"One More Gift"
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Nick quietly yelped as he removed the hot baking tray from his oven. He set it down on top of the burners.
Judy turned to her good friend and police partner. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine, Carrots. Thanks," he said as he began removing his oven mitts. "Just a small hole in the right mitt. The burn's not even enough to bother icing."
"Well, that's good. I can imagine the traffic getting into Tundratown if we had to see Mr. Big on Christmas." The bunny picked up Nick's mitts and looked them over. The hole in the right one could more accurately be called medium than small, and the left one wasn't without its own signs of wear. "If I had known you needed new oven mitts, though, I would have wrapped you up a pair and put them under the tree."
The fox smiled. "That's all right, Carrots. You've given me so much this Christmas. From this wonderful Happytown Homers jersey with my name on it"—he ran his paws over the baseball uniform, which he had been wearing since unwrapping it—"to that delicious blueberry pie along with the secret Hopps family recipe." He paused for a moment as he looked at the dozen gingerbread foxes and bunnies on the tray. They looked done, so he turned the oven off. "Though while we wait for these gingerbread officers to cool, I think I remember one more gift I had for you that you might want to share."
"Oh, Nick, you've given me so much already too," Judy said. "But OK."
"Good. It's by the tree. On the right side."
Judy headed into the living room of Nick's apartment, the fox following close behind. She looked under the right side of the tree for a moment, but there didn't seem to be any new gift.
"It's not under the tree," Nick said. "Look up."
There, hanging from the ceiling above the right side of the tree, with a festive red bow tied around it, was a sprig of—
"Mistletoe?"
Nick nodded. "I quickly hung it up after asking you to preheat the oven for me." He put a paw on Judy's back and pulled her closer. "Carrots, we both know that just being friends ended a long time ago. We've never talked about these feelings, but we both know they're there. On this most special day, I think we both deserve to finally admit them."
"Oh, Nick. I—" Tears replaced any further words for a moment as she looked from the plant to the fox. Suddenly, she took his paw. "Come with me for just a second. Please?"
Nick was a bit confused, but he let the bunny lead him away from the mistletoe.
They didn't travel far. Just to the other side of the tree.
"Look up, Nick."
Nick looked up and saw a familiar green plant hanging from the ceiling, also adorned with a finely tied bow. "Mistletoe?"
Judy dried under her eyes with a paw. "I had the same idea. I hung it up when you were busy putting the cookies in the oven." She jumped up and wrapped her arms around Nick's back. "I love you, Nick!"
Nick returned the embrace. "I love you, Judy. You're the greatest gift I could ever receive."
At about the same time, the two moved their faces closer until fox lips and bunny lips met. The feeling was new to both of them, yet also felt completely natural and destined. After a moment, the furnace shut off, as if knowing there was now a better source of heat in the room.
After a minute, the two needed to catch their breath a little, and so they reluctantly separated.
"Oh, Nick," Judy said, "that was so long overdue, but so very good."
"Sure was, Carrots." He smiled. "Now let's go under the mistletoe I hung up and do it again."