Author's Note:
Those are some nice feels y'all got there. ** Casually polishes a story about Nick's plush bunny, Bouncer.** Be a shame if anything... happened to them… Seriously though, I do intend to move our officers back into active duty soon enough, but there's just one additional important matter that needs tending to. This chapter is 50% larger as a result, so get comfy.
If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first timeyou will want to check out Season 1 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^
As always, I do not claim ownership of Disney, Zootopia, or any mentioned characters or properties. This is a labor of love, and I have a lot of love left to give!
Guardian Blue: Season Two
Episode 3: Date
Judy expected that a week out of work injured with the promise of something special at the end of that week would have caused time to nearly stand still, but it turned out time went by unreasonably fast. The first three days were the worst in terms of pain, but the worst part for her when she had gotten injured the first time had been that she wanted to move around, as bunnies liked to do. This time, however, there was good reason to want to stay in one place.
Nick was not really allowed to go anywhere either and that meant he was helpless to do much more than lay there and be cuddled by Judy. And he got what Judy knew would probably be an offensive amount of that even to a bunny. He offered absolutely no complaint. Judy worried early on that she was overdoing it since she didn't know how physically affectionate foxes were supposed to be. After Nick had asked her on a date, the bunny barely left his side. While the first night back in the apartment they had slept cuddled up together to deal with Nick having a bad dream and her feeling that sense of dread that he wasn't actually okay, every night after they shared his bed without even discussing the matter. It felt like it was just a foregone conclusion. It felt right, so why would she sleep somewhere else?
Nick happily wrapped his tail and his arm around her and she loved that. They both slept peacefully. It didn't even seem to have anything to do with the newly designated 'dating status'. It just seemed patently out of order for her to sleep on the couch anymore.
A couple days after getting back to their apartment, Judy was a little concerned about her fleeting feelings of dread and panic when she could not see Nick, and messaged Sammie about it, valuing her advice even after the 'security issue' debacle. Sammie told Judy that separation anxiety was not uncommon with that kind of emotional trauma and she was lucky to have not ended up with something more crippling, like full blown SAS, or Severed Attachment Syndrome. As the week wore on, she did start feeling less apprehension about being away from him, and she was less concerned.
For the time being however, Nick seemed just as eager for her company, inviting her closer if she was nearby. Nick put up a playful, teasing face as he always did so it was hard for Judy to remember sometimes that Nick was not undamaged by the incident. His broken leg was an obvious injury. There was the lean look of his face, the feel of his ribs from starving down in the darkness... those were easy physical things to actually see the harm that had been done. But as Judy was by his side nearly every minute of the day, she was aware of some of the hidden injuries to the fox.
The most obvious was that Nick noticeably tried to see where she was if she was not in the room. He would position himself to see out the bedroom door if she went to make some food in the kitchen, and would try to talk to her if she was out of the room for a bit. It might have been easy to ignore except that she remembered how he was the first night out of the hospital. He could not tolerate being alone very long. He had, of course, not slept alone after that, so Judy did not know if more nightmares would be triggered by her absence. She was in no way eager to find out.
The second issue seemed to be that Nick did not like anything getting in his fur. He was always tidy before but he seemed to experience actual distress about it now. There had been occasions in the past where Nick and Judy had tussled with a suspect in a muddy street or got paint splattered on them or half a dozen other excuses to have to go get a fresh uniform back at the station. While he was obviously happy to take a shower and get cleaned up before, there didn't seem to be stress about it.
After the incident it was a little different. Getting some peanut butter on his wrist resulted in an expression Judy felt really did not suit the situation. One would think he looked down and realized he was naked in a day care center. Shame and alarm were evident and he couldn't seem to scrub it hard enough. Judy felt she understood why too. She could not imagine a fox could ever be filthier than Nick had been in that place. It was not just being caked in that thick oozing muck, but that smell of rot and death. She felt she might have a glitch about it if she had spent a week like that.
While Judy noticed these things, she did not call Nick out on it as she felt they might fade after a bit of time anyway, and they were issues that Dr. Carlisle would be better experienced for dealing with. While there were a few negative things they were dealing with, between the discomfort of their injuries and being a little stir-crazy by mid-week, there was no real unhappy cloud over them. They found a lot of comfort in each other and were not ever really alone.
Even after they stopped taking the stronger pain medicine, Skye visited and even stayed to play board games or card games a couple of nights to provide added distraction, and she even brought Jack on one of the nights. Unexpectedly, the striped lapine absolutely destroyed all of them in Trivia. Apparently, he took advantage of the access to good schooling his parents had given him in their passing.
Another boon to Judy in that quiet week was that Jack and Skye seemed content to cuddle opposite of them and not a word of teasing was exchanged. The comment Skye had made before about not being a hypocrite was exactly what it sounded like. They seemed to be a genuine couple now, even if very private about it. The fact that Judy and Nick were cuddling seemed to make them more comfortable about it and they relaxed, drank, laughed, and mirrored their friends happily. Judy found great comfort in that and it felt like there was nothing even unusual about it.
A lot of television-watching also took place, and a few entire series were consumed by the pair. Nick managed to avoid horror series and Judy got a pass for reality TV, though they both agreed that Police: Little Rodentia was hysterical, medicated or not. They watched a documentary series that Jack Savage narrated, less because it was a friend speaking in it and more because Nick was genuinely interested in history. The reference books on his shelf were a testament to that.
Between all the cuddling, the company of Skye and Jack, and a few cheery visits from their medium-sized officer coworkers, they made it through the week so quickly they found themselves almost dizzy from its passing. Judy and Nick both commented they expected it would drag on, but they rather enjoyed their little vacation, aches and pains aside. Judy had her sling off by Saturday with instructions to avoid using her arm much, and Nick was certainly growing accustomed to his crutches. They even took a slow walk to the nearby coffee house.
The trip to the coffee house was what made it clear that the city was not going to just shrug off the drama of Nick's death and resurrection any time soon. They received pretty singular attention while they enjoyed their drinks and pastries. The lady deer barista even teased Judy kindly by saying that they were not allowed to serve anything strong enough for the bunny so their weak mega-espresso blend would have to do. Judy figured she and Nick would be dealing with fluff assignments for a while with the kind of media attention this was getting.
That public outing also brought up the subject of the date that Judy was becoming more and more nervous about as the day wore on. It had been such a light, fun idea when it first was suggested, but Judy was inexperienced with dating. She really didn't want to ruin the experience for Nick, so she felt anxious. She had gone out as friends with Nick so many times, it should not have been that different, but in her heart it was extremely different.
As they returned to their quiet apartment she sat down on the couch with a careful but relaxed thump. Nick's arrival onto the couch was less heavy despite his greater weight as he took more care with his leg. His left side against Judy, he leaned in and picked up the TV remote, perhaps ready to select a program to doze off to as they had done a few times in those lazy days of recovery.
As her fox channel-surfed for something appealing, Judy decided to ask the question that had bounced through her mind a few times that morning. "Nick? As we are out on our date I was curious… Do you want to be… obvious about what it is, or make it seem no different than any other time we are out, like at the coffee house?" She worried about the subject because she didn't want to imply she was nervous about the public reaction to who she was dating, but Skye and Jack were being secretive for a reason. Cross-species relationships were not that uncommon, but predator-prey was much more rare and would likely get some unwanted attention, positive or otherwise. For Nick, Judy was willing to face this, but his feelings on it were important to. Nick muted the TV and smiled at Judy in a calming fashion, causing her ears to rise.
"Well now…" he said with a casual tone. "This is a thing I have thought quite a bit about. I considered this at length as I dozed off in the hammock at your parents' farm." He stretched a bit, getting an incredulous look from the bunny. Judy had suspected he might have already had feelings with how confidently he'd asked her for a date, but he'd not admitted a thing until then. Had he? How long had he been interested? How had she been so completely blind to it? Nick let that soak in before saying, "So, here's my question to you. Do you feel like people would notice if Skye and Jack sat in the park and kissed?" Judy actually blushed a little at the question. Nick had not tried to kiss her. She was nervous about kissing him because she didn't want to look silly when she inevitably messed it up. She wasn't confident she could get the mechanics of it right on the first try with her intended target being a fox. Also, she knew there were two kinds of kisses for a fox and she wasn't well designed for one of them. She shook the thought away, answering the question instead.
"Absolutely." Judy said, "…but Jack's a celebrity. They would talk about it on TV, they would ask him about it in interviews, he'd probably be dealing with that more than trying to keep attention on the things he wants the media to pay attention to with the coming elections." Judy explained. "But we aren't celebrities like that, so I dunno. It might not really be on the radar as much…"
Nick laughed softly. "Like it or not, Fluff, we are celebrities, at least until the talking heads shut up about it and we get back to just doing our job. Remember how long it took after the Bellwether thing?"
Judy exhaled heavily and folded her ears back, knowing what he meant. She could hardly slip out to a pub for a drink without someone dying to know her favorite drink for their blog for weeks after that. She was glad that died down pretty quickly but she knew exactly what Nick referred to from experience.
The fox continued with his gentle, reassuring smile, "So here's my take on it. If we are out there as an obvious couple with all eyes on us because of the aftermath of … everything that just happened… social media would be on fire and it would make it so we had to pay attention to all these outside voices. Now, I have the feeling half the city suspects the situation anyway, given… I mean… the video." Judy rolled her eyes, not really wanting to think about the impression that left on the city, but she understood what Nick was saying. He continued, "Anyway, there would be a few who might be unkind about it, sure, but the loudest voices given all that's happened would probably be there to offer support. The problem with that is there would be a lot of voices." Nick placed a hand on Judy's cheek to guide her gaze up to his eyes. She let her ears lay flat and he stroked them, a gesture Nick discovered early on provoked immediate cuddling.
Judy pushed in closer and said in a very quiet voice, "I don't care what the voices say Nick. I'm happy to be with you. This makes me happy." She put her hand on his arm as he caressed her ears back tenderly while she spoke. "I'm not afraid of what they think about it. That's what I wanted to be sure I said in all this. I care what you want too, of course. If you want to be low key I can understand! It would be kind of a pain and maybe even cause issues with work. I need you to know, however, it's not because I'm afraid of public opinion. I'm not." She watched his smile broaden, comforted by the feeling that her reassurance on that front made him happy.
He ran a claw tip along her jawline to tilt her head up again. "I know Carrots, and I know you aren't afraid. Cowardice is not a thing I would ever accuse you of." He chuckled a bit, shaking his head. "But no, you are right to worry about the amount of attention it would receive, and I have my own reason for wanting to be low key - and yes, I do want to be elusive at least for a little while and the reason is very simple to me… I hope it seems that way for you too." Judy looked intently into Nick's eyes, glad that he felt the same as she did about not being overly obvious with it.
Judy smiled and nodded. "Thank you, I think I do understand, but please…" Judy nodded to the vulpine as he kept close.
Nick spoke again, his tone softening even more. "… and this is the important part… with all the attention we are already getting, there would be just as much again for the matter of our relationship, and honestly, it could become an contest of the media and folks who feel they have some personal stake in what our relationship represents vying for our attention. But you and I have admitted already that neither of us are very experienced with dating. On top of that, our cultural expectations of it are likely to be pretty different, and there are plenty of pitfalls waiting for us." Judy widened her eyes at that a bit. It seemed like her partner really had really put some thought into it.
"I won't give up easily." Judy reassured him. "You know I'm stubborn."
Nick smiled, pulling her forward and tighter against him with a sense of adoration that Judy absolutely cherished in the moment. She dropped her forehead to his chest softly as he held her and listened to his soothing masculine voice. "There's a reason I made that promise first, then asked you on a date second, Judy. You need to know that we will mess up. We will make mistakes. We might even hurt each other. Heaven forbid we might not even be very good at romance at all, but going forward I needed you to know that there is no scenario that results in me not wanting to be a part of your life." Judy jerked a little, choking back her emotions a little, not wanting him to stop and have to comfort her when he was already doing more to comfort her than he could possibly have known. He continued to speak. "However, while we are still new at this, and making our mistakes, and learning, I do not want a huge distraction of the "everyone else" who feels entitled to be a part of it. Not until you and I are more comfortable with what we have and what we want, okay?" Judy was nearly in tears from the sensitivity of her partner, and she embraced a bit tighter, finally able to use both arms to do it, if gently.
She sighed, keeping her head down and blinking quickly to try not to obviously be crying when she looked up again. "I understand your reasoning perfectly. We will take our time and just… Enjoy this like we deserve to. Like we should, as little stress as possible. Thank you Nick."
"When we are ready for it to be known we will tell Clawhauser and be done with it." Nick laughed. Judy laughed louder and pushed her cheek against his blue Pawaiian shirt. Her ears were stroked again and she took a breath, savoring his scent and then tilting her head up, looking at his kind green eyes. His nose was pretty close to hers as he happily looked down to meet her gaze. It wouldn't hurt to just brush her lips to his. A little kiss was okay. They'd been cuddling endlessly for a week. Judy closed her eyes and rose up slowly almost to her knees on the couch to reach.
Taptaptaptap.
The bunny slipped back down to a sitting position beside the fox, hands both on Nick's chest. She felt her left lower eyelid twitch involuntarily. Nick looked up at the clock.
Judy grumbled softly, "Yes, look at the time. The victim of a terrible bunny-induced misfortune has arrived right on schedule," she growled darkly though her teeth.
Nick rolled his eyes. "How true that is depends on whether Jack's love scenes are all just show for the camera," he laughed. "That," he nodded to the door, "…would be Skye." Judy looked up curiously, still obviously crestfallen. Nick smirked. "Did you forget? An outfit for tonight. Skye offered to take you in the new car?" Judy winced a bit, pulling her ears. That was right, she did say she would. While she might have been grateful any other time, the timing made her wish the vixen had been running an hour late.
Judy smiled weakly, finally and let go of the fox before telling him, "I guess you get some rest while I run this errand. Am I meeting you back here?" Nick nodded to her as she got up and Judy greeted Skye far more happily than she felt about the interruption, but there would be plenty of other chances, she decided and it really was kind of the vixen to do this for her.
Judy followed the white fox out to the street where the vehicle they had gone to waited in the visitor parking. Judy gawked at it a moment. It was, as far as she could tell, the very same kind of car, though it looked a little less refined. The paintjob looked like it needed redone, but the interior looked new. Red velvet. Skye held the door for Judy who climbed in. At first, Judy was touched to find that there was a custom adapter in the passenger seat for her comfort and safety. However, she then remembered that Skye had a different reason to want that in there which had nothing to do with Judy. The bunny was riding where Jack normally would be.
Judy smirked a bit, quietly. She felt a little sense of victory that the buck had gotten close with Skye. The fox had endeared herself to him early on with her casual fun-loving attitude. However, wrecking her car to save the mammals at the park so selflessly seemed to cement the deal between them, such as it was. Judy listened to the music Skye was playing while driving for a bit, having not been too surprised to hear classic rock, she answered a few questions during trivia night that suggested she was familiar. After a bit of stop and go city driving, it suddenly clicked to Judy that Skye was another fox. She could literally ask another fox for dating advice. That was allowed wasn't it?
She looked up to the smiling vixen and inquired as casually as she could, "So, I know this might seem silly, but… I mean, I know you and Jack are aware what Nick and I are up to tonight…"
"…not tellin' you where he's takin' you." Skye grinned at Judy, who blinked at her, confused a second and then realizing that Nick must have told her not to talk about the date itself. Judy laughed weakly at that. Of course he would have, that sly fox.
Judy shook her head, smiling as she spoke up again. "…No, I was just curious about what I should be trying to do on this date. I don't even know about lapine dating, so I really don't want to mess this up. He's important to me."
"I know, I saw the video." Skye stated. Judy cringed. She expected she would get that a lot.
"So, what are some do's and don'ts?" Judy asked.
"Well, don't grab his tail…" Skye started.
"I spent a whole Saturday morning in Bunnyburrow doing that, so that bridge is crossed." Judy laughed. Skye looked at her with some confusion. "Munch game." Judy clarified.
"Oh, of course he would play that…" she rolled her eyes. "Okay, so he's alright with you holding his tail already, I guess it's harder to give advice here because while this is your first date, you two are already really close. Ummm…" Skye seemed to think a bit and Judy blushed. Nick and Judy really were already very close so the standard ideas of dating might not really apply to them. Judy had not figured on that when she asked. She decided to ask a different question.
"Nick and I are gonna try to keep things on the down-low until we are used to one another a bit more. We want to keep the outside pressure off. Is that real hard with Jack? I know he's not exactly advertised it all over social media." Skye took a turn to smile at that.
She answered with a happy tone, "Actually Judy, I am finding the subterfuge about being close to Jack has been part of the charm. Sneaking in close, the ever-present thrill of maybe getting caught in an embrace, it's not been too hard. And we're just dating at this point, so it's not like I am prone to jealousy with his fans and the like crowding around occasionally. I know bunnies like the attention and playing the field until they really get attached. We're grown-ups about it." She tapped the steering wheel along with the song that was playing, seeming genuine in that.
"I don't… I don't guess foxes play the field while they are dating." Judy felt the slightest prickle of jealousy spike through her. She would not be thrilled ot see Nick flirting with someone, which surprised her as it was not only accepted for bunnies, but expected.
"Oh we still can," Skye assured Judy, which dropped the does ears a little, before adding, "…unless we drop a vow or something." Judy perked up a bit.
"So he won't really flirt or anything if he vows not to?" she asked.
"Well, it's not a vow not to flirt, it's…" She seemed hesitant. Judy remembered that Nick said it was not a very openly discussed part of vulpine culture. Judy decided that with Skye there wasn't really any need to hide that she was already familiar.
She stated casually, "All that I am, all that I was-"
Skye cried out suddenly unintelligibly, ears back, eyes wide as the engine revved suddenly but briefly as the vixen's foot pressed the gas involuntarily. She looked completely shocked at the words and maybe her own reaction to them, panting, clutching her steering wheel with a vice-like grip. She looked back at her bunny passenger, ears scarlet as they went back up. "Oh my god, Judy! Nick… Nick gave you that?"
Judy nodded to her and chirped, "Yep!" Skye sighed so heavily it seemed like she was deflating. Judy looked at her inquisitively and the fox slowly relaxed a bit, then chuckled. She finally spoke again. "Judy…?"
"Yes?" the bunny replied curiously.
Skye glanced at Judy with a broad foxy smile, shaking her head slowly. "Don't worry about messing this date up. You can't. You can't possibly mess up." She pulled into the parking lot of a somewhat classy mall. Judy carefully got out of the car. It was low and sporty to Skye, but a pretty standard size to Judy. She moved up beside the fox who gazed at her with an obviously wistful smile.
"So… That promise really is kind of a big deal, huh?" Judy asked, feeling a little self-conscious suddenly. She knew it was, but Skye's reaction intensified the effect.
"Well, I mean, it is depending on who witnessed it."
"His mom and both my parents." Judy blurted out, getting some strange satisfaction from the squeak Skye made.
The vixen held the door for her, following her into the mall and chuckling behind her. "Oh yeah, Judy. I've got no advice. Just enjoy the date. Go where you are going and have fun. Relax, you've got this." she laughed. Judy felt a lot better hearing that. She didn't know why she felt nervous. Then it came time to pick out an outfit. The nervousness came back. She did not really do formal wear that much, and the only time she'd picked anything out was with her mom who had the fashion sense of a funeral parlor assistant when it came to formality. Where the vixen had brought her was much more showy and nice, but it didn't mean Judy knew what to pick.
Fortunately Skye seemed to have an eye for style even for a bunny. With the help of the attendant at the store they were able to pick out a mid-length airy deep forest-green colored dress. It seemed to fit not only Judy's body shape but, they pointed out, her movement style as well. They added to the ensemble a rather simple jade bracelet and an ear brooch somewhat common among rabbits. It was a small one done as a cluster of blueberries in a three-leaf backing with a cream-colored spiral ribbon that hung down over her shoulder.
Given that picking out an outfit for Judy was easier than the fox thought it was going to be, they actually just hung out and laughed, talked and explored the local mall together like teenagers. It was truthfully a lovely experience for Judy. While she had grown up in Bunnyburrow, she found herself always at odds with the normal lives of those her age. She was goal oriented and hanging out in a mall was simply not a part of the plan. She had a few friends, but they were niche friends. They didn't really do the normal stuff either and many of them had moved away, faded to their own circles, or, as was most common for bunnies, had families and focused on that.
Rather suddenly, Judy felt a rush of warmth through her as she considered the fact that she was doing the very thing her mother was worried she would miss out on when she got herself killed for Zootopia. She was hanging out with friends, dating, and enjoying life. She felt a pang of guilt that she should not lose focus, then remembered that she wasn't allowed to do anything else right now in the first place, so she might as well enjoy it.
And for a few more hours, she did. Skye eventually took her back to Nick's apartment, following her into the building after parking her car in the garage. Judy was very glad that Jack had been able to help her find a suitable replacement. Skye certainly seemed to like it, though she listed off a large number of technical things she intended to do for it. When Judy entered the apartment, she felt a sense of panic as she realized with a start that Nick was absolutely not there.
"Calm down, Judy, he went to get an outfit too." She held up her phone. "He messaged while we were there. He'll be here to pick you up on time, he said." Judy crossed her arms, ears back, suddenly a little grumpy.
"He's supposed to be off his feet where possible, not running around shopping!"
"He'll be fine, Judy, he's good with his crutches. Let's get you ready before he gets back so you can scoot right out the door. You know, a tiny bit of eye-shadow and some blush inside your ears wouldn't kill you." Judy looked incredulously at Skye.
"You have got to be kidding," she replied incredulously. Skye grinned mirthfully.
"Oh no no… I am gonna enjoy this." She nudged Judy a bit to get her moving. "This is like having a little sister!"
Skye was confident, careful and very judicious with the makeup. Judy was, by the time all was said and done, absolutely shocked with how she looked. She had Skye take several pictures of her and send them to her phone. There was no way she was not sending them to her parents. She posed on the Balcony outside Nick's apartment with a bit of the cityscape behind her. It was a lovely day for a date, and the outfit and support of Skye had Judy feeling much more confident.
Judy had to admit to herself that the experience really did make Skye feel like one of her siblings and that fact made Judy feel better about her future in Zootopia. She had convinced herself for a while that she did not need to be any more social in Zootopia than she had in Bunnyburrow but that was when she thought she had been perfectly happy there. As she grew into her life in Zootopia, it was beginning to feel that maybe she had been a little deluded. There really was more for her, and she was experiencing it.
During this reflection, there was a tap at the door. Skye looked down at her phone and informed Judy that it was Nick, and asked her to face the hall while she let the fox in. She wanted to let her turn so Nick should see her outfit revealed elegantly. Judy did so and waited, finding that her heart was racing. Nick had gotten ready for this as well, so she was excited to see what he might be wearing. The most dressed up she'd ever seen the fox had been his dress blues at his graduation and he'd been positively dashing then.
Skye took a moment to let Nick in, murmuring softly to him a moment and leading him to the living room. She finally told Judy to turn around, and the bunny did so. She turned with a sweet smile to face her fox and had to steel her resolve immediately not to cry and ruin the makeup work that Skye had done.
Nick stood before her in a dark blue suit with white shirt and a violet-colored vest. Judy didn't think she'd ever seen a fox look so refined and handsome outside the silver screen and while his expression had been one of sweetness as Judy had intended as she turned around, it immediately matched her own, of wonder and excitement at seeing the formal version of their normally casual partner. Nick stood with his hands behind him, chest out for inspection as he had when Judy pinned his badge on him for the first time. Skye had taken his crutches so he stood mostly balanced with the foot of his injured leg barely touching the floor. The vixen was filming on her phone, perhaps for their reaction. Judy moved with confident steps over to her date stopping close to him.
"Nick, you look…" she started, but then stopped as he brought something from behind his back. Judy's heart leapt in her chest and she couldn't hide the gasp.
His hand turned, palm down, presented a single gorgeous passion fruit flower, stem between his fingers to keep it there on the back of his hand. Being given a flower was not entirely unexpected to Judy. Nick was obviously treating this as a date with all the respect it deserved, but that was a very special flower. In Bunnyburrow, long ago, there was a beautiful if somewhat obscure custom of presenting one of these flowers on a first date when it was clearly intended not to be their only one. Hardly anyone did that anymore because the new generation found the old formal customs either stifling or cheesy. But, seeing that flower held on the back of Nick's paw, so delicate, beautiful, and frilly, nothing had ever seemed more perfect than when she admitted to herself that she was in love.
Skye, who had remained quiet as she filmed, had to speak. "Oh my… That has got to be the most beautiful flower I have ever-" Judy leaned down to the offered flower and deftly bit off the stigma and stamen, leaving the stunning circle of violet intact. It was what she was supposed to do for this custom. It showed she accepted the romantic interests of her date. The flower was sweet-tasting and so delicate as she swallowed her fare from it. Skye sighed softly. "… and there it went. Oh wow…" She was obviously not privy to the custom.
Nick, however, was. He took the remaining flaring circle of the flower and pushed the stem carefully into the breast pocket of his vest. This showed that he was taken. It meant that the one he was dating would have his full attention and he'd entertain no distraction. To her knowledge, not a single one of her siblings had partaken of this custom and that only made it more enchanting. Judy was reminded again that Nick seemed to spend a lot of time in the reference section of a library and had known a lot about Bunnyburrow last time they went there. It only made her heart pound harder as she was forced to wonder how long he'd considered the date. She wasn't even sure where he could have gotten that flower. They were almost entirely out of season!
Judy smiled up at Nick as he offered his arm. She clung onto it and turned to face Skye proudly with her date. The white vixen grinned excitedly and took several pictures, then helped Nick to the Balcony again for the same cityscape as before to get a few more, sending a few choice images to Judy's phone for her to save later. These were pictures the bunny knew she would absolutely treasure. Finally, Nick was given back his crutches and Skye made him promise not to overdo it.
Nick and Judy made their way onto the elevator and the doors slid closed. Judy whispered, somewhat breathlessly. "That flower in your vest is not low-key Nick. That's like a shining marquee over your head saying you are dating a bunny." She stared forward, still reeling. This element was entirely unexpected and she felt special and accepted so completely by the fox. He didn't need her to be anything but a bunny. She didn't need him to be anything but a fox, but he was filling her with joy only seconds into their date. Was this feeling what her mom had sobbed for her missing? She owed the doe a long and heartfelt apology.
Nick answered her concerns with a grin, also facing forward. "Where we're going there will not be many folks from the Burrows, Carrots." His tone was soft and knowing.
"There's gonna be mammals who know who we are," Judy said with a smile.
"Surely the city will grant me this one date for what they know you've done." Nick casually mentioned.
"Our relationship won't be well hidden like this." she chuckled as the elevator neared the ground floor.
"I'm not taking off this flower." Nick said with finality.
"I'm glad." Judy said as the door opened, and they headed out into the lobby. She found the door out to the drive in front of Nick's apartments held by a familiar face. She gasped. Renato Manchas. This was an entirely unexpected mammal to run into. His smile went from kindness to excitement as she saw the pair approach.
"I like this… much better than the uniform, Ma'am," the big cat announced. Judy, exiting the building, realized at once why Manchas was even there. She looked incredulously at Nick as the large feline moved with a confident quick stride to the white limousine parked in the drive, opening the door for the pair.
"Nick, no… really?" Judy said breathlessly. Manchas put his driver's cap on. Judy climbed into the roomy back of the limo. Nick joined her while their driver took the fox's crutches. Judy's date scooted over close to her.
He finally answered with a grin, "A gift from Fru, actually." He referred of course to Mr. Big's daughter who had befriended Judy after the bunny had saved her from certain squishing. Judy got comfortable and Nick helped himself to a small champagne bottle on ice in the door on his side, pouring a single elegant glass for them to share.
"So, " Judy smirked at the fox, "the idea is that if we show up in a car linked to the city's most notorious crime boss, the fact that we were on a date immediately takes a back seat. Clever." She smirked, knowing full well that wasn't the intention.
"Relax, Fluff, we aren't going all the way to our destination like this." He offered the drink to Judy who delicately sipped, watching as Nick did the same. She could not argue that this was by far the most formal and classy thing she had ever done. It felt like being swept into a romance novel. She leaned back, hands on her knees.
The ride in the limo was pleasant and light-hearted. Judy asked where Nick had gotten the passion fruit flower this time of year, opting not to ask him how he'd managed to research it. Nick explained to her that she got it from another source from their past. Emmet Otterton had a greenhouse where he kept a few. Emmet and his wife were happy to supply one, and while he had not intended to tell them what it was for, the botanist already knew without being told and could not have been happier about it. The support of the grateful otter pair warmed Judy's heart. Nick then explained another poignant detail to Judy. The limo they were in had been recently reupholstered. Eyes wide, Judy knew what he meant. It was the same car they'd tracked down in their first case together. This time, they were invited passengers, however.
The limo eventually stopped at what Judy assumed must have been their destination and Manchas gave Nick his crutches, wishing the two a happy time, and drove away. The bunny gazed out from the cliff-side overlook where they had been dropped off. The sun was low in the sky behind them as she looked down over the Rainforest District, beautiful and rustic and wild as always. Nick motioned for Judy to follow him, which she did, watching him manage his crutches. She looked forward to seeing him off of them. Every time she thought about his injury, she was reminded of the sad state she found him in. They did not go far, and Judy's heart beat faster as she realized what their next destination was. Nick stood at the end of a wooden ramp and waited for a gondola.
Judy was immediately reminded by this event that Nick's mother had labeled her son as unusually sentimental for a fox. This was absolute proof that the vixen was right. Judy held his hand and waited. It was not long before a gondola arrived and they carefully got on, Judy making sure to help Nick in. She insisted that he sit down this time, however.
The gondola ride was mostly quiet as Judy got a chance to really take in the scenery. It had been so foggy and wet the first time they went on this ride together, and she was really focused on what her soon-to-be partner was saying. This place was where she first realized that he needed her every bit as much as she needed him. He had seemed so nervous about getting closer to her back then, and now a rhino couldn't hammer a razor between them as Nick held Judy tenderly up against his side. Her eyes fixated on the remaining part of a flower in Nick's breast pocket. He was really hers, at least for this evening. She closed her eyes and held his arm, smiling.
It turned out that they did not have to go as deep into the rainforest as the stop near Manchas' home. They got out at an arts district that Judy hadn't been to since her initial tour of the city during orientation. It was fairly busy but it seemed everyone was doing their own thing, and a slender fox and well-dressed bunny were not that out of place, everyone was dressed nice as they moved about, talking, laughing, enjoying dates just as Nick and Judy were doing. Nick was a little slower because navigating the crowded walkways with crutches was challenging, but the bunny was happy to help him.
They finally arrived at a gate where Nick provided two tickets and they were ushered in. They moved carefully down alongside rows of low benches toward a deep central ring. Judy was still not aware what they were there for, she'd seen some glimpses of flashy posters but the words were not in the native tongue so she could not make them out. They were not on the front row, but they were very close when they were finally seated. Nick put his crutches under the bench and out of the way.
They enjoyed a bit of lively banter and chatter as more and more mammals arrived, all likewise elegantly dressed and refined. Judy might have felt out of place except she and Nick really were quite well matched. Finally, the lamps that were held aloft high in the trees were dimmed and more specific lights were used to call attention to a very young antelope singer who sang a haunting and beautiful song in the center of that wide ring.
And as she sang, Judy was suddenly almost overwhelmed by other things that began happening at the same time. First perfectly synchronized gazelle dancers in wild and bright outfits moved around her as she walked casually through them completely in time with their movements while it seemed she would collide with someone. Then a tiger rolled into the arena inside of a golden ring, the feat seeming impossibly elegant and precise, also through the dancing gazelles. They finally formed a circle, continuing to dance, to hold only now part of Judy's attention. The tiger in his golden ring performed unbelievable stunts that involved him rolling in the ring while slipping in and out of it, even flipping into the air over it and landing on top of it, and spinning it under his feet like a coin while he stood on top. He had such a joyful grin as he did it, like it was no different than walking beside Nick might be for Judy.
Three bright steel rings descended from the canopy above and a trip of absolutely identical jackals performed stunts inside rings suspended seventy feet from the ground, causing fear to spike in Judy again and again, and still that gorgeous singing in those haunting foreign tones continued as dancers competed for her attention from the death-defying act far above.
The act ended and there was a short interlude where no less than ten meerkats tried to get into a box. It was comical and yet still elegant as five or six packed into it, and then each time another would jump in another would be flung out in an impossibly high or flailing fashion to the laughter and delight of the audience. Finally, they all ran at once and jumped and into the box they went, save for one who tripped just short of the jump. He then got up and walked over to the box and picked it up, Judy gasping incredulously as he found it to be empty. He dejectedly drug the box away off stage with the crowd wildly applauding. Judy had to mind her shoulder suddenly as she found herself joined in the applause.
The next hour was the most magical, majestic, impossibly perfect thing Judy had ever seen in her life. There were dancers suspended on ribbons that went over the very audience, there were three white wolf children painted with gorgeous red patterns in their fur tied on tethers to actual huge gold balloons. They could not be more than ten years old. The balloons were filled so that they almost floated and the wolves used beautiful silver fans to control their motion as they jumped up, letting them fly in seeming effortlessness over the stage and crowd to serene music that made them feel almost like spirits.
Every sense of wonder, every dream and impossible fantasy Judy's young mind had ever been denied as she grew into adulthood was realized in this perfect hour with her vulpine date. She gripped his hand tightly, leaned into him, and freely cried at the beauty of some of the things this event presented her with. Judy had read her fair share of romance novels and understood, growing up, the impossible standards that they had created. She had dismissed them as any young girl should. Nick had just surpassed anything she'd even read. She was woefully unprepared and let herself be completely consumed by the perfection of the moment.
The show concluded with a powerful vocal piece. It seemed to be sang by every one of the performers and was, in a word, epic. How could they do all of those things and in the end also sing with such power and beauty? Judy clung to her fox, almost shaking from it as the show ended in this perfect explosion of beauty upon the senses. The lights went low and the show ended in the thunderous applause of the mammals gathered. Judy just held onto Nick and softly cried. He held her too, stroking her ears, gladly keeping close the shaking, emotional bunny in his arms.
Judy was speechless as they were ushered out. Typically the smaller mammals left last for safety reasons. Such was the case this time, which was fortunate as Judy had regained control of her emotions by the time they retrieved Nick's crutches and headed for the gate. Judy needed a visit to the restroom and Nick promised to wait for her, so she took care of that. The line for those facilities was a bit long so it took some time. When she reemerged she didn't see Nick where she left him.
A rush of despair flickered through her and she put a paw on her forehead. She spoke aloud with frustration. "Stop that Judy! Get a grip. He didn't die while you were in the bathroom, geeze…" She searched for him, only having to look for a short moment. He was standing in front of a large, fancy koi pond. He had gotten feed from one of the coin-operated stations near the pond and was tossing it out to the large, colorful koi. Judy made a beeline for him, then slowed. He looked… sad. Her heart sank. Was she doing something wrong? Was this not the date he wanted? She then watched him toss some of the food down to the fish and he watched them eat, his ears perking, the act seeming to cheer him up a little. Judy moved over to him.
"Nick?" she called softly. She stood at his side. He didn't seem to notice her, causing her to deepen her worry. "Nick?" she asked again. The fox jerked a little, as if plucked from somewhere else, and he turned, looking at Judy with a bit of surprise. He cleared his throat and put on a smile Judy knew was genuine but also knew he had to completely snap back into the moment to find it. He was somewhere else just then.
"You ready, Fluff?" he asked warmly. Judy continued to look at her fox with concern.
"Nick, are you okay?" she asked him, taking one of his paws.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said with a tender smile. Judy's ears dropped back.
"We can talk about it," she said in a caring tone.
"That…" He looked back to the pond, and then to his partner. "That's something we can talk about later, not right now." He smiled at her again. Judy kept his hand in hers and he squeezed it with some insistence. "We will talk about it another time, just not this time, alright?" he offered with a hint of pleading in his voice. "It's got nothing to do with today, with you, or the date… I promise." The added promise made Judy relax and she nodded to him.
Judy sighed and smiled back at her partner reassuringly. "Alright Nick. Another time. Thank you." And they departed together, the crowd seeming, thankfully, oblivious to the fox and bunny on a date as they reeled with at least some of the same wonder that Judy had experienced. The walk back was peppered with Judy talking to Nick about some of her favorite things that she'd seen, her excited tone obviously pleasing the fox. She had enjoyed the date and she didn't have to try to make him understand that, her excitement from it was obvious.
They got onto the gondola again to head back up out of the Rainforest District and Judy calmed a bit, sitting beside her date, looking at his flower again, and at his smiling face. He looked so pleased with himself. Just perked her ears and smiled back at him. He should be. She sighed dreamily and took both his hands, standing in the gondola before him, unable to just sit still. Her ears were held tall, face lit with the excitement of remembering the music and the imagery she could never have even dreamed of.
She said, at the end of that sigh, "Oh Nick, was that not the absolute most beautiful thing you have ever seen in your life?" He seemed so calm and casual after seeing something like that! How could he have any experience that even compared?
Nick locked his eyes on Judy's and held her small hands a little tighter as he answered in a very soft and achingly genuine tone, "No, it could only ever hope to come in second." Judy's eyes widened at his implication, her ears immediately feeling as if they were on fire and dropping back as he put his dark claw tips to her jawline, teasing her forward with a gentle stroke of his fingers to draw nearer, as she did. He leaned forward, mostly closing those loving emerald eyes as his head tilted.
Judy's heart thundered in her chest as, on the quiet, gently swaying gondola, Nick's lips met hers. She leaned forward a little, almost losing her legs entirely, bracing herself with her hands on her fox's chest. She was able to feel his own heart not much slower than her own at the shared intensity of the moment. As they rose above the tree line the last rays of the dying light of day touched their faces to celebrate the moment. Judy slid a hand over Nick's shoulder, tilting her head only slightly more to deepen a kiss she was in no hurry to ever break.