Hello everyone!
Firstly, thank you so much for all your support and nice words. It really makes my day to see that you're having fun reading this story.
Secondly, I'm changing the rating to T. Why? I mean, seriously... I have lost control over this story! These two are doing whatever they want here! The kisses on the couch? I swear that this was their idea and I just wrote it down, thinking "Hang on, there was no such thing in the original script!". So yeah, we're moving on to T.
Thirdly, this chapter was created in a record time of 1,5 day.
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Last, BUT NOT LEAST: I dedicate this chapter to my friend Zeronone. Keep up the fantastic work!
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Chapter 10
Judy Hopps has faced many different awakenings in her life, including a very embarrassing time when she drank too much with her siblings and...
Yes, that was extremely embarrassing.
This time, the doe felt something new. Comfort, sense of security and warmth that had nothing to do with the quilt she was wrapped in. She was slightly surprised when she found a dark furred paw draped over her waist. Even not fully awake, Judy was perfectly aware whose arm it was and had no problem with it being there. Quite the opposite.
She reached to the paw with her own, smaller one and brushed the brown fur.
"The sleeping beauty awakes," muttered a voice right above her head.
Judy smiled and moved her paw up to find a slender muzzle laying on the same pillow as she did.
"Oh my!" she gasped in faked shock. "It seems that some handsome fox has found his way to my bed!"
Judy felt his facial features shift under her touch. She didn't have to look to know that a smirk formed on his face.
"Technically, it's my bed," he shuffled his arms to prop himself on an elbow. "So I could call the police to arrest a certain cute bunny for breaking and entering."
Judy furrowed her brows and rolled to her back with a huff. "Don't call me cute!"
She wasn't able to say anything more as Nicholas leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, silencing the doe with a soft kiss. It resulted in Judy melting from their contact and purring into his mouth. Her paw found its way to his chest and grabbed a pawful of fur to hold him in place. Her mind was shrouded with a pink haze, while whatever scrap of rational thought left in her kept saying to not let go of him, to prolong this blissful experience.
However, the fox still managed to break away, to her disappointing groan. "Or what?" he teased, gazing at her with his sly grin.
"What about the germs?" she mocked him, using his earlier words.
Nicholas shrugged. "Don't care."
Judy simply stared at him with a smile. Only now it hit her that she was in bed with her boyfriend, who wasn't wearing… Why isn't he wearing something?! His torso was fully exposed, giving her a perfect view of his slender, yet quite toned body. It wasn't the type of frame you'd get to impress ladies, but rather one of a mammal that liked keeping himself fit. The more modest part of her was grateful that the quilt covered him from waist down, but that persistent voice at the back of her head cursed like hell from disappointment. Swallowing her embarrassment, Judy focused back on his face and placed a paw on his cheek "Please tell me it's not a dream."
Instead of replying with words, her boyfriend leaned down again and gave her another sweet, short kiss.
"Does it feel like one?" he asked with a smile.
Judy giggled and wrapped her arms around the fox's neck. "Well, I'm not fully convinced. Could you try that again?" with these words the bunny started to lift her head, but felt a finger on her lips.
"Uh-uh, no dessert for you before breakfast," he chuckled and sat up on the bed.
"Scrooge!" the doe grumbled with a smile, throwing a pillow at him.
He caught it swiftly and laughed. "Am I? Seems to me that I'm accommodating a freeloader at my house, so mind your manners, young lady!" he scolded her playfully.
Judy also sat on the bed, propping herself with both paws. "Saying that makes you sound like an old mammal."
Nicholas smiled and ran a finger from her shoulder down to her paw, causing the bunny to shiver slightly from the pleasure it brought her.
"Seeing such a beautiful girl in my bed makes me feel younger," he admitted, showing her a smile that was warm and caring, yet at the same time had a serious tune weaved into it.
It was a smile that made her heart skip a beat. She felt that this carried a deeper meaning than just playful banter between boyfriend and girlfriend. Her ears heated up and she knew that right now they gained a shade of red.
Her emotions must have surfaced in her expression, as just as she gazed at him with her big, lavender eyes, Nicholas blinked, like he was surprised by her reaction and his own words. He then opened his mouth, shut it and opened it again.
"I... I will go and make breakfast," he swiftly stood up, scooping his bathrobe from the corner of the bed and quickly pulling it on. In that moment, Judy caught a glimpse of black boxers. "You should dress yourself," he said and left the room without looking back.
Judy was left a bit dumbfounded by his behavior, not sure where it came from. Was he embarrassed by such a display of words? At least this time she was certain that it wasn't something she said.
Deciding that it would be best to not head towards baseless speculations, Judy directed her steps to the bathroom to prepare herself for the day.
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Hearing the click of the bathroom door, Nicholas let out a sigh of relief and put down the knife he was using to slice the bread. He raised both paws to rub his face.
"Stay calm," the fox muttered to himself. "Everything's fine, you got this..."
Nicholas didn't expect this to happen right now. Well, it wasn't unheard of, but... He turned around and leaned back on the edge of the kitchen tabletop, letting his paws hang down by his sides.
"This girl will be the death of me," he said to the world in general, before turning back and proceeding with breakfast preparations.
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After refreshing herself and dressing properly in warm clothing, Judy arrived in the kitchen to see a ready meal on the table.
The bunny prided herself with not needing much time to prepare herself for the day in the morning, therefore she was surprised that Nicholas managed to conjure up a fully set table with all possible additions that up till now she could see only in movies or magazine photos. The creator of this morning miracle stood by the kettle, still in his bathrobe and was making two mugs of tea. Seeing the doe, the vulpine attorney smiled and picked up their drinks. "Done making yourself even more beautiful?"
Judy climbed to her seat and showed him a smirk. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Fox."
Her words made his smile grow. "It managed to get you here, hasn't it?"
"You never run out of things to say, don't you?" she coughed a bit. While considerably weaker, the flu still had her in its clutches.
"It comes with the job," he said as he placed both mugs on the table and took his own seat.
They enjoyed their meal, getting into a playful argument who of them two has the more pleasurable company for breakfast. There came a moment of silence at one point, after which they spoke at the same time.
"About earlier..."
"I wanted to ask..."
They stopped and stared at each other for a moment, before sharing a chuckle.
"Go on," Judy motioned with a paw for him to continue.
"No, no, ladies first," he replied.
The doe took a sip of the deliciously warm drink and gave her boyfriend a curious look.
"Back in the bedroom, I... I got a feeling that something happened. You were surprised, embarrassed maybe. Could you help me understand that? I don't want to make some stupid mistake just because I wasn't aware of something," her ears drooped a bit and she showed him a shy smile, not certain if she hasn't touched some sensitive topic.
Nicholas also lowered his ears and reached out over the table to grab her paw. "I'm sorry. It's my fault," he said softly. "I shouldn't have walked out like that, without giving you any explanation."
She squeezed back, her smile gaining warmth. "Please don't worry about it, I just would like to understand what happened."
He looked straight into her eyes and it seemed that for a moment he was hesitating about the answer. "It's a fox thing," he said eventually. "And let me apologize in advance, because I don't feel like I can explain it properly right now. The best answer I can give you at this point is: it's not the time yet."
Judy could see the embarrassment in his eyes and voice. Even though she was very curious what this enigmatic fox thing was, she would respect his decision and be patient. "It's alright," she assured him. "I can wait until you're ready to talk about it."
Her words caused him to stifle a small chuckle. "Just like you could wait with sleeping together in one bed?" he teased the bunny.
A light blush decorated her cheeks and she rubbed her neck. "Touché."
Nicholas brushed the fur on her paw with a thumb. "Do you hear me complaining about that?" he stood up to collect the dirty plates.
Like usual, he could make her smile with just one sentence. "Not yet, no."
With few swift steps, he was behind her chair and lowered his mouth next to one of her ears. "And you never will," he whispered, his breath tickling her fur, making the doe shiver slightly.
Judy stifled a gasp that wanted to escape her lips, too embarrassed to show how this affected her. It was just words, but the way he said them, his closeness, his voice, all of that poured into something that made her melt every time he did it. She wondered how much of this was the effect of working as an attorney and playing with words enough to master the use of them. Or maybe that was his natural, fox self? All in all, to Judy it was irrelevant now, what was important was that this silver tongue belonged to her boyfriend and God, he was making proper use of it.
She lifted her paw to place it on his cheek. "I'll hold you to that, Nick," she whispered back.
He straightened up with a chuckle and headed to the kitchen sink. After that, the fox faced her once again and took a small bow. "If milady allows, thy humble servant shall direct his steps towards the bed chamber to don a more fitting attire," he loosely indicated his bathrobe.
Judy chuckled and then took a very serious and snobbish attitude. "Permission granted, be on your way," she commanded and the fox backed away towards his room, still bent in a bow. She couldn't help herself and laughed out loud while Nicholas disappeared behind the bedroom's door.
In the few minutes when Nicholas was dressing himself, Judy took what remained of her drink and moved to the couch. Wrapping herself tightly with blankets, the doe awaited the reappearance of her boyfriend to see whether he'll go with formal clothes again or if he was going to dress differently today.
When he walked out of the bedroom it was obvious that the clothes weren't formal in any way. He was clad in black leggings, along with a graphite, long sleeved, fur-tight shirt. The outfit did a fantastic job of underlining his body frame, which Judy didn't mind. Didn't mind at all.
He caught her gaze and chuckled. "Still hungry?" he asked with a playful voice.
The doe blinked, not understanding the question, but to her defense, she was still a bit dazed from the sight. "What? Why?"
Nicholas moved to the coat rack by the door and started putting on a pair of gloves. "Because I can feel you trying to eat me with that stare."
His words made her cheeks blush, but she was quick to respond. "Oh? You'd let me if I'd really try?"
He laughed and grabbed his sports jacket. "I'll think about it. Meanwhile I'm going jogging," the fox opened the door. "You'd better be here when I'm back!" he warned her using a finger.
Judy simply shrugged with a smile. "I don't plan on going anywhere."
The attorney send her a wink and disappeared behind the door.
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The minutes he was away were passing in an agonizingly slow pace for the sick bunny. She preferred when the fox was closed in the office, as at least he was just behind the wall. Thirty-seven meticulously counted minutes have passed before the front door opened again and Nicholas walked in, panting slightly and brushing a paw through the disheveled fur on his head. That's when she noticed headphones in his ears.
"Listening to music? What kind?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.
Nicholas took out the headphones and pulled out a rectangular object from his pocket. "That's what I wanted to find out."
The bunny squinted her eyes. "That's… that's my iPaw!" she cried out jumping to her hindpaws and placing both paws on the couch's back.
"So it would seem," he chuckled while taking off his jacket.
"You thief! You stole it!" she yelled at him, ears fully erect, but didn't look very convincing with a smile tugging at the edges of her lips.
"Borrowed! Borrowed without permission," her boyfriend maintained a cheerful attitude while approaching the couch and the agitated bunny, his tail swishing behind him. "But with every intention of bringing it back," he now stood right in front of her. Nicholas dropped the small device into her paws, which she caught and quickly examined it if the fox didn't do anything to it.
"Thanks," he said above her head, voice dripping with smugness.
Judy instantly looked up, some harsh words forming on her tongue. "You-Mmmh!"
He sealed her lips with a kiss that was neither short, nor chaste. Their mouths pressed tightly together, the gentle anxiety from last night gone entirely and Judy eagerly replied with passion. One of his paws sneaked behind her and held her head to make sure she won't break away. It was pointless, actually. Right now, her mind was intoxicated with his taste and his smell that was mixed with a hint of sweat. The iPaw completely forgotten, Judy's paws shot up to wrap around his neck. Neither counted how long it lasted, but both gasped for air when they finally broke away, gazing deeply into each other's eyes. They stayed like that for a while, enveloped with silence, disturbed only by the sound of their breaths.
"Sly fox," Judy whispered eventually.
"I get that a lot," he replied in the same manner.
An angry spark ignited in her eyes. "From other females?" her arms squeezed around his neck in a warning gesture.
"Ouch! Seems like I have a very jealous girlfriend!" the fox joked, his mouth forming a smile.
Judy narrowed her eyes a bit. "I don't hear you answering the question, Slick!"
"Alright, alright! I hear it from all kinds of mammals, females included. Satisfied?" the fox replied hastily, his ears now lowered.
"Not really," she huffed and nuzzled her face into his chest. "I don't like the idea of you flirting with other females…" Judy muttered her protest.
Hearing this, Nicholas let out a sigh. His paw moved under her chin and he slowly lifted it up, so that their eyes could meet. "I haven't been flirting with anyone ever since the divorce," he stated with a solemn voice. Before she could react to his words, he moved his paw from the chin to her cheek, cupping it gently. "Until I've met you."
Judy's eyes widened a little before she threw her small arms around the fox and held him in a hug. "Now I'm satisfied."
Nicholas returned her hug. "Glad to hear that," he said with a content smile. "Now, will you permit me to burst this romantic bubble?"
The doe looked up with confusion.
"I'd really like to take a shower, Fluff," Nicholas told her with a shadow of a smirk. "For that I'll need you to release me."
The doe didn't let go or reply and just turned her head so she could press her cheek to his chest.
"Like this week?" he suggested with the corners of his mouth curling up.
Judy laughed at his request. "Don't wanna!" she hugged tighter.
Her boyfriend let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, name your terms, Miss Hopps."
"Hmmm, I can think of one thing," she said with a smug voice that made Nicholas smile. "I want you to close your eyes and lean down to me."
Her demand drew a chuckle from the fox, but he obeyed and, with eyes shut, he leaned down as per her order. Nicholas felt her paws rest on both sides of his muzzle and the warmth of her breath on his nose. It twitched slightly, trying to catch all existing particles of her scent. He stood like this for a few moments, but nothing more happened.
"Are you going to kiss me, or what?" he inquired with a chuckle.
"Oh, you want me to kiss you?" the doe said sweetly, brushing the side of his muzzle with one of her paws.
His lips formed an eager smile. "Very much so."
"Alright," she purred and Nick's ears registered quiet shuffling on the couch, most likely Judy changing her position somehow. And then he felt her small lips touching his forehead.
"Okay, you're free to go."
The vulpine's eyes snapped open to see a beautiful gray doe sitting on his couch, looking very pleased with herself.
"Tease," he groaned, making a disappointed face.
He received a smirk and a half-lidded gaze. "Right back at you!"
"Point taken, now if you'll excuse me, I'll see if the bathroom isn't short on one, sweaty fox," he turned around to leave when Judy spoke again.
"Nick?"
"Yes?" he turned back, only for his muzzle to be suddenly caught again in those blissfully soft paws. Judy stood on her toes and kissed him.
"Enjoy your shower," she said with a smug expression and let go.
"Yeah… shower… right…" he mumbled, a bit dazed from the surprise kiss, but was quick to recover. "Keep doing tricks like this and you'll exhaust this poor, old fox."
Judy laughed and folded her arms on the couch's back, resting her chin on them. "Is that a challenge?"
The spark in her eyes caused Nicholas' ears to drop a little and he started wandering if he didn't bite off slightly more than he could chew. "I think I'll go and take that shower," with these words, the fox retreated towards the bathroom, thinking that a shower right now would be a good idea. Preferably, a cold one.
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After Nicholas finished taking a shower and, of course, dressing formally, the day went on in pretty much the same manner as the one before. Nicholas secluded himself in his office, emerging occasionally to get himself something to drink and to check up on Judy.
The doe spent her time on catching up with her family, something she normally never had the time for or was too tired at the end of the day to bother. Even with spending most of yesterday on replying to messages from her siblings or other family members, there seemed to be no end to it. Especially when the fact of her having a boyfriend kept spreading further and further. Usually it was some form of congratulations, which was fine, but the hard part was to respond to the inquiries about "the handsome buck that swept her off her hindpaws". Judy was ready to admit that they got the 'sweeping' part right, but was still reluctant about revealing her boyfriend's identity.
Her mother, while a bit skeptical at first, was rather understanding and supported the young doe in her decision, which she expressed in several texts since their talk. It was her father that was the problem here. She loved him and respected his devotion to the family, along with the effort he put into taking care of all of them, but… If only he wouldn't be so old fashioned in some ways. Judy was worried that upon meeting Nick face to face he'd either faint, have a heart attack or try to run the fox through with a pitchfork. She expressed her worries to Bonnie and the matriarch of the Hopps family kept assuring her that when the time of their visit comes, she'll prepare her husband for the shocking news and restrain him if necessary.
She heard the office door's open and Nick walked out, empty mug in his paw. On his way to the kitchen, the fox stopped by the couch. "How are you feeling?" he asked with a caring smile that she cherished so much.
"Slowly better," she replied, also smiling
"Mhm, are you a good girl and you're eating properly?" he indicated the two, small bowls on the tea table before her.
Judy rolled her eyes at this question. "Yees, doctor Wilde, I'm a very obedient patient," she stared at him when a playful thought entered her mind. "Did you come here only to see if I'm eating nuts or maybe for a full check-up?" the doe sent him a wink and used one of her fingers to pull the collar of her turtleneck down a bit.
The fox's smile froze for a moment and, noticing that, Judy gave him an apologetic smile. "Too bold?"
His features relaxed and he sat down right next to her. "I'm sorry, it's just-"
Judy quickly put a paw on his muzzle, interrupting him. "Please don't apologize. I'm just being a dumb bunny, who's slightly impatient," she moved her paw to place it on his chest. "Well, maybe that's not the best word. See, anything I do, I put all my effort into it. You know, a bit like in Mammallica's song: Don't stop for nothing, it's full speed…"
"…or nothing" he finished for her with a smile before putting an arm around her shoulders. "My dedicated bunny."
Her ears sprung up when she smiled merrily and cuddled to his side. "My sly fox with a quite good taste in music."
"Better than yours, at least," he rubbed her shoulder.
She nudged him playfully in the ribs. "Like you would know!"
"Catty Perry? Hyena Gomez? Please…"
"Hey, they're popular."
Nicholas rolled his eyes. "Popular doesn't always mean good, Fluff."
"Is that so?" she tapped him on the chest with a finger. "Than what would you suggest, Mr. Connoisseur?"
"That's an easy task: Otis Tailor, The Moose, Loreena McCoyote, ZZ Topi…" he listed off. "Listening to Bach or Chopin is also highly recommended-" the fox paused when he heard a snore from the doe. The fox turned it into a loud giggle when he suddenly tickled her sides. "That bored? I'll wake you up!" he hissed to the now uncontrollable laughter of the bunny when he continued his attack. Her boyfriend snatched her from the couch and dragged her to his lap, laying the doe on her back.
"AHAHAHH! STOP! PLEASE! AHH HA HA HAH! NO MORE!"
Nicholas stopped abruptly, his fingers still on her body. "I'll stop, but I want a kiss in return," he stated his price.
Judy wiped happy tears from the corners of her eyes and gazed up at him with an innocent face. "Um, no?" she murmured playfully. "AHHAHA! NO! NICK! HHA HA HA HAHH! DEAL! DEAL!"
The attack stopped and he leaned down so that his muzzle was just inches from her mouth. "Then let's see what you have to offer," he said in a husky voice.
The bunny's gaze locked with his and she lifted her paw to cup his cheek. "What if I don't know what exactly you expect?" her question ended with a giggle when he ran a single finger over her side.
He leaned even closer and now their parted lips were brushing ever so slightly. "You'll just have to try your best, my dedicated bunny," he whispered straight into her mouth.
Her response was raising of her head and joining their lips, not with the vigorous passion they shared before, but a caring softness, so similar to their first kiss. Her paws brushed his face while her nose was taking in his scent and using it to fuel her emotions of this moment. She wanted him to feel them, to taste how important he was for her. They've already learned how to deal with the different shapes of their mouths and the fact that Nicholas had fangs. Now it was all about exploring the possibilities this difference offered, but Judy intended to leave that for later, for a more passionate time. Now she kissed her fox softly, breaking away only to switch to giving him, short, gentle pecks on his lips, before capturing him in another, drawn out kiss.
A year could pass by for all she cared right now. Still, Judy needed air after a while and she reluctantly broke away with a gasp, her eyes fluttering open to meet the emerald gaze of her boyfriend.
"Good enough?" she whispered her question.
He smiled softly as he caressed the back of her head with his paw. "It'll do," he stated in an indifferent voice, which earned him a smile and a slap to the chest from the doe.
"Hate you!" she chuckled.
"No," he moved his muzzle to brush their noses, "no you don't."
Judy let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh well, I've been figured out."
Her flu decided to jump in at this moment and she coughed, mild spasms rippling through her body. Seeing this, Nicholas lifted her and helped her seat up. "You need a drink," he eyed her empty mug. "Why didn't you tell me that you have already finished your tea?"
"Well," she croaked. "I didn't want to bother you," the doe admitted sheepishly.
He folded his arms with a huff. "You're here so that I can take care of you. How is that supposed to work if you don't communicate with me?"
The bunny rubbed the back of her neck. "Right, sorry."
Nicholas wrapped her in a blanket and stood up, scooping her mug in his paw. "Eat and I'll prepare you a new one."
Judy nodded and turned her gaze to the bowls on the table. "Can you tell me what kind of nuts are these?" she asked, picking a few with her fingers.
"Pecans," Nicholas replied. "Rich in zinc that helps your body to produce white cells to fight the infection. Also," he pointed at the second bowl, "don't forget about bell pepper, you'll need the vitamin C."
Judy raised her brow at his explanation. "You're an attorney or a dietitian?"
"I'm a parent," he stated over his shoulder, standing in the kitchen. "Therefore, I learn a lot what's beneficial and what's harmful in my son's meals. I prefer to maintain a proper diet, boost my immune system naturally and avoid running around doctors."
"Oh?" she mused. "Is that why you 'don't care' about germs?" the doe quoted him.
The fox flashed a smile. "No, I simply don't mind your germs."
Judy chuckled, propping herself on a pillow. "How romantic!"
"I try," Nicholas replied, his paws busy with making tea.
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Supplying his girlfriend with a new, warm drink, Nicholas headed to his office. He just managed to sit down when his phone rang, the ringtone belonging to Michael's number. Finally, he had a chance to discuss the fact of spilling the information about Judy to Martha. Being the sly attorney he was, the fox wasn't going to let this be a simple thing.
"Yes?" was the only word that left his mouth after he accepted the call.
"Hey, dad. You wanted to talk?" the boy's voice sounded as if its owner did his best to sound casually. However, reading right through this attempt was child's play for the seasoned attorney.
"Yes. Are you in your grandmother's apartment?" Nicholas made sure that his voice wasn't betraying any emotions.
Slight pause. "Uh, yeah."
"Don't go anywhere. I'll be there within an hour," and he ended the call. It was time for a father-son talk.
Grabbing his jacket from the desk, Nicholas strolled out from his office with a spring in his step. He stopped briefly by the couch and the surprised doe, to lean down and kiss the top of her head.
"I need to take care of something, I'll be back in a few hours," he muttered with muzzle still touching the fur on her head. "Will you be alright without me?"
She raised her arm and caressed his muzzle, moving her paw along its side. "I don't know. I'm still rather weak, so if you don't hurry back I might wither from loneliness," she turned her head enough to look at her boyfriend with a smirk.
The fox smiled and placed his paw on top of hers. "I'll return as soon as I can, even faster if you can promise to take care of the speeding tickets I might get on the way," right after he said that, the fox let out a brief yelp when Judy suddenly moved her paw and pinched his cheek.
"Oh no you don't!" she scolded him playfully. "You're not going to use me as an excuse for breaking the law, Nicholas!"
He let out a short laugh and raised both paws in a surrendering gesture. "You win, I'll be a good fox."
"You better be, I'm not dating criminals," Judy gave him a hard stare, while folding her arms.
Nicholas raised a brow, adorning a theatrically serious expression. "Is that so?" he took her paw into his fingers and instead of lifting it, he leaned down to lay a kiss on top of it. Afterwards, the fox raised his head to give her a stare that send a pleasant shiver down her spine. His emerald eyes had the familiar playful glint, but this time something else was stirring deeper inside. She couldn't exactly pin it down, but it felt both dangerous and mesmerizing. Without any better words to describe it, Judy thought that this was a gaze of a predator.
"Then I shall drive very carefully."
Again, also his voice was somehow different and this new vibe caused Judy to sense a tingle inside her, the one she usually would feel around dangerous criminals, when they would start acting really hostile.
It wasn't such a case here. She knew that Nick would never hurt her, so why-
"Fluff?"
Judy blinked when the attorney's voice brought her back to reality. "Y-Yes?" she stuttered.
"You looked kind of… detached? Not present?" the vulpine's voice lost that strange tone and sounded just like before.
Judy looked away, with her ears flopped down. "Sorry… your gaze… and voice…" the doe turned her head back to meet his eyes once more. They were back to normal. "You didn't look like your usual self. Sorry, I'm not sure if I make any sense…"
His eyes widened a bit before he leaned over the couch's back again, but this time he wrapped both of his arms around the doe's small frame, eliciting a surprised gasp from the bunny.
"I'm sorry, Judy," he crooned into her ear. "That was my work attitude. You kind of reminded me of what I have to deal with in the courtrooms, where mammals try to outsmart me or sound clever," he let out a guilt-heavy sigh. "I was told that I give off a different vibe when I'm at work, but never thought that it would affect you in such a way. I'm so sorry that I have made you experience something unpleasant," his arms squeezed tighter.
What he did not expect was a quiet chuckle from the doe. She placed her paws on his arms. "Silly fox," she tilted her head back, letting it rest on his shoulder. "Who ever said anything about unpleasant? I was just surprised a little, that's all."
Nicholas raised his brows in amazement and he was about to speak, but Judy beat him to it.
"Besides, I'm not sure why," she gently pressed the side of her head to his cheek, "but seeing you like this has made me a bit… excited," this quiet confession left her blushing bright red under her fur. Even with her own embarrassment, it was then when she noticed something strange. Judy was already used to Nicholas' foxy scent, but right now she could smell a change in the air. The fox's scent suddenly intensified and surrounded her in a musky veil. It was both heavy and sweet, attacking her nose and igniting an unfamiliar warmth inside her.
"Is that so?" Nicholas said casually and that made her straighten up and look at her boyfriend. He was wearing a smug smirk, combined with a half-lidded gaze. "That's not good in your still weakened state, so I shall refrain from doing that in the near future."
She watched him turn around and walk towards the main door of the apartment.
"What about later?" Judy called after him before she could stop herself.
Nicholas looked over his shoulder. "Just drink your tea, will you?"
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After leaving the slightly disappointed rabbit in his apartment, Nicholas got into the elevator to ride down to the underground garage. When the door closed behind him and the descent began, the fox slumped against one of the walls.
"Oh God…" he ran a paw down his face and tried to calm down his accelerated heartbeat. "Feeling younger indeed…"