WingedKatt here. There is some fluff in this chapter, so prepare yourself.
Amy stepped off the train in the Meadowlands and took a deep breath. She had gotten Nick's address from her mom as the train thundered its way towards Zootopia (she had been so excited she had completely forgotten to ask anyone for it before she left). Walking through the train station, she found an info board showing the routes of the various busses and subway trains. After scanning over it and finding the bus number that would drop her off closest to Nicholas's street, she made her way up to the bus stop and sat on one of the benches to await her ride.
-/-/-
Finnick groaned and rolled over on the bed. Scratching his belly that still had a pooch from his gorging earlier, he then slapped his other paw over his face and rubbed it down his muzzle. He shouldn't have eaten that much, but oh, was it good. Licking his chops, Finnick remembered with perfect clarity the gooey goodness of his feasting. The way the hot blackberry filling coated his sharp, needle-like teeth, rolled across his tongue, and slid down his throat. Oh, it was heavenly!
He lay in heavenly bliss a moment longer, then rolled out of bed. As much as he wanted to remain in bed, Vivian would be arriving soon and he wanted to be up to greet her. Running a paw through his head fur, Finnick flicked his large ears and glanced around the room. Although Nick wanted his mom in the main house tonight, Finnick knew it wouldn't work if they were trying to hustle Cottontail's parents into thinking their relationship was still a platonic one.
Finnick knew Nick had obviously told his mom about how close they were, but Finnick wasn't sure how much they had told Cottontail's parents. Considering her dad had tried to foist a fox taser on her when she first came to Zootopia, Finnick doubted Cottontail had told her parents about their relationship. Which meant her parents will probably blow a gasket if they show up in the morning and Vivian is staying in their daughter's room.
This meant that he needed to change the bedsheets so Vivian would have clean sheets to sleep on tonight (he had slept in here several times before Nick went AWOL three months ago and he'd never had the chance to change the sheets, yet). Although there were two other bedrooms in the apartment that Vivian could sleep in, this was the master bedroom with the largest and best bed. And seeing as he wasn't even planning on staying tonight, Finnick wanted the room ready for Vivian when she arrived.
With a heavy sigh, Finnick got to work. It was struggle due to his small size (the bed was sized for a wolf as Honey had quite a few larger friends stay over), but he persevered and eventually finished. Throwing the dirty sheets in the front loader washing machine in the apartment, Finnick then headed outside. Walking across the backyard, he ran up the back steps and entered the dining room.
-/-/-
Nick was lying on the couch with Judy sprawled across his chest. They looked to be asleep, but both were wide awake. After 'misbehaving' for a good half hour or more, Nick and Judy curled up together and lay in contented bliss, simply enjoying the other's love and affection. While laying across Nick's chest, with her cheek resting just below his collar bone, Judy dug her fingers through his thick chest fur and lightly scratched his skin for a moment, then absently played with his fur for a minute before repeating the process.
Nick was laying with one paw on the back pocket of her dark blue jean shorts she was wearing, while the other paw lay across her lower back while periodically flexing his claws through her bare fur. Although Judy had quickly pulled his shirt off, and he had happily returned the favor, that's as far as they got in regard to their clothes. Both silently agreed that their first time wasn't going to be rushed, nor did they want anything or anyone demanding their attention. They wanted no interruptions to their blissful activities the rest of the day or the day or two after. There was a reason why foxes had three days of uninterrupted time when they first took their mates.
So, after their very enjoyable make-out session, and while cuddling on the couch, they discussed the best day for the wedding. Considering that Judy's family was coming tomorrow morning, , that Judy was having her stitches taken out on Monday, Nick was meeting with Bogo afterwards, and then the stupid press conference on Wednesday, they both agreed Wednesday evening would be the best time for the wedding. They could discuss the exact time with Judge Princeton when they saw him the next evening for dinner.
After discussing their wedding plans, the couple settled down to comfortable silence and peaceful relaxation. But their contented bliss was interrupted by the sound of the back door opening. With two sets of ears perking up at the sound, Judy sat up and glanced towards the kitchen doorway, even as Nick watched Judy while his ears swiveled slightly to better catch the sound.
After Finnick entered the house, he closed the door behind him, then paused to listen. Knowing that Nick and Judy were in here alone, he didn't want to barge into something he'd rather not see. But the place was quiet—a little too quiet. With a flick of his head, he wondered if the two lovebirds were napping. Of course, if they were up in Nick's room with the door shut, he wouldn't hear squat. Walking through the dining room, he hollered, "Hey, Loverboy, I need to get in the garage."
Judy glanced into Nick's bright, emerald eyes and cocked her head in question, then looked back towards the kitchen. Nick took a deep breath as his gaze traveled down Judy's furry body, the stunning white view only broken by the lavender bra she still wore. With a heavy sigh, Nick wiped a paw down his face and said, "Okay, just stay in the kitchen for a minute."
By the time Nick answered, Finnick had made his way to the kitchen doorway and stood staring, stunned to see the top of Judy's head over the back of the couch. With as quiet as it was in the living room, Finn hadn't expected Nick and Judy to be on the couch.
Straightening up, Judy peaked over the back of the couch and grinned at the stunned fennec. "Hi, Finn."
Finnick's ear flicked. "Um, hello."
Judy giggled, then glanced down, asking, "Nick, where did you throw my shirt?"
Finnick's eyes widened in shock, then he quickly spun around to face the kitchen, even as Nick pushed himself up enough to glance over the edge of the couch. "Here it is," he muttered as he reached over to grab it. Handing it to Judy, he shamelessly watched her put it on.
With a grin, Judy slipped the shirt over her head and slowly pulled it down over her chest and stomach, then giggled again at seeing Nick's appreciative gaze follow her movements as she teasingly covered herself back up.
With his ears penned back, Finnick exclaimed, "How far did you two get!?"
With another giggle, Judy smoothed down the fur on her head as she answered, "Not far."
A wry grin crossed Nick's muzzle as he added, "Yeah, Fluff thought we should take the time to enjoy a little misbehaving before my mom shows up and we have to start acting like mature, rational adults."
Finnick rolled his eyes, saying, "Sorry to break this two you, Red, but you ain't never acted like a mature, rational adult—mom or no mom."
"Ooh, ouch," Nick said, even as Judy laughed softly from where she still sat on his stomach. Shaking his head while grinning at her, Nick gripped her hips with one paw and pushed himself into a sitting position with the other. With both paws back on her hips, he swung his legs over the side of the couch and reclined against the back while running his paws up Judy's side. Watching and feeling her shiver in his paws, Nick gave her a smug grin, then released her to rub his face in an effort to get more alive. Dropping his paws, he then glanced over his shoulder and asked, "Why do you want in the garage again?"
"I want to take Suzie-Q out for a test drive and see how she sounds," Finnick replied while scratching the back of his head. He was really hoping to avoid interrupting anything between the two, but at least they were just resting now. He really didn't want to walk in and see them eating each other.
Nick nodded, then met Judy's curious gaze and asked, "Well, Carrots, you feel up to doing that tour of the garage I promised you days ago?"
With a clap of her paws, Judy's nose and tail both began vibrating in her excitement. "Am I ever!"
With a chuckle, Nick grabbed his shirt from the back of the couch where Judy had tossed it, then slipped it over his head. Pulling his head through, he met Judy's appreciative gaze as she watched him pull his shirt down. With a wide grin, he stood up and carried his honeybun into the kitchen.
Finnick's jaw dropped as his nose started wriggling as soon as they stepped up to him. Pointing to the bunny in his friend's arms, he exclaimed, "Cottontail hasn't showered yet! Red, if Vivian shows up with Cottontail smelling so much like you, along with her horny bunny smell, there's no way she's going to believe you two only did a 'little misbehaving'." Pointing to his tall, red friend, he added, "And every predator and prey with any kind of a sniffer is going to know that you've been up to something with a rabbit!"
Nick's ears flicked to the side as Judy's ears dropped against her back. "We plan to shower," Nick stated while looking over Finnick's head and into the kitchen with its black marble countertops. He had actually forgotten all about the need for a shower.
"When!?" Finnick exclaimed again while pointing behind him at the kitchen clock. "You got less than an hour before you're supposed to be meeting your mom at the train station."
Nick flicked his ear as he realized Finnick was right. They were cutting it close. He and Carrots had been so relaxed after their little make-out session that neither were paying attention to the time. With a soft huff, Nick said, "So what are we waiting for?" Striding past his short friend, he carried Judy out to the garage, with Finnick trailing behind them.
After punching in the code and singing the little jingle (much to Finnick's ire), Nick carried Judy inside and flipped on the lights. Grinning smugly at Judy's shocked expression, he then said, "Carrots, if you keep staring like that with your mouth hanging open, you're liable to swallow a fly." Judy snapped her mouth shut and glanced up at Nick. Licking his chops, he added, "Or something else."
Judy's ears heated up. She wouldn't mind catching that 'something else' if Nick was the one dishing it out. Finnick rolled his eyes at their teasing, even as he said, "Will you two get a room?"
Nick laughed. Looking down at his short friend as Finn sauntered over to the gyrocopter, Nick then said, "We do have a room." Spinning around, Nick added, "We have a great big room."
Popping the door on Suzie-Q, Finnick clambered inside, saying, "Yeah, well, wait till I leave, then you can go back to making out."
Nick laughed again, then turned to all the toys he had hiding in here. Toys that had been collecting dust for far too long. But now that Judy was here, maybe they could get good use out of them again. Stepping out of the way so Finnick could drive the gyro outside, Nick then set Judy down on her good foot (at her insistence) and helped her hobble around as he began the 'tour' of his garage.
He showed Judy the snowmobiles he had. There were three—a large one for himself, a medium sized one Honey had used, and a small one for Finnick. Since Honey hadn't been much bigger than Judy, Nick figured Carrots could use all of Honey's toys and equipment.
Judy was impressed with the snow mobiles and immediately made plans with Nick to take them out once her leg healed. Nick then asked her if she preferred skiing or snowboarding, as they had both. Judy admitted to enjoying ice skating, but she had never tried either skiing or snowboarding. She was open to trying both and seeing which one she preferred, though. Nick promised to teach her either one which had Judy beaming at the idea of having more things to do with Nick. Of course, once she got back to work, most of these fun activities would have to wait for her weekend breaks before they could enjoy them.
As Nick walked around the garage with Judy, who was using his arm as a crutch as she hobbled around, he showed her his other toys: hang gliders, parachutes which could be used for both paragliding or parasailing, jet skis, scuba gear, rock climbing gear, and his personal babies—a pair of 1975 Penton 400 dirt bikes, one fox-sized and the other slightly smaller.
Nick had bought the two bikes as a set ages ago and had personally restored them. The original paint on the smaller one had been a deep, bright purple and he had taken an immediate shine to it so he repainted it the same color after restoring the bike (the gas tank was purple with the Penton logo on it, with the rest of the bike having black and purple trim, offset by the metal pipes, spokes, and handlebars).
The other bike he had painted to match the first but instead of purple, he had painted it a deep emerald green. And seeing Judy standing next to the bikes, it gave Nick further confirmation that their meeting was fated as the purple in the smaller bike (which he now realized was rabbit-sized) was the exact shade of purple as Judy's eyes.
The last 'toy' he showed his honeybun had been Honey's personal favorite and she used to love leaving the city and racing down the open highway at over a hundred miles an hour (not that Nick was going to tell Judy that). Honey would always slow down whenever she came upon another car, but as soon as it passed (or she passed it), she would put the pedal to the metal and fly down the road once more. Grinning, Nick grabbed the white sheet that protected the sleek machine from dust and yanked it off to reveal a sapphire-blue, luminescent 2008 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster.
Nick waited for Judy's excited response to seeing the British roadster but was sorely disappointed. Although Judy appreciated the sleek machine, it was obvious she had no idea what she was looking at. To the bunny beside him, the expensive British sports car was just another nice-looking car. One she probably would never drive seeing as it was built for the sole purpose of breaking the speed limit.
While Nick was showing Judy his toys, Finnick drove the gyro outside and cut the engine so he could take off the rotor strap. With the rotors free, he threw the strap behind his seat, then climbed back into the sleek machine and settled into the seat. Re-engaging the motor, Finnick was studying the gages when a voice had him looking up and then down (the gyro sat a ways off the ground). The voice was loud, but the engine drowned most of it out. Even so, Finnick immediately recognized that the voice belonged to a female—a female he'd never heard before.
-/-/-
Once the bus dropped Amy off at the end of Nicholas's street, she walked down the sidewalk at a fast pace. Looking around, she saw that the street was a more affluent one. The houses were all two-story houses built wolf-sized or a little smaller. They all had a large front porch, with a few having wrap-around porches, and they all had large, well-maintained yards that left their residences with a lot of privacy as the wide yards allowed the houses to sit back and well away from each other.
Most of the yards had hedges for fences, but a few had the tall, white vinyl fences, and there were even several with black, wrought iron fences. There was even one house that had thick, bushy red and pink rose bushes for a fence. Walking by the bushes, Amy took a deep breath of the sweet-smelling flowers, then had to duck to avoid several bees buzzing about the colorful blossoms, even as she saw several small white and yellow butterflies fluttering around while a bunch of bright red ladybugs with their deep black spots crawled across the leaves, eating the aphids. Reaching the end of the long 'fence', she even saw a hummingbird drinking from the sweet nectar of the flowers.
Amy was impressed with the neighborhood but wasn't surprised. It was rumored that Honey Badgersen had been quite wealthy, but she didn't flaunt it (outside her expensive toys like her heavily modified jeep and the gyrocopter Amy had read about Honey and Nicholas racing in). But although the neighborhood was on the wealthy side, the homes had a comfortable family vibe, being well-built and inviting.
Passing the house with the rose bushes for a fence, Amy's ears perked forward as she heard a motor start from two houses down. Having grown up on a farm, she had heard a lot of different motors, and she had heard even more after becoming a mechanic—but she couldn't quite place the motor she was listening to. Looking at the house numbers, she realized the sound came from Nicholas's house. Hurrying forward past a black, wrought iron fence with its spiked fence poles, Amy reached the edge of Nicholas's property and hurried along the hedge fence to where it opened up to the long driveway with a deep-blue mailbox marking the entrance.
Hurrying down the drive, the engine suddenly cut off. With her ears perked forward, Amy was momentarily distracted as she spied the drool worthy jeep sitting in front of the house. She ogled it as she walked around it while running her paws over the shiny paint, but she didn't let herself get distracted for long. She would have all weekend to study the impressive machine in-depth.
With one last longing look, Amy slipped around the side of the house to see who was in the backyard. The motor didn't sound like a lawnmower, so she was curious to see what Nicholas was up to while at the same time wondering if Judy was with him. But the fox she saw wasn't Nicholas—it was Finnick! He was climbing back into the sleek gyrocopter Amy had seen in a magazine that showcased Honey and Nicholas's first win with the powerful machine.
Not even bothering to look for her sister, Amy immediately dropped her duffle bag on the ground at her feet and pulled her backpack forward so she could dig through it. Finding the picture of Finnick she wanted (it showed Finnick leaning against their winning jeep with a large wrench in his paws) along with a sharpie marker, Amy slipped the backpack back over her back and sprinted to the gyrocopter.
Stopping in front of the open glass door, she gazed up at her idol and spoke loudly over the motor's steady hum. "Finnick? Finnick Deserttail?"
Finnick looked down into the light blue eyes of a light tan doe with a cream undercoat and light-brown highlights running up the outside edges of her ears and covering the tips. She also had a darker tan smudge running from her nose up between her eyes. Being a rabbit, she was pretty cute, and Finnick couldn't help but emphasis the 'pretty'. Blinking at the unexpected thought (he'd been spending far too much time with Loverboy and Cottontail), Finnick turned off the motor, then flicked one of his large ears before finally answering, "Um, ya, I'm Finnick Deserttail."
Before Finnick could ask who she was, Amy shoved a photo towards him. "Can I get your autograph!? Please?"
Finnick sat in a dazed stupor for several heartbeats. The photo was from back during their winning streak at the Zootopia Rally—a photo he'd forgotten all about. It certainly wasn't something he ever expected to see again—especially from a rabbit doe wanting an autograph from him. Taking a deep breath to try and clear the brain fog that her sudden appearance and question had caused, Finnick answered, "Ya, sure, I can sign it." Taking the photo from her, he pulled it out of its clear protective sleeve and scrawled his name across the bottom. As he did so, he asked, "I take it you're Amy—Cottontail's sister?"
Bobbing her head (she could only assume that's what Finnick called her sister), Amy answered, "Yes." Wringing her paws at finally getting to meet her idol, she added, "When Judy said I was invited to join you guys in the jeep rallies this year, I couldn't wait to meet you."
Finnick's ears flicked in surprise. "Really?" This was a first for Finnick—finding someone who genuinely couldn't wait to meet him—and it had nothing to do with money or wanting to beat him up.
Amy nodded again. "You have no idea how much you, Nicholas, and Honey inspired me when I was first getting into the mechanics business. Everyone said I couldn't do it because I was a 'cutesy-wootsey' little bunny doe." With scowl as her ears stood straight up, she curled her paws into tight fists and growled out, "Ooh, it was so aggravating!" With her tail twitching furiously at the memories, she hissed, "I just wanted to beat the whole lot of them over the head with my wrench!"
Finnick stared at her with wide eyes and perked ears at her outburst, but after a moment his tail began wagging and a light chuckle escaped him. He could actually picture her wailing on the specist pricks. It would be a fun show to watch and was right up his ally.
Hearing the fennec fox's soft laugh, Amy's ears drooped and she grabbed one of them shyly. This was the male of her dreams and she was acting like a hot-headed jerk.
Seeing her bashful expression, Finnick waved her concern away, saying, "I can actually picture you doing that." Pointing to her, he added, "It sounds like fun. Next time you feel like smacking mammals around, give me a call. I got a baseball bat in my van that would make a good companion to your wrench." Handing the signed photo back to Cottontail's sister, he smiled at her.
Amy's ears sprang back up and a bright smile graced her lips. Taking the autographed picture back, she gave a light chuckle of her own, then murmured, "Yeah, you already know all about specist pricks trying to beat you down. I saw a bunch of the interviews when Honey first brought you and Nick in and how a lot of mammals complained about you two being conniving foxes, with many claiming you were too small to do any affective work." As a faint scowl crossed Finnick's face, Amy's tail flicked and she gripped her paws as she said softly, "Seeing how you powered through all the hateful slurs and showed them how good you really were truly inspired me and helped me keep going, even when I felt like quitting."
Finnick stared for several heartbeats as this was the last thing he ever expected anyone to say about him. It left him mentally reeling and took several minutes for his brain to come back online. Pointing to himself, he finally asked, "I inspired . . . you?" He pointed to the rabbit doe standing before him.
Amy nodded her head, saying, "I watched and read all your interviews. I also watched all the clips on EweTube I could find of the rallies you were in. You were a real inspiration."
Finnick probably should have found her admission creepy, but the wonder and appreciation he saw on the doe's light tan face made him feel warm inside. It was a strange feeling, but one he surprisingly found refreshing. He actually wouldn't mind feeling it some more. Looking back down at the dashboard of the gyrocopter, Finnick surprised himself by saying, "Look, I have to take this gyrocopter up and make sure it's runnin' right—"
"Oh," Amy interrupted him as her ears drooped. "Well, if you have stuff to do, I won't bother you."
Finnick couldn't believe how dejected she looked. Waving his paw out, he hurriedly said, "No, that's not what I meant. I was gonna ask if you wanted to join me?"
Amy's ears immediately perked up as she gave a small squeal. "Yes! I would love to join you!" With a clap of her paws, she hopped around to the other side of the gyrocopter and climbed in. "Oh, I'm so excited. I always wondered what it would be like to fly."
With a grin, Finnick replied, "Well, now you're gonna find out." He couldn't believe how excited Cottontail's sister was to be riding with him. The warmth he'd felt a moment ago returned seeing as Amy kept glancing at him, a small smile on her lips, making him think she was more excited about spending time with him, and less about the flying itself.
Flipping the motor back on, Finnick found a small smile of his own touching the corners of his small, vulpine muzzle. As they started driving across the large backyard heading for the gate in the back, Amy asked him what kind of engine the gyro had and what it was like working on it. With a wider smile, Finnick found that talking to Amy was even more fun than talking to her sister.
-/-/-
Judy was leaning on Nick's arm and hobbling around the convertible Nick had just revealed when she heard a familiar voice. Having looked over the sports car, Judy was just about ready to return to Nick's two classic bikes and ogle them some more (although she was impressed with the Aston Martin, the bikes were more her size and style) when Amy's voice floated into the garage from outside.
With her ears twitching, Judy turned around and then hobbled towards the doorway as Finnick autographed the photo Amy had handed him. With a bright smile to see her sister, Judy opened her mouth to say 'hi' when a large paw suddenly covered her mouth. Then Nick's warm breath ruffled the fur of her ear as he whispered, "Let the Big Guy have his moment in the limelight."
Running his nose up her ear, he added, "It's not often that Finn finds someone who recognizes his talent and appreciates him for it. It's even less often that he finds someone he can really connect with, but I think your sister just might be one of them."
A warm shiver ran down Judy's spine at Nick's soft, sensual touch, and she took a deep breath. Taking another deep breath as Nick pulled his nose from her ear, Judy nodded and Nick dropped his paw from her mouth. Leaning against Nick's sturdy body, she watched her sister butter Finnick up with her enthusiasm at meeting him, then watched Amy climb inside Suzy-Q before the two mechanics drove towards the gate and disappear around the side of the garage.
Nick slipped his arm around Judy's waist and supported her weight while giving her a curious look. He was surprised Amy had recognized Finnick as there weren't many mammals who remembered them from Team Honey, and fewer still who wanted an autograph.
With a bright smile, Judy explained, "When I talked to Amy this morning and told her about you and invited her to the jeep rallies, she asked about Finnick by name. She was super excited to meet him and I guess meeting him tomorrow afternoon wasn't soon enough. As a fellow mechanic, I think Amy paid more attention to Finnick than she did you and Honey when she watched your rallies."
"Is that so?" Nick asked as he glanced down at his honeybun with an amused grin. Smiling widely, he added, "Well then, I don't expect them to return anytime soon."
Judy nodded as a small smile curled her muzzle while thinking of her sister finally getting to meet one of her idols. She really hoped the two hit it off. They had both been alone for far too long. Looking up at Nick, she hoped Amy and Finnick could find the safe haven in each other that she had found in Nick.
Glancing at the clock, Nick's ears disappeared. "Speaking about the time—we're running out of it!" Sweeping Judy up in his arms, he hurried back inside the house so they could shower. But once they got up to his room, he wasn't sure how they could both shower and be done in time. "We're running short on time, so I'll probably have to shower first and then while I'm drying off, you can hop in."
Judy nodded as Nick started wrapping her leg in plastic so she would be ready to shower as soon as he finished. Watching him hurry had a persistent thought chasing itself around inside her head. One she couldn't get rid of. So, when he stepped back to pull his shirt off and tossed it in the hamper, Judy pushed the tips of her fingers together and murmured softly, "We. . . we could shower together."
Nick paused on unzipping his pants. Looking over, he meet Judy's embarrassed gaze as she sat in the chair across the room. Her nose and ears were a dark shade of pink making her look extremely cute. She looked good enough to eat. With a wide grin, Nick folded his arms across his chest and sauntered over to his honeybun. Leaning over so their noses were inches apart, he asked smugly, "You just can't wait to get this hot fox in the shower with you, can you?"
Judy's ears flamed bright red, but she squared her shoulders, folded her own arms, and looked him dead in the eye while saying, "So what if I can't?"
Nick's grin got a little bigger and a little smugger. "If that's the case, then I only have one question." Lifting a paw off his chest to scratch his chin with one clawed finger, he said, "Am I taking your clothes off, or are you?" He then pointed his clawed finger at Judy's flaming, twitching nose.
Judy's nose and tail were twitching like crazy at Nick's question. The idea of Nick taking her clothes off was a very tempting one, but his mother was arriving on the train soon and Nick was supposed to be there to pick her up—and that wouldn't happen if they started undressing each other. They might not even make it to the shower.
With a huff, Judy pushed his face away, saying, "Slick, you and I both know you'll miss your mother's train if you start undressing me."
Nick stood up straight and raised an eyebrow. With his tail swaying behind him, he asked, "And I'll make it on time if we shower together?"
Judy's blush turned a shade darker and her whole face felt like it was on fire. "I was thinking more that you can wash my back and I can wash yours. It'll save time if we get in and out at the same time." With a deep breath while rubbing her arm, she added softly, "And it's not like we have anything left to hide, not after last night."
Nick watched her a moment longer, even as his tail slowed to a stop behind him. As much fun as it was to tease his honeybun, she was right—they didn't have time to play around. With a nod, Nick stepped back and dropped his pants and briefs. With a satisfied smile at Judy's wide-eyed, appreciative gaze, Nick spun around and sauntered through his bedroom door, calling over his shoulder, "I'll get the water ready while you undress."
Judy licked her lips while trying not to drool as she watched Nick's fluffy tail disappear through the bathroom doorway. "Oh, mama," she muttered under her breath while slowly breathing out, "what have I got myself into?" Although she had seen all of Nick last night, Judy wasn't emotionally or physically drained today, so seeing her fiancé in all his foxy glory left her heart pounding and her body tingling. Wednesday evening suddenly felt like a hundred years away.
Taking a deep breath while trying to push her desires down and ignore the images that were suddenly plaguing her mind, Judy had to keep telling herself that Vivian would be here soon and now was not the time to indulge in her wild fantasies about Nick.
"Parents first, parents first, parents first," Judy repeated under her breath as she quickly pulled her shirt and bra off and tossed them into the hamper. Sliding off the chair and onto her good leg, she then slipped out of her pants and underwear. Taking another deep breath, she used the wall as a crutch to hobble towards the bedroom door.
Nick returned for her a moment later, and the hunger and admiration in his deep green eyes had her licking her lips again. Not once had Nick ever made her feel like a tomboy, and with the heat in his gaze as his eyes traveled over every inch of her fur, it had Judy feeling truly feminine again. No one had or ever could make her feel the way Nick did. And he was just looking at her!
With one paw still on the wall, Judy straightened up slightly and cocked her hip as she rested her other paw on it. Pushing past the slight embarrassment she felt at Nick seeing her in her fur, she asked, "See something you like, Slick?"
"Hm-Hm," Nick murmured as he licked his chops while his gaze traveled back down her body. "Something more delicious than blueberry pie."
Judy flicked her tail excitedly as she squeaked, "Really!?"
Stepping up to her, Nick took several deep huffs of her delectable, excited scent and replied, "Smells better, too."
"Ni-ick!" Judy whined. Thinking of Nick eating her (and wanting him to eat her) had her excited scent becoming even stronger.
Nick merely grinned down at her, then bent and picked her up before throwing her over his shoulder and spinning around. As he strode back to the bathroom, Judy exclaimed, "What are you doing, Nick!?"
"Fluff, you can't honestly think I have that kind of self-control. If I carried you bridal style when you're as naked as a jaybird we'd never make it to the bathroom, especially with how mouth-watering your scent is right now." Poking her soft, silky tush (and grinning at her soft squeak of surprise), Nick added, "My mother is arriving all too soon, so no tempting me into pinning you to the wall."
Judy's tail twitched excitedly and brushed against Nick's ear. With a laugh, she rested her elbow against his back and propped her chin onto her palm as she asked, "So I'm tempting you?"
Nick rolled his eyes as he answered, "That has to be the dumbest question you've ever asked me." At Judy's giggle, he poked her tush again with his claw, saying, "Dumb bunny." Stepping into the shower, Nick heard Judy murmur, "Sly fox."
Dropping Judy onto the stool with her back to him, Nick let the hot water soak into her fur a minute before handing her the shampoo. Once she got a good dollop on her paw, Nick took it back and squirted some onto his larger paw. Stepping into the flow of water to block it from hitting his honeybun, Nick proceeded to massage the soap deep into the fur of her back and fluffy tail, and then rubbed the soap into the back and top of her head and up her ears.
Judy couldn't believe how good it felt to bathe with Nick. His touch was firm and fast, but thorough, so it didn't excite her as his touch did when it was slower and lighter. But it still felt amazing as he was basically giving her a deep back and head massage. Showering with Nick was better than she imagined, even if he was being silent and focused to ensure they finished on time.
Once Judy was lathered up, Nick reached up and took the showerhead off its hook (it was the kind attached to a hose) and began washing the soap from his bunny's fur. Once Judy was finished, they switched, with Judy washing Nick's tail as he washed his legs, then he crouched so Judy could reach his back while she sat on her stool. While she ran her paws through his fur (especially when she was washing his tail), Nick had to continually remind himself that his mom's train was getting closer and closer to Zootopia.
Tipping his head back so Judy could wash his ears and the top of his head, Nick murmured, "Wednesday evening can't arrive fast enough."
Judy giggled as she massaged the soap into the fur of his fluffy ears. "Wednesday feels like a century from now."
Nick nodded, then asked if she was done. At her affirmative, he began rinsing the soap from his thick fur. It took triple the time as it did Judy, even with her help in pushing the soap from his back and tail. Once his fur was free of soap, Nick turned the water off, then glanced over his shoulder at Judy with a wide smirk. "You ready?" he asked.
Judy cocked her head in question, then had to cover her face with her arms as Nick shook all the excess water from his thick, fur coat. With a shriek and a laugh, she yelled, "Ni-ick!"
Laughing himself, Nick then pushed the shower curtain aside and grabbed a towel to wrap Judy up in (her wet fur left nothing to the imagination). Setting her on the wide sink counter, Nick dried her off, then wiped the worst of the water from his own coat before turning on the furdryer, saying, "If we're going to be taking any more of these shared showers, I'm going to have to invest in a second furdryer."
Judy nodded as she giggled at the way the blast of hot air made his fur all floofy. Glancing over at Judy and seeing the amusement twinkling in her bright amethyst eyes, he turned the furdryer on her, saying, "Laugh it up, fluffball."
Judy shrieked while laughing, even as she brought her arms and legs up reflexively as the hot air suddenly hit her damp fur. They goofed around with the furdryer for a few more minutes before settling down to brush their fur into something manageable. As Nick put their brushes away, he turned to see Judy picking up the musk-neutralizing cream. With a frown, his ears immediately splayed to the side.
"Do you think I should put some more of this on?" Judy asked curiously. Although Nick's foxy scent was no longer as strong, his thick musk still coated her fur.
"Please don't," Nick murmured with a touch of desperation in his voice.
Judy's ears perked up as her gaze jumped to Nick's. Seeing Nick's distress, Judy' ears drooped in shock and worry. "Nick?"
Taking a deep breath, Nick was trying to understand what reason Judy had for wanting to completely erase his scent from her fur. He knew rabbits didn't have a strong scent themselves, so was his strong musk bothering her nose? Or was she tired of smelling like him? From the way she was talking earlier in the week, he had never got the impression that she disliked his smell on her. Rubbing his paws down his muzzle, Nick then pointed to the cream. "Why do you think you need to use that when you're staying here at the house?"
Judy flicked her ear in confusion. "Doesn't our combined scent make it harder to control yourself around me?"
Nick's ears perked up in surprise. "What!?" This was the last thing he expected Judy to say, especially since the only smell she currently wore was his. They had just showered and washed her scent off, after all.
Judy shrugged, still a little confused as she said, "Well, some of my feline friends back in Bunnyburrow said smelling their combined scents on their mates always got them excited. You both rely heavily on your sense of smell, so I just thought it might be the same." She looked down at the jar in her paw. "Was I wrong?"
Nick slapped a paw over his face. He knew rabbits didn't have a strong sense of smell, but for Judy to base a fox's scent habits off that of a cat's was ridiculous—even if foxes did have a few kitty abilities (their ability to climb and pounce being two of them). Dropping his paw, he answered, "Yes, yes you were." Tapping her pink, twitching nose with his claw, he added, "It's your scent and your scent alone which excites me."
Judy's brows creased. "Oh."
Nick nodded. "Although canids and felines share a lot of similarities, we also have a lot of differences. And even among other canids, we Red foxes stand apart." Sliding his paw up his honeybun's soft arms to rest on her shoulders, Nick explained, "Us Reds have this . . ." Nick looked towards the light-blue wall of the bathroom for a moment while trying to find the best word to describe how he was feeling. He never thought in a million years that he would need to explain fox mating habits to a rabbit. Meeting Judy's curious, amethyst gaze, he continued, "We have this—primal need—to smell our scent on our mates."
Taking a deep breath, Nick further explained, "You know us foxes don't like being pawsy with most mammals. Even with close friends we tend to keep a bit of a distance. But that doesn't apply to our mates. Rabbits, along with a lot of other species, will give engagement and wedding rings to show they are taken and are off the market. But for foxes, especially us Reds, we use our scent to proclaim to everyone that we're taken and clearly not available. The todd marks his vixen," Nick picked up his paws and wriggled his fingers to remind her of his scent glands, "and the vixen marks her todd."
Resting his paws back on Judy's shoulders, he continued, "And of course, once we perform the marriage ceremony and mark our mates with the scent gland from our cheeks," Nick tapped both sides of his cheeks to show where the glands were, "then that has its own distinct scent that clearly states to everyone that we're owned, that we belong to someone and that everyone else better keep their paws off."
Judy's mouth firmed a perfect 'O' as she processed what Nick was telling her about Red fox traditions. After the feminine movement and with so many females trying to prove they were as good as, or even better than males, she should probably feel upset to have a male claim she belonged to him. If it was a buck telling her this, Judy would probably have punched him by now and broken his nose. But this was Nick, and she wanted to be his. She wanted this wonderful, sensitive, dominant todd to stake his claim on her.
Dropping the jar onto the counter beside her, Judy slipped her paws up and around Nick's neck before growling softly under her breath, "Mine." Then she pulled him into a heated kiss. Being able to feel his fur pressed up against her own was amazing, even as she wrapped her legs around his waist and held him close. Feeling him get hard against her belly was icing on the cake.
Nick groaned into the kiss, even as his paws slid down her sides and gripped her waist, with his claws lightly picking her skin. The fact she was the one claiming he belonged to her set his instincts off in the best of ways while his biology began yammering at him to make it so. It really tested his self-control and took a colossal effort to keep his paws on her waist and not start exploring more of her soft-furred body . . . and much more.
Breaking off the kiss, he met Judy's hungry gaze with a hungry gaze of his own, even as he repeated her word, "Mine." Judy's nose was twitching as she licked her lips, then she leaned in for another heated kiss but wound-up kissing Nick's fingerpad instead. At her narrowed gaze, Nick said, "Before we get sidetracked again, just let me finish explaining what it is you're telling my instincts by erasing my scent."
Judy nodded and some of the heat and hunger left her eyes as she really wanted and needed to know what she was doing wrong. She had already erased his scent once during their first date when she used the cream after her shower. Although she already got the gist of what he was saying, Judy wanted to perfectly understand where Nick was coming from and what it meant in fox culture, more specifically, Red fox culture where they mate for life.
Taking a deep breath of her delectable scent, Nick said slowly, "When you erase my scent, especially while you're here at the house—inside my den—it's like saying you reject me as your mate, and you're telling everyone out there," Nick jerked his head towards the door, "that you're available."
Judy gasped as her paws flew to her mouth. "No! I mean . . . Nick, I'm so sorry. During our first date, I—"
Nick interrupted her by grabbing her paws and kissing her senseless. As Judy melted against him, he released her paws so he could run his own through the soft fur of her back. As his honeybun groaned into his mouth, Nick flexed his claws against her skin, causing her to tighten her paws around his neck and her legs around his waist.
Feeling himself get a little too excited, Nick pulled back so they could breathe. Rubbing his nose against hers, he murmured, "Yeah, so don't be surprised whenever you return from town and I drag you up to our room to smother you in my scent."
Judy giggled. "I'll look forward to it." Running her paws through the fur of Nick's neck, she still couldn't believe this incredible fox was really hers. That Nick wanted her as badly as she wanted him. How could she be so lucky?
Kissing her chin, Nick began peppering her jawline with small licks and kisses while muttering, "I'm beginning to regret inviting my mom tonight." Judy giggled as she tipped her head back as Nick nipped and licked his way down her throat. "I'm thinking I should've stuck with my original plan of showing up on her doorstep next weekend and surprising her."
Scratching the base of his ears, Judy murmured, "I don't think I could wait that long to marry you."
Nick laughed as he ran his nose up her throat, asking, "Who says we would have to wait?"
Judy's ears immediately perked up at the idea that Nick would have married her without her meeting his mom first if she wasn't already coming down to Zootopia. This idea left her with mixed emotions as she really wanted to be married to him now—right this minute—but at the same time, she did want to meet his mom before they literally tied the knot (the thought of Nick knotting her had a deep blush spreading up her ears).
Although she intended to marry Nick no matter what anyone said, Judy really wanted Vivian to like her and give them her blessing. With them being a pred-prey couple, her and Nick will be facing enough opposition without their parents fighting against them, too. Thinking of her own parents, Judy really hoped they could win her father over.
Standing a little straighter as his nose slid up his honeybun's chin, Nick then peered down into Judy's brilliant amethyst eyes while he caressed her bright red ears. "Come on, we need to get dressed so I can pick up my mother."
Getting dressed was a more subdued affair as Nick kept looking at the clock. After cutting the plastic off her leg, he brought Judy her box of clothes so she could find something to wear while he got dressed in a pair of light blue jeans and a black button up shirt. Turning around he saw Judy dressed in one of her country bumpkin shirts, this one a lilac colored one, and struggling to put on a pair of jean shorts, another dark blue pair.
Stepping over, he helped her with her shorts, then stole a kiss before carrying her to the bed so he could clean her wound. After washing her cut with a warm, damp washcloth, Nick carried Judy downstairs and set her on the couch. They would let the wound breathe while he picked up his mom, then Nick would rebandage it once he was back.
After bringing Judy her crutches in case she needed to get up for something, Nick stole another lingering kiss from his amazing, sweet-smelling fiancé, then grabbed his keys from their hook by the door and headed outside to the jeep.
-/-/-
Delilah Aukstas looked at the clock on her dashboard and cursed how late it was. As it was a Saturday and neither she nor her mate Landon had to be up early for work, both were loath to leave their bed this morning considering how long Landon had been gone and how uncertain the future had looked just a few days ago. But they eventually dragged themselves from bed and got ready for the day, with each of them needing to go to their respective offices (Delilah to the City Council building and Landon to Hybrid Innovations) to work on paperwork that had been piling up due to the whole Bellwether mess and the uncertainty the savage attacks caused and the legislature that Bellwether had passed or was planning to pass.
After spending several hours on the tedious paperwork, with her eyes starting to see double from the eyestrain of staring at all that small print, Delilah had eventually called it quits. Now she was looking forward to the highlight of her day. She hadn't forgotten her wish to personally thank the two smaller mammals for saving the city or seeing how close they were. Was it too much to hope that the fox and bunny would fall in love just as she had with her big, huggable, exotic Tigard? That she and Landon would no longer be alone in their pred-prey relationship?
But it was now late afternoon and she had been hoping to meet Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde much earlier than now. Turning onto Cypress Grove Lane, Delilah's ears drooped slightly as a sky-blue jeep with a hard, black top passed her as the driver turned onto Mangrove Street (the street she had just turned off of). Her sleek sedan was just a little taller than the wolf-sized jeep, but that's not what had her ears lowering. The driver of the blue jeep happened to be a fox that looked an awful lot like the picture she'd seen of Nick. Taking a deep breath, Delilah wondered where the fox was heading to and when he might be back. At least she didn't see Judy with him which meant the rabbit should still be at the house.
With her ears rising as her spirits returned, Delilah looked forward to visiting with Officer Hopps while waiting for Nick's return. She was curious to see how the small rabbit was getting on with the larger predator (though they were both quite small compared to an okapi) and wondered yet again how such a strong friendship and trust had developed between them.
Hoping to have her questions answered, Delilah read the house numbers as she drove passed them while looking for 1955. Seeing the large white house with the green and purple trim, she drove into the driveway and parked. Taking a deep breath, she flicked her large, wide ears and killed the engine as she whispered under her breath, "Well, I'm here."
WingedKatt again. I hope you enjoyed this fluffy chapter. Next chapter, Judy will have an interesting conversation with Delilah while Nick will meet his mom for the first time in almost 2 years. We'll see how it goes.
Ch. 77 will post in 2 weeks. I hope you all have a very Happy New Year and that 2021 will be a lot better than 2020 was.
PS. This will be the last long chapter I'll post for a while. In order to keep posting a chapter every two weeks, I'll have to start posting shorter chapters again. If you have any thoughts or questions, let me know.
