Chapter Twenty-Five

In Somnis Veritas

The sky was clear, the winds high and Judy Hopps was up on deck. She had a mop and bucket, and had to wash the entire ship before nightfall — nightfall would soon be upon her, but she only had a little more deck to clean up. Around her, all the other mammals were busy doing much more important jobs, but she didn't mind, in fact, she was happy. Everyone had told her that a bunny would never make it on the open sea: It was far too much of a dangerous place. There was also the fact the she was a femammle. The galleon she was serving on — the Mary Rose — had over fifty crewmammals, but she was the only femammle. Besides, most captains didn't even allow fememmle on board.

Ooh... the Captain.

Just the thought of him made her head dizzy and her heart a flutter. He, was a fox, tall and handsome with fur the deepest of reds. Whenever she was lucky enough to hear his voice calling across the length of the boat, her ears would prick straight up, yearning to soak up more, every syllable bringing her pleasure. She stopped mopping the wooden floor in a light daze as she fantasized about the Captain. She knew he would never even second-glance a lowly crewmammal like herself, but that hadn't stopped her from falling for him.

...Whenever the chance arose for her to actually see him. She would nearly faint from the bliss. She found ecstasy in everything about him. She could see his smile from the other end of the ship on a bright day, his teeth glistening in the sun. His bushy red tail looked smooth, well brushed and silky, yet warm and hopelessly soft. His swagger did things to her she could neither explain nor understand. But over everything, there were his eyes.

His eyes. Judy had never spent much time looking into his eyes, as she was always too abashed to look directly at him and had never really spoken to him — but she knew they were one of his most amazing features. That said, she found everything about Captain Wilde pretty amazing: the fine red and gold silks he wore; the crimson, broad-brimmed hat with the large red feather in it; his high leather boots, satin trousers, the way he walked, the way he talked.

Her pulse quickening, she pulled the bucket of water off to one side near the edge of the galleon and started to mop there. She wasn't allowed onto the quarterdeck, where he spent nearly all his time — so her glimpses of him were rare and fleeting — but, if she was incredibly lucky, if she would stay just 'here', and looked—

Yes! Yes, oh yes, oh yes!

There he was, him, Captain Nicholas Wilde of the Mary Rose.

Oh how she adored him.

He was stood gracefully, nobly, majestically by the edge of the quarterdeck, looking out to sea with his paws clasped behind his back. She had the perfect view of his profile: The azure sky behind him, the setting sun bathing his already-magnificent features with a golden light.

As though planned, a wave hit against the side of the boat, giving the Captain an even more awe-inspiring appearance as the spray of water flared up around him. Judy dropped her mop at the sight. The Captain's ear twitched at the sound. The rabbit's breath halted at the movement, and then, to her everlasting joy, he turned to her. His eyes locked with hers. His eyes, that thousand yard stare of the greenest of emeralds. If only she had a painting that's all she would ever need, a painting of her esteemed Captain Wilde so she could spend days just gazing into his lovely face. His amazing eyes, and they were looking at her! She took full pleasure of the moment, knowing it would be over in but a second.

To her amazement, however, his gaze lingered. It was different from his usual ones: As though he was only truly seeing her for the first time. She noticed his brow furrowing slightly — his expressions clearly defined by the setting sun glowing upon them — and then something even more amazing happened: He started to walk towards her. His every step rose Judy's emotions higher and higher, he reached the edge of the quarterdeck and turned to go backwards down the steep steps to where she stood. He crossed the space between them. He stood right in front of her, and then looked sternly at the mop she had dropped on the floor.

"Shirking one's duties?" he asked. "That is a punishable offense." She watched as the Captain bent over — finding herself closer to fainting than actually speaking — losing all power of thought as this brought his head to within three inches of hers — far, far closer than she had ever, ever been before. He picked up the mop and then stood upright again. Judy felt as though she had died and gone to heaven, as his eyes, again, focused on her.

"Take the mop." He shoved the mop back into her paw; the effect was like being struck by lightning; his paws lingered on the mop she was again holding, before withdrawing. He hadn't even touched her, he had touched the thing she was holding — but it still sent a rocket of emotion up to her brain, leaving her blissfully dazed as she mooned at him.

The twitch of a smile grew on his otherwise-stern and masterful face.

Oh how she loved that smile. If only I could see his predator teeth.

Not fully realizing it, she reached out a shaking paw towards his face. Time slowed as the Captain looked down at her. She reached out to touch his face, to stroke his muzzle and then part his lips to reveal his glistening teeth to her.

Unfortunately... her paw only reached half way before she ran out of height. The Captain quickly controlled the grin which tried to spread, looking sterner than before as he glanced over to the sun that touched down upon the horizon.

"Have you nearly finished mopping?" he asked.

She tried to say 'yes'sir' — though, all she could manage was a whispered mumble — but he seemed to get the message.

"Good. There is a penalty if you don't clean everywhere, remember?" A moment passed; as though as an afterthought, Captain Wilde added, "Crewmammal, I hereby add to your daily duties the washing of the quarterdeck." Judy gaped. Oh wow! She was allowed onto the quarterdeck now? To clean the floor with the Captain, seeing him every day and closer up then she could ever have been before? A wide grin split across her face, her body nearly trembling with the excitement at the prospect. Without another word, the Captain then turned and gaitered away. But, as he passed the bucket of water Judy was mopping from, he kicked it over, and the water spilled out across the planks.

Without turning or even acknowledging what he did — Judy stood in stunned silence — Captain Wilde walked directly to the door of the quarterdeck and opened it to step inside. He stopped just before stepping in the doorway, turning to the golden sunset as it disappeared into the night. He turned to the startled crewmammal.

"Tishk, tishk. What did I tell you about getting all the floors cleaned?" Judy's mouth dropped open. He leaned towards her, his voice dropping low with a dangerous edge, "Be at my cabin, one hour." She started trying to protest — that wasn't right, he had only just gave her that duty, did he seriously expect her to get it done instantly? Captain Wilde silenced her before she had protested, but he did not do so actively — he merely grinned — his full grin, his teeth shining bright in the moonlight, sending a shock of excitement all through Judy's body as he spoke.

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart." With that he stepped in and shut the door behind him, leaving a gawking Judy starring at where he just was. Somehow... she didn't quite have it in her to be angry with him.

'Him', who she would now be seeing in his cabin.

...

One hour later, Judy came to be stood outside the door of Captain Wilde's cabin. The hour had passed quickly for the rabbit, who had returned to the crewmammals' cabin to change her cloths behind the small screen, which the other memmle had put up for her, so she could change in some little privacy.

Judy Hopps had thoroughly enjoyed the past two weeks out on the open sea, enjoying the new and challenging environment with every step of her journey, each day bringing something new and special. But tonight — she decided — would probably be the best one yet. Even if the Captain merely had spent twenty minutes shouting at her for not getting all the floors cleaned, despite the fact it was his fault — assumable to make an example of 'discipline' to the other crewmates — then it would still be more interaction with him than she had ever dared hope for.

Taking in a breath, Judy knocked on the door. A voice called from within that gave the confirmation. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine just at hearing that voice. Briskly, she opened the door and stepped inside. It was warm in here and well-lit by oil lanterns. She looked about and quickly spotted the Captain in a loose, white nightshirt, sat at his desk and writing with a large quill on some papers. She marched swiftly over to him and managed a smart salute, which he ignored as he continued looking at the papers he was writing.

"Just one minute." Her salute dropped. She looked around the room. It was well-polished wood just like the rest of the ship. He had stern-facing windows with green silk curtains, paintings of boats on the walls, a desk with several papers with a quill and globe of the world. The floor was carpeted — a commodity unique to this room only. There was a large wardrobe, a sitting area, a dining area, a large bed, which made Judy ache to feel a real mattress beneath her again — rather than that uncomfortable hammock; and a brass bathtub also.

Her spirits fell at seeing the bathtub a little as it was clearly full with hot, steaming water. If he was planning to have a bath soon, then this, clearly, wouldn't take nearly as long as she had hopped. Captain Wilde looked up from his papers for the first time, and grinned a little as he saw her starring at his brass bathtub. He looked down, acting as though he hadn't noticed, controlled his grin into a firm expression and cleared his throat. Judy's head turned back sharply as the Captain looked up, fixing a masterful gaze upon her.

"Crewmammal," he began, "you have shirked your duties. This is, indeed, a crime most serious." The rabbit opened her mouth to protest. The Captain talked through her, "I will not tolerate insubordination on my vessel, whatever the excuse."

Waiting a few moments, she decided she was allowed to speak, "So... what will you do to me?"

"Well," he said in reply, "by all accounts, I should throw you off the ship." The rabbit looked crestfallen. The fox smiled, knowing she hadn't understood the full implications. "I mean... while we're still out at sea." Now she understood: Her frightened eyes shooting up to meet his in a panic.

"What?! B-b-but, Sir—"

"That's 'Captain'."

"— Captain! I-I... You can't throw me off the ship!"

"Why not?" he shrugged, "'round here the only laws are my laws, and what I say, goes." She stuttered, trying to make a response, but only fumbling the first syllable of a few small words. The fox watched in amusement for a few seconds — but keeping his grin on the inside — then spoke.

"But, I do understand that you are a rabbit... and, a femammle. That does mean you do have disadvantages compared with the rest of us. It is for this reason, therefore, that I have decided to offer you an alternative punishment based on both your species, and your... gender."

Her answer came instantly as she clutched at whatever straws her Captain had given her. "And what's that?"

He jerked a thumb behind him. "You have to bathe with the Captain." It took a long time for that statement to sink in and, when it did, she didn't quite believe it. He seemed to be waiting for an answer, however, and so, Judy forced herself to make one.

"Okay..." she relented, then continued, shifting from foot to foot in anticipation with her voice starting to rise in pitch slightly, "yeah, o-okay! B-bathe with the Captain, sure!" The fox stood then — and Judy started back suddenly — because the lose-fitting nightshirt was the only thing he was wearing. But, not for much longer it appeared, as he undid the first of only four toggles, which kept the white shirt on his russet body. As the last was undone — as Captain Wilde slipped it off his shoulders, dropping it to the floor, gazing upon her with a more than ample frame, 'ample' in several ways. She felt she should make a start herself, as she didn't want to miss this, after all. So she began undoing the buttons on her own shirt, only to be interrupted.

"No," said Wilde, stopping her instantly. "Let me." Without further comment, he crossed the room and stood, naked, directly before her, reaching out a paw towards her. Judy's eyes — which had been gaping wide for some time now — softly fell closed as one of his large, dark paws reached out and touched her face. She let out a soft sigh as his other paw did the same — caressing the fur on her cheeks, slipping down to her neck, rubbing across her shoulders, clutching the material of her cloth by the collar… and then...

Judy's eyes shot open again as the fox tore the shirt off her. The rabbit gasped at the exposure to the air — and to Wilde — her mind suddenly racing to the profound and incredible realization... this really was happening. Unabashed as he moved closer towards her, his strong, red paws ran down the sides of her body which tremulated in pleasure at his touch. Reaching down yet further so both his paws came level with the ends of her trousers' legs. His black claws extended and dug into the material. Expecting pain, Judy flinched — yet no pain came. She looked back again as his claws came ripping up the full length of her trousers, ripping them in twine, making them fall to the floor in a pile of rags seconds later.

Leaving nothing, nothing, standing in the way of Wilde's body... and hers.

"Get in the bath," he ordered; Judy obeyed instantly. And she didn't just obey because it was an order, and she didn't obey because the alternative was being thrown in the sea, and she didn't obey because she felt like she had no other options.

She obeyed... because there was nothing on this earth she wanted more than what Nick was currently offering. Without delay, Judy stepped into the steaming and slightly scented water of the bath, and her body was encased in the soft heat. It filled her with such warmth as she had not known since leaving port several weeks past; it felt so wonderful to be in it that she almost forgot where she was — reiterated who was in the room with her, walking towards her, stepping in... Judy could only watch, speechless, as the fox who was her captain joined her in the soft heat, leaning casually back against one end of the brass bathtub.

His elbows propped up on either side of him on the edge of the bath — making no attempt to cover himself as Judy had unconsciously done — he regarded her with a simple, level smirk as he drank in the sight of her.

"So," he said after a long pause... "you got a name?"

"It's Judy. Judy Hopps, Captain."

He waved a paw dismissively towards her. "Nick will do… for now at least."

"Wow," she breathed in disbelief, "you'd really let me call you by your— your first name?"

He replied nonchalantly, examining his claws as he said, "I tend to drop the 'captain' part when I'm naked in the tub with someone. Judy snorted, a grin setting across her mouth at the reiterated fact of their current situation. Not lowering his paw, Nick's head turned sideways with a quizzical smile as he asked, "You've been wanting this for a long time, haven't you?"

She grinned, nervously. "Erm... yeah. Yeah, I have... Nick."

He shifted, sitting up slightly and guesting for her to come closer, his needy eyes aglow as he spoke, "Well then, Miss Hopps, I think you ought to come over here and join me."

"Now-now, Captain," she retorted, playfully, "you didn't say anything about joining you in the punishment."

"No," he replied, vaguely, "but that don't mean you don't want to." Judy's grin slowly fell as she came to realize: He was right. He was absolutely right. She wanted this; she wanted this like nothing she had wanted before. God, she wanted him — needed him — his body — against her — inside—

Unable to control herself a second longer, the rabbit rushed for him. All thoughts of status and rank, left her; the compulsion to restrain herself and her desires, because he was the captain and would never want a lowly crewmammle, fled; the worry and concern that there was no chance of her and him ever doing anything even vaguely intimate together disappeared.

All were banished. Banished by the simple fact: He wanted this too.

Her arms came hungrily around her captain's neck as her lips met his. He returned with full desire, and his strong arms and firm paws came brushing up and down the fur of Judy's sides, making her shiver in excitement and pleasure. Forcing the kiss to turn deeper — not that Judy minded — the fox then shifted beneath her, steadily but surely switching places with Judy, so he was on top and she was beneath, without allowing the passionate kiss to end. He leaned into the affection, his paws starting to touch and fondle her body as she moaned in bliss against him — moans, which were lost to the fox's mouth, as his tongue slipped further within her.

Leaning all of his weight into her — a good weight, which Judy accepted and appreciated as it heightened the intimacy between them — Captain Wilde's paw slipped down low, rubbing against her leg; moving up to press her inner thigh, close — getting closer — to her apex.

Judy's arms came firmer around his chest — wanting, and fully ready for what was to come — but then, suddenly and from nowhere, a great sound like some kind of blaring trombone came ripping through her reality. Captain Wilde didn't appear to notice the sound as his paws just started to touch upon her lower intimate spot of fertility.

Moaning in further pleasure, the rabbit, fearing what the notice might be, tried to ignore it as the bliss at the touch filled her body and soul, but then — with a final ripping blare — the ship collapsed around her, fading and disintegrating into the inner confines of a unfamiliar bedroom.

...

Alone in the early morning light, Judy's eyes opened. Her vision and concentration still fuzzy, she turned her head sharply to look upon the contraption which had done the waking, as the radio continued playing...

"— Non, rien de rien, non, je ne regrette rien—" She slapped her paw down upon the radio-alarm's snooze button. At that moment, she was too close to a sleeping state to wonder why her small, digital clock had decided to play the radio to wake her up, rather then the 'beep beep beep' it usually played for an alarm — or to wonder why her bed was now in a different position and in a room about a dozen times the size it used to be. With a grumble, she huffed her head back down on the pillow, lying close to the edge of the bed and facing the room — failing to notice anything amiss behind her.

Oh great, another amazing dream about Nick I'm gonna have to force myself to forget. Stupid alarm, it was getting so 'interesting' too. Why does stuff like this have to happen? Arrugh... I wish I could just turn over in bed and see... see—

At thinking 'turn over in bed', Judy had actually done so... and was now starring, gobsmacked, into the back of the head, of a blissfully sleeping, red fox.

Captain W— no... Nick?

Her mouth fell open. She blinked a few times. She shut her eyes, opened them again; the fox was still there.

Well when the hell did this happen? Don't tell me that wasn't a dream.

Of course it was a dream— you've never even been on a boat.

But how did Nick get... 'here'?

Still not sure if she was dreaming, she reached out a paw and laid it on Nick's shoulder. It was both warm and soft, an unfortunate combination as it brought Judy's mind right back to the moment Captain Wilde had lain atop her right before the ripples of realities had entered true... and all the emotions which came with it.

Sweet cheese and crackers, Judy, you have to forget that dream. Now!

She clutched his shoulder a little firmer as panic was setting in within her. At this, however, she appeared to stir the fox from his slumber as he groaned. His eyes still shut, Nick turned over in the bed; his nose coming to touch Judy's own. Not 'within inches' but 'touching' her own sensitive nose. His own nose twitched at her scent. His brow furred as his mind returned from wherever it'd go when one slept. Then, his eyes cracked open. And — as Judy's mouth, again, fell open — Nicholas Wilde spread one of the biggest smiles Judy had ever seen.

"Morning, beautiful."

"Oh my god!"

"I love you too."

"Oooh, Nick!" Something went click in Judy's mind... and then her current situation suddenly dawned upon her. "I— I'm n— naked!" Her eyes darted to the fox. "Nick, you're naked!" She bit down on her finger, her voice rising high in pitch in excited confinement. "We're both, naked… and in bed… and— oh!"

Flustered, Judy clutched all the covers she could over her body, her legs kicking involuntarily in the panic, hitting Nick square in the chest three times before slipping off the bed and landing beneath the sheets in a tangled mess on the floor.

Listening with vague and sleepy interest to the muffled cries of his partner, Nick leaned back in bed.

Today, he thought, is going to be a very, long, day...

…

Author's notes:

Hesitance jumps around your mind,

Grooms decision thus chosen blind.

Your thoughts most succulent of snack,

All delivered by luscious feedback.

So don't hide like a tiny shrew,

Thus share that belovable review!

- Radio alarm: 'Non, rien de rien' was influenced by Christopher Nolan's 'Inception'.

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