Nick's feet waggled back and forth as he and Judy sat on a blanket on one of Sahara Square's beaches. Nick had on some baggy neon green swim trunks, and Judy was wearing a deep purple one-piece swimsuit. The sun had gone down, and there was a pleasant chill in the wind. They had the area to themselves; no other animals were around.
"So, I've been thinking..." Judy lazily tilted her head up and towards Nick.
"Don't hurt yourself," Nick quipped back.
"Hm," Judy's eyes narrowed and she gave a pleasantly annoyed large smile to Nick. The fox turned his head to make sure she was doing such, and smiled his own smile, closing his eyes. "Nick, what the heck are we doing?"
"Well, we're sitting here, enjoying the nice breeze, just watched a rather nice sunset," Nick enumerated, counting on his fingers. "You been paying attention at all?"
"Yeah, but why?" Judy held out her hands toward the water. "Why are we doing this? What for?"
"Uh, you're not going to get all existentialist suddenly on me, are you?" Nick narrowed one eye, shooting Judy a concerned look.
"No, dummy," Judy said in a low voice. "We're here, together, in our swimwear. We spend so much time together, even time we could, logically, spend away from each other. Here we are. Together. All the time." She gave a grumble, looking at him with an exhausted face. "Can we just admit it to ourselves?"
"What's there to admit, bunny?" Nick waggled his feet again. "We are what we are."
"Okay, Mr. Fox philosopher, or... foxlosopher or something," Judy narrowed her eyes. "There's no need to be coy."
"Right here, on this nice beach, on this nice evening," Nick smiled warmly at Judy, who looked at him with slight excitement. His expression snapped to a sly one. "You're not going to hear me say what those big bunny ears want to hear."
"Why not!?" Judy couldn't help from grinning. "Just say it. It's easy. 'I...'"
"Lunch..." Nick continued.
"Nick!" Judy laughed pleasantly. "It's always going to be like this between us, huh?"
"How about you say it, then?" Nick tilted his head. "If you want to hear it so bad."
"You love me," Judy smiled with absolute certainty, and giggled when Nick seemed to consider this, looking up to the sky and tapping his finger on his chin.
"Hmmm," Nick pondered, rolling his eyes over to Judy. "Yup."
"Yup," Judy shook her head. "How romantic. 'Yup'!" Judy repeated him in a goofy voice.
"Yup!" Nick chuckled.
"Gaaah!" Judy thrust her arms out at the infuriating fox, and wildly rubbed them on his midsection.
"Wait! I d-didn't say you could- aagh!" Nick buckled, starting to chuckle.
"Yes! I knew it! Ticklish fox!" Judy pounced onto Nick, rubbing his tummy more, and even up to his chest.
"S-stop!" Nick laughed and flailed. Judy eventually did, and Nick wiped a tear from his eye. He realized he was laying back, and had a bunny on his tummy. "Uh, hi there."
"Hey," Judy said, folding his arms on his chest and glaring at him with a wide smile.
"You love me, huh?" Nick chuckled at the playful-looking rabbit.
"Yup," Judy tilted her head back and forth and laughed again.
"So, is this the part where we spend like twenty minutes gushing about all the things we desperately admire about each other?" Nick asked blithely.
"That'd be a bit cliche, don't you think?" Judy sucked at her teeth. "You know by now what I like about you."
"That I'm so-" Nick began.
"Annoying," Judy interrupted. Nick rolled his eyes. "Your turn. What you like about me is that I'm such a-"
"Lovely bunny," Nick smirked. Judy's jaw dropped.
"Nick! Dummy!" Judy gripped him by the cheeks. "Don't you know how this game works? You're not supposed to compliment me!"
"My bad," Nick said. "Won't happen again."
Judy let loose a loud exhale of exasperation, but leaned in to touch their noses together. Both of their heads instinctively wiggled a bit to nuzzle each other, and they shared a brief kiss.
"We're kind of weird, huh?" Judy giggled at him, petting his muzzle with both hands.
"Speak for yourself, I'm a perfect specimen," Nick had a serious, haughty look.
"You got that right," Judy said playfully, looking at him with dangerous eyes.
"Whoa, wheres the off switch on this thing?" Nick said with mock terror. "Is it here?" Nick honked Judy's tail.
"Nick!" Judy gasped, but didn't back away. She started laughing, then rolled off of Nick. "I guess it would be kind of bad if I ravished you right here, huh?"
"That would make headlines," Nick nodded.
Judy stood up, looking along the beach line. "Still some minutes of light left before it gets dark enough that you'd have to lead me back. Wanna walk?"
"Sure, but we might catch the eye of some other mammals," Nick shrugged.
"That will just keep me from doing anything stupid until we get back to your place," Judy said mischievously.
"Oh, um, well then!" Nick's eyes widened as he got up too. "Not your place?"
"My neighbors, Nick?" Judy laughed lightly. "While I'd love to turn the tables on them and be the loud one for a change, I know they wouldn't shut up about it after they figured out what was going on."
Nick and Judy walked along the shoreline, holding hands.
"Feels nice, huh? Just... everything about this," Judy sighed pleasantly. "Please stop me before I get too mushy."
"It does feel nice, though. Which of us is going to pretend to be blind if another mammal asks us what we're doing?" Nick smirked at her.
"Coward!" Judy smirked, slapping him gently on the chest.
"Oof," Nick chuckled.
"To be honest though, I was afraid you didn't," Judy looked up at Nick. Nick looked back with the same somewhat blank expression.
"I was afraid you didn't," Nick sighed, looking at her with his eyes nearly closed. "Guess we're both idiots, huh?"
"Speak for yourself!" Judy said playfully. "I'm a perfect specimen."
"No disputing that," Nick shot her a sly look, giving a soft growl.
"Ooh, Nick!" Judy brightened. However, it was getting dark. Judy stopped walking. "So uh, can't see so well anymore."
"You did this on purpose," Nick rolled his eyes. "What a simple little game you play, bunny. Oh well." Nick scooped up the bunny into his arms. She always seemed so light.
"Woah!" Judy seemed surprised. "Well, I did just want to be led by the hand, but this is nice too!"
Nick nuzzled his nose into one of Judy's ears, to a delighted little squeal. He whispered softly into it.
"I love you, Judy."
Judy gasped. "You liar!" Nick nearly dropped her at this accusation, flinching. "You told me you wouldn't say what I wanted to hear tonight, you jerk!"
"Right, my fault," Nick chuckled. "You should know better by now than to trust a fox."
"Nicholas Wilde, I'm going to 'trust' the heck out of you when we get home," Judy sneered dangerously at him.
"I'm not sure that makes sense, but I have to admit I'm excited," Nick laughed, continuing to carry her.
"And... I love you too, Nick," Judy smiled serenely. "You dumb fox."
"Dumb bunny," Nick retorted.
"No, you're supposed to say sly bunny!" Judy insisted.
"But I'm the sly one, you should have said 'sly fox' in the first place," Nick explained.
"Nick! I swear to grapes!"