Continued from Chapter 86
Judy was all smiles as she got into her small Pangolin Arms apartment in the evening. She stretched while mumbling wordlessly and let out a huge, refreshed sigh. Emptying her pockets and dressing down for bed, her stomach felt satiated from an all-you-can-eat salad bar that Nick had taken her to.
The bunny often teased Nick that he pretended to be a vegetarian just so they had more places to go out to eat together, but it had appeared that he actually did prefer to exclude bug and fish meat from his diet. Judy supposed it was interesting to be able to choose something like that if you were an omnivore like a fox.
"Hey bunny," Bucky Oryx-Antlerson said through her paper-thin wall. Of course, they knew her name by now, but preferred to call her "bunny" anyway. "Good day?"
"Yeah!" Judy responded brightly, arranging her things on her desk and setting her alarm. "Can't complain! How about you two?"
"Yeah, could be worse," Bucky responded.
"Could be better, too," Pronk Oryx-Antlerson suggested. "But yeah, could be worse. Have a good night, bunny."
"You too, guys!" Judy smiled. She still felt a slight buzz of excitement from her day. There was another actual foot chase and Judy and Nick had caught a thieving boar in a pincer attack. Judy's speed and Nick's cunning won out once again. Judy hopped into bed and cozied in. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until her thoughts wound down, but she was comfortable, at least.
Her thoughts fluttered back to Nick. That handsome, debonair vulpine. She spent most of her work days and even most of her leisure time in his company, and yet it never seemed like she was satisfied. Their banter was so natural and like a whetstone to their wit as they kept constantly trying to one-up each other. Judy sometimes found herself giving barbed quips to others as well, but unlike Nick, they couldn't match her. Only he had that cunning mind that equaled and sometimes surpassed her in their little duels of words. He was the only fox, heck, only mammal, that she'd let tease her like he did. She'd launch right back, of course.
It was so fun. Even on the most monotonous days, Nick would come up with some dumb little game, or Judy would regale him with one of the many, many stories she had growing up, and her many often silly siblings.
Judy closed her eyes and a big smile played out on her face. There was definitely something about that fox. Even that first day she was with him on the force, where she'd been just as excited as her very first day on the ZPD. She let the memories play back in her head.
You know you love me, he had said with insufferable charm.
Do I know that? she teased, pretending to think. Her voice softened.
Yes, yes I do. Judy's eyes flew open as the words rolled over her like a tire.
Uh oh.
Judy sat up in bed and tilted her head. Wait, she didn't love love Nick, did she? She got out of bed, sitting at her desk and pulling out a dowel of wood she used for whittling her teeth down, chewing on it thoughtfully and anxiously.
She loved his laugh, his jokes, his tail, his wit, his teasing, his nice green eyes, his-
Judy stopped thinking for a moment. Okay, that was all fine. Judy was Nick's best friend after all, and he'd told her so before. All natural things. She wasn't infatuated with him or anything. Judy's attention was brought to her desk and she froze mid-chew.
Judy had a lot of pictures of Nick and herself on her desk now. They were starting to crowd and even outnumber the ones she had on display of her family. She had a couple with the fox by himself, posing smugly as usual. One at Nick's academy graduation, one just hanging out, one with Clawhauser. There was one of her basically tackling a startled Nick from behind and she wore one of her most exuberant looks.
Uh oh.
Judy slammed down the dowel and her mind raced. You're a bunny, he's a fox, and you're his partner, Judy scolded herself. You can't love love him. She looked at herself in the mirror.
"Can't I...?" Judy whispered. She looked at her phone. It was early enough that her parents might still be awake. Considering her options for a moment, she picked up the phone and tried a MuzzleTime call. After three rings, her father picked up.
"Hi dad," Judy said brightly.
"Jude! Jude the dude!" Stu chuckled. "Sure is a surprise for you to call home for a change, instead of the other way around! How are you doing, sweetheart?"
"Oh, just fine!" Judy smiled unconvincingly, but Stu was as always oblivious to her feigned comfort.
"That's great!" Stu said. "You want me to find Bon for you as well?"
"Wait, dad," Judy shook her other hand to wave away the idea. "I kind of wanted to talk to you first, privately. It's uh... I just know you're a more emotional person than mom, so-"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Stu's expression started to wilt and he looked a little hurt.
"See what I mean?" Judy smirked. "Anyway, I have- um, a bit of a problem. A bit of a big problem."
"Oh?" Stu frowned. "What's that, Jude?"
"I..." Judy swallowed with effort, looking at her favorite picture of Nick and herself together. "I think I'm in love with Nick..."
Stu's expression went blank, and then he chuckled.
"Ol' Nick?" Stu laughed. "Nick the slick? Is that what you called him? That red-furred rascal? That rootin' tootin' tod?"
"Dad..." Judy rolled her eyes. "C'mon, just say you don't approve."
"Oh, what? No!" Stu shook his head firmly. "I'm a changed buck, Jude. You know my feelings on foxes are different now. So if you want to have one as a boyfriend, you go right ahead! You have my blessing."
"Dad, seriously, stop," Judy sighed. "Just- just tell me what you feel about him..."
"I am being serious, Judy!" Stu said, his eyes opening wide. "Nick's a great guy! I like him, Bon likes him... when you brought him over he was about the best company we've had in ages! He was so good with the kits! Tellin' stories, doing card tricks. Shoot, how could I be mad if you ended up with him? In fact, I think your mother was thinking you were going to introduce us to him as your boyfriend. Kinda puzzled her when you didn't."
"Ah, okay..." Judy chuckled in self-scorn at her own obliviousness to this.
"Oh, there's your mother!" Stu beckoned over to Bonnie. "Bon! C'mere! Judy has something to tell you."
"What!? No! Not now!" Judy yelped, cringing. Bonnie made her way over.
"Hey, bun-bun!" Bonnie smiled as Stu held the phone for her. "Is something up?"
"I'm in love with Nick?" Judy cringed, slumping back into her seat, her eyes narrow.
Bonnie suddenly looked smug. "Knew it. See, Stuart? I knew it. I told you she had feelings for him."
"Well I thought she did too!" Stu said, shrugging his shoulders. "But we went that whole three-day visit with him without Judy saying one word about it!"
"Mom, you can't be okay with this too, can you?" Judy seemed flabbergasted.
"Of course, sweetie!" Bonnie smiled. "Nick is such a character. I think the thing I liked the most about him is that he didn't pretend to try to impress us; didn't apologize one bit for himself. He didn't try to put on a show; he was just so genuine. That snarky so-and-so. The kits ate it right up. You could do a whole lot worse than that handsome vulpine, I'll tell you."
"What? Unbelievable..." Judy blinked. "Both of you would be on board with me getting together with Nick...?"
"Sure!" Bonnie said cheerfully. "Oh, the Hopps rumor mill would be churning for years! I just-" Bonnie's expression suddenly darkened. "Wait a minute. I think I see what's going on here. You want your me or your father to disapprove, don't you? You want us to be against it so you can go right for him regardless of what we think, huh?" Bonnie smirked mischievously. "Well, it's not going to happen, Missy. That tod is a diamond in the rough and you should treasure him, whether we like it or not."
"No! No, it's not that..." Judy slapped her forehead. "I just- I was hoping you'd come up with something about how it would be weird to love my partner, or a fox, or someone eight years older than me... or someone who couldn't..." Judy barely mumbled the next part, "give you grandkits..."
"Judith Laverne Hopps," Bonnie said sternly, causing Judy to grumble at the use of her full name. "This is not like you at all. Where's the hero of Zootopia who would stop at nothing to be the first bunny cop, even though there had never been one before? Where's that bunny who threw down everything and drove over two hundred miles in a day to save Zootopia before the sun set? Where is she? Where's my daughter who never gives up on her goals!?"
"Mom, I..." Judy twisted her mouth. "It's different with Nick, mom."
"I'm listening...?" Bonnie tilted her head.
"Nick isn't..." Judy started off tentatively, but then became firm. "He's not a goal, mom. He's a person, with feelings. I can't 'work' for him. If it's meant to be, then that's great, but if he's not attracted to me..."
Stu turned the phone to himself. "Sweetheart, that fox is definitely attracted to you."
"Oh come on, dad, how would you know?" Judy rolled her eyes.
"C'mon, give your old buck some credit," Stu smiled. "You know I work with Gideon Grey. Did I tell you he's dating Sharla, your old black sheep friend?"
"What!? Get out!" Judy's jaw dropped.
"Honest!" Stu laughed. "And when she walks by him, I see that nose of his start to go. Foxes like scents of the people they're attracted to. I got that out of the ol' boy. Guess what I caught Nick doing several times when you brought him over a month ago?"
"He was... smelling for me?" Judy felt flush.
"Ooh, you didn't tell me this, Stuart!" Bonnie slid into the frame as well.
"I thought you might gossip," Stu laughed.
"Of course I would have," Bonnie kissed his cheek, then looked at Judy. "Sounds like its your move, honeybun."
"My move?" Judy looked confused.
"I read online that in fox culture, it's usually the female that makes the move," Bonnie smiled. "Of course, that's not a hard and fast rule, but..."
"Heck, it was your mother who made the first move on me!" Stu chuckled. "And boy could she move..." Bonnie laughed.
"Okay, okay, too much!" Judy squinted her eyes shut and then sighed in defeat. "Great. Now I have to confront my own feelings for this doofus like an adult."
"Do try to be strong, dear," Bonnie's eyes half-lidded and she smirked.
"You can do it, Jude!" Stu said with pep, pumping his arm.
"Thanks guys, good night... love you," Judy smiled.
"We love you too!" her parents replied simultaneously, then Stu hung up the MuzzleTime call.
Groaning, Judy flopped back into bed. How was she going to broach this subject with Nick? There was no easy way to fit "oh by the way, remember that time I said I loved you? That was for real!" into a conversation.
And what if she ruined the best friendship she had ever known?
"You think she should get him flowers or something?" Bucky said through the wall. Judy's eyes went wide.
"Nah, I don't think foxes can eat flowers," Pronk said thoughtfully.
"Oh for..." Judy couldn't believe she forgot just how much those two could pick up through her wall.
"Hey, we think it's really cool you've got an inter-species boyfriend," Pronk offered.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Judy mumbled. "He's just my best friend..."
"Why can't he be both?" Bucky asked. There was a silence. "Hey, you think she should get him chocolates?"
"Foxes definitely can't eat chocolates, dummy," Pronk sucked at his teeth. "Bunnies either, for that matter. Don't you know anything?"
"Just trying to help, jeez," Bucky grumbled.
Judy growled in exasperation and fumbled for one of her plush animals to throw over her face. It was a big, soft fox.
"Wow, I really do have a problem," Judy chastised herself.