Finnick's near-shout at the grey bunny eating next to him seemed to echo through the room.

Judy's ears drooped and she pressed her fingers together as she fidgeted. "Not . . . technically."

"What do you mean, 'not technically'!? Is it the same as you two not 'technically' dating!?" Finnick was speaking a bit louder than he intended to, but he was completely blindsided by the idea that they were already engaged. Foxes just didn't move that fast—least of all red foxes. And then to think that it was Nick who was moving so fast.

"Well . . ." Judy began. "We were planning on going slow, but . . ." She paused to try and figure out how best to explain her thoughts and feelings. "Finn, Nick sang me my favorite love song last night and it . . . squeezed . . . my heart in ways that I never thought imaginable. And then one thing led to another and . . . Nick asked me to be his girlfriend and then . . . he said something really sweet that sounded an awful lot like a proposal." Taking a deep breath while still fidgeting with her fingers, Judy whispered, "After hearing it, I might have—implied—that he needed to marry me before my next birthday . . . in . . . September."

Finnick ran his small paws over his face. "You gave Nick a month and a half to marry you? And he agreed?"

Judy nodded. "He was surprised at first, but I explained how we're not getting any younger and I don't want to waste any of our precious time together." Meeting Finn's baffled gaze, she continued, "Finn, we nearly died several times, both while tracking down Mr. Otterton and then again just two days ago, while unraveling the savage mammals' case." With another deep breath, she added, "Life's short, Finn, and I don't want to miss any more of it with Nick."

Finnick couldn't argue with Cottontail's logic, but it was still crazy how fast their relationship was moving. And the fact that Nick was fine with it (he couldn't forget Nick nonchalantly stating that he'd slept with Cottontail for at least an hour this morning), Finnick could only shake his head. "So he's going to marry you just before your birthday? What did you tell him? A day before? Two? A week before?"

Judy shook her head. "I didn't give him an exact timeframe, just that it had to be before my next birthday. He said he'd wait to get me a ring and then give me a proper proposal." With a huge grin she added, "And then we'll be off to his mountain cabin for 3 days before registering as mates once we return."

Finnick stared for several moments, then let his head drop down on the hard, granite countertop. Rolling his head back and forth on the cold, hard surface, he muttered, "You gave Nick until he can get a ring for you, and then you two are getting married?" He turned his head to rest his cheek on the smooth slab of dark stone, watching her expectantly.

Judy cocked her head, then asked, "Isn't that how fox marriages work? You get married the day of your engagement?"

Finnick sighed heavily. "Yes." Sitting back up, he continued, "But that's because the couple have known each other for nearly a year, sometimes more, not a few days."

"But our feelings started developing back when we were tracking down Otterton and have just been . . . stewing . . . for the last 3 months, and now that we're back together and our past wrongs forgiven—taking it slow seems pointless and impossible to do."

Finnick had to concede this point. It was obvious the two were highly attracted to each other, and their bodies moved to be together without waiting for their brains to figure it out. With another heavy sigh, he muttered, "I just hope it lasts." Just then they heard the bathroom door open and they both glanced upwards. Climbing down from his stool, Finn said, "You finish eating, I need to talk to Nick for a second."

Judy nodded then began stuffing her face in earnest as her talk with Finnick had taken up most of her time and she still had a half a plate left.

Finnick paused at the kitchen doorway and glanced back, saying, "A word of advice: If you don't want Nick getting hurt from some specist jerk or your little sanctuary disrupted by a mob of reporters, then I suggest you help him find his mask and put it back on while you're out in public, otherwise the media will know something's up before a week is over." And then he disappeared around the corner and up the stairs.

Judy stared after him for a moment, listening to his hind-paws pounding softly up the stairs. Swallowing the bite in her mouth, she considered Finn's words and knew he was right. Last night, at the diner, they were way too flirty if they wanted to keep their relationship low-key until he finished the Academy. With a deep sigh, she returned to her meal as she thought of things she needed to do to help Nick keep his mask up—at least in public.

As Finnick reached the top of the stairs, he turned right and tapped on Nick's doorframe (Nick had left the door open in his hurry), saying, "Can I come in, Red?"

Nick glanced over from pulling his pants up and nodded to the small fox. "What's up?" he asked as he picked up his sky-blue shirt.

Finnick walked in and leaned against the wall as he glanced around the room. It definitely smelled of rabbit in here, though not as much as it would if she stayed all night. With a deep breath, Finn wondered how long it would take before the rabbit was sleeping in here. As pawsy as they were, and with them already dating, he didn't see it taking long for them to decide they slept better when they were snuggled together.

Glancing back up to see Nick stuff his silk shirt into his black slacks, he commented, "You're really going for broke, aren't you?" It'd been so long since he'd seen Nick in anything but his loud Pawaiian shirts that he almost forgot Nick had other clothes—especially ones that had the ladies staring. He'd probably need to have his camera ready to snap a picture of bunny cop when she saw Nick, as Loverboy would want a photo to add to his death-wish collection.

Nick looked up as he grabbed his black, silk tie and draped it around his neck. "If I want to be accepted into the Academy, I have to look the part. That's the first thing you learn in business school: image is everything. If you want to sell something it has to appeal to your buyers. And let's face it, my usual outfits don't exactly scream cop material."

Finn chuckled, saying, "Ain't that the truth." Watching Nick push the knot of his tie up to his neck, Finnick asked, "When are you getting the ring for Cottontail?"

Nick froze, then slowly straightened out his tie. "She told you about that?"

Finnick shook his head. "She said that if the world wouldn't let you two be together, she was willing to haul your fuzzy butt out to your cabin and live as hermits the rest your lives. As long as she had you, she'd be willing to give up everything else—her job, her family, her life in Zootopia—everything. For you."

Nick froze as he internalized what Finn had just said. With a slight tilt of his head, he thought, Judy is willing to give up everything . . . for me? He knew Judy had no intention of leaving, not when she'd made it very clear he was to put a ring on her finger and marry her, but there had still been that niggling doubt in the back of his mind that something would come up or something would happen that would drive her from him. But now, if she told Finnick she'd give up everything to be with him, then he knew she meant it. Judy was true to her words. With his heart swelling with love for his incredible honeybun (and with his eyes threatening to mist over), a huge grin spread across his face and his expression brightened.

As a red fox todd, making any and all sacrifices for his mate wasn't even a question. It was programmed into their DNA to protect and care for their mates and kits at all cost, and to ensure they were well and happy, so to find out Judy would make the same sacrifices that he would squeezed his heart with love, gratitude, and infinite appreciation—though the heaven's willing, it wouldn't come to them hiding out in his cabin in order to stay together.

With his tail wagging, he straightened out his shirt then stuffed his wallet and phone into his back pockets before taking one last look in the mirror hanging on his wall. He was one lucky fox.

Finn grinned at seeing his friend's deliriously happy face. It had been so long since Nick had truly been happy, since either of them had been so happy, that he couldn't fault his friend his good fortune. "It took a long time, but you finally found a winner—even if she is a rabbit."

Nick glanced back over, still grinning happily with his tail still wagging, and said, "Yeah, she is, isn't she?" With time running short on them, Nick didn't waste any more time in his room, but as he reached the stairs he glanced back at his friend. "Will you lock up when you leave?"

"Ya, Red, I'll make sure the place is locked up and the lights off."

"Thanks, Big Guy. You're the best."

"Ya, ya, get going before you're late. Who knows what traffic will be like?"

With another wide grin, Nick disappeared down the stairs, where he picked up his bunny and carried her out to the jeep. He'll ride the express back to pick up the truck while she was visiting with her siblings. He might even consider bringing them back to the house to pick it up—if they were nice enough to him. Honey's house had always been a sanctuary for him, and he didn't want to ruin that feeling by bringing specist jerks into it—even if they were her family.

"Okay, I just need to grab the wheelchair and we're ready to go." Turning to leave, Judy stopped him with a paw on his arm. Cocking his head in question, he wondered what she needed.

"Before you grab it, there is one thing we forgot to do this morning."

Nick's ears flicked forward and his brows scrunched together. "What?"

With a smug grin, she grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her level. Once he was close enough, she pressed her lips to his.

Nick didn't even think but acted on pure instincts as he slipped his paws around Judy's waist and twisted her in the seat until she was facing him. Deepening the kiss as his tongue darted into her petite mouth, a low growl sounded in his throat as the memories of last night flooded his mind. Pushing his large, dark paws under her shirt, he ran his claws and finger pads through the short fur of her sides and back, with his thumb claws caressing her belly.

Judy moaned into his mouth, her small tongue dancing with his much larger one, while her small paws dug into the thick fur around his ears and pulled him closer. She, too, was thinking of last night, along with the fact they wouldn't be able to do this again until they returned to the house in the late afternoon.

….

Finnick dropped the curtain back over the large window upstairs and rubbed his paws over his face. It'd didn't look like they'd be able to hide their relationship very long and he didn't want to think about the mudslinging the media would do once they got wind of a fox and bunny in a romantic relationship—especially when the bunny was so high profile.

With a shake of his head, he left the piano room and made his way downstairs, where he sat on the bottom step. Digging into his pocket, he brought out of a small box he'd bought last night. It was something he figured they'd need when out in public and he was right. Twirling it around between his fingers, he listened to the small items within rattling together while he waited for Nick to come in for the wheelchair.

….

As Nick finally pulled back for air, he looked into Judy's dazed face and grinned with a dopey, happy look of his own. "I could get used to these morning kisses."

Judy grinned happily as her mind cleared and she remembered what Finnick had said. "I'm glad because we won't be able to do this again until we get back. Not if we want to keep the media in the dark."

Nick's ears flicked back and he slipped his paws from around Judy's waist. "Yeah, you're right." Rubbing his face with his paws, he tried to wipe Judy's scent off his fur. "And we're going to the Precinct, which means there will be a lot of predators with trained sniffers." Dropping his paws, he met her resigned gaze and held his paws out to show her his paw pads. "Foxes have small glands on our paw pads that leave a little of our scent on everything we touch." His gaze dropped down to her waist where he'd run his pads repeatedly through her fur. Judy's gaze followed and she stared worriedly at her stomach.

"You used the musk-masking cream, didn't you?" Judy looked up with a nod, and Nick added, "Then we should be fine. At least in the morning. I'll have to be extra careful about touching you in the afternoon when the cream's effectiveness starts wearing off."

Judy nodded again, then breathed a sigh of relief. Looking back up, she said, "You better hurry and get the wheelchair before we're late."

Nick's ears perked up, then he said, "Oh, yeah. Be right back." Turning around, he scurried into the house where he met Finnick waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. "Hey, Big Guy," he said while walking past Finnick into the living room.

"Here, Nick," Finn said as he held out the box.

Looking over, Nick took the box of red hots and studied them a minute, then raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"Figured if you were sharing a box of candy, no one will question why your breath smells the same." With a toothy grin at Nick's sudden realization of what he meant, Finn added, "You don't want the wolves down at the Fuzz getting wind of the fact you and bunny cop were sucking face, now do you?"

Nick's ears disappeared behind his head as he stuck the box in his pocket. "No, no we do not." With a weary sigh (dating someone shouldn't be this hard), he grabbed the wheelchair (which Finnick had conveniently added several pillows to) and swung it around toward the door. "Can you grab a bottle of water and bring it out?" he called over his shoulder. "I'm not sure how Carrots handle's hot stuff."

Finnick's only reply was a grunt as he stood up and walked into the kitchen, where he grabbed two water bottles from the bottom of the fridge (Nick had been sure to stock up on them at the store last night). Following Nick outside, he waited for him to put the wheelchair in the back, then handed him the water. After Nick took the bottles, Finn climbed back up the stairs and sat on the top step as he watched Loverboy climb in and hand Cottontail the candy. He had to grin when he saw her ears flame up at the reason for them.

After watching the jeep disappear down the road, he stood up and walked back inside. He still had breakfast to clean up and then he needed to put his van back together. With a heavy sigh and shake of his head, he wondered how long Red and bunny cop could enjoy their relationship before the world butted in and made things difficult.


WingedKatt here. So Nick and Judy finally left the house (what did you think of Finn's parting gift. Nick can always count on Finnick to think of things he forgets). Next chapter will delve more into Nick's past and answer the burning question of why he sold Mr. Big the infamous skunk-butt rug. So stay tuned and you might want to keep a box of Kleenex handy.

Chapter 30: Scorn and Betrayal, will post on Saturday. For those of you who are interested, I have now broken the 300 page mark for this story (for what I have typed up). So you know there's lots to look forward to.

I'd like to thank BearlyThereUpstairs from AO3 for proofreading this chapter. He did an excellent job. He has an interesting story, Zootopia: Sleepless Nights, if you want to check it out.

As always, if you have any thoughts or comments, I'd love to hear from you. And remember: comments are the lifeblood of a writer. Have a great week.

PS. For all my wonderful guest readers (and a few others) who I'm unable to return comments to, just know that I read every single comment and appreciate them immensely. Thank you, everyone who has left me comments. I really do appreciate them and they encourage me to work harder at furthering the story. :)