:(

Morning. Was it morning? Who cared? Gray clouds threatened with continuing what they began the previous day and the sunrays could do little against them. If you looked out your window you could see it was daytime, but Nick and Gideon were too focused on their own little worlds teetering to pay attention to whatever was going on outside.

It didn't matter if they were lying in bed, sitting down or standing up; their minds were hazy, their eyes lost in whatever distracted them from each other, and their mouths completely shut. What could they say? One could apologize, say it was bound to happen or ask if he'd have to go alone to the train station; the other could tell him that it wasn't his fault, that he wished he didn't have to leave or pretend it wasn't a big deal. But given their lack of sleep, their tongues would probably slip and say something they surely didn't mean, and they couldn't risk that.

A word that could define that day? Agony. Equivalent to looking at your phone for sixteen hours straight to avoid someone, although that someone was more of an executioner that'd take the other away from them than the own foxes.

Overdramatic? Absolutely, but they didn't even know when they'd meet again. Sure, they'd keep in touch… but would that be enough? Let's say you were adrift in the ocean and that someone rescued you and let you spend some time in their ship, but after a week there you're thrown back into the water, though this time you're given a pair of floaties; the outcome is that, with such scarce support, you'll eventually drown. The sailor told you you'd see them again, but the two of you belong to land; in due time, both would be lost to the merciless sea.

You get the allegory, right?

Still, there was some time before the passengers bid their goodbyes; they'd have to exchange some words.

"Judy said she'll drive you to the station."

"You won't be coming?"

"I don't know… yet."

And each one poked a hole in their water wings.

"I can lend you a suitcase-"

"Wha-"

"You… still have clothes in my washing machine; you shouldn't mix them with your clean ones."

"Oh… okay, thank you."

They both agreed that being angry or sad, while been understandable, made things harder; but in that situation they couldn't avoid it. It was ridiculous; they had gone from a best, unique friend level of trustworthiness and familiarity to awkward strangers in a matter of hours.

But… that was idiotic. It was idiotic and they realized; were they really going to spend their last hours together dwelling on self-pity? Thinking about how much they'd miss the other when they had each other right there? Fuck no; it was their reality, but they couldn't let that bring them down when their goal was to make the most of their time - like a prisoner who's been given one last day of freedom before going back to jail.

"I'm gonna start packing, and I guess I'll have to shower before leaving… wanna join me?"

Gideon took the first step, which really said a lot about what he was feeling. It was quite daring to do something like that while feeling so guilty.

"I'd love to say yes, but I'd love to smell like you a little longer… for like a week or so… at least."

And Nick's change of heart was palpable too; he wasn't the weepy type, and the last thing he wanted was making his Gid feel worse.

Without any previous warning he found himself between the other's arms.

"Promise me you'll shower after I leave."

It wasn't the sweetest thing you could whisper into anyone's ear, but Nick saw a different meaning behind that sentence.

"No way," He actively tried to bury himself in the baker's neck, squeezing him to the point of feeling the pudgy fox's torso pressing against his injured ribs. But he couldn't care any less. "I'm not gonna change the sheets in a month or two, and I'll spend every single day smelling your pillow and looking at the pictures we took together."

"Awww," At the very least… "that's creepy." …they still had their sense of humor.

That hug lasted for minutes, minutes they spent silently appreciating what they had gained, what they had made each other experience; but when it ended it seemed like the most fleeting instant, like another grain of sand in their hourglass. No one had the courage to say 'I miss you', especially because it was too early to say it even if they wanted; on the bright side, they weren't scared to look into the other's eyes anymore. They could read each other's body language; they didn't have to articulate much to understand.

One look, one half-hearted smile, the imperative necessity of touching the other… yeah, it was ridiculous, but it was happening. They could spend the entire day completely still, simply holding hands in the middle of the living room, avoiding all and every clock around them, yet time wouldn't stop. They couldn't pause reality.

"I'ma get you that suitcase."

Whether they liked it or not, they had to move on… though perhaps Nick could fit inside the suitcase.

In any case, they had things to do before catching that train; stuff to pack, an apartment to clean, maybe go out for lunch, tell Judy when to pick them up, take a nap… nothing emotionally heavy so their most recent memory of each other would be undoubtedly pleasant.

Did it work? Who knows; everything they did that day was a distraction, constantly trying to push back the thoughts they had been having since Gideon asked about the train station schedules. But there they were; it was past midnight, Judy was taking them to Savanna and the trip was tense. Not tense like the one to Charles's place, but still… not too fun. Mostly silent, the ones riding shotgun looking around; Gideon taking mental pictures of his surroundings and Nick trying to follow the other's gaze's lead. No… none of the trio's movements seemed natural; even Judy was nervous and she wasn't really losing anything, she'd go to the Burrows in a couple of weeks. However, I read somewhere that if people are close their heartbeats synchronize.

"Wish I could've shown you more… do you like monuments? We could go visit some, take pictures I'll try to delete afterwards, go on one of those terrible tours that end in a gift shop and buy a lot of key chains you don't even want…"

"Yeah… maybe next time."

"You sure you packed everything? What if we go back and check-?"

"Nick…"

"…yeah, okay."

Reaching the station didn't take long; for some reason the rabbit ignored Nick when he asked her if they could take a detour around the Meadowlands, go figure. All she said was that she'd wait for Nick in the truck so the foxes could bid their goodbyes in peace.

And there they were, standing side by side looking at the train tracks, suppressing sighs and unsure of what to do with their paws; in a few minutes Gideon would go back to his normal life, and Nick… would have to find new ways to spend his time. At the moment they had none to waste; they cut to the chase.

"Maybe it's a bad time to tell you this, but I…"

Gideon took the first step once again, just like he did that morning, although this time he sounded way more insecure. Not because he didn't know what to say, his words were being held back only by his tongue, but he didn't know how Nick would react.

"Yooou… were kidding and just wanted to go for a walk? Because there are better ways to-"

The baker loved when the older fox joked; he had learned that that was his main way of showing appreciation… and some other emotions, it all depended on the situation.

"I've been thinking about moving in here with you."

But he wanted to get that off his chest.

"Oh…"

It really caught Nick off guard; for the first time that day since they woke up his eyelids weren't blocking his vision. Had he caused such an impact on the younger fox? What should he feel? In any other occasion he'd have loved to hear that, but at that moment such words made him feel powerless; maybe he could have somehow made Gideon stay if he had done something differently? Fuck… that entire day felt like a waste of time; he was trying to take the spotlight away from what he thought was the most important, yet-

"Please, say somethi-"

"You could've said that earlier."

Nick sounded tired… no, scratch that; he was tired. He was sleepless, just like Gideon, and - well, he would have wanted to hear that sooner.

You'd think that a place like a train station would be empty at such wee hours, but you'd be wrong; metropolis like those never sleep, and the benches there served as beds for a few homeless mammals. In the distance different footsteps could be heard, surely belonging to others who had places to go. Nick restrained himself – well, in reality he seemed apathetic to everything, still and quiet… perhaps he didn't have anything to hold back, perhaps he did before but not anymore. However, Gideon did; he had something to restrain, but at the bare minimum, he didn't as much as the other. He settled for reprising what he did that morning, though this time his embrace wasn't reciprocated.

"You don't know how much I'm going to miss you… I'm sorr-"

"No."

The situation was awkward to say the least, even more than their accidental hug the day the met; not even a week had passed, they were just a couple of feet away from that spot, but things couldn't have changed more.

"…no?"

"Don't you fucking dare make me cry. Not here, not like this."

Whatever they were thinking, whatever they were going to say next was lost to the heavy sound of the vehicle they were waiting for.

Gideon quickly broke their touch and picked both his own and the borrowed suitcase; for the first time since he arrived, he truly felt like he shouldn't be there.

"I… I guess it's time."

He didn't think their farewell would be so bitter.

"Yeah…"

Only the one that pronounced that last word got to hear it

Nick didn't even look at him; maybe he didn't want Gideon's last sight of him to affect him more than it should, maybe he didn't want to see the baker. His state wasn't too different from the ex-officer's, who started to break down as soon as the other turned around, and no one had to see two crying foxes; even less when they didn't want to be seen.

One wouldn't look back, and the other didn't want to stay and see the other leave.

God, what a mess.

Nick had bought Gideon's ticket online, and the coach he entered was completely empty; not even an inspector was nearby, which meant he didn't have to entirely repress his inner turmoil. We all want to look tough in front of strangers we think are constantly judging us. Looking out the window wouldn't do him any good either; he just picked a seat at random and let his weight fall onto it, unceremoniously dropping his baggage at his feet and letting a long sigh escape his lungs.

"Fuck." He was tired too.

All in all, it had been a good week for the most part: he laughed, he cried, he got to punch someone, he met someone he could never forget, he experienced things he never thought he'd ever do and even less enjoy, and he discovered new things about himself. Gideon had changed, he had grown, he had evolved… but it was time to go back to his routine, and he knew he wouldn't have the chance to be his new self there. Back to his fixed schedule, to sleep alone in his own bed, to the anodyne conversations with his customers… shit, what if he finally got rid of his accent? Who ever spoke like he did in the Burrows? Would mammals there have something to say about it?

'Look at the fox, goes to the city once and now thinks he's better than everybody.'

'What, did you see all the lights there and didn't want to be a redneck anymore?'

'Stop talking like that, you're not fooling anyone; you're still the same hick.'

They wouldn't like that. They didn't want that. They didn't want Gideon Grey. Nobody wanted him.

Could he at least text Nick? Would that be fine? Maybe he'd have to ask Judy about him from then on… no, that would be too sinister.

"God… Ah'm pathetic."

The doors closed, and right when he thought he was going to hear the engine starting up and the coach sliding on the rails, he heard static.

"Uh… ah, yes…" It was the PA system. "We're… experiencing technical issues. Stay put and… thanks for your understanding?"

Great. Even more fun. Woohoo. Trapped in a train sobbing quietly against my paw, the movie. Gideon just wanted to get this over with, go home and rest… and even if at the time his mind was invaded by the thought of him doing Nick wrong and probably never seeing him again, he could tell that whoever was using the intercom-

"No, no; I meant sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience."

-should be fired.

"Uh… yeah, that's it."

That probably was the engineer.

In his state Gideon would love to break his face. It probably wasn't his fault, but it'd be relieving; he sounded like a raccoon or an otter at best. He could pick him up by his slippery neck and choke him a little; maybe that'd fix that squeaky voice of his. Since when could tweens drive trains? That dipshit made him furious; who the hell did he think he was?! Why did he have to wait?! Do your fucking job! 'Ah'll smash yo'r fuckin' head into wat'ever shit ya use to drive this thing. If ya' still have teef ba' the time we get'ta Burrows ya' win.'

…

God… what was he even thinking?

Gideon… didn't want to do that. He didn't want to be there, he didn't want to leave, he couldn't leave Nick like that… he didn't deserve that, and he didn't deserve him… who even does that?! "Hey, I'm leaving tomorrow night. Find me a train?" Fuck the Hopps, fuck the bakery, fuck everything! What was he supposed to do?! It was too late, he shouldn't have said anything! He knew he had lost Nick!

"Ahm'a fuckin' idiot!"

And like that, in less than three minutes, Gideon went over everything he thought he had done wrong. He couldn't stand himself: he had destroyed the best he had ever had, and he wouldn't blame Nick if he hated him.

"Uh… is it a bad time?"

Yeah Nick, it is! Can't you see – wait. Wait, no. What. No. What? No, no no. Wait, what? What?

"I can… go to another car and come ba-"

Gideon turned around. Gideon saw him. Gideon ran.

The pudgy fox tackled and lifted the other one by his waist, almost hitting his head against the ceiling; the baker was trying to say something, hard to hear due to the mix of hysteric laughter and sobbing and the fact that his muzzle was pressed against Nick's belly, but knowing him he was probably apologizing for something he didn't actually do.

Eventually Nick was allowed to stand on his feet again, and the picture before him made him understand that his plan had worked; perhaps a little too well. He wanted to make Gideon suffer – well, not suffer suffer, maybe ruffle his feathers just a little so their farewell wouldn't be completely meaningless… but he overdid it; his idea of adding some suspense to the mix turned the younger vulpine into a mess of tears and regret. He had seen that before and he hated it; and this time he was the cause, making his hatred more intense because he was the only one at fault and he had no excuse.

In short, he fucked up.

"I… I'm sorry… I really am, I thought – I thought we… I… I thought this would be different. Gideon, I-"

Still, Nick's remorse didn't tell the baker what was going on.

"W-what are ya' doin' here?" He slurred holding back a hiccup, making noises that were either really nasal sobs or a kind of unsettling laugh.

Right.

Instead of answering right away, the ex-officer fell silent and did his best to clean the other's face, carefully sliding his paw pads over his cheeks in an attempt to dry what was his fault and trying to make his fur as neat as possible while trying to calm the other down. He had caused Gideon's weeping, at the very least he had to fix it; no apology he could think of was good enough, and there wasn't much else he could do.

The pudgy fox put his paws on top of the slenderer ones and squeezed them.

It wasn't the kind of squeeze that says 'it's okay, I understand.' He wanted Nick to stop.

"No, really; why are ya' here?"

Damn, it was almost as if the younger fox could see right through the other's ruse to gain time. Wasn't he crying his eyes out a second ago? Yeah he was, but he could get serious when the situation required so; Nick knew that well.

The thing is he thought his plan would pan out differently; he'd get in, Gideon would love it and everything would be okay… but in reality, if the baker kept tightening his paws, he'd break his fingers.

For the first time the plump vulpine made Nick feel true fear; not even his nonchalance when he faced Charles fazed the ex-officer so much, and he knew very well what he was capable of. His jaw began shaking, a drop of sweat ran down his brow, and his brain froze completely; he didn't know if Gideon would hurt him or not, but at the time he felt like he had been cornered by a bigger predator. And it was all his fault.

Fuck it, he had no choice; he'd be honest.

"I'm going to the Burrows with you."

He was having second thoughts when he sneaked into the train; he couldn't think of anything else when the baker confronted him. What prompted such change of heart was the exact same doubt, "should I really do this?" but from two different perspectives; the first involved the plump fox not needing him, the second involved the very same mammal not wanting him. The thing is, the second one didn't offer any alternatives; fear led to sincerity.

"…what?"

Gideon was not expecting that; his face went blank, his eyes ignored the excessive wetness and quickly focused on the mammal in front of him, and the thought of thoroughly cleaning his ears jolted through his neurons before they were assaulted once again with what confirmed his hearing was okay. His sense of smell reinforced Nick's words; he was scared, a wrong move away from going into a panic.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm unemployed and I don't have much to do here, and maybe leaving the city for the first time in my life can be, uh, beneficial… I think I need a change of airs… so, why not? " The plump fox thought, I don't know, that maybe he'd try to stop him… "Only if you're okay with that, though… but I think I've fucked up. I've fucked up big time; I- I thought we didn't have to, just- I didn't want to say goodbye just yet…" …but no, Nick wanted to go to a place he hadn't heard many if any good things of, where he'd be even more looked down on, with him. "And I thought you didn't either, and since you- you have to leave I could… I wanted to go with you. And I want! I still want! I told Judy, a-and she's been helping me set this up and talking to people, and-"

"…really?"

For him.

Gideon couldn't avoid seeing himself in Nick, a part of himself at least, and he didn't like it.

The pudgy fox changed his grip on the slenderer one's hands; he could see what he was going through, none of them wanted to hurt the other. It all had been a big misunderstanding. Now Gideon's paws were the ones caressing Nick's face trying to alleviate what both had caused, and the older vulpine's trembled as they reached the wider wrists, not so scared of what they could do to him anymore but to make sure they were really there.

"Yeah… you've seen my place, and I thought I could see yours…"

It was some type of role reversal; Nick was the nervous and insecure one, and Gideon had the power to make a choice. It didn't feel good. All that pressure, Nick seeing him in his natural habitat, judging the way he lived; and Nick… god, he was twitching, he didn't even dare to look the other in the eye. There was no time to blame anyone or to ask about what they already knew; Gideon was the one in charge and he had one thing to say.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes! Yeh, absolut'ly!"

The pressure of deciding what Nick would do didn't feel good; living with Nick again, on the other hand, was delightful. They knew quite a bit about each other by then, a messy apartment wouldn't scare anyone away. Besides, they had grown too accustomed to each other; a cold turkey would turn into an angry bitch real quick.

Their reaction was what you'd expect, similar to Gideon's when he saw Nick standing behind his seat, only this time cheers of joy intertwined with apologies and their weeping was mostly subdued, but some tears were shed as well, if anything else, to keep the theme constant. Although, in this occasion, they had witnesses.

"Gid, look."

The pudgy fox unenthusiastically obliged, not really feeling like looking at something that wasn't his favorite mammal, and fixated his gaze on the window Nick's finger was pointing at, and…

…oh.

Judy and Clawhauser were standing outside, one of them waving and the other swooning and gesturing so wildly his arms seemed to be trying to escape his body.

Well, since they already had an audience and their capacity to feel shame was severely dulled, why not put on a good show? They'd have to somehow compensate for going back to the sad side.

Gideon grabbed Nick by his cheeks and smooched his muzzle in the most exaggerated manner he could, but what started as a joke slowly turned into a dip kiss that ended with Nick holding onto his back almost desperately, trying to reach closer to the other's body; the baker really did have it in him, and the ex-officer didn't want it to end. Deep down Gideon didn't either, but the crowd was responsive. And to think they could have ended on such a bad note…

They could hear a voice before looking up again, and it wasn't Judy's; the cheetah was screaming something that sounded like "DID YOU SEE THAT? THAT'S WAS SO CUTE, GOD, SO FUCKING CUTE!" Then they heard another voice, probably one of the vagrants that slept at the station complaining about the noise; they could only guess since Clawhauser's response was "SHUT. THE FUCK. UP. THERE'S LOVE HAPPENING HERE. ONE MORE WORD AND I'LL SHOOT YOU."

Whoa… they had to stop before killer Benny there murdered someone for some second base action.

Nick gave Judy a thumbs up, she nodded and said something they didn't get to hear to someone who was outside the foxes' field of view, and the PA system was on once again.

"Uh… right… we can leave now, everything's okay. We're leaving now. Yeah… yeah, to Bunny Burrows…"

And after everything he had seen, there wasn't much Gideon had to ask. "So you've done all this?" He wasn't really incredulous since he knew what Nick was capable of, but it meant a lot; Nick never hated him, not for leaving, not for saying he had thought about really living with him, and furthermore he was willing to drop everything and follow Gideon blindly… besides, aren't train delays a big deal?

Well, they did learn one thing from all this; they're bad with surprises. A "hey Gid! I'm coming with you!" would have been easier, but no, they went the dramatic way.

"Yep, I know some corrupt cops who'd do anything for money."

"You do?"

"Yes…" No. "…or maybe I have friends with badges that want to stay at my place while I'm gone." Gideon was going to add something, but before he could utter a word, Nick stopped his mouth from moving with a finger that tickled and danced on his lips.

"Gid-" But first he had to make sure of something. "Wait, are we good? I mean… are you still mad at me? I still feel like shit but-"

It was the baker's turn to stop the other, and he used the exact same move Nick did. "Bwe're bood, filly fox."

If he understood that correctly, there was no problem between them. Alright, he could proceed.

"Bid, chu know that thing chu chust did?"

The only thing he could be referring to was the kiss that made Clawhauser threaten a stranger, so yes, he did; he nodded, his curious peepers enchanted by the other's sleepy eyes and his heart resonating fervidly deep within his ribcage.

Nick inched closer to the baker's left ear, freeing his mouth from the finger jail the plump vulpine put it in, and whispered "you're lucky we're alone in this wagon."

Gideon didn't know how to take that… did he make a mistak-

"It's not appropriate to make me hard in front of our friends."

Oh! Well, it was fair; Nick made Gideon cry, and Gideon blue balled him. For once he wouldn't apologize… much.

"And now, if you excuse me, I have to make a few calls and tell Judy she should change the sheets if she's gonna sleep in my bed… that'll sure make me flaccid."

They wouldn't dare do anything more risqué for several reasons, among them was the possibility of being recorded by some kind of security camera. They wouldn't want to find a video of themselves on the internet with a title like 'Perverted foxes tarnish the purity and cleanliness of Zootopia's public transportation' or 'HOT FOXES FUCKING HARD IN TRAIN.'

The trip wasn't anything too otherworldly; Nick had kept himself awake during the day thanks to his new coffee machine, but the moments prior to putting his plan into action his stomach started punching him from inside and his joints began vibrating, so he resorted to his almost depleted tube of analgesics to calm down. As soon as the train began moving, the pills kicked in and he found in Gideon a plush cot that couldn't stop thinking about how much his older counterpart purred. Do foxes even purr? Yeah, apparently they do; but before reaching that state between complete unconsciousness and lethargic alertness, they got to say a couple of things.

"Not even a week since we met and y'already movin' in with me."

It was too late for the baker; he had become a slave to non-aggressive irony.

"We're gonna buy the cutest tablecloths for our loft, darling."

I'd say the thing that had united them the most would be that they didn't take themselves too seriously, at least when they were together; it's something uncommon, when you click with someone and what others would consider disrespectful, insufferable or even hurtful turns into your pride and joy.

"Nick, is yo'r phone vibratin'?" The slender fox's shaking was making his belly tremble too, and they couldn't blame it on the train; even his luggage was completely still.

"No… that would be me."

"Are ya nervous?"

"Nah, I sweat when I'm nervous; I'm pretty sure is just a caffeine overdose killing me." Oh, well; no problem then. "And you? Are you nervous?" He didn't need to ask, the plump vulpine's tongue slips gave it away.

"A little… Ah guess-" Gideon realized why Nick asked and corrected himself, slowing his words down to make sure his accent wouldn't show up. "I guess my body knows we're going back home."

Nick knew what he was referring to. "I'll kill the bunnies."

"What?"

"I'll kill them, I'll be your bodyguard… I'll eat them if they get too close."

It didn't help that he downed the pills with a shot, but that was Nick Wilde, a hardcore badass… that actually was more afraid of thousands upon thousands of Judys than anything else.

"Alright murderer, but iss'not that. It's more like… what Ah'm used to."

And the baker's brain seemed to be in a similar state; he tried to muffle them, but the thoughts of the whole Hopps family assaulting him and Nick with questions and having customers commenting on the new fox insisted on reverting him to his pre Zootopia visit self.

"I'll get you used to something else." The ex-officer tried his best at… flirting? It sounded more like a soft threat, like an assertive carny telling you you'll win a prize if you visit their stand. "Wait, are there any family members I have to meet?" And quickly his tone shifted to that of a drug dealer asking his customers if they were narcs, all while lying on the pudgy fox's lap not moving a muscle; voluntarily, at least.

Gideon didn't have to think too long. "Do the Hopps count?"

"Yeah? I met a bunch of them through a Skype call once… they all knew my name and one of the first things they asked me was if I had been eating better."

"Ya'll get used to it." Yeah, Nick was anxious like a puppy on the fourth of July, and there was one thing he did when he was truly keyed up: he talked.

"Look, I…" His mouth was dry and his eyelids were heavy as lead; it was impossible to tell if it was the death cocktail he had or the anxiousness that going to a foreign land caused, but as long as his mouth worked, he'd use it. "I'm scared, okay? All the bravado you've seen this week? Gone. Don't take me out of my cage, don't make me play as the visitor because I'll cry; well, maybe not cry, but I won't be as cool as you think I am."

Gideon saw where this was going; he felt the same when he went to the capital. Spending a week with a stranger wasn't an ideal plan for him either, but hey, it turned out okay. "Nick, yo-"

Nick wasn't done.

"I want you to know that I love you and that I trust you, and I'll be okay if you're there, but please don't throw me under the bus here. Don't make me meet too many mammals, I'm not a fan of crowds, I don't know what's going to happen!"

His façade was only effective in what he considered controlled environments; essentially, he was like an improv artist that was okay with being booed as long as the audience wasn't too big. He had gotten used to applause and success because he had always acted in his comfort zone; now he had to face a different crowd in a different place, and he got word that they didn't like performers like himself.

"Ni-"

"And I- I… I don't know! Maybe I'll love it there?! We could have the time of our lives! An- and I wanna apologize because I made you meet my parents! You seemed so ready and you were so smooth and you're great and I admire you and I'll meet yours if you want and I'll help you in everything I can!"

Gideon had seen cubs trying to order by themselves at his bakery better balanced than the blabbering mess he had between his legs; all things considered, though, he kept seeing himself in Nick. He had been like that before, and he was starting to really worry about him; it was kind of funny at first, but not anymore.

Ironically enough, Gideon was the one suffering a panic attack the last time they got on a train… this time he'd have to take Nick's role.

He began stroking his head, scratching one of the older fox's ears and calmingly shushing him as his tremors had gotten more intense; apparently it was working. Nick didn't stop shaking completely, but his attempts at spurting more of his concerned thoughts ended up ceasing. "Iss'okay, you don' hav'ta do anythin' you don' wanna do." Of course, he was worried as well, but just like the time they met Charles he'd have to be Nick's rock; after a couple of minutes, the slender vulpine's breathing went from labored to a faint hum that died right where his head was nestled against - the baker's stomach. That fox's body was the source of everything good that happened in the world.

Gideon believed he had passed out due to accumulated exhaustion, and given that he wasn't too fresh either, he indulged himself with the voicing of a thought that normally would stay in his head. "Ah'm so glad Judy convinced me to come meet you."

Nick was partly awake, though, and he heard the other perfectly. "I'm 99 percent sure she set us up."

Gideon heard him too; however Nick's speech was more limited since his lower jaw was blocked by the pudgy vulpine's thigh.

"Either her or her mom… but Ah'm glad still."

"Me too... and I'm glad you hit on me."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you told me you were gonna eat me."

"You were followin' me around and sayin' ya' liked my stuff."

"I meant your clothes."

Wait.

As if their minds were synchronized, they asked the same question at the same time.

"When did you start liking me?"

And again, their response was similar.

"When Judy showed me pictures and told me about you."

Waiiiit…

"100 percent."

"100 percent?"

"100 percent…"

…

"Ah'm turnin' my GPS off..."

"She has access to my records…"

Two hours left until they arrived-

"No, but really Gid, I don't have to meet your parents, right?"

"…are you into grave robbing?"

"…"

Okay, enough, dark; go to sleep. Two hours left until they arrived to their destination.

"You know, Judy told me I wouldn't like this place, but-"

"Nick, we just got out of the train."

And they hadn't left the station yet. Even so, he did like one thing; everything was surrounded by green. It gave him a newfound feeling of freedom, at least compared to the concrete blocks that characterized the capital; it was less… claustrophobic, no building in his line of sight reached any higher than his apartment complex and the only thing he could hear once the train left were the crickets that hid in the nearby grass. The delightful smell of wet soil inundated the entire town, and given the situation, it was somewhat comforting; so far, Gideon's birthplace didn't seem all that horrible.

"So, do you live around here?"

Nick hadn't seen anything that resembled a house after the welcome sign greeted them, so he guessed they were in the outskirts. Either that or everyone lived in holes in the ground… and were waiting for him to let his guard down… to come get him with pitchforks and torches.

"Kinda, do you mind a fifteen minute walk?"

"Not really, it's really nice out here."

A crisp breeze that dared ruffle anyone's fur was one of the aspects that marked out the Tri-Burrow area's spring mornings, and also one of the appeals that brought urbanites like Nick to such places.

"You better hurry, in twenty minutes this is gonna be full of mammals and tractors."

Ah, right; it'd still take the sun some time to make its appearance, but this place survived mainly on agriculture. Well, it was another incentive to stick to Gideon, though he didn't really need any.

The baker refused to let the ex-officer carry any of the suitcases and on the whole, he seemed somewhat annoyed; borderline angry, even. Right before Nick had the chance to break the silence that emphasized their steps, Gideon answered the question he didn't get to ask.

"I don't wanna go back to work."

The older fox would have replied 'you don't have to,' but he wasn't playing on his field, and nothing he could think of seemed of any help.

"And it's all your fault, you know?"

His fault? Was it because he had quit his job? Nick already told him he was willing to provide for him, he didn't mind… was Gideon venting his frustration on him? If he thought about it, the baker had the right to do so; he went to Zootopia with the intention of taking a break, wind down and release some stress, but-

"You spoiled me with alcohol and adventures, and friendship, and love and sex… and now I gotta go back to my pies. I think I have a case of the post vacation blues."

Oh, so that was it, he was joking! And he was speaking normally! To be fair, Nick was on edge; he liked the grass, but as far as he was concerned, he was in enemy territory. Add that to his sleep deprivation and his narcotics & caffeine energy drink and you have a jumpier and more paranoid Gideon.

"You call that mess an adventure?"

And, on the other hand, the baker did get grumpy when he was sleepy. Right then and there, they were a bad combination to confront; one couldn't stop his fingers from twitching and would do everything he could to hide from strangers, real or imaginary, and the other would probably… slap? you if you didn't let him go home.

"Well…" Gideon doubted before replying; he had to make an effort to measure his words, he didn't want to sound mean. "…I had fun."

Nick wouldn't call it fun, but he had something as well: closure. And all because of their post-coital afterglow…

"We should fuck more often." He also had a slippery tongue.

In any other occasion Gideon would have probably gone all shy and junk, but whatever reason Nick mentioned that for, he agreed.

"Yeah, yeah we should."

The rest of the walk to Gideon's was adorned by the dumbest feeling of complacency they ever felt and a silly grin that inadvertently made its way to their muzzles. They were tired enough to fool around publicly, since it seemed the place was free of witnesses and all, but the baker's paws were busy and Nick's mouth was still pretty dry. Still, the intention was there.

A few moments later they reached their goal, and it didn't disappoint.

"Gideon Grey's Real Good Baked Stuff?"

"What? I'm not good with names."

The ex-officer couldn't tell if they were in a real street, or an alley… he just followed the plump vulpine until he halted; by the time he realized, the dirt road they were walking on turned into pavement. In front of him was the bakery, the road stretched at his sides, and there were a series of buildings behind him that Gideon called "the newest part of town." They were small stores for the most part, and the whole block was really neat; still, everything was surrounded by crops and nature in general, but that looked like a great spot. Maybe Gideon was secretly a land shark and oh boy the fox needed sleep.

"Me neither. I like the aesthetic, though."

The baker turned to look at the other vulpine, who was unaware of the stupid smile framed in his face and of everything that wasn't the store window or the pink awning.

"Did you design it yourself?"

Gideon knew what was coming; he knew that everything he said right there and then could and would be used against him, so he decided to stay quiet.

"The smiley pie is really cute."

Any moment now…

"So… your house is inside the bakery or…?"

The pudgy vulpine's silence and intense stare began freaking him out… oh, no; now that he was back home the rabbit brainwaves were consuming him and-

"Aren't you gonna say it?"

And Nick didn't understand his question.

"…it?"

"Come on, don't be shy."

The ex-officer was completely lost. Was there, like, a tradition he didn't know about? Did he have to compliment his store more or something?

"Aren't you gonna say anything about how pink everything is and how sissy it looks and that the left window is bigger than the right one?"

Oh, sweetie. Sweetie, honey, no; he was paranoid and needed some rest a.s.a.p. too.

Nick grabbed him by his cheeks, and even though his eyes were tired and itchy, he could see a big frown on his favorite fox's face.

"Gid, think about who you're telling that."

"…ah."

"Yeah."

"Sorry…"

"Do you have a bed in there?"

"Upstairs."

"Good; I'll tell you how gay you are when we wake up. You are going crazy and I think a robot has been following us for a while now."

The rest is a ten second memory that jumped from a very ugly color, to darkness, to an uncomfortable softness, and finally, to snores.

I don't feel at home.

:/