Benjamin Clawhauser's eyes grew large as Nick and Judy strolled into the ZPD, slowly dragging in a nude, cuffed grizzly bear. Francine Trunkaby was standing by as well, and blinked.
"We're brought into this world unclothed; I should be able to be naked whenever I want!" the bear barked from behind his cage-muzzle. He slowly obliged the bunny and fox officer's insisting that he move forward.
"Yeah, yeah," Nick said, walking him to the front desk with Judy. "There are places you can go for that, you know. Mystic Springs, for example."
"Hey Hopps, Wilde, maybe I should take him in for processing in case he tries anything?" Francine offered, looking down at the bear.
"Sure! Take 'im away, Francine!" Judy said jauntily, gesturing with her thumb. Benjamin held up a paw in the direction of the bear to obstruct his sight.
"Public indecency..? You two brought in a bear?" Benjamin marveled.
"Barely!" Judy burst out instantly, pointing at the cheetah.
"Oh, Hopps, just- c'mon..." Nick cringed. Benjamin burst out into a giggle.
"Oh no no no no no, wait, wait," Judy wiggled her hands back and forth, her eyes wide. "What- what do you call a streaking grizzly?"
"What!?" Benjamin leaned over his desk, face lit up.
"Ben, don't encourage-" Nick started.
"A bare bear!" Judy leaned in on her tip toes, placing her hands on Benjamin's desk. The cheetah laughed uproariously, and Nick slapped his face, letting his hand slough off his muzzle.
"Hopps, you're mentally injuring me..." Nick droned, but he couldn't quite quash a smile.
"Oh c'mon... gimme some!" Judy beckoned at Nick.
"Okay, up here," Nick smirked, holding his paw way above his head.
Judy leaped up and gave him a high-five with her own hand, hard. "Yeah!"
"Ow, jeez!" Nick had a grin and a wince on as he shook his hand at the wrist. "Not even the ol' paw pads saved me from that one."
"So, um, Nick and Judy," Benjamin put his cheeks in his paws, looking at them. "Can't help but notice you're a lot more... 'Nick and Judy' over the past couple of days! Anything I should know about?"
"Ha ha!" Judy swiped her finger. "Absolutely nothing!"
"YES!" Benjamin popped up enthusiastically, his fists close to his chin.
"Easy, Benji," Nick said in a blithe, warning voice, smirking at him.
"C'mon, Nick, we need to do the paperwork for our streaking mammal," Judy said cheerfully, starting to drag Nick off. Nick pointed at his eyes with two fingers, then at Benjamin with a one finger coupled with a playfully warning face.
"Oh...!" Benjamin relaxed at his desk, grinning with half-lidded eyes after the two retreating mammals. "Finally...!" He began to purr, just a little.
A little later, Nick and Judy were hanging out with each other at the break room. Judy had her phone out.
"I mean, Golden Oats seems nice," Judy made a face at the screen. "But I kind of like the one you're looking at better: Aardvark Rise. It's pretty close to work, and the reviewers say it's really tolerant of mixed-species couples."
"Gee, Judy, you wanna maybe say that a little louder?" Nick chuckled.
"Oh, sorry," Judy flashed a smile, but then looked around. "There's no one else here though, Nick."
"Forgot to look behind you," Nick pointed. "Hey 'No one'." Judy whirled around and saw Karen Skippel. The arctic hare was pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"Kare- Karen! Hi!" Judy smiled in poorly-disguised alarm. "How are you?"
"Annoyed," Karen huffed. "Need another boost. A persistent hacker is trying to get at the ZPD's databases again. They slipped through once, but they only seemed to access files regarding crimes committed by sheep, of all things."
"Oh, ugh..." Nick chuckled. "I'll... talk to her."
"Nick?" Judy huffed.
"Do I even want to know why you would know someone like this?" Karen droned with her eyes half-closed.
"I am... acquainted with a variety of eclectic mammals," Nick held up a hooked finger.
"Uh huh..." Karen murmured. "Oh well, gives me something to do."
"How much did you hear of what we were talking about?" Judy asked, wincing.
"I have no stake in whatever is going on between you two," Karen rolled her eyes. "Not like half of the station does, anyway."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Judy frowned.
"I'm ninety-five percent sure there's some sort of betting pool going on regarding our relationship status," Nick said blithely.
Judy scoffed, looking slightly offended. "What, really? Our co-workers are... what, betting on our happiness?"
"Or against it," Karen shrugged.
"Guess we'll soon know who our friends and enemies are," Judy muttered, folding her arms tightly.
"Oh, don't let it get you down, Judy," Nick smiled. "They're just having a little vicarious fun."
"I haven't bet yet, looks like if I did I'd have a little inside information, hm," Karen tapped a finger on her mouth.
Judy stared at Karen evenly, but the latter did not betray any sort of hint that she was serious or joking.
"Do I take the moral high ground, or make an easy buck?" Karen had a tiny grin. "You know, it's hard to choose at this point. I could use an upgrade on my system at home."
"I feel like you should be more annoyed, Nick," Judy glanced at Nick.
"Eh, if mammals want to gamble over us, I say let 'em," Nick sighed. "You took a gamble with your feelings, and look what it got you."
"Aw, Nick," Judy smiled broadly, then kept her gaze on him as she turned her head slightly, "that's pretty corny."
"Bluh," Karen held her tongue out briefly. "I'd suggest keeping it under wraps, you two. That way you can bask in the schadenfreude of getting to see everyone who bet against you suffer."
Judy barked out a loud, single laugh. She closed her eyes, straightening up properly. "That sounds like an excellent idea. Come along, my completely platonic friend." Nick chuckled quietly.
"See ya 'round, Skip," Nick saluted, leaving the break room with Judy.
"Yup," Karen had a tiny smile. "See ya."
Judy and Nick were reclined on a couch together in their new cozy apartment in Aardvark Rise. It had just enough space for the two to not feel cramped, and the promise of an easier commute for both of them. Also, there was the detail that they both lived together now, and they were immediately set to enjoy this fact.
"So let me get this straight," Nick pointed at the television. Judy was leaned in against him, but turned her head up slightly to look at him, "the guy survives one night shift at this place with murderous robots, and he goes back for another night?"
"Right?" Judy smirked.
"If the only work this guy can get is in a place like this, then he must be a serial killer himself or something," Nick scoffed.
Judy laughed lightly and snuggled sideways into Nick.
"Hey you," Nick half-smiled and drew her closer with his arm around her, then he shivered. "Look Judy, I know you like charging ahead full blast with everything, but maybe we could have waited another couple of days to move in until they turned the heat on here at least?"
"Don't be such a big baby," Judy shook her head slightly in mock scorn. "It's an excuse to cuddle." Nick drew her closer.
"I don't need an excuse anymore," Nick have his most charming grin, his tail flicking behind him. He pat his lap. "C'mon."
Judy flashed a bright smile and briefly held her shoulders up before moving onto his lap. Nick wrapped his arms around the bunny, stroking at her back and her ears. "Mmm..." The bunny's paws moved along Nick's clothed chest as she nestled in.
"Yeah, this is more like it," Nick purred.
"Ah...!" Judy took in a gasp as he felt one of Nick's paws go up the back of her shirt and pet at the fur there. "Nick, that feels so nice..."
"Does it, now?" Nick smirked, adding in little wiggled of his claws. "How about now?"
"Nh!" Judy let out an extended groan, shivering from the cold and the attentions of her fox. "Nick, that's-"
"AAAAIIIGH!" a shrill, piercing scream came from the TV as a gruesome murder played out on the screen. Judy flinched, her ears going up.
"Oh, oops, probably should have stopped this," Nick said, pressing a button on the remote to halt the movie. "Now where was I?"
"You were giving me affections I've been missing out on for so long because I'm a dumb, dumb bunny," Judy said in a tiny voice.
"Shh," Nick leaned in, nuzzling at her and giving her a soft, but lingering kiss.
"You are a magnificent creature," Judy droned, petting through Nick's cheek fur.
"Tell me something I don't know," Nick murmured with a large grin.
"Okay!" Judy chirped, petting Nick's muzzle with two hands. "Do you know about dewlaps?"
"Can't say I've heard of whatever that is," Nick admitted.
"Ooh have I got a treat for you," Judy scooted back on Nick's lap a bit, crossing her arms in front of her.
"Wait, are you going to take your sweater off?" Nick's brow fell. "Not only have our misadventures led to us seeing each other naked before, It's nearly freezing in here!"
"Don't care!" Judy sang out, flinging her sweater off. Nick's jaw dropped. Right on the top of Judy's chest was a small, heart-shaped bit of fluff.
"I..." Nick's eyes locked onto this new piece of information.
"What do you think of my winter fashion?" Judy purred, puffing her chest out a little with her paws on Nick's lap.
"Oh my God I love winter," Nick breathed out. "Is it- sensitive? Can I touch it?"
"It's just a bit of fluff, Nick, gosh," Judy couldn't suppress the enormous smile she was getting. "...Go ahead."
Nick's paw was on this new bit of fluff instantly. Nick grew an incredibly goofy expression as he felt through Judy's dewlap, and the bunny returned the fox a wry look.
"Okay, I knew you'd like it, but you look ridiculous," Judy said in a droll voice. "Are you seriously getting this worked up over a little bit of fluff?"
"Am I..." Nick blinked. "Worked up over a bit of fluff." He grinned slyly. "Well, that just about describes our whole relationship, doesn't it?"
Judy laughed. "I guess it does!"
Nick took his own coat and shirt off, to a delighted gasp from the bunny. "Here's winter edition Nick for you, bunny. Whatcha think?"
"So fluffy!" Judy launched her face onto his fur and started nuzzling it aggressively. This caused Nick to yip in surprise, but he laughed at her exuberance.
"Rgh... it is pretty cold..." Nick frowned. "However, I think I can come up with some ways to generate our own heat."
"I'm sure I'm thinking what you're thinking," Judy smirked impishly. She squeaked as Nick grabbed her and pressed her back against the couch. "Whoa!"
Nick began to growl, causing Judy's breath to pick up. "Ready, fluffyduff?"
"Mmhm!" Judy nodded eagerly.
"Here's foxy...!" Nick licked his lips as he went in to kiss his bunny passionately.