On Sunday night, a contemplative fox stared at a blank text file on his laptop, his fingers resting over the keyboard as he mindlessly eyed the blinking cursor.
It seemed he wasn't as focused on his Creative Writing paper as he should have been. In fact, for it being the last night to get some work out of the way so he could study for his morning exam, he wasn't focused at all.
His writing assignment was due digitally on the ZU online portal (11:59 pm to be precise), which happened to be the same paper that needed to be handed in as a hard copy the following week. Nick wondered to himself why teachers wanted the digital version up so damn early, but he knew it was to ensure plagiarism wasn't a factor in the finished work (yada yada), so he didn't bother to whine internally about it to himself.
There were probably other better things to whine about. Like getting said paper out of the way so he could finish studying for the Criminal Justice 101 exam, which was just hours away.
If Nicholas Wilde worked diligently without a single distraction to plague his mind, he'd currently be crashing against his pillow after submitting a solid five page paper, reading through some dense test material, and ending the night dozing off by counting sheep.
But no, he mused silently to himself as he sat against the wooden post at the foot of his bed.
Instead, the fox was completely absorbed by the events that transpired at the frat house party. A specific moment, replaying over and over in his mind like some kind of whacked-out old-school cassette recorder.
As he eyed the cursor he could somewhat reimagine it now. Drunken, slowly sobering laughs, a teasing game of chase, a collision in the strobe room where he surrendered to his captor. Then, in a flash of something fueled by what he figured was sentiment or stupidity, he imparted a kiss on Judy without warning, known reason, or logic.
The kiss in itself was gentle, natural, and admittedly sweet considering it wasn't the byproduct of lust just like all his previous kisses were. This exchange was different. But that wasn't the point. The point was that the unannounced kiss probably painted him out to be even more of a jerk to the one mammal he had been intending to come to decent terms with. As if there was even a chance now.
All weekend long Nick debated sending Judy a text just for the sake of breaking the ice, perhaps to excuse his uncalled-for deed at the end of that forsaken night. But every time he tried to send a decent text her way…
Hey. So about what happened between us yesterday…
Carrots, you awake? Um, I just wanted to tell you that I'm…
So there's this weird theory I thought up. Fox muzzles do this funny thing where they 'boop' other mammals' muzzles without warning… so… whoops?
I'm… an idiot. Can we just agree on that?
…he didn't have the nerve to press send. He hardly finished his messages, clicking his teeth when he deleted the jumble of awkward words with a fell swoop of the indifferent cancel button. Poof, gone.
"This is embarrassing," he grunted to himself on the edge of his bed earlier that day, rubbing his face with a paw while the other held his phone.
Why he was so flustered at the thought of his kiss with Judy? Why did the thought alone send his insides curling and his fingers hesitant to message her? Nick hadn't a clue. Maybe it was shame, or guilt, or confusion. Most likely a mix of the three.
So later that night, the fox staring blankly at his computer screen found relief when the side of his face fell onto the keyboard with a thud. He shook himself awake and used the surge of newfound alertness to focus on beginning his paper.
"C'mon already. No more brain maze. Let's get this show on the road, Wilde." He murmured to himself as he quickly stretched his arms and began to tap away at his laptop.
'…My interpretive observations suggest that the main character of the poetic fiction, "Desire finds a Way" by Brandhoof, undergoes a major metamorphosis. She begins as the antagonist but becomes the heroine ..."
It was an unread, rough draft that probably contained more than just a few grammatical errors or overly flowery language, blame his restless thoughts.
Needless to say the fox typed away, green eyes skimming the passage as his fingers danced over the keyboard.
'…the main character speaks in first-mammal. She tells the reader how she is forced to revisit past events and enemies, but with a new perspective…
…the author utilizes a literary device called 'anaphora,' which means the repetition of words or phrases in a sentence. This technique shows how the character evolves …
(I quote): "Those cold blue eyes, eyes I hated once, hated because they lingered in their harsh stare, stare at me now like they have never stared before."
…(The author continues): "Those harsh eyes are now soft. I wonder. One day, can my eyes soften like that too?"…'
Nick suddenly paused, caught in a dwelling-spell as he went off on an internal tangent.
To the fox, all mammals proved the ability to change.
Whether those most needing of change were going to, well, that was uncertain. Many were likely too stubborn to even admit they needed changing, much less actually change for the better. During his time at ZU, Nick felt like he once belonged to that stubborn, unchanging category. Once.
But now? Well, there was a subtle change in the fox even he himself recognized.
So what subtly changed in him, then? From the Nicholas Wilde with an obvious narcissistic streak showcasing his shit-eating grin every chance he got despite external criticism, to the fox that began to care less and less about his status in the fraternity ranks. A fox that now, strangely, cared more about the consequences he faced and a freshman rabbit's feelings.
The way he saw it, he put himself in this mess. And this weekend he put himself in the worst position yet. The tongue slip.
Whatever intention that haunting act was born from, he refused to acknowledge at the moment being. He finally convinced himself that he simply didn't have time to self-reflect, not with all the work that had to be done.
So he put his earbuds in, kept himself from going on further mental tangents, and honed his focus solely to the words flowing effortlessly from his fingerpads. With the music drowning out the contents of his head he managed to write the paper in under an hour, digitally submitting it before the near-midnight deadline with a sigh of relief.
One assignment down, now to study. Woo.
.o0o.
On the night before her first college exam, Judy Hopps was cooped up in a small cubicle at the ZU library, listening to Pigthoven through rented headphones and meticulously memorizing her notes (or at least trying to) with a dense stack of flash cards she was making by paw.
The eager bunny tried to plan out her last-minute, very-much-procrastinated studying with a step-by-step schedule to keep track of the time.
Unfortunately, she didn't work 'nodding off mid-study' into the schedule.
Several times throughout the night, she'd wake up with a cheek resting within the divide between the open pages of her Criminal Justice textbook, and each time she'd jolt up with a gasp.
At one point she tried to combat the desire to nap by retreating to the bathroom for a much needed impromptu break, one not included in her little makeshift study-schedule. Standing on the edge of the nearest sink meant for larger mammals, she turned on the faucet with a foot and carefully knelt forward to splash some of the rushing cold water onto her face. It wasn't until her violet eyes gazed into the mirror did she see a neon pink sticky note stuck onto her reflection's cheek.
Thankfully, no one besides a humored rhino behind her saw, and she flashed the sole witness of her sticky-note-face an embarrassed smile.
After the bunny gathered herself, she followed the bathroom trip with an extra measure to assure that her head wouldn't meet the textbook again, if she could help it; she downed numerous caffeinated energy drinks in the form of ZooBull and Meowster, drinks that she didn't find all too enjoyable to consume, but were consumed nonetheless.
The actions she took to stay awake worked fairly quickly, making the wet-faced and now suddenly energetic bunny begin to shiver as she piled her finished flash cards into a tall stack. Once she was done neatly writing and mentally reciting a definition on a card, she'd grab a new index card and fill it with some new information. It proved to be a tedious process, but one she carried on.
Randomly, it appeared when her mind wasn't trying to drift into a much needed sleep, it would drift off to the eventful frat party just a few nights before.
With a card frozen in grey paws, Judy evoked the encounter she had with Nick.
Or her encounter with his muzzle, to be precise.
After that bizarre moment between them, the rabbit didn't stay at the party for much longer.
From what Judy recalled, she managed to get some more water from the helpful fennec fox, who watched her greedily rehydrate in preparation for heading back to campus. In just minutes, the large jug he had given her was empty, and she exhaled in relief as sobriety slowly claimed her with every passing minute.
"Damn. You were pretty thirsty, huh?" He amusingly noted once she set the jug aside and wiped her mouth with the back of a wrist.
Judy made a weak laugh. "Yeah. Just wanted to sober up before I, y'know, head out. It's a long walk back." In other words, I need to sober up more so I can mentally evaluate what the hell just happened tonight.
"I getcha." Fin responded to the bunny as he scratched below his ear and glanced around the dimly lit kitchen. "Uh, by the way, you seen Nick around by any chance? Once you two went off somewhere for a medical kit or whatever, haven't seen him since."
Her eyes fell along with the motion of her ears. "I… haven't." she replied in a murmur, the cold water doing little to tame the burn still persistent under her fur after her awkward fumble with the said fox just minutes before. "Thanks for the water, Finnick. It should do the trick."
Fin nodded, staring down at the phone in his paw, probably to see if his flat mate had texted or called him about heading out sooner than he anticipated. But judging by the frown that grew on his muzzle, he did no such thing. "Huh. Weird." The small fox pursed his lips. "Usually doesn't bounce like that without lettin' me know. But anyways, about the water, you're welcome. Get back safe."
"I will." The bandana around her neck did wonders to ward off any unsavory intentions.
Finally level-headed enough, she ambled out of the frat house in a steady walk towards campus. During her travelling Judy recognized that that the city was still lively at the dead of night, filled with speeding cars and chatty hordes of mammals still loitering about. Zootopia's nightlife certainly rivaled the single question ringing loud in her head at the time.
Was I… just kissed by Nicholas Wilde?
It was odd, how not-mad she was about it, but instead simply surprised and quite frankly confused.
So as she currently sat at the library cubicle with that familiar burn greeting her cheeks again, she reminded herself of his final words.
"How about… we just pretend that never happened?"
Although Judy certainly wondered why the kiss even happened in the first place, it was something she couldn't get hung up on now. Not with an impending test just hours away.
8:10 pm
"Okay, okay I got this… the cards are all made," the bunny exhaled to herself, her paws trembling from the caffeine as she spread out the cards in piles: stuff I got down, stuff that needs to be reviewed, stuff not studied.
9:54 pm
"Who makes the laws?" She tapped her foot beneath the cubicle pensively. "The… judicial branch?" She flipped the card and winced. Legislative branch. Into the review pile it went.
11:32 pm
"Thirty minutes until the library closes. I repeat, you have thirty minutes remaining before the lights shut off." Came a bored voice through the speaker system. Judy swore underneath her breath. Really?
3:02 am
Under the mini desk lamp in her dorm room she finally got all of the flash cards out of the stuff not studied pile. Too bad two dozen other cards were still in the stuff that needs to be reviewed pile. Judy groaned to herself, muffling the sound with her paws as Bellwether tussled in her sleep.
4:52 am
She looked at her bed longingly for a moment. I'll set a timer for fifteen minutes. Just fifteen. Then more reading. Actually, wait, no- there ain't no rest for the wicked.
6:12 am
Judy pulled an all-nighter. Her very first, and most definitely, the last.
Once awake Bellwether questioned the bunny's choice in wearing a turtle-neck sweater at the end of August. "It's like seventy degrees out. You'll melt out there." Dawn murmured as she climbed out of bed. "Also, I didn't hear the alarm this morning. Did you not go to sleep last night? Judy?" The sheep noticed the bunny immersing herself in a near-panic through her notebook and index cards, so she decided to drop the questions. "Never mind. You seem pre-tty busy."
Stinging violet eyes even reviewed the merciless stack of cards on her way to her test that early Monday morning, quietly muttering the terms she managed to memorize, and re-reading at the speed of light to force-feed information that just didn't sink in. Judy even skipped breakfast, against Bellwether's advice, to plow through pages of notes as time before the test dwindled.
Cramming for an exam by waiting for the night before to study suddenly seemed like a terrible idea.
At her seat in the front of class, Judy was so focused on last-minute reviewing that she didn't even notice the frat fox saunter in earlier than usual. Inexplicably her heart skipped at the sight of him, and she was suddenly made aware of the urge to wet her lips.
As Nick entered, he glanced around the room of mammals cramming recklessly. Amateurs, he thought with a smile.
Making eye contact with Judy was what made his internal taunting fall short. He knew then that the only way to avoid a bunny-themed distraction during the test was to change his seat for the day. So he did, opting for his usual lecture hall row of choice.
Judy noticed when the fox didn't occupy the typical seat behind her. She even glanced back and watched him march up the steps to the very back row before forcing her sore sights on her notes again.
Minutes later the professor entered the hall with a calm smile. "Morning students. Wow, what a turn out. We've got a full house today, I think I'm even seeing some new faces," she noted humorously, which only earned her a low, dry chorus of chuckles. "Hope you've all spent the weekend preparing. Please clear your desks, no phones out, and eyes on your own exam. Best of luck."
The beaver gingerly passed out the exam booklets face down onto each desk and once everyone held a copy, she promptly instructed them to begin. With only fifty minutes of total time, Judy paced herself, answering each intimidating question with excruciating detail— essentially she word vomited for the hopes that the correct answer was somewhere in there.
Her eyes burned for sleep as she read the questions.
#5) Within the last half century, name only four pieces of legislation the Zootopian Congress passed specifically for crime fighting purposes. (15 pts)
Her heart was racing, a tremble in her paws and a persistent grumble in her stomach as she jotted her responses along the paper.
Just thirty minutes into the test and the first mammal stood to turn in their exam to the front of the class. Judy snapped her eyes up for a moment to check who the speed-test taker was, seeing it was none other than a slightly frazzled Nicholas Wilde. He handed in his booklet to Dr. Castor, who accepted it without suspicion, and strolled out of the class with a tired yawn.
It was no surprise to the rabbit that it was none other than the fox who likely gave up mid-test, considering he barely attended class and had likely invested his priorities elsewhere.
Staying optimistic, the bunny continued on, flipping pages as she progressed onto different questions based on material she was familiar with. Some, not so familiar with. But she answered them as best as she could.
Judy turned in the exam with a minute to spare before leaving the lecture hall, her heart pounding as she pushed through the double doors.
It's over!
Outside of the classroom stood Bellwether waiting for the bunny, who gave her a conserved yet smug smile. "Yay, you finished! You were cutting it kinda close there. So, how'd you do?" The sheep asked curiously as they began heading out of the building side by side.
"How did I do… uh, okay, I think?" Judy exhaled hopefully over to the sheep. It certainly didn't seem as nightmarish as she imagined, but it wasn't very easy either. It was going to be a toss-up, and she just hoped that the results were going to be in her favor. "What about you?"
Bellwether shrugged humbly. "Definitely passed. Maybe made a few silly mistakes here and there. Got stuck on number seven. But I'm sure you did fine, Judy. Anyway, did you see how Wilde gave in his exam so early? Just threw in the towel, just like that!" She swayed her hoof like she was throwing an imaginary Frisbee for emphasis. "Pssh, there's no doubt he bombed it." Dawn cackled softly as she adjusted the strap of her over-the-shoulder bag more comfortably across her chest.
The bunny mused over her words for a moment, long ears drooping a smidge. "Hah. Yeah…"
Perhaps two weeks ago when seeking vengeance was still on her to-do list, the rabbit would have been delighted at the notion of Wilde tanking a test. But now? The mere mention of his name no longer brought on the fury or aggravation it once did. Right now, if what Dawn assumed was true, maybe Judy pitied the fox a little.
They pushed through the Wolfhartt front doors and arrived outside where Judy made sure to breathe deeply and jog over to the nearest snack station before her next class. The sun was peeking out of the clouds in beams as if rejoicing with the mammals that psychologically survived their first college exam.
.o0o.
The red fox spent the remainder of the week immersed in any distraction he could afford. Long walks, even longer runs, hangouts with the guys, tidying up his place a little, literally anything that could pull his mind out of the rabbit-hole it constantly found itself lingering in.
No matter how much Nick tried to avoid Judy in those few days out of some lame humiliation over an impulsive kiss, he saw her often.
Like when he saw her at the on-campus grill station where she stood on line with a tray of sautéed veggies and a smoothie, her back to him. For a moment he believed he had the nerve to speak to her casually, maybe wipe the slate clean and actually follow through with his own advice: Pretend it never happened.
After all, he had been carrying her money in his wallet ever since that night, intending to return it somehow without making matters worse between them. If that was even possible.
I'll just say hello, he thought to himself as he noticed her advance on the line to pay for her food items. Give it back, apologize, and go on my merry way. It'll be like ripping off a bandage.
Nick held his breath when he left the cooked meats pick-up area, sauntering slowly over towards Judy on the line. His wind of confidence fell at the sight of two of her friends taking her side suddenly, a large cheetah and small black sheep greeting her warmly and beginning a chat.
The last thing he wanted was an audience to witness his clumsy attempt of an apology, and rehearsing the prepared lines in his head didn't seem convincing enough, so he canceled his order and decided to skip lunch altogether.
At the end of the week, Nick conceded to himself that he'd finally make the awkward air between himself and the freshman rabbit end. He needed to stop being so hesitant about speaking to her. Then maybe things would feel normal.
So, he reached out to the one mammal he knew he could always rely on for a little motivation.
Early Saturday morning, the flustered red fox decided to dial his mother.
"Hey mom," he murmured with a warm smile he could never conceal when he spoke to her. As always, she'd breathe a delighted gasp at the chime of his voice, a voice she would often say resembled his father's when he was his age.
"Long time no speak, pup!" Her low-pitched voice sweetly greeted, even using that little pet name he had heard so often in his youth.
He grinned. "Yeah, long time no speak." For as long as he could remember, it was always just him and his mother. She was an open book, a wise-crack that knew how to get the giggles out, incredibly patient, and undeniably tough when necessary.
Ever since he was young their communication always included sincerity, comedy, and guidance. Nick was convinced no other vixen could have handled raising such a tricky kit as he was, so without a doubt he was immensely grateful for her. It was no wonder, then, that the two had a strong bond.
Once he moved out of the house and started his first academic year at ZU, their interactions became less frequent. Even miles away, she could detect a change in her son's demeanor; from optimistic to cynical, sensitive to guarded. The dynamics of college life to her was a mystery since she never went far in her education, but she was clever enough to know that the brotherhood he joined was likely to blame for the change.
"How's school treating you? And would it kill you to at least text me a little more often? Geez."
The humor in her tone caused him to weakly snicker into the receiver. "I'm sorry ma. I'll shoot you more texts every now and then just to let you know I'm alive. You know I really suck at the whole communication thing while I'm at college and all…" Nick bashfully replied, softly clawing at the dark end of the tail laying over his lap. "Anyway, school's fine. Submitted a solid paper for Creative Writing this week. Took a Criminal Justice test. Went for a run. Real exciting stuff." She chuckled at his nonchalant sarcasm. "But I'm... well. How about you?"
"Doing as fine as ever, especially now that you've called. Although it's nice to hear from you pup, it's also weird, considering you're not much of a morning fox and it's a weekend. Also, you hesitated a little when you said you were well. You sure everything's alright?"
"That's nice. And, uh." He bit his cheek for a moment, curling the black furs at the end of his tail with a finger. "I'll just get right to the point then, since I keep forgetting you're practically psychic and all."
"Mhmm." He could only imagine her humored eye roll now. "Go on."
Nick continued cautiously. "You could say that I'm… kind of in a pickle?"
There was a crunching sound coming from her end, like the sound of dry earth, accompanied by the clinking of metal. But the sounds of what he assumed was her new plant-potting hobby had paused at his admission. "A pickle?"
He exhaled. "Yeah."
"What's wrong?" The once feathery-light quality of her voice soon became serious. "What mess are you into now? If it has anything to do with that ridiculous fraternity again…"
"No, uh, it's not that," Nick assured to ease her disapproving tone. "I just need some advice, is all. You're great at advice." He closed his eyes and bit the side of his cheek for a few seconds while he mustered the courage to spew his dilemma. "Spontaneous-intimacy-with-a-girl-I-thought-I-didn't-like-at-all kind of advice. Ha."
"Whoa, hold on there, tiger," his mother sputtered a laugh. "You're not part-sloth, I get it. But could ya slow it down a bit and remember to breathe when you talk? Explain it to me step by step and I'll help as best as I can."
"Okay." Nick took a moment to compose himself. "One sec." He made sure to check for Finnick's whereabouts, who fortunately happened to be cooped up in the bathroom with his Zootooth speaker blasting away.
Once his bedroom door was shut, the red fox paced the floor of his room and quietly recounted everything. At least, everything that wouldn't get him immensely scolded.
"This is how it all started."
He mentioned his rivalry with the freshman bunny briefly, not delving into his shenanigans in detail.
"When we met, she immediately trusted me which was honestly the last thing I expected. I mean, a rabbit trusting a fox straight off the bat? It was odd. A good kind of odd. But me, being a jerk, turned that fox-trusting rabbit into a bit of a spectacle…"
Nick confessed that he picked on her feisty qualities for a laugh, then butted heads with her constantly, and found himself hustled not just once but twice as a result. That sure was a kicker.
"I guess you could say I was sort of intrigued..."
Quietly he admitted that Judy was unlike any other prey he had ever met before; a stranger who knew almost disturbingly well how to push his buttons and respond to his every comeback. Even being the mammal kind that she was, she was not intimated by him or his fraternity of predators in the least. Anyone could admit that was an impressive quality.
"I thought that maybe she was gullible about how the world really works, like how I used to be. I thought she needed a reality check. But I think… I think she gave me one."
Nick's mumbled words became littered with quiet sighs and stutters as he brought up the parts where he behaved differently towards her. Like when he let her borrow his sweater after taking her home one night. Carrying an unconscious bunny up four flights proved to be a worthy exercise.
Eventually he quit making her the pinnacle of his entertainment. Invited her out to exclusive hang outs as part of a deal, fended her from unorthodox preds at a party, kept her close by as a precaution, surprisingly had a good time with her in the meanwhile, and so forth.
Down to the very event that burdened him last Friday night.
Speaking the final memory aloud made the fox slightly cringe. His mom said nothing for a few moments, the short silence causing a lump to form at the base of his throat until she resounded with a closed-mouthed giggle.
"So this is what's gotten you so high-strung? A kiss?" She asked curiously, her calm response making his tense posture loosen a smidge. "You've never called me to talk about girl-issues before. I was starting to think I'd never see the day," she lightly teased.
Nick groaned. "Because you know I'm not really the mushy, overly-romantic type."
"Ha, well you just might be if this bunny's gotten you into a tizz. So…" And there came the question. "Do you like her at all?"
"Like her?" Nick scoffed softly, his nose crinkled. "No, I don't. I mean, yeah, I won't deny that she's attractive, and yeah, maybe I teased her like dumb preschool kits do when they've got a crush. But we're not like that, atall, and like I said earlier I'm really not the romantic type. Not that romance is lame. I guess it's just not my thing or whatever—"
"Your rambling, pup." His mother knew her son better than most, if not all, mammals. She knew he needed some sincere guidance by the rate of his rambles alone. "We've talked about this sort of thing before, but it's worth mentioning again now that you're older, and well, probably experiencing it." She took a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. "We foxes are an affectionate species. We get possessive over our loved ones and form bonds that are hard to break."
Nick stopped his pacing and sat on the edge of his bed again. "I get that. But how does me being a fox explain why I've been acting so… so…" Nick searched for the right word.
"So strangely possessive and suddenly sweet on a mammal you hardly know?" She finished in a wise tone, the words alone making his ears droop and the skin underneath his face fur swarm.
"W-well, when you put it that way…" The blushing fox nervously laughed. It didn't occur to him until now that his behavior towards Judy underneath his bravado and attitude was somewhat territorial, even affectionate. Perhaps his mother was onto something.
"You know me. I call things like I see them," she spoke effortlessly, gentle on her approach on the topic she knew was sensitive to him. "And the way I see it, looks like those initial mate-seeking tendencies are kicking in. If there's any earnest physical attraction and chemistry between you two, it could explain why you're feeling this way."
Nick listened intently, his brows furrowed. "We usually don't get along. I wouldn't exactly call that chemistry."
"Bad chemistry is still chemistry, pup," she chimed easily. "Do you think your father and I hit it off right off when we first met? Do I have to tell you the story again?"
"Oh no, please spare me. You've told me the story a billion times," he replied amusingly with a slow shake of his head, which ushered a quiet chuckle from her. Before his parents became legally separated, according to her story telling, the two were head-over-heels in love. Not something he ever recalled personally, since they were apart by the time he learned to waddle. "I'm not sure how two mammals who swore they hated each other's guts could one day get married. But hey, if it didn't happen I wouldn't be here so, woohoo right?"
She laughed. "Yup, woohoo indeed. Although things started a bit patchy between your father and I… we both put our differences aside for the sake of making our jobs at the factory go smoothly, and surprisingly made a deep connection. The rest was history." She hummed as she silently reminisced. "Just know that these feelings you're having aren't unnatural- it happens to most boys your age that haven't found a mate yet. In the winter, sometimes those feelings intensify, and oh boy do I remember one day in December when your father-"
"It gets worse in the winter? Great," he moaned sarcastically, unintentionally cutting her off as he was astounded by the information. "Uh, is there any way repress these dumb feelings? Move on with my miserable life? What if I don't want a mate?"
She tutted the way she did when she reminded him to mind his tone. "Although tods get these territorial feelings, it doesn't mean they have to pursue a romance. Strong friendships are born from these protective tendencies too. How about you get to know her a little, see where that takes you?"
Nick exasperatedly fell back onto his bed with a bounce, his phone by his ear. "Be friends?" The younger red fox crossed a leg over his knee as his eyes randomly trailed over the ceiling, his unoccupied arm folded under his head. "I'm positive I'm her least favorite mammal in all of Zootopia. Don't get me wrong. It's probably my fault we aren't exactly buddy-buddy, I totally accept that. But I'm not so sure any of that can be fixed now. In fact, I'm sure of it."
"Well…" His mother thoughtfully replied. "Maybe it isn't as unfixable as you think. Have you tried apologizing to her?" The question she posed was simple, logical even, but still caught him off-guard as his brows arched.
"I really should. Actually, I've been planning to. But…"
"But?"
Nick refrained from sighing. He didn't want to admit to his mother that he caved into an old habit she absolutely detested- money thieving, which he used to do on the streets as an angsty kit trying to fit in with whatever gang took him under their wing. Taking a fraction of Judy's money for himself was an action done out of transient spite, an action he immediately regretted. It sourly reminded him of the very last time he committed the crime years ago, when he vowed he'd start a better life for himself after that run-in with a mob.
It made a shred of him feel that being saved by that graduate fox was all for nothing- that maybe, at heart, he was destined to become a criminal. Follow his father's footsteps. Footsteps that undoubtedly lead to a prison cell.
"I just…" Nick closed his eyes. "I keep backing out. Because I have this feeling that she won't accept an apology from me. No matter how earnest it is. I mean, I probably don't deserve it. I think I'll just make an ass out of myself."
"Hey, I know plenty of great donkeys," she joked, causing Nick to crack a small smile. "Don't be so hard on yourself. I don't think I'm getting the full story here but… here are my two-cents. If she doesn't want to be your friend, well then, that's that I suppose. If you both don't interact that means no more chemistry, which means no more weird feelings. Life's back to normal for you." She concluded simply.
He nodded as he listened, silently considering that alternative ending. "And… if she accepts my apology by some miraculous chance? What happens then, o' wise psychic mom?"
"Well," his mother chuckled. "That's up to the both of you."
.o0o.
It seemed so long ago now, that he had burdened her with his teasing, back-handed flirting, and twisted humor. No mention of that pet name she swore she detested, no texts, not even acknowledgement at campus spaces they both coincidentally attended.
One instance during the week, she spotted Nick sitting with his frat in the cafeteria dining hall. That time was particularly awkward, since they made vague eye contact across the dining room for a moment before she glanced away, continuing her chat with her pals and forcing a laugh at a joke she didn't hear all the way through.
Oddly enough, it felt like they were strangers again, and Judy just couldn't shake off the reservations she had about it. Especially since the bunny and fox eventually came to enjoy one another's company at the frat party. Their uncanny agreement on sticking together through the mad house for the sake of keeping her safe took a surprisingly positive turn.
From suspicion to comfort, hesitance to laughter.
From innocent play to an unsuspecting brush of tongues.
Even in class, when he did attend, he was quiet and didn't entertain any of the girls that squealed his name when he entered, which was unlike him. And again, he'd take the seat all the way at the end of the lecture hall. Then he'd leave in an instant after class was dismissed.
Sometimes Judy would catch glimpses of him walking with that dorky strut throughout campus with other large predators while she enjoyed a lunch outside or walked to an evening PL meeting.
For some weird reason, maybe subconsciously, she casually looked around her surroundings for him when she absent-mindedly trailed off mid-conversation or strolled alone. Most of the time her glances came up empty handed, and she questioned why she even tried searching for him in the first place.
Since that fateful night at the frat party, a week's time flew by.
Amid the confusion in regards to a fox, Judy's invitations for hang outs and parties came to a halt, perhaps because the fall semester at ZU was starting to pick up for its students. The lack of socializing didn't necessarily bother the bunny, especially after last week's procrastination and manic-mode studying made her realize she didn't want to suffer a similar fate again.
After that experience, Judy acknowledged critically important points about surviving academia and wrote them on a sticky note in her planner as a reminder:
No matter how brilliant you think you are, don't overestimate your abilities.
Don't procrastinate. Brushing work off to the last second is a mistake. Seriously, don't do it.
And last but not least, study. Buckle down and get it done! You'll be thankful later.
By the following Monday, the first Monday of September, Judy was definitely anxious to see if her all-nighter had miraculously paid off.
Dr. Castor promised she would have graded all of the examination booklets in just a week since the exam was given. After lecture came to a close the beaver professor arranged the tests in alphabetical stacks at the front table, where students gathered around to collect their exams almost hastily.
Sounds of disappointed sighs and mutters filled the air with only a few elated cheers to match. Once they had their booklets, mammals started making their way out of the lecture hall, chatting and comparing their scores as they went.
Judy patiently made her way to the table after the crowd retreated, her paws going numb as she flipped through a now-slightly jumbled 'H' stack, rummaging through it for 'Hopps.'
Hamsley, Horseman, Harrierson, Highlands…
Then finally.
Hopps.
She took up the graded exam and turned it over slowly to reveal the score, holding her breath.
Shock filled her as she witnessed the grade scribbled in red ink over her name:
70.
Her stomach sank.
That's… the lowest exam grade I've ever gotten.
Although it was certainly a passing score, it was a C+ grade at best, and that didn't sit well with the overachieving bunny that normally aced all of her tests back in high school. Without a doubt she knew her week-long procrastination was to blame, and she exhaled in her disappointment.
"Dr. Castor?" The bunny approached the stout professor overseeing the crowded table.
The beaver acknowledged her with a polite smile. "Yes, Ms. Hopps?"
"What was the average score on the exam, if you don't mind me asking? And the score range?" She asked the question with a lump in her throat she just couldn't swallow.
"The average was, ah, let me see." The beaver put on the glasses hanging by a necklace around her neck and opened a thick binder full of score records.
As the beaver skimmed the pages, Nick had just gotten to the table once the crowd of students thinned out. He found his exam booklet in the 'W' pile, the look on his face hardly transparent once he regarded the grade. That blank expression shifted however, once he recognized Judy stood patiently in front of the professor with droopy ears. He folded the thick booklet twice and stuffed it deep into his jacket pocket as he lingered to curiously listen.
"The average was a 65. The high score was a 98. The low was a 42." The professor closed the binder and regarded Judy, lifting the glasses over her eyes. "Also, I don't curve my tests. These scores are raw scores. Did you have any other questions for me?"
So she did above average. That's good news, right? "No, that was all. Thank you, Dr. Castor." The bunny smiled weakly before heading to the doors with her eyes on the floor.
The rabbit was so distraught, she didn't realize she had just walked by the fox standing by the table. He hesitated for a moment, watching her push through the double doors before finally pursuing her out of the classroom.
Maybe it was foolish for her eyes to start stinging with tears she refused to let fall, the test booklet held tensely in her paws with the unsatisfactory score hidden from sight.
The fox didn't know what possessed him when he cleared his throat to address the obviously low-spirited bunny, matching her lame stride as his eyes darted and mind raced for something, anything, to say.
"So, uh." Nick nervously began. "How'd you do?"
A/N:
Hello peeps! Hope May has been kind to you all.
This chapter brings our favorite duo into new territory. And of course, if you couldn't tell by now, this story is an angsty one. As much as a full-on fluffy romance is great, my story doesn't start that way. As I mentioned briefly several chapters ago, there's a frenemy arc in the beginning, and (maybe?) we are nearing the end of it. There will be good times and fluff eventually, as the plot advances, which means angst will take a back seat. I'll try my best to balance that out.
I think we've explored some mature/darker themes of stereotypical college life mostly so far. It's only fair to include the lighter/positive aspects too! As well as 'some lessons learned' as our slowly maturing Nick and Judy begin figuring things out.
As for my update schedule, it may become bi-weekly or monthly, depending on how busy I am.
Til next time. Thanks for the read!
