Continued from Chapters 93 & 94
Nick and Judy were walking down the street in Savannah Central. It was a warm day, though not hot. The two had decided to meet up for lunch and then just walk around for awhile. Nick planned to show her some of the locations where he would spot shady things going down, or some of the spaces he liked to hit up for information about the happenings going on in Zootopia that you couldn't hear from more traditional sources.
The conversation and eye contact between the two was unusually light.
Judy stopped Nick a one of the street corners. She was looking up at him with those big, purple eyes, and she seemed like she wanted to speak.
"What's up, Fluff?" Nick tilted his head slightly.
"Hey Nick, I... I just wanted to say something," Judy said, shaking her head slightly. It seemed like she was searching for the right words. "You're just... a really cool guy."
Nick smirked. "Tell me something I don't know."
Judy laughed, then looked off to the side, sighing lightly and putting her hands into her pockets. She shrugged. "Yeah, that's all." Judy began to walk again. Nick felt a strange spike in her scent, one of fear? He looked at where they were and his eyes flew open.
The two were standing right in front of Jerry' Jumbeaux's ice cream shop. Nick's jaw dropped slightly. Was she trying to complete a Karmic Circle? She'd returned to where they first met... consciously?
Nick let out a small grunt of surprise and hurried to catch up with Judy.
"Falling behind?" Judy teased, lolling her head in his direction. Her ears weren't up at the moment, and that could sometimes be a bad sign.
"Just had... thought of something myself," Nick said. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn't come for him either. He wanted to acknowledge her gesture, but he had no idea what to say. He swallowed hard.
"Ooh, speechless is a new look for you," Judy said playfully. The two giggled at each other, then fell silent. Nick and Judy walked for what seemed like minutes until Mezzo Park was on their right as they went along.
"Hey, Carrots..." Nick ran his tongue along his teeth as he prepared to say something. "I've been thinking... about moving."
"Mh!? Moving?" Judy's ears perked up in alarm.
"Not out of Zootopia or anything," Nick held a hand up and shook his head. "Just out of the dump I currently call home."
"Oh, sounds good," Judy nodded. "Somewhere closer to the station?"
"Yeah, exactly," Nick closed his eyes. "And I was just thinking, you know... uh..." The words kept perishing in his throat.
"Hey, Nick," Judy said abruptly with sudden excitement, whacking his chest with the back of her hand. "Chase me." Judy took off like a shot, running into the park.
"Wh-what's gotten into you?" Nick blinked, but both her request and something deeper, more primal and urgent got him to comply with her sudden demand. Nick ran after her; he was pretty fast in his own right.
"Ha!" Judy looked back at Nick's confused face as he pursued. "That all you got?" Judy sped up further, really giving it her all. She began to break away from the fox.
"Rgh!" Nick grimaced, puzzled at these sudden events. He continued to give chase, but Judy turned sharply into a wooded area and was out of sight by the time Nick arrived.
Panting, Judy looked back and saw no sign of Nick, wearing a bright smile of victory. She stood with her back to a tree, gasping for breath and laughing to herself.
"Got him, that dumb fox..." Judy gasped, chuckling. Her laughing turned sour and she slumped against the tree, running her hands along her face. "Rgh. What's wrong with me, anyway? Why can't I just say it...?"
Two minutes later, Nick casually strolled up to the tree Judy was sitting against. Neither looked too surprised to see each other.
"So, you found me," Judy tossed him a half-smile with her eyes half-closed. "That didn't last too long." Nick tapped at his nose in reply. "Ah, right, I keep forgetting."
"You'll never be able to hide from me, little bunny," Nick tried a charming smile. She gave a laugh that carried a bitter edge.
"Yeah, I know," Judy looked away from him, rolling her eyes to stare at the ground. "I know..."
"What's up, Fluff?" Nick gave a short grunt at the end of his question and sat down next to Judy, his paws in his lap. "Why'd you go tearing off?"
"Oh, just being an adult and running from my problems," Judy smiled in self-mockery, looking up at Nick. "I messed up, Nick. I had it all figured out, then I choked. How unlike me."
"...The ice cream shop?" Nick gave one nod.
"Mm," Judy nodded three times. "Mmhm. That was it. It was going to be like in a fairy tale. Or at least a romance novel. Heh."
"Couldn't do it?" Nick shrugged.
"No, because it's all wrong," Judy looked away from him again. "It's all wrong. You already know."
"...Know what?" Nick tried to sound confused.
Judy looked at him with a tired smirk. "Okay, hot-shot, I may be a dumb bunny, but I'm not that dumb."
"Okay, sorry," Nick sighed, returning a smirk.
"Wish you had told me before I figured it out myself," Judy sighed, shaking her head and staring off into the distance. "Would have saved me a lot of time."
"Tell you how you're feeling?" Nick scoffed. "Yeah, that sounds logical. But... I did do that, anyway."
"Huh?" Judy blinked.
"'You know you love me', remember?" Nick made a guilty smile. Judy's jaw dropped slightly.
"Wow!" Judy got up, and slapped at her pants. "Wow. I really am dumb." She folded her arms tightly. "Sometimes I don't know why you put up with me."
Nick got up as well. "You want the long version or the short version?"
Judy tried to smile. Her voice was small, almost desperate. "Either's good."
"I..." Nick's jaw dropped, but again the words failed him. "...I dunno if I can properly express how I feel about you, little bunny. If I did say the words you're thinking I'll say, it'll just sound like me being me. Joking around, kidding. Not serious. I've imprisoned myself. The foal that cried wolf. We've built up this relationship on teasing and playfulness, and I just feel like... I can't be serious."
"You sound pretty serious, Nick," Judy half-smiled. "So uh... is that it, then...? Should I... I dunno..."
"Judy, I'd like you to move in with me," Nick suddenly blurted.
"I- what?" Judy's eyes nearly bulged. Her mouth opened, and hung open further as she saw Nick was as serious as he could be. The bunny gasped. "...Really?"
"See? I have an out," Nick smirked. "'No, ha ha, just kidding, of course not'. Could say that. You'd let me get away with it, then I could drop it and never have to worry about it again." He slashed his hands as if dismissing the idea. "But... no, I want you to move in with me."
"Nick? We're..." Judy blinked rapidly, confused.
"The apartment I'm looking at has two bedrooms," Nick began. "It'd be better for both of us, right? No annoying, loud neighbors for you, and no drippy ceilings and damp, musty smells for me."
"Don't see enough of me at work?" Judy joked. Nick didn't laugh. Judy returned a wince, holding a paw up in apology. "S-sorry, I was just trying to..."
"Will you consider it?" Nick shrugged. "I could live there by myself, yeah, but..." Judy sighed warmly and smiled slowly.
"Yeah, let's give it a try, huh?" The bunny smiled placidly. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"Oh, I dunno, some nuclear-level argument that ends with both of us hating each other forever," Nick smiled tiredly. "For starters."
"That would be pretty bad," Judy smiled, looking down. "This is so weird. This isn't at all how I thought it would go."
"Life's like that," Nick shrugged. The fox offered his hand to Judy. "Shall we get out of the park and go start doing some fun and fulfilling paperwork?"
"Now you joke again," Judy rolled her eyes, taking his hand and swinging it. She hummed in amusement to herself as she thought about what might be in store for the two. "You looking forward to seeing my pretty face every morning, Slick?"
"Eh," Nick shrugged. "It could be prettier."
"NICK!" Judy scoffed at his audacity and shoved him with both hands, making him stagger off to the side a few paces. "I think I was starting to like 'serious' Nick!"
"Well, here's serious Nick again to make your face prettier," Nick stood in front of her, and Judy raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Judy, you're beautiful. I love you."
Judy's jaw dropped a very small amount. A look of wonder passed over her face as her heart fluttered. He expected Nick to break off any second, but he held his gaze firm. It was soft, adoring, loving. It was a look that wasn't unfamiliar to her, but it took on new meaning now that-
Click.
Nick's hand smoothly raised up, his phone in it, and he captured Judy's enthralled face. Judy blinked, flinched, and shook her head.
"There we go," Nick chuckled, starting to walk again. "That's my new contact picture for you." He laughed harder, looking over it as Judy began to puzzle out what was going on. "They say girls look the prettiest right when you tell them you love them for the first time. Looking at that face, it's hard to disagree."
"Nick, you idiot!" Judy curled her fingers, stomping her feet as they walked. "You utter monster! I can't believe you did that to me...!"
"Hey, I meant what I said," Nick said airily.
"I uh..." Judy shook her head, conflicting feelings bouncing around in her head. "Wow. Jerk. ...I love you too."
"Yeah, I know," Nick sighed confidently, and got another shove for his trouble.
"Nick!" Judy grit her teeth, fuming and throwing her arms down, though she was laughing. "Stop it! You can't just say that. I mean, I know you know I love you, but... ugh, this is getting ridiculous...!"
"Still business as usual between us, Fluff," Nick smirked. "Things'll never change between us."
Judy rushed ahead of him and stopped him with her hands. "Oh yeah?"
She tugged on his tie firmly and met him for a little kiss. The kiss quickly lighted desires in both of them and became deeper, and they embraced snugly in their sudden physical craving for each other. Judy shivered as she felt Nick's tail sweep around her lower legs. They both hummed longingly into the kiss before finally breaking from each other as abruptly as they had met.
"I uh..." Judy's ears were warm and she ran her hands through them. "Well, now that we've... uh... done whatever we did back there, there can be more of that."
"Sounds..." Nick huffed happily. "Sounds good to me."