A/N : Welcome September! I'll be super busy especially these first two weeks, so forgive me if this story is updated sporadically. But I still persist to make one chapter one day ; if somehow I miss out a day, I'll make it up by posting two the next day.

Hope your September goes well!


"Welcome!"

As the door opened, an unfamiliar jingling-alike sound buzzed as a greeting. It gave the vibe of entering a medieval and classical shop. She suspected Nick bought a new bell, but since the sound didn't even close to metallic cling, she would need to reconsider.

Right before her, Nick stood there with paws open, making a gesture like she was a long lost family who had been long apart from him, the trademark smirk didn't miss from his snarky expression.

"Don't treat me like a newcomer," she briefly shot a playful glare at him, which he threw another smirk in response, and stepped in to search for the source of the noise.

At the top section of his door, something was attached. Its color was pale brown, matching the door and had she not squinted her eyes for better look, she could've missed it.

It was certainly a bell. But instead made of steel or other metal, its composition consisted with only wood. The bell was pinned and nailed on the door, a thin fabric of red ribbon was attached at the body and danced following the rhythm. To confirm her assumption, she made a quite high leap and gently slapped the bell. Both the missing cold sensation whenever her paw touched the rough surface and the sound produced affirmed her initial guess.

It wasn't there on her last visit, Judy recalled. She narrowed her eyes back on the fox, seeking an answer. "When did you put it?"

"Just two days ago," while padding to the couch, Nick flippantly replied and wagged his paw. "A group of teenagers gave me the offer. They sold various handmade stuffs to support their organization's finance."

"I can imagine that," the bunny persisted a grin to stay on her face. During her middle school, she used to conducting garage sales as in attempt of fundraising for the organization's big event. "Making one sale definitely helps a lot."

"Yup," Nick nodded in agreement. The TV remote was in his paw, but turning it on had yet to cross his mind. He tossed it aside eventually and chose to just talk to her. "And it's not that bad, isn't it?"

"Certainly," her words hung in the air, obviously an unfinished statement. Judy wandered aimlessly in the room and let her paw roam along the couch's headrest, twice passing through soft furred texture of vulpine ears. "But why bell though? Don't you say they sell bunch of stuffs?"

"Well…" Nick murmured something under his breath which fortunately Judy couldn't hear. He invited her to take a seat beside him by patting the space next to him. The rabbit easily jumped over the couch and was already settled, looking at him intently, waiting for his answer. Nick failed to hold him from laughing and then slowly recounted. "Honestly, at first I joked at them what they would recommend for me to buy," both snickered in unison, Judy had the clear mental image of her partner getting shrouded by few smaller mammals and how he worked his way to escape and clear the path. "They initially brought up the bell, a small wooden handcraft shaped car-alike, and some kind of portable music player," Nick carefully recalled as his digits went up with each type of item mentioned. "Since I didn't find myself interested for the other choice, I chose that." he finished and nodded to the direction, specifically to the bell.

"Interesting," Judy smiled, her eyes were set at the crafted art hung limp at his door as well. "If I were you, I'd pick that car souvenir."

"You bet," the fox grinned at her reply. Judy could confidently say that because she was missing the information about the price. "It's darn good and one look will ensure you it's made by skilful paws," the other two weren't bad ; on the contrary, they were really good. Still, the idea of spending much money for useless stuff that could only be organized as an additional decoration in his room didn't amuse him.

Sighing in content and momentarily brought his face up, staring at the ceiling, he spoke the closing statement.

"But I still believe I made the right choice."

That had Judy in slight disagreement. She hopped off the couch and walked to the door, wanting to take a closer inspection. Clicking the door open and shaking it gently, the rabbit watched how the wooden bell swayed back and forth, producing the characteristic gentle sound she was quick to fall in love with.

"The bell is nice though," she eventually agreed. Turning back and glancing at him, she chuckled softly. "You should've gotten two."

If only she knew Nick did not buy only one.

Nick rose and joined her, briefly gazed at her eyes before moving them to the bell. He stretched his arm up and made a move as if about to detach the bell from the door and gave it to her, but Judy's touch on his arm froze the fox.

"Let it stay," she spoke in authoritative tone, making the vulpine lightly shuddered. "And make sure it stays."

To anyone, it was just a simple sentence. But to Nick, it was an implicit saying that they had come to an agreement that their meeting point would switch mostly to only Nick's apartment, where the bell resided.

He did make the best choice, didn't he?

"Affirmative, partner." was his only reply. Chuckles came afterward, and within seconds, it turned into chortle, both vibrating in joy.

As they laughed, so did the bell. It jiggled around gleefully, as if acknowledging the owner's radiating happiness.