Chapter 13: I Love You
Jake takes Marie on a beach trip with Nick and Judy. The two girls get to know each other better as the raccoon and fox go fishing in the bay. (This chapter corresponds with Zooptopia: A Raccoon's Redemption, Chapter 10: A Raccoon and a Fox Go Fishing for the guy's side of the story.)
Why did she ever listen to the skunk? She pondered with concern while she pulled the robe tighter before stepping out of the changing room. Judy was waiting and the rabbit had on a simple blue one-piece swimsuit that showed off her muscular curves and frankly made her even cuter.
"Hey, Carrots!" Nick yelled over to his wife, "Are you two coming? Jake's down on the beach already renting you an umbrella and then he and I have got some fishing to do!" The fox was dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and his favorite tacky green tropical shirt.
"Come on, Marie!" the rabbit laughed. "Those two are bursting at the seams, all they have talked about this week is catching the big one." She emphasized her last two words by making air quotes with her paws.
The raccoon trudged after the rabbit while they made their way across the sand towards the male raccoon, who was standing next to a large dark blue beach umbrella with four chairs and what appeared to be a table with a white box on it. She looked the raccoon over, he was only wearing a pair of knee-length turquoise swim trunks and having removed his tee shirt, he stood there bare-chested. Her eyes devoured his body, his trim muscular frame along with his stylish cropped black and grey fur with its brownish undertones. He had a pair of sunglasses on and grinned when he turned to face her. By the Great Lamb! She mused. He is a stud!
"Ta-da!" he announced to the group while he spread his arms as if to show off what he had rented. "Welcome to paradise!"
"You overdid it again, Jake!" the rabbit tusked while she peeked into the white box, which turned out to be a miniature refrigerator.
"What?" the raccoon protested. "I just want the two of you to be comfortable while your husband and I go off and sail the seven seas."
"We're just going fishing in the bay for four hours!" Nick chuckled.
"I just got a few comforts," Jake replied. "After all, the afternoon sun is hot!"
Marie giggled at the look he gave her. He had lowered his sunglasses to the end of his muzzle and was wiggling his eyebrows. "A minibar?" she laughed. "Really Sugar, don't y'all think that's a tad too much?"
"Why not?" he replied as he sat down on a chair and leaned over with a grin. "Now, am I going to finally see this bathing suit that Karen has been bragging about?"
Her ears blushed when she slowly opened the robe and pulled it off. Underneath she wore a cherry red one-piece suit with laces that crisscrossed her exposed sides and back.
Jake didn't say a thing but stared at her with his muzzle slightly opened before his paw reached over and pulled a towel into his lap covering his obvious discomfort.
"Damn," the fox muttered, he too looked at her with his mouth hanging open. "Jeeze, Carrots, you need to go shopping next time with Marie and Karen!"
She blushed even more while she reached for her robe and only stopped when Jake mumbled out, "N...no don't! You look gorgeous in that suit and I really like it a lot!"
"Come on lover, quit staring at the pretty lady!" the fox scoffed. "We've got a boat to catch."
Jake shifted with his back to her before he stood up and the fox rolled his eyes after looking down at his friend's waist. "Wave goodbye Jake and let's go!" he laughed. Then turning to Marie, the fox grinned as he added, "Dunderhead will kiss you when he gets back."
Marie started to giggle when Jake half turned and waved before grabbing the towel to cover the fact that his swim shorts had a big bulge in them. She watched while the raccoon uncomfortably ambled off after the fox toward the pier.
"He really likes you," Judy said before she settled down into a chair and looked up at Marie. She had put on a pair of cheap sunglasses that matched her husband's favorite brand, they were the kind nicknamed "fuzzbans" because they were silver mirrored. When you looked at them, all you saw was your own reflection and that was very distracting, which was exactly why they were popular with the police officers.
"I know," she replied as she sat down and put on her own sunglasses, which had brown lenses and matching cherry red frames. "I like him too."
"It's been several months now," the rabbit continued in an almost police "good cop" manner. "I take it from his reaction that you two haven't…you know?"
"Officer Hopps, why the interrogation?" the raccoon slightly huffed out her question. She was starting to get a little annoyed at the rabbit's attitude. She had only met her once before, a while back in the square.
Judy sat up and took off her glasses, her amethyst eyes showed concern while they locked onto the raccoon's brown eyes. "Look it's just that Jake is a very dear friend and I worry about him getting hurt, I know I shouldn't pry into your lives, but you need to let him know your intentions. He's a lot more emotionally venerable than he acts."
Marie knew that already, she remembered their discussion in the gondola when they rode it to the park in the Rainforest District. He told her about the priest's death, his anger, and his remorse for himself for not saving that evil mammal.
"I promise not to hurt him, it's just I'm not so sure how I really feel about him?" she replied in a not-too-convincing manner. She was lying to the rabbit because she knew exactly how she felt about Jake and she was in love with him. However, she was unsure if he felt the same way. It was as if they both tried their best to skirt around saying it, waiting for the other one to be first. She was scared to tell him because she was afraid that he might not be in love with her.
Judy sat back in her chair with a small smile, she was a cop and an expert at interrogations so she knew the raccoon was lying to her. Changing the subject she asked, "So where did you find that swimsuit, and does it come in my size in the color purple?"
They spent the afternoon talking about their careers, shopping, and about males in general after it became very clear that Jake wasn't the only male that liked Marie's suit.
After running off a cute dingo who looked to be just out of his teens and didn't seem to understand that no really meant NO, Judy pulled out a couple of waters from the minifridge and tossed one to Marie. "You've got to love that boy's enthusiasm," she laughed. "But his pickup line sucked."
"Hey babe, so what's grey, black, and brown?" Judy huffed out in a faux male voice. "Me on top of you!"
"Your reply was classic though," the raccoon laughed. "What's grey, brown, and red? My fist when it punches you in the muzzle."
"That's the drawback of your bathing suit. Every time you come back from a swim, you have some male following."
"Oh, and who had that sexy-looking buck come running down the beach to meet her? I saw that poor rabbit's ears droop when he saw y'all's wedding ring."
"Then he asked me if you were married too!" Judy chuckled.
"Well he didn't come over here, in fact, he up and ran like greased lightning the other way," Marie replied.
"I told him you were married and had eight kits at home," the rabbit laughed.
When Nick Wilde and Jake Runnel go fishing, what could go wrong you ask? Plenty! First Jake had never been on a boat before and got seasick soon after they left the harbor. But he soldiered on and he puked out everything he had eaten that day, along with some of what he ate last night. When they reached the fishing grounds, Nick caught the "big one" only to have it devoured by a bigger shark. Finally, they were saved from the still-hungry shark by a pod of orcas with the Harbor Patrol. But the two friends finally caught some decent-sized fish for their dinner before they sailed back to port.
The crusty old skipper of their fishing boat had recommended they cook their filets in the seaside park and after purchasing the necessary supplies, the fox and raccoon dragged, with much effort and with great complaining by the raccoon, a newly acquired cooler full of supplies into the park and over to a grill.
"I'm going to go get the girls and you can start the fire," Nick said.
"Hey, you're the chief tonight, bro," protested the raccoon. "I'll get the girls and you start the fire."
"No, you'll see Marie in her bathing suit and forget all about food," replied the fox before he began walking toward the beach.
"I hate it when he's right!" Jake mumbled to himself. He wadded up some paper, poured the charcoal on top, and then he realized what they had forgotten.
A few minutes later Nick returned with Judy and Marie. Puzzled, he asked the raccoon, "Why didn't you start the fire?"
"We forgot the matches," laughed Jake. "I tried rubbing two sticks together and that didn't work." The raccoon was disappointed that Marie had her robe back on and only giggled when he begged her to take it off.
After a quick jog to the shop, Nick returned with some matches and they lit the fire. The fox laid out the ingredients for their meal. He sliced some cucumbers for an appetizer and opened a bottle of chilled wine. He then made three packets with the fish, sliced zucchini, diced peppers, and some beans. The fourth packet had everything but the fish and extra beans. He sprinkled the seasoning and oil over the food, just like the shopkeeper had instructed before he placed the packets on the grill.
Their dinners were phenomenal, the fish and veggies were cooked just right. They ate some creamy and crunchy coleslaw on the side and had some crunchy bread to sop up the juices. After cleaning up and putting out their fire, Jake and Nick carried the now almost empty cooler to the beach while Judy and Marie laid down the blankets just as the sun was beginning to set. Jake opened the pink Champagne and poured everyone a glass
Jake had scooted behind Marie so she could lean back against him while they watched the moon rising over the water, its yellow reflection simmering almost magically across the waves. His arms encompassed her as she pressed herself back into his embrace, blushing as she felt him hardening against her back. He didn't move or say anything but sat perfectly still as they sipped their pink Champagne.
Nick whispered into his wife's ear, "I think those two could use some alone time, Carrots." He took her paw and they strolled down the beach into the darkness.
"Sugar, I had a great time today," Marie said before she kissed Jake's cheek. "But between the price of the charter boat and the groceries, it must have cost you a fortune. You know you don't have to spend money to impress me."
Jake shrugged and replied, "What good is money if you don't spend it on the ones you love?" Then realizing what he said, he tensed up.
"Are you saying that you love me?" Marie asked in a soft hesitant voice.
Jake sat up straight and looked her in her eyes before he answered, "Yes I do! I think I do love you, Marie."
She took his cheek fur in her paws and whispered, "I think I love you too!"
The two raccoons shared a passionate kiss and then another. She lay sprawled on top of the blanket as his mouth devoured hers, each kiss turning wilder from their pent-up passions. His paws moved under her robe and behind her back. He pulled himself on top of her, she could feel him throbbing as he pressed into her thigh. One of his paws slipped down under the back of her swimsuit and cupped her rear next to her tail. She gave a little moan as his other paw moved toward her chest. "No!" she groaned. "Not here, your friends are just down the beach."
He shook himself and let out a small growl, "Your place or mine?"
She sighed when he pulled his paws from her body and rolled off of her. Even in the relative darkness, she could see the tenting of his shorts. "Neither," she said in frustration. "My brother Johnny and his family are arriving in the early morning for a week's vacation. I don't think having you in my bedroom would be a great way to meet my family, they are a bit conservative about mating traditions."
"Shit!" he grumbled. "Well, then how about another kiss to tide me over?"
"Just a kiss, Sugar, but keep those paws to yourself," she giggled.