"Where the hell are my pants?" -Furry Johnson. Black Lives Matter, BIPOC Lives Matter, LGBTQIA2+ Rights and Lives Matter.
Selective Incapacitation. If you thought the 'deterrence model' was trash, this thing is like it decided to take cocaine or something. Instead of just judging people based upon the acts that they committed (like the Justice Model), this one takes it one step further by trying to 'extrapolate' if a person will commit crimes in the future, and deciding to further incarcerate individuals for longer periods if it is deemed that they will recommit more crimes. This includes up to 'Indeterminant' sentences or permanent incarceration. While certainly reasonable in some cases (Prolific Sexual Predators, for instance), it once again focuses on all the wrong ends of the concept of justice.
The dance continues, as Nick strives to prove that he remembers at least five steps of a dance routine. Maybe, if he's lucky. Meanwhile, Judy gets to stare at the fox she has feelings for, and wonder about how nice it will be in only a few month's time. Maybe. . .
Disney owns all this stuff. That's right, Disney. I'm bequeathing you this madness, should you want it. Could be Zootopia 2, y'know? I have reasonable rates.
Don't want to change your mind
"Alright Nick, I'll admit it. So far, I'm impressed." Judy teased, as they danced slowly back and forth on the ZPD Lobby floor. "You're not that bad of a dancer after all."
They'd only been going for. . . Well, maybe a minute or two, but it was clear that the fox knew at least a bit of what he was doing here. Of course, she never believed he couldn't. It was merely a tactic to find out what those hind paws could do.
But the fox not knowing that meant that no one would question why she wanted to dance with him, right? "Of course I am Fluff. I'm insulted, that you'd believe I would lie about such a thing. Have I ever lied to you?" He replied, gazing down at her with those beautiful green eyes as they went around and around on the floor. Those damn mesmerizing eyes. She could get lost in them if she wasn't careful.
Which, she definitely needed to be, as she felt the blush creeping into her ears. Judy snorted, sneering up at him. "Yeah, actually. About Finnick being your son, it being his birthday, not having your wallet. . . Need I go on, slick?" She fired right back, as the fox chuckled softly. Did he seriously think she forgot that whole scam bit?
"Alright, fair enough, Carrots. . . You win, I'm sorry." He replied, one paw lightly holding hers, while the other rested on her shoulder.
And a big, breathable space between the two. . . Like there had to be since this was just a friendly dance between coworkers. They were partners, this couldn't be described as strange so long as they kept that space there. This way, they'd be able to play off anything, if confronted. Although, what she wouldn't give to cross that space, and cuddle close against his chest.
Or, at least, let his paw fall from his shoulder to her waist. She'd settle for that, at least. Even a nice caress of her bum would be nice since that would mean she could return the favour, right? She had a lot of ideas about what she could do to the fox with her paws.
It didn't help that he was still being an absolute dick. 'As if I would ever need a reason', what a dumb fox. . . Did he know how silly that sounded? And, like, half-flirtatious? If she didn't know any better, she would've smacked the fox, and kissed him right there for being so damn flirty. . . Only a couple more months, right?
Then she could (If he wanted to, and with consent, of course) do whatever she wanted to the fox. "So, how did you manage to sneak away from your fan club?" The fox asked, with a silly grin. Ah, the rich mammals, who seemed to flock around her like she was some kind of pop star. Meanwhile, the mammal she did want to hang out with slinked away. . . She narrowed her eyes at him and frowned.
"Well, it would've been easier if my partner hadn't abandoned me with them. Alone. With a whole bunch of annoying rich mammals all plying for my attention. . . . . However, I am a very small bunny. As soon as their attention was fully focused on the auction, I slipped my way out of the bullpen, and tracked down my negligent partner. . . You're really not that hard to find, y'know?" She replied somewhat angrily.
She wasn't truly that mad. But still, the fox needed to understand how she felt about being abandoned. Barely a few minutes into the event, they had slowly got separated as the crowd began to surround Judy. They asked her stupid questions, that a simple Zoogle could've answered about the Nighthowler case. Some of the things they asked were downright rude too, but
she could deal with all of those problems just fine.
What she couldn't deal with was watching Nick slowly drift further away, as the two groups surrounding them went different directions for the event. She could tell through the fox's fake smile then that he was just as unhappy about it as she was, but he still didn't make a single effort to make his way back over. And she literally couldn't.
She was a small bunny, drowned out by the horde surrounding her every single time she tried to shuffle the groups closer. It wasn't long before some of the large mammals blocked her view of the fox completely, as she accepted that they would just have to deal with being apart for the early part of the event. But, even then, she'd had hopes for later, like a fool.
Then the dinner was served, and Judy was once again pulled in one direction while the fox went in another. Of all the times she thought they'd actually be able to be together, it was at a dinner table. And she didn't even get that. She was seated at a table with Bogo and a bunch of the 'upper crust' of Zootopia. Bogo looked just as distressed as she felt, as he was constantly asked strange questions by the benefactors of the Union.
She just played with her food, thinking about what she could do if Nick was here at the table with her. And, admittedly, thinking about what he could do if he snuck under the table. . . Being too close to your crush for too long left you a lot of time to daydream, okay? If she wasn't going to get any of her fantasies fulfilled soon, there was nothing wrong with dreaming up a few more depending on the situation.
Yet, that didn't even take her mind off the biggest issues she had about the mammals surrounding her. Throughout it all. . . She felt so. . . Manipulated and used. None of them really cared about her, they just wanted the chance to 'associate' with the 'Saviour of Zootopia'. That way they could go to the next high-brow event, and say 'I met Officer Hopps', and all that jazz. Get the credit of knowing a 'valuable' member of Zootopia.
No one at the event even cared about Judy Hopps. Just Officer Hopps. Except, of course, Nick. The fox who always saw her as Judy Hopps, as herself before everything else. He never called her the 'saviour of Zootopia' unironically. He called her fluff, and carrots, and sometimes bunny. Granted, she'd prefer to be called Judy. But. . . The pet names were also cute, so that was okay.
That's why it hurt so much when she saw him slip away from the crowd going to the Bullpen, and 'escape' off into the lobby. Sneaking off without her, not even coming to help her escape her captivity. She didn't blame him at all, of course. She wanted to escape from it all, too. She just would've preferred they escape together.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Carrots. I figured you'd jump on the chance of rubbing elbows with 'Zootopia' elite. Maybe secure yourself a promotion, hmmm?" He teased, knowing full well that she definitely did not want that kind of stuff. Let alone the idea of trying to get a promotion by manipulating rich people. She gave his gut a quick punch with the free paw on that side, shaking her head.
Half the time, she wanted to kiss the fox for what he said. The other half, she wanted to beat him up for it. Maybe some spots in the middle there, she didn't know.
But this time he earned a punch. "You know full well I don't, Nick. . . I'd rather be out on patrol with you, or at home, than listen to them talk about their riches for one more minute." She muttered, nose wrinkling as she thought about how annoying all of those people were.
Especially. . . Matthew Thumpsworth the. . . Third? Seventh? Twenty-eighth, maybe. She didn't care enough to pay much attention to him. That hare might've been the only other mammal than Nick that had more than a passing interest in talking to her, but spirits did she want 'that' kind of interest to cease. She might not be in a relationship (yet), but as far as she was concerned, she was taken.
By a fox. A fox she would definitely be asking out in a few months. Unless he kept abandoning her with rich animals, then she'd have to rethink her plans. Probably get the same result. . . But she'd make him miserable first. Especially considering the other 'options' available to her, in that stupid hare.
He was on the younger end of the rich attendants, sure. But even then, he had to be at least forty. Or forty-five, she wasn't sure. Not that age was at all important to her, necessarily. That didn't matter in her determination of his uselessness because he just wouldn't shut up or leave Judy alone.
Did he really think that talking about how many cars he owned, or how big his house was would interest her? That it qualified as a personality, being 'rich'. Not even because her attraction lay elsewhere (right here, actually. . .), how did that limp noodle of a male think he'd ever get her with that kind of a personality. Especially given the. . . 'type', of personality that she was attracted to.
Judy probably would've been able to sneak away over to Nick sooner, if it wasn't for him following her around, and asking her if she was willing to dance eight times. How seven no's might make a yes, she didn't know. Maybe it was because she was only politely declining, but at this point, she didn't really have the option of beating him over the head with a stick. It wasn't until he started paying attention to some of the items at the auction that Judy finally managed to slip away and get out here.
He'd said something about giving her whatever he won since it was 'only chump change' to him. That a 'nice doe like her' deserved gifts. The words alone had made her want to puke.
Judy shuddered, as she thought about his ugly, stupid mug. Unless his 'gift' was Nick naked with a bow tied on, she wasn't accepting it. And even then, she'd just slam the door and take the fox. Even though, that would open a hell of a lot more questions about how the fox got in the box. . . "Something up, Fluff?" Nick asked as he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. Ah, shit. . . He probably felt the shudder, didn't he? She sighed, shaking her head. No sense not talking about a guy she wasn't interested in.
"Nothing, Nick. Just remembering that creepy hare. The guy couldn't take a hint if I hit him over the head with an anvil." She replied as she shuddered again slightly. Interestingly, she felt the fox's paws flex slightly with the shiver, gripping her shoulder tightly. That was. . . weird. "If he shows up, whatever you do, don't stop dancing, okay?" Judy joked, grinning up at the fox.
Not that she ever wanted him to stop anyway, as they made their way across the dance floor slowly. The fox laughed, one ear flitting back (adorably), smirking down at her. "Oh? Imagine how angry he might get, coming out here and finding you dancing with your partner. He might end up thinking
you're attracted to foxes or something."
Judy tilted her ears backwards, shaking her head in amusement. Well, maybe she turned her ears to hide the blush. . . If only the fox knew what she thought about sometimes. . "Well, if him making that assumption is enough to make him leave me alone, then I'm okay with that 'scandalous' thought." She murmured, as the fox chuckled in response. In Zootopia, a fox and a bunny might get a 'huh', if they were lucky nowadays. For the most part, the world had moved on from such 'scandals'. Now, in Bunnyburrow. . . Well, that was another story.
Wait. . . Did that seem a little mean? She didn't want him to think that dating a fox was somehow. . . A bad thing, to her. It certainly wasn't. . . "Nice to know foxes rank above annoying rich hares in Judy's ranking of 'datable entities'. Even if only to keep you from the latter, of course." Ah. . . Well, he seemed to be taking it the right way, at least.
Judy huffed, rolling her eyes. "Haha, well, if I had to choose between you two, it's not hard to make that kind of a decision. I know you, and all your stupidity. He might have a big wallet, but Mr. High-and-mighty hare has the personality of a can of beans. Besides, I am the one who asked you to dance, slick. If I thought people thinking I'm dating a fox was that terrible of an idea, I'd have just hidden in the female's lockers or something. I practically had to twist your tail to get you to agree."
Nick frowned, shaking his head. "No, you didn't. I was just surprised you asked. I haven't had a lot of propositions from rabbits, you know. It's a new experience."
Judy rolled her eyes. "I asked you because you were my friend, Nick. Not because you're a fox, or my partner, or any other motive. I figured if we're going to be stuck here anyway, and don't want to get separated again, this is a perfect choice. . . It's either that or me hiding in the lockers, which sounds pretty disgusting."
Nick raised his brow again. Wait. Did she say something weird? "So. . . What's your plan then? Just keep dancing, until the night ends?" He asked, tilting his head to the side with a light smile.
Ah. . . That. That's not that bad. "There's no one here I'd rather dance with. . . So, why not?" She replied as she looked at the fox. The fox that permeated too many of her dreams. Of course, she'd take dancing with him over anyone else.
There were many reasons to be attracted to Nick, as those soft green eyes looked down at her. For one, he was handsome as heck. Lithe, but still fairly muscled body, coupled with that face. His cute nose, those triangle black-brown ears. And now, with his large whiskers dominating the end of his snoot, he looked even sexier. She was glad he decided to keep them.
And of course, knowing what he looked like without clothes also kind of helped, she supposed. It might have been only a glimpse, but it made her spend the night looking up naked foxes. Which, of course, only made her feel that much worse. Although to be fair, she couldn't wait to see everything in a little better lighting.
Then there was his personality. He was kind, funny, sarcastic, but wholesome so often. He had so much empathy for the people they met on the street, as well as everyone else they ever met. She remembered the day they encountered a homeless mammal while walking around downtown. Nick invited him to lunch with them and let them order whatever they wanted off the menu.
There was something about his gentleness. She wanted to drag him to the bathroom of that restaurant and screw his brains out, every time he did something nice like that. Normally, she knew you'd wait until you'd dated a bit, before feeling out the idea of sex. However, in this case, he was her best friend. She knew exactly who he was and loved every minute of her time with him.
She'd run at his pace, for sure. But, if he wanted to go all the way immediately, she wouldn't mind. . . Wait, she was running through reasons she liked him. Not. . . Thoughts for later. . . Dancing with him was really starting to mess with her.
And then there was just the way he 'acted'. His body tics. The way his ears flipped around. His snoot's little snoofs. The random wags and bushes of his tail. The way he walked. Heck, even the way that he was smiling at her right now. It was so soft and warm. She could only hope he'd smile the same way at her, if and when they started dating.
Someone ought to warn Nick that his smiles were deadly to rabbit hearts. Or at least her heart. The way his whiskers were twitching softly, paired with the half-lidded eyes of the fox as they went around and around the dance floor together. What thoughts were behind those eyes, she wondered. . . Probably something about cricket burgers or falafel wraps. . . Something silly.
But it would be nice to imagine that he was thinking about her, the same way she was thinking about him right now.
The way those vibrant green eyes slowly closed, as the fox began to lean down towards the rabbit looking up at him. The way his black lips slightly curled, as he-
Wait. Oh shit. Judy's eyes widened, as she stared at the fox's mouth slowly descending towards her. Her heart began to race, as her brain immediately figured out what was happening. He was about to kiss her, wasn't he?
Oh, spirits. Instantly, she felt the heat rising as she imagined what it would be like to kiss the fox. This was what she wanted, right? This meant. . . This meant he felt the same way, right? She'd only hoped before, was it really true.
But. Wait. Oh no. Her eyes darted around, seeing all of the people on the dance floor around them. The many, many people. Sure, none of them were looking at the pair, but they were literally surrounded by mammals. Oh, fuck, this wasn't good. Why was he trying to kiss her here? Or, really, at all right now? Didn't he know?
As her eyes locked on the fox's snoot closing in, her body immediately reacted, her heart nearly jumping out of her chest as she made the painful decision. She shifted her paws, and quickly let go of the fox as she stepped away with a light push against his chest.
Spirits, it felt like her heart was about to explode, as she watched for the fox's reaction. And, the reaction of everyone around them. . . It didn't seem like they noticed, right? But. . . the fox certainly did.
His head bobbed slightly his lips just barely brushing the air where she'd just been as his eyes shot open. Slowly, they trailed up the empty space in front of him to match with her own. Judy stared at him, eyes wide in surprise and horror as she breathed heavily in the hopes of calming her running heart. She could feel the pounding in her head as she tried to wrap her head around what had just happened.
He was. . . Trying to kiss her. Did that mean that he truly liked her? She felt the warmth that thought caused, despite the huge warning flashing in her head every few seconds. The heavy, serious warning that she couldn't possibly ignore.
They shouldn't. They couldn't. It was more than impossible. There were still three months to go. Or was it two? it was definitely something with 'month', she couldn't remember as she watched the fox's expression turn graven. The amount of time didn't matter, it still meant this was impossible. As that flashed in her head, the fox's eyes opened wide, as he tilted his head up to look at the horrified rabbit.
He looked. . . Very scared, too, as he opened his mouth. Not nearly as scared as Judy felt though, as she thought about how close she was to letting him kiss her. "Judy. . " He started, as he straightened his spine and began to shake his head. "I-."
"Officer Wilde." She interrupted, in a hushed but serious tone as she narrowed her eyes at the fox sternly. Judy needed to think about this analytically. She needed to shove out all of her feelings and try to deal with this now before it got out of hand. . . If it hadn't already.
She glanced around at the mammals surrounding them. They were too far to hear at the moment, and none were paying any attention to her, but. . . It was only a matter of time until they noticed the pair stopped dancing. And she didn't need anyone to start wondering what just happened to the two formerly-dancing mammals. If they saw, they'd start asking.
Because nothing happened. Nothing was supposed to happen. And nothing was going to happen. "Come with me, Wilde." She softly growled, as she turned and began to walk away towards the offices of the ZPD. Where could they go. . . They couldn't go to their cubicle, there might be some officers on duty nearby. There had to be a private place in the ZPD, where they could talk about this and deal with the issue.
But. . . How was she going to do that, though? She needed to tell him that they couldn't, but. . . God, this was going to be bad, wasn't it? How would she say it without hurting his feelings? Her ears caught the fox behind her choke on a word, before the familiar padding of his feet began as he followed her as she calmly walked off of the dance floor. She needed to keep a professional appearance as they walked away, as she did her best to walk normally.
Meanwhile, her mind was racing, as she tried to deal with the emotions going on in her head. The fox. . . wanted to kiss her. That was. . . wonderful news? Maybe. But that changed nothing right now.
They needed to follow the rules, and she couldn't change them no matter how she felt about the stupid fox.
Clawhauser glanced around the Bullpen, looking for the rabbit and the fox. They had to be in here somewhere, right? He'd seen Judy in here earlier, but, for some reason, the mischievous fox never appeared. That he could tell, at least. And now, the rabbit seemed to be missing.
Where could they have gone. . . They didn't leave the party, did they? There weren't exactly 'rules' for how long they had to attend. Especially considering. . .
"Officer Clawhauser." Bogo murmured to his left, as the large buffalo approached the cheetah. He jumped slightly, as he turned to the massive mammal with a smile. That. . . Might not be good. Was the buffalo mad at him for something again?
After they hung out at the Gazelle concert, the buffalo made him swear to tell no one about his 'dance' moves. Although, to be honest, Ben was paying far more attention to the rabbit and fox further down the way. . . He swore that them being there together would be enough to make them kiss, but apparently, he needed to try a second time. "Uh, hi Chief Bogo! Can, I help you?" He asked as he looked at Bogo's stern face. Was he mad at the cat, or, was that just his resting face again? You could never tell. . .
"I remember asking you to ask Wilde and Hopps to come to this event. Since they wouldn't get off my ass about it. . . . However, I don't remember saying that it was an order. Is there any reason they seemed to believe otherwise?" He asked, revealing that he was quite possibly very angry with the cat.
But. . . Hopefully not too angry. "O-oh, I thought you meant 'ask' as in order. . . . I'm sorry, sir, I must've misunderstood." He lied, knowing full well he did it on purpose. Of course, he did.
He thought maybe if he got the two of them out together a second time. . . maybe Nick might get brave. Or, maybe Judy might. Either or was a good thing for his little 'ship'. But, now, with the two of them missing, that plan seemed to have been foiled yet again.
The buffalo nodded, seemingly accepting that answer as truth. Luckily. "Alright. . . Fair enough, but don't make that mistake again. . . I could get in trouble for 'ordering' subordinates around for that kind of thing." Yeah, that made sense. . . You couldn't order your people to attend events, especially without giving them compensation, or something. And even then, that was a choice, not an order.
The cheetah swiftly "Yes, sir. Sorry." He murmured, as his mind refocused on the WildeHopps problem. He walked out into the lobby, hoping to see the two just out there, maybe chatting in a corner somewhere. But, no. Nowhere he looked, could he find either the bunny or the rabbit that he shipped so hard. Crestfallen, he shook his head and made his way over to the appetizer table. What he wouldn't do to trade these frilly things for a donut. . . Something, to quell his sadness, at least.
Wait. They were missing. . . Like, they were both missing. Together. . . Was, that actually cause for concern? Or. . . . Hope? Maybe something had happened.
Nick had made a mistake.
As he followed the rabbit off the dance floor, that was the only sentence repeating over and over in his head, as he desperately hoped that the last thirty minutes was all a dream. Maybe he'd fallen asleep at the dinner table or had actually gone into the bullpen and was snoozing away in one of the nearby seats. If that wasn't the case, he was going to have to face a really big fucking mistake.
What possessed him to think that was a good idea? Maybe it was the way they were talking to one another. The way they danced, with her gripping his side that way. The way they were looking at one another, smiling softly and staring in each other's eyes. The atmosphere, the moment, it all seemed like it was the right time and the right place to bring up how he felt. Maybe it was, too.
And yet, he managed to fuck it all up. His first move was to lean down to kiss her, like some goddamn idiot fox. Why did he even think that was a good idea? Sure, they were. . . Well, kind of flirting. And she was looking at him with those eyes. . . But that didn't mean it was somehow okay to kiss her. And what did the rabbit do? The logical thing: step back, and stare at him like he was a complete weirdo.
He was still hoping it was a dream, as she marched down the halls with flopped ears. Nick didn't know a lot about bunnies, but that had to be a clear sign that she wasn't in a good mood. If it was a dream, like he hoped, he had a feeling his mind would've at least entertained the kiss first, right? Unless this was one of those 'All your insecurities in one' dreams, and not a happy one. . .
No, this was definitely reality. And he was just going to have to accept it. They went through the offices, and at first, he thought she was going to scream at him in their office. That would make sense, wouldn't it? But, instead, she took a quick right down the hall and headed further into the station. Finally, the rabbit stopped in front of one of the interview observation room doors and pulled it open briskly.
And that was the moment that Nick knew he was in really big trouble. While the interview room itself was wired, camera'd, and monitored fairly heavily, the observation room was devoid of any monitoring equipment. Normally, Nick would say that was evidence of the police not 'watching' themselves carefully, but that didn't make sense considering the rest of the station. Even the halls of the ZPD had cameras, but these rooms did not.
In other words, it was the place a rabbit would go to murder a fox and get away with it. Except not really, considering you were in a police station with cops not too far away. And, there were cameras outside of the doors and in the halls, of course. Yeah. . . That was a silly thought. Still, if Judy was going to kill him anywhere in the station, this would be the space.
Or, just, you know, figuratively stabbing him through the heart. And berating him for being an idiot. Possibly even throw him out on his ass, out of their apartment. . . She did kind of have the right to do that, didn't she?
She walked through the door, holding it open as the fox walked through, his gait heavy with regret. His mind was racing, trying to come up with an excuse. Maybe he had narcolepsy, and he was actually asleep when he was leaning down? Or was sleepwalking a better excuse? Were those the same? No, that didn-
"Sit down, Wilde." She spoke softly, her voice calm but still laced with seriousness. She shut the door behind them and turned the lock with about as much contained rage as Nick figured she could manage.
"Jud-" He began, turning towards her with as apologetic a face as he could manage. And sad too, since. . . Well, he felt like a huge piece of shit now. But the rabbit was having none of it, as she lifted a finger at him, and pointed to the raised platform near the window.
Thanks to Judy and Nick, the ZPD had to put in a smaller desk and a set of chairs in all of their interview observation rooms. Rather than tearing out the wall and putting in a new window though, they logically built a raised platform and placed the desk and chair on top of it.
For the most part, Nick was glad for that little 'inclusion initiative'. Of course, now he wasn't looking forward to getting 'the talk' on top of it though. Nick slowly walked up onto the raised platform, as the rabbit followed behind him with heavy footsteps.
When they reached the top, the fox wheeled one chair out slightly, preparing to sit. However, his ears caught the heavy thumps of rabbit paw steps behind her, and he looked over his shoulder. Judy had begun to pace back and forth on the platform, an expression of deep concentration on her face. Meanwhile, Nick felt his heart keep sinking lower and lower, realizing just how angry she must be. He really, really fucked up this time. . . Shit. "I'm sorry, Judy. I-"
"Sit. Down." She repeated, in that same calm but upset voice as before. It was almost like a mother, scolding their child. And somehow, that was way worse than if she'd just yell at him already. The fox nodded and sat down with a depressing thud in the chair. Instantly, the rabbit resumed pacing back and forth in front of him, clearly pissed as hell.
He hadn't seen her this angry since. . . . Well, never. . . Fuck. Did he have to find somewhere else to go, tonight? He wouldn't blame her if she. . . Their friendship was gone, wasn't it? That. . . That hurt a lot, as he began to recognize the depth of his mistake. He watched her, worry spreading across his face as he patiently waited for her to finish whatever she was thinking about or working through. If he interrupted, she'd probably just tell him to shut up, probably. It was better to let her start, he imagined.
After a minute or two, the rabbit finally stopped, tapping her foot heavily as she turned to face the fox abruptly. "What, the hell, Nick?" She spoke, her stern voice slightly cracking as she gestured widely with her paw.
He immediately averted his gaze as her eyes burned holes into him, and he limply opened his mouth as he thought of the best way to respond. "I. . . I'm sorry, Judy. I got caught up in the music, an-"
"And tried to kiss me? In front of a bunch of random mammals, and our coworkers? What is the matter with you?" She asked as Nick's ears flipped back. Yeah. . . That made this all that much worse, didn't it?
"I. . ." He murmured, as he debated on what to say. . . Well, he was already screwed, wasn't he? Might as well dig that hole as far as it went, so she'd bury him deep. ". . . I have feelings for you, Judy."
That seemed to give the rabbit pause, as she averted her glare from the fox for a moment. But those ears stayed down, as her eyes seemed to bore a hole in the desk. That. o He might as well get that out, even though it probably didn't matter that much anymore. . . It was what was 'the matter' with him, at least. . . Although, the rabbit definitely didn't seem to know what to do about it as she seemed to think her words out carefully. "And your solution to that problem is to kiss your FTO? You know that can't happen, Nick, right?"
Oof. Well, there was that twist of the knife in his heart he was waiting for. . . But. . . Y'know, maybe Caroline was right. It did feel. . . At least a little better than just wallowing in silence, right? "I. . . I know, Judy. I was just, stupid, thinking that. . . a rabbit would like a fox." He murmured softly, as he let his head hang low.
For a moment, there was just silence, and Nick was afraid to raise his head. She must've been fuming at this point. . . It was all over, wasn't it? He could stay at his mother's tonight, probably. And pick up his stuff tomorrow. "I'm sor-"
"That's not it, Nick." She spoke, her voice breaking slightly. Nick glanced up, to catch that same angry rabbit stepping closer to him. What did sh-. "I don't care about you being a fox, not like that. But, don't you understand that I can get fired for being in a relationship with you? And you could be fired, too. This isn't allowed to happen, while I'm your FTO."
Wait, what? Nick tilted his head up further, as he watched her expression shift slightly. But, to what, he wasn't sure. He also wasn't sure what she was talking about, getting fired. ". . . Why?" He asked, confused.
She growled out a sigh, shaking her head as she crossed her arms. "Listen, I literally hold your entire career in my paw right now, Nick. I could write a bad review and get you fired or falsify a report to make it so you succeed, and no one would be any wiser. I can, quite literally, abuse my power to use you. It's happened a lot and has caused so many problems for the ZPD when FTO's start dating their charges. Like, there's literally no way to prove that you've consented to anything because for all they know you're doing it because you're afraid I'll give you a bad report if you say no. I can't even prove your feelings are real. . . And not, just because of the situation. " She murmured, averting her gaze as her anger seemed to slowly evaporate.
She. . . thought he was trying to get a good mark? Or, something about his feelings not being real? "What do you mean, a 'bad report'? I'm not asking you for a good grade, Judy. . . That's got nothing to do with my feelings for you."
Judy shook her head quickly. "I can't prove that, Nick. As much as I wish it was that simple, the real world doesn't work that way. And there's no way that either of us can prove that if it was brought to my superiors or even the Police Union. They'd look at me like they would anyone who committed an abuse of power, and I would probably get demoted, or lose my job. Even in the best-case scenario, they'd end our partnership, and put you with someone else, Nick. . . And I don't want to lose you. . ." she murmured, as Nick's brows narrowed.
What did she mean. . . Lose him? And first, what the hell was she talking about. "Judy, I've had a crush on you since you walked into that ice cream parlour." He blurted out, staring across at the rabbit as she suddenly looked up at him in surprise. Oh. . . Shit. . . He reached a paw back behind his head, scratching idly. "Well, maybe a little after that. . . But, I'm not attracted to you because of some, 'abuse of power' thing. . . I was the one trying to kiss you, not the other way around." He murmured, waving his hands with air quotes as he stared at the rabbit.
She was quite again, as the gears in her mind slowly turned. ". . . Even if that's true, it won't matter to them. If they find out I have feelings for you, and we get into a relationship, then we'll still be in trouble no matter what way you try and spin it, whether you 'kissed first' or not. They're still going to look at my feelings and my ability to train you impartially will be considered skewed, no matter if my feelings truly affect me or not."
'. . . find out'? Wait. . . Nick's heart began to beat fast, as he thought about what she meant by that. . . Was she trying to say she had feelings for him? Or was she just talking theoretically? Should he try and keep her talking, to find out? No, he should take the therapists advice. . . If he could be direct, she could be, right? "Do. . . Do you have feelings for me?" He asked tentatively, as the rabbit narrowed her eyes at him, scrunching her nose.
And for a moment, she just stared back at him". . . If your question is whether or not I would consider dating you. the answer is yes. But that's not the point right now. We can't be in a relationship until I'm not your FTO anymore. . . . . But If you asked me that question in a few months, then the answer might be yes." She replied, clearly trying her best to figure out the best way to say it.
To avoid saying it, more like. . . But the fox didn't want to say anything else unless they got that cleared up. Nick narrowed his eyebrows. "So, that's a yes, isn't it?"
Judy looked down at the ground and nodded to the fox curtly. Yes, it was true, she had feelings for him, too. . . In fact, she was internally very excited, knowing that the fox felt the same way as she did. And, he had to give him credit for being direct about it. He was honest enough to be straight with her, she could at least return the favour. Surprisingly, after the nod, she felt her heart began to calm down as she looked back up at the fox.
This still wasn't a good idea. But there wasn't anything in the rulebooks about telling someone you liked them. It was all about acting on it, after all. She was scared and worried about losing Nick. Beyond the fact they were a good team, she enjoyed driving around with him, solving crime, and getting lunch together. They were a perfect pair, perfect friends. . . And, maybe she was a little too far into it to deny that she wanted to be a lot more than that with the fox.
If it was a few months later, she would've been giving him a very nice reward for being so open and kissing the shit out of him in this little room. However, the fox just stared back at her with wide, curious eyes. His ear twitched, as he tilted his head to the side. "Why?" The fox asked, dumbly, as he stared back at her with wonder. Why? Why what? Was he seriously asking why she liked him? What was wrong with him?
She shifted her weight on the other foot and glared at him. "You've got to be kidding me. . . You're smart, you're kind, you're funny, you're handsome as fuck, and to top it all off, you're the closest friend I've ever hand. . . And one of the first mammals to stand up for me. . . Who wouldn't fall for a fox like you? Now, why the hell do you like me, Mr. Wilde?" She demanded, as her ears burned intensely from the embarrassment. If this was supposed to be a tit-for-tat thing, she wanted the same credit from him. They might as well get it all out. . . Right?
Now the fox seemed unsure. "Uh. . . Well. . ." He murmured, glancing down at the ground in contemplation. He deserved it, though. How was she supposed to randomly answer that question, it wasn't as easy as the fox thought, was it. "There's a lot of reason I like you. You're spunky, hilarious. . . Beautiful. . ." He murmured, basically copying what she'd just told him. Like a lame fox.
He really thought he could cheat like that, didn't he? "What else do you like about me?" She asked as the fox glanced down again.
The fox gave a nervous smile, as he once again scratched his neck embarrassingly. ". . . I like the way you do that little hop when you walk. The little outbursts of energy, in everything you do. . . And the way you never let anything stop you from doing what you want to do. . . The sound of your voice, when you're making fun of me for being silly. . . . And if there's something you want, you give it your all. . . It's all kind of lame, really. . ." He murmured, as Judy felt her insides twist a bit. He said it was lame, but. . . It sounded pretty sweet to her. "I just. . . . Like everything about you, I guess. . . Sorry."
But that didn't change anything. She needed to stay firm. "I do like you, Nick. A lot. . . And because of that, I don't want to lose you because they don't think I can stay impartial." She murmured, as the fox slowly nodded in response. It wasn't that hard to understand, right? That she wanted to be with him but wanted to follow all the rules? It was only a short amount of time. . . Right.
Nick's eyes narrowed a little. "But. . . If you already have feelings for me, isn't your judgement. . . . You know, already skewed?" The fox asked, watching her carefully.
She frowned, staring at the fox. "No. . . It's not the same thing, Nick. . ." She could manage to keep her work separated from her personal life just fine. . . She was really good at it, actually. Wait, was it? Did. . . Did Nick have a point? If she already had feelings for him. . . Then, technically she was already breaking that rule, wasn't she?
"It sounds the same to me. . .You're not going to lose me, Judy. We live together, and, we'd still be friends, y'know? . . . Even if we got separated, and I got placed with a different FTO. . . I mean, it wouldn't change how I feel about you." The fox replied, looking at her with those soft, green eyes.
Judy listened to his reply, trying to think of a way to prove the fox wrong. He was definitely right, that she wouldn't technically lose him. But it didn't mean she wasn't going to be 'magically' not in trouble if they got caught. . . Or, would they? It can't have been the first time this kind of thing happened. And probably a lot of people were never caught. Did. . . Was the responsible thing, to get Nick reassigned and let it be sorted out? . . . Or, was she confident enough in her ability to keep her feelings separate from work, to risk it?
"But, that's not my point here. . . I want to apologize, sincerely, for. . . You know, trying to publicly kiss you. I don't want you to get in trouble, and that was never my intention. And, I want you to know that won't happen. I'm willing to wait until my training is over, that's not an issue. I mean, I've had these feelings for you for almost a year now, right? What's another few months? . . . I'm okay with it. Whatever you want." He murmured, as Judy contemplated her options. And, her feelings.
The truth was that she didn't want to wait. And, Nick was right, Judy was a rabbit who always pushed for what she wanted. . . And could keep her opinions separate from work matters. And, if it became clear that she couldn't, there was always the option to get Nick reassigned. She'd gotten reassigned several times in her early months, it wasn't that big of a deal.
With that thought, though. . . . Then there was no reason not to take what she wanted, was there?
And right now, she wanted Nick. Everything else could be sorted out in the morning. "Well fuck it then, I want you." She growled as she stepped forward towards the fox. He froze, as she darted her hand out and snagged his tie tightly.
"Judy? Wh-agk!" With one, strong yank, she pulled the stupid fox's mouth down upon hers, as she pressed her lips against his. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? If everything was screwed up already, then she was going to screw it up a whole lot more tonight and get it over with.
And deal with the fallout in the morning, somehow. She waited too many damn months already, and if the fox felt the same way. . . Then she was done with this.
She used the leverage of the tie, guiding her way up and onto the chair as she deepened the embrace. Her tongue teased the fox's lips, just getting the barest feeling of those big, beautiful fangs underneath the skin.
The thought of those pearly fangs made her shudder slightly, as she moved her paws to wrap her paws around the fox's neck. Cradling him softly, she stood tall on the chair as she kissed him, eagerly waiting for him to return the passion. . . .But, he didn't. . . Seem to be responding much. . . Did she do something wrong? She began to pull out of the kiss, her lips barely rising from his when his paws suddenly wrapped around her waist and cradled her head, pulling her back in.
She felt his maw slide open slightly, exposing the real bony fangs to her tongue for the first time. For some reason, that brought back that same feeling she had when he crawled towards her in the Natural History Museum.
Those fangs glinting in the dim light before he lunged and closed them around her neck. . . Back then, she'd been so. . . Aroused. And now was no different, as her tongue brushed against those same fangs one more time. She shivered again but had little time to react as the fox's tongue darted out and made its way into her mouth.
She was instantly overwhelmed with sensations, as the fox explored her mouth with his huge tongue. Oh god, the tongue, she hadn't considered that. At least, it felt huge. She didn't mind though, as she did her best to counter hers with her own. In vain, probably, but it was still exhilarating as she desperately tried to entwine them together. hy did she miss this one? This was. . . Really hot, too.
After that brief interlude, the fox retracted his tongue a bit, thankfully playing fairer with the rabbit's as they continued their deep, sloppy first kiss. Neither one of them knew what they were doing, but she imagined this was probably pretty new to both of them. Or, at least to her, she'd never kissed a mammal like him before. . . Maybe he had a thing for rabbits, and this wasn't the first time? That. . . Could be true, but didn't matter. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy the kiss, as much as they could. It was awkward, but Judy was definitely interested in perfecting it, as they played with one another.
One of his paws slid down her body, to gently squeeze her side. She twitched at the touch, as she finally broke the kiss and finally looked at the fox before her. "Do you. . . Want to go back to the apartment?" She asked, somewhat nervously. Somewhat nervously, considering she'd just. . . Well. But was that. . . checking for enough consent? He did want this, didn't he? He seemed to say he did. . . And he did try and kiss first.
"Mmm." He murmured, as he pulled her mouth back to his. Well. . . That was pretty clear consent at least, as the two immediately deepened the kiss yet again.
Yeah. . . This was a mistake, wasn't it? Maybe. . . But, as the fox held her close, Judy decided didn't really matter anymore.