A/N: A realisation comes to Nick about the feelings inside him, leaving him with a big dilemma when an offer is made.

Thanks to BeecroftA, Selaxes, Aronim, Foxlover91, Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps, Mystic Fairy Tame, Britt30, Story . writer . 2015, Kochich, yepiwrite, luxaurorae, Benben225, 1n Rainb0ws, Sayiri the Fox, side-fish, FoxStang, Froggypie, and TheCatweazle for reviewing! Also, a shoutout to all the people who've followed and favourited this story so far! I'm extremely touched by the feedback I've been getting. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 7: Something Stupid

"It's okay, Nick. Everything is going to be okay."

The gentle, reassuring voice whispered softly in his head, causing him to stir. Ever so slowly, Nick opened his eyes. He exhaled, not realising he had been holding his breath. The room was dark, lit only by dim yellow light from the streetlamps outside. They were brighter than he remembered, oddly.

This wasn't the first time the voice had spoken to him, but it had become more and more frequent lately. The voice of a person from long ago. As he moved his hands, he felt the softness of what appeared to be a bed. He paused. A bed? He shouldn't have been on a bed.

He looked to the left, seeing a familiar table and lamp, with an alarm clock sitting on top of the table. The soft green glow indicated it was just past four in the morning. There was no doubt about it: he was in Judy's room, on Judy's bed. His tie was draped over the chair; the rabbit must have taken it off him last night. But where was she?

His question was answered as he heard soft breathing coming from beside him. Shifting his body so he could get a better view, he saw her. The bunny was sitting on the floor, arms and head resting on the edge of her bed in a somewhat uncomfortable position. She seemed to be fast asleep, though.

She's been sleeping like that the whole night? Even with her injured leg?

At the moment, his head was murky, like cloudy water. It was taking a while, but things were starting to come back to him now, in bits and pieces. The dinner, the tasing, the medication…he couldn't remember much of what happened after that. He rubbed his head a little harder, hoping that it would make him remember. It did not.

"What in the world happened last night…?" he whispered to himself. He half expected Judy to hear him with those oversized bunny ears of hers and wake up, shouting that it was all a prank or something. But she still remained motionless, other than the slow rise and fall of her chest. He looked over her sleeping form. Her head shifted slightly, nose twitching for a moment before it stopped.

Whatever happened, I must have fallen asleep on her bed. She must have taken care of me. The sight of sleeping Judy, along with that thought, caused him to feel something he didn't want to feel.

A flutter.

He held his chest. There it was again. A fluttering in his chest. And it came after thinking about her. He told her that she was his best friend—and she was—but the fluttering seemed to indicate something more. It had been growing for a while, but after last night, where she had hugged him so affectionately, nuzzling him and thanking him for everything, he'd faltered. As hard as he tried, he still couldn't stop thinking about it. About her. He had no idea why this was happening. No, he had a feeling he knew exactly why it was happening, and he just didn't want to admit it.

He had fallen for Judy.

He closed his eyes and sighed. How could it have come to this? How could he, Nicholas Wilde, cool and collected Nicholas Wilde, have been brought to his knees by one dumb bunny? Granted, she was no ordinary dumb bunny, but still, the thought was completely absurd. A fox and a rabbit? What would she think? How would she feel if he told her, or if she found out? Awkwardness? Disgust?

He imagined himself waking up in the morning and saying 'Carrots, I think I love you' to her. Several scenarios came to mind, and none of them were good. The one that kept replaying in his head was her thinking that he was playing a prank on her and laughing till her sides hurt. Just the thought of that made him wince.

Judy shuffled gently against the bed. Nick clenched his teeth.

No, I can't. I can't tell her.

There was no telling what she would say, how she would react. She already freaked out about the Mystic Springs Oasis back then. And that was completely 'natural' stuff. What would she say about a fox falling in love with a rabbit? It was as unnatural as it got. And considering the bunny grew up in a traditional family and was a complete prude, he had a hunch that it probably wasn't going to end up the way he hoped it would. The idea of them ever being together in that way was just a pipe dream. Maybe if he waited it out, this little feeling would pass, and everything would go back to normal.

I should get her back on her bed, first. He slowly dragged himself to the end of the bed, slipping off quietly and circling back to the bunny's side. He knelt down, placing one arm on her back, and the other under her thighs. Being careful not to move her injured leg too much, he lifted her up into the air. He was about to lower her onto her bed, but he hesitated. The bunny in his arms felt so small, so light, so fragile.

And yet, this one bunny had done so much for him. She had been a friend. She believed that he could be something more. And she had given him the chance to prove it. He was starting to understand why he had growing feelings for her.

Judy's nose twitched once more. She shuffled in his arms, before leaning her head against his chest. Nick felt his heart melting; he didn't care how much she hated the word. She was cute, adorable, and nothing could convince him otherwise. He held her closer for a moment, feeling her soft fur and her warm body pressed against his. A sigh left his lips. She would never know the truth, and that was probably for the best. Everything was currently perfect the way it was, and he had to keep it that way.

At least for now.

Nodding at his resolution, he lowered her onto her bed, setting her head down on her pillow gently. He got onto the bed beside her, pushing himself to the edge to give her more space. He silently lay beside her, watching the little bunny sleep.

Mmm…I miss hugging Floof. He's a lot fluffier than I remember…

That was the first thought that came to Judy's mind as she slowly came to. Her eyes cracked open slowly. The first thing she saw was red.

That's odd. Floof isn't red. She blinked, rubbing her eyes. Then she realised that there was a very strong smell all over her body that was not her own scent. And she wasn't holding Floof. That particular stuffed bunny was still leaning against the wall. She was snuggling a tail. And not just any tail, but a fox's tail.

"Jeez, Carrots. Do you squeeze your brothers and sisters like this when you sleep? It's a wonder they can breathe." Nick chuckled from right beside her. She spun, letting go of his tail immediately. He was on his phone, one leg crossed over the other. His eyes left his phone and met hers, a small smile forming on his face.

"Nick! You're…ah…uh…you're awake!" Judy fumbled, quickly giving herself some space between them. When did I…when was I…?

"Just so you know, a tail is one of the most sensitive parts of a fox's body. We don't like it being touched." Nick gave her a look that made her shrink.

"I'm so sorry, Nick! I didn't mean to, I swear! But I don't understand. How…?" she looked around, part confused, part mortified. She clearly remembered sleeping on the floor last night. How did she end up back in her bed? More importantly, how could she have mistaken his tail for her stuffed rabbits?

But for some reason, Nick's look softened, and he chuckled.

"Relax, Carrots. It's fine, really. I woke up this morning and saw you on the ground, so I helped you back into bed. About an hour ago you reached out and grabbed my tail, and you wouldn't let go. You looked so comfortable that I decided to just let you hang on to it." He smirked, getting off the bed and stretching. "I imagine it's a lot nicer than the little stump you call your tail."

Judy looked him over. He seemed back to his old self, and his fur was still completely red, which was good. There didn't seem to be any physical ill effects lingering. But still, she wondered if he remembered anything he said from last night.

"Which makes me want to ask, Carrots." Nick continued, snapping Judy out of her thoughts. "Why were you on the ground last night?"

"Oh, like you said, my bed's rather small, and you looked kinda squished when we were sharing it last night. I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Your leg is injured. I should have been the one sleeping on the floor last night."

"I don't think shoving your foxy butt off the bed would have been very nice, as tempting as it was." She rubbed her forearm tentatively. "So…you're not mad about the tail thing?"

"No, I'm not. I mean, how could I possibly be mad at this?" Nick said, holding up his cell phone. Judy cocked her head, confused. There was a picture on the screen, although it took a moment to see what she was looking at. She was looking at herself, hugging Nick's tail happily while she slept curled up like a baby.

"Nick!"

"Another thing to add to my list of 'why Judy is cute'. Wouldn't you say? I'm sure Clawhauser would fully agree."

Judy frowned at him, crossing her arms.

"Y'know, your parents left me their number before they left yesterday. I wonder what they'd say about their little bunny hugging fox tail." Nick continued, grinning.

Judy, without a word, grabbed her phone from her bedside and began tapping on it.

"That's a great idea, Carrots. I'll send it over to you. I'm sure you—" he was cut off as she shoved her own phone in his face.

Judy saw Nick blink, taking a step back to focus on the picture. The smug smirk on his face vanished instantly. He was looking at himself in her phone. The Nick in the picture had his arms wrapped around an assortment of stuffed rabbits, with a goofy expression on his face.

"I'm pretty sure 'cute fox' sells better than 'cute bunny', wouldn't you say?" Judy teased, stealing the smirk from Nick. "And if you ever dare put that picture on any part of the internet, this one is going along with it." She warned, waving her phone at him. Nick let out a small 'hmph', shaking his head.

"You set that up on me while I was passed out from the medication, didn't you? That's hardly fair game, Carrots. But this—" he held up his picture of her. "—this is all you. You've got nothing on me," he said decidedly.

Judy was unfazed. In fact, she was more than unfazed. She was delighted to hear Nick say those words. Her grin widened.

"Funny that you should say that, Nick." She reached under her bed. Nick watched her, confused. His confusion only increased as she pulled out a small orange carrot pen, and clicked it.

"What are you—" he couldn't finish as he found himself cut off. By his own voice.

"…I'm so sorry, Carrots. I was so stupid."

"Huh. That sounds a lot like you, wouldn't you say, Nick? All you." Judy dragged out the last bit, with as much pleasure as she could draw out of it.

Nick had nothing to say. His mouth hung open in disbelief.

"Hang on, let me play that again." She replayed the short bit again. With every word that played out, she saw Nick's eyes widen. She could've sworn she heard his heart beating faster.

"What in the world did you do to me last night, rabbit?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "And where did you get that carrot pen? I thought it was in evidence."

I thought so…he really doesn't remember. A part of her was worried about the side effects of the medication, but the other part was having too much fun seeing him squirm like this. This was sweet, sweet payback for what happened with her parents a day ago.

"This was a spare that my parents brought with them in my luggage. And you don't remember, do you, Nick? What was the last thing you remembered doing last night?"

The fox's brow furrowed as he tried to recall what exactly happened.

"I was in pain…"

"...because you tased yourself." Judy interrupted, grinning. Nick ignored her.

"Then I took your painkillers. I remember lying down on your bed to rest. Then I woke up early this morning and saw you on the ground."

"Those weren't my painkillers, Nick. You mixed up my medicine, so you ended up eating my antibiotics. And why did you take six? It's no wonder you started getting all loopy and saying all those things."

Nick suddenly looked alarmed.

"Saying…things? Like what?"

Judy pressed a button on her carrot pen.

"…I was so stupid."

"Besides that," Nick said flatly. Judy twirled her carrot pen around her fingers, tapping her chin with it.

"Well, you said that you missed me during the three months we were apart, you wanted to look for me during that time, and…that I got to you. You said that you were happy, like someone really cared for you."

Nick looked straight at her, with an expression that Judy couldn't place.

"Was that all I said?" he finally spoke up.

"Why? Is there something else incriminating that you were wondering you said?" Judy teased, a glint in her eye.

"You wish, Carrots." Nick chuckled. He did sound relieved, though. Perhaps there was something…

"So…everything that I just mentioned…did you really mean all that?" Judy asked.

"Well, you know when you're loopy or drunk, you say things you don't mean to…" he paused. "But…I guess there's some truth in what I said." He muttered softly, looking away.

Judy felt a smile growing on her face. Before he could protest, she leaned forward and gave him a quick hug.

"It was nice seeing you so open, Nick. I kinda like that side of you."

She heard him sigh in what seemed to be relief as he returned the hug gently.

"Yeah, well, that side only comes out when I'm completely overdosed with the wrong pills. I hope you had a good chat with Other-Nick, because you're not seeing him again," he muttered, eventually breaking the hug. "And I'm guessing you're not going to delete that recording unless I delete this picture of you, huh?"

"Naturally. And as long as you keep your mouth shut about what my parents told you yesterday."

Nick looked at her, amused.

"You drive a hard bargain, Judith Laverne Hopps. But considering you took care of me for the whole of last night, fine. This makes us even." He cleared his throat. "And thank you for letting me stay over last night…and not kicking me off the bed."

A smile crept up Judy's face. Maybe this wasn't the last she was going to see of Other-Nick after all.

"You're very welcome," she said, getting off the bed and stretching herself. "I hope you slept well, at least."

"Well, it was a lot more comfortable than sleeping under the bridge, that's for sure. I missed having a real roof over my head."

"I'm sure it was…" she righted her stuffed rabbits in a straight line against the wall, before she paused. "Wait, what? Did you say the bridge?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Nick replied, without giving her a glance.

"You actually stay under that run-down bridge? Like, live there? Don't you have a house?"

"Of course I do. Well, I did. Until about a couple of weeks back."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say a hustle didn't go too well, and some people almost found out where I lived. My landlord wasn't too happy with large elephants banging on his door in the middle of the night. He eventually figured it was me, and the rest should be obvious. The whole 'predators are the only ones going savage' thing didn't really help either."

"So you've been living under a bridge, with no water, food, or electricity, for the last two weeks?" Judy asked, shocked. "How do you even bathe? I don't remember seeing a river around there at all."

Nick laughed. "Carrots, have you forgotten? I've been out on the streets hustling since I was twelve. I know how to get by. In case you're ever interested in being homeless, the gym solves half your problems."

"Really? How so?"

"Just get a lifetime gym membership, and you can use their showers, fill up on water, charge your phone, and you even get free exercise to keep you in shape. I normally go to the convenience store next door for hot water for my coffee. If there's one thing I can't do without, it's a good cup. Can't have a good day without a good cup. Speaking of that, where do you keep your coffee, anyway?" Nick asked, looking around the table. He looked at the drawer right underneath. "Is it in here?"

Judy's eyes widened.

"N-no! It's not in there! There's nothing in there!" She rushed over and held the drawer shut. "I-I don't drink coffee, Nick. I'm more of a tea person," she hastily said.

"You don't drink coffee? That's madness!" Nick said, mouth falling open in horror, seeming to forget—or ignore—her sudden defensiveness. "Coffee is one of the miracles of the world! It's liquid gold!"

"It's also bitter as heck. And that's beside the point! We were talking about you and your housing. Or your lack of it, apparently," Judy said, annoyed that he'd changed the subject.

"Well, I am looking for another place to rent, but it'll take a while. People are still reluctant to rent out to a predator, much less a fox. Good job on that, by the way." He smirked. Judy huffed, choosing not to answer back to that one.

"What about here?" Judy asked.

"It's full. I already checked when we were here last night. Unless you can somehow convince the horned pair next door to move out. And they don't sound like they have any plans of leaving anytime soon."

Judy rubbed her chin in thought for a moment. An idea was starting to come to her…and when it did, her ears perked up.

"What about here? Like, here. This apartment."

"Carrots, if you're not aware, this apartment is already rented out to an overzealous lame bunny," he said, making a dramatic motion towards her with both hands. "I don't think I'll be able to rent it."

"Har har. Very funny. You know what I mean, Nick. I mean, the two of us did share this room together last night. I don't see why I couldn't let you bunk here for a while till you find a new place."

Nick blinked, his hands still stuck in the dramatic motion.

"Carrots, are you seriously asking me to move in with you?"

"I am serious, Nick. I can't let my friend go on living under a dirty old run-down bridge. That wouldn't be right."

"Yeah, the dirty old run-down apartment you're living in is much better. It even comes with a stereo sound system, à la Bucky and Pronk," Nick quipped, rolling his eyes. "But think about it for a moment, Carrots. Your apartment can barely fit your own bunny-sized stuff. How do you expect to fit a fox and all his stuff too?"

"We'll find a way. I'm sure of it. We can fit a mattress on the floor here, I can move my stuff under the bed to make room for yours," Judy said, looking around the room. "You don't need to bring everything, just the essentials. But more importantly, you'll have a place to shower and eat. How about it, Nick?"

Nick looked down at the smiling bunny in front of him, suddenly looking hesitant. He rarely ever looked hesitant.

"I…uhh…I need some time to think about this. I can't really think straight before my morning coffee."

"There's a coffee shop next door. You could get your coffee there."

"I think I will, Carrots. Be back in a few." He got up and excused himself out of the doorway. "Breakfast?"

"Sure. A lettuce and cheese croissant would be nice. Thanks, Nick."

Judy saw the fox nod, before disappearing down the hallway. The moment he was out the door, she headed over and shut the door, listening to his footsteps until she was quite sure he was actually gone. She then limped back over to the table, pulling open her drawer and delicately taking out a small red handkerchief.

"Phew. Lucky Nick didn't find you. Would kinda ruin the whole surprise thing." She mumbled to it. Nick's favourite handkerchief was finally clean and rid of her blood. She could finally see the little intricate pattern that lined the edges of the cloth. Last night had been the perfect time for her to clean it while Nick was asleep; she had the cleaning solution her parents brought over with her clothes.

She held it up to her nose and took a deep sniff, making sure that she couldn't smell any lingering scent of blood. It still smelt fresh, thankfully, with a slight hint of strawberries. She could give it back to him at any time, in any way she liked. But she wanted to make it a nice surprise, and give it to him when he wasn't expecting it.

"Today should be a good day to do it," she said, pocketing the handkerchief. Probably after breakfast, she thought. It probably depended on how Nick was going to answer her request for him to move in with her. He seemed quite hesitant ever since she'd mentioned the carrot pen recording.

He's just shy, that's all. He doesn't like having his feelings probed.

But was that it? There was something nagging at her. In the back of her mind, she had a feeling Nick was hiding something from her.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Nick smacked his forehead repeatedly with a hand. "Move in with her? That's a horrible idea!"

He stepped out of the apartment complex, taking a deep breath of fresh air. He was feeling a little more lost than when he woke up, even though he finally knew exactly what happened the night before. When he heard everything that he had said in his half-conscious state, he thought his heart was going to stop. They were all truly what he felt, and he had blurted them all out to her like it was some sort of therapy session.

At least he hadn't done something stupid like saying 'I love you, Judy' or something to that effect. That would have been beyond difficult to explain. He'd gotten lucky. Real lucky. Thankfully, Judy didn't seem to suspect anything just yet. But he knew that could change, especially if he agreed to move in with her. The offer from her was quite unexpected, but it sounded exactly like something she would do.

He turned the corner, sniffing the ever familiar scent of fresh morning brew. He didn't need to see where the coffee shop was—he could probably find it with his eyes closed. The smell of roasted beans grew stronger with every step Nick took. When he stepped into the small shop, he took a deep inhale of the warm aroma and sighed. It felt like home. Home…

She's offering it for free, you know. A voice in his head whispered. It's a lot better than sleeping under that bridge.

"Me? Move in with Carrots? Yeah, move into the same small apartment as the rabbit I have a crush on. That's going to go splendid, for sure." Nick rebutted, shaking his head and heading towards the line.

You can't keep it from her forever, Wilde. You'll have to tell her eventually.

"No, I'm pretty sure I can keep things to myself. Been doing it for twenty years. Another twenty wouldn't hurt."

Two heavy secrets? You can't handle it. You could barely handle the first. You moved out from home because you couldn't lie to 'her' face anymore. You really want this weighing down on you for the rest of your life too?

Nick rubbed his temples.

"Stop reminding me…I don't even know why I've been thinking of her so much recently…"

You're thinking of 'her' because you know you screwed up. It's all going to come crashing down and exploding spectacularly in both cases, and you know it. Stop this madness. Talk to Judy. Talk to m—

"No. Nope. Not going to. I'm just going to let Judy down nice and easy. Maybe lie a little. Say that I've got an offer on the table for another house already."

And when she asks to come over? Are you going to spin her around, make her dizzy and hope that she doesn't notice that you're still under that bridge?

Nick sighed.

"Ugh…that's true. "Why does this have to be so complicated?"

"Why you gotta be so noisy?" An irritated voice called out from behind him. Nick spun. An elderly ram was glaring at him with beady eyes. "You crazy, son? Talking to yourself ain't good for ya."

"Oh, my apologies, sir. I didn't mean to bother you," he said politely.

"Whatever you're mulling about, just say yes, son." The ram muttered. "It's easier that way."

"If only…" Nick chuckled.

"It damn sure is! I didn't get to where I am by bein' wishy-washy and lettin' the world slip me by, son. Why, back in my day…"

Nick managed to tune the ram out as he began launching into what sounded like an incredibly boring narrative. He knew he didn't have long to make a decision. Handing the deer cashier behind the counter several dollar bills, he grabbed his cup of coffee and a paper bag from the barista next to her. He blew gently before taking a sip. The bitter, hot black liquid flowed down his throat, giving him a much needed wake-up call. Almost instantly he felt better.

Everything's going to be okay. You just have to be the way you always are and keep it from her. Just don't say stupid words that you'll regret.

"Everything's going to be okay…" he whispered to himself. "Yeah…what's the worst that could happen?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I said!" the elderly ram interjected, catching Nick off-guard. "And then she died. Boy that one really got to me for years."

Nick turned and quickly exited the coffee shop.