How could I just blurt that out and run off?

They'd known each other for a long time now, and it wasn't like they hadn't thrown the L word back and forth before, but this was different, and Nick knew it. I'll figure this out while I go get coffee. He squinted from the early morning light and wished he hadn't forgotten his sunglasses.

Several minutes later, he walked through the front door of the Kopi Luwak Coffeehouse and was amazed to find it almost deserted.

When I'm in a hurry, this place is always packed. Today of all days it has to be empty?

He spoke to the civet behind the counter. "I'll have the usual."

The civet smiled at Nick before she glanced around, as if she were looking for someone. Oh good grief, she's wondering where Judy is.

She paused and looked at Nick. "You're by yourself today?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Oh, I need to get the order to go."

The civet nodded. "Two coffees and two muffins?"

Nick slouched against the counter and tried to hide his nervousness. "That's right darlin'."

She rang up his order and he paid and walked away, almost making it to the exit before he paused and came back to the counter. I can't believe I almost walked out without the order I just paid for. Ok, pull yourself together, Wilde. He took a deep breath and tried to clear his thoughts. It's simple, you'll just go back and ask her how she feels. Easy peasy.

Normally Nick would have enjoyed a little harmless flirting while he waited, but today his heart just wasn't in it. He mindlessly played with the napkin dispenser until the civet placed his order on the counter. "Can I get you anything else?"

Nick smiled at her. "Nope, thanks." He stared at the bag and two coffees for a few seconds and then picked them up. Well, unless I'm planning on drinking both of these coffees and eating two muffins, I better head back.

Nick had to fight the urge to turn tail and run home on the walk back to Judy's apartment. It's no big deal, this isn't the first time that you've told someone that you love them. What's the problem here? He kept repeating variations of this to himself over and over until he stood in front of her door. Just as he reached to open it, Nick froze when he realized something that made his chest tighten uncomfortably. Except this is the first time I've ever told another mammal I loved them before they said it to me first.


Judy gaped at the empty space where Nick had been standing seconds earlier. She heard the front door open and then slam shut. What the hell? Did he just say he loved me before he bolted out of here like his tail was on fire? She briefly considered running after Nick. He's probably already halfway across the city, and I don't even know where my pants are.

They said they loved each other now and then, but it had always just been lighthearted banter. Except this time, his voice was… well, happy, instead of his usual teasing voice. And he looked terrified immediately after he'd said it. Now that she thought about it, Nick definitely wasn't his usual snarky self the past few days. He hadn't even teased her about getting stuck in the tree. Him ignoring such juicy material to razz her about was downright unheard of.

She got up and opened the window. What if he doesn't come back? Judy watched the goat groundskeeper going about his work and she tried not to panic. Her gut twisted as she thought about what it would be like if Nick didn't return. We've always been there for each other. He'll be back.

But the worry gnawed at Judy until her phone rang. She looked to see who it was before she answered. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, bun bun." Judy was grateful it wasn't a Muzzletime call when she blushed and lowered her ears. Thanks for ruining that for me forever, Nick.

"I couldn't remember if you had today off or not, do you have time to talk?"

"Yeah."

Her mom continued. "How are things?"

Judy hesitated. Oh right, I haven't told my parents about my butt getting shredded by a lion. "I'm ok. Nothing serious, but I was… slightly injured yesterday, so I'm-"

"Are you sure you're ok? How bad is it? Do you need us to come-"

"Mom… MOM. No, I'm fine, and Nick is here taking care of me." Or at least he was, until he freaked out and ran off.

"Oh, I'm glad. How is Nick?"

"He's good mom." She hesitated. "How… how did you know you were in love with Dad?"

"That's a pretty deep question, Judy." Her mom paused for a few moments and then continued. "From the first time we met, he was always so good at making me feel special-"

Which is probably why I have so many siblings… ugh, that's something Nick would say. Judy's mind wandered as she worried about Nick, before her attention returned to her mom speaking.

"- and eventually, there just came a point where I couldn't imagine my life without him in it." Her mom paused. "Are you in love with someone?"

Judy was silent for a long time. Her mom waited patiently until Judy finally spoke. "Yeah, I was too dumb to realize it, but I think I am."

"That's wonderful! I know you were taking a break from dating… where did you meet him? And how long have you been seeing each other? Tell me all about him."

Judy smiled. "He's tall, and handsome, and he makes me laugh. It's Nick, Mom." She took a deep breath. "He told me a little while ago that he loved me."

"Well, things are serious then. What did you tell him after he said it?"

"I didn't really get a chance. He freaked out and ran off before I could say anything."

Her mom laughed. "Sounds like your father. He said it to me first-

Judy jolted upright. He said it to me first. Judy thought about what her mom had just said as she continued to ramble on about another rabbit she'd dated prior to meeting her dad. Judy realized that she had always been the one to put herself out there first in her relationships, and she knew from experience how hard that was. For Nick to do it… well, it must be insanely difficult for him right now. Judy stifled a laugh. More like traumatizing. Poor fox. Judy's attention was pulled back to the conversation when her mom said her name.

"Judy, what really matters is how you feel. If Nick loves you, he'll be patient and wait for you to figure out your own feelings."

"I… I do love him. I have for awhile now."

"Oh Judy, I'm so happy for both of you!"

"I'm just worried… hang on a second." Judy could barely hear her mom after the groundskeeper started a lawn mower outside. She got up and struggled with the window before she finally got it closed and it was quiet enough for her to continue. "I mean, he's a fox and I'm a bunny."

Her mom replied, "Some mammals won't understand-"

Judy interrupted her. "I know Mom, it would be tough-"

"Let me finish. That doesn't matter. Love is love, and you two already work together so well. And I don't just mean as police officers."

Judy smiled. "You're right. We've known each other so long… I'm such an idiot. It's just… I don't want to mess things up, especially since we work together."

"You two will figure it out. He's a sweet mammal with a good heart. And honeybun, you need to tell him how you feel. Don't torture the poor fox and keep him waiting too long."

Judy's smile widened and she began to bob up and down slightly as she spoke. "Yeah, I'll tell him when he comes back. And you're right, I shouldn't leave him hanging." She heard the front door open and close. "He's here. I need to go talk to him, Mom. Thanks for listening."

"You're welcome, Judy. I'm glad I could help."

Judy burst from her bedroom, brimming with excitement, to find a paper bag and two coffees on the table, but Nick was nowhere in sight. Maybe he's in the bathroom. She eagerly ran to check, only to find that it was empty.


Just as Nick touched the doorknob, an abrupt loud noise made him flinch. Oh, it's just a lawn mower. He opened the door and went inside Judy's apartment. The noise was even louder indoors. He put the bag and coffees on the table and it grew quiet after he heard the bedroom window slide shut.

Nick froze when he heard Judy speaking through the closed bedroom door. "I mean, he's a fox and I'm a bunny." He held his breath and she continued. "I know Mom, it would be tough-" Nick couldn't move while he waited, the seconds seeming to tick by glacially. "You're right. We've known each other so long… I'm such an idiot. It's just… I don't want to mess things up, especially since we work together." His ears laid back on his head after Judy finally spoke again. "Yeah, I'll tell him when he comes back. And you're right, I shouldn't leave him hanging."

Well, there's the answer I should have expected.

Nick walked out the front door and closed it behind him. He jogged past the goat cutting the lawn and covered his ears to block out the loud noise from the mower.

Nonononononoooo

He jogged faster, trying not to think about how he'd managed to screw everything up so badly. What the hell was I thinking? Can I undo this somehow? No, no I cannot.

He continued towards the park that was halfway between his apartment and Judy's, where they often met for picnics on their days off.

Wow, this is a new record. Running off twice in the same day.

Nick felt like he was coming apart at the seams. He sat on a secluded bench behind one of the many lines of hedges in the park and held his head in his paws. I always run off when things get rough, which is probably why my relationships don't last long. Except… how long have I known Judy? Longer than anyone else I'd call a friend, besides Finnick. Hell, I've told her things I haven't told anyone else. And it's not like we haven't had fights before, and we've always worked it out eventually. Not that this is a fight. Nick sighed. No, just me blurting out that I love her, and then running out the door. Twice.

Nick looked tentatively in the direction of his apartment as he mulled things over. He laughed when he thought of the question he often asked himself if he wasn't sure what choice he should make. What would Judy do? She'd sit down and talk, and not hide her feelings or run off. Except I'm not Judy. I've never been in touch with my feelings like she is.

The bright morning sunlight bothered Nick, so he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. I should have stayed and talked to her anyway. We've always been there for each other, and we've always had each other's backs. If our roles were reversed, I'd be worried about her right now. The thought of Judy worrying about him made his heart lurch. All of this is irrelevant anyway. It doesn't matter how she feels about me, I can't just abandon her today. She needs me.

Nick stood and looked in the direction of his apartment one last time before he turned to retrace his steps.

He'd only walked a few feet when he caught a whiff of a familiar scent, and he realized he was no longer alone. He stepped past a hedge and found Judy awkwardly leaning on a bench and staring at her phone. Nick felt a sudden tightness in his chest when her ears swiveled towards him and she looked up.

He tried to sound casual, but his voice shook. "Aren't you supposed to be at home resting, Carrots?" He was so nervous he barely noticed the baggy scrub pants that Judy was wearing along with her fitted ZPD t-shirt.

Nick had a hard time reading Judy as she put her phone away and looked at him solemnly. Even her scent didn't provide any clues to what she was thinking. Well, at least it doesn't seem like she's pissed. "Look, Judy-" Nick gazed at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck with one paw while he tried to find the right words. He was afraid to move closer to her, so he sidled over to a nearby bench.

It happened so fast Nick didn't even have time to blink. Judy hopped in front of him and gently pushed Nick backward until he plunked down on the bench, before she reached to cup the sides of his muzzle in her paws. Her scent washed over him as she bent forward and they shared a quick electric kiss.

When she pulled away, he absentmindedly licked his lips once, and she opened her amethyst eyes to look at him. He froze, lips still slightly parted. Judy smiled, before she placed one claw under his chin and nudged his jaw upwards until his mouth closed with an audible click.

Her touch snapped him out of his daze and he spoke. "I was going to come back and talk to you. I… well, I needed to think."

Judy nodded and grabbed his paw in her own. "I know, I just wasn't patient enough to wait."

Nick started to reply when a startled gasp caught their attention. They both turned to find a family of three porcupines standing nearby. One stood with her mouth open as she covered the eyes of the smaller child, while the other adult, a large boar, stood nervously nearby. The smallest porcupine spoke. "Mama, why are you covering my eyes? Is that fox going to eat the rabbit?"

The sow ignored her pup's question and angrily spluttered, "It's… unnatural. Out in the open, in a public park…"

Nick started to laugh, until he smelled the change in Judy's scent as her mood shifted. Uh oh. She balled up her fists and an angry look flashed across her face. "Carrots, how about we finish talking back at-"

She took a step towards the porcupines. "We're trying to have a private conversation here… why don't you go mind your own business somewhere else‽"

Nick shook his head. She really needs to learn not to let dumb mammals get to her. The two adult porcupines started to argue quietly, and Nick heard the sow egging on the boar to do something. Time for us to go. Being careful of Judy's wound, Nick scooped her up and stood, eliciting a startled yelp from the rabbit. The porcupines took a step back.

Judy looked up into Nick's face. "Whoa, Nick, wait-"

"What, I can't sweep you off your cute little bunny feet?" Keeping a careful eye on the porcupines, Nick strode off towards Judy's apartment. She tried to look over his shoulder to continue glaring at the porcupines as he walked, when he finally noticed her pants. "What are you wearing?"

She looked up at his face. "They gave me these scrubs at the hospital, since I'm not supposed to let anything rub against the dressing. All my pants are too tight and I didn't feel comfortable going commando in a dress."

Nick laughed. "Such language… it brings a tear to my eye. My little country bumpkin bunny, all grown up."

Judy tried to hide her smile with an exaggerated scowl. "Stop… don't make me punch you." She folded her arms and her face softened. "Why did you stop me from giving those porcupines a piece of my mind?"

"Because I didn't want to spend the rest of today pulling quills out of you. My mom used to always say, 'avoiding quills is easier than pulling them out later' and I have to agree."

Judy smirked. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not a porcupine then."

Nick nodded. "It would make hugging you pretty difficult." He paused. "Huh, I wonder if that's why porcupines are so cranky all the time… not enough hugs."

Judy laughed. "Alright Nick, you can put me down now."

"Not gonna happen, Carrots. I plan on keeping my paw on your tail until we get back to your apartment. I can smell that your leg is bleeding, and you shouldn't be walking. I just hope my dumb bunny hasn't torn open her stitches." His ears flattened against his head. "I'm sorry I ran off and made you come look for me."

"We both know you can't run fast enough to get away from me, Nicholas Wilde."

For the second time that day, Nick was dumbstruck. The intensity of her words made him swallow as he realized the truth of what she'd said. I couldn't get away from you, even if I was on the other side of the planet.

"Well, since you're being stupidly gallant and all…" Judy pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Clawhauser, making sure Nick could read it too: call off search I found the idiot.

Nick played along. "Tell me more about this idiot the entire ZPD was looking for."

Judy put her phone away and looked at his face. "Not everyone, just Clawhauser and a few officers already in the neighborhood. And I don't know much because he isn't talking."

Nick laughed and then he sighed. "I am an idiot."

Judy nodded but didn't say anything as she watched Nick's face for several moments before she spoke again. "Actually, I kind of like this. You can't look away while I talk to you, or run off and leave me wondering where the hell you went." She continued to look at him and wait.

Nick glanced at her, his face smug. "I didn't run. It was more of a jog…"

Judy gave him an annoyed look, and her right foot bounced in the air like she was trying to tap it impatiently. Don't laugh, Wilde, or she'll beat you senseless. "Ok ok, enough with the bunny death glare."

"We can wait and talk about this later if you aren't ready."

Nick stopped walking. "Really?"

She looked at her foot and it stopped moving. "You're gonna have to talk eventually, but I won't pressure you."

"Huh. Thank you, Judy."

Nick continued walking. He looked at Judy and her attempt at a 'patient waiting face' made him smile. "You really hate waiting, don't you?" She looked annoyed, but he saw she was trying to hide a smile of her own.

Nick cleared his throat. "It's ok, I actually am ready to talk. I heard you on the phone with your mom."

She looked up at his face. "And?"

"And it didn't sound like… well, I guess… look I know I should've stayed-"

"You're damn right you should have stayed. I don't know what you heard, or thought you heard, but… I love you too, you dumb fox."

Nick laughed. "Carrots, you're such a sweet talker."

They had almost reached Judy's apartment when she spoke again. "So you misheard part of a conversation and just assumed-"

The sudden loud noise of a lawn mower startled Judy. She turned her head sharply to look, and her ears smacked Nick in the face. He shook his head and almost dropped Judy as he tried to see around her ears before he gave up and gently nibbled one of them. Judy shrieked and turned to glare at him.

Nick grinned. "You're right, holding you is nice."


After she'd changed back into the long t-shirt again and he'd cleaned her wound, Judy convinced Nick to lay on the bed next to her. She had them face away from each other, so he wouldn't feel bad if he got emotional while they talked, and he wouldn't be distracted since she needed to let her wound breathe without a dressing. It didn't take him long to realize he'd been hustled again when she started playing with his tail.

"You ogle my butt, I get to play with your tail. Fair is fair."

"You think so, huh?" Nick moved his tail and flicked her in the face. She laughed and grabbed it again. "You really are a sly bunny. You've tricked me into telling you things I haven't told anyone else, not even the two vixens I've dated since I met you."

She gently stroked his tail and corrected him. "Three vixens. And I haven't tricked you, I've just had to learn to be excruciatingly patient sometimes."

"Uh-huh." Nick counted on his paw. "Wait, three? I only count two, Fluff. Sally and Kaitlyn."

"What about that barista-"

"Going out for coffee once doesn't count as dating. And let's see, you've dated," Nick carefully counted on his paws, "...I can't count that high." Judy's punch to his arm was swift and merciless. "Ow!"

"I didn't hit you that hard, you big baby. I've only been on nine dates, or three since I shouldn't count most of them if you aren't counting the barista. And none of those three disasters lasted anywhere near as long as you and Sally did."

Judy heard the tremor in his voice. "I wouldn't call the relationship I had with Sally a raging success."

She continued to run her paw through the fur on his tail. "What are you worried about?"

"You… me….us." Nick briefly flailed his arms around dramatically. "All of this. Mostly me, though."

"Yeah, because unlike you, I'm a real genius when it comes to relationships."

"Well, you're… persistent, at least." They both laughed.

Judy shook her head. "You're so romantic. But you're right. You should know by now I don't give up until I get what I want. I want us. And I want you, Nick."

She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke. "It won't be easy."

"I've always been great at finding the hardest path to take, so why should this be any different?" She paused for a few moments. "After all our time together, I know I can't push you to talk to me. I get it. When things get rough, you're a thinker and I'm a doer. Most of the time we're a great combo, it's what makes us work so well as partners. But sometimes we drive each other crazy. I promise I'll try to be patient if you promise to try not to-"

"Run off?"

"Well, maybe just warn me before you do? And I know you're used to assuming the worst, but please try not to do that with us, ok?"

She could hear the sincerity in his voice. "I'll try."

They sat in silence for several minutes until Nick spoke. "Well Carrots, you've molested my tail long enough." She made an annoyed noise as he stood up and pulled his tail away from her. "Lemme go wash my paws and take care of your wound so we can talk face to face".

After Nick finished putting on the new dressing, he came back from washing his paws a second time and Judy giggled when she noticed that he'd stripped down to his boxers. "You seem to have lost something on the way back from the bathroom, Mr. Wilde."

"What? Why should you be the only one who gets to be comfortable?"

"I didn't say I was complaining."

Nick moved to the other side of the bed so he was facing her and propped his head up on an elbow.

Judy looked at him mischievously. "I like playing with your tail, and you obviously want to play with mine…"

Nick raised an eyebrow. "My my, Miss Hopps, such naughty language today… so you're ok basing our relationship solely on us wanting to grab each other's tails?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's all it is. But we can't do anything too crazy until we're both… healed." Judy paused for a moment. "I trust you, Nick, like no one else I've known before." She tentatively reached out to stroke the fur on his chest. "Why did it take us so long to figure this out?"

Nick replied with a sly grin, "We just needed to date enough mammals for us to realize we're the only ones who can stand being around each other." Judy pushed him over and they both laughed.

She looked into his eyes and smiled. "It's ok, at least we finally get to be terrible at this together."

Nick scooted closer to her and grabbed his coffee from the nightstand behind her. He drank the rest and set the cup down before he pulled her in for a hug.

"We're gonna have to discuss the appalling lack of a coffee maker in your apartment."

Judy laughed. "I never got one because I liked having an excuse to meet you every morning at the coffee shop."

Nick chuckled. "That's the most ridiculously adorable thing I've ever heard."

Judy snuggled her face close to his chest and inhaled deeply. "I've got another confession. I wouldn't even admit it to myself back then, but I pilfered this shirt off your desk because it smelled like you."

His reply made her smile. "I guess you'll just have to settle for the real thing now."

They quietly held each other for a long time until Nick closed his eyes and sniffed between her ears.

Judy whispered quietly, "Desire."

"What?"

"The scent you asked about, it's desire." Judy pulled away slightly and gave Nick a sultry look. "I desire you, Nick Wilde."

This time, they shared a deeper kiss. It was awkward at first, until they eventually worked out the best way for them to fit together.


One week later, Nick and Judy walked towards ZPD headquarters. Nick took a drink of coffee from his shiny new travel mug as Judy spoke. "We'll keep it secret for now."

Nick nodded. "What about Clawhauser?"

"I didn't tell him anything, just that you'd left your keys and phone at my place and I needed to find you before I went to a doctor's appointment."

"Clever bunny. Anyone else know?"

"My mom does, obviously." Judy froze, then shook her head. "No, she doesn't know anyone besides you in the department, right?" She smiled when she saw he was lagging behind. "And stop checking me out!"

"What? I always do, you just never noticed until recently."

They exchanged greetings with Francine, who was standing next to the main entrance. The elephant surreptitiously sniffed the couple before they walked inside.

Chief Bogo leaned on the reception desk while he and Clawhauser watched Francine. The cheetah reacted immediately when he saw the elephant smile and nod. Clawhauser couldn't have looked more excited if Gazelle herself had arrived to give him the biggest donut in the world, as his tail curled and he scrunched up his chubby cheeks with his paws. This was the cue the few dozen officers standing around the lobby had been waiting for. They clapped, hooted, and stomped their feet immediately after Nick and Judy came through the door.

Chief Bogo snorted. Finally, the end of the longest running betting pool in ZPD history. Those two would've died alone if they hadn't figured things out. And all it took was Hopps getting mauled by a lion. Bogo wasn't sure how the fox's mysterious groin injury and the rabbit's shredded uniform fit into the picture, but he decided it was probably better if he didn't know the details.

Nick and Judy stood motionless and the noisy cheers continued. Nick slowly pulled off his sunglasses, a slack-jawed expression frozen on his face while several officers took pictures of the couple with their cellphones. The Chief chuckled to himself when he noticed Judy reflexively start to reach for Nick's paw and instead awkwardly pat down her ears. I need to remember to call them into my office later and scare the hell out of them with a lecture on the dangers of fraternizing with fellow officers.

Bogo turned to Clawhauser and quietly asked, "How much did we make?"

"All the winners get nearly two hundred each, once the losers pay up."

"Let everyone know they have a week to square their debts or they'll get parking duty for a month. Oh and tell Wolford to send me the picture he just took of Wilde with that idiotic look on his face."

The tumult died down as everyone made their way to the bullpen, except Francine, who walked by the reception desk to collect a bag of jelly donuts from Clawhauser. The cheetah gazed at her with a look of awe on his face and asked, "How do you always know, Francine?"

She kept walking, leaving the cheetah to ponder her reply. "Oh, it was easy this time. They both smelled like strawberries."

THE END