Author's Note - HELLO EVERYBODY! WOW it's been a really long time! I'm sorry this has taken soo long, almost 2 months actually. I was busy with school finals but I'm now finally on summer break so I'll have the chance to write more often. I have had this story on my mind since the last time I updated, and I finished this chapter in about 8 hours (just so you know I'm still committed). I hope you enjoy it! Once again, review and tell me what you think! Story ideas are always appreciated as well!
-CreativeBreath
"Day Off" (Part One)
Judy sat, utterly distracted, in the over-sized chair that was much-too-wide to comfortably seat her fuzzy behind, repeatedly tapping her fingerpads on the much-too-tall desk in front of her. She had had been patiently waiting for Chief Bogo too arrive, expectant for him to relay her morning duties for the day, but this morning he seemed to be late.
That's weird.
But the thing that bugged her the most was the fact that Nick, who had never missed a day of work, was not presently beside her in the seat.
Also weird. He didn't text me that he was sick or anything. I hope he's okay.
You see, that fox was her problem. Usually, Judy was never distracted by anything, always energized and prepared to take on whatever task was thrown at her, but the past week had just been… different.
She just couldn't get her mind off of him.
Despite attempting to chat with the larger officers around her, and completing 5 Sudoku puzzles on the napkins she had stole from Clawhauser's donut box, she could not remove her mind from her missing partner. Whenever she thought about him, something just made her stomach do a backflip. No… a triple backflip and a cartwheel on the side. Though Judy would never put one's looks over their personality, don't think she didn't take the chance of sneaking a couple peeks of Nick's bare upper body while everyone was changing in the locker room, letting her know he was clearly no couch potato. She ended up mentally kicking herself afterwards for doing it, though. The color of his eyes; how he looked at her, and smiled at her. A real smile, that's what she loved to see most from him. Not some sly smirk serving as a vanity. Though she thought the sarcastic part of his personality was charming, she loved it when his expressions were genuine. Maybe it was his fluffy tail that was almost more comfy than her own pillow. Just the fact that he allowed her to occasionally rest her head on it while they watched movies was sweet of him.
Mmmm… SOOOO fluffy…
"HOPPS? HOPPS!"
The surprise of Bogo's hot breath on her face was enough to snap her out of her daydream and almost knock her out of the chair.
"AHH! W-wha? Sir?" Her eyes darted around the room to eventually find a finally present Nick Wilde standing by the exit door staring nervously at her. His tail was swishing back and forwards and his cheeks were puffed out anxiously.
When did he get here?
She jolted back to the Chief's rather pissed-off face.
"HOW MANY TIMES MUST I SAY IT? YOU. WILDE. PARKING DUTY. NOW."
Dang it.
The pair walked silently until they were far, far away from the meeting room before starting a conversation. Once they reached the lobby, Nick spoke first.
"Hey, you okay? You were a bit, uh, out of it."
Judy let out a long sigh, hoping it would relieve some tension. "Yeah I'm good, I guess. Just didn't expect the Chief to yell at me like that."
"You have to admit, his face looked hilarious."
"Nick, I thought I was gonna get fired."
"I know, that's why I didn't laugh."
Judy rolled her eyes. "Speaking of you, why were you so late this morning?" As they began walking again, Nick let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh, heh, sorry about that Carrots. I actually needed to have a little one-on-one meeting with Bogo. That's why we were both late."
Judy's heart sank a bit. Whenever they had to see the Chief, it was always together, never apart. What she found even more unusual was the fact that Nick was the one who had requested the meeting. A very sensitive thought sparked a tightness in her chest.
"...You weren't requesting to change anything that has to do with our partnership, were you?"
Nick stopped walking and turned to her with concerned eyes, taking one of her paws into his. An unexpected triple backflip hit her stomach at that moment, as she was pulled into a trance by his sparkling emeralds.
"Judy," Nick began in a serious tone.
(but she thought his voice sounded deliciously husky)
"-I would never want to change anything regarding our partnership. I love it just the way it is." He paused, waiting for Judy to respond, but when she didn't, he continued. "Were you afraid I wanted to work with someone else?"
No response.
"...Someone like that new vixen who started working in the mail room last week? What did she tell me her name was? Oh that's right, Kai!"
Judy's ears popped up. "You talked to her!?" Knowing it was all too late, her hand still jumped up to cover her mouth as Nick's neutral face curved into a smirk.
"AHA! Gotcha, Fluff. Red-handed too. But chill out, she was just giving me a letter."
"UGH, Nick! I didn't mean-"
"Now, don't worry. I'll take it was a compliment. I've never seen you get jealous before, you know." he joked. Judy's red cheeks and drooping ears was a clear sign to him that she was not enjoying the conversation. She pulled her hand away from his and stared at the ground. "Aww, I'm sorry for teasing you, Carrots." His voice became serious again. "I want you to know that you're the best partner and friend I have ever had. I wouldn't trade that for anything." A soft smile that lit up his eyes appeared on his muzzle, and the butterflies in Judy's stomach only got worse.
"I-I'm sorry too Nick. I don't know what's gotten into me.
"Don't be sorry. It's understandable. You've been working overtime, Carrots, and I don't think it's healthy for you. Why don't ya take the rest of the day off? Take a nice long nap. I'd like to try my luck at 200 tickets before noon. Then maybe this evening we could do something together, just you and me?"
Judy shook her head. "Sorry, Nick. Bogo would never go for that. Besides, I'm in the middle of redecorating my apartment. I have to go get furniture and paint after work, so I need to get those tickets done as quickly as possible. I'll meet you at Snarlbucks for lunch, okay? Bye!" Nick watched as she waved and bounded off towards the cruisers. He put a hand on his hip and shook his head, sighing defeatedly.
"What am I gonna do with that bunny?"
When Judy stepped into her apartment later that night, she was exhausted. She had ended up skipping dinner due to case files she needed to sort, and lost all time for redecorating her place. Plopping down face-first on her small bed, she kept running her mind over the new emotions she begun to feel towards Nick. Were they normal? What did they mean? Was Nick experiencing them too? One by one, these questions popped themselves into her mind. Frankly, the confusion pissed her off. Judy, for all of her life, had never had a serious relationship with anyone besides her father and mother. Surprisingly, she was never close to any of her siblings, most likely due to her daring personality that took a sharp turn from the stereotypical bunny way of living. Or maybe it was just the fact that she had 275 of them - and counting. She had to admit, she'd been kind of a loner until she met Nick Wilde, her first genuine best friend.
With her mind being used as a central hub for all those questioning thoughts, it was clear she wouldn't be getting much sleep that night. The next morning she felt like roadkill, and the stares she got when she slouched her way into the ZPD were clear indicators of her disheveled appearance. When she reached the front desk, Clawhauser nearly spit out his soda.
"WOW, JUDY! What happened to you?" He looked her over frantically, noting her misplaced fur, wrinkled shirt, and the one ear that was bent backwards.
"Uhh, bad sleep I guess?" she let out a forced chuckle as she filled out the sign-in sheet and made her way into Bogo's office. Knocking slightly on the bottom of his desk to grab his attention, the Chief leaned over and peered at her from under his glasses. "A minute of your time, sir?"
"Yikes. Hopps, what happened to you?" Judy inwardly rolled her eyes.
"Nothing. Nothing I can't handle." She waved her paw dismissively. "However, I would like to apologize for being a bit out of it yesterday. It won't happen again. I promise."
Bogo nodded. "Understandable, Hopps. Everyone has their off-days. In fact, Nick has already told me he won't be coming in today."
"He didn't tell me that."
"Maybe not, but he did tell me to give you this." Bogo reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a small coffee cup, which had a piece of paper taped to the side. He handed it to Judy, who tore off the piece of paper and began to read it.
[Dear Carrots,
I worry about you a lot, you clever bunny. But I worry because I care. You have been so busy lately that we haven't had any time to just, be friends to one another. I already told you the reason I was late yesterday was because I had a talk with Bogo. What I didn't tell you is that I requested him to order you the day off. He agreed, so no arguing with him. Please don't me mad at me. I planned something for us this evening, but I'm not telling you yet. Meet me at my apartment tonight at 7:30. See you then!
-Nick]
Judy stared at the paper for a moment, then took a sip of the cup, realizing that it was indeed her favorite flavor. Her mouth curved into a small smile. She turned to Bogo, a gentle expression on his face, who gestured towards the door.
"Go. Enjoy your day."
Needless to say, the butterflies were back, as she almost spilled her coffee while skipping out the door.
