Promotions

Artwork by Drawin-4ever

AN: The tradition is still alive! Third year in a row I have something ready to post on my birthday. So here is my gift to all of you for supporting me these past few years. Thank you so, so much! Now, enjoy the SUPER FLUFF ahead. ;)

"Judy..."

"Yes, Nick?" The bunny was smiling up at the fox as they walked away from the party behind them. They had greatly enjoyed the festivities thrown in their honor. It wasn't everyday that two officers were promoted to Captain after all. Yet out of all the raucous celebrations happening behind them as they entered the ZPD's empty gymnasium, a little thought caught Judy's mind, telling her that the best was still yet to come.

The party was Clawhauser's idea, of course. The pudgy cheetah, a long time fan of the two still smallest officers in Precinct One as no other mammals had been able to make it to the respected station, set the party up after Commissioner Bogo's announcement a week prior about their promotions. It had warmed their hearts to see how much support they had, with friends, family, both their brothers and sisters in blue as well as their blood relatives, showing up to congratulate them.

Judy felt it was undeserved, though it seemed Nick was lapping up the praise like a parched mammal would a spring of cold water. He had been through the rounds, shaking paws, rubbing shoulders, or in most cases, knees, with the other officers.

Though through all of it, he had never left Judy's side, giving her paw a light, affectionate squeeze or a gentle kiss between her ears when nobody was looking. He knew how much she still worried about public gatherings, especially when Clawhauser started tapping his champagne flute and asking for a speech.

Nick was quick to accept for both of them, much to Judy's eternal gratitude. She still hadn't gotten over her first public foray years before, and had a slight phobia now because of it. So with a quick and gentle peck on her cheek and a 'Don't worry, I got this sweetheart', Nick was up and toasting...well, mostly Judy until her ears were burning and she'd vowed to make him pay for such sweet compliments.

Through kissing him senseless once they got home, of course.

The two walked in silence for several minutes, side by side, paw in paw, as they walked the gym, content to be just in each other's presence. That pleasing, quiet feeling of being loved as they meandered around. They saw several trophies along the wall, the record board, with many held by either Nick or Judy, the newspaper clipping from last year's ZPD vs ZFD charity boxing match that Judy had won against the ZFD's first bunny fire fighter.

They'd been together in this job for five years now, marking them as the youngest captains in the ZPD's history...and to Nick, as they halted among the trophies of the past and celebrations of their achievements, he hoped tonight would be the capstone to it all.

Nick turned, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her, holding in their warmth as they swayed lightly in each other's arms to the faint music outside. "Did you ever think we'd get promoted to Captains at the same time?"

Judy laughed, the tinkling melody far better music to his ears than anything played so far that day. "Do I think that Commission Bogo would have promoted you to anything after all the chaos you caused in his morning briefings?" She leaned up, kissing the tip of his nose, his lips trailing her as she giggled. "Yes, yes I did."

Nick chuckled back, joining them together in another kiss, one she eagerly accepted and lengthened. Nick calmed himself, feeling that unquenchable, passionate, fiery love for his bunny rising in his heart once more. And by the way Judy followed his lips, pouting adorably when their kiss ended, he could tell she was getting a bit riled up as well.

"I love you." His whisper was gentle, without guile and full of love.

Judy hummed in response, settling her head against his chest while the rocked back and forth, feeling the tender pressure of his lips between her ears, a sensation she could never get enough of. "I love you too, Nicholas Wilde."

Again a pleasant silence filled the otherwise empty space, their love more than enough to fill such a vast hallway, and spill out onto the adjacent field. The tune outside changed, a popular, upbeat tempo that both recognized easily.

Gazelle's, 'Try Everything'.

Nick thought it an apt song for the moment.

"You're favorite song is on, Fluff."

Judy smiled into his chest, trying and failing at resisting the urge to nuzzle him. "Not my favorite song."

"Oh?"

Judy nodded, then placed a light paw on Nick's chest, over his heart. "This...this is my favorite song."

More love could not one mammal have at that moment, than Nick could for Judy. His heartbeat quickened like lightning, pounding heavy like thunder as he blinked back tears. Looking out the door at the large banner declaring their promotions to the world, Nick decided it was now or never.

"I do think that more promotions will come."

Her head left the comfort of his chest. "Oh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're thinking we'll both be chiefs one day, Slick?"

He shook his head. "Not the promotion I was thinking of, Fluff, though I'm sure you'd make the best Chief the ZPD ever would see." Gently, he removed himself from her paws, gaining a slight turn of Judy's head in confusion. He smiled, again resisting the urge to pin his lips against hers for the rest of the night and well into the morning.

As believe it or not, and it was a hard temptation to resist, he had something better planned.

Leaning down onto one knee, he reached into his pocket. Their eyes joined, and the reality of the situation crashed down upon Judy like a tidal wave upon the shore . Judy couldn't help but contain the gasp, her paws flying to cover her mouth, her breath catching as he began to speak.

"Judith Laverne Hopps," he began, smiling through tear stained eyes while Judy felt her own vision swimming through tears of her own. "Will you do me the honor of accepting yet another promotion, the best you'll ever receive by the way..."

She chuckled, he continued. She found the nervous swish of his tail adorable, and couldn't help but hiccup at the site of her normally calm, collected boyfriend being so nervous. There was nothing he should be nervous for after all, she'd been begging him to do this for a while now, even threatening to propose to him first it he didn't hurry up.

Now she didn't have to wait any longer.

Now she wouldn't have to wait to be his, and he, hers.

"So Judy, would you care to do me-"

"Absolutely," Judy laughed, gaining a chuckle from Nick who smirked up at her. The flash of his teeth in his smile wasn't missed, her heartbeat beating faster than a drum.

"Noted for the future, Fluff," Nick said with a smile. "But now, would you do me the honor of accepting a promotion to become Mrs. Judith Laverne Wilde-Hopps?"

The excited 'YES!' had barely left her lips before she crashed into him, hugging him tightly as she felt how fast his beating hard was hammering in his chest. Their lips met for a second time, Judy releasing her grip on his chest and instead pulled his tie, pushing him deeper into the kiss. He stood, lifting Judy slightly with him as she wrapped a leg around him, begging to be even closer to him than she already was as he did the same, leaning forward as the kiss strengthened in its intensity.

Judy completely forgot about waiting for home to kiss her fox senseless.

"Yes..." Judy murmured into the kiss before it started again, and between each kiss she renewed her pledge with a greater ferocity until minds were freed and passion unleashed upon each other.

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Judy woke, blinking the sleep from her eyes, a smile still on her face from the memories of the experience she held. A slight movement of her head and she saw her husband already looking at her, a smile upon his muzzle as well.

"That, Carrots, was one of the best proposals yet, don't you agree?"

Judy nodded. "It was quite a beautiful one, almost as good as the one I did for you in the prior one." She giggled as he laughed, shaking his head.

"Oh, Judy..." he left his head shaking to smile as his bunny, reaching out his paw to grip hers. "I think any proposal with both of us in it is beautiful."

"Even the one with Eliot in it, filming the entire thing with his drone?" Judy questioned.

"There was a drone?" Nick asked, perplexed. "I only remember the most wonderful, beautiful bunny I've ever laid eyes on in my entire life in that one. Can't really remember much else."

Judy couldn't help the blush rising in her ears, or the fire building in her bellow. "Well...uh, we still have time for one more?" Nick pulled out his phone and checked the time. His mother still was going to look after the kits for another hour or so, so..."

"Looks like we do," he replied, grateful for this anniversary date night idea Judy had come up with. "And I think we have one more setting level we can increase the fluff levels too even."

"Really?" Judy asked, ears rising in anticipation. "What's the setting called? I thought that we had already set it to the highest possible?"

"Looks like we were wrong," Nick replied, spinning the dial until it could spin no more. "Hmmm...Safe Paws, is the name of this one."

"Sounds like a lovely one," Judy said as she took one more look at her husband. Before he could place his helmet on, she jumped across to him, pecking him on his cheek and was back in her seat before he could blink. "See you on the other side, beloved."

Nick smiled, a goofy smile and heart fluttering from his wife's show of affection. He couldn't wait to see what this 'Safe Paws' had to offer as he drifted off into the experience.

AN: Yes, that is a shout out to Koraru-san's Eliot Fanghanel, as well as to one of the fluffiest stories out there, "Safe Paws", written by MidnightOpheliac. So go check those out!

For those who follow me on DA, this will be familiar, and different, all at the same time. I added quite a bit to this as I wanted to get something super fluffy out to celebrate my birthday, as my tradition is to celebrate it by posting stories for you to enjoy. :) So, I hope you enjoyed this edition of SUPER FLUFF and may the WildeHopps be with you! :)