"So, Fluff, what's the plan for today?" Nick leaned over the counter in his apartment, setting his coffee mug down as he looked at Judy curiously. She was sitting up on his couch, ears drooping and fur a mess as she blinked the sleep from her eyes.
"I was thinknnh... Uh..." She started, rubbing her eyes before letting out a massive yawn. "I dunno. Chief wants us to not come in, so I didn't make plans." Nick snickered at her current state, never unamused by how different his partner was when just awoken. Her lavender night shirt was wrinkled and sat lopsided on her shoulders. Her black running pants were unevenly high on her legs, one at knee length, the other ending at her thigh.
Nick was in much better shape, his white tank top only being slightly wrinkled, and his bright blue gym shorts tied tightly around his waist. His fur was, of course, a mess in its own right, but a few brushings with his paw and it was, for the most part, smoothed down.
"Come on, Carrots, I didn't think you had that much fun last night."
This immediately snapped her to attention – or, what could pass for attention in her half-conscious state – as she grabbed one of the pillows beside her and threw it his way. The object didn't even make it to the counter before it fell to the ground, stopping at the foot of a stool. Nick smiled smugly and rested his chin in a paw. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again, you throw like a bunny."
The fox didn't have time to duck beneath the second pillow, this one catching his face and sending him flying to the ground with a small thud as Judy's laughter filled the space between them. With a groan, he peeled it from his fur and sat up, shaking his head as Judy rounded the corner, holding the first pillow at the ready. "I'll show you 'like a bunny!'" she declared, before leaping at him with a wide grin and swinging the pillow.
Nick barely had time to duck back to the ground before he swung his own pillow, missing the bunny by inches. She brought hers down on him in response, making him let out a combination of a groan and laugh as he swung blindly in her direction. A small impact and squeak from the rabbit told him he had hit his target.
The fox rolled and scrambled to his feet, looking around for the small bunny with his pillow raised over his head. She was nowhere in front of him, though, and before he could question where she disappeared to, he felt a pillow smack into the back of his head. He stumbled forward a step before blindly swinging behind him, watching as Judy ducked beneath his pillow and brought hers around to his side.
"Not bad for a bunny, huh?" she jabbed light-heartedly as he took a step back. Nick chuckled, holding up a paw.
"Not bad, but I've seen better," Nick replied, swinging his pillow along the ground and sweeping her legs from under her. She hit the ground with a light thud and barely put her pillow up in time to block another swing from the fox, hearing him chuckle as he tried a few more times before she rolled away.
The fox tried another swing at her, the soft fabric barely scraping the top of her head as she pushed forward and swung up at him. Nick's eyes widened a bit, seeing the attack coming but helpess to stop it, as he let go of his pillow and stumbled backwards. A small plan formed in his head as he hit the counter, letting himself collapse to the ground, back positioned to face Judy as he tried to still himself.
Shutting his eyes, Nick could hear Judy fall into silence. "Nick?" she said. Don't move, he told himself. "Nick, get up."
Silence.
"You're a terrible actor, Nick."
Bellwether would beg to differ, he silently chuckled to himself, praying he didn't move as he did so.
"Nick. Get up, you dumb fox!" Judy said, her foot thumping away on the ground. He could feel the vibrations where he lay.
The two stayed quiet for a minute longer, before Judy broke the silence again. "Nick? C'mon, get up. Please?"
Not yet, he thought. Not yet, let her get closer. But oh, it was painful. He could hear the tone in her voice, and almost see her ears drooping against her head. Eyes wide, nose twitching slightly. But he knew she was faking it. I can read you like a book. Sly fox, dum- wait what?
The sound of her running away interrupted his thoughts, as did the sound of his front door shutting. Confused, Nick opened one eye and looked around him. Judy was gone, pillow discarded at his side. With a heavy frown, he slowly picked himself up off the floor. "Judy?" he said, looking around. Why would she just leave him? His apartment was empty, devoid of the gray rabbit's presence. His ears pressed against his head as he walked around the counter, looking around the couch and down the hallway. Nothing.
Then, the sound of a sip from a mug sounded in the kitchen. Turning around, Nick saw Judy sitting on the counter, his coffee mug in her paws as she smirked, taking a drink. A bit dumbfounded, the fox walked around the couch to face her, placing his paws on his hips as he stared at her. "How did you-"
"You don't look behind you," she said. "You know, for being a 'sly fox', you get outsmarted by a bunny pretty easily."
Nick stared at her for another moment, before shaking his head and holding out a paw, trying to take his mug from the rabbit. "Alright, you got me," he said, looking out the window as his paw hit the counter top. Ears perking, he looked back at his friend as she dropped down onto his paw, cross-legged, trapping his arm beneath her. Nick tried to lightly tug his arm free, but Judy shook her head, taking another drink.
"Uh-uh, not until you apologize," she said.
Nick looked taken aback. "Apologize? For what?"
"Trying to make me think I hurt you," she replied. Nick sighed, shaking his head.
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry for trying to trick you, Jude."
She nodded smugly at this, before taking another drink. Nick was lucky it was a weak brew he'd made, or else she'd be bouncing off the walls – literally. He tried again to tug his paw free from under her, frowning as she didn't budge.
"Uh, Carrots?"
"Mhm?"
"Can you uh... Get off my paw?" he asked. The rabbit shook her head. Nick stared at her in silence, waiting for a reason why. When she remained quiet and kept drinking his coffee, he did so himself. "So, why not?"
"Fox paws are surprisingly comfortable seats," she explained. The reynard groaned internally.
"Rabbit, I did what you asked, you can't keep me here forever!" he complained.
"It's not forever. Just until I get through this wonderful drink, so kindly made for me by a good friend." She let out a small giggle at his expression turning to one of irritation, ears pinned against his head and eyebrows raised curiously.
"Speaking of which," he said, reaching up to take the mug with his other paw. "This is fox coffee, not meant for cute wittle bunnies like you."
Judy held the drink away from him. "Oh, really? In that case..." She brought the drink up to her lips, this time drinking the entirety of what remained in the cup in one go. Nick stood, slack-jawed, as she let out a small burp and set the cup down, running her tongue along her lips with an exaggerated sigh of satisfaction. It took a minute for Nick's silent chuckle to evolve into audible laughter as she set the now-empty mug down onto the counter.
"You didn't just... Wow. Okay, Fluff, you win again. Didn't think you had the gall. But then, you've always broken the mold, haven't you?"
Judy smiled and nodded, arms crossing on her chest now. Before she could speak, Nick started up again. "But, now I need to ask... Can I get my other paw, please?" Judy tilted her head in false thought, before shaking it. "Too comfy," she argued. Nick let out a chuckle.
"Okay then, guess I need to let you in on a little fox secret. You see, we foxes aren't just known for their rougishly good looks." Judy giggled at this and rolled her eyes a bit. "We're also known for our dexterity. And you just so happen to be right on top of my main paw, which means..."
Judy was off of the counter faster than the fox through possible, ears perked and eyes wide. He could see the red appearing beneath her fur as she stared at him. "Nick!" she yelled, looking around for something to throw at him, this time settling on the blanket. The fox ducked down just in time to avoid being hit, but the mug wasn't so lucky. It fell to the ground with the blanket, the sound of it shattering cutting through the air. The two were silent for brief moment, before Nick groaned.
"Dang, and that was my favorite mug, too," he said, walking around to examine the damage. The mug was in, as expected, several pieces, the blanket managing to cushion the fall somewhat. With a small sigh, the fox began picking up the various pieces and tossing them in the trash, carefully combing through the blanket to make sure no shards were embedded in the cloth before throwing it back to the couch. The small patter of feet behind him told him that Judy had rounded the counter now, and he turned around to face her.
"I'm sorry, Nick, I didn't think you'd dodge that," she said, reaching for a pillow. Nick grabbed the other one and shrugged. "It's okay, Fluff. It was an accident." Bracing himself for a thrown pillow, he began walking back to his living room, only letting his guard down once he flopped onto the couch. He set the pillow behind his head as he lay there, the blanket uncomfortably bundled up beneath him. He felt a light weight on his stomach and looked at the source, Judy setting the second pillow on him. With a smile, he set it behind his head as well, looking at Judy as she huffed.
"Alright. This place is a mess. Let's clean up and see the sun for a bit today?" she suggested, looking at the discarded bowl of popcorn and pizza boxes, some candy wrappers, a soda can or two, and a few empty bottles of a hard lemonade.
Last night had been a unique night for them. Initially just Judy coming over to talk about what they should do with their sudden day off, it turned into what could be passed off as a party for two. A few comedy movies and a bad romance movie had been watched, each one earning its fair share of laughs (and, for the romance one, a fair amount of popcorn thrown at the screen). Pizza had been ordered and eaten. A game or two had been played. All in all, fun had been had.
Nick chuckled at the memory. "Oh, that romance movie was so bad," he said, covering his eyes with an arm. "'Oh, Amanda, I couldn't leave you, couldn't get you out of my mind!'" he said in exaggerated flair. Judy snickered, turning and falling back to his side.
"'Tom!'" she said in an equally exaggerated fashion. "'I knew you'd return!'"
Nick sat up, chuckling as they fell into the same positions as the characters in the movie last night. His paws on her shoulders, her pressed against him, arms wrapped around herself. "'You should have known I couldn't hurt you,'" he said, trying to contain his inevitable laughter.
"'Oh, but you did,'" she replied, peeling away to turn and face him. "'You left me on one of the most important nights of my life.'" She was straining as much as he was to keep a straight face.
Nick opened his mouth to say the next line, but couldn't keep himself from doubling over in laughter, Judy following seconds later. "That... Oh god that scene was so cheesy!" he said after catching his breath.
"No wonder the critics rated it so low," Judy said. Nick began gathering trash as he nodded.
"I could barely stand it," he said. Judy looked around, beginning to pick up with him before he held up a finger. "Uh-uh, Fluff. You said we need to go outside at some point, right? So go shower while I clean, it's faster that way."
"But this way, you're done sooner," she argued, taking a pile of cans and bottles to the trash can.
"Right. But then we're here longer."
"Nick," Judy said, walking back into the room with her paws on her hips. "I've seen how you clean before leaving. I have a better idea: You go shower."
The fox stared at her for a moment, their gazes meeting. Judy had a set look of determination on her face, matching Nick's relaxed expression. They stayed that way for a moment, before Nick began taking his pile of trash to the trash can. "Only because we just need to vacuum," he said.
Nick walked down the hallway, glancing back once he reached his bedroom, disappearing inside for his clothes. He scowled lightly at the disarray that was his room. Clothes thrown about, his bed basically torn apart, dresser drawers half-open with (potentially) clean clothes hanging from them. Making a mental note to actually clean in here some time (he wouldn't, and he knew it), Nick gathered up his usual outfit of gray khakis and a green Pawaiian shirt with a purple and blue striped tie, with what he assumed was a clean towel – it passed the sniff and stain test, which was good enough for him.
Trudging into the hallway, Nick paused as Judy looked at him. With a small smirk, he waggled his tail and rear as he headed into the bathroom, chiming "Don't get any funny ideas now, okay Carrots?"
He barely shut the door on the pillow in time. With a laugh, he began to strip down and start up the water, stepping inside as the vacuum cleaner started up to life outside.
Today was going to be a good day.
~ óÓÒò ~
"So," Judy started. "Where do we want to go?" She had changed out of her rumpled night clothes, and was now in a pink flannel shirt with tight jeans, freshly showered and prepared for whatever trouble the two could cause today.
Nick looked up from his phone, carefully stepping around a stray piece of trash as he descended the stairs beside her. "The park again?" he suggested. Judy shook her head. "We go there every time we have a day off," she said. "We need somewhere new. Is there a movie you've wanted to see or something?"
"I don't know, Carrots, last night kind of burned me out on movies," Nick replied dryly. "The last one in particular."
Ruefully, the rabbit nodded in agreement. "We watched quite a few... What about just driving around?" she suggested. Nick laughed.
"Gas costs money, you know."
Judy groaned and threw her paws up in the air. "I give up, then. I'm out of ideas."
"Boy, that was fast," Nick commented. "But, I think you've given me an idea. Come on, let's go," he said, walking around the building. Confused, Judy followed after, quiet until she realized they were headed to his car.
"Get in," Nick said, jumping into the driver side and sliding the keys into the ignition. Judy slipped in beside him, putting on her seatbelt.
"Where are we going?" she asked, looking at the fox expectantly. Nick shrugged and flicked out his aviators, slipping them over his snout as he steered his vehicle onto the road.
"You'll have to figure it out yourself," he said, reaching down to turn his radio on. Old rock music faintly filled the air between them as he rolled down a window, resting his left arm on the open space. Judy continued to look at him curiously, mentally rattling off places she thought the fox would take her.
A bar? No, he knew she found them disgusting. A theater? Unlikely, given that they'd already discussed more movies. Maybe a store? It was possible, she mused. Maybe one of the various malls in the city? Or a book store. She would love to visit a book store – reading was always one of her favorite pastimes. Her favorites were crime novels – the way one could describe the seedy underbelly of a seemingly pristine city always ensnared her. Assuming the book was well written, she could end up wishing to meet a few of the characters or visit some locations, discussing experiences and taking in new sights she hadn't thought of yet.
Buildings raced past as she and Nick went down the road, eventually morphing into mainly other cars as they turned onto a freeway. Nick quietly sang alongside some of the songs that played, Judy giggling softly at his off-key tone, and occasionally chiming in with her own. Over time, they began trying to sing more in tune, or off tune, and over one another, slowly resorting to light shoves or pokes. Judy tried tickling Nick at one point, stopping when his fitful writhing nearly drove them into another car. The awkward silence that settled after was broken by Nick tickling Judy, carefully steering them along with his left paw as his right tried to keep up with her as she pressed herself against the car door and bat at him.
"Okay, Nick, Nick, I can't breathe!" She yelled, gasping for air as he pulled away with a warm chuckle.
"See?" he said. "We foxes are very good with our fingers."
"Nick!" she shouted, lightly punching his shoulder. She could feel her cheeks heating up. "You're such a... A..."
"Sly fox?" he suggested. She sighed and nodded, for lack of a better idea. "And you're," he continued, "An emotional bunny."
"I'm not emotional!" she argued, to which Nick just let out a big laugh.
"Yet you nearly cried when we found that 'lost' cub, even though his parents were just around the corner five feet away. Right, that's not emotional at all."
"He looked so scared though!" She said, looking to Nick. "How could you not feel sorry for him?"
"Simple," Nick replied. "You notice that he rounds the corner running, smiling, laughing even. Realizing he'd left his parents around the corner probably just scared him, and there you go."
Judy stared at the fox, the smug smile he wore bearing down on her despite his staring straight ahead. The aviator glasses he'd put on gleamed brightly in the sunlight. She realized after a moment that her mouth was open, the result of her attempting a retort, and she quickly shut it. She was unable to think of an argument to what he had said, sitting quietly in her seat.
"Hey, Carrots?" Nick said suddenly. Ears perked, she looked curiously in his direction. "Ever been to an arcade?"
"We didn't really have them in Bunnyburrow, so no. Why do you ask?"
This was a half-truth. In her home town, there was a bowling alley that had several arcade cabinets, but nothing that would truly pass for an arcade. She would occasionally drop a few dollars here or there on a game that seemed interesting, only to leave shortly after with the sneaking suspicion that the games were rigged against the player.
"Well," Nick said. "I think you've earned a trip."
Judy turned her gaze out the front window as the car turned into a parking lot, a bright yellow building with orange text ahead of them. "Chuck'ys Arcade" was plastered on the front, the cartoonish image of a mouse eating a cheesy pizza grinning down at them.
"Chucky's Arcade?" Judy said with a small laugh. "I've heard of this place. Greasy pizza, noisy kids. You wanted to come here?"
Nick shrugged, killing the engine as he opened up the door. "Yeah, why not? Besides, I know the owner. We can play most of the games for free."
Judy jumped out next to him, shaking her head despite the wide grin she wore. The car beeped as Nick locked it, stepping beside her as he removed his sunglasses. He tugged the large doors open for Judy to enter, following closely behind and walking next to her. The rabbit looked around in fascination.
The inside of the arcade was a stark contrast to the outside. Black carpeting, but with warm orange walls, and dimly lit, it was a strange combination. All sorts of sounds assaulted her: Loud engines from the line of racing games in a corner; High-pitched blaster fire from various on-rails shooter games; the shouting of a commander for a helicopter simulator; obnoxious sound effects emitted from random other games as they spat out tickets to the player. The smell of cardboard pizza, cheap nachos, and something she could only define as unpleasant wafted above her, making her want to cover her nose.
Casting a glance up at Nick, she was surprised to see him going about unfazed. Aviators off, but his lazy-eyed smirk present, he looked down at her. The fact that his more sensitive nose wasn't driving him insane by the things even she could pick up was surprising.
"Whaddya think, Carrots?" he said as they approached the main counter by the entrance. She looked around, oblivious to his rolling eyes before his attention turned to the employee, talking idly. Judy couldn't hear much of the conversation, though the noises from deeper inside the building was constantly drawing her focus away from them.
After a minute, she felt a paw tap her shoulder, and she turned to see Nick holding out a small green card, one for himself in his other paw as he slid it into his pocket. She took it with a smile.
"Alright, Fluff, so listen up. You've never been to an arcade before, so here's a few pointers: Stay away from the food, and use the bathrooms as a last resort. Drinks are okay, but bars are on the less-than-stellar side." He said, just loud enough to hear over everything, walking for a racing game. "Everything here costs three times what it should, so only buy if you're desperate. Want to play something, swipe the card -" Drawing out his card, Nick swiped it through a small card reader on the side of a racing game. "Like so. We can play whatever, forever, but only for today. There's a few rides, but they're kind of crappy, and we have to pay for those. Oh, and if you see spare tickets, grab them. Get enough, and you can get some nice prizes. Got all that?"
Judy stared, somewhat dumbfounded, at the fox as he sat in his chosen machine. He selected a car, a purple sports car with white stripes down the center, and started up a random race. Judy stood behind his seat and watched him, quiet. He and seven other cars (she assumed they were all bots) were racing at high speeds along late night streets, neon lights illuminating their path where the poorly rendered headlights failed. On occasion, the fox would get hit from the side and ram a building, causing him to grumble as he double tapped the gas. To her surprise, the car reared up on its back tires, up until it hit the back of another racer. After that, it went flying in a huge backflip, almost crashing on the pavement below, before tearing along the ground as if it had lost no momentum.
The race continued for another minute or so before the finish line was crossed, Nick coming in fifth place. "Eh, I'm out of practice," he said, rubbing his neck and swiping his card again. Almost without thinking, Judy sat in the machine next to him and swiped her own card, slipping it into her pocket. She saw Nick look at her out of the corner of her eye, his smirk and slight shake of his head telling her that he through she'd do horribly in whatever race she got.
As the two chose their cars (Nick took the purple one again, while Judy chose a sleek looking red sportster), another mammal sat with them, jumping into the race last minute. With no thought to them, Judy stared at the screen as it began the countdown.
Right out of the gate, Judy knew this was most definitely not her game. The car felt slippery, the roads winding sharply, shortcuts that looked like walls and walls that looked like shortcuts, and more than once she found herself turned around on the track. When it was over, she had barely crossed the finish line, Nick having hit fourth place.
"Nice try, Carrots," Nick chimed. "But it looks like rabbits really are bad drivers."
Frustrated, Judy swiped her card. "Again," she demanded. Nick raised his eyebrows curiously, his smile never wavering. "Best two out of three?" he suggested and, when she nodded, turned in her seat with a satisfied nod of his own. This time, she chose the same car as him – the purple one with white stripes.
This turned out to be a horrible idea, as this car accelerated faster and had worse handling than her previous one. She spun out almost immediately, Causing several cars to drive right into her and get them stuck. The mammal to her left groaned in frustration, and Nick laughed as he sped off. With so little opposition, he was free to cruise down the roads as everyone else straightened themselves out.
He finished first that time. For their final match, Judy chose a different vehicle: an older looking white muscle car. When Nick saw her choice, he took a sharp breath and shook his head.
The white muscle car was more her style, having great handling and acceleration she could handle. The combination of a good car, and having seen the map multiple times, led her to finish alongside the fox for the first time – fifth place, but still better than last.
Nick chuckled as he rose from his seat, turning to watch Judy do the same, an expression of pure irritation on her face. "I'm choosing the next game," she said. Silent, but smirking, Nick followed after her as she walked off, paws balled into fists as she examined their surroundings for something she'd have an advantage in. A dancing game? Maybe. Whack-A-Bug? Possibly. But she needed something she knew she could beat Nick in. And then it caught her eye – an on-the-rails shooter labeled 'Time Switch'.
"That one!" she said, racing over to it and swiping her card. Nick followed suit, eyeing the machine curiously.
"'Time Switch'?" he said. "I haven't seen this one in ages. Surprised it still works. Alright, Carrots, get ready to be beaten by a fox again."
Judy smirked. Nick wasn't aware of the bowling alley she grew up going to. Nor was he aware of the games they had in their mini arcade. And, so, he was unaware that she had played this very game before – and gotten the high score, four times in a row. Of everyone in the Burrows, she had remained numbers 1, 2, 4, and 7 on the leaderboard until the machine died of broken wiring and poor care.
That didn't mean Nick didn't put up a fight, though. Oh no, he was an officer, he was trained much like she was in how to aim and shoot. The difference, though, was that he had clearly not grown up playing this game.
It was only a matter of minutes before the gap between their scores grew from the hundreds, to the thousands. By then end of mission one, she was beating him by over 15,000 points. At mission two, it was 20,000. And at mission three, he had closed the gap, narrowing it down to about 10,000 – but the whole time, it had been a losing battle. Finally, when their lives were spent and the game over screen flashed, Judy turned to Nick with her own smug smile. The fox returned it with a defeated expression.
"You've played this before," he accused. Judy nodded.
"Had four of the eight high scores under my name on the old cabinet back in Bunnyburrow," she said, laughing as his mouth fell open.
"Wait, did you just hustle me?" he asked, eyes widening a bit. Judy laughed harder and nodded.
"Boom," was all she said, pointing at him as she walked off. Shaking his head, the fox followed after as she neared a helicopter simulator.
"Alright, officer Toot-Toot, let's make a deal," he said as he caught up to her. "We keep playing away, and whoever wins most, gets to decide how the night ends. Loser does whatever the winner wants. Deal?"
Judy looked up at Nick, eyebrows raised in suspicion. She knew the likelihood of her beating him was slim, but all the same, the 'Time Switch' game gave her hope. After all, if she lost, what was the worst Nick could do? Then again, what was the worst she could do? The opportunity was just too good to pass up.
"Deal," she said, sticking out a paw. Nick smiled and shook it, pointing to the simulator.
"Let's give this one a shot next? See how good a pilot a rabbit can be. Can't be any worse than a driver, right?" he joked, smiling more as she rolled her eyes and swiped her card, lowering the strange helmet over her head. It fit loosely, clearly sized for a larger mammal, but still held on as she climbed into the equally sized seat. A joystick sat between her legs, various buttons and levers on either side of her as she settled in. She squeezed the joystick before her in anticipation, watching the numbers count down to the start of the mission.
What could go wrong? She thought. It's just a helicopter. Joystick, a few buttons. Easy, right?
Her first flight lasted all of ten seconds, before she was belly up in a pile of smoking metal on the ground. The second one went about as well, though she lasted about half a minute before slamming into a tree. On her third flight, she managed to actually get to the mission area, before panicking as a lock-on warning sounded, flying between buildings only to wedge herself in an alley. Just when she had freed herself, however, the missile from earlier caught up and sent the helicopter right through.
With each failure, Nick laughed. The last one almost made him crumple to the floor, tears in his eyes as he picked himself up for his turn.
The seat and helmet were better suited to his size, and he was clearly the better pilot of the two. His first flight ended when he was unable to avoid a missile, the second one meeting a similar fate to Judy's first two when he tried to flip the helicopter over in a flashy maneuver to get over an enemy. On his third run, however, he actually completed the mission, before the second one started up and he dove straight into the ocean, laughing.
Infuriated, Judy looked around for the next game, until realizing that Nick was already heading to it – some rhythm game, the bright lights and fast music blaring. She raced over and examined the machine. Rails for the players to use, and nine small pads to step on for the dance on screen.
"Ever played one of these?" Nick asked, swiping his card. Judy shook her head.
"Never even seen one of these things before," she admitted, swiping her own and stepping into her half.
Nick chuckled, before nodding to the screen. "You pick the song, then."
Judy was rather impressed with the selection available. Bands ranging from Fur Fighters, to Guns and Rodents, even a few by Jimi Heyendrix. But ultimately, she settled on Gazelle's 'Try Everyting,' much to Nick's obvious disappointment.
She hadn't known what to expect from the game, but the descending arrows that began taking up the screen weren't it. As best she could, she tapped her feet in the spaces instructed, but always seemed to be just a second too late. Nick was faring much better, each step earning him a "good", "great", or "perfect" score. By then end, his accuracy doubled hers, at 88%.
"Again?" he asked, looking down at her. Silently nodding in determination, she selected another song by Gazelle – not knowing exactly how slow the beat was. The arrows were moving so slowly, the rabbit figured her grandfather could score a perfect. At the end of it, Nick was leaning against the railing behind him, wiping his forehead. "One more?" he checked, groaning and getting up when she swiped her card again. The song she chose next was another Gazelle hit, but the beat was much faster than she had anticipated. Even the words went by in a blur – all she caught was something about hips and not lying as she frantically flung her feet along the mat.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Nick, a smile plastered on his muzzle as he danced along to the beat perfectly. Each time he needed to hit a certain point, the word "Perfect!" blazed across the screen, his score rising well above her own.
Judy didn't even bother trying in the end, eventually just standing there to watch Nick move perfectly to the song. He'd twirl at what seemed like the right moments, legs crossing and him bouncing up and down, tail a blur at times. He even seemed to be muttering the song under his breath, until it finished. When he caught her staring, his ears flattened against his head and he gave a nervous cough, smoothing down his shirt and tie.
"So uh... What game next?" he said.
"Oh, no, Slick Nick, what was that all about?" Judy said, a mischevious smile forming on her. She suddenly knew what she would have him do if – when – she won. The ZPD could certainly use a show someday...
"That?" he said, chuckling nervously, eyes darting back and forth. "That was just me playing the game. Hit the buttons at the right time. Why are you so surprised?"
"You never told me you could dance!" Judy said excitedly. Nick laughed.
"Dance? No, I don't dance."
"Then what was that?" she asked again, pointing to the machine. "Aw, I should've taken a video!"
"Carrots, come on, you've seen me dance. The Gazelle concert, remember?"
"Right, because that was you trying. Nick, that was great!"
"O-kay, you know what, we're just going to go on to the next game now, okay? Okay. Okay? Okay." Nick said, tugging at his shirt collar as he moved over to a Whack-A-Bug machine, Judy in tow. "How's this one look? Nice and simple," he said, patting the machine. "Look, I'll even go first."
Swiping his card and picking up the mallet, Nick waited for the plastic bugs to pop out of the many holes on the machine, slamming it down on them as quickly as he could. A few times, too many popped up, or he reacted too slowly, and they went back down into the hole. His score was fairly high, but Judy knew she could beat him. The ZPD needed to see what she had just witnessed.
When Nick had finished his attempt, he held up the mallet for Judy, who took it and smiled in that fake "Thank you so much, I really needed that help" smile. A quick swipe of her card and a few minutes later, and she was tied with the fox again, all her scores surpassing his. The result of this victory seemed to be making him slightly antsy at the prospect of losing. One more game, that was all it would take. But which one?
Judy turned her amethyst gaze over the other games she and Nick had yet to visit, not finding any that she had the immediate advantage in. Then her eyes glossed over something simple, a game based more on personal skill than coding. Grinning, the rabbit grabbed Nick's paw and began dragging him over to their destination.
Once she reached the air hockey table, she slid her card through the reader and folded out the small steps on her side. Taking hold of the white mallet, she watched the flat, black puck be deposited into the center of the table. Nick stood at the other end, looking at the table with worry as he grabbed his own mallet.
"What's wrong," Judy started. "Afraid you're going to lose a bet to a 'cute wittle bunny'?"
The expression on Nick's face turned to resolve as he shook his head. "Nah, just hoping I don't get demoted to janitor for mopping the floor with you here." He reached out into the center of the table swatting the puck and sending it along the table, bouncing it off the side and right into Judy's goal. Looking down in shock, then up at Nick, she had a dreadful feeling.
Did she just throw away her chances of beating him?
Given that smirk on his muzzle, yes, yes she did.
The puck was deposited on her side of the board this time, letting her bring the mallet around to smack it into the side. It bounced around erratically for a moment as Nick tried to swat it away, before he drew it back at the wrong moment, the clatter of plastic on plastic sounding as she scored a point. His ears folded against his head.
Or maybe she hadn't.
"First to ten?" Nick suggested. Judy nodded, watching him bump the puck to her side. She waited until it almost met her mallet before pushing it away, watching it careen into the side of his as he blocked his goal. It was swiftly sent back to her end, where it slid smoothly into her goal with a satisfying 'thunk'.
The game went back and forth for the longest time, each player trading winning points, until Nick seemed to get stuck around six, and Judy repeatedly scored over and over.
"Oh, Nick?" she said, watching the puck slide into place on his side. "What's the score now? Nine to six?"
The fox groaned, a paw slapping his head. "I can't believe I'm going to lose to you because of this, Fluff." With that, he pushed forward with his mallet, a paw covering his eyes as he did so. Since he couldn't see, he couldn't tell that he had hit the puck at an odd angle, sending it all around the sides as Judy's mallet raced around after it, before finally hitting it into her own goal with a loud clatter. Nick lifted a finger to see the result, having not moved from the initial push, a wide grin spreading on his face at seeing his score counter go up by one.
This time, the puck started on Judy's side, and she was determined to score one last time. Nick removed his paw from his eyes and watched her carefully, tail swishing in anticipation. He managed to catch the puck just as it neared his goal, sending it flying back to Judy and bouncing it into hers. Eyes widening at the sound, she shook her head and smacked the puck again, this time catching the return hit. Nick was on his game, though, shoving it into a corner and forcing it to bounce off the sides as he sent it back to her. Another missed swipe by her and he was tied.
"No, no, no," Judy muttered. She had to keep calm, she could still win this. They might be tied, but Nick was losing horribly earlier, there's no way he could -
The clatter of plastic just beneath her made her eyes widen. Without thinking, the rabbit had hit the puck and sent it on its way to Nick and, while she wasn't paying attention, he had slid it back her way, right into her goal. Her eyes trailed up to the scoreboard – player 1: 9; player 2: 10. Nick had won.
He was clearly just as surprised as she was, however, staring at the board with an expression of surprise rivaling her own. The look was quickly replaced by a smirk as he leaned on an elbow, staring at her. "Well, would you look at that? Guess I won."
In frustration, Judy flung her mallet across the table, letting it crash into Nick's elbow. He let out a hiss and tugged it away, rubbing the spot lightly as Judy gave a semi-satisfied glare to him, before sighing and muttering an apology even she could barely hear over the arcade's noise. She couldn't believe she had just thrown away her best chances of humiliating Nick in the ZPD, as he had done to her so often.
Between his nicknames, snarky remarks, pranks, jokes, and more, she had needed this victory. But her inability to focus on the puck at the last minute had cost her.
"Didn't think you to be such a sore loser, " Nick commented, walking around the table.
Judy rolled her eyes, still mentally bashing herself for such a simple victory down the drain. "Alright, Slick, what's the rest of the night look like, then?"
The fox paused for a moment, stuffing his paws in his pockets. "I don't know. Maybe we could go to a bar. Or a mall. Picnic? Maybe a fancy restaurant, see you get all dressed up," he said, leaning down to her with the last idea. His usual smirk played on his lips, half-lidded eyes meeting hers as he waited eagerly for her response. An idea churned in her head, her lips turning upwards in a sly smile.
"So, let me get this straight, you want to see me get all fancied up and go to dinner with me?"
"It's a possibilty," Nick said, the smirk never wavering.
"Nicholas Piberius Wilde, are you asking me out on a date?" Judy asked, faking shock with wide eyes, a paw coming up to rest over her heart, her other resting on her hip. Nick's smirk shifted a bit, his eyes widening slightly and ears pressing against his head almost imperceptibly. And then, like that, it was back in place, the fox playing it cool.
"If that's what it takes to see you in a dress, then maybe I am."
The rabbit stared up at the fox for a moment, before breaking from her pose. A faint rewinding sound filled the air, and suddenly, their conversation played back.
"So let me get this straight, you want to see me get all fancied up and go to dinner with me?"
"It's a possibilty."
"Nicholas Piberius Wilde, are you asking me on a date?"
"If that's what it takes to see you in a dress, maybe."
Nick's eyes widened in horror at hearing the recording, Judy holding up her carrot pen and shaking it in his face lightly. "Think I'm going to keep that one," she said with a smirk all her own, turning away as Nick reached up to desperately try and grab the evil device. Trying to contain her laughter as he reached around her in a vain attempt to grab her pen, Judy stepped away, before running and heading deeper into the arcade, leaving the fox with a mortified expression as he began to chase after her.
After a time of each playing their own games, Nick finally found Judy again at a claw game. She was pressing her head to the glass, ears drooping as she stared down at the plush collection that taunted her from the safety of the machine. When Nick came over, he peered over her shoulder and tilted his head, trying to tell which one she was looking at specifically.
There was a wide collection of soft plushes inside. Small wolves, bears, rabbits, a fish or two. There was also foods, such as carrots, cupcakes, cherries, and oranges, all with strangely cute faces on them.
"What'cha looking for, Carrots? Is it the carrots?" He joked. Judy snapped her head up to look at him, expression a combination of frustration and disappointment.
"I just wanted to win something, but this thing ate all my coins!" she said, tapping her foot on the ground.
Nick examined the machine closely, casting his gaze over it all. The machine, unlike most of the arcade games, ran off quarters or tokens, rather than a charge on their cards. "How much did you dump in?" he asked.
"I've tried this game like, twenty times," she said.
Nick hissed as he took in a breath. Each game cost fifty cents, meaning she had dumped in a good ten dollars or so. "I probably should have warned you, but these things are total scams. They give mammals like me a hard time," he said, chuckling. "But hey, mind if I give it a try?"
"Go ahead," Judy said, stepping away. She stared at the machine in frustration as Nick dug a few spare quarters from his pocket and slipped them into the slot. He leaned up and looked down into the mass of plushies below, his paws resting at the top corners, before he leaned down, paws stopping at the bottom corners. With a smug smile, he pressed the start button and maneuvered the crane over his desired spot. Without looking, he pressed the drop button, turning to face Judy and block the claw from her view. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, lost.
Hoping his timing was correct, the fox pushed himself from the cabinet and stepped away, motioning to the machine. "Alright, Fluff, see what you got."
Judy gave him a skeptical look, rolling her eyes at his confidence as she walked over. Reaching into the small slot where a prize would be deposited. Her eyes widened as she felt her paw grab something small and soft, tugging it out and staring at the prize in amazement.
"Should add that to your collection," Nick said, walking off.
"What?" she started, more confused as to how he had won the prize than what he had said. "Nick, how did you get this on the first try?!" She turned to face him, watching his black-tipped tail disappear around an arcade cabinet.
"Nick!" she yelled, running to catch up with him. He paused and leaned against the cabinet beside him, looking down at her with his usual smirk.
"Yes, officer?" he said in a light tone.
"How did you do that?" She asked again. His only response was a sly smile, looking away to the entrance.
"You can stop tapping your foot now, Carrots. Unless you want to start an earthquake," he said, a moment later. Judy looked down, not having noticed her right foot thundering away on the carpeting. "But anyways, we should probably get going before it's too late. After all, we do have a big night ahead of us."
Judy looked up at him, slightly baffled, as she hugged the toy to her chest. It was a small, red fox. The ears and half of the tail, as well as all four paws, were black, in contrast to the muddy red fur and cream belly it had. The green eyes held small sparkles in them, and it stared at her with a warm smile.
She couldn't help but think of Nick when she looked at it.
"What time is it?" he suddenly asked. Judy shook her head, clearing it, before pulling out her phone. "Oh, wow. It's almost four, we've been here almost six hours!" she exclaimed. Part of her was panicking at the lost track of time, but a part of her also didn't care. She didn't have anything important planned for the day, and she'd had fun – that was what mattered, right?
"Alright, then. Let's go and get all cleaned up for tonight," he said, sauntering to the front doors. Judy walked at his side, gently rubbing her thumbs along the inside of the fox's ears. She could feel a small line going through them, and what felt like a button. She pressed it gently, feeling only slightly disappointed when nothing happened.
Nick flicked out his sunglasses and slid his card to the employee behind the counter as they passed, waiting as Judy did the same. "Thanks, Al," the fox said, giving a small salute to the snow leopard behind the counter. "Anytime, Nick," came the response, the leopard's deep voice easily rising over the cacophony of sounds behind them. And with that, they walked outside.
Judy was unprepared for the sudden harshness of the afternoon sun, wincing and covering her eyes with a paw instinctively. Nick briefly glanced away, but his aviators kept his eyes mostly safe from harm. It was hot outside, as was to be expected of Savannah Central.
"So, Nick, what exactly is your plan?" Judy asked, stroking between the stuffed fox's ears as she walked to his car. When she was met with silence, her ears rose up high, and she turned. "Nick?"
The reynard was staring at a charcoal colored car parked a litte ways from his own, one leg raised in mid step as he did so. His ears were stood straight up as he looked at it, Judy coming over to join him. "What is it?" she asked. Nick placed his foot down and stared at her, slightly slack-jawed at her question.
"What is it?" he asked, gesturing to the car. "What is it? Carrots, this is a beautiful car! Look at it!"
And look at it she did. The car was by no means ugly; A two door muscle car with a beautiful charcoal paint job, a wide silver stripe bordered by two smaller ones at the center. The hood had a slight, angled bump in the center. The front bumper had a total of eight lights: two standard ones at the very edges, with two smaller ones a few inches further in. The bottom of the bumper, beneath the grille, were the last two lights, positioned just beside one another. A few inches outside of these were another pair of smaller lights. A small cobra was sat on the left of the grille.
Before Judy could make a comment on the vehicle, a familiar voice sounded behind them.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?"
Nick and Judy turned to see Dust walking towards them, a pair of sports glasses covering his eyes and a soda in his paw, one stuffed into his pocket. Judy nodded, while Nick's response was far more enthusiastic.
"Beautiful is putting it lightly," he said, slowly walking around it. His tail was rapidly swaying from side to side – who knew he was into cars this much? "What year is she?"
"Sixty-Seven," Dust responded. He had a small smile as he watched Nick examine the car. Nick himself held a huge grin.
"Six cylinders?" he asked.
"And dual exhaust. Quiet inside, though. Purrs like you wouldn't believe."
Judy was lost between the two mammals as they talked car talk. On her family farm, she had helped to fix the few vehicles they had a few times, but she hadn't learned many names of the parts. She actually worked on the vehicles very little, instead just giving tools to her father or other siblings who were more interested in them than she was.
"Want to hear?" Dust said, lowering his glasses a bit as he looked at the two. Nick nodded enthusiastically, and Judy stepped aside as the other fox drew out his keys and stepped over to his door, unlocking it and gently tugging it open. He then half sat in the car, half stood, as he pushed the keys into the ignition and started up the car. It roared to life, deep enough to compare it to an overloaded subwoofer, before settling into a low grumble.
Judy swore that, if Nick's grin could grow any wider, his head would crack in half.
After a moment of grumbling, Dust revved the engine once, and then turned off the car.
Nick muttered a small curse, impressed. "How much was she?"
"Actually, a gift from a family friend." Dust leaned against the hood, looking over at Judy briefly. "Anyways, what're you guys doing here? I thought you two worked today."
Something inside Judy twisted. A feeling of unease or distrust she couldn't completely place. But she knew that she didn't exactly like Dust acting as if the three of them were good friends.
"Could ask the same of you," she said. "You don't seem like the kind to hang out at an arcade."
Dust groaned. "I'm not, but I had a friend call in a favor. Said she needed a ride, so here I am."
Judy nodded, eyes half-lidded with suspicion. Nick stepped beside her and planted a paw on her shoulder.
"You two have fun, though? Sometimes they have a neat game I want to try," Dust continued.
"There's just the usual. Driving, simulators, dancing. Same games they've had for the past decade," Nick replied. His tail was calmer now, though it was still swaying as he cast an occasional glance to the car.
"Agh. Not worth it," Dust said.
"I don't know, I had a good time," Nick said. "What about you, Fluff?"
Judy looked up at Nick sharply as he ruffled her ears, fighting the urge to bat his paw away as she nodded. "It was fun, especially being my first time."
"Wait," Dust said, surprise filling his voice. "You've never been to an arcade before today?" Judy nodded in response. "Oof, and Nick took you here? That's..." He chuckled softly. "It's not the worst of arcades, but it's definitely not the best. Nick, ever heard of 'Mr. Kevv's'?"
From the inward hiss Nick gave, it was a yes. "That place is ridiculous expensive if you're there for a few hours, but yeah," he said. Dust nodded, seemingly satisfied.
"Should take her there one day," he suggested. Nick nodded.
"Actually," Dust continued, "Are you two busy right now?"
"We were actually just about to leave," Judy said. Nick nodded again.
"Shame. I had an idea I wanted to pitch, but only if you're both free."
"Why not send it our way? We could always try it another time," Nick said. Judy looked up at him, curious as to what Nick was doing. Weren't they technically supposed to be bringing this fox in, not making friends?
"I was going to suggest a game at Kev's. They've got all sorts of them – racing, go-karts, golf. But I was going to suggest a game or two of paintball." Dust rested his head on his arms as he spoke, his eyes masked behind his slick sunglasses. Judy rolled the idea around in his head, Nick looking down at her for her input.
"You know, we have time," she said. "And I haven't played paintball before."
Nick smiled softly and looked at Dust. "I'm alright to play a few rounds."
Dust nodded this time, seemingly satisfied. "Great. I'll meet you two at Kev's, then?" Both nodded. "Oh, and, I'm paying."
Nick grinned a bit more at this, and Judy smiled a bit wider as they gave the other fox a small wave and began walking back to their own car.
~ óÓÒò ~
Oh, boy. Hey, everyone! I'm very sorry that this chapter is out so late, I've been helping family move the past few weeks and have had no time to write anything. I hope I made up for it all with this chapter, though – it was a lot longer than I expected, but it was a lot of fun to write. I also want to clarify exactly what car it is Dust has – a Shelby GT500 Eleanor, 1967. Absolutely beautiful beast of a car.
I'll be starting up the next chapter as soon as I can. It's going to be more action-y than the past ones, and there's going to be actual plot development this time – I promise!
-N'yrthghar