Retcon warning; Watched Zootopia again and realized to my dismay that Snarlov is not the white wolf. Woops. Since the white wolf gets up together with a tiger and a lion, and the general consensus seems to be that Fangmeyer is a tiger and Delgato is a lion, I'm henceforth sticking with him being Grizzoli. Previous chapters should have been updated accordingly.
Sorry for the confusion.

On a quick note: I love critisism. But please, don't be vague :) If you got something to point out, good! But make it a nice clear finger point, instead of a vague arm wave. I promise I will not bite.

Now, onwards we go...


Nick braced himself as the subway jolted to a sudden stop, his muscles aching in protest. Come tomorrow, he was going to pay dearly for that training session. He readjusted his stance as the train took off again, scanning the occupants out of sheer habit. Rush hour was long gone, so the cart was mostly empty. A beaver was nodding off in her seat next to the door, a small smile on her lips. A few kits were clustered around a harried looking adult stoat with an iPad. All the way in the back, a young vixen was giggling at something her companion had said. His eyes lingered. She was pretty in a way, mostly in how her eyes sparkled whenever the arctic fox next to her said something. He was all smiles and affection, his paw draped loosely around her shoulders.

Nick hadn't meant to stare, but he must have been, because steel blue eyes suddenly met his. The white youth flattened his ears, showing just a hint of teeth. He couldn't have been more than nineteen summers. Nick swivelled his ears slightly, dipping his snout a good inch, before turning away.

The boy visibly relaxed, and returned his attention to the vixen, who very gracefully pretended she hadn't noticed her boyfriend baring his teeth at a police officer. Nick kept his eyes on the window, smiling grimly at his own reflection.

Us foxes. So territorial.

His cellphone beeped as he was going up the stairs to his apartment. He dug it up along with his keys, half expecting it to be Judy. Grizzoli's picture showed instead.

-So, did the bunny kick your ass?-

He typed a quick reply as he unlocked the door.

-Not on your life. Wilde for champion.-

The answer didn't take long. -Colour me impressed. Sure she didn't let you win?-

He chuckled, dropping his keys in their bowl and kicking the door shut.

Grizzoli wasn't bad, really. The two of them had actually gotten along quite well ever since Nick started as a rookie. The young wolf was a good officer, serious when the job required it, good fun to be around for all the bits in between, and not above playing a prank on his fellow officers if he thought the day was getting to be too dull.

Today, Nick had done his best to keep his manners, and Grizzoli had joked and bantered with the old Nick without a hint of spite. It had helped to spend the workday with him out of the office, on more neutral ground. Helped to remind him that the wolf was no rival, but an officer, a colleague. A friend.

But how much did he know? He may be a jokester and a goofball, but he had a sharp mind, and a shrewd nose. He hadn't complained to Bogo either, even though Nick had been more than snappy as of late. And whatever for? Because the wolf joked with Judy whenever they passed each other in the hallway? For picking her up that one time so she could reach the coffee machine? Calling her Fluffbutt?

He draped his jacket over the usual chair, loosening his tie. Grizzoli could easily enough have connected the dots, he was sure of it. But if he had, he was keeping a very tactful silence about it. Wolford as well, apparently. And how exactly was he repaying their silence? Even that cub in the subway had shown more restraint.

Nick sighed, walking past the kitchen. He just wasn't hungry. Maybe he'd just take a quick shower, to ease the ache in his muscles. Call it an early night.

It was as he was unbuttoning that the smell crept up on him. Unthinking, he sniffed the shirt. His eyes glazed over as the scent filled his nose. He smelled like a bunny. His bunny.
He shook his head and made quick work of undressing, feverishly tossing everything in the washing bin. The scent seemed to follow him across the room as he walked to the shower. He growled in frustration, turning on the hot water. Even with shallow breaths, the smell still settled in his nose, pulling at his insides. He stared at the running water, utterly distracted. She was in his fur, and it was driving him mad.

He should really, really shower.

He turned off the water and went to bed instead.

He blocked out the world, digging deep into his blankets to curb himself into a cave of linen. He laid there in the dark, remembering how she had felt under him as he had caught her, eyes sparkling with laughter, so utterly relaxed. It didn't take long for the scent to fill his little makeshift world. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was a maddening combination of hers and his, pulling at him something fierce. It had taken a lot, a lot, to let her get up once she had called herself his. It had taken a good deal more not to drag her back anyway.

What if I had?

In his mind, she huffed in surprise as he did just that, eyes widening as he leaned in, ever so slowly dragging his snout against her cheek. He'd never get away with that. She'd probably hit him, or worse. A strange guttural sound escaped his throat. Not tonight. Tonight, he was going to be all kinds of selfish. This Judy was all his, her pervasive scent driving him to boldness, and she was shuddering at his touch, that hint of surprise melting away as her eyes fluttered shut.

Mine.

He explored her neck, taking in her scent in short huffs, his breath ruffling her fur. His paws took his time tracing her body, feeling her heartbeat, her rapid breathing, before coming to rest on her hips. Everything about her was so very intoxicating. He pressed his snout against her ear and growled, revelling in the way she gasped and tightened her grip around his chest. He wondered dimly how many ways there were to drive her absolutely mad. His tongue darted out to taste her cheek, trailing down to the nape of her neck. She let out a soft whine and shuddered, pulling him up for a deep and hungry kiss.
He'd have to get this under control…

Tomorrow. First thing tomorrow.


Clawhauser gave him a look that lived somewhere in the middle of worry and disdain. "That's… quite the hairstyle today, Nick."

The fox grunted. "Overslept."

He ignored the surprised look that got him. Sure, he had never been a morning person, but Officer Wilde took pride in never being late for the job. The academy had helped in perfecting a morning routine. Coffee did the rest. So when he had jolted to awareness this morning and realized he had completely missed his alarm, he'd had to forego the usual double espresso for a much needed shower.
He ran a paw over his head, trying to pat down the fluff, only to feel it spring right back up. He really wished he'd have time to dry properly before stepping into the cold. No way was his brush going to be able to fix this. He glanced at the clock. At least he made it in time. Barely. They had coffee here, right?

Grizzoli made room for him at the machine, giving him an appraising once-over. "Morning, Wilde. I think Officer Hopps is off the hook today. Think I'll call you Fluffbutt instead."

Nick whipped his head around at him and snarled, startling Francine who was adding milk to her coffee, and quickly remembered she had other places to be.

Grizzoli chuckled unimpressed, and raised his lips in a mock-snarl. "Wanna go, big man?"

Nick closed his eyes with a groan, placing a paw over his eyes. "I'm sorry. Really. Sorry. That wasn't…"

The white wolf gave him a sympathetic look. "That bad, huh? Would it help at all if I rolled over and offered you my throat?"

"Don't joke about that, Grizolli." Nick gulped his coffee, burning his tongue in the process and pulling a face. "Doesn't work with foxes, anyway."

"Meh, it was worth a shot." He offered Nick a friendly grin. "I'd offer you a Chill Pill, but a weathered fox like yourself probably outgrew those long ago, huh?" He smiled ruefully at Nick's curt nod. "The blessings of jejunity, amirite?"

Nick took another sip from his still too hot coffee. "Lucky you."

The wolf barked a laugh. "Sure, I'm lucky. So lucky that when my ex-girlfriend smiled when a random wolf offered her a drink at the bar, I ended up breaking two barstools, three ribs, and my relationship. This is usually the part where one should go 'you should have seen the other guy', but nope… spent two days in the hospital. Left a scar too, see?" He tilted his head to show off his jaw. "Point is Wilde, we all go a little crazy sometimes. Especially during… well, you know."

He didn't really know what to say to that, so he just sipped his coffee again, eying the clock. Was everybody just late, or did Francine warn them all off? He started when Grizzoli placed a paw on his shoulder.

"What I'm trying to say is… it's a never ending story, isn't it? Doesn't matter if we snap, or snarl, or win, or lose… in the end it's up to the girl. She chooses and we suffer." The wolf shrugged. "Or not." Nick kept his face carefully neutral, sliding his aviators in place. Never let them see.

The two officers lapsed into silence, simply sipping coffee.

In the end, Chief Bogo was the only one to arrive on time, looking up from his files in surprise at the silence of the room. "What is the meaning of this? Grizzoli, where's the rest of my officers? And what in the blazes have you done to your fur, Wilde?"

Nick felt his hackles rise, unable to stop it. The Chief raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms. "Is there a problem, Wilde?"
It was a battle to find his composure again. It was moronic, really. Chief Bogo always sounded like that. And it wasn't like he was wrong, either. Why can't I calm down today?

"Actually, Sir… I think I'm going to need a sick day." He flattened his ears. "Or two."

The Chief grunted. Nick was secretly relieved to see absolutely no surprise on his face.

"Go on, get out of here. Take the rest of the week. Don't let me catch you around here before Monday."

Nick went the long way round, bypassing most of the officers as he re-entered the lobby. He might be losing it, but he was still smart enough to realise that last night had not helped his mood one bit. He glanced around before almost dashing to the exit.

The last thing, the very last thing he needed right now, was a worried bunny tugging on his arm.