Surprise! There is method to my madness in posting early, but I'll get to that in my end notes (so read them!). This is your fair warning that this chapter has a lot of feels and fluff, so prepare yourself.
There are 2 songs that are sung in this chapter. The first is Amazed, by Lonestar. In it, I changed two words to better fit the mammalian society of the story. They are *fur (instead of skin) and *scent (instead of hair). And the second song is the one that inspired this story: At the Beginning, from the animated film, Anastasia.
Now go enjoy the chapter, and remember, you have been warned-it's fluffy!
After the door shut behind Nick, Judy lifted her paw and lightly touched her lips as the memory of their latest kiss lingered in her mind. She could almost feel Nick's soft lips still pressed against her own. With a breathless sigh, she fell back onto the bed. She still couldn't believe how incredible it felt to kiss him. Up until last night, she had never cared about kissing or being held by a male. Males were just an inconvenience sent to waste her time and annoy her. But after being carried around last night and all day by Nick and feeling just how good it was to be held by him—to feel his warmth, his fur, and his arms around her—she just couldn't get enough.
She'd promised herself that if (and it was a big if) she ever found a male that touched her on an emotional level, that she'd take it slow. To make sure their relationship had a solid foundation and that he was the type that would cherish her and not break her heart. And that's what she thought she wanted with Nick—to take things slow. But after the crazy adventure they'd been on, and then seeing his care and thoughtfulness as he happily catered to her wants—anticipated her needs—and then listening as he opened up to her and shared his innermost self with her, she had to ask herself if that's really what she wanted. Was it even necessary at this point? She already felt like she'd known him a lifetime.
Lightly touching her lips again, she again remembered their impromptu kisses. As good as they were, she was already feeling greedy for more. And considering how passionate they almost were out on the deck, and the ear rubs they were already enjoying, along with the tail caresses they would soon be enjoying—going slow now seemed rather pointless.
Licking the faint taste of him off her lips, she was definitely ready to taste more of him—to fill her senses with him. And although she wasn't quite ready to give him everything, she was most certainly ready to give him more and to take more. She never thought she'd say this, but she was now ready to find out what her crazy sisters were always going on about when it came to kissing all those dumb bucks they were chasing. But instead of a dumb buck, she'd be experiencing it all with her sly, witty, caring, handsome, drool-worthy, hot fox.
And unlike all the dumb bucks chasing her before, or the other bucks who had no wish to be married to a wanna-be cop (no one believed she could actually do it), her fox would never break her heart because he already cherished her so much. She didn't need time to tell her that. He showed it every time they were together, with every look, every caress, and all the tiny little things he did for her. Touching her neck, she remembered the feel of Nick's sharp teeth on her throat and craved to feel them again. Even back then, when they were faced up against a psychotic sheep bent on destroying them, he was still so careful and gentle with her, afraid he'd accidently hurt or scare her.
No, time was not needed to tell her how much Nick meant to her, that no one could compare to or replace him. He was it—she could live with no one else. So going slow as her mother suggested was not necessary. She'd waited 24 years to finally meet him and holding back now would simply be a waste of their precious time together.
Feeling a bit giddy over these new thoughts and emotions running through her mind and body, Judy sat up and quickly began changing—and felt extremely grateful (and a little disappointed at the same time) that she didn't need Nick's help with her shorts or sweatpants. She was extremely tempted to sleep in just the foxy shirt he'd bought her, but considering that she'd be sitting in his lap while they ran their paws through each other's tails, she figured a little more modesty was in order—she wasn't quite ready to go that far, and considering how fox marriage ceremonies were, she didn't think Nick was either.
She was just pulling her sweatpants up when she heard Nick at the piano and so paused to hear what song he would play for her.
(Amazed, By Lonestar)
Every time our eyes meet, This feeling inside me is almost more than I can take.
Baby, when you touch me I can feel how much you love me and it just blows me away.
Judy started sniffling as she instantly recognized the song. It was one of her favorite songs as a teenager, but she never thought she'd feel it about anyone—or that anyone would feel this way about her (though she had thought that it would be nice to someday meet someone who did). And now, for Nick to be singing it to her, and to be able to feel his emotions in the song—she sniffled again as Nick began singing the next line.
I've never been this close to anyone or anything. I can hear your thoughts. I can see your dreams.
I don't know how you do what you do. I'm so in love with you. It just keeps getting better.
I wanna spend the rest of my life with you by myside. Forever and ever.
She couldn't hold the tears in this time as Nick's voice washed over her. The words struck her right through the heart and more tears spilled down her cheeks. Wiping them with her arm (and soaking her fur in the process), she sniffled again. Nick was killing her softly and all she could do is let him.
Every little thing that you do, Baby, I'm amazed by you.
The smell of your *fur, the taste of your kiss, The way you whisper in the dark.
Your *scent all around me, Baby, you surround me and touch every place in my heart.
A sob broke from her as her heart was squeezed with love and tenderness for the handsome todd down the hall. He was everything she'd ever dreamed of in a mate (back when she was a young teen and hadn't completely written males off) and so much more. He was filling an emotional void in her soul she didn't even know she had. And the next two lines didn't help.
Oh, it feels like the first time every time, I want to spend the whole night in your eyes.
I don't know how you do what you do, I'm so in love with you, It just keeps getting better.
Judy grabbed one of the pillows and buried her face in it (though she made sure not to cover her ears) and took in a ragged breath. "Ni-ick!" she breathed into the pillow, her voice raw with emotion. She kept her head buried in the pillow as Nick finished the song, and even though the following verses were repeats of the first, they still squeezed her heart with love and warmth. She said it last night, and again this afternoon, but there was just no way a dumb buck could possibly compare to her sly fox. He had captured her just as surely as his ancestors had captured hers—and just like back then, there was no escape from this fox's strong clutches. Nor did she want to escape.
As the last strains of the song hung in the air, Judy dropped the pillow back on the bed and hopped down to finish pulling up her pants. Grabbing her crutches—and dropping one on the floor—she used the one she still held and hobbled to the door, where she flung it open and limped into the hallway. Facing the piano room, she leaned against the wall as she watched Nick jump up from the bench and hurry over to her.
"Carrots! Are you okay?" he asked at seeing the tear streaks in her fur and smelling their saltiness in the air.
"Ni-ick!" she whined while wiping her eyes again. "Why do you keep doing this?"
Nick froze with his paws two inches away from gripping her shoulders. With his ears disappearing behind his head, he wasn't sure what to say, as he didn't know what she was talking about. With concern and fear warring across his face, he waited for Judy to clarify.
"Why do you keep doing all these little things that make me love you more and more." Gripping her heart, she added, "My heart can't take much more of this."
Nick's ears immediately swiveled forward, and he closed the distance between them. Scooping her up as she wrapped her legs around him, he ignored the crutch that hit the floor with a thud and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm the one who should be asking that question." Rubbing his forehead gently against hers, he lifted his head and softly pressed his nose to hers. "You have no idea what you do to me, Judy. The things you make me feel and the dreams I now have. You are the world to me."
With another sniffle, Judy lifted her chin and pressed her lips against his. Nick happily kissed her back as his tail wagged with pleasure. No longer content with these chaste kisses, Judy wrapped her paws around the back of Nick's head and pulled herself up higher on him, even as her mouth parted and she flicked her tongue across his dark lips, begging for entrance. A territorial growl sounded deep within his chest as he granted her access.
Judy moaned into his mouth as she finally tasted her fox. This was better than anything she could have imagined from listening to her sisters. It was probably because they were always kissing boring bucks with their short muzzles and weak tongues and flat teeth, while she was kissing her hot fox with his long muzzle and strong tongue and sharp teeth. With another moan, she tilted her muzzle slightly and pushed herself deeper into the kiss as she wrapped her small tongue around each of his incisors, before it was captured by his much larger, stronger tongue.
And then everything else faded away as she focused wholly on the incredible sensations Nick's kiss evoked in her. He wasn't holding anything back as he tasted her, and neither was Judy. She took as much as she gave and wished the moment could last forever.
Gasping for air, she finally pulled back and took a ragged breath as her heart pounded loudly in her ears. After several deep lungfuls, she licked the taste of him off her lips and then grinned widely. "Wow, Nick."
"Yeah, wow," Nick said with a dazed look on his face while he panted. He was suddenly feeling very hot and a bit lightheaded. "I think I need to sit down."
Judy giggled as Nick turned around and carried her into the piano room. Dropping heavily onto the couch, he tilted his head quizzically and asked, "Is this what I can expect from now on whenever I sing you a love song?"
Sliding her paws around the back of his neck, Judy sunk her fingers into the thick fur at the base of his skull and leaned in closer to him. "I don't know. Are you going to mean it every time?"
"Absolutely. 100 percent."
"Then I guess you can." Brushing her nose lightly against his, she then pressed her lips to his once more. The kiss started out soft, but quickly devolved into a continuation of their kiss in the hall, with Nick sliding one paw up to lightly grip the back of her head, while his other paw slipped down her back to grip her cottony tail, and then to run his claws through the downy fur. Judy moaned with the unexpected pleasure and pressed herself deeper into Nick's warm stomach.
The world narrowed down to just the two of them, but they eventually had to come up for air. Judy sat back with a huge grin and her face aglow with love for the charming todd who'd completely stolen her heart.
Nick returned her grin with a goofy, happy grin of his own as he still felt dazed that Judy was actually here with him, that she was his. Running his fingers through her tail—another guilty pleasure he hadn't dreamed of two days ago—he met her happy, glowing gaze a moment longer, her amethyst pools completely sucking him in, and then his smile faltered as he thought of two things that worried him.
Judy watched the troubled look cross Nick's face and she started to panic. Was she moving too fast for him? He'd told her that foxes took their time before getting serious with someone. Was this too much too soon? "Nick?" she whispered, afraid to speak any louder.
"Judy, I don't . . ."—his eyes wandered the room a moment as he tried to put his feelings into words—"I don't want to be . . ." Meeting her amethyst gaze again, he finished, "friends with benefits. I know you want to go slow, but with everything that's already happened and with what we're currently doing . . . Is there a point to going slow? To not making our relationship official?"
Judy's ears immediately perked up. She had been afraid they were moving too fast, but from what he was saying, did that mean . . . ? Flicking her tail excitedly in his paw, Judy asked, "Does this mean you . . . don't want to take things slow anymore? That you're okay with dating now? It won't mess with your biology?"
"Judy, I think we've already gone way beyond taking things slow. And don't worry about my biology, it has been screaming for a while now that I should just take you and make you mine." With a lopsided grin, he added, "Now if we're talking about my instincts—they're having a hissy-fit right now, with how fast we're moving, but I'm finding it easier and easier to ignore them. My biology knows what it wants, I know what I want, and time is irrelevant at this point."
Judy hummed happily at hearing Nick's thoughts, and while rubbing her paws absently across his chest, she asked, "Are you sure? I don't want to rush you."
Nick raised an eyebrow as he remembered all the suggestive comments she'd made and then how she'd stolen his first kiss and then pressed him for a deeper kiss not long after. "Says the hyperactive bunny who likes to jump in headfirst without any thought for the consequences of her actions."
Judy immediately blushed deep red as she realized what Nick meant. Dropping her ears behind her back, she grabbed one and began fiddling with the end of it while her gaze dropped to Nick's chest. She found herself unable to meet his eyes as she realized he was right and that she might have messed things up again.
Nick watched her for a moment, then slid his paw under her chin and lifted her face so he could see her amethyst pools. "I'm not complaining, Judy, my Love."
"You're not?" she asked hopefully, and was thrilled at the new nickname.
"I already told you I wasn't opposed to trying any ideas that ran through your head. And although I was fine with taking things slow last night, with everything that's happened in the last 24 hours, I'm no longer content. Taking it slow isn't going to help anything at this point and might make things more complicated with the stress and tension that will result from holding back when we both know what we want." Tilting his head, he continued, "Perhaps if you weren't injured, we could take things slow, but seeing how life has thrown us together in such a fashion . . ."
Nick took a deep breath and said, "Judy, I'm in love with your beautiful soul, not just your body. And because it's your beautiful soul I fell for, I know my feelings aren't going to change. They're not going to fade away or grow weary of being with you. I don't need time to tell me how important you are to me, or that I'd be lost and pitiful without you. You've become my whole world and nothing is going to change that."
Judy couldn't keep the tears in no matter how hard she sniffled and tried to hold them back. Wiping her arm across her eyes even as Nick reached up and wiped her tears, she whined, "Ni-ick, you're doing it again! You're squeezing my heart and now I have all these warm fuzzies tumbling around inside my stomach and I can't take anymore." Gripping her shirt where it rested over her heart, Judy sniffled again as several more fat tears slid down her cheeks.
With a loving smile, Nick leaned forward and flicked his long, warm tongue over her cheeks and licked up all her tears.
With a moan at the feel of his firm, warm tongue caressing her cheeks and ruffling her fur, Judy arched her back and pressed her hips into Nick's waist again even as she reached forward and gripped his shirt.
Pulling back, Nick waited for her to open her dazed eyes, then asked, "Judy, Carrots, my Love, will you be my girlfriend?"
Judy sucked in a deep breath, then threw herself at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the thick fur under his ear. "Yes," she laughed happily. "Absolutely. Of course, I'll be your girlfriend."
Nick laughed too, then wrapped his arms around her back and hugged her tightly. "Are you sure? You are the one who suggested taking it slow in the first place."
Judy laughed again. "I did, and I meant it. But like you said, life threw us together and I don't think we could build a stronger foundation than we already have. And it's not like my feelings for you started yesterday."
"What do you mean?" Nick asked as he pushed her back just enough so he could meet her beautiful, mesmerizing gaze.
"Well, I think my feelings first started when you stood up to Bogo. That was the first time in my life anyone fought for my dream, who stood up and said, 'Yes, she can do it.' And not content to merely slap me on the back and say, 'I know you can do it, good luck,' but then you joined me in my dream. For the first time in my life, I wasn't alone. I didn't have to go it alone. I had a friend and a partner in my dream."
With a sniffle as another tear made a trail down her cheek, she explained, "Not since I was little, and a few of my friends thought it'd be great if I became a cop, did anyone believe in me. But as we grew older and reality set in, one by one, they all lost faith in my dream—in me. Everyone was sure I was doomed to failure. They'd be happy if I succeeded, but not one of them truly believed I could do it. So I had to push through all their cynicism and continue my path alone. I couldn't rely on anyone but myself. I had a few of my closest siblings who encouraged me and supported me the best they could, but they had their own lives to lead so when following my dream, I was still alone. Not until you came along."
With his ears flat against his head, Nick finally understood why Judy jumped in headfirst and never asked for help. With no one ever willing to help, she stopped looking for it. Wiping her tear away with his thumb, he asked, "What about your parents?" As bad as Nick's life had been, he was never alone while struggling through school, or any of his other endeavors. His mom and sister, along with Honey and Finnick, had all been very supportive of him while he worked his tail off earning his high school diploma and then his law degree, and he couldn't understand why Judy's parents, at least, weren't there to support her.
Judy gave a bitter laugh. "They were the first ones to tell me it was impossible. Bunnies weren't cops and could never handle being a cop—at least not a city cop—and that I should just settle and be a carrot farmer." With a bitter smile, she added, "It's always been just me. No one stood beside me and only a few of my siblings tried to help me train or study. Everyone expected me to fail and so they didn't want to waste their time helping me on a fool's errand." She paused a moment as a radiant smile replaced her bitter one. "Everyone but you. You were the first. You put your life on the line to help me prove I could be a real cop." Leaning forward, she pressed her nose lightly against his and whispered, "Thank you."
Nick immediately pulled her into another tight hug. "You'll never have to go it alone again, Judy. I'll be here for you whenever you need me. And once I graduate from the academy, you can bet that cute little tail of yours that we'll make the greatest team anyone's ever seen. We'll prove what a fox and bunny can do, and we'll do it together."
Judy hummed happily into his neck fur and wrapped her arms around his chest. In a voice thick with emotion, she started singing softly, "We were strangers starting out on a journey, never dreaming what we'd have to go through. Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing at the beginning with you."
Recognizing the song, Nick's ears pricked forward as he picked up the male vocal for the next verse. "No one told me I was going to find you. Unexpected what you did to my heart. When I lost hope, you were there to remind me—this is the start."
Judy joined him at the end of the last line and they continued with the next couple of verses. "And life is a road and I want to keep going. Love is a river and I want to keep flowing. Life is a road now and forever, wonderful journey. I'll be there when the world stops turning. I'll be there when the storm is through. In the end I want to be standing at the beginning with you."
Judy started the next line, "We were strangers on a crazy adventure."
Nick picked up, "Never dreaming how our dreams would come true."
They both sang, "Now here we stand, unafraid of the future, at the beginning with you."
They sang the next few verses together as they were a repeat of the first few, and finished with, "Knew there was somebody somewhere, to help me along in the dark. Now I know my dream will live on, I've been waiting so long. Nothing is going to tear us apart."
Both were content to end their little duet with this line as it spoke the words growing in their hearts. After several long moments of simply sitting there, enjoying each other's company and thinking how well the song portrayed their lives, Judy finally whispered, "You know, this was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I always thought it would be neat to meet someone like this and fall in love so completely—but then Rick destroyed that dream and gave me a painful dose of reality." Nick rubbed her back and she hummed happily into his neck fur again. "I'm glad I met you, Nick. You helped me fulfill another dream I'd given up on."
Nick hugged her tightly again and rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. "I could say the same about you, Fluff. You're helping me turn my life around and be the todd my dad and mom always hoped I'd be, and the one I always wanted to be."
With a wide grin, Judy murmured, "Hmm, my foxy boyfriend. I like the sound of that." Sitting up and sliding her paws around the back of his neck, she slowly leaned in as she whispered silkily, "And I'm going to like the taste of it even better." With every intention of kissing him again, she came up disappointed as she found her lips pressed against the rough pad of his finger.
Trying to ignore how cute she looked with her brows furrowed in confusion, Nick spoke softly, saying, "Before we move onto the exciting part of being a couple, there is one more thing we need to discuss." As she pulled back to hear his explanation, Nick said, "There is one thing in my past I need to be sure isn't going to be a deal breaker for you."
"A deal breaker?" she queried. What could he have possibly done in his past that she wouldn't be able to forgive?
WingedKatt here. So what did you think of the fluff and feels? Next chapter is just as fluffy and Judy will drop a bombshell in Nick's lap. Ch. 24: Greedy, will post at its regularly scheduled time on Saturday.
So the reason I posted this chapter early was to let you know that I will be creating a page and one of the perks will be that I will post my chapters early. I also wanted to hear if there were any other perks you, my wonderful readers, might be interested in that I might be able to do.
For those of you who love my fanfiction and also enjoy fantasy books, I will be having my book, Fiery Winds of Chaos, published sometime in November. I have several sketch ideas for it that I will post on my page. I also want to do some Nick and Judy pictures for my fanfiction, but that will largely depend on if I can start working from home or not. Whether I can keep posting twice a week will also depend on that. I have enough of a backlog to continue posting twice a week through October, but might have to drop down to posting once a week sometime in November. We'll see.
Anyway, if you have any thoughts I'd love to hear them, and if you have a question I probably have an answer. =) Have a great week.
