Author Note: Also follows on from the previous chapter; probably the last in this little series.
"Mmh!"
Judy felt that astral sensation of "landing" in her own body, following a fall in her dream. She grumbled at the jarring feeling, the last moments of the dream starting to flit from her mind. Was she flying around the city? She got the sense she was moving her legs, as they felt cramped. This didn't make much sense, as her new bed was nearly sprawling and very comfortable to boot. One roll wasn't even enough to get out of bed.
As her feet touched lightly on the floor, she scooted off and yawned while walking to the bathroom. A cursory glance at the digital clock in her room read 4:21 A.M. It was way too early, especially because she planned on actually sleeping in on her day off.
Taking care of some business, she sat there hunched over, resting her paw on her cheek. The events of the previous day slowly seeped back to her in her tired mind. There was a car chase; as usual, quite exciting. The perp was a linsang, an animal Judy had never even heard of, much to her embarrassment. She even mistakenly called him a "cat", to which Nick had to tactfully correct her.
The chase itself ended well enough, with one caveat. With her adrenaline flooding her, she managed to notice a car that nearly ran into her. It was much smaller than the monstrous cruiser she drove. There in the bathroom, she was struck by the fragility of life, and how if not for her manic corrections while driving, she could have seriously hurt someone, or even her partner or herself.
She wondered what was giving her such an attack of conscience. She'd certainly not had many thoughts of that nature before. Of self-doubt.
Judy paused while heading back to her bedroom. In the main room of her new-ish apartment was now a fair number of things: furniture, sentimental items, things of that nature. It certainly felt more homey and less like a holding cell than her previous apartment. Still somewhat fatigued, she wandered to the big, comfortable couch, where there was a fast-asleep fox.
She groaned fondly, with a half-smile to match her half-open eyes. Even faced away from her, she felt like she could pick Nick out of a crowd. He was spending more and more nights over at her place, and their growing fondness for each other was undeniable.
Judy took a subconscious deeper breath as the bunny leaned over, catching a tiny touch of his scent. She placed her paws on his arm and shook lightly.
"Nick, Nick. Get up."
"Mrgh...?" Nick wiggled and bat his paws before suddenly sitting up. His eyes were very bleary. "Time is it?"
"Come on," Judy replied, wrapping her arms around his wrist and starting to lead him to her room. Nick followed with vapid complicity, like one undead. Wordlessly, Judy lumbered into her comfortable bed with Nick following. She nestled into him, resting her cheek on his chest. He responded, instinctively curling around Judy, forming a sort of protective fox crescent around his partner. It felt so natural to the bunny, she wondered why she'd never really tried it before.
Since Nick was ninety percent asleep, he regained his slumber quickly, while it took Judy a few minutes despite her comfort. Her thoughts started up again.
Nick had always been so polite to sleep on the couch, and during her siblings' decorating of her apartment, they'd never once suggested that Judy get a second bed. Not because they didn't want Nick to stay there, they just didn't think it was necessary given their relationship.
Yet Nick never insisted, wanting to do things at a pace Judy was comfortable with.
In truth, she'd never felt more comfortable at that moment. Sleep quickly claimed her.
Morning light greeted Judy's eyes the next time she opened them.
"Mm?" She woke alone in her bed, quickly perking up within it. Her ears twitched this way and that. She could have sworn she dragged her fox into bed.
Her fox... that was a phrase she kept thinking. It felt warm, if a little greedy...
She launched out of bed and cautiously walked into the kitchen area of the main room. She smiled pleasantly, her breath giving out in relief as she saw Nick there, preparing some coffee. Unlike when she pulled him into bed, he was wearing a shirt. Her pace increased confidently.
"Mornin' Fluff," Nick greeted, stirring his coffee with a spoon and taking a sip.
"Morning, Nick," Judy hopped over by him, wishing to indulge her caffeine addiction as well.
"Oh, made you a cup," the fox opened the microwave, taking out a cup of coffee. "Just how you like it."
"Really? Let's see, hm..." Judy took her "#1 Bun" coffee mug and checked its contents against the color of Nick's paw. "Yeah, looks about right." She sipped it. "Mm."
Nick's mostly blank face gave way to a bit of a pensive look. His eyes moved away from Judy and he looked out the window. "Ah... in the interest of being perfectly honest with you... I uh... woke up in your bed this morning. No idea how I got there. Didn't think I was a sleepwalker."
When Judy didn't immediately respond, Nick gave her a brief glance. He was surprised to see her with a bashful sort of smile, head tilted, teeth barely visible.
"I took you there, in the middle of the night," Judy admitted with a strained voice. "Sorry."
"Oh, no need to apologize," Nick said blankly. "It was pleasant. Thought you just didn't want your 'new bed' all 'foxy'."
Judy cringed, squinting her eyes shut. "Please tell me I never said that."
"It was almost the first thing you said to Sassy when the bed was first made," Nick guarded his expression with another sip of coffee, but his eyes trained on Judy.
"Ugh..." Judy's ears drooped, her paw holding her arm pensively. "Honestly, you should have bopped me on the head right there."
"Hey, I'm just teasing you about it," Nick suddenly gained his familiar smirk. "You're new to this whole relationship thing, I can tell, so we'll do it at your pace."
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Judy looked challenged, though not unpleasantly so, and walked up closer, scoffing. "I can keep up with you, even though you're older and more savvy and all that."
"Really?" Nick seemed bemused, if not convinced.
Before she could get a real word out in reply, Nick darted for her open mouth with his muzzle. As he delivered a quick kiss, he was surprised to feel Judy responding to it quickly, tilting her feet up to push into it.
"Really," Judy said smugly after the warm, coffee-flavored kiss. She then scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't want you to 'go easy' on me. You know you don't have to treat me of all mammals with kit gloves."
"Maybe not, but I'd prefer to err on the side of caution if it's the same to you," Nick said, looking out the window again.
"It's not," Judy insisted. She took a leap onto the counter, which was low enough for both of them to use comfortably. She leaned her forehead into Nick's. "You're gonna sleep in my bed- our bed, from now on."
"Oh, yes ma'am," Nick huffed and nodded, impressed. "Good thing I've got most of my clothes here already."
"Well, move the rest of 'em here, too," Judy grinned, smooching his forehead. "No reason you can't live here with me."
"I... I guess not," Nick looked halfway nervous.
"Unless it's too fast for you..." Judy said seriously, without a note of mockery.
"No, no..." Nick mumbled tentatively. "It has taken... quite awhile to get to this point. I guess it's like you said one time, I'm afraid to enjoy it too much." He pet her ears and the top of her head. "Cuddled up with a bunny every night, that's just a little slice of heaven there."
"Aww... well, you should get to enjoy that heaven as long as you can, then," Judy smiled brightly. "You're a comfy little cuddle yourself."
Nick let out an impressive canid yawn, surprising Judy, who laughed briefly.
"It's a bit too early for all this mushy stuff. What do you wanna do today?"
"I dunno, actually," Judy giggled. "I could summon my siblings to help you get moved in."
"Not on such short notice, I don't wanna impose," Nick frowned.
"A movie?"
"What would you like to see?"
"I dunno," Judy admitted, beaming.
"I get the feeling you're in a cuddly mood," Nick chuckled, petting Judy again, to which she responded by aggressively burrowing her face into his paw. "Listen, Buster. Next time you drag me somewhere when I'm half-asleep, make sure I'm awake enough to enjoy it."
"Got it," Judy grinned. "Hm, Buster? That's a weird nickname."
"Yeah, not sure I felt it either, just wanted to give something a try," Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Y'know, before jumping into all the typical dross. Darling, honeybunny, sweetiepie." Nick leaned his head in very close while saying these cloyingly.
"Oh, gag," Judy laughed, pushing him away. "Those are not you."
"Whatever you say, sugar muffin."
"Nick!"
The two laughed gently and Judy slid off the counter.
"Movie. And cuddles."
"Mhm," Nick beamed, nodding.
"After a shower," Judy declared with a wag of a forefinger, heading to the bathroom again. Her bold confidence suddenly drained. "...Hh-have you already taken yours?"
"I have," the fox nodded. "And I don't think you're there quite yet."
"C'mon, you naked isn't that big a deal," Judy rolled her eyes.
"Your nose says differently," Nick pointed at her twitching pink nose.
"Okay, okay, whatever," Judy slipped into the bathroom. She spoke through the door. "Cuddles, though! We need more of those. Today, tonight. All the time."
"Won't argue with that," Nick said, mostly to himself, sipping from his coffee as he heard the shower start and imagined her gorgeous, lithe form stepping into the stream of water.
He knew he wouldn't have to just imagine that for long, but on her terms. She was worth the wait he'd endured to that point. Even when he didn't know he was waiting for her.
And until then, cuddles were always nice.