Chapter 2:

Heart To Heart

"Nick Wilde! Wake up!" Judy exclaimed when she saw Nick at his desk in their office fast asleep.

He jumped when he heard her yelling at him. "What? I'm awake!"

"You can't be sleeping on the job when there's work to do!" Judy said.

"Relax carrots, it's all done...wait, nevermind." He looked at the unfinished paperwork in front of him and began to fill the rest of it out.

Judy sighed exasperatedly. "You can't be serious."

"Shut up."

"Don't tell me to shut up when you're not even…!"

"Done!" He stood up and began to leave the office.

"You're lucky it was me that found you sleeping and not Bogo," Judy said following him down the hallway.

"I wouldn't have been asleep if you hadn't kept me up all night playing Legend of Zelda," Nick said putting the papers on the desk in front of Ben Clawhauster who looked at them with interest.

"You could have opted out at any moment."

"No because then all I would have heard is 'Nick, we need to get to the next level! Don't make me do it alone!'"

"I don't sound like that!"

"Yeah you do carrots."

"Stupid fox!"

"Dumb bunny!"

"You know, I think it's cute that you two have gotten to that point in your relationship where you have little arguments. You're so romantic!" Clawhauster said.

Nick and Judy were silent for a moment as their faces turned red.

"We're not in a relationship Ben," Judy said looking away from Nick.

"Yeah, are you kidding?" Nick said also looking away from her. He stole a glance at her out the corners of his eyes and found her blushing and twisting her hair around her fingers which he'd come to realize was a nervous habit of hers.

"Well you might as well be," Clawhauster said. "You're always together and I saw that Facebook picture you posted of the two of you together."

"That was just for fun…" Judy tried to explain.

"Alright, so what did you do this weekend?"

"We went to Olive Garden and played Legend of Zelda at Judy's house…" Nick's voice trailed off when he saw a wide smile forming on Clawhauster's face. "It was all platonic!"

"I'm sure it was," Clawhauster said still smiling at them.

The front door opened and Maribel came in. "Hi everyone."

"What's up Maribel?" Judy said.

"Just running an errand for Mayor Lionhart. Can you all make sure Bogo gets these, they're very important."

"Sure thing," Clawhauster said. "So Maribel, do you think Nick and Judy should…?"

"Can it, Clawhauster," Nick said putting an end to the conversation.

"Judy, where did you get your necklace?" Maribel asked.

"I got it at the mall a couple weeks ago."

"You'll have to show me sometime, it's so pretty."

"Of course I will."

Suddenly there was a dispatch call.

"This is Bogo! We need backup down on Main Street! Hurry!"

Judy and Nick jumped into action. "Later guys!"

*WW*

That weekend Judy was walking through the mall with Maribel to show her where she got the necklace and to just shop around for whatever she could find.

"Thanks for coming with me Judy," Maribel said.

"No problem. It's nice t have some girl time for once. I've always tended to hang out with guys more so this is fun."

Maribel giggled. "Let me guess, you were one of the girls out in the dirt playing football in elementary school?"

Judy laughed. "Pretty much. How are things going as the assistant mayor?"

"I like it. I've got a nice office and everyone is so kind."

"Well it's a step up from the last assistant mayor. I'm sure they treat you a lot better."

"You bet. I was told a lot of weird stuff about her. I hope I'm a lot better than she was."

"Aw don't worry about it. Just don't try to capture all the predators and destroy Zootopia and you'll be fine."

They ended up at a Macy's and started looking at shoes.

"So how long have you and Nick been dating?" Maribel asked.

Judy was surprised by the question. "Nick and I aren't dating."

"Oh really? I'm sorry, I thought you were. You two just seem so close."

Judy shrugged. "I mean, we're good friends and we hang out all the time. I care about him a lot. I don't think he'd ever want to date me though."

"Why not? I think you two would make a perfect couple."

The thought made Judy smile. Maybe she'd thought about her and Nick together...more than once. And maybe she kind of sort of wished that he would ask her out. But that was all it was, wishful thinking.

"You're blushing!" Maribel said knowingly.

Judy pretended to be very interested in the price tag on a pair of boots. "I don't know, maybe we would make a good couple. But I don't see it happening anytime soon. I think he just wants to be friends."

She choked out the last word. Friends wasn't enough to describe how much she cared about him. But she didn't want to get her hopes up. Nick didn't seem interested in her that way and as much as it hurt to admit it, she had to accept it.

*WW*

"So since you've gone off and become all noble now, I need to find a new partner," said Finnick as he and Nick walked down the street together.

"Tell me more about your sad life," Nick said sarcastically.

"Do you realize how hard it is to shake down people for money by yourself?"

"Aw come on Fin, you're a strong independent man. Not all that big though…"

"Hey!"

"But what can you do."

Nick and Finnick had been friends since they were little kids. After that awful incident with the cub scouts Finnick had found him on the side of the road and taught him not to give a shit about what people thought of him. Eventually they found a way to get by in life, the fox way, and no one was going to tell them otherwise.

"You know, according to ZPD protocol I should arrest you," Nick said jokingly.

"You arrest me and see what happens Nick!"

Nick laughed. Finnick was tiny but he'd never met anyone tougher and more prepared to kick someone's ass. His phone buzzed and he found that it was a text from Judy.

Rogue One comes out today. Do I have to go alone?

I'll be there

Finnick stood on his toes trying to see Nick's phone. "Is that that Judy girl?"

"Yeah," Nick replied as he typed his text.

"Hot date tonight?"

"What? No way!" Nick said shoving his phone back into his pocket to make sure Finnick didn't see the text.

"So tell me you've tapped that right? I mean, she's got the ass of a goddess."

Nick shoved his arm. "We're not together. Why is this so hard for everyone to understand?"

"Because you make it so damn obvious that you like her!"

"I do not like her." That was a lie.

"Tell me with a straight face that you don't think she's pretty."

"Not really." Also a lie.

"You smiled! You do like her!"

"Look. Judy and I are friends. We're work partners, nothing more. That's how it's going to stay." That was the exact opposite of what he wanted. Judy was beautiful, funny, smart...everything that was perfect really. But he doubted she'd want to date him.