The shops that outlined sections of the city boasted with a variety of things pertaining to this special time of the year. Jewelry stores were already advertising their sales, offering deals on adornments for the shopper's special mammal in their life. Sit-down restaurants also were getting in the spirit of things as well, stating that couples got a certain percentage off of their meal. And if those things weren't enough of an indication to what day was coming up, the red, pink, and white hearts that decked the windows of some of the buildings would be.
It was Valentine's Day, the celebration of love and romance, in the city of Zootopia once again. While everyone was out and about, looking for something to gift to their significant other, Judy was running into a bit of a dilemma. She had no clue at the moment as to what she was going to do get Nick for Valentine's Day.
As she continued to stroll down the city park, the fox on her right started to take notice of the look that resided on her muzzle. It was looked that indicated that she was in an internal trail of thoughts.
"Uh, Carrots?" he asked, breaking the silence. "Something on your mind?"
Judy was silent for two seconds before realizing what he had asked her. "Oh, nothing," she said, looking back at him.
"Well, technically nothing is something," the vulpine replied. " Besides, I can pretty much see the thought cloud trailing above you, so something's gotta be on your mind right now."
"Let's stop and sit down on this bench, and then I'll tell you," Judy suggested.
The two of them went over to where a long bench sat, overlooking the area of the park where others walked around and kits could be seen roaming around and playing.
"Now then," Nick said, "you were saying?"
After a momentary pause, the rabbit answered, "You don't mind if I ask you a question, do you?"
"Ask away, Fluff."
"You know that Valentine's Day is just around the corner," Judy began.
Nick laughed under his breath. "How could you not know about it? Basically every shop on the block's got decorations for it like it's Christmastime."
The gray doe continued, "Let's just say I've got this Valentine and I want to do something really special for him. If you were in my position, what would you do?"
The fox grinned, rubbing a claw upon his chin like he was pondering about the subject matter. "Hmm…" he said. "What is this Valentine of yours like, exactly?"
"Well," Judy replied, "he's many things, to be honest."
"Just name of a few things, then. How would you describe his personality?"
"He's very caring and sentimental. Not to mention that he's really witty at times and makes me laugh when I need to the most. Oh, and he's really handsome. Can't forget that."
The vulpine grinned even wider as he heard how she described him. "Well," he breathed, continuing along with conversation, "this Valentine sounds like a really nice mammal."
"I know that for a fact," Judy remarked with assurance. "He's probably one of the best mammals that ever walked into my life. Not to sound like one of those cheesy movies or anything. You know, like that high school when where the one guy always combs his headfur and the car takes flight in the end."
Nick chuckled, smiling back at the bunny. "I take it this Valentine's an easy-going kind of guy."
"That is true, Slick. That is true."
"If that's the case, I wouldn't fret too much about what you're gonna get for him. I'm pretty sure Valentine's Day is nothin' but an observance full of materialism in his eyes. So if you want my honest-to-goodness opinion, I would suggest you give him something from the heart."
Judy looked back at the tod and nodded. "Give him something from the heart," she repeated. "Got it! You're a lifesaver, Slick, you know that?"
The fox replied, "Do I know that? Yes, yes I do." As Judy suddenly got up from the bench and proceeded to walk away, he asked, "Where you runnin' to, Fluff?"
"I just remembered something," the leporine replied. "There's an errand I need to run right now and I almost forgot to."
"Oh, uh… Okay then."
"Stop by my place at nine-o'-clock, okay?" she called back, waving to him as she darted off.
"All right," he said to himself. "I'll see her then, I guess…"
Later…
It was nine-o'-clock on the dot when he pulled up to the apartment complex. He couldn't have timed his arrival any better than he did.
Reaching over to the passenger side of the car, he reached for the bouquet of flowers he picked up for her. Carefully holding them in his paw, he stepped outside and made the walk over to the entrance of the complex. Once he had reached the door to her apartment, he knocked upon it and took a step back.
"Just a sec," she said.
He heard the sounds of the door being unlocked, and he turned the knob the moment it was, still holding the bouquet behind his back with his other paw.
"I'm here, Carrots," Nick remarked. "You said to be here at nine-o'-clock and I-"
His words were cut short the moment his eyes noticed what had happened to the apartment. It was like the entire thing had underwent a Valentine's Day makeover, and had been transformed into a small slice of a holiday-themed display. Dangling from the ceiling was a series of paper hearts, colored in the typical hues that were associated with this particular observation. On top of those ones, more hearts could be seen upon the walls as well, along with an assortment of other little Valentine's Day decorations.
"What's all this?" the fox inquired as he gazed around the decorated surroundings of her apartment.
"I followed your advice," the lagomorph answered. "You said to do something from the heart, so I did. Literally and figuratively."
Nick chuckled. "Heh, I get it. 'Cause of all the hearts. Sly bunny."
"I know it's nothing majorly fancy," the doe continued, "but I hope you like it."
"I love it, Fluff," the vulpine said with honesty. He brought the paw that was holding the flowers from behind his back. "Anyway, I brought you these."
Judy reached for the bouquet that the tod held out in front of her, looking at the variety of colors it contained. "These are beautiful, Nick," she complimented. "I also noticed that there's some foxtail lilies in here, too." She grinned back at him. "How clever of you."
"Just thought I throw those in to the mix," Nick said. "Anyhow, are Bucky and Pronk gone right now? I didn't hear them as I was walking over here, and normally you can hear them from across the hall."
"They went out. And thanks to that, I don't gotta worry about them eavesdropping in our conversation." After she said that, something else entered her mind. "Oh, and I just remembered. There is one more thing that I would like to give you."
"What's that?"
"Wait one second. I'm gonna set these flowers down on the table and then I'll grab it for you."
After setting the bouquet she received down, Judy went over to the small storage closet her apartment contained. Opening it up, she stepped inside and proceed to dig through some of the stuff she had stashed on the bottom of it. When she walked back over to Nick, she held out a large white box in her paws. She held it out in front of him, and the fox took it from her to look at what was inside of it.
He lifted the lid of the top of it, chuckling under his breath upon seeing what it contained. "More hearts," he laughed, smiling back at the bunny that gave the box to him.
"But those aren't ordinary ones like the ones I decorated the apartment with," Judy informed. "Those ones are special. Take some of them out and read what's on them."
Nick walked over to where a chair was in the corner of the room and sat down with the box of paper hearts in his lap. He closed his eyes and placed a paw inside. "Let's see which one I draw from the pile first," he remarked, making Judy laugh.
The fox got a hold of a reddish-pink paper heart, realizing that nothing had been written on it. Judy then told him to turn it around and see if something had been written on the back of it. The moment he flipped it around, he did see that something had been written upon it. The single word "Caring" had stared back at him in large, cursive letters.
"Reminds me of those little heart-shaped candies with the little words on 'em," Nick observed to himself, setting the heart down to the side and reaching in the box for another one.
The second time around, the heart had something different written on it. "Kindhearted" was what this one said. He continued from there, pulling out more of them and being met with several more descriptive words—"Fun-loving," "Helpful," "Funny" being among them.
He had reached for the final heart, turning it around and seeing a message that was more than just one word.
"All of these things you are the reasons you'll always be my Valentine," was what it said.
Nick smiled giddily as he read it, and held the paper heart to his chest. "Thank you, Carrots," he said as he looked back at the gray rabbit.
Judy smiled back at him. "I know it's all pretty cheesy, but I'm glad you do." She walked over to where he sat and gave him a delicate kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day," she said.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Judy," Nick repeated.