Where We Are Going
"I'm not."
Nick was not expecting that. His brain had checked out and the replacement didn't show up "Huh?"
"I'm not sorry that it happened. Or at least that it happened with you. Because I'm in love with you"
His heart can't decide to beat furiously or stop in shock.
"You were not.. easy to deal with when we first met, but I wasn't either. But just a few hours together and you became my best friend. We just clicked and worked so well together.. or at least I thought so. You had all these great stories about who you knew or what you did, and I didn't care if it was true or not because it felt like I could've been there with you. You can't be surprised to find out that I fell for you. I could joke around with you can not be worried about stepping on your paws, and you did the same with me. My time with you has been the most fun I have ever had."
Judy grabs his larger paw with both of her smaller ones. Her eyes never leaves his. They are searching. He never moves except to angle his ears toward her and to flick his eyes to his paw and back.
"You defended me from the Chief of Police in front of his Officers, you followed me into dangerous situations that you should never been in, you even saved my life. I handed you the application because I could not think of anything I want more than to work with you everyday. I was so happy that you were seriously considering it, but I ruined it with that stupid conference. I tried to follow you out but I got stopped, and when I got outside I couldn't find you. And after all of that, I got to be with you and I can't even remember it."
Nick can't breathe. Of course he liked her back, but he never allowed himself to hope.
Interspecies relationships were hardly seen, not because of prejudice although that is a factor, but because of the differences in traditions and practices. Miscommunications were never ending, and it took patience because being in a relationship like that it means that you basically need to learn how to be a different species.
This was not a problem or at least a big one between like-species like Jaguars and Leopards, or Foxes and Coyotes. Mixing between predators or between prey was harder depending on the species. But between predator and prey was rare, even among other interspecies. The ones who endured those trials were the ones who made the biggest strides for interspecies acceptance.
He felt like he died and went to heaven. He didn't know how long he was quiet… FUCK! Say something dumbass.
Judy felt like she was having a heart attack. She ruined everything.
He hasn't said anything.
He was frozen.
"Nick please say something." Her eyes were watery.
"Judy." A deep breath
Here it comes. She tucks her ears back, shuts her eyes, and prepares herself.
"Judy, no one has said anything that has made me happier."
Huh? One ear perks up and one eye opens.
"I said that what you said made me happy."
Judy lets the tears fall. Her smile is radiant, and she punches his arm… Hard.
"OW! What gives Carrots?" There it is. He is the only person who could get away with calling her that (Other than her Parents, Chief Bogo, etc. because she really can't do anything to them).
"You don't make someone wait that long for answer!" She reaches up to grab his shirt.
He yelps as she yanks him down and connects their lips for a kiss. He relaxes and reaches down to her waist to pull her close. He breaks the kiss to nuzzle their necks together and he rumbles in enjoyment. His tail wraps around them without his instruction. She pulls away and scratches the underside of his throat.
His eyes roll up. "That's the spot, yyeeessss. How do you even know about that?" His tail breaks the embrace to wag.
She can't hold her laughs. "There are a couple of Fox families back home. When I saw one of the older kits in town with his girlfriend and she did this to him, he ended up like you."
She continued to scratch. She watches what her claws do to him with a smile.
Nick doesn't open his eyes "His girlfriend huh?" The question doesn't need to be said.
Judys' heart flutters "Yes."
Nicks waits for a bit. "Does this mean I get to call you cute?"
"Nick!"
…
Terence had finished his rounds and was on his way to check on Nick and Judy. He really hoped that things worked out for them.
He knocks on the door before opening it. They were too busy with each other to notice.
Seems like there's a happy ever after waiting them. He sees them sharing a bed, Judy propped up against the wall and Nick is resting his head on her lap. And she is running her claws through his scalp, ears, and neck. His tail swishing with what must be bliss.
He closes the door and leaves them be. Right now, they need the peace and quiet. Because later is when their trials will start.
Two days since they received the antidote and they are all free to leave. The foyer of the Police Station was crowed with reporters, family, and friends. They all cheer when the first mammal climbs up the stairs. Flashes going off and family rushing to them. Hugs, tears, and kisses were given and returned. Parents reuniting with Sons and Daughters. Children rushing to their Mothers and Fathers.
When Nick and Judy are heading up they are concealed by the larger mammals.
Nick turns to Judy "Do you care if they know?"
She leans her head against his arm "I want them to know that I have this handsome todd wrapped around my finger." She grabs his paw.
"Ha! Oh really?" He reaches over and gives her ear a small nip. She shudders and her eyes close slightly.
She shoots her other paw out and scratches his neck "Yes really."
It doesn't disappoint "No fair. Watch, one day after I find your spot, I'll have my revenge."
She lowers her voice to where only he can hear "I can't wait."
She smirks as he chokes on his saliva.
His smirk grows once he learns how to breathe again "You know, I've been told that Foxes were good at eating cute little Bunnies."
He radiates smug as he watches her ears glow crimson as she tries to hide them.
She grows a grin before she says "I've been told that Foxes were liars, I guess you need to show me to prove it." And now it his turn to blush, but his smile never wavered.
"Just to let you know." he lets go of her paw and brings his own around to rest on her waist, hugging her to his side. They can now see over the top of the stairs, Nick waits till they can be seen. He lowers his voice to a husky whisper into her ear "Once you go red, you never leave the bed."
He watches in satisfaction as she tries hold her laugh in, but he sees that her tail is blurring side to side. He noticed that her breath hitched before she tries to contain her snorts.
Sly Fox one, flustered Bunny zero.
Stu and Bonnie found them in the crowd and move to greet them.
One reporter notices the couple. And another, and another until they all are now focusing on the two and they start moving toward the Fox and Bunny.
Bonnie was there first to reach them "C'mon Judy, we brought one of the vans. Nick, we can give you a ride home if you want."
"Actually, I'm spending the rest of the day with my Mom, but thanks for offering." Nick smiled in appreciation.
He looks at a nearby wall clock and his body sagged just a bit before he corrected his posture. "Look, I'm going to be leaving soon and before I go, I wanted to apologize again for how I acted. It wasn't right and I was taking my frustrations out on you, and you don't deserve that."
"We said that it's quite alright. You've just had a lot dumped on you all at once, it's understandable that you were a bit flustered" Stu holds out his paw for Nick to shake.
Nick grabs his paw "Still doesn't make it right."
Nick turns to Judy "I'll see you tomorrow."
She is about to say goodbye when he puts a finger to her chin, tilting it up, and steals a kiss from her. When he pulls away, she follows him to stay connected but he's too tall. He walks to the front door and before he leaves, he looks back. When he sees that she's still looking at him, he winks before disappearing outside.
They didn't even notice the reporters who are watching them.
Judy turns to her parents "What do you want for lunch?"
When Judy got home later that night, she researched about Red Fox courting traditions and practices. Judy is baffled at how many differences there are between their two species.
Like how a vixen is the one who initiates relationships. While a todd will hover around a vixen he is attracted to, never actually taking action, instead he will drive off any competition. Then there is the non verbal language that all canines use. It's a language not of words, but of scent, tail position, and combinations of yips, growls, barks, rumbles, and whines.
It's an entire language that doesn't need to be taught, it's mostly instinctual and it's the first language that pups use to communicate with. That also means that when someone wants to learn, there is no material to read from and a mammal would need to either have to get a canine to teach them. Or spend enough time to just to pick up on actions and sounds and when they are used.
Her last search: 'Tips for dating a Fox todd', yielded the most useful information.
Every site, blog, and forum stress the importance of scent things that are done with scent. Let the your significant other to mark you frequently. They may mark your clothes or other things that you often keep on you or near you. And they stress that you reciprocate those actions. It's also recommended to switch out scented shampoos for non-scented ones because it not only interferes with a mark, but also interferes with your own scent.
There were even a couple of off-paw comments about not pulling away when knotted as trying to separate could cause injury to both parties.
Most things aren't for Foxes specially but for canines in general. One thing that is more for Foxes than other canines is that it is easy for them to become jealous and territorial, and become agitated or aggressive when there is a suitor interested in a taken mate. Just a wrong look in the wrong direction could flip a switch in their head. Especially in new relationships.
What pops up more than anything else is time. Depending on the individual, courting lasts multiple years, averaging five to six.
Judy stops to think. How does the recent events that she went through affect her relationship with Nick? They seemed to skip multiple stages that normally took months or even years to overcome within weeks of even knowing each other.
She guesses it doesn't matter. She wouldn't trade what she has for anything now that she has it.
