Nick met Willie, along with two other waiters—a wolverine named Steve and a clouded leopard named Brianna—at the door, then led them around to the stairs leading to the balcony. After the food was set on the small, rounded, wooden table covered by a shimmering white tablecloth, Willie sent his fellow staff members back to the van so he could talk to Nick for a few minutes. Although he liked and trusted both Steve and Brianna (they used to hang out after work until most of the entertainment establishments began banning predators—who wanted to be locked in a dark movie theater when a predator went savage!?—but they still joined him occasionally on Wednesdays for some relaxed running), he hadn't known them nearly as long, nor as well, as he did Nick. And there were certain topics that were best discussed with fewer ears listening in—such as the odd relationship his friend seemed to be in.
Once they were alone, Willie turned to his much smaller friend and opened his mouth, but before he could say a word, Nick spoke first. "To answer your questions, yes, this is a date, and yes it's with Judy, and yes, we're dating."
Willie's jaw dropped and his eyes widened, then he snapped his mouth shut even as he felt extremely glad that Steve and Brianna weren't around. If they gossiped about it and some of the prey-persecuted predators overheard it, they would certainly form a lynch mob.
Scratching his head, then behind his black-tipped ear, Willie tried to make sense of Nick's candid words. He never thought in a million years that the sly vulpine he'd known since high school would ever be in an interspecies relationship—especially not one with a prey species, and a rabbit at that. Then again, he thought Nick would forever be a bachelor, as he'd never showed interest in any vixen, not since that crush he had on Rosemary back on their high school track team. Of course, if he found love in the arms of a rabbit, that might explain why no vixen had ever caught his eye . . . But why did it have to be this rabbit?
The bunny Nick had introduced as Judy had looked familiar when they came to the restaurant last night, but it wasn't till after they left that Willie realized the bunny with his friend was the same one who'd painted predators black and turned the city against them (she looked a lot different out of uniform). His family was extremely lucky they served a lot of predators and half the prey had been coming here for years, and so had built up a strong trust with them—which kept them coming back for the food they loved. But all the prey workers had up and quit on them. There hadn't been many, but they had still relied on them, so when they left, he and his family had to scramble to replace them. Of course, there was now a surplus of predators looking for jobs who were now jobless (and homeless) for no other reason than they were predators.
Focusing his attention back on Nick, he asked quietly, "Judy is . . . Officer Hopps . . . isn't she? The cop who slandered every predator in Zootopia and turned the city against us."
Nick's ears immediately disappeared behind his head. Taking a deep breath, he folded his arms and leaned against the deck railing. "Please don't blame Judy for what happened 3 months ago. She's as much a victim as the rest of us."
Willie's ears splayed sideways and nearly disappeared against his head fur as he spat out quietly (he knew how good bunny hearing was), "Victim! She's prey! One of them!" He waved his paw off to the side as he indicated all the angry, fearful prey mobs that had been plaguing the city of late. He couldn't even walk down the more prey populated areas of the city without having nasty, demoralizing comments leveled at him. And the larger prey mammals such as wildebeest and rhinos wouldn't hesitate to step out of their way to 'brush' up against a predator and knock him to the ground. And if the predator tried to retaliate, he stood a good chance of spending the night in jail for disturbing the peace. And the fear of being chased and beaten was very real. He'd watched a couple of African wild dogs get chased down an alley and when they turned to defend themselves against the prey mob hounding them, they were not only beaten up (they did take a few prey mammals down with them), but were then hauled to jail on assault charges with very little medical attention given to them and their many injuries.
Nick's territorial growl rumbled low in his chest as he stated, "No, she's not." At Willie's incredulous look (he never expected Nick to get territorial over anyone, let alone a bunny), Nick explained, "I was there. I helped Judy find those missing mammals three months ago, and I promise you, she was set up by Bellwether just like we were. That psycho ewe threw Judy to the media sharks without a single word of advice in dealing with the press. That psychopath knew that with Judy's backwater upbringing she'd say something stupid to further her terrorist plot without having to expose herself. Furthermore, Judy was merely repeating what we'd overheard the predator doctor state as the cause of the savage mammals back at the asylum where Lionheart was keeping all the savage predators."
Taking a deep breath with his low growl still rumbling from his chest, Nick continued, "I also blame Chief Buffalo-Butt. He should have never allowed Bellwether to put Judy up there without being coached first. There are procedures for talking to the press and throwing a rookie out there," Nick waved his paw, "on her fourth day on the job with absolutely no coaching was breaking all of them." Nick jabbed his index finger towards the ground.
Taking another deep breath, Nick explained, "Not only did he set Judy up to fail on her first case to ensure she had to quit the force—which I'm happy to say didn't succeed—but he also went along with that psychopath in setting up Judy again—not just to fail, but to take all of Zootopia down with her." Crossing his arms across his chest, Nick's ears were splayed back while his tail twitched irritably behind him.
Willie met Nick's hard gaze for a moment, then turned and leaned over the deck railing. Looking out over the wide, expansive backyard with several large trees lining the fence along with a few smaller ones at either side of the garage, he thought about his friend's words. This definitely painted a clearer picture of what was going on 3 months ago, but that still didn't change the outcome of so many predators suddenly out a home and a job, with mobs of prey ganging up to beat and drive them out of the city. Glancing over at his friend, he asked, "And you're fine with what she said at the press conference? It didn't bother you at all?"
Nick growled as he raked his claws through his fur. "Of course, it bothered me! Like you, I was angry and hurt and felt betrayed. And when I questioned her about it afterwards, her answers showed just how specist and prejudice she really was. So, I scared her to prove just how little she really trusted me, then stormed off and disappeared. It was like 5 years ago all over again, but worse. I didn't even answer my mom or Anya's phone calls at all these past 3 months!" Taking a deep breath and rubbing his eyes, Nick muttered, "That was a mistake." Shaking his head, he looked up to meet Willie's stunned gaze, and said, "The point is, I was a mess after our little breakup, but Judy wasn't any better. In a lot of ways, she was worse off than I was."
Willie pricked his ears forward. "What do you mean?"
Nick took another deep breath, then glanced back at the house and pictured his stunning girlfriend in there. Talking about her depression seemed almost a betrayal of her trust, but he trusted Willie, and if he could convince him that Judy was a victim, too, then maybe Willie would be able to help other predators realize it, as well. Although he hadn't been in public much the last few months, he didn't need his excellent fox hearing to hear the whispers of disgruntled predators wanting to hurt Judy for her statement three months ago. She was now a public figure who had made some very damaging statements that hurt a lot of mammals, so it was going to take a lot of effort to turn her public image around.
Slowly breathing out, he finally answered his friend, "Judy didn't receive any support from her fellow officers, and with her guilt eating her up inside, she wasn't sleeping great, nor was she eating properly. And then two weeks ago, Bellwether wanted to make her the poster child of the ZPD. She couldn't take it, so she turned in her badge and went back to Bunnyburrow. She sank into depression upon arriving home, with her sleeping a lot and only eating when her family was around to watch her."
Willie turned his attention back to the yard and watched the light breeze ruffle the leaves of the trees and bushes growing in Nick's backyard as the sun slowly dropped towards the horizon, though it would be a couple hours more before it reached its bed for the night. Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out while he considered the past, the present, and the future. The bunny Nick was describing was a lot different than the one on the news 3 months ago, or the happy go-lucky bunny he'd met last night at the diner.
At his friend's continued silence, Nick added, "But even with her depression, the second she found out the real reason behind the predators going savage, she came back to fix her mistake, and she nearly died several times just so she could prove how wrong she was and that it was a psychotic sheep we had to fear—not predators." Taking another breath, Nick whispered, "So, please don't hold it against her. Judy learned from her mistake, completely changed her ways, and is doing everything she can to fix what she broke. She's not the same mammal she was three months ago."
Willie flicked his ear as he nodded. "I'll try. It won't be easy. My family isn't doing too bad since we own the restaurant, but the same can't be said for a lot of predators. You should see the line that shows up every night at closing time to get a helping of the leftovers we have left. It's heartbreaking to see so many good, honest predators suffering because of what that rabbit said."
Nick's ears folded back as he knew Willie was right. "Judy can't change the past, but together, we'll do everything we can to make sure the future is a brighter one for predators. So, please, give her a chance. Give us a chance. Judy asked me to be her partner on the force and I've agreed. Bogo has already approved my application and I'm scheduled to enter the ZPA November 1st. By this time next year, I'll be the first fox officer of the ZPD working side-by-side with the first bunny officer. If that doesn't change public opinion about predators, then I don't know what will."
Willie's eyes widened for a moment as this was the last thing he could ever imagine coming from Nick's mouth. Dating a bunny was crazy enough, but now he says he's going to be a cop while working alongside the bunny! Cops hated foxes and discriminated against them in the worst of ways. And with Nick's history, why would he even consider joining the blue? Not only did the cops do nothing about his dad and brother's murders (he'd heard about them from Anya), but Nick had once worked for the mob. Did Judy know about that? Would Nick even tell a cop about that?
"Does Judy know about your time with the mob?" he asked softly, almost afraid it might be a taboo subject if the bunny was still in the dark about it.
Nick merely grinned. "I told her about it. Not all, obviously, but I told her the important stuff."
"And she's fine with it? She's not bothered by your connection to the Tundratown's most notorious criminal organization?"
Nick snorted. "Bothered? Not even close." Shaking his head as he thought about Judy having him drag Weaselton to Big's mansion in order to get him to talk, Nick then chuckled at the memory of the weasel's groveling expression. "I don't have to worry about my past when it comes to Judy. I trust her and she trusts me, and everything else is water under the bridge."
Willie nodded, then stared out over the meadowlands that opened up behind Nick's tall, wooden backyard fence. It was beautiful and peaceful here, with fresh air and a gentle breeze. If nothing else, he should probably thank the rabbit for bringing Nick home. Five years was a long time to be absent. Taking a deep breath, he glanced back at his small, red friend and wondered about the future the rabbit had opened to him. A fox cop! He never imagined that a fox would be allowed to wear a badge, but then again, he never expected a rabbit to wear one either. Perhaps together, they could show the city that predator and prey could live and work in harmony. Stepping back from the railing, he said, "Congratulations on getting accepted into the Academy. I expect an invitation to your graduation."
With a wide, happy grin as his tail swayed behind him, Nick said, "Don't worry. I'll have Judy personally hand-deliver it."
Willie chuckled, then said, "I better get going before the food gets cold."
Nick nodded back, but then said, "Oh, wait. Before you go, can you help me carry one little thing up from downstairs?" Holding his thumb and pointer finger an inch apart, he then folded his ears back and gave Willie a pleading look.
Willie flicked his ear while raising an eyebrow. "Little?" Why would Nick need help carrying something little up?
Nick shook his paws out. "Okay, it's the chair from the living room. We're doing dinner and a movie tonight, and I want something comfortable for us to sit in."
"You mean you want an excuse to cuddle with her," Willie replied as he followed Nick down the stairs.
"Of course! That chair is wolf-sized so it's the perfect size for two small mammals such as ourselves to snuggle up to each other while watching the movie." Growing up, he'd always thought the chair was too large for their much smaller size, but Honey insisted on keeping it as she had several friends and colleagues who were larger than they were. After her death, he'd debated on whether to keep it or not as he never saw himself entertaining a lot of guests (his mom, Anya, and Finnick were the only ones he ever invited over), but now, he was sooo glad that he'd kept it. He might just dub it his and Judy's snuggle chair.
While following his friend, Willie tilted his head slightly while trying to picture a rabbit wanting to snuggle with a fox. Although the bunny cop had been quite comfortable with Nick last night and stated how she couldn't be anywhere safer, to say she wanted to snuggle with the fox was something quite different. "Are you sure she's going to be okay with sitting so close to you? I know you said you're dating and all, but you guys haven't known each other very long, have you? And she is a rabbit. The fact she feels safe with you is an amazing feat by itself."
Nick was nearly to the foot of the stairs when Willie asked his question, and he paused on the step, then turned to look up at his much larger friend (who looked even taller as he was standing several steps above him on the stairs). Cocking his head while a huge, smug grin spread across his muzzle, Nick asked, "You think Judy might be bothered by sitting so close to me?"
Willie held his tongue as the look on his friend's face said Nick was about to have a good laugh at his expense. And he did. Willie's eyes widened as Nick started laughing, then doubled over and grabbed the railing with one paw while holding the other paw over his stomach. His friend was laughing so hard, he probably would have taken a tumble down the last of the stairs if he hadn't grabbed the railing. Willie could hardly believe his friend was laughing so hard, as he hadn't heard Nick laughing so openly or happily in years—probably over six years now. "Um, Nick, are you okay?"
It took several more moments for Nick to collect himself and rein in his laughter. Standing up again, he wiped tears from his eyes and muttered, "Woo, that's funnier tonight than it was last night." Turning around again to look up at his friend (smug grin still in place), he asked, "Do you know what we would be doing right now if I hadn't been expecting a delivery at 5 from Fru-Fru Big?" At Willie's incredulous (and slightly worried) look, Nick quickly clarified, "And no, I am not back in with the Bigs. Judy saved Fru-Fru's life her second day on the job and she's now considered part of the family."
Willie's jaw dropped. Although he never had any dealings with the mob, he knew his red friend had once worked for the infamous mob boss and his gang of polar bears. He had worried about Nick having a run-in with the cops while working for the powerful arctic shrew, so it made him eternally grateful when he heard his friend had gotten out of that line of work (he never did hear the details of what made Nick quit, only that he quit after Honey's death—Nick quit a lot of things after Honey's death).
At the time Nick had signed on to work for the tiny shrew, Willie had found it surprising enough—he had just finished law school the year before!—but now . . . to hear how the bunny cop was also tight with the notorious shrew just boggled his mind and explained why Nick wasn't too worried about her knowing of his past dealings with the Bigs.
Interrupting his friend's worried thoughts, Nick continued, "Anyways, if not for Fru-Fru's delivery weighing on my mind, I would have scrapped tonight, moved the date to tomorrow night, and would be up in her room right now being very . . . knotty." Nick's smirk couldn't be any bigger nor smugger as he watched the incredulity cross Willie's feline face. Turning around, he walked down the last few steps and around the fence to the front of the house, all while leaving his large friend standing in a daze on the stairs.
Willie finally gathered his thoughts enough to run after the smug vulpine. Rounding the fence, he caught up to Nick as he hopped up the front porch steps "Seriously!? You and Judy were . . . I mean, she was fine with it!? With you!?
"She insisted." Nick reached the top step with a light step as he headed towards the front door.
"Your teeth and claws didn't scare her?" Willie still couldn't believe that a rabbit, Officer Hopps, wanted Nick to put his paws and sharp claws all over her. And with Nick being a predator, of course he'd be using his teeth to tease and excite her.
Nick chuckled. "Everything predatory and foxy about me excites her."
"And your size! That doesn't intimidate her? She has to know you're several sizes bigger than any buck she's been with."
Nick froze halfway to the front door at his friend's words. Willie's first two questions were funny, but this last comment wiped the smug grin off his face and replaced it with a scowl, even as a low growl started in his chest while his fur puffed out and stood on end.
Willie froze, too, as he sensed and heard the change in his friend's demeanor. With his ears folded back, he watched Nick turn around and glare at him. Since Nick was on the porch while he still stood on the ground, it put their eye level much closer together. Seeing the cold fury smoldering in the red vulpine's emerald eyes, Willie gulped.
"Bucks? Why does everyone automatically assume Judy lives up to the rabbit stereotype? Especially when they find out she's with me?" Scowling at his tall friend, Nick curled his paws into fists at his side and stated, "Judy isn't some floozy who bed hops with whatever buck catches her eye—that would be one of her buck-crazy sisters." Taking a deep breath, Nick added, "As it stands, I'm the first male Judy has ever kissed, the first male she's ever snuggled with, and the first male she's ever gotten excited about. Furthermore, I'm her first boyfriend and this date I have planned tonight will be the second date she's ever been on, with the first one bombing horribly as she sent her date to the hospital after finding out he only asked her out because he made a bet to steal her first kiss!" Nick stood glaring at his friend a moment longer, then turned and strode into the house with the door slamming behind him.
Willie cringed at the loud bang, then cautiously climbed the stairs. Nick had always been cool, calm, and calculating—not this short-tempered fluffball of irritation (that was always Finnick's department). Not that he'd ever call Nick or Finnick a fluffball to their face. With a shiver while thinking of his angry friend, Willie quietly slipped inside the house. Seeing Nick standing in the living room with his ears laid back, his paws still in fists, and his tail twitching irritably, Willie shuffled his feet a moment as his own tail flicked nervously. "I'm sorry, Nick," he mumbled, "It's just . . . I'm sorry."
Nick took a deep breath, then slowly released it, and with it went all the tension in his body. Raising his paw, he squeezed the bridge of his nose and said, "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I know you didn't mean anything by it." Turning around, Nick gave Willie a sheepish grin and explained, "I'm not used to having a mate and I'm finding myself irrationally protective of Judy." Shaking his head, he added, "And today wouldn't have even happened if Judy hadn't asked about the jerk from last night and why I asked you to keep an eye on him." Taking a deep breath, he tried to smother the instinctive rage he felt at the idea that the jackrabbit might try and rape his honeybun. "Just the thought of him touching her, of hurting her in anyway, had me wanting to smother her in my scent so strongly no male would even think of coming within fifty feet of her."
Willie's ears perked up. "Wow, Nick, you really have it bad, don't you?" Realizing Nick already saw Judy as his mate and was wanting to mark her told the cougar just how strong his friend's feelings were and explained why Nick acted so hostile to him just now. If nothing else, red foxes were highly protective of their mates and wouldn't hesitate to fight to protect them.
Nick gave a slight chuckle and shrugged, "Yeah." As he glanced around the room, Nick spied the thick, dark-blue chair they'd come in to get. "Oh, right. We need to get this chair up to the deck. Dinner's probably getting cold by now." With the thought of a cold dinner weighing on his mind, Nick was quiet as they carried the soft, padded chair upstairs, with Willie doing all the carrying while Nick got the door and held the front legs up as his friend carried it up the stairs.
Once they had it situated in front of the table, Nick turned to Willie and held out his paw. "Thanks, Willie, for everything. For giving Judy a chance and for giving us a chance."
Willie looked at Nick's paw for a moment, then pushed his paw aside before engulfing the red fox in a lion's hug. "Just don't be a stranger anymore," Willie rumbled with a bit of purr. It had been a long time since he'd seen Nick so carefree and open. If this is what Nick was like with the rabbit around, then he'd do whatever he could to support them, especially if Hopps really did change as Nick stated.
Nick groaned under the crushing hug but didn't fault his friend. Willie always had an open, fun-loving personality and was extremely loyal to his close friends. "I won't," Nick mumbled into his friend's broad chest.
Willie set his friend back down, then grinned at him, saying, "I expect to see some pictures of tonight."
Nick nodded, then watched Willie run back down the stairs to rejoin his friends and coworkers from the diner. After Willie left, Nick slipped back into his room to quickly get dressed. He couldn't wait to start the date.
….…..
Judy sat on the bed and twiddled her thumbs while waiting for Nick to return. She'd put the makeup on and liked the way it brought out her eyes and matched the colors of the dress, then she heard muffled voices out on the deck, then silence before the front door slammed downstairs. She jumped when she heard it, then worried about what it meant. If Nick was slamming doors, then something—or someone—had angered him. And if he was angry, did that mean he'd call off the date? Judy tightened her paws into fists even as her nose started twitching for her instincts were telling her to jump up and go investigate. But with her leg the way it was, not to mention the dress she was currently wearing, jumping up and doing anything really wasn't feasible.
Calm down, Judy. Nick won't call off your date no matter who irritates him, she reasoned with herself. Nick isn't some two-bit buck who will ditch you on your first date. Quite of few of her sisters (at various times in their dating career) had been ditched after getting all dressed up for a date with some buck or other. Judy would never forget the look of rejection and dejection on their faces when they got the call or text message from their date with the buck claiming he couldn't make it. The worst, though, was when her sister arrived but the buck never showed. Or her sister was left standing (and then sitting) on the front porch waiting to be picked up for a date that never happened. The no-shows didn't happen often, but they weren't rare either, not with the large number of bunnies living in Bunnyburrow.
But that wasn't something she would ever have to worry about with Nick. It just wasn't in his nature. Remembering this afternoon and the way Nick ran his paws, claws, teeth and tongue over her body while staring at her with that hungry, predatory look of his, and then the sweet words he said when he came in a short while ago to wrap her bandage and help her into her dress, Judy knew Nick wouldn't leave her hanging.
Raising her paw, she ran her fingers over her lips while remembering his heated kisses. After several moments of fond memories, she smoothed her dress down again, then gripped her paws together and after a moment, began twiddling her thumbs again. It seemed like an eternity before she heard Nick leave his room.
Looking up as he hurried around the stair railing, her eyes widened into amethyst moons, even as all her doubts and worries scurried out of sight. Nick was still wearing his black slacks, but with them, he now wore a black, short-sleeved suit shirt (she was sure it was silk) with a dark and light marble emerald vest and a purple tie that shifted from dark to light amethyst as the light moved across it.
As he came into the room, Judy breathed, "Wow, Nick." Letting her eyes travel over his slender, predatory physique, she could feel herself start to drool. Yep, I can definitely drool over my hot fox all day long—especially dressed as he is right now. Grabbing her phone, she quickly opened the camera and snapped a picture.
Nick grinned, then replied, "Wow—back at you. That eyeshadow really makes your eyes pop. You're definitely a fairy princess."
Judy beamed at him, and as he stepped up to the bed to help her up, she rubbed her paws across the thick, rich fabric of his marbled green vest and asked, "Still too good to eat?"
Nick leaned back and looked her over, then answered, "Yep. No way to have an indecent thought while you're in that dress."
"Not even a little nibble?" she practically whined while her eyes danced with playful teasing.
"Mmmm," Nick murmured while glancing her over again, then finally settled with, "Well, maybe your ears. I might nibble on them."
Judy grinned while slipping her paws around his neck, then whispered, "And now?" against his lips just before kissing him.
Nick leaned into the soft kiss, then groaned as he registered the flavor. Pulling back, he licked his lips and said, "You are so evil. How am I supposed to resist your taste mixed with blueberries?"
Judy giggled. "You're not, silly." Humming happily, she lightly rubbed her nose against his and added, "I'm not going to ask you to eat me, but I definitely want you to nibble on me during our date."
Nick grinned back at her. "Are you this forward with all your foxy first dates or am I just special?" he asked, knowing this was the last first date she would ever have.
Playing with the longer fur at the base of his ears, Judy replied, "Considering you're my one and only foxy first date . . ." Judy tilted in thought, then finished with, "It's just you." With a warm smile, she added, "You're definitely special." Tilting her head the other way as she looked him over, she added, "Special in a roguishly handsome, bad boy sort of way."
"Roguishly! I get the handsome part since I am devilishly handsome, but what part of me is roguish? And bad boy? Really?" Nick raised an eyebrow at her, but the playful humor sparkling in his deep emeralds couldn't be hidden.
"Yes, roguish—your paws and claws are criminal in their touch and are constantly stealing my breath away. And as for a bad boy—your teeth and tongue are sinful in their ability to drive me crazy with desire. So how are you anything but a bad boy?" Leaning forward, and with a smirk of her own, she whispered, "And a little birdie did tell me you used to be a conmammal and once worked for a notorious mob boss." With a cute, innocent expression, Judy batted her eyelashes and asked, "Isn't that the very definition of a bad boy?"
Nick's jaw dropped briefly, and then he laughed. Dipping his muzzle down, he stole a kiss. After a moment, he deepened the kiss as he made sure to get a good taste of his honeybun to go with the blueberry on her lips. And as her small lapin tongue gently teased his much larger vulpine tongue, he couldn't help but feel warmth and happiness that the worries and fears Willie had about their relationship had absolutely no basis in reality.
As he pulled back from the slow, deep kiss, Nick licked his lips again, then asked, "You ready for this date?"
Judy laughed. "I already told you: I've been ready." Grinning as Nick picked her up, she wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck as he carried her to the balcony door, but as he opened it up, she asked, "Who were you talking to earlier?" At his questioning look, she explained, "I heard muffled voices earlier, and then the front door slammed." She bit her lip briefly, then added softly, "I was afraid you might cancel the date when I heard it."
Nick had stepped outside and shut the door behind him while she spoke, but at her last comment, he looked at her sharply and answered, "Judy, my Love, there is no way I'm canceling our date tonight. Especially seeing what I had to give up this afternoon in order to make it happen." Nick smirked at Judy's blush, but then answered, "Willie was catering our dinner and he might have had a few concerns about us dating." With his ears flicking back, Nick explained, "He realized you were the rabbit cop from the press conference."
"Oh," Judy murmured softly, with her own ears dropping against her back. She knew she had messed up royally three months ago, and she couldn't get it out of her mind the news feeds of predators being kicked out of their prey-owned apartment buildings, or fired from their prey-managed jobs, or the long lines of predators at the unemployment offices seeking work or aid. There had even been a mass exodus of predators leaving the city and seeking a new life elsewhere. And besides the protests she'd had to break up when she still wore her badge, she'd seen a lot of prey harassing predators and then calling for the cops when the predators defended themselves. It was awful. And knowing Bellwether was the one behind the savage attacks did little to assuage her feelings of guilt at tearing the city apart.
Nick nodded sadly as he reached up with one paw to caress her ears (he was still holding her with the other paw), and said, "But I explained how Bellwether set you up just as she did us predators. You can't change the past, Fluff, but I assured Willie that you are doing everything you can to improve the future."
Judy stared blankly at Nick's chest while idly playing with the fur at the back of his neck while enjoying the feel of Nick's strong, warm paws on her ears. At least there was one predator in the city who didn't hate her even if she did still hate herself for what she said and what happened as a result. "It doesn't feel like I've done enough. I caught Bellwether and exposed her plot, but there's still a lot of predators suffering."
"True. But you are making a difference. Asking me to be your partner on the force is a huge step forward—not only for foxes—but us smaller, under-appreciated predators all over Zootopia. The fact Bogo even approved my application to enter the Academy is a historic feat. Five, ten years ago—that would have never happened—and it's all thanks to you."
Seeing a ghost of a smile touch Judy's mouth as she pictured him in uniform, Nick dipped his muzzle to nuzzle the base of her ears, then said softly but confidently, "And if we can show the city that predator and prey can work together and how our differing strengths make us a better team, then like you said today—the city will have to take notice and things should start to change for the better." With a warm smile as she finally looked up to meet his loving emeralds, he added, "Especially if we find more couples like us."
Judy nodded with a soft smile, even as she wondered what other species might find their mate on the other side of the food chain. Before she could get lost in thought, though, Nick started walking again and interrupted her imaginings. Remembering the loud bang from earlier, she tilted her head in curiosity and asked, "So why did you slam the door earlier?"
Nick paused and took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. "Willie was surprised to hear how close we were and that you were so comfortable being with a predator. After assuring him that you had absolutely no fear of me or any of my predatory ways, he made a specist comment about how I was much bigger than any of the bucks you'd been with in the past and wanted to know if you realized it yet."
"Oh," Judy murmured as her ears drooped.
"Yeah, 'oh'," Nick responded with his own ears splayed back. "Needless to say, I blew up at him and stormed into the house." With his tail lashing irritably behind him, he exclaimed, "I mean, yes, you're a bunny! And yes, rabbits are thought to be promiscuous! But why does everyone automatically assume you fall into that category? Especially after finding out we're together." With an annoyed growl, he added, "Why do mammals think you're just some buck-crazy doe once they realize you're dating a fox?"
Judy shrugged, but then thinking about the small group of her buck-crazy sisters (out of over a hundred sisters, there were less than twenty who played around, with about the same number of her brothers), she commented, "As they say, a few bad apples spoils the whole bunch."
"That's for sure," he replied while thinking the saying applied to foxes and the false idea that they were all born shifty thieves and liars. Going back to Willie and his comment, Nick explained further, "Willie did follow me into the house and apologized, and I did too." Glancing at Judy, he added, "Willie wasn't saying you were sleeping around, per se, but he assumed you had a few boyfriends in the past and had slept with them."
Although he wouldn't care if Judy had a boyfriend or two in the past, the idea that she'd settle for a short-term fling or degrade herself by giving in to bucks who merely wanted to use her felt like an insult to her intelligence, her sense of commitment, and her stubborn determination. He barely knew her 3 days and it was obvious to him that when Judy decided on anything that it was with her whole heart and soul. She didn't do anything halfway—and he couldn't see that being any different with her relationships.
If she'd had a boyfriend in the past and cared about him enough to sleep with him, Nick was fairly positive she'd still be with him—and probably married, to boot, with a hoard of little ones running under foot. Which meant, she probably wouldn't have become a cop, he wouldn't have met her (that thought stung his heart), and Bellwether's insidious plot would still be moving forward as it turned Zootopia into a living Hell.
With a flick of his ear while pushing that dark thought back down, Nick went over his and Judy's conversation from last night when they were discussing marriage—for her, it was all or nothing. She wouldn't settle for a relationship she wasn't a 100 percent sure would last. Which was one of the reasons he fell so hard for her. With all the disappointments in his life, she was someone he could rely on unconditionally.
Judy nodded while thinking. After a moment, she dug her fingers into Nick's fur again and scratched his neck. "I don't know. I've never had boyfriend before, but if I had, Willie's assumptions might have been right." At Nick's raised eyebrow, she explained, "I'd like to think not, but even though we've only been dating a single day, I was quite determined this afternoon to share my bed with you." With a cheeky grin, she then added, "Of course, I have quite the arsenal built up against pushy, pawsy bucks, but you, Mr. Fox," (she booped his nose), "I have absolutely no defenses against. With your criminal paws and sinful tongue, I'm completely powerless against you." Leaning forward as she pulled his muzzle down, she ran her nose and lips against the side of his muzzle and whispered, "You slipped past my carefully constructed defenses, took my breath away, stole my heart, and left me a needy, whimpering mess." Running her lips and nose up to his ear, she asked softly, "So what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Fox?"
Nick flicked his ear as her hot breath caressed his inner ear, even as his tail swished excitedly behind him, then chuckled. Licking his nose, he answered, "I'm guilty as charged, so you better lock me up and throw away the key."
"Hmmm, yes, I'm going to have to, my devilishly handsome bad boy." Running her nose back down his cheek and along his muzzle, she nipped his chin (which sent a shiver down his spine), and said, "But it won't be any fun unless I'm locked up with you." Nipping the soft spot under Nick's chin had his tail wagging in anticipation, even as she added, "I'll have to place us both under house arrest."
Nick's eyes widened for a second, then he threw his head back and laughed. Dropping his head back down, he met her puzzled gaze and lowered ears, then moved his muzzle over to her ear and whispered, "If you're placing us under house arrest, does that mean we get to play with your pawcuffs?"
Judy's ears turned beet red and her nose started twitching frantically as she sputtered, "No! I mean . . . maybe . . . I don't know?" Reaching up to grab her ears, she groaned, "Nick, now you are putting weird ideas in my head!" Hearing him chuckle, she glanced up to see his ears cocked forward as he seriously considered the idea. Tilting her head slightly as her nose slowed down to a slight twitch, she asked, "You really want to?"
Nick glanced her over, then answered, "It's not something I've ever considered before—mainly because I've never had anyone I wanted to do anything with—but," Nick shrugged, "with you, I'm sure we can find something fun to do with them."
Judy scrunched her nose up as she asked, "You're not into any of that kinky stuff, are you?"
Nick chuckled while shaking his head. "I promise, nothing kinky. It's just," he tilted his head slightly with one of his ears half-cocked, and continued, "you are a cop and if we're going to be under house arrest, playing with pawcuffs seems to be a given, don't you think?"
"Well, I guess," Judy murmured while looking at Nick and trying to think of something she could do to him with handcuffs. Besides pawcuffing perps, she never really thought of using them for anything else. She certainly never wanted to use them on any buck she met—not unless it was to handcuff him to a fence or lamp post so he'd stop annoying her with cheesy one-liners and horrible pick-up lines. Then again, if she pawcuffed Nick to the bed, she could do a whole lot of fun things to him. She wondered how ticklish he was.
Seeing Judy's studious expression while seriously considering his impromptu idea, Nick chuckled again and said, "Fluff, you are truly a doe after my own heart."
Judy's ears perked back up and she smiled. "Really?"
Nick nodded while meeting her warm gaze with a predatory one of his own. "Really, really," he answered while slipping one paw up the back of her head to lightly grip her ears. With a gentle tug, her head tilted back and her small muzzle opened. Hearing the cute gasp from his honeybun, Nick wasted no time in dipping his head down to capture her delectable mouth with his own.
Judy groaned into the heated kiss and wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck, even as she pushed herself higher in his arms. She was so lost in the sudden, hungry kiss that she wasn't even aware that Nick had started walking again until he plopped down in a chair and broke the kiss off.
"Okay," Nick said, "we're on a date now—you a magical fairy princess, and me—" Nick paused in thought, then said, "Well, I don't know that I'd call myself a fairy prince." Cocking his head at his honeybun, he asked, "What would you call me?"
Judy hummed happily as she leaned back slightly to get a better look at Nick. Raking her eyes down his vested chest and back up to meet his bright emeralds, she tilted her head and said, "A fairy princess captured by her demon prince."
Nick's jaw dropped. "Where do you get off calling me a demon prince?"
Judy gave him a cheeky grin and replied, "Well, not only are you devilishly handsome," Judy poked him in the chest, saying, "—your words, not mine—" then continued after sliding her paws up to wrap around his neck. "You also have the sharp teeth and claws to match. And then you were quite devious in getting back at Nakita and Stan for trying to kill you. The fact you survived at all shows how strong you are." Scratching behind his ears, Judy leaned toward one of his ears and whispered, "I have heard demon princes are hard to kill."
Pulling back slightly to meet his playful smile and teasing gaze, Judy continued her explanation. "Seeing how you played not only my brother, but Bogo, this afternoon was ingenious and fiendish in your execution and dark powers of persuasion." Chuckling while remembering Bogo's and her brother's expressions after being played by Nick, Judy said, "Furthermore, you captured this enchanted fairy princess and hauled her to your demon's den where you plan to devour her." With her cheeky grin spreading, she added, "And with your criminal paws and sinfully delightful tongue, I'm powerless to stop you." Rubbing her nose lightly against his own, she added, "So what does my demon prince plan to do with this poor, defenseless fairy princess?"
"Poor!? Defenseless!?" Nipping at Judy's jaw, Nick added, "I admit I was quite dominant this afternoon, but you weren't exactly weak, either." Reaching up to gently pull Judy's paw down to his mouth, he lightly licked her knuckles, then nipped her fingertips before continuing, "As I recall, your last move nearly did me in. One more hit like that and I would have crumbled before you and been left at your mercy." With a smirk, he added, "And if that had happened, I don't think you would have shown me any."
Looking into Nick's now hungry, predatory gaze, Judy felt a shiver of both desire and happiness run down her spine, even as her tail flicked against Nick's own bushy tail that was wrapped around her. Licking her lips, she whispered, "Nick."
Feeling her tail fluttering against his own, Nick slid his claws down her back and captured her tail. Giving it a good squeeze, he then began combing it with his sharp claws. Judy gasped softly, even as another shiver ran through her, and Nick grinned smugly even as his nose flared slightly as he breathed deeply of her delicious scent.
As Judy's eyes closed at the simple pleasure Nick's paws and claws were giving her, Nick dipped his muzzle the last few inches and captured her mouth once more. After running his tongue across her flat teeth which were so different from his own, Nick tasted ever corner of her mouth before easily dominating her much smaller lapin tongue. With all the talk of him being a demon prince and reminders of this afternoon, Nick found his willpower weakening even as Judy's bunny powers were growing stronger.
Judy melted into the kiss, and even though she lost the tongue war, she didn't mind. Kissing Nick was always a pleasure. And the fact Nick was willing to join in the teasing made her happy. She had never imagined herself as a fairy princess until she met Nick and put on this enchanting dress, but thinking about it now warmed her up. And the fact Nick was willing to be her demon prince was fun, too. Perhaps they could dress up as them for Halloween or something. All she needed to perfect her costume was a pair of fairy wings, while Nick just needed a set of demon horns.
Thinking about how fun the future would be with Nick while kissing him senseless, Judy shifted in his lap so she was straddling his waist again (she was very carefully of her dress), then pushed herself against him as she tried to dominate his tongue. At first Nick resisted her attempts, but then relented and let her into his mouth. Judy happily ran her tongue over his sharp teeth and her tail twitched excitedly while remembering how good they felt in her fur and against her skin.
After exploring his mouth (at least as much of it as she could with her much smaller tongue) for who knew how long (she always lost track of time while kissing Nick), they finally broke for air. Judy took several deep lungfuls (and smiled to see Nick do the same), then leaned down to steal another kiss. She came up short, though, as she suddenly felt a rough finger pad against her eager lips. Looking up from Nick's mouth to meet his burning emeralds, Judy's eyebrows furrowed at this unexpected interruption.
Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Nick then said, "Carrots, I know you're still restless and a bit needy from this afternoon, and I'm sorry for leaving you a hot mess, but our dinner is getting cold and I really would like to have our first date before I . . ." Nick smirked as his gaze raked down her body and then back up to meet her excited gaze as he continued, "jump down the rabbit hole." Leaning over to whisper in her ear (and grinning wider to see her shiver as his hot breath tickled her ear), he said softly, "Although we foxes don't burrow extensive tunnels like you bunnies do, we are still very good at digging."
Another shiver ran down Judy's spine, even as her ears turned bright red. Realizing what she was doing (again), she closed her eyes and took several deep, calming breaths. Nick was right, of course. They were rushing again, and she needed to slow down and enjoy the moment (not that she wasn't enjoying it already), but she was curious about what he had planned for their first date—besides dinner, of course. Taking one last, deep breath, Judy opened her eyes and nodded. "You're right. Date first." Taking another deep breath, she said, "I'm sorry, Nick, for pushing you agai—!"
Nick pressed his finger to her lips again and cut her off. "No apologies, Fluff. Remember, we're in this together." With a smirk, he added, "Besides, I haven't exactly been holding back either. Your fairy powers are quite strong and I'm finding my demon powers weakening under the onslaught of your kisses and eager paws."
Judy smiled brightly even as her ears turned red again. Running her paws down his vest, she met his predatory gaze and said, "Well, I find your touch quite devastating, so are you sure I'm the one winning? It feels more like you are."
Nick chuckled. "Trust me, you are the one winning." Leaning down to kiss her between the ears, he then said, "But enough about fairies and demons, and whose powers are more devastating." Sweeping his paw out behind Judy at the wooden table dinner sat upon, he added, "What do you think?"
WingedKatt here. So a lot has happened, but Nick and Judy are finally ready to start their date. The date takes up 2 chapters which I will be positing together in 2 weeks, so you'll have twice as much to look forward to.
Chapter 56: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and Chapter 57: Miracle of Miracles will post on Friday, April 24th. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter. If you have any thoughts or comments, I'd love to hear them.
FYI: Ch5 of Z:ADB will post next Friday. I hope you have a great weekend. Stay safe.
