After a couple of new titles, Nick had decided that he was too exhausted to stand being up anymore. Unfortunately, that meant that the fuzzy side that she had been laying against got up off the couch unceremoniously and spilled her into the warm void where the todd had been sitting. He had laughed at her when she blew a raspberry at him. After Nick cleaned up, he took his prescription and gave Judy everything she needed for the night.
That had been nearly three-hours before. The room was dark: only illuminated by the light of the doe's tablet as she typed out her research questions into multiple tabs. Judy let out a little giggle at the thought of being sly. She had chosen not to utilize the todd's router for her searches and possibly be discovered on a search history profile for the unit.
We're so clever. Muhaha! The inner Rebel laughed internally.
Sometimes you must outfox everybody, and I learned from the best, Judy thought.
And using the fundamentals to snoop on Nick, no less… Her appropriate-side noted with an inward giggle of her own. And what-even is the point, little Miss Hopps?
The doe frowned a bit as she corrected a mistake in her search bar, quietly berating herself but not being able to see the fault in the thought-process either. There was an undeniable amount of affection felt for Nick that Judy had not experienced for any other mammal that she had encountered before. That certainly set a precedence for doing all this research. The web yielded a plethora of information, both relevant and inadvertently convenient to know, and that brightened her mood considerably.
A list of questions became a highly-detailed list of multi-tiered answers, in her phone's notes, as she began filling in the gaps. Some things were not as easily answered. Foxes were known to be secretive mammals; so, the concepts on relationships and familial groups were categorically filed into the group of asked-and-answered by outlying species. It was all speculation. There was, on the other paw, a trove of information on red fox heritage in northeastern Europe and Japan.
Additionally, there was a ton of culinary information to draw from. Judy already knew that Nick was a good cook, but now it was up in the air on if that was entirely from his days on the streets or not. There was quite a lot on cooking fish and a lot of medically relevant files on why. A fox's eyes were as important to them as a rabbit's ears, respectively. But, that was something the doe already knew. Nick never hid the fact that he had to eat fish, but he never seemed to take much enjoyment in it. It was as if he was being far to cordial about it.
Make him some fish then and watch his brain explode! The Rebel bantered on. Watch him keep a stoic demeanor after that!
That… was not something that would be undertaken on short notice. Judy knew she would have to learn how to cook fish before anything and that would have to be done at home in Bunnyburrow. It would be hard to test without a test subject, but following the instructions close enough would help. She did not have anybody in the city she was willing to try it with considering that it would be assumed something was going on between the two.
Pushing aside that set of considerations, Judy switched back to one of the culture tabs and started looking through the cultural tabs for information on holidays. Unfortunately, that was also a dead-end. That would be something that she could talk with Nick about later. If she asked about the entirety of the secrecy, Judy imagined that the todd was quickly figure out that she had been studying.
That would be extremely embarrassing…
Or, you can be straight-up with him. With everything he's told you… Everything that he will tell you soon most likely, the Angel replied.
The giggle of embarrassment was quiet in the din as the doe rolled her eyes. Of course, that was the proper, logical thing to do. The other option was that the todd figured it out himself, being extremely smart, when she started asking questions. After that things were up in the air. There were probably as many species-specific technicalities for red foxes as there were for any other species on the planet. The thing about it was that she was well beyond worrying about their friendship. That was as solid as the terra-firma beneath their paws. The duo had been through so much since Nick had made the force… And, now, Judy Hopps was considering more.
Judy tried to take on the familial questions from another perspective. She decided to look at red fox forums for expecting mothers. She was hoping to learn more about why Nick's mother had only one kit in her litter. The only thing that she discovered was that a modern average litter size was three to four, and that two wasn't odd, but more than five was. There were notes that indicated that the litter size had shrunken over the last couple-hundred years. Aside from that, there was nothing about abnormally small litters.
The stillness of the apartment was broken by the sound of whining coming from Nick's room. The suddenness of the foreign sound caused her ears to go on the alert, swiveling quickly to her left as she tossed the pad away from her.
"No!" She whispered urgently.
Her paws carried her over to the door and opened it quickly. The broomstick was ignored as she entered the gently lighted room. Nick had mentioned putting in nightlights so that, if she needed to enter, she wouldn't be entirely blind moving around. It did not entirely help considering that she had been using her tablet in the pitch dark of the living room all night. Once Judy's eyes adjusted, she could see the todd's struggling form in the bed. Again, her paws led it forward until she climbed into the bed with him.
"Nick. I'm right here." The doe said kindly, crawling up near his head. It still the whines and growls for a moment.
Nick's nose twitched in earnest, seeking out the new scent on the environment around him. Judy reached out with a paw to brush the bridge of his nose carefully, letting the subconscious know how close she was to him. At the touch, his whines picked up in a higher tone of distress. Moving behind Nick's head, Judy continues running her paws over his forehead before transitioning to his ears. A wordless song bubbles up from her throat as she begins to hum. The todd quieted for a bit while she gave him a needed form of distraction. Unfortunately, it did not last but five-minutes before that deep growl emanated from Nick's chest again.
"Nick," Judy leaned into to whisper in his ear. "It's Judy. I'm right here."
There was a sharp whine that followed. A sad smile creased her lips as she carefully wrapped his neck in her arms and she gently pulled his head into her lap. She was not worried about Nick biting her due to his interest in the doe's scent. The sudden addition of it in his subconscious was probably causing him to search her out. So, Judy continued brushing his ears and whispering comforting words. Nick's warmth steadily seeped into her lap and stomach while her lips brushed the fur on the back of his ear with every word spoken and Judy felt him still against her frame.
For a moment, at least. His body went rigid after a deep breath.
"Judy!" Nick's voice coughed out before his eyes shot open.
The doe held his head close to her, continuing to whisper in Nick's ear until she noticed that his eyes were darting around the room. The scent of violets had permeated the sheets and her clothes due to the nervous perspiration that he was giving off.
"Carrots! Dammit!" Nick whispered hoarsely.
"I didn't even need the broom, dumb fox." She replied softly, unaware that she was still petting his head to keep him calm.
"I can see that…" He said tersely. "Are you alright? What happened? Why did you come in here?"
He began scenting the room erratically to make sure that the inking of blood in his mind was not actually in the room with them. The ear that Judy was whispering near kept getting caught in his ear movements at the same time.
"You started having the nightmare. I didn't mean to wake you, but I wasn't going to sit by. And, everything's fine…" Her voice was so soft. "Nick?"
"Yeah?"
"We're going to go to that place. You and me. OK?" She said seriously.
"That was for a conversation for later." He muttered dryly.
Judy watched as Nick's tail flickered underneath the sheet. It was the first that she noticed Nick's shirtless torso which stirred a gentle blush. The todd blew out a gentle sigh as he closed his eyes again.
"I'm not going to let you wait that long. We'll do it today. I'll help you move." There was a kindness in her the words that she spoke. She was entirely serious about this.
She felt Nick's lips curl into a gentle smile as he scoffed. "Geez… You're going to make me work on my day off? That's just cruel, Carrots." He said.
Judy continued to brush the fur over the top of his head and ears until the todd had completely calmed down. His heart-rate back to a slow thrum in her ears. It seemed as if Nick was too tired to attempt to physically distance himself to a proper level, but she still did not want him to feel uncomfortable about the situation that she was putting him in.
"Do you need anything, Nick?" Judy asked finally. "And, where's your pillow?"
There was another, larger huff of air expelled from the todd as his eyes opened again. Judy thought that he might have been trying to control the constriction in his eyes. It was obvious that he would awaken that way considering the stress put on his mind during sleep.
"I shred them when I'm asleep. I only afford myself so many a month now." Nick sighed. "I don't need anything... You are going to need a deep fur cleansing to get the smell out, though."
Judy could not help but laugh a bit at that, leaning against the headboard and gently tugging on the fox's neck to urge him back against her. Making no reply, she heard Nick chuckle but also follow her invitation.
"Your parents are going to be pissed if they come to find you're using my delicious foxy musk to ward away potential suitors." He said sagely. "Mama Hopps will put a whoopin' on you."
"Maybe there's a secondary point of having them mind their own business, hm? Serendipity knows that I love them, but if they try to set me up with one more buck-toothed farmer, I'm going to have some choice words for them." Judy replied seriously, still laughing regardless.
"I'm literally going to hedge my bets there." He replied.
Judy grew a little nervous as she watched Nick begin to curl up around himself. A nagging question that she had sit on the tip of her tongue.
"What did you see, Slick?" She finally uttered.
"Just smoke and the sounds. Didn't see a thing…" Nick said tentatively.
The doe quietly wiggled around until she was behind Nick's head and laid down to wrap him up.
"What are you doing, Fluff? You have to go to sleep." Nick wondered aloud.
"I am, right here. Get some more rest, Nick. I'll keep you safe." She replied, resuming her efforts of petting his ears softly.
"Judy…" He whispered, obviously starting to succumb again.
"Do you trust me, Nick?"
The todd turned his head back enough to look at her with an eye before whispering back.
"With every thread of my soul, Fluff." He said, the reverence in his tone causing her to hug his neck tightly against her body.
Moments later, Nick was fast asleep again. It took Judy another hour, finally feeling comfortable that he was not about to slip back into the dreamscape that haunted him, and she also fell asleep.
...
The sun filtered into the room as time slipped by the city. Eventually making its way to a section of the blinds that dulled the rays against the doe's face. Judy's face scrunched up as her brain began to boot-up for the day. It was noted that it was roughly mid-morning and that it was very warm in the room. After a moment, her ears perked up to gain more information about the room around her while her violet eyes readied themselves to open. Before she could, her mouth opened with a very unladylike lawn and her paws stretched out to loosen the tightened muscles in her shoulders and back.
The room looked as warm as it felt when she finally opened her eyes and she felt as if she was surrounded in the soft, rumbly substance that was Nick Wilde. Taking in her surroundings better, she found that Nick had turned and curled around her at some point. There was no helping the intense blush that overtook her face and ears as she watched the todd's face. He had somehow managed to scoot his shoulder underneath the doe without waking her up. His tail had curled up tight so that it laid over her form and kept her from getting a chill.
Oh… We are so in trouble… the voice of her Optimism sighed internally.
A foxy heaven indeed, the lusty Rebel agreed.
Judy's brow rose in quiet agreement regardless of the burning sensation in her cheeks. It was an undeniable fact that the todd's endearing nature tended to rev her engine. Carefully, she slipped her phone out of the pocket on her shorts and noted that it was nearly 8-o'clock in the morning. It was the perfect time to get to work on moving Nick out of the apartment complex. But, the todd's sunlit face had her distracted.
Serendipity, he's gorgeous.
And, before Judy knew it, her paw was slowly reaching over to feel the warm breathes that were being purred out from pointy snout. She gently reached his muzzle and began running her furred paw over him: smoothing out the errant tufts of fur as her paw made it to his brows and over his pinned ears. The purring ratcheted up a notch at the attention and it brought a smile to Judy's face. It sent her heart soaring to know that he would not wake up from the nightmare this morning. Judy really did not want him to wake up yet. But, the thought whisked-away like smoke as Nick's eyes popped open: despite the seemingly harsh light. The suddenness of his awakening halted the content purring. His eyes were slitted as they looked around at his surroundings.
"Good morning, Slick." She said softly.
"Fluff," The todd said, uncurling a bit to look at her properly. "How'd you get in there?"
Judy could not help but giggle before eagerly digging her paws into his side, ruffling the coat of orange fur ecstatically.
"I helped you get back to sleep. Then, I guess, I fell asleep and got caught. You're like an electric blanket. And, you rumble!" The doe laughed.
Nick began to grumble as he reached out and ruffled her ears firmly, causing her to squeak embarrassingly. "Foxes purr on occasion, dumb bunny." He said with a gentle smile.
"You've never done that around me before, though." Judy commented, watching at the todd looked away. His ears growing a little red before he could hide it from her. He offered no explanation.
Carefully, the todd uncurled himself and stretched out from underneath the sheet to stretch out his aching back. Judy couldn't help but stare at Nick's rolling form. Her own blush did indeed intensify. He was wearing shorts, and boxers from the edges that peeked out from them, but his torso was uncovered. Some of his fur was matted and some of it was stuck out at various angles. The doe probably would have laughed if it hadn't been so intimate to see firsthand. Nick hopped out of bed and walked over to grab a black t-shirt off the nearby chair.
"Are you alright? I didn't hurt you while you were wrapped up, did I?" He asked, pulling the shirt over himself before turning around to face her.
Judy looked down at herself and gave herself a pat down. Nothing was sore or stung at the touch, so she knew that Nick had not managed to inadvertently hurt her.
"I'm all good, Nick." Judy said with a bright smile. "Go get cleaned up. We have to talk to Tracy this morning."
Nick chuffed at the thought. "She'll be by shortly, I imagine. Are you sure you don't want the bathroom first, though?" He inquired.
"Go ahead, Slick. I'll take a shower after you… if that's alright." She responded.
Nick nodded once and grabbed up a pair of jeans before trekking to the bathroom to take care of his morning routine. Judy quickly hopped out of the bed once she heard the bathroom door close, turning into a gray tornado as she collected up her things and readied her daywear, and bathroom bag. Once she was done, she hustled over to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast. Whipping up enough of an egg and cheese omelet for them both, she still heard the shower running and then a swift knocking on the door. Judy chuckled, knowing that it was Tracy outside. Running over to the door, she unlocked and opened it.
"Judy!" The squirrel said happily. "Good morning! It's so good to see you!"
"It's good to see you, as well, Tracy. Come on. Nick's in the shower right now. Come sit down and I'll make you some food." The doe replied.
The squirrel shot out and hopped up on the island counter like normal. Once she was comfortably sitting, cross-legged, she began eyeing Judy with a distinctly focused gaze. After a moment, the smaller mammal broke out in a chittering fit of laughter.
"Y'know, Nick's always harping on me for 'getting squirrelly', but it smells like you are getting neck deep in that foxy goodness." Tracy finally stated bluntly.
Doing her best to combat the mistake of falling into the trap, Judy busied herself with another omelet for the landlord. It was a trick that Nick had inadvertently been teaching her because, on occasion, she could be so gullible. If you learn from the sly fox, you will be able to tighten down on those mannerisms.
"I was helping Nick with his new medication. I ended up fall asleep while warding the nightmares away." Judy admitted shortly, carrying the plate of food over to Tracy.
Not one to be deterred, Tracy grinned innocently. "Like… bow chicka help, Chica? Because that usually does do the trick with a lot of males." She said with a giggle.
Judy blushed as she began to eat her own portion, shaking her head as her ears tucked against the back of her head. Given the situation, Judy could not help but feel a little annoyed by the suggestive notion. However, the doe made sure to be kind about refuting.
"You should know better than that after making that offer to Nick. Besides, it's not like that." Judy said firmly.
"Judy," Tracy said firmly, causing the doe to look up from her plate. "I'm rooting for you, girl. I might joke around as much as Nick, but I'm rooting for you. And, don't try to play dumb. Just because Nick's blind, or uncertain about moving forward, doesn't mean that every other mammal around you both is."
"I don't even know if he's interested… If he was, I think he have made a move already." Judy muttered.
That brought on another bout of humor-filled laughter from the squirrel, making Judy feel a little indignant about it.
"Sweetheart, here's a clue." Tracy finally whispered, looking over her shoulder to make sure the shower was still running. "Todds don't make the first move in fox relationships. The biological chivalry, if you will, is strong with them. And, I can tell you that if you slept where I think you slept, he's interested. Foxes are fiercely territorial of their immediate den space. You didn't get kicked out of his home completely, soooo…"
The newfound information startled Judy as badly as hearing the shower shut off in the other room. Tracy was trying to act as innocent as she could while eating her meal quietly. The diminutive squirrel knew that the bunny doe was probably having trouble figuring red fox culture points out and she was not above lending a paw.
"That being said… I wanted to talk to you," Judy said, finally managing to change the subject. "I want to know if we can get Nick moved into that house you spoke about today. I want him in a safe place while we work through these issues. And, I'll be joining him on the lease."
Judy was surprised to find that Tracy stood up with a smile on her face. The smaller mammal came over to her and gave the taller rabbit a hug. Once she was done conveying her sentiments to Judy, Tracy took a key out of her pocket and passed it over.
"Take care of him, Judy. And, chase him until you grab that foxy tail. Karma knows, if I were bigger, I would." She giggled lasciviously, causing Judy to guffaw at the bluntness. "You two get moved in, finalize everything on your end and then come see me. The cost will be two-thousand a month and I'll have the paperwork drawn up by the time I see you again. I know it sounds low, but once I get more tenants in here, it'll be alright. Utilities covered. The lights, water, internet, and trash are already set."
"Thank you, Tracy. And, happy birthday, by the way." Judy replied softly.
"Thank you. And, thanks for the cake. I loved Nick's dorky card. Let him know I said so. I've got to split for now." Tracy said, patting the doe's paw before hopping off the counter and exiting the apartment in a rush. Judy noticed that she was smiling the whole time.
Judy quickly hopped out of her seat and ran over to the bathroom door, using her paw to eagerly bang on it while her ears were held high in happiness.
"Nick! Your food is getting cold and I have news!" She said loudly.
The todd laughed from inside the bathroom. "Geez, Carrots. Don't get your ears in a knot. Let me put some pants on, at least." He replied.
Spinning on her paw, Judy blushed again and headed back to the kitchen; remembering that she had not set the coffeemaker up so that Nick would have something with his breakfast. It was not quite done before Nick stepped out of the bathroom in his black shirt and faded jeans. He looked surprised to find that there was in fact breakfast waiting for him on the table. Quietly, he took a seat and began eating while Judy readied a cup of coffee and brought it to him.
"You didn't have to make me anything, Judy. Thank you." He said before taking a sip, looking at her over the rim of the mug.
"Of course, I would make you food while feeding myself, dumb fox. Thanks for letting me steal your food." Judy deflected, giggling happily. "Now! I have news! You missed Tracy, but everything's set!"
The todd blinked a couple of times in confusion before continuing to eat; clearly waiting for Judy to continue her giddy explanation.
"We have that place that you told me about. The rent's two-thousand a month. She wants us to get sorted out in it before coming and seeing her for the paperwork." Judy explained, pulling the key out and passing it to him tentatively.
Nick took the key and rolled it over in his paw. There was a definite look of surprise on his face and his ears flicked a little in his uncertainty. Nick's tail seemed to like the idea, at least from what Judy could tell. It was swaying in a higher rate-of-speed than usual.
"And, she said to say that she loved your dorky card. I don't know if she got into the cake yet." Judy continued, trying to break the todd out from his mental considerations.
Sure enough, up came those emerald eyes. The suddenness of it caught Judy off-guard. If there was ever a body of water that she could fall into, it was those eyes. And, it was a long fall. A split of a second later, Nick took another sip of his coffee.
"You're serious about this, huh?" He finally asked.
"Of course, I am, Slick. The new place that I've been in isn't much better than the shoebox that I started out in. And, I want to help you out. There's no better way than to go halves on this place." Judy said adamantly. The todd was about to open his maw to say something, but the doe read his thoughts. "Don't even think about saying you'll take care of it. You said you couldn't on your own."
Nick's maw snapped shut at that, rolling his shoulders as he considered the key again. One full second later, the key was on the counter and he drained the contents of his coffee mug. Judy watched every movement until he finally nodded his head once.
"Alright, Fluff. If you're sure."
"I am. I'll certainly be closer to the Precinct now and we'll always have each other's backs, this way." She replied with a firm nod, trying to hide her tail's excited wiggling.
"Go take a shower. I'll have another cup of coffee and get some boxes loaded up." Nick told her softly.
She nodded again and quietly left the todd to his coffee. After collecting up her items, she went into the bathroom. Quickly, she undressed and got into the stream of water coming from the showerhead. The feeling of the hot water drained her of an underlying layer of tension, though she was still worried.
It's not like Nick to just give in so easily to things, the Concern whispered.
Hope chimed in with a placation. He's simply come to terms that we're in it together. Nick believes that we will always be there and is willing to take to the next level of trust.
Judy hummed in agreement while listening in, gently beginning to rub soap into her fur to clean off the sweat from being so warm earlier in bed.
There is the idea that he might be interested… As Tracy said. Now, he'll have a dedicated den and be sharing it with us, Hope continued in a giddy manner.
Her paws roamed down her legs and worked the soap deep. It helped ease a dull ache in her tendons while thinking about what to do with Nick. The doe had been in a couple of dates in high-school, but always because a buck had asked her. Never had she been interested in a mammal, and not one that had specific traditions dictating conduct between the sexes.
But, who knows? If he's interested, then maybe he's doing as much research as I am, Judy thought more to herself than any of the Council.
You're assuming he would be able to overcome his biological nature to let you decide… Concern muted her idea.
Judy's mind wandered to visuals of the russet todd after he got out of bed and her body slowly started humming underneath her paws. The doe gently leaned back against the cool tile wall and an errant paw gently found that slick flower between her thighs. Desire and frustration began mixing – stemming from how long it had been since she last was able to take care of herself – as the free paw found her breast and began kneading in tempo with upward hooking against her clitoris.
I ran headlong into those two cases, so why am I hesitating now?! She admonished herself.
With a careful manipulation, Judy raised a hindpaw against the opposite wall while exposing her clit to the warmth of the shower. Once she was anchored again, the frustration took a heavier roll in the ministrations to her body. The wave was about to crest already which caused her to drive for it harder. Judy fell deeper into the daydream as the pressure against her back felt more like the heavier body of the todd himself.
"Oh, Nick…" She whispered urgently.
The pain from biting her lip, so as not to cry out, was ignored as her free paw shot down to switch against her clit while the original troublemaking paw urgently dipped two-digits inside. The resulting and sudden penetration caused the wave to break and her mind to flash behind closed eyelids. The rouge paw decided that it was not enough yet and continued to stretch her until a second orgasm crashed through Judy's mind. Her other paw was gently and slowly circling her clitoris against the drumbeat of the water. It was reassuring. That feeling caused her to swear, by all of Serendipity's grace, that Nick was tenderly taking her – as his doe – while gently cooing his love for her in her ear.
Finally, Judy managed to gasp out her held breath. She slowly continued to work on her soft lips while coming down from the orgasmic high until it completely faded. Sitting down on the ledge of the tub, she began to soap herself down again to wash away as much of the pheromone trace as she could. After he was done, she shut off the water and proceeded to dry off before dressing. Judy opened the door, once she was decent, to drain the steam from the confinement of the room and began packing up all the bathroom amenities that Nick had.
"Geez, Fluff. It looks like you're about to make some grand entrance on a rabbit wrestling stage with all of that steam." Nick called at her.
Still somewhat breathless, Judy simply smiled instead of offering an immediate verbal reply: running her paws back to brush her ears aside. Her poor ears had not done a thing to expend energy but seemed so exhausted in their own way. Only once she was fully collected did she speak.
"You're one to talk, Slick! You always look like you'd been in a sauna!"
A barked laugh came from outside. "Well, foxes were made by the devil, so we have to abide by the rule of making it seem like Hell follows with us everywhere we go." He joked back.
The doe rolled her eyes and carried all the bathroom goods out to the kitchen. Because the apartment had come fully furnished, Nick only had so much to move. It actually seemed to Judy that the todd's musical interests took up the most space. That being his guitars and record collection. Eventually, they took the first sets of boxes downstairs and Nick asked her to watch his old square-body pickup while he unloaded the apartment. With a calm smile, he informed her that she would not be allowed to assist in unloading the apartment.
Once the todd was finished loading the truck, they both loaded up and headed down the street until they reached a two-story house with a small driveway leading back to a garage behind the residence. After parking the vehicle, they got out and gave the outside a once-over. Nick seemed satisfied despite not saying anything for a few moments.
"Alright, Fluff. Do the honors." The todd finally commented.
Judy could not hold back a grin as she bounced up to the back door and opened it quickly. She proceeded inside while Nick ambled in behind her. The downstairs contained a kitchen and washroom in the back, a living room in the front with the downstairs office adjacent. There was also a full bathroom next to the office. The stairwell led up to the two proper bedrooms with another full bathroom between them. Off of the front, there was a deck so that one could sit outside and watch the sunset in the evenings.
She could not help but bounce around the house eagerly to take in all of the sites within. Judy finally found the fox staring at her with a gentle smile on his face. He had his thumbs hooked in his pockets while he leaned back against the wall.
"Go ahead and pick out your room. If you feel like you want a little more space, I'll rotate the other room's furniture with the office and take the downstairs." Nick suggested gently, raising a paw towards the rooms.
Judy's smile faltered a little and she blinked while processing the statement. There was no reason for such measures, but she could see where the offer would be polite.
"Why would we go through all that trouble, Nick?" Judy asked.
"Well… There might be some secret Hopps Family nudism provision… and, I don't want to have you forget about cohabitating one night and get startled when I go down in the middle of the night to get a sandwich during a bathroom trip." Nick chuckled, seeming to have felt a little awkward in the moment. Thus, he defaulted to humor.
"Oh!" Judy exclaimed, turning up the humor herself. "That's only allowed at the Burrow."
The look on Nick's face was priceless as he balked. Judy kicked herself mentally for not having her phone ready to take a picture. Hook, line, and sinker, the doe thought was a laugh.
"I'm kidding, dumb fox." Judy said after a moment, spinning around to take a look into the front room of the floor.
That room was a little big for how few items that she had, even now after two-years of being in the city, but it was going to see the most sun during the early morning. Foxes, and especially Nick, held a high desire for darker rooms in that morning light. There was one less window in the room past the bathroom, so she decided.
"I'll take this one so that you don't get overwhelmed by the sun, if that's alright?" She asked politely.
He nodded. "Of course. Whatever you fancy. Let me check the room in the back and I'll consider what I need for guitar space. If worst comes to worst, I'll ask for a wall in the office downstairs to hang them." Nick explained.
Judy's emotional response was instantaneous at that. The doe shook her head and walked over to Nick, taking his paw firmly in hers, she led him back downstairs and into the living room.
"No, Nick," She said with a huff. "I want you to hang them in here, like you did in the apartment. You're not going to store them. You're going to display them in a fashion where you can quickly access them for use."
Nick looked around, taking in the fact there seemed to be enough room on the walls around in the room for them all. There would not be much space after the fact. They would fill in the remaining space around the furnishings. Judy's eyes roamed over the russet todd as he looked around. His paws were sunk in the pockets of his jeans while the white tip of his tail flicked back and forth wearily.
"It's where they belong, Nick." Judy said, her tone softening considerable.
The todd turned around sharply, looking at Judy with the softest of smiles on his lips. He gave a polite nod of affirmation and quietly walked out towards the backdoor. Judy quietly followed and watched as Nick made it to the truck to begin unloading the boxes onto the pavement. The Council, in her head, began making a bit of a ruckus.
You all are so unruly today… Judy thought openly. She was still content with watching Nick through the window as he carefully pulled his guitars out of the back of the pickup's cab, two-by-two.
He's probably a little overwhelmed, Concern voiced.
And, yet… he's so stoic and seems to be adapting quickly to all of this, Hope mentioned.
It's so carrot-pickin' hot… The Rebel commented bluntly.
Before that discussion could proceed any further, and with her earlier event pestering the back of the mind, Judy darted out of the kitchen to help the todd properly. Hopping off the porch, Judy approached the truck and took up a couple of boxes to bring them in. Nick had a couple of his guitar cases in paw and followed her in. They quietly shuttled everything into the living room at his behest.
Nick pulled his keys out of pocket and spun them around on a digit. "C'mon, Fluff. It's your turn," He pointed out. "You take care of the landlord and any paperwork, and I'll get you packed up."
Judy's ears perked up and a shy smile appeared. The todd was regarding her carefully, his own ears were set forward and that fluffy tail had slowed its "gait" in anticipation of her response.
"And, I promise, I'll avoid looking through your lacy bits." Nick said with a polite grin.
The doe laughed in her embarrassment, knowing that she had several nice pieces that would have made her redder than a tomato if Nick had seen them. He was amusing her, but he was also serious. He would not go snooping about and probably would not handle anything even with permission.
"Of course. Let's go." Judy said with a proper smile, diverting her eyes a little at the thought.
The drive to her apartment was a way's past where Nick had been residing, so the trip took several more minutes. Once they were there, they piled out of the square-body. Judy passed the keys off to Nick and headed for the landlord's office while Nick went to gather her things into the moving totes that were in the closet of her apartment.
After collecting the difference and the security deposit, the landlady said that she would check the apartment over later on in the day and call the doe. She was not worried about the condition due to who the tenant was and felt comfortable with writing the check. With the finalization of the paperwork complete, Judy walked the stairs up to her apartment and found Nick quietly packing. He had actually managed to do most of the work while she was away.
"I hope you don't mind, I assumed that the sexy stuff was in the drawers, so I packed the closet already." Nick explained.
Judy stepped inside with a giggle. "Well, you assumed correctly. And, thank you for the closet." She said.
"I could… step out if you want to exfiltrate those delicate bits and any other paraphernalia that you have hidden in there." Nick said with a cheeky grin.
"And, what else would be in there aside from my undergarments, Mister Wilde?" Judy asked firmly, a smile playing on her own lips.
Nick quickly picked up a couple of lighter totes with a chuckle.
"I make no further attempt to sink into the mud there." He said before whisking the totes out of the apartment. He could not resist shooting a wink her way despite himself.
Judy let her laugh follow that fluffy tail out through the doorway before turning to knock out the packing of the dresser. Like Nick's, her apartment was already furnished, so it was a simple thing to pack her property up and leave. After she was done and had put all of the totes near the door, Judy collected a broom and quickly swept up. Once Nick had returned, the remaining containers were carried out to the truck.
"Everything went alright, I take it." Nick commented, resting an elbow on the door to prop up his head.
Judy looked over and nodded as Nick regarded her. It was well after noon and Nick already seemed worn out. The dishevelment could be attributed to all of the lifting that the todd had done. But, he seemed in need of more sleep.
"It did, Nick. Thank you." She said softly. "Are you alright, though?"
The russet-furred todd nodded with a light smile creased on his lips, watching as the pedestrians crossed in the walk before them. The sun was high: probably putting the time around 2:00 P.M., if she had to guess. So, Judy watched as Nick took in his surroundings. It was a fact that he never really had the opportunity to drive while on patrol due to her seniority, so it was rare for her to see this side of his surveillance of others.
Nick was set in a loose posture in his seat, ears forward and tail gently flicking against the shifter, and his eyes were what was set in the alert posture. Those emerald eyes darted between each sidewalk and out three or four car-lengths to watch the cars. It was not just because he did not want to hit anything. Nick's constricted pupils told Judy that he was actively searching for threats. Judy left it alone and continued to observe the behavior. The todd was turning out to be a shoo-in for driving their patrol vehicle.
He pulled the truck into the drive after the last mile. The keys gently tinkled against his claws before he turned them back and withdrew them from the ignition. Popping the door handle, he stepped out slowly before gently shutting it again. Judy stepped out while watching Nick look down the driveway and up into the yard.
"I need a minute, Carrots." He said, taking off towards the back of the yard.
Judy hopped out of the truck and slowly followed him across until she found herself sitting on a swing set that was there. Nick stood out beyond the set and turned around with his eyes closed. The backyard was full of tended flowers and pruned trees along the edges of the fence and within the yard. Nick stood near a vented burn barrel near the fence and he seemed to be taking in all of the scents and sounds of the surrounding area. The todd's nose was far more sensitive than the Judy's and that intrigued her to no end: she was so curious about what he could smell. After a moment, his eyelids rolled open so that his eyes to read a complementation of what he was scenting.
"Damn, Carrots…" He said, looking around the area a bit more.
"Do you like it?" Judy inquired, looking around at the house.
"Of course. It's a little startling due to the short notice, but it is… nice." He stated before rolling his eyes. "I wasn't talking about that, though. I was talking about all that homework of yours that I had to pack up."
Judy's eyes shot open before she raised a paw to hide her embarrassment. She had completely forgotten about all of that stuff from the "investigation".
"Always one to hit with the 'deadpan snarker' routine…" She replied admonishingly.
"I do what I can." Nick said firmly, winking as he did deadpan.
The todd drew his gaze around the yard, smiling a bit more as he calmed down. The emerald in his eyes was starting to diminish a bit as the dilation returned, however there was a brightening glimmer in them. Judy took a moment to listen to the leaves in the trees as the wind blew through them. The warmth against her back and ears came from the waning light: the sun was starting to fall behind the high clouds on the horizon. It smelt to her like it was going to rain. Nick's upward turned snout visually admitted that he thought much of the same.
"Go ahead and get your bed set up, Carrots. I'll shuttle everything up to you before the storm rolls in." Nick said, giving her a gentle push on the swing. "We'll go see Tracy tomorrow to take care of the paperwork. I need to rest this evening.
"Sounds good!"
Immediately hitting the end of the arc, Judy jumped off of the swing and laughed before running inside to get unpacked. She could hear Nick chuckling and knew that his eyes were on her. The feeling made her even happier as she waved him forward.
Forty-minutes later, Nick had completely unloaded the truck and locked it up for the night. He ended up spending a bit of time unpacking the food into the fridge while she sneakily made up his bed for him: like her mother always did for the doe herself. Judy left a spare pillow on the todd's bed but held off on leaving some of her plush rabbits for him. Fortunately, she had always hidden the small fox plush of hers in the drawers when she was away or knew that Nick would be coming over. The embarrassment would be worse than if he had found all her enticing undergarments. Eventually, he would find out that Judy slept with it in paw at night when they were separated, but that would come later on if she pursued her interest in him.
With a high-pitched laugh, she ran out of her room and slid down the railing of the stairs. A happy hop after she made it down brought her into the living room where Nick was resting in a recliner. The doe remembered having heard hammering from downstairs while she was making the bed. It seemed that Nick had carefully hammered mounts into the wall so that his guitars could hang. He had also opened a couple of the cases. He was focused on that task, but his ears were angled towards the sound of her laughter from the hall.
"Can I help out?" Judy asked happily, raising a paw at the wall.
Nick let out a breath and laid back in the chair to rub his maw contemplatively. It looked like his eyes were bothering him a bit by the way he would slowly blink.
"Why don't you put them up?" He suggested with a smile.
"What? Are you sure?" Judy asked eagerly, looking around at all of the guitars.
"Go ahead. Think of them like puzzle pieces and fit them the way you think is best on the wall."
The doe nodded eagerly, but carefully took up the guitar that they had spoken about the day before. Judy could have been practical, as she had lived her life, in the placement of the guitars. There were specific ones that she could tell Nick used more than others. However, specific spots called out for specific guitars in her mind, so she placed the decorated acoustic at head-height closer to the television stand. Next came the electric guitar that he had played on. As she went to pick that guitar up, Judy noticed that Nick had reclined a little and closed his weary eyes as he waited. His fluffy tail had draped itself over his lap in the process.
"Do you know how to tell the difference between the acoustics and the electrics, Fluff?" He asked quietly.
"Just that you can find the amp plugs in the electrics. I've seen most of those be thinner in the body than the acoustics." She replied.
Nick simply hummed in affirmation, though Judy assumed there were exceptions to the rules.
"Do they have names?" Judy asked, looking around for the third guitar that she wanted.
"No. I don't name them."
"Why not?" Judy inquired further, somewhat surprised.
"You're the second to have ever seen them and you'll eventually surpass Finn in how often. I've never had a reason to or seen a reason to." The todd explained with a sheepish grin. "I can explain each of their histories in case you ever have to grab one for me for some reason."
"Please?"
"Of course. So, over in that corner," Nick said, raising a digit towards the back corner of the room. "There's a case covered in stickers. It was my father's acoustic. A redwood with silver accenting parts. My mother gave it to me after his death. The decorated piece, that caught your eye yesterday, was the first acoustic that I bought myself. I think I was fifteen when I made that purchase. The one that I played on yesterday was my first electric and I bought that to, sort of, commemorate my first year in Mister Big's employ. The others I picked up over time simply because they were beautiful pieces of art to me. I haven't had the time to expand my collection since some crazy cute bunny hopped into my life, though. We could name them if you want…"
Judy's eyes tracked to each of the specific guitars as Nick explained the history behind them. The doe did agree that the later pieces were quite beautiful: each having to come with a pretty decent price tag. A laugh did escape her at the compliment, as well. She would surprise Nick with names later and over time after making some considerations.
"Do you play anything on your father's guitar?" Judy asked, taking it out of the case with extra caution.
"No. I haven't played on it since I bought mine. It's a memento that I play to with my acoustic on occasion. Like I'm playing for my father across from me…" He whispered before raising his voice back up. "I always thought I would give it to my future son as his first instrument, y'know. My grandfather bought it for my father, John, when he was younger."
The Council of Judy's fawned over the thought and she smiled at the sweetness of the sentiments shared. No matter what he said, Nicholas Wilde would be an amazing father. Judy had seen enough of that proof in the school visits that they were occasionally assigned to. The kits were always highly receptive to the todd's suave demeanor and his eagerness to answer their questions. Unfortunately, Nick would always downplay any received compliments as the kits' joy was "likely due to his notoriety" since the mayoral corruption cases.
"That's an amazing idea, Nick. I'm sure you'll get that opportunity." Judy stated firmly, a smile overwhelming her face.
After a few minutes, Judy managed to put all of the guitars on the wall in the manner that she thought was befitting and stood the cases up near the entryway.
"Take a look, Nick."
The todd raised up in his seat and opened his eyes. All of his guitars adorned the wall around the television stand. Judy had placed his father's guitar in a stand, that she had found, prominently in the corner as if it was the centerpiece of his collection.
"It's perfect, Judy." He finally managed to say.
The doe chuckled and made a show of blowing on her tiny claws, dusting them off in mock self-appreciation. It made Nick laugh as he stood up.
"All due to those hundreds and hundreds of siblings that I had to help move around all of the time." She said with a giggle.
"I have no doubt," He shot back with a grin. "Alright. It's going to be an early day tomorrow. We'll see Tracy early and then there's a place I want to take you. For now, I'll order some food and then hit the sack. Sound good?"
"That sounds wonderful, Nick. What are we doing tomorrow, though?" Judy inquired eagerly.
"It's a secret." Nick laughed as he walked into the kitchen.