A/N:

And here we are, again! This time with some serious headway into a few of the more fun directions this fic is headed. I hope you enjoy. My eternal thanks to kt_valmiri for helping me get this chapter together, OnceNeverTwiceAlways for editing, and ef course Cimar, Damlone and BlueberryandHoney for beta reading. Holy monkey, was this a fun one.

If you like what you're reading, please consider taking a trip to and buying me a coffee. I drink a lot of coffee, so if you want to support my addiction and/or help these chapters appear, it would be heartily appreciated. The link is in my profile as well as my AO3 profile under the same name.

Now then! Enough of the shameless self-advertising! On to the kink we go!

Judy arrived at the prescribed room precisely at 2:32 p.m., much to her vexation. Cursing the porcupine who had caused the bottleneck near the dining hall, she knocked on the door and nearly jumped out of her skin when Jack opened it. He was possibly the last mammal she'd expected to see. The look of annoyance on his face quickly melted into surprised confusion.

"Judy? What's happened?"

"Nick," Judy groused as she handed over the note from the door.

Understanding dawned for the buck, and he wore an exasperated smirk as he waved her in. "I wish that fox would warn me first."

"The moon will turn to cheese before that ever happens," Judy commented wryly as she quickly found an empty seat.

Jack reread the note and chuckled to himself. "Ridiculous todd."

Turning back to the class, Jack raised his voice as only a teacher can. "Returning to the topic we were discussing before we were interrupted—Please, be patient Mister Catstello. I still have four minutes."

The admonished student settled back into his seat, and Jack cleared his throat before continuing.

"This semester, we have focused on sense and perspective. Not merely of the observer, but also of the artist. One cannot express what one has no experience with. It's challenging for anyone to explain any emotion, be it joy or agony—or even the absence thereof—at the best of times. Representing them, or any other emotion, successfully in any artistic medium is markedly more difficult without a degree of personal experience to give the artist context."

At that, something began to niggle in Judy's mind.

"Mixed mediums are not a taboo, though they are fairly uncommon. Pigment can be mixed into clay. Enamel can be applied to metal. And that's a whole new layer of potential expression." Judy found herself nodding along with Jack's words, pulling from her own love of collage. She'd never considered mixing mediums further, but it was an interesting idea. Another itch grew in the back of her mind, further distracting the doe.

"Sketches are a starting point for a reason. They are a rough draft. The limit of where the sketch goes and what it becomes is your own willingness to embrace your own emotional expression; how much of your experience you are willing to share and display to others. That is the purpose of art, such as it is: The expression of one's own experience and emotion through a medium. What many artists misunderstand is that the medium is flexible. The experience of one's life does not have to be limited to store bought paints. Any artist can blend on a pallet, but sometimes it takes a leap into the severely personal to truly convey an experience. But that is your leap to make."

At that moment, just when Judy was on the cusp of a revelation, the bell rang signaling the end of class. It was like a sneeze that petered out before happening, irking her to no end.

Over the rumble of students collecting themselves to leave, Jack called out, "Project proposals for the next term are due the Wednesday after the break. Enjoy your holiday!"

Judy sat, annoyed and frustrated, until all the students had left and Jack had collected himself. There were a few curious looks sent her way and speculative whispers followed them. She noted the gossips and filed them away for a few reasons. She knew it was not uncommon for a student to audit Jack's classes, but she knew that was not likely to be the topic of their interest.

He was a buck. She was a doe. Could it get any more obvious?

She wasn't terribly concerned about students' assumptions. Her degree and future career weren't dependent upon their opinions, so what they thought was of minimal concern. On the other side of the equation, Jack's career had survived worse.

He had a sound reputation and the confidence of the Dean, according to her sister's endless prattling. A female student showing interest in him was, embarrassingly, not a novelty. He'd handled it properly in the past, to her knowledge, and there was no reason to think this would be any kind of similar issue. She would likely be written off as the latest fangirling student and forgotten as soon as the next one appeared. The fact that Judy had no romantic, or even physical, interest in him would help too. Lapins were not subtle about their interest, so if she wasn't vamping him outright the rumors would die off that much sooner.

It was unlikely that it would become a problem on his end. However, Judy was aware that it could make her a target for some unpleasantness in the short term. Rumors on campus were ten-a-penny and died off as soon as newer, juicier gossip appeared, so all she had to do was be careful for a week or two. Being home for the next ten days would cover most of that very neatly.

Judy was snapped back into reality by Jack's chuckling. "Yes?"

The buck leaned on his podium. "You're a funny one. Usually does who audit my classes daydream while staring at me during class."

"Sorry!" Judy blushed. "I was distracted."

"I know, Judy." Jack shook his head and started collecting his notes. "You weren't seeing me in your daydream theater, were you?"

"No…."

"I didn't think so." The buck chuckled, smirking. "What did he have you doing now?"

Judy groaned, slumping into her chair. Her head landed in the head rest and her ears flopped back over the cushion. "Running around uselessly?"

"He never has you do anything useless. Silly, perhaps, but never useless." He punctuated his last statement with snapping his briefcase closed.

She waved her paw. "Semantics."

"Not semantics. Fact: Not everything useful needs to be serious." Jack's suit coat slipped onto his shoulders. "I thought you'd have learned that after this long working with him."

"With him?"

In response, Jack smiled and changed the subject. "So, what was it this time?"

"Irony." Judy rolled her eyes. "No other directions."

Jack chuckled. "And then?"

"Well, originally, he told me to meet him at the house after I was done."

"Then you found the note and ran here to catch the last five minutes of my class."

Judy held up a finger. "Four minutes, actually."

"Good grief. You've spent long enough around him to be pedantic."

"You're one to talk." Her head flopped back against the headrest, again.

"You need scones."

"I what?"

Jack picked up his briefcase and checked his pockets. "Need scones. Nick isn't expecting you until 4 o'clock, so you have an hour to kill. And I have no plans until dinner."

She wiggled her eyebrows at the buck. "Finally taking Skye out?"

"Alas for the poor vixen, no."

"Shall I tell her you called her 'poor vixen'?" Judy asked, grinning wickedly.

Jack's ears fell, and he paled under his fur. "You wouldn't!"

"What are your dinner plans, then?"

He cleared his throat. "An art dealer Nick despises is in town and wants to talk business. I'm going in Nick's stead."

"If he doesn't like him, why does he work with him?" Her ears perked.

"Sanchez is not a pleasant mammal. He is, however, a cutthroat negotiator. He sells our art and makes sure we get top dollar for every bit of it."

"Because his commission is based on the sale, yes?" Judy nodded along with the reasoning.

"Quite. We don't have to like the mammal to work with him, but Nick has a particular aversion to Sanchez. One I don't fully understand, but that's not my business."

"Fair enough. I won't ask. Now, why scones?"

"There's a shop I know that does a proper tea not too far from here." Jack smoothed his jacket and fastidiously flicked away a piece of lint. "We can have a pot of Darjeeling, scones, a helping of clotted cream and some lemon curd in our paws in ten minutes. Plenty of time to enjoy and get you to your date at 4 o'clock."

"It's a date?!" Judy practically shouted.

"Don't you want it to be?"

"Don't be mean, Jack." Now, she was pouting. She hated pouting.

"I'm not being mean. I'm teasing. Which wouldn't work nearly so well if I wasn't right." The striped rabbit walked to the door and held it open. "Shall we?"

Judy collected herself and followed him out of the classroom. He was right, of course, but the idea of a date with Nick was only a fantasy. One she indulged in frequently, but just as fantasy. She couldn't resist a little dig at the buck for ribbing her though.

"Did you know Skye passed me her phone number last week?"

Judy had to admit that Jack was a buck of his word. An hour after they'd left his class, they were indeed done with their tea and she was on her way to her meeting with Nick. She'd make it in good time and finally get a chance to yell at him for making her run all over. It was a good plan, as long as she didn't think too much about the buck's teasing. Her interest in getting closer to the sculptor was hardly a secret in their little circle of friends. She hadn't exactly been subtle. It was still a little uncertain to her, though.

The fox was absolutely attractive, but Judy was very much a realist. Infatuation and hero worship were by no means the base needed for a genuine relationship. Until she was sure she wasn't just fangirling, Judy was not about to throw herself at him— even if that was where most of her mind was when it wasn't directly occupied.

In the meantime, she had plenty to keep her occupied and the fantasies were still satisfying to her.

Her life around Nick was anything but onerous, but it rarely made sense. The assignments aside, it always felt like they were dancing around something. It didn't help that he was so damnably tight lipped about some things. Among those that she was especially curious about were his inspirations—his "Muses" as Jack obliquely referred to them—and his hanging sculptures.

Judy knew they were major secrets for the fox—things he kept that way for a reason. That said, she hated not knowing. She loathed an unsolved mystery, and this was one she was coming to care about quite a bit. Not just as an artist, but for Nick's sake as well. They were growing closer, and, as that happened, Judy was privy to more personal revelations about the fox she was so fixated on.

At this point, she would say they were friendly. Perhaps not friends, exactly, but on their way there. Close enough to see a few of his flaws, anyway. His lack of self-esteem and intense, explosive emotional releases—especially when frustrated with himself—both flabbergasted her and were the most telling. In the month she'd worked with him, she'd seen him completely lose his cool only once. Between the event itself and the aftermath, Judy found herself experiencing a range of emotions she was unfamiliar with.

At the time, she'd known something was off the moment she had entered the house. Nick had let her in, but been distant and brooding right from the start. Their modeling session had gotten started but very quickly deteriorated. Everything Nick had attempted had only served to make him more taciturn and irate. He wasn't joking, or relaxed. There was nothing Judy could have said to make it better either. She could see that he was trying for her sake, but it had been a losing battle.

Finally, the fox had grabbed the miniature sculpture he'd been working on, smashed it into the table top with his paws, and stormed out grumbling, "It's all garbage!"

Ten minutes later, he'd returned to the confused rabbit and assured her it was nothing she'd done. He was just in a mood. He'd followed it up by treating her to an early dinner, and they'd attempted another session afterwards at her insistence. Eventually, he had agreed, and the evening had ended on a high, if very late, note.

From that experience, Judy had learned two things. One, Nick was mortal and had moods like anyone else. It was a tiny bit sobering, but healthy in her opinion. The second was how to manage him when he was like that. On the occasions when he was in a foul mood, she needed to help get him through it. It was a simple matter of paying attention and offering help. You know, the way a friend would.

Since that evening, she'd seen him in a bad mood once more to date. Instead of sitting for him, she'd taken him for a walk and listened to him grumble about pretentious gallery owners and the hazards of raising house plants. It was educational and a little funny, by turns. Her amusement at his apparent black thumb was enough to get him to crack a smile, and his mood had improved notably soon after.

It had been a pivotal moment for her, though she hadn't thought much of it at the time—the first time she'd really been his friend.

With that in mind, and Jack's teasing rattling around her brain, Judy approached the house on Saffron Lane. When Nick answered the door, Judy was sure, again, that something was very different than usual. For one thing, Nick was dressed up.

"Evening, Carrots."

"Nick…" Judy stammered. "What's the occasion?"

The sculptor's paw restlessly smoothed his shirtfront. "A fox can't dress nicely once in a while to impress a young lady such as yourself?"

"A fox can—and it's appreciated—but it could be misconstrued," Judy quipped.

Nick smiled. "Spending so much time around Jack is having an effect on your vocabulary, I see."

"Yes. Thank you for that today."

He shrugged. "I wanted you to hear what he had to say. He always gives the same lecture on the last day before a term break. I figured I'd save you the other seventy one minutes and skip to the part that mattered."

"Thank you, I guess. But it doesn't answer my question."

"You implied one." Nick retorted, fiddling with a button for a moment. "You didn't ask."

"I asked what the occasion was, and you evaded." A cheeky grin grew on the doe's face as she saw the fox fidget. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a little nervous, Nick."

"Guilty as charged!" Nick flopped the back of his wrist across his forehead dramatically. Offering his wrists, he continued in full melodrama, "Go on. Slap on the cuffs and take me away."

"One day, I'll take you up on that offer. If you ever say it seriously." Judy couldn't believe that she had said that out loud. A swarm of butterflies suddenly decided to take flight in her stomach, and she smiled nervously.

"Why, Carrots…. How forward of you." His teasing comment didn't help ease her self-consciousness.

Nick led her into the kitchen she was already very familiar with. The table was laid, and extraordinarily delicious smells infused the air. She settled herself in her usual chair and commented, "If you're going to be absurd and suggestive, so will I. Turnabout is fair play, after all."

The fox cocked his head slightly as he set two glasses of water on the table and sat opposite her. "You feel I am absurd and suggestive, but insincere?"

Judy picked up the glass and drank. Partly because she was thirsty, but mostly so she had something to do with her paws. "I think you're joking, like you always do."

"Hmmm…." Nick tugged at his ear. "An unfortunate precedent on occasions like this."

Judy was suddenly extremely focused. "What do you mean?"

"Given how the start to the evening has gone, shall we get to the important part before our collective anxiety kills us both?"

"Yes, please?"

"Agreed. We can have dinner afterwards."

"Dinner? No modeling, first?"

"Not tonight." Nick took a deep breath and seemed to forcibly settle himself. "I have prepared a small meal to send you off to your home for the break. I won't see you until you return, and I would like to at least say thank you for everything you've done."

Judy's voice was strong, but she couldn't meet his eyes as she replied. "You've done far more for me, I'm sure."

"I wouldn't bet on that, sweetheart."

The tone of his statement left her short of breath and giddy. He'd sounded completely genuine. There was no artifice in that moment or in his very open expression.

"So," Judy cleared her throat. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"When you come back from your family home, I want to start a new project with you."

"OK…?"

"A hanging piece."

All Judy could manage was rather frantic nodding.

Nick chortled. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you'll need to wait a little before giving me an answer."

"Why? I'm ready to start today if you want!" She tried to stop herself from hopping in place. It was kittish and silly. She couldn't help it.

"No, Carrots. You'll need a little time to think about it, which is why I'm telling you before you go away for a bit. A little time and space to really think it through is wise for you and responsible for me."

"I guess, but I'm all for it! … And you still seem nervous."

"I am for a few reasons. I'll be honest with you, Judy. I like you. I enjoy your company, and I value your presence."

The room felt very warm to her, all of a sudden. "The feeling is mutual and then some. Why are you nervous?"

"I don't want to scare you off."

"Now, I'm getting nervous."

"That's my fault."

"I know. Look, Nick, just spit it out. Your nerves are affecting me, so let's cut to the chase."

"Alright. Here goes." Judy noted the pink tinge in his ears and tried not to completely lose it. He was being adorably bashful, and it warmed her heart—and a few other things. But she ignored them in favor of complete confusion as he asked, "What do you know about shibari and kinbaku-bi?"

She shook her head. "Absolutely nothing. Are they cooking styles?"

Nick chuckled. "I'm sure your internet searching skills will educate you far more fully than I could at present, but let it suffice to say that the secret behind my hanging pieces is that particular artform."

"You're an artist in another medium? I had no idea."

"Not exactly. You, um…might want to do that search on your phone before we continue the conversation, Carrots. I'd suggest an image search."

With a raised eyebrow, Judy slipped her phone out of her pocket. A pawful of seconds later Judy's ears were scarlet, and she knew her browser history would need erasing before she went home.

"And now you know."

She could feel the blush from her toes to the tips of her ears. "This is…."

"The common term is 'rope bondage', Carrots."

Judy scrolled through page after page of results, becoming more embarrassed and fascinated by the moment. "Your inspiration is this?"

"Yes." Nick sipped his water. "Beauty in restraint, freedom in restriction."

"That was what that critic said after your last piece was unveiled at the museum!" Judy was proud to show off her knowledge of his recent career.

"Practically verbatim from the kinbaku manual I learned from once upon a time. He should have been sued for plagiarism."

"Did he know?"

Nick scoffed. "Sweet Karma, no! Could you imagine the backlash if he did?"

"Backlash…. You're afraid of public opinion turning against you if they find out—it ruining you?"

"Which is why it's such a closely guarded secret." He grumbled. "It's hard enough being a fox in the art world. Tack this on, and even my fame wouldn't be enough to save me."

"I think you're wrong about that."

"A risk I am unwilling to take." Nick cleared his throat and sipped his glass of water before continuing. "It's fairly obvious once you know, but who would believe that a famous, classically trained artist was inspired to create the Divine Flight series by something potentially considered so perverse?"

"I see…. I guess…" Judy mumbled. She was still blushing furiously and couldn't meet his eyes as she put her phone away, but, under the skin, she felt electrified. He was trusting her with a huge secret. Something that could potentially destroy his career. And he wanted her to be a part of it. "What do you need from me?"

"You're my model. I've asked you to pose for a hanging piece. You know what inspires those pieces now. So there's only one question you need to answer."

"Which is?"

Nick shrugged. "How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go?"

She groaned. "You just had to ruin the moment with a rabbit joke, didn't you?"

"I don't do serious very well."

"No, you don't." Judy giggled into her paws. "Can I say yes now?"

"Not yet. I meant what I said about time and space to think. When you come back, if you're still interested, we'll begin working towards the piece. We have quite a bit of ground to cover before we get to that point."

"Hang on. It's modeling, right? What do we need to work towards?"

He leveled a flat look at her. "Carrots, are you familiar at all with kink, or bondage?"

"No…? I can't say I am. I mean, I'm familiar with sex but…." She was suddenly red, again. "Oh, gods. I can't believe I said that."

Nick swallowed a guffaw at her unintentional admission. "You're a healthy young lady in your early twenties. I'd be very confused if you didn't have at least a passing understanding of the act of mating."

"You sound like a nature program."

"We ain't nothin' but mammals, sweetheart. I can do my David Attenburrow imitation if it helps."

"Please don't." She muttered through her paws. "Save it for a time after my blood drains from my face and ears. The point?"

"Before you blush yourself to death? It's quite fetching, by the way."

Judy pulled her ears around her head and buried her face in them whining, "Nick…"

"My point is that you are completely inexperienced with anything like this. You need an education in this aspect of my life and to see what it's all about before you can agree to taking part. And then you'll need to get used to actually doing it."

She peeked out from behind her ears. "Doing what?"

"Carrots, I want to tie you up, hang you naked from my studio ceiling, and immortalize you in clay. Are you ready to do that?"

"No!" She squeaked.

"Exactly. Judy, the hanging pieces are very close to my heart. They are personal to me in a way few appreciate for a reason you are now privy to. You are now part of a very small group of mammals I trust with that particular secret. If you are willing, I want you to be a larger part of it."

"Like your muses."

Nick nodded.

"You aren't asking me to join a cult, are you?"

The fox barked out a laugh and the tension in the air shattered. "Not remotely! I am asking you to take some time over your break and research what you're getting into. Talk to Skye and Jack. Celeste, too—if she's around. Read up on it and think it over very thoroughly. If you're interested when you come back from your break, we'll talk about the next steps. If you aren't, no harm no foul."

"I can tell you now that I want in, and I will keep your secret. I can't deny that I'm a little nervous. And very curious, but I do want the chance to think it over."

Nick smiled and held up his paws. "Take all the time you need."

"I will, but…" Judy fiddled with her still-red ear. "I don't think it's a secret that I want to know more about you."

Grinning as he headed towards the stove and their meal, he quipped, "Talk like that will give a fox ideas."

"Wouldn't that be an interesting turn of events?" Judy asked softly.

The meal that followed was possibly the most exciting thing she had ever experienced. After the conversation that had started the evening, Judy felt electric, like every nerve had been set alight—and that was just the start. In the setting of candle light, the young doe felt like she'd been swept into a movie. She knew the fox preferred the gentler illumination, but that did nothing to lessen her enjoyment.

The main dish was a tureen, which came immediately on the heels of a light Greek salad and was followed by a luscious blackberry crumble. Simple dishes that were each very easy to ruin, but the fox managed them expertly. Throughout the meal, conversation was heavily one sided, owing to Judy's enthusiasm. Each bite was a pleasure. She was through the salad and well into the tureen before she'd realized how ungracious she might seem. Her apologies were met with a smirking rebuke.

"If you start pretending to enjoy it less for the sake of manners, I'll spank you."

Recalling some of the pictures from her earlier web search, Judy choked on her water.

The remainder of the evening was spent in light discussion over coffee, but the sculptor refused to discuss anything further about the hanging pieces, or anything the creation of one with her would entail. It became a game for a time. Judy would prod, and Nick would dodge, evade, or redirect the conversation. She finally gave up when he started paying her compliments and very openly flirting with her. She became too flustered to keep up her interrogation. The fox was terribly amused.

The warm feeling of trading quips with her crush over coffee stayed with the doe all the way home and through the night. The following morning her sister was very quick to comment when they met at the train station for the 7:05 express to Bunnyburrow.

"I guess the date went well."

"Date?" Judy asked, arily.

"Your date last night with the fox. You were there, weren't you?"

"I had dinner with him as a term-end celebration. That's all." Judy crossed her arms and regarded her sister levelly. "And how is that unusual?"

"It isn't. The difference is that on most days you wake up smiling." The younger Hopps sister took a long pull from her Snarlbucks coffee cup. "Gods only know how. Today, though, you're grinning like you were lobotomized in the night."

"Nothing happened."

"I know. I'd smell it if he'd done more than hug you goodbye." Hearing a distant rumble, the does looked down the tracks, confirming that the train was indeed arriving. The sisters collected their bags and readied to board. Ammy snuck a look at her sister from the corner of her eye and smirked. "Not that I can't tell how much you enjoyed it."

"Shut up…"

There was a break in the conversation as the pair let the disembarking passengers off and boarded the train themselves. As soon as they were seated in the upper mezzanine, Ammy was back on the attack.

"Well?"

"'Well what?"

"Have you figured out what you're going to tell mom?"

"That depends..." Judy leveled a hard look at her sister. "On what you've told her."

The train shifted under them and Ammy was quick to allay her sister's fears. "Hey, I only sent that one picture. I learned my lesson."

"This is mom we're talking about. She could get water from a stone, so I know she's gotten you to talk."

"We both have to call home once a week, sis." Ammy defended. "Don't you talk to her?"

"She's been suspiciously quiet on the topics of Jack, Nick, my modeling, and everything else I do outside of classes, so I know she's getting information from somewhere. Your shifting eyes and droopy ears tell me it was at least partly you."

"Alright. She asked a few questions. But come on! I can't say no. She's mom!"

"I don't blame you." Judy assured her sibling. "I do, however, want to know what she asked and what you answered."

"Nothing serious, I promise. I told you I learned my lesson." Ammy sipped her coffee. "Why do you care, anyway?"

"Because I know I'm walking into an interrogation the moment I get home, so I need all the information I can get to prepare."

The younger doe looked concerned as she asked, "You think she's going to do what she did to Emily and Joe?"

"I think it's possible, and that's enough."

The rest of the trip was spent in a council of war. There were few mammals more capable of getting their child to talk than their mother. She was a master interrogator, and not a single one of the Hopps children would dare claim otherwise. Both Emly and Joe were Judy's older siblings and had gotten caught some rather notably compromising positions when they had come back from college themselves. Emily had tried to keep her engagement to a hare in Podunk a secret in her third year, while Joe had come out of the closet during his first semester out of the warren. Somehow, the Hopps matron had known something was up and gotten it out of her children within the first day they'd been back to visit. Emily hadn't even made it through the door. Joe was outed by dinner.

There were no consequences for either of them, but they were secrets her siblings had held dear and their mother had known nothing before the day she had seen them. Judy was in an altogether more compromised position. Her mother knew more than she was comfortable with as it was, and Judy had more incendiary secrets than her sexual preferences or a secret engagement that needed to be kept. If her parents found out about what Nick had proposed the previous evening, she'd be in for a world of trouble convincing them to let her even return to school. The trick of it was to make her mother think she'd gotten the secret, when only she was getting a secret.

That, Judy worried, would be difficult to manage for ten whole days.