A/N I apologize for the slow progress, but time has been compressed with the holidays. That and I had to rewrite this several times. Been reading too many of you shameless WildeHopps shippers, and it has effected my writing a bit. Hope you enjoy.
Nabb
The Evening's Preparations
After spending most the afternoon socializing with Alpha squad, the officers retired to their apartment to prepare for their dinner engagement with George. After they had showered, both were in their rooms to get dressed. Nick emerged from his, doing the last button on the sleeves of his perfectly fit dress shirt, his muzzle pointed toward his paws. His cobalt tie hung limp around his neck, a splash of color across the deep chocolate brown vest. His room didn't have a good mirror to look himself over like Judy's vanity, so he made his way to the lone bathroom. Satisfied with the reflection in the mirror, he began the knot for his tie. As he pulled the two sides to their proper length, he saw Judy's door open in the mirror. His eyes met hers in the reflection, his unconsciously slipping down her curvaceous body, noting her exquisite dress. And the way she filled it. She must have been starting her makeup when she came out, since her checks were the only thing rouged to perfection. She was a bit startled to see him, her surprised look quickly washing away into an easy smile.
"Hey there, slick Nick. Nice threads you got there. Who's the lucky vixen you're setting your sights on tonight?" Judy teased lightly. Nick stood up a little straighter at mention of his attire, but his answering grin was a bit more devious, his eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief.
"Oh, no vixens on the menu for me tonight, Carrots." He quipped lightly, leaving his tie to adjust his vest and looking himself over again, shrugging his shoulders to set the shirt properly after quickly flipping up the collar. Judy's amethyst eyes soaked up the view of his well muscled shoulders and the way they fit his shirt and vest just right, bringing her ears up and an uneasy heat to her middle.
"Is that so? Well that's too bad for them. You look ready to conquer the world." She crossed her arms at the coy look on Nick's muzzle, a touch of impatience running across hers to help hide her eye wandering and butterfly fluttering.
"The world?" Nick responded lazily, the same way his tail twitched. Still staring into his own eyes, as if deep in thought, he continued working on his tie, finishing the perfect knot. She was mesmerized, hanging onto every word and lazy movement, her mouth going dry. "No, not the world. A few poor unsuspecting dumb bunnies, maybe." Judy rolled her eyes for show, since she knew he could see, but her ears started turning the faintest hint of red as they dropped behind her back. Nick turned from the mirror, looking Judy in the eye, a playful look of astonishment filling his face as a toothy grin parts his lips. "And look! A delicious bunny hath appeared. One that looks like she needs to be conquered. The maker be praised!" After looking up as if to praise a deity, he stole a quick glance at her with a suggestive wink, which made Judy laugh involuntarily.
"Niiiiick. You are incorrigible, you rascal." She beamed up at her partner, loving the returned attention for a few seconds, her tail giving a slight twitch. She then moved past the fox, and began pushing him out of the room. "Now get out. This 'unconquerable' bunny needs to use the facilities. If you still need a mirror, go use the one in my room." She finished just before slamming the door on him, narrowly missing his fluffy tail. 'Oh sweet cheese and crackers does he look good in that.' the 'unconquerable' bunny thought to herself, putting her backside to the door for a quick breather as the warmth continued to spread throughout her belly while her heart beat a little faster. She was glad Nick couldn't feel her blush through the door. The days events had kept her too distracted to really notice or appreciate the fine cut of his suit. Now that she had showered and relaxed a bit, she was well aware of the fabric. And the way he filled it. And the way her body was reacting to the sight of how well he filled it.
'That was a little strange.' Nick thought, the door directly behind him. He swallowed hard, to get a hold of himself as he walked to his room to retrieve his suit top while his tail twitched. He finished with his tie while his thoughts tumbled over themselves. As he was preparing to leave his room, he stopped and investigated a group of bottles on a small table below the light switch. Glad for a small distraction, he glanced through the cologne options laid out. He picked one that was subtle and to his liking, a brand Judy had liked on one of their shopping expeditions. After a quick sniff, he found the mix of his personal musk with the cologne to be acceptable. Satisfied, he went to the kitchen to get a cold glass of water, as the sight of her perfect frame in that perfect dress running through his fox brain was making his mouth go dry, his distraction not working well enough. The reasoning half of his mind contemplated his own question about the strange reaction, forming several possible explanations while the predatory half continued exploring every visual memory of that fleeting moment from mere seconds ago, also digging into his deeper memory banks to present every opportune memory he could muster of her body, usually in motion. 'Ok, so I was teasing her a bit more directly. So what?' The slit running up her leg until well over half her gray furred thigh was exposed…'Damnit Nick! Get a hold of yourself! That is your partner!' A slight sheen of sweat ran across his brow, as he took a sip from his glass. 'Your shapely, damn attractive, good looking...Fuck Nick, get your mind straight!' With a quick blast of air from his lungs, he drank deeply from his glass, draining what was left in a futile attempt to extinguish the fire building in his body. Closing his eyes, he pulled a few deep breaths to calm himself, suppressing the low growl building beside the fire. This seemed to work at clearing the images, leaving only the questions. While in this trance-like state, he heard the sound of running water, and the door open quickly after. With his eyes still closed, he heard Judy's light footfalls toward her room. When he heard her door close, Nick released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding in an explosive burst. Finally opening his eyes after a quick shake to keep his 'head straight', he looked at his phone, noting the time. "We have twenty minutes until Justin will be here to escort us to dinner. Isn't it odd he isn't coming?" Nick's raised voice, straining to remain casual, was easily heard by his long eared partner.
Instead of answering, he heard her door open slowly. "Nick, don't shout, just come to my room and talk normally. You know I'm dressed and am just finishing my makeup." Nick did indeed know that she was dressed, the images of her in that dress had been clouding his mind for the past few minutes. He heard her retreating footfalls, but didn't hear the door close. Refilling his glass, and adding a few ice cubes, he followed his partner's suggestion. Crossing the threshold, he went directly for the bed to sit, realizing too late that this bed was much to plush for his liking. His rump sank deep, pulling a few hairs on his tail painfully. They sat in silence while Nick made himself comfortable. Judy was at the vanity, surrounded by an overabundance of female beautification products, some he recognized, others he'd never seen before.
After the few moments of silence, "Letting a fox into your burrow, Carrots?" Judy's answering eye roll he caught from her reflection made him grin. "As I was saying, don't you find it odd Justin isn't joining us for dinner?" Nick asked.
"A bit. But I'm not too worried." Judy was working on her eyes, curling her lashes and checking the results. Her muzzle was split by a curious grin as she selected a mascara color and began using it. "I want to meet this Heather. I have a few suspicions, but any female that can think this far ahead and be this thoughtful is worthy of meeting, I think."
Nodding his head in agreement, his ears came up as a thought peaked his interest. "Speaking of meeting, what did you think of 'The Ten'?" Nick was playing with his phone, trying to keep his gaze from her body. It wasn't working very well for him, glances were stolen often.
The grin melted from Judy's muzzle as she caught her partner's eye in the mirror's reflection during one of his quick steals. After a moment's pause, she spoke quietly. "I think they are as good as we've been lead to believe. Each one a relaxed coiled spring, always ready, always watching. It kinda gave me the creeps, knowing they are probably the most lethal mammals in the city. As cold as a Tundra night, as precise as a nuclear clock." After a chill ran down her spine, she continued, "I'm not looking forward to weapons training in the morning, especially if that hyena is down there." Her grimace made it hard to properly apply the mascara, which drew a slight huff in response. She wiped her eye and tried again, her ears dropping down her back.
Nick sat quietly, sipping his ice water. Time could erase many things, but instinct still remand, and he could smell the ugly knot of fear working through her belly, the intoxicating scent worming its way through his skull, dropping into his belly with a twin desire of need and protectiveness. This bit of espionage seems to unhinge his favorite bouncing ball of fluff. He watched her finish her eyeliner, opting for a blue eyeshadow to compliment the dress color. "I think we should take the opportunity to learn how other forces train. Learn a few of their secrets. By the demeanor, I'd guess more than a few of them have prior military experience, making them even more dangerous. But they all seemed like good mammals, just doing a more dangerous and direct job than most. I can usually smell a lie or attempts at deceit, and I could detect nothing of the kind. So I believe they are happy to see new recruits, and train to be the best, offering a hand to pull us to their level." His grin filling his muzzle, putting a lighthearted twist in his voice. "Plus, its on their dime. I always prefer learning new things at someone else's expense." Judy's answering grin lit her face, overpowering the effects of her makeup attempting to build a gravity to her countenance, revealing the lighthearted warmth of her personality. It was impossibly cute. Too damn cute. Nick could only stare at the reflection, Judy finishing her last bit of powder to complete her beautification transition. After the powder settled, she opened her eyes to look at her reflection, and noticed the look Nick was giving her, one of...hunger? Before she could tell what his look ment, he glanced away, down to his phone. When he looked back up, his expression was unreadable, neutral.
Giving a slight, silent sigh, she rose and turned to the fox. Wearing a warm smile and erect ears, she asked the most obvious female question, "Well, how do I look?" She gave a slow turn for full effect of her dress, finishing by facing her partner, her paws behind her back. Her makeup tones highlighted the hue of her dress, but pulled the attention to her eyes, amethyst surrounded by a blue shade to complete the ordeal. Nick's eyes were wide, the effect obviously one of awe. Judy infrequently wore makeup, she never had been a very girly girl, so seeing her all dolled up was a treat to the eyes. A rare and intoxicating treat. Nick was rendered speechless, his muzzle split and a trance like state settled over the fox. The reflection did no justice to the bare faced truth of her simple beauty. She was a heart stopper. Judy giggled to herself, covering her muzzle with her paw. "Looks like Margery was right, I stopped traffic, at least in Nick's brain."
As Judy continued to snicker, Nick closed his eyes and shook his head to rattle his brain a little, get it 'straight'. When he opened them, he found a pair of purple orbs staring at him, touched with a hint of humor and concern. She continued to stare at him as he placed his ice water on the floor and rose from the bed. Butterflies took flight in her belly, the humor and concern erased from her eyes, replaced with…hope. Hope and...fear? His muzzle an unreadable mask, his heart pounding in his ears, he turned toward her, his lips parted with a word on his tongue. Before the unknown sentence could be built of air from Nick's lungs, there was a firm knock at the door. Both officers jumped slightly, the sound loud and spell breaking. Nick looked at his phone, noting the badger was five minutes early. Questions filled Judy's muzzle, but Nick said nothing after the quick glance at his phone. He picked up his glass and made for the apartment door, silent as the grave. Judy turned away after a quick attempt to speak falling flat, her uncertainty holding her tongue captive, her heart pounding in her breast.
The smiling muzzle of Justin greeted Nick warmly when the door opened. Nick was courteous, but short with the well meaning badger, his expresion pained. "I know I'm early, but you will learn George's phrase borrowed from Mr. Card, 'Early is on time, and on time is late.' He lives by that motto, hence the reason he was in a bit of an animated uproar this afternoon." Justin gave his winning smile as he entered, and Nick did his best to hide his confusion as he closed the door.
'Animated uproar? I hate to see what these guys would call the Chief on any given day.' Nick chuckled to himself, the tension easing out of him slightly with the laugh. "You are a bit early, dinner isn't set to start til after seven." Nick quipped, stealing a glance at his phone for a time readout. It was only half past six.
Justin's smile melted from his muzzle to display his obvious confusion. "Did George forget to tell you dinner isn't here, it's at his place, 'The Silver Note'. It's not far, but he insists you all ride by car in a certain amount of class. We are to meet him in five minutes in the garage, if you both are ready to go?" Justin's brows rose quizzically, waiting for a response from Nick after looking him over, finding his ensemble to be perfect.
"I'm ready to go Justin, so no need to fret about the timetable." Judy called from the miniature hallway connecting her room to Nick's. Both males heads turned toward the sound, finding an awe inspiring sight. The lack of lighting in the room created a shimmering effect over Judy's gray furred body, emphasizing her comely features blended effortlessly by the cobalt dress to give her a mystical appearance. Shrouded in shadow and mystery, both males could only stare for a moment at the shapely bunny slowly joining the front room with a slight bounce in her step. Nick's muzzle slipped open slightly, for the second time that day, his visual senses assaulted by her beauty, his nose filled with an intoxicating mixture of a light flowery perfume mixed with the earthy scent of her. Her own nose not being nearly as strong, she scented Nick once she was closer, and his warm fur fragrance mixed with his choice of cologne made her knees go a little weak. After Judy let loose a delicate giggle into her paw to cover her own slight stumble, Nick gulped audibly, and shook his head, unaware of his own effect on her.
Justin shook his head, then smiled after a moment, giving a polite nod. "Judy, you look perfect, you both do." She beamed at him while Nick regained his carefree mask he'd been having a hard time adopting. "If we are ready, then we should be going. I'm certain George is already waiting for us." The partners gave their own nods and followed the badger out the door after Nick politely offered his arm with a toothy grin, which Judy accepted with a touch of uncertainty in her eyes and her heart in her throat.