Chapter 14 – The Push He Needed:
Author's Note:
So… a lot of you didn't care at all about whether or not I bumped the rating. So… for the few of you who did have an opinion, well… the rating has been bumped. In any case, USA Patriot made several excellent points, many of which I will address right now…
Ah, yes, both you and Dragon-God are right (though he beat you to it). And yes, it is a bit weird that graphic, gory violence is a T rating, but then again… I haven't gone into too much detail. Now that the rating's been bumped, I'm holding nothing back. And since you want all the sexy, juicy details, I'll give them to you. As for how Wolfard can be so dense, you'll find that out this chapter. And lastly, thank you for your concern, I wish you the same.
Now that that's been covered, onto this chapter! I'll start by apologizing profusely for how long this chapter's taken to get out. It's fairly long, the scene at the end was a bit difficult to edit, and I had several papers and a speech to write this week… so there's all that. In any case, this one was a fun one to write, and I once again have to give my thanks to Dracologistmaster who helped write it. We have to cover Judy moving in with Nick and Charlotte crashing at Wolfard's place, so let's get started! Please, enjoy!
XXX
"So, are you excited about moving in, Fluff?" Nick asked as he unlocked the door to his apartment. They had already packed Judy's things and terminated her lease, though the old armadillo looked a bit worried that a fox, cop or not, was following a rabbit. Thankfully, Judy didn't have a lot of things, just enough to pack into a few bags and a suitcase. It only took the two of them to carry it all.
Realizing that he had gotten no response as he opened the door, the fox looked at his rabbit partner and girlfriend only to find her staring at the lockbox they had found in the Rainforest district, locked tight. "Come on, Carrots, we can try to crack it after we get you squared away and put some food in our bellies," he chuckled as he walked in and set her things down on the couch.
She let out a sigh as she set the lockbox on the coffee table, finding it difficult to tear her eyes away from it. "Fine. What are you making for dinner?" she asked, walking over to the counter. She couldn't help but glance at the box occasionally, but managed to keep fairly good eye contact with Nick as he made his way into his kitchen.
"For me, lemon pepper salmon, as for you, what would you like?" he asked as he opened the fridge. "I've got plenty ingredients for a nice salad, or I can make some vegetarian chili."
"Ooh… vegetarian chili sounds interesting," she said, leaning on the counter. "I'd love some of that."
"You got it, Fluff. It'll take a bit, so why don't you find something on TV to keep you busy while I cook," he suggested as he got started. She rolled her eyes, but was thankful that he was willing to cook for her, so she did as he requested.
She moved her stuff off the couch and stored it next to the coffee table, where she had left her suitcase. She frowned at the mess she was making before getting comfortable on the couch. She flicked on the TV and found something to watch as she waited for Nick to finish making dinner. But she was less focused on what was on the television, rather her mind was concentrated on what the hell the combination could be for the lockbox.
She was really excited to move in with Nick, but some things took priority. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't realized that she was staring at the box instead of the TV until Nick set a bowl on the coffee table. "That box is still bugging you, isn't it?" Nick asked as he took a seat next to her.
"Yeah, it is," she snorted as she picked up the bowl. "I just… why does she have to make me jump through all these hoops?!" She dug into the chili with a low growl.
In a rare moment of seriousness, Nick turned his entire body to show that he was giving her his full attention. "Probably for the same reason a certain sly fox gave you so much hassle before you saved his life. You've gotten to her, but she needs this last little bit to fully trust you," he explained, putting a paw on her shoulder. "And don't worry, we'll get this figured out before you know it."
She let out a short chuckle as she heard his words before quickly finishing off the rest of her chili, just as he did his salmon. "Thanks, Nick… you always know the right thing to say," she sighed. "But I'm pretty full… so let's get me situated before we start working on the box."
"Sounds like a plan," he replied with a smile as he collected their dishes. He walked back over to the kitchen, putting them in the sink before helping her with her luggage again. "I have an empty drawer in my dresser if you want to store your clothes there. As for your other stuff, you can put your bathroom things in the bathroom, duh, and everything else you can store under the bed."
She only nodded before following him into his room, tugging her suitcase behind her. This wasn't an overnight stay, this was moving in with him. Permanent. He helped fold her clothes and put them in his empty drawer before letting her set up in the bathroom. Unbeknownst to her, he was thinking the exact same thing. Permanent… this is really happening! he thought giddily.
She came out of the bathroom to see him stuffing everything else she had under his bed. He noticed her out of the corner of his eye and stood, clapping his paws together as he did. "Well look at that, you're all moved in," he grinned.
"I sure am," she chuckled.
They stood there, staring at each other, both internally shouting at themselves to say something. Eventually, Nick stepped forward and embraced Judy in a tight hug. "You have no idea how great is it that you're here," he all but whispered in her ear.
She tensed but quickly relaxed in his arms before returning the hug. She didn't say anything until he pulled away chuckling nervously and scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry about that…" he said.
"No, you're fine," Judy said, waving away his concern dismissively. "Let's get working on that lockbox." She turned on her heel and walked back into the living room. Nick stared at her as she went, wondering if he had made a mistake. But realizing that she had returned the embrace, he shook those thoughts off and followed her into the living room.
"Okay Fluff, how do we plan on opening this?" he asked as he sat down next to her. She pulled the lockbox closer to her, but didn't pick it up off the coffee table.
"It looks like it's shut pretty tight, so I doubt we can find someone strong enough to wrench it open, and it doesn't look like it'll be easily picked…" Judy listed off, glancing at Nick to see if he would agree with her.
"Well, these types of locks are always a bit difficult to pick because all you have is the number wheels, no other way to get to the pins. I don't have the necessary equipment to pick this lock," he explained.
"So that means our only choice is to figure out the combination," she sighed. "Well… she must've already given it to us!"
"Hopefully. I'd hate to have gotten this box tonight and wake up tomorrow to find a letter jammed into my door with another fucking puzzle," he muttered. "The last one was tough enough."
"Hey, I figured it out pretty quickly," she smirked at him. He only rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile along with her. Even if they couldn't open the box, tonight would still have been wonderful, according to him. But he knew that she would be that much happier if they managed to open the box, which would make tonight even sweeter to them both.
"Alright, what about we look at the letter again. Maybe there was something there that we missed, or passed over because we didn't have the box yet," he suggested. "Do you have it with you?"
"Of course," she responded, pulling the folded letter out of her pocket and setting it on the coffee table next to the lockbox. Nick picked up the letter and read it over again. And again. And again.
Letting out an exhausted sigh, he set the letter down and growled, "I don't see anything that could resemble a clue here."
Judy furrowed her brow and picked up the letter to read it over again. And again. And again, before she too set the letter down and glared at the lockbox. "I don't know, Nick… there's nothing in there that looks like it could be a clue," she sighed.
"So… should we just wait and see if we get another letter tomorrow?" he asked, leaning back on the couch.
"I guess so…" she gave a defeated sigh as she folded the letter again, and shoved it back into her pocket. Only for her paw to graze against another piece of paper that she had forgotten about. Blinking a few times, she drew that slip of paper she had taken off Lionheart's desk from her pocket and set it on the table. "Wait a minute," she muttered as she looked over that slip of paper again.
"Hmm?" Nick hummed, his eyes snapping open again as he looked down at her to see her grasping that slip of paper.
"All the numbers on this piece of paper are eight digits long," she explained. Nick stared at her for a moment before realizing what she was implying, causing him to lean forward again. "The letter mentioned this slip of paper and how I'd 'understand it in time,' and I think that time is now."
"Right, of course!" he exclaimed, grinning in excitement. He picked up the lockbox and asked, "I suppose just start at the first one."
"Try… 06271990," she read off the slip of paper. She waited in silence as Nick rotated the combination wheels to the proper numbers, before pressing a button near the wheel. To both of their surprises, the box popped right open. "Well… that was easy. A little anticlimactic, if you ask me," Judy muttered.
"A little too easy," the fox mumbled before drawing out another piece of paper and handing it to Judy. She took it from him and unfolded it before letting out a sigh. "What? What is it?" he asked.
"It's another letter," she grumbled. She took a deep breath and began reading.
Dear Mr. Conrad,
Congratulations! You not only found the box, but opened it too. I wonder if I made the clues too easy…
I digress. You managed to crack my riddle and you've done more than enough to deserve the key.
Probably.
Here's the thing, I know that I can trust you. You've more than proved that. But you didn't solve this alone.
Everyone that helped you is to be commended, of course, but I don't think this was quite an accurate test of your intelligence.
Really, though, that doesn't mean I'm not gonna give you the key. You've earned it! But be aware that your trials aren't over!
YJHEIMTS
Sincerely,
"Blank," Judy sighed as she finished the letter. She let it down next to the now open lockbox and leaned back on the couch.
"Well… she gave us the key at least," Nick said, trying to give her a comforting smile.
"Yes, but she said my trails aren't over," she grumbled. "And she seemed pretty disappointed that I had to get help from you guys."
"Pff, you did most of the work!" he chuckled. "But I sure bet Wolfard's going to be happy that we can finally unlock that laptop."
Judy couldn't help but snort, the timber wolf had put a lot of time and effort in trying to get passed the password on the laptop. "Unless, of course, we're misunderstanding what she means and the key goes to something else," she chuckled.
"Nah, I think that if this was a wild goose chase, the letter would've at least given you a hint to what the key would be used for," he replied. "I'm surprised that it wasn't a trap of some sort. You know, like knockout gas sprays in your face and you wake up in a small, white, padded room."
"You don't sound like you're joking," she observed.
"I'm not…"
"Well… I don't think she's like that," Judy chuckled. "Or at least, I hope she isn't."
"Yeah, I hope she isn't either, Fluff," Nick sighed.
"In any case, uh… I'm not really tired, are you?" she asked.
"No, not really. I've got some movies if you want to pop one in and watch," he informed her, gesturing towards a half-full rack of DVDs. "I could make popcorn or something."
"That'd be nice, I'd love to watch a movie," she grinned. "What should we watch?"
"Well…" he trailed off as he hopped off the couch and padded over to his DVD rack. "I've got Blade, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, any of those sound good?"
"Star Wars is fine, I haven't seen any of those in a while," she chuckled. When she still lived in the burrows, Star Wars movies were playing on a near constant loop on every TV to entertain the hundreds of kids in the house.
"Sounds good to me. We can watch episode five, Empire Strikes best… AKA, the best one," Nick chuckled as he picked out the CD and walked over to the DVD player.
"Eh, I prefer episode one," Judy said as nonchalantly as possible.
His reaction was immediate. He dropped the disk, thankfully the floor was carpeted so it wasn't damaged, and whirled around to face her. "What?!" he all but shouted.
"I'm kidding Nick, I'm kidding!" she grinned, knowing exactly how particular fans of the series were about the movies. She would get similar reactions from her younger brothers when she said that.
The fox let out a loud sigh of relief as he put a paw over his heart. "Thank god, Carrots… if you thought episode one is the best Star Wars movie, we wouldn't be able to date anymore," he chuckled, only half-joking.
"Don't you think that's a bit dramatic?" she teased. "And besides, episode two is the best." He let out a cough and clutched his chest even harder as he dramatically dropped to his knees. But her loud laughter told him that she was just kidding once again.
"I see how it is, Fluff," he muttered as he picked up the disk and put it into the DVD player, starting the movie as he did. He started the popcorn and hit the lights, leaving only the small light over the stove on for when he would go back and get the salty, buttery snack.
He plopped down next to her just as the open crawl began and she immediately curled up next to him, letting out a deep sigh as she pressed herself against his side, quickly getting comfortable. He could feel his heart beat a little faster as her slight weight settled against him, loving the feeling that came with it.
But he still needed to extract some form of revenge for that vicious joke she pulled on him. He almost had a heart attack! He glanced down at her out of the corner of his eye, letting a smirk rise onto his face as he thought of his vengeance.
Slowly, he snaked his arm around her shoulders, still looking at her out of the corner of his eye. She didn't react to his movements, either that or she didn't care, so he pressed further down. Continuing at the same slow pace, his paw ran down the small of her back and towards her rump.
But he didn't make it that far, as halfway down her back, she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "And what do you think you're doing, Slick?" she asked, though she didn't make any attempt to move his paw.
"Alright, you caught me," he grinned, removing his paw from her back and putting them up in the air. "I was going to touch your tail."
"And why would you think that was a good idea?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Um… revenge?" he tried, scratching the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle. "Well… if that's too cruel, then how about this?"
"How about wha-" she tried to ask, but was cut off as he pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened almost comically as he kissed her. She hardly noticed when the microwave dinged, signaling that the popcorn was ready, she was too busy trying to comprehend what was going on.
It was painfully short for Nick who pulled away before Judy even realized what had happened and stood, walking over to get the popcorn for the two of them. He couldn't help but chuckle at her stunned expression as he got as far away from her as he could, fearing her inevitable explosion. Maybe that was too much too, he sighed internally as he filled a bowl with popcorn.
He approached her cautiously, as she had yet to move a single muscle, staring blankly at the space he had occupied, eyes still as wide as when he kissed her. He hesitated, wondering briefly if this was just a ruse, before sitting down next to her again. He popped a few of pieces of popcorn into his mouth, crunching on them as he watched Judy stare at him blankly.
Until he saw her nose twitch once, twice, before she blinked and life came back into her vivid, purple eyes. "You kissed me," she said simply. Her tone contained no malice, and she did not narrow her eyes into her scathing glare, she was just simply stating fact.
"I did," Nick admitted, setting the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. If she attacked him, at least then he wouldn't get popcorn everywhere…
"Why?" she asked.
"Huh?" was his dimwitted response.
"Why would you kiss me?" she clarified.
"Uh… we're dating? And I have it on pretty good authority that mammals that are dating kiss occasionally," he said.
"You just went for it though! Not even knowing if I'd punch you or something!" she exclaimed. "You could've asked first, it wasn't… I probably… I might not have said no. I at least wanted my first kiss to be romantic… not have it stolen from me by some dumb fox."
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't take a chance with 'maybe.' This was revenge for your cruel jokes!" he said, crossing his arms. "But if you still want a romantic kiss, I'd be more than happy to oblige." He smirked at her, waggling his eyebrows.
She snorted as she reached for the popcorn bowl, setting it on Nick's lap, and then leaning on him again before taking a pawful of the salty, buttery goodness. "Just watch the movie, Slick," she said, stuffing the treat into her mouth.
Nick chuckled and did as she said, turning back to the movie, though he did wrap his arm around her shoulder again. He was pleased with the fact that he had gotten away with kissing her, but disappointed she didn't go for the second one. Oh well, you can't have everything, he sighed to himself.
Little did he know, Judy was planning revenge of her own. So that's the way it is, huh? I'll show him, she thought as a small smirk rose onto her face as she thought of the best way to get her own retribution.
The movie ended a few hours later, empty bowl on the coffee table, and her still hugged tight against him. She let out a loud yawn, drawing his attention down to her. "Alright, bed time for officer Fluff," he grinned as he stood, letting her head drop against the couch cushions.
Alright, time for revenge, she grinned to herself, still pretending to be tired. Truthfully, she had gotten comfortable lying next to him, so this would be a win-win for her. She watched him turn off the TV before asking, "Hey Nick, can I sleep on the bed tonight?"
He blinked a few times before saying, "Actually, that was something that I was meaning to bring up with you. I was going to suggest us swapping back and forth between the bed and the couch. So if you want the bed tonight, I'll have it tomorrow. If you don't mind, of course."
Judy couldn't help but smirk. "Actually, I was thinking that the bed was big enough for the both of us, so we might as well share," she grinned.
He let out a surprised cough, ears flattening against his head as he clutched his chest again. But he quickly recovered. "Oh, ha, ha, very funny, Carrots. But that ain't gonna work on me," he chuckled.
"Nope, I'm serious," Judy snickered. "I have it on good authority that dating mammals occasionally sleep in the same bed."
"Well… I… suppose… I… well… just…" he sputtered out, still a bit surprised that she was serious. "Are you sure?"
"Yes I'm sure. And what happened to just going for it? Is kissing me really one thing, but god forbid we share a bed?" she asked, sitting up, and putting her paws on her hips.
"Well…" he trailed off.
"It's not like we're going to be having sex," she chuckled. Totally worth it, she snickered internally. His reaction and his expression were priceless. He was so predictable.
"You say that now," he grinned, finally deciding to just go for it, like she suggested. "But I suppose the bed is big enough for two…"
"Exactly," she grinned. "Come on, let's get changed, I'm still exhausted." She gestured to her uniform that she was still wearing, though she had removed her belt and chest plate, and let out another yawn to underline her point.
He only nodded, he too still in uniform, though he had removed his belt and tie. He walked back into his bedroom, her following behind him, and dug through his drawers for something clean to sleep in. She did the same as he headed off towards the bathroom to change.
She stripped completely and tossed her uniform into a hamper that contained what she hoped was dirty clothes. She threw own a simple pair of gym shorts and a white ZPD t-shirt and was back on the bed before Nick got out of the bathroom.
Nick changed into a light pair of sleep pants and a sleeveless undershirt before he walked out of the bathroom carefully, just in case Judy was still changing. But he spotted her getting comfortable on the bed, so he figured he was safe. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" he asked as he climbed into bed next to her.
"Yes, I'm sure," she sighed.
"I'm just being careful, trying to take your feelings into consideration and everything. I just don't want to make it seem like I'm pushing for anything, or that we're moving too fast. It's just that-" he said, but was interrupted before he could finish rambling.
"Nick?"
"Yes, Carrots?"
"Stop talking."
"… Okay…"
XXX
The drive to Charlotte's place had taken longer than Wolfard had thought. She lived all the way in the tundra district, clear on the other side of Zootopia than the precinct. And, unlike Wolfard, Nick, and Judy, she lived in an actual house. It was blue, though it was difficult to tell under all the snow. "Do I need to make any other stops while we're out?" he asked as he came to a stop.
"If we could stop by a store or something, that would be nice," Charlotte said, practically shaking in excitement. "I wanna make you a nice dinner in thanks for letting me stay at your place."
"Oh… uh, thank you," Wolfard stated nervously. He hadn't had a home-cooked meal in quite some time. Maybe this won't be so bad after all, he told himself. In truth, he was absolutely terrified of having Charlotte at his apartment. For one thing, it was a mess, for another, he knew that it was just an excuse for her to tease him mercilessly. As much as he'd like to ask her out, he knew that she would turn him down, and then he'd never hear the end of it as long as he lived. "Need help with anything, or would you rather I stay here?" he asked.
"Oh, I just need to grab a few uniforms… maybe something to sleep in. Unless you'd rather I just sleep in the nude," she grinned widely. She didn't give him time to answer, opening the car door and walking towards her home to gather her stuff.
Ears pinned to the back of his head, Wolfard tried to banish the images his mind conjured of her statement with a hard shake of his head. Though it did nothing to help the bright red color that had risen to his ears and face. "Damn it, why does she find it so funny to mess with me like that?" he questioned himself aloud, shaking his head again as yet another indecent image appeared in his mind. "I need a drink."
She was back not even ten minutes later, tugging a small suitcase with her. Wolfard popped the trunk for her as she reached the back of the vehicle, she was still sporting that wide grin. She climbed back into the passenger's seat after shutting the trunk and noticed the slight blush on his face and ears and couldn't help but chuckle, "What would you like for dinner?"
"Know any good fish dishes?" he asked, focusing on driving, and not looking at his partner. She had gotten him good with her earlier joke, and he could still feel the heat on his face and ears, and he knew she could see it as well.
"I know how to grill salmon," she replied. "You know, Wolfard… if you wanna see me naked, all ya have to do is ask."
His mind blanked at her statement and his blush burned even brighter than before. Every time he tried to speak, he couldn't think of anything to say. Choosing instead to stay quiet and calm his heartbeat, which felt like a jackhammer in his chest. He pulled into a supermarket close to his apartment and practically threw himself out of the car and rushed into the building, heading straight for the liquor isle. Or maybe several drinks, he grumbled internally.
Grabbing the biggest, strongest bottle of whiskey he could find, Wolfard headed towards the checkout and returned to his car to wait for Charlotte, continuing to attempt to calm himself down. Thankfully, he didn't have an erection, that might've ended even worse for him. He sucked in deep breaths, letting them out slowly, as he stared at the steering wheel.
It took Charlotte a few minutes to find all the items she would need, managing to fit them all into a single bag. She climbed into the passenger's seat and placed her bag on the back seat, next to his whiskey. "Ooh, whiskey, my favorite!" she grinned. "Hope it's strong."
"Trust me, it is," he replied, starting the car, and heading for home. Pulling into the apartment complex's parking lot, he grabbed the whiskey and popped the trunk to grab Charlotte's bag. She protested, but he insisted. After reaching his apartment, Wolfard shut the door, and set her suitcase on his couch.
"Sorry about the mess," he muttered as he began picking up the random bits of trash and dirty clothes. "I've only got one bed, so I'll change the sheets and you can use it while you're here. I'll sleep on the couch."
"Aw… are you sure you don't wanna share the bed? It looks big enough for two, I don't mind," she grinned as she walked over to the small kitchen. She began rifling through cabinets, searching for a pan to fry the salmon with.
"Pans are under the over, and yes, I'm sure," he stated as he changed the trash bag, which was now full. As much as he'd love to jump at the opportunity to share the bed, he knew that she would only make him suffer for it. Maybe she'd wait until he was fast asleep and then kick him off the bed! Or maybe she'd do her best to prevent him from sleeping at all! But thoughts of her earlier jokes played in his head, and there was that tiny voice, that same voice that always popped up in his mind when she joked with him, what if she's not joking?
Goddamn it, she growled internally as she found a pan. She set it on the stove and turned it on before turning to the salmon she bought to prepare it. "Wolfard, I can't let you sleep on the couch. Either we share that bed or you're taking it," she said, not glancing up from her work.
That didn't sound like a joke, that voice echoed through his mind, and he couldn't help but agree. But, at the same time, it was better safe than sorry. "It wouldn't be right as your host to share the bed, nor would it be right to make you sleep on the couch. I'll be fine," he said sincerely. "I do appreciate the thought, though," he added.
"Why do you have to be so fucking difficult?" Charlotte asked, slapping the salmon in the pan and turning to glare at him.
"I'm not being difficult, I'm being polite," Wolfard replied. She's just angry that she won't be teasing me that easily, he chuckled internally.
"Yeah, well, I'm trying to be practical. And I'm telling you it's okay! Why don't you understand that?" she grumbled, the sound of salmon sizzling becoming audible. "It's not like I'm gonna bite… unless you want me to."
"What's not practical about me sleeping on the couch?" he asked, now a bit confused. He decided to ignore the innuendo. "I'll still get sleep, so it won't affect my work at all."
"You're an idiot," she mumbled, turning back to the salmon. We'll see how many drinks it takes to change his mind, she chuckled internally.
Shrugging his shoulders, Wolfard went to change the sheets on the bed. All the while, his mind kept replaying everything that had happened since leaving for her house. Would she really go this far for a joke? Would she really get that upset that she didn't get to me? he wondered as he bundled the sheets into a ball and tossed them into the hamper. All those things that she said… I have to know for sure, he shook his head once more before putting on the new sheets.
That voice that said that she wasn't joking was unusually strong today, maybe there was an opportunity here. Maybe if I pretend that I'm drunk… he thought to himself. No, that wouldn't work. No matter what, she'd just tease me for being a lightweight. Wait! What if I call her bluff? Yes… I'll call her bluff, that's the best way to find out.
Grinning to himself, he walked back into the living room and turned on the TV. He plopped down onto his couch and flicked through the channels until he found his favorite movie. I just have to wait for the right moment, he sighed internally, but couldn't help the fact that his paws had started to tremble a bit. Maybe after some liquid courage.
Charlotte finished dinner nearly a half hour later. She put the meal on two plates and walked over to Wolfard on the couch. She set the plates on his coffee table before she went back to the kitchen to pour them the whiskey. As she walked back, she took the bottle with her. "So, what's on?" she asked, picking up her plate and leaning back on the couch. She grimaced, it didn't feel like a very comfortable couch to sleep on.
"Thank you. It's a movie called Smokey and the Bandit. Ever seen it before?" he asked before picking up his plate and taking a bite. "Wow, this is really good!" he exclaimed before laying into his meal, quickly devouring it.
"No, I haven't," she said, eating a bit slower than he did. He practically inhaled his meal, but he had yet to touch his drink. Come on Wolfard! You know you wanna, she muttered internally. "Oh, and thanks. I think it's pretty good too."
"It's a really good movie and you haven't missed much," he replied, picking up his glass of whiskey. He took a large sip, downing nearly all of it. I'm going to need more if I'm really gonna do this, he told himself before glancing at Charlotte. A spike of nervousness jolted through his spine as he thought about him calling her bluff, nearly causing him to drop his glass, and realized that he was going to need a lot more.
She couldn't help but smirk as he drained his glass. "More?" she asked, brandishing the bottle. All too easy, she giggled internally.
"Yes, please," he answered, holding out his glass. Am I really going to do this? he pondered internally. That thought continued to run rampant in his mind until he downed his second glass, quickly silencing it.
She eagerly poured him another glass before picking up her own. She wasn't sure if she wanted to drink too much, but her limit was much higher than his, if Nick was right. But then again, it might make it less awkward in the morning if they both woke up with hangovers. "So… what the hell is a 'Smokey?'" she asked, turning back to the TV after finishing her plate and setting it aside on the coffee table.
"A 'Smokey' is slang for a highway patrol officer or group of officers, or the car they drive," he answered, sipping from his glass. He decided he needed to slow down, knowing that if he got drunk, this would end a lot worse.
Charlotte spotted him babysitting his glass and she frowned. That won't do at all, she muttered internally. "Oh…" she trailed off, before draining her glass and refilling it. She sent him a challenging stare, hoping to incite him into competing with her. If Nick was right, then he was already close.
Seeing her challenging glare, Wolfard only chuckled. "Really? You're gonna win," he stated before finishing his drink. She refilled his glass immediately, before he even had time to prompt her to do so.
"So? Come on Wolfard, have a little fun!" she grinned, pouring herself another drink.
"Oh alright, but we're both gonna regret it in the morning," he said with a laugh as he threw back the shot. That's four… one more and I'm done, he reminded himself as she poured them another round.
Charlotte only grinned. That's four, one more and he's hit his limit, she giggled internally. She was so close! She downed her shot in a single shot, as did he, before refilling their glasses again.
Wolfard shook his head at Charlotte's excited expression. His inhibitions and his fears had practically melted away. He saw that Charlotte had already refilled his glass but he only shook his head. "I can't go anymore, that's it for me," he said, tapping the table with an open palm.
She let out a short growl before shaking her head. "Aw… who's gonna help me finish this bottle of whiskey, then?" she asked, pouting. "You shouldn't stop just 'cause ya hit your limit! Come on, live a little!" He's not taking this victory from me! she growled internally.
"I would take you up on that offer, but we have work tomorrow. Maybe another time, Char," he chuckled at her disappointed expression, only for his face to take on a worried expression as he realized what he had said. "Oh, sorry about that… I'll use your full name from now on."
"Char, huh…" she trailed off, thinking carefully. He wasn't quite drunk yet, but he had slipped up. A smirk tugging at her lips, she said, "No, Char is fine, I like it! What about you? I… hey, I don't even know your first name!"
"I'm glad you like it," he said with a shy smile. He hadn't expected her to react like that. "It's Gray… my first name's Gray." He couldn't help the red tinge that began to rise on his cheeks. He knew she would laugh… everyone did.
"Gray Wolfard?" she asked, almost incredulously. But she managed not to laugh, not even a small chuckle escaped her lips. "That's a nice name. I think I'll just call ya Wolfy, though!"
"Wolfy? I think I could get used to that," he chuckled, though he was a bit surprised that she, of all mammals, didn't laugh at his name. "You know what? To hell with it. What's one more shot?" he asked, grabbing his glass again. I'm doing this. All those times I thought she was joking? Maybe she was telling the truth, she thought to himself, casing a short glance at the she-wolf.
That grin reappeared on the arctic wolf's face as she grabbed her glass and clinked it against his. "To nicknames!" she exclaimed before downing the liquid. He's gonna do it! she giggled internally, excitement taking over.
Noticing that she was distracted for those few precious seconds, Wolfard threw his head back and tossed the liquid from his glass onto one of his pillows before setting his glass back onto the table. Okay, she thinks I'm drunk… time to call her bluff… if she was even bluffing, he muttered to himself as carefully flipped that pillow over so the stain couldn't be seen.
Shaking his head, he turned back to Charlotte, sucking in a deep breath. "So, Char… were you being serious before?" he asked, purposely being vague.
"Serious about what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a bit tipsy, but she still had a ways to go until she was actually drunk. But she still had no idea what he was talking about.
"You said, and I quote, 'if you wanna see me naked, all ya have to do is ask,'" he replied, smirking at her. It was the moment of truth. If she was bluffing, the worst that could happen is that she would get flustered and tell him 'hell no!' But, if she wasn't bluffing…
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, not having expected him to go on the offensive, or be so forward. "So? Are ya asking?" she shook the surprise off and let a wide grin onto her face.
Wolfard met her eyes with a surprised expression. She wasn't joking, he realized. "Would it be wrong of me to say yes?" he asked, the tip of his tail tapping lightly on the cushion. Traitor, he growled to himself, shooting the appendage a quick glare.
"Only if you don't mean it," she grinned.
"Charlotte, may I see you in all your natural beauty?" he asked sincerely, hoping this wouldn't screw things up between them. He enjoyed working with Charlotte, jokes and all, even if he wanted it to be something more.
"All ya had to do was ask," she grinned, immediately reaching for her shirt. Wolfard's eyes followed her paws as they worked slowly, almost teasingly, at the buttons of her uniform. Neither had changed when they arrived at the apartment.
"Well," he said as his breathing began to quicken. "I-I'll just have to remember that." His eyes still glued to her paws, he watched as she unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off of her body, revealing that she didn't wear a white undershirt like most other officers. She tossed her shirt aside and began working on her pants, pretending to fiddle with them as she slowly shimmied out of them, grinning all the while.
Wolfard's tail wagged faster and faster as he watched her teasing display and before he knew it, she was clad only in her undergarments. "You look amazing," he said quietly, figuring that he should complement her. "Not that you didn't before, but wow…"
She smirked as she watched his eyes roam her lithe figure. "Aw, thanks," she giggled. "Would you… uh… would you like to remove the last few pieces?" she asked, a soft blush managing to rise on her face. This is happening!
"A-are you sure you don't mind?" Wolfard asked nervously, having not expected her to say that, as he stood. "I mean… letting me look is one thing, but that's a whole other picture."
"Take off my underwear, Wolfy," she commanded, grin still wide on her face.
"Yes ma'am," he replied, playing along, though his paws started to shake again as he approached his partner. Maybe I should've actually taken that last shot, he muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath, he walked around her and carefully undid her bra before running his paws up her back and stopping at her shoulders. He kissed her gently on the neck before sliding his paws, and the bra straps, off her shoulders and down her arms, letting the garment fall to the floor.
Walking back around her, he knelt down and grasped the waistband of her panties, looking her in the eyes once more for confirmation. Seeing the command burning in her amber eyes, he placed a gently kiss on her stomach, eliciting a gasp from her, before he slid the cloth barrier down her slender legs. He stood and took in her scent, licking his lips at the sight of Charlotte's fully nude form.
"See, nude," she grinned, licking her own lips as she saw the bulge in his pants. "Why… why did you ever think I was joking with you?"
"All the jokes! All the teasing!" he replied, crossing his arms. "Since the moment we were assigned as partners, you were joking and teasing with me. Surely… surely you were joking back then, right?"
"Well… mostly," she admitted. "Surely you could tell when I went into heat, though! These past few days I've been trying all sorts of different things to get it into your head, and get into your pants. Nick told me that you thought I was 'acting strange!' I was just… astounded that you never leapt at any of my offers!"
"Of course I could tell when you went into heat, but… I still just thought you were joking with me. And sure, I knew that if I just… went for it, you wouldn't be able to resist. But I was afraid of how angry you'd be when you came out of heat," he admitted, looking away from his partner. "I didn't want to try only to find out that it truly was all just a joke and ruin everything we had going, or worse. I enjoy working with you too much to risk that."
She let out a small sound of understanding. "Yeah… I'm sorry about all the jokes. Maybe… maybe it was a bit too much. But even when I was trying to be as serious as possible, nothing seemed to work!" she growled. "Look, I don't care that it took so long, just as long as we're doing this now. Take off your clothes."
"Your wish is my command," he replied as he slipped off his ZPD t-shirt and moved to his pants, taking off his belt first before slipping his pants off. He glanced up to see her bouncing up and down on her heels in excitement, mumbling to herself. Her tail began to wag the moment his pants dropped and he was left in nothing but his boxers. "Would you like to, or shall I continue?" he asked with a teasing smile. He was still slightly nervous, but seeing her so excited relaxed him immensely, allowing him to put on a good show.
"No, I'll do it," she grinned, kneeling on the floor. She took a bit of time running her paws across his abdominal muscles before hooking her claws on the waistband of his boxers. Slowly, she pulled them down around his ankles, moving to the side to prevent his partially erect member from slapping her across the muzzle. Her grin only widened.
"Should we go to the bedroom, or just continue here?" he asked, slightly unsettled by the grin on her face. It was the same hungry grin a predator gave just before pouncing on its prey.
"Bedroom. Now," she growled, standing, and grabbing his arm, before dragging him towards the bedroom. She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him onto the bed, him landing on his back. "Look at that, we're going to end up sharing the bed."
"So we are… I hope I don't disappoint you," he said with an awkward laugh as she climbed onto the bed as well. "I've never done this before." In truth, he thought they were moving just a little too quickly, but at the same time, he knew she didn't have a choice. She needed relief.
"Yeah, well neither have I," she admitted, lying next to him. "I've spent so long trying to get you that I haven't bothered with anyone else."
He blinked a few times at her honesty. Oh god, I'm an idiot, he muttered internally. "Well, I'm here now and I'm paying attention more than ever," he said, pulling her closer to him and pressing his lips against hers. He ran a paw down her arm and grabbed her ass, shooting her a teasing smile as he did.
"Oh Wolfy… you can touch so much more than just that," she grinned, pressing up against him. His lips felt amazing against her own, and although she could feel the nervousness from his touch, it did feel great. She couldn't wait for the main even to start.
At her encouragement, Wolfard's left paw roamed slowly up her side, stopping just over her breast. Kissing her once more on the lips before he pecked his way along her jawline, making his way towards her neck at a slow pace, massaging the lump of flesh all the while. He managed to elicit a sharp gasp from her, causing him to halt, and look her at her, worry flashing in his eyes.
The moment he stopped, Charlotte sent a wicked glare his way. "You only stop if I tell you explicitly to do so!" she growled.
"As you wish," he replied, kissing her once more, his paw resuming its gentle kneading as the other brushed up and down her stomach. Eventually gaining the courage, his paw slipped lower to rub gently at her opening, causing a low moan to tear from her throat. "I must be doing something right," he chuckled.
"You… ah… are…" she managed to moan out as he left a trail of kisses down her neck and towards her chest. He placed a single kiss on her right breast before drawing his tongue across the sensitive flesh.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he grinned, before giving her left breast the same treatment. He pressed a finger barely into her warm, wet folds, continuing to kiss and lick her chest, as he enjoyed the sounds of pleasure escaping her muzzle. Slowly, he worked his finger deeper into her womanhood before pulling it back, almost out of her, before pressing it slowly back in.
He took in her intoxicating scent as his finger increased its pace. Her scent is making me more drunk than the whiskey, he chuckled internally as he captured her lips once more. Her mouth opened at his prompting, letting his tongue in to deepen their kiss, his finger pumping in and out of her the entire time.
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he broke their lip lock to smirk at her. "What… ah… are you… uhn… doing?" she moaned out, but he didn't respond. Instead, he went back down to her chest and started to lick her once again. But he didn't stay for long, trailing his tongue down her chest and across her stomach, down all the way to his thrusting finger.
Removing his finger, eliciting a soft whine from the arctic wolf, he cleaned the digit with his tongue. Continuing to smirk, he drew his tongue across her lower lips before digging into her folds. She threw her head back with a loud gasp of pleasure from his action.
He seems to know what he's doing, she thought to herself as she tried to spread her legs wider, to give him better access to her core as he continued to bury his muzzle even deeper into her. Her claws grasped at the sheets, poking holes into them, as she grinded her hips against his face.
"Okay, okay!" she moaned out. "Stop… stop!" He pulled his tongue out of her, concern dancing in his eyes. She panted heavily as he stared at her, his unspoken question of 'did I hurt you?' hanging in the air. "No… I'm fine. It's just your turn," she grinned, gesturing towards his member, which was standing at attention.
She tried to push him off her, to return the favor, but he kept her pinned against the bed. She raised an eyebrow, confused as to why he wouldn't let her up, but he kept smirking down at her. He leaned over to her, lining up his manhood with her entrance, her eyes widened. "You're going in dry?" she asked, just a bit concerned.
"You're already plenty wet enough," he all but whispered into her ear, before nipping at the sensitive flesh, causing a shiver to go down her spine. She pulled his muzzle down so that it was on level with hers, and reconnected their lips, tasting herself on his lips and tongue as she did. While they continued their lip lock, he slowly pressed his hips against hers, his length disappearing into her core.
He grunted into her mouth as he slipped deeper and deeper into her center. She was tight, and he was already losing himself to the pleasure. Bottoming out seconds later, his hips hit flush with hers, causing a moan to tear from both of their throats. He broke their lip lock, a strand of saliva keeping them connected for just a few precious seconds longer.
"Here we go," he grunted as he pulled back, almost leaving her entirely, before thrusting back in much harder than before. One of his paws groped at her breast as he set an erratic, sloppy pace, as he pistoned in and out of the arctic wolf.
Charlotte could hardly breath as she threw her head back again. She couldn't even bring her hips up to meet his, so she was reduced to letting out a cacophony of moans as she grasped the sheets again, her claws mincing the fabric.
He continued thrusting into her for several minutes, until his tongue lolled out of his mouth and he began to slow down, running out of stamina. He lifted her hips a bit, allowing him to reach just a little bit further into her, he continued to slow down, his pace eventually evening out. He had reached his limit, despite him doing his best to ignore the growing pressure in his crotch.
But Charlotte was quickly approaching her limit too. "Wolfy…" she panted out as her inner walls began to clench around his length.
That was the last straw for him, as he buried himself into her, knotting her as he did. "Char," he moaned out as he exploded into her. Feeling his hot seed fill her, she too hit her climax with a loud scream. Or it would have been a loud scream, if he didn't reconnect their lips one last time, containing her voice as he did.
They remained in their embrace for some time until he broke contact and fell onto his side, breathing heavily, pulling her along with him. As they were connected at the groin by his knot. "That was incredible, mind blowing, even," he panted, nuzzling her neck, and giving her a playful nip as he did.
She could only nod, not trusting her voice at the moment as he returned his gesture, doing her best to crane her neck to press her face against his. They laid in that fashion for several minutes, just panting as they let the euphoria wear off. Finally, after nearly a half hour of just heavy breathing, Wolfard was able to remove his manhood from her, causing another whine to tear from her throat, immediately missing the full feeling. But a new thought began to ravage her mind as she regained the ability to think. "You forgot a condom… didn't you?" she all but whispered.
"Now that you mention it… I did," he answered nervously, ears pinned to the back of his head as he looked down at the bed. "In all honesty, I never expect it to go this far and when it did… well, the condom kind of skipped my mind. Are you mad at me?" he asked softly, glancing up into her eyes with a hopeful look.
"Of course not," she chuckled turning around to face him. "Tonight was well-worth the risk of having a child. As long as you promise to never leave me." Her eyes hardened into a challenging glare.
"I wouldn't dream of it," he said softly, the sincerity and warmth in his tone matched only by the gentle paw he set on her cheek as he pulled her close with the other.
"Good. Because tomorrow, if we stop by a drug store, I can buy some emergency contraceptives, and maybe some birth control pills. I'm in heat so we're gonna be doing this again, by the way," she grinned as he pressed his muzzle against her neck.
"So… I guess that means we're an item now? Unless you're just using me for sex while you're in heat," he chuckled. She gave him a hard look, aghast that he would even suggest such a thing. "I'm just kidding," his grin widened when he saw her offended gesture.
"I would never use you just for sex!" she huffed. "But yes… we're a thing now. It's all I ever wanted."
Wolfard could stop his tail from wagging, it was all he ever wanted too. "That's great, Char. Tomorrow we can drop by a store and get that stuff you want before work. But just so you know, I wouldn't mind having a kid," he sighed as his eyes closed, fatigue overwhelming him. "Goodnight, Char."
She snorted at the idea, she was sure she wasn't ready to be a mother. But she did know that she had been wanting this for a long time. "Goodnight, Wolfy," she muttered as she shut her eyes, letting him pull her close to him as she fell asleep.
XXX
Wow, that took a lot longer to edit than I thought. Okay, just a few things about the lemon before I talk about anything else. One: I do not claim to be an expert in this subject matter. Like I think I said last chapter, I had thought of a few that I could shove into this story. I tried to make it as realistic as possible, and hopefully I did a decent job. Two: The rating didn't increase just so I could show the sex. I want to make it clear that things are going to get very violent and bloody down the line, and the rating would probably have to be bumped even without the lemon. That's not to say there won't be more lemons down the line, they just obviously aren't the focus of this story.
Anyways, Nick and Judy managed to open the box and they received another cryptic message from Blank. I wonder if that code will work? Or is it yet another puzzle for Judy to solve? And it looks like they slept in the same bed as well, though nothing funny happened between them. And, of course, Charlotte finally managed to get it through Wolfard's thick, thick skull. A lot of you were screaming at him to figure it out, and he finally has. In any case, next chapter they'll be back at the precinct, trying out the code Blank gave them. Will it work? Stay tuned until next time to find out!