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE YOU CREEP!" she screamed at the tod, following the statement with a flying red fox plush, only to realize she'd thrown her covering, snapping her paws back down to compensate for the mistake.
Nick flew away from the tent after the plush hit him square in the forehead with a sound reminiscent of a squeaky hammer toy. He nearly collided with a white vixen.
"What...?" Skye mumbled as a red flash nearly toppled her, she glanced in the direction of his flight, then to the tent, then back again before bursting into laughter.
She walked into the tent to find Judy cupping her shame in her paws, panting.
"...Have fun?" Skye teased, garnering a glare from the doe.
"Not another word, Skye."
"Aww... did he interrupt before you could finish stabbing the rabbit?"
"...No..." Judy said with a sniffle, tearing up as she drew her knees to her chest, wanting nothing more than to dissolve into the ground at that very moment.
Skye's ears pinned back, she knew Judy was a fairly private mammal, and getting caught at play was bad enough for her when it was Skye, someone she knew and trusted. She took a seat next to her friend, wrapping the doe in both arms and tail, "I'm sorry..."
Judy let out a much harder sniffle, a snort, really, "Of all the mammals that could've ended up seeing me, why in hell did it have to be him?!"
"...Did he at least offer to help?" Skye asked, leaning into the doe a bit.
Judy shook slightly with a soundless laugh, Skye knew how to break a bad mood in record time, "Too soon, Skye... you perv."
"Hm..." Skye continued with a thoughtful expression, "Want me to bite him?" she asked, emphasizing the question with a snap of her jaws.
Judy let out a genuine laugh at that, "Would I like that...?" she said, "Yes, yes I would."
Jack was rudely awakened by a fox diving through the flaps, breathing like he'd just run a marathon.
"SHEDDING HELL! WHAT'S GOING ON!?" the buck hollered, bolting to his feet only to get tangled in his bedding, landing muzzle first with a groan.
Nick just rolled over to face the roof of the tent, still breathing as if in a panic, eyes wide, ears flat against his skull.
"You better have a damn reason for acting like a maniac, I finally fell asleep, damn it!" Jack stated in annoyance.
Nick didn't seem to register it, though his breathing was starting to regulate.
"...Nick?" the buck asked, waving a paw in front of the fox's muzzle, "You okay, buddy?"
Nick's eyes flicked to the buck as he gave a nod.
"You sure?" Jack pressed, "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Oh I saw something alright..." the fox thought aloud.
"You uh, find that fire you were looking for?"
"M-hm." Nick's eyes shot back to the roof before he got into his sleeping bag and continued staring into space.
"Nothing burned down?"
Nick chuckled nervously, "Nothing physical."
Jack gave the fox a confused look as he settled back into his own bag, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I uh, may have walked in on some very private matters regarding a four-leafed member of the flora family." he said carefully and succinctly.
Jack took a moment to process the statement before his eyes went wide and he started laughing uncontrollably, "You didn't..."
"I did."
"Well hell, you may actually win at this rate! You've already got a jumpstart on me!" the buck forced out through his laughter.
"I will literally EAT you." Nick hissed.
"This is not the bunny you are hungry for..." Jack mocked, waving a paw in front of him before crumpling into a heap of laughter and tears.
"Now she thinks I'm some creepy peeping tom..." Nick mused "I am so ****ed."
"Not anymore you're not!" Jack interjected, now wheezing. Nick just glared at the buck, hoping some of the violent thoughts would penetrate through his laughter.
Jack eventually managed to compose himself, and slapped Nick on the shoulder, "Cheer up, she won't be mad forever. Everyone gets walked in on at least once in their lifetime. It's not the end of the world."
"Yeah, but it just had to be her I walk in on, didn't it?" Nick commented, still frustrated and flustered, but quickly calming down.
"It'll be fine, it was a simple accident. Five dollars says she's already over it."
"I'm not touching those odds with a ten foot pole."
"Fair enough. Let's just get some sleep, ya creeper." Jack said jovially, "We'll get a gauge on things in the morning."
Nick let out a lengthy sigh after they'd both settled into their respective spots, "Yeah... night."
A/N MkII: Yep, Judy got caught, Nick got an eyeful, and the silence to follow will be QUITE awkward for both. =3