Clawhauser didn't even look up when Nick entered the Precinct. "Morning Nick. Evasive action in three… two… "
Nick perked his ears and sidestepped at the very last moment, his partner brushing past in a surprised blur, pivoting right before the desk. "Not cool, Clawhauser!"
Nick chuckled, then yelped, as Judy bounced right back and into his chest, toppling them both to the ground. A very cheerful Judy shot him a very cheerful victory grin.
"Morning partner!"
"If this is the kind of day we're having, I'm going to need a lot more coffee." He replied dryly.
She shook her head at him. "Now see, this is exactly the kind of attitude that a good morning jog would fix."
"I'm not a jogger, and you know it." He gently lifted her off and placed her on her feet.
"Tisk tisk, don't you know? In Zootopia anyone can be anything." She was going to be unbearably chipper today, he could tell.
"If I could truly be anything right now, I'd be asleep, but I doubt Chief Bogo will agree with me on that." Nick picked himself up, and looked over at Clawhauser. "Benjamin might join you though, if you ask nicely."
The cheetah shot Nick a look of shocked betrayal, hastily smoothing his face into something akin to hesitant cheerfulness when Judy turned to him. "Oh goodness, morning jogs… that sounds… great?"
The bunny was thoroughly unimpressed. "Uhuh. Sure. And I'm the Duke of Bunny Burrows. Stop teasing the man, Nick."
"Me? You're the one torturing me with threats of morning jogs!"
Judy rolled her eyes, and grabbed him by the vest, trudging him along. "Oh shush. We're going to be late. And when have I ever tortured you?"
His ears and banter fell flat. Ever since autumn came.
The lingering silence made her let go and turn, suddenly apologetic. "I'm sorry Nick, I won't tease. You don't want to jog, then you don't want to jog." She skipped along towards the bull pen, giving him a critical once over. "But maybe you could take the time to brush out your new fur before you come over? Or is that a fox thing?"
She hopped onto their usual chair, turning before he could join her. For a moment it just didn't register what she was going to do, the mischievous glint downright confusing.
"Sooo... fluffy…" Her paw was inches away from his ears before he shot straight from sleep deprived to wide awake, paw snapping around her wrist just a tad too hard.
"You can't just touch a fox's fur, Carrots!" he snapped, regretting it before it was even done. Her ears drooped, and she got that look, the one she got when chief Bogo told her she forgot to file some very important paperwork, or that one and only time Nick admitted she got his coffee wrong.
Dumb fox.
"Atten-hut!"
He snapped his paw back as Chief Bogo entered the room, quickly sitting down before drawing undue attention. He felt, rather than saw Judy hop away from their seat, settling down on the chair next to him. He glanced at her, receiving a cold, stony look before she turned her attention up front.
"Shut it. I said shut it! Everybody sit. Wilde, get a haircut."
"I'm actually saving up to go undercover Sir. Do you have any fur-dye I could use?" He quipped, earning a few chuckles from the room, but no reaction at all from his rabbit.
Carrots. It's just Carrots.
He kept his grin fixed on the Chief, who remained characteristically unimpressed. "Careful what you wish for, Wilde. Now, assignments…"
"Hey Carrots, wait up!" She was walking down the hall at a remarkable speed, all determination and ears. He had to actually run to catch up with her. "Would you let me apologize?" That made her stop and turn, at least, albeit still with that same unimpressed look.
He sighed and ran a paw over his ears. "I'm sorry, alright? I had a rough night, not nearly enough sleep…" he hesitated briefly, before crouching down to her level, lifting his shades. "I'm sorry I snapped."
He already knew he was forgiven. She had a way of smiling just with her eyes, but she still made him wait a few painful seconds. "Coffee, then. You're buying."
"Yes Sir Officer Hopps Sir." He touched his forehead with two fingers. She rolled her eyes, but there it was, that sure tell hint of a smile.
"Pick yourself up, Wilde. We got a job to do."
"Heads up, five o'clock."
"Hrm?" Nick looked up from his coffee, startled.
Judy sighed, and took another sip from hers. "You really need to sleep more. Check your five o'clock." He did so, slowly of course, first waiting a few breaths, before turning as if to look at the menu behind the barista. He kept his face carefully neutral as his Five came into view. Pretty, he had to admit. A bit obvious. Quite a ways too young as well. And all the wrong colours.
He turned back to his partner. "How long?"
She grinned. "Ever since we walked in here."
He put his coffee down with a sigh and turned, looking directly at the vixen. She at least had the decency to look startled, before offering him a shy smile. He held her gaze until that smile faltered. She dipped her eyes down, back up, then picked up her purse to leave the shop. Nick gave her a tiny nod, before turning back to Judy, who was looking at him with her mouth open.
"What was that?"
"Communication, Carrots. You might have heard of it, comes up in our job quite a few times." He took a long sip from his coffee. Did she have to keep looking at him?
"You were rude."
"Wasn't rude. I was direct. And how was I rude? I didn't even say anything."
She huffed. "Your ears were rude."
His eyes went slightly wide. How did she notice that?
She waved the unasked question away. "Oh please, Nick, I'm a cop, same as you. I'm actually surprised you didn't notice her all this time." She leaned her chin on her paws and smiled, one eyebrow raised. "So, next time your mom asks about your love life, shall I tell her you're breaking young vixen hearts?"
He allowed his ears to fall back, scowling. "Not cool, Carrots. I don't butt in when your parents ask you to come over for the one hundred and fifteenth family wedding."
"Sixtyfourth. Point made." She put up her paws in peace surrender. "Find your mom the perfect Christmas gift yet?"
That earned her a groan. "Oh come on, Carrots, I still got plenty of time… and I only got the few gifts to find. We don't all have to start our christmas shopping in the middle of summer like you rabbits."
"Har har." She shrugged. "I'm hoping to dodge out of Christmas, actually. Maybe I should ask Chief Bogo for extra work around the holidays, give me a proper excuse to avoid the hassle."
"What's wrong with Christmas?" He was slowly getting to a state of alertness, and he was doing his best to keep it that way. Talking helped. Another coffee or two, and he could actually be awake by the end of his shift.
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with Christmas at the Bunny Burrows, long as you're either ready to plan your wedding, hear all about the latest eligible bachelors and bachelorettes around town, or are too young to care about anything but presents and snowbattles."
Nick was surely missing some information here, but before he could even ask, she caught his expression. "We're all getting to that age, us older generations. And Bunny Burrow rabbits tend to marry before they… you know." She suddenly seemed to find the table an incredibly interesting colour. He couldn't help but grin, remembering a not too different bunny and her complete and utter shock at a certain naturalist club.
He waited until she picked up her gaze, meeting hers with that slow, smug smile. "No, I don't know, Carrots. Before they do what? Move in?" She groaned, and hit her head on the table. "Start working? Paint the barn?" He never met anyone else who could scowl and frown at the same time, and still look so darn cute. "I'm really grasping at straws here. Care to help a partner out?"
"Shut it!" She pulled a paw over her ears, and glanced around nervously. "Before mating season starts, alright?"
He blinked. "Oh. Oh. I get it. Because you're all so good at multiplying, right? No itty bitty wabbits out of wedlock allowed, is that it?" He stopped when she gave him a Look, and shot her a disarming smile. "Sorry Fluff. What is it with parents and Christmas, huh?"
"Oh, my parents won't push, it's not that. Grandpa might, but he's easily ignored. Or avoided. But if I go back for christmas, there will be absolutely no butting out of every single upcoming wedding, and I'm running low on vacation days as it is..." she suddenly perked her ears. "I'm sorry, what were you saying about parents?"
For a few moments he debated answering truthfully, but for some reason he couldn't quite meet her gaze. Instead he shrugged. "You know how it is. Always butting in with well meant advice. Shall we go? I think our break is about over."
It was cloudy outside, and the wind had picked up, promising rain later on. He could feel his fur blow any which way, adding to his already ruffled look. He'd better bring the brush along to work tomorrow, or risk Chief Bogo taking him up on that undercover offer.
"Next time a vixen smiles at you, you might try and smile back. I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind you showing up with that as a Christmas present."
"Oh shut it, Hopps."
Sly bunny.
