Finally being the weekend, Nick and Judy both thought that it would probably be a good time once again to have movie night. While it wasn't exactly something that they did every weekend, it was always a nice way for the two of them to relax and enjoy each other's presence.
However, things were being done a little bit different tonight. Normally it was Nick who had the responsibility of renting whatever movie it was that he decided they were seeing, but instead the role had been reversed. Alternatively, Judy was the one who was picking out the film, and that seemed to give a partial amount of concern.
"Alrighty, Carrots," the fox said, plopping down on the couch with a big bowl of hot, freshly-popped popcorn in his paws. "Time to see what you got for us to watch. And it better be something interesting and not one of those sappy comedies that you're always wanting to see."
"You don't gotta worry about that," Judy replied, waving the small case that contained the rented DVD in her paw. "I'm certain that I've made a good selection for tonight."
"We shall see about that, Fluff," Nick replied, getting more relaxed as Judy walked over to the DVD player and popped the disc inside of it without even letting him see what film it was.
The doe ran on back to the couch, took her seat and nestled herself beside the vulpine as some of the previews for upcoming films started to play on the screen. As the trailers carried on, Nick turned his head over to Judy.
"So," he said. "What movie exactly did you pick for us tonight? You never said which one it was."
"It's... a surprise," Judy replied with a sly smile. She knew quite well that Nick wasn't exactly going to like hearing those words; he absolutely disliked it whenever things came to him as a surprise.
The vulpine huffed as he stretched his neck. "C'mon, Carrots," he whined. "Can't even spare me a single hint about what it could be?"
"If I told you it wouldn't be that much of a surprise anymore. The whole concept of a surprise is that-"
"I know, I know. Can I least take a guess?"
Judy shook her head once again. "Alright," she said. "I'll give you three guesses, but make 'em count."
Nick started to go into a deep state of pondering, completing ignoring the television as it continuously played the trailers. "Let's see..." he muttered. When he got an idea of what it could be, his eyes lit up enthusiastically. "Oooh, I know what it is! Is it the new Wreck-It Rhino movie? You know, the one where he's supposed to go into the internet or something?"
The rabbit started to snicker at Nick getting hyped up. "Sorry, Slick," she said. "That's not it, but you still got two guesses."
"Is it that one with the platypus who works for that secret agency?"
"Why would you guess that one out of all things?" Judy laughed. "Okay, you better make this guess count 'cause you only got one more chance."
"How about the-"
"Sorry, Nick," Judy interrupted. "Looks like the movie's starting up now. Guessing time is up."
The fox grunted. "Dang it!"
She giggled as she turned her head, noticing the television screen had changed. "You're just gonna have to see what it is for yourself."
The previews were officially over, and the very first scenes of the movie were being displayed as the opening credits popped up on the screen. Judy grabbed the remote and turned the volume up, not too noisy but loud for the sound to circulate around where they were seated. As the movie played, the television displayed scenes of a full moon against a pitch black sky. After that, the screen faded to tall grasses that swayed in the wind, gently illuminated with the flickering glow of fireflies. The ambient sound of crickets chirping into the night completing all of the vivid and exquisite scenery.
Nick ended up rolling his eyes when the title of the movie came up on the screen that was depicting the nighttime scenery. "Moonlight Howl?" the vulpine inquired. "I thought you said this wasn't gonna be sappy."
"No," Judy informed, "you asked if it was gonna be a sappy comedy. And this isn't so technically I'm not lying."
"Then what exactly do you call this, Fluff?"
"A sappy romance. You technically didn't make any remarks against that, so that's what were gonna see."
Nick nodded his head, taking in what felt like a verbal slap to the face from Judy. He could almost hear the echoes of the sly bunny muttering "It's called a hustle, sweetheart" out of mockery within his head.
"Touché," the vulpine admitted.
"Alright, Slick," Judy replied. "Let's get started."
The fox and rabbit sat silent for the next forty minutes or so, staying close together as they watched the romantic relationship between the movie's two wolf characters unfold. The type of movie they were watching wasn't exactly Nick's favorite among others, but Judy seemed to be enjoying the film so that was all that really mattered to him. No matter how ridiculous, the fox wanted to make sure he did anything that his bunny wanted to do with him.
Judy took a few pieces of popcorn out of the bowl that getting close to being empty, and Nick stuck his paw in shortly after to clean up whatever was left of the salty snack. He continued to look at the screen, although he knew quite well in his head where the rest of the film was more than likely to lead to.
"Let me guess," the fox murmured. "He's taking her to this very picturesque landscape where he proposes to her. And then-"
"Shhh!"
The hesitant wolf in the movie soon enough revealed a small box with a silver ring inside. "Will you marry me?" the character on the television asked.
Nick nodded his head as he grinned. "See, Carrots? I called it! I swear I could've wrote-"
"Nick, hush!" the doe interrupted, placing a paw by Nick's muzzle with her eyes still fixated on the screen. As overly sentimental as this particular portion of the movie, Judy still couldn't help but smile at how sweet it was. With a proposal that was set against a beautiful landscape like this particular one, what more could a mammal ask for from a movie like this?
"Just sayin'," Nick murmured under his breath.
Some time (a little bit longer than an hour) had passed, and Nick now surprisingly found himself fully submerged into the beautiful relationship that the film was portraying. As much as he didn't want to admit in front of Judy (at fear he would get the typical "Told you so" from her in reply), he was actually enjoying it now that the film was progressing forward.
However, as the film reached its final minutes of run time, things between the two characters started to take a turn for the worse. The female wolf in the film breathed a monologue of her last words before giving up the ghost.
Judy had some tears running down her eyes, of which she immediately wiped away. The credits started to roll down the screen, and with that Judy grabbed the remote and shut the movie off. "Okay," she exhaled, her voice partially choked up. "So what did you think of-"
Turning her head towards her companion, the doe noticed that the vulpine appeared to be sniveling beside her.
Nick was basically kicking himself. Upon realizing that Judy saw his surprisingly emotion reaction, he felt more than embarrassed that he was blubbering at a movie as cliché as the one he had just sat through.
As the emotional fox beside her wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her, the doe made a quick observation in her head: Make sure you pick something a little less sad when it's your turn to pick the movie again. Perhaps that new Wreck-It Rhino that Nick was just talking about will suffice.