They lay quietly in the darkness, her ear pressed to the entire length his chest, his heartbeat slowly lulling her to sleep.

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"You think it'll ever get any easier?" She whispered into the dark.

"Don't know, Carrots." He responded softly, pulling her closer. "Maybe."

She didn't respond, nestling as deeply as she could manage into the cream-colored fur. She had just begun to drift off to sleep when she heard it through the wall; the nearly imperceptible sound of a small object hitting the floor. "Oh, son of a-"

"STOP MAKING SO MUCH NOISE! DIDN'T YOU HEAR? THE FOX AND BUNNY ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"YOU'RE THE ONE THAT BUMPED THE TABLE!"

"YOU PUT YOUR SPOON TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE!"

"YOU NEVER WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"

"YOU NEVER CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF!"

"SHUT UP!"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

"NO, YOU SHUT UP!"

"Or maybe not." Nick heaved a sigh. "Carrots, you know I love you, right?"

"Of course. I love you, too."

"Good." Nick nodded. "Because it's with love that I tell you that your apartment is the seventh circle of hell!"

Like every other time the topic had come up, Judy felt a twinge of irritation in her stomach. Her face fell into a scowl as she sat up, crossing her arms defensively. "And?"

"And," He echoed, rolling his eyes lightly. "You shouldn't have to live here. Maybe you could move in with me?"

"Nick, your apartment is right next to your building's main heating duct."

"So? That just means it's warm!"

"And loud." The bunny reminded him, pointing at the ears that accounted for a quarter of her height.

"Right." He muttered. "Well, maybe we could reconsider getting a new place together?"

Judy didn't answer, looking anywhere but at her partner and boyfriend. They'd had this conversation before, and the memories it brought up always put a bitter taste in her mouth.

Shortly after she'd come back to Zootopia and re-joined the ZPD, she'd decided to find somewhere to live that was a little less...cozy. She'd visited several promising locations, but each time she submitted an application to rent one, it would be denied within twenty-four hours. Ever the naïve country bunny, she hadn't been able to figure out why so many of the landlords who'd been so pleasant on the phone were suddenly so cold in person.

Eventually, Nick pointed out that every rejected application had one thing in common; the fox standing right beside her when she went to view the apartment. They hadn't been dating at the time; Nick hadn't even joined the ZPD yet. He was just a friend there to help her look for a new place to live, but after all the TV interviews and pictures of them in the newspapers, a lot of mammals had started to make assumptions about their relationship.

He tried to play it off like it didn't bother him, and had suggested she check out a few apartments without him. When she did, however, she couldn't stomach the welcoming smiles she got from each building manager. While she didn't know if Nick's presence would have changed that, she still felt that if she rented any of those apartments she'd just be enabling an ongoing cycle of bigotry.

In the end, she'd ended up staying at the Grand Pangolin Arms. It might not have been the most glamorous place to live, but at least her landlord could care less about what kind of mammal stayed there.

"Carrots?"

"I don't think so, Nick." She muttered, not looking at him for fear of seeing the broken-hearted expression she knew was on his face. "We've talked about this."

Ever persistent, the fox continued. "I'm sure we could find..."

"Seriously, just drop it."

He held his paws up in surrender. "Okay. No problem."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I'm sorry, Nick. I just...let's just try to get some sleep."

Although the Oryx-Antlersons eventually ran out of steam, Judy still didn't sleep very well. As she struggled through their shift the following day, their conversation seeming to loom over her like a dark cloud.

Although Nick hadn't said anything outright, she was worried that he'd start getting the wrong idea. She didn't want his to think her reluctance toward moving in together was less about the bigotry of other mammals and more about him. As much as she wanted to reassure him that she was absolutely committed to their relationship, she didn't know how comforting it would be when she still refused to change her mind about finding somewhere else to live.

At the end of the day, she found Nick patiently waiting for her outside the female locker room.

"You were quiet today." He commented. "Everything alright?"

"Just a lot on my mind." She smiled up at him. "Movie night tonight?"

"You know it. I've just gotta go home and grab this evening's feature. See you at your place?"

"Sounds good."

They parted ways at the front doors of the precinct and Judy caught the subway home, arriving to find a rare but cherished silence. She busied herself with a little tidying up, trying not to dwell on her troubling thoughts from earlier in the day, until she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

"Heya, Carrots." He let himself in, casting a suspicious glance at the wall she shared with her neighbors. "Awfully quiet around here. Where are the wonder twins this evening?"

"They have yoga on Tuesdays, so we should be fine until at least eight." She glanced over her shoulder. "What's tonight's pick?"

"Nightmare on Elk Street." He held up an old DVD case depicting a fedora-wearing mountain lion with long steel claws. "Freddie Cougar was the horror villain of my formative years."

Laughing softly, she got up to grab her laptop. "You and your monster-filled slasher movies."

"What can I say, Carrots?" He reached out and grabbed her waist, yanking the squealing bunny into his lap and playfully nibbling on her ear. "It must be my inner savage trying to break free!"

"Really?" She laughed, half-heartedly swatting at his nose. "Are you sure it's not the barely-dressed females running around?"

"Don't worry. There's only one barely-dressed female for me."

"Heather Langenkat?" She teased, glancing at the DVD cover.

"Okay, two barely-dressed females. Just watch the movie." Rolling his eyes, he leaned forward and hit play.

They had just reached the part where the aforementioned scantily-clad leopard decided to go investigate a strange noise upstairs when there was a sharp knock on Judy's door. Glancing at it in confusion, she paused the movie and hopped off the bed, opening the door to reveal a conservatively-dressed bunny with light tan fur.

Surprised, it took Judy a second to find her voice. "Candice?"

"Hello, Judy." Her older sister responded primly.

"Hi. What are you...what can I do for you?"

"I was in the city and thought I'd see if you wanted to catch up."

"Oh. I've actually got my boyfr..."

"May I come in?" Candice interrupted. "Or were you planning on leaving me in the hallway?"

Judy hesitated, fidgeting with the door handle. She and Candice had never gotten along; her older sister had always been far too...traditional...to accept Judy's choices. She'd actually been one of the loudest advocates against Judy joining the ZPD. But she was still family, so Judy stepped aside. "Of course."

"Thank you. I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten your mann- AHH!" The older bunny screeched, recoiling from the fox sitting on her younger sister's bed.

Nick looked up from his phone and gave her a polite little wave. "Hello."

She practically bolted for the door, grasping Judy's wrist on the way and dragging the younger bunny into the hall.

"Candice, what are you doing?!"

"What am I doing?" She cried. "Judy, what are YOU doing?! There's a fox in your apartment! On your bed!"

"I'm aware that Nick is in my apartment, Candice."

"Nick? Nick?!"

"My boyfriend." Judy answered simply. "You've met him before."

"What?!"

"I said you've met Nick bef..."

"Not that! You called him your...your..."

"Boyfriend?" Judy finished, smirking.

Her sister interrupted her with a sharp stomp on the creaking floorboards. "Young lady, you had better explain yourself...right...n...ow..." Candice trailed off as her eyes fixed on a point over Judy's shoulder.

"Everything okay, Carrots?"

"It's fine." Judy reassured him.

"Are you sure? Because it seemed kinda shout-y out here."

"Everything's alright, Nick." She insisted, despite the hate-filled glare her sister was aiming at him. "It's just family stuff. Candice and I...we're..."

The fox gave an understanding nod. "I gotcha. How about I run down to the corner store and get you a bottle of that weird veggie juice you love?"

She smiled gratefully. "That'd be great."

Leaning down to kiss her, he pointedly ignored the older rabbit's outraged gasp. "I'll be back in ten."

The moment Nick was out of sight, Candice grasped Judy by the arm and yanked her back into the apartment. "Sweet merciful cheese and crackers, Judy! You can't just flaunt what you're doing where anyone can see! What if I'd brought my children to visit? What if they'd seen you carrying on like that with a...a fox?!"

"We were watching a movie." Judy rolled her eyes at her conservative older sister.

"Don't you sass me!" Candice snapped.

Judy let out an exasperated sigh, reaching up to gently massage her temples. "Why are you here, Candice?"

"I came here to see if I could finally convince you to see reason, and I find you with...with...that! He's a predator, Judy! We all know you're a thrill seeker, but there's a big difference between being a police officer..."

"Detective." Judy half-heartedly corrected.

"...and screwing around with a predator."

"We aren't 'screwing around', Candice. Nick and I have been together for over a year."

"Oh, stop it with that nonsense. That fox isn't your boyfriend."

"Yes, he is."

"No, Judy." Candice's voice shifted, as if she were addressing a young kit. "He's just a phase you're going through, but you need to stop wasting your best birthing years. You're not too old to find a nice buck and settle down."

"Not interested." Judy responded flatly, wishing that could be the end of it.

"Oh, you're not?" Candice scoffed. "You might be having fun now, young lady..."

"You're only two-and-a-half years older than me, Candice." Judy ground out, trying to keep a hold on her temper. "Please stop calling me young lady."

"...but soon enough you'll want to start having kits of your own. It's a biological fact, and what use will the fox be then?"

"His name is Nick, Candice." Judy fought the urge to grind her teeth together. "And you need to get used to the fact that my life choices aren't going to be the same as yours. Besides, who says we even want kits?"

"Judy!" The older bunny gasped. "What kind of ideas has the fox been putting in your head? Of course, you want kits! Every doe wants to have kits! It would be unnatural not to!"

"Then I guess I'm unnatural."

"Judy, you're being irratio-"

"Thank you for visiting, Candice." Judy interrupted. "But I think it's time for you to leave."

"I will do no such thing! No matter how headstrong you insist on being, you're still my little sister." She grabbed Judy firmly by the wrist and attempted to pull her toward the door. "So help me, if I have to I'll drag you kicking and screaming away from this...this...deviant lifestyle you've fallen into."

Judy's features hardened, and with a practiced motion she had her sister's arm twisted behind her back before the older doe knew what was happening.

"Alright, Candice. I tried this the nice way, but now you really need to go." With a sharp nudge between the shoulder blades, she forced her sister toward the door. "I will not be going anywhere with you, for reasons I've explained too many times to bother repeating now. I respect that you think you're looking out for me, but I'm not willing to put up with your bigoted nonsense anymore."

She released her sister's arm and, with a final shove, forced her out into the hallway. "Goodbye, Candice. Please drive safe on the way home."

Candice's eyes narrowed, and for a moment Judy thought her sister was actually going to take a swing at her. "Don't call Bunnyburrow that."

Judy let out a weary sigh. "Call Bunnyburrow what?"

"Home." She spat. "You don't get to call Bunnyburrow home anymore. You live in the city now."

Despite herself, Judy felt a renewed wave of anger. "Candice, I know you're upset and that you don't really mean that, but you need to stop talking."

"Bunnyburrow is a civilized place, Judith." Her sister sneered, undeterred. "You don't belong there anymore and for the first time, I'm glad of that. It spares my children the humiliation of living near their Aunt Judy, the filthy childless predophi-"

"HEY!" The sudden shout startled them both. "DON'T YOU TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!"

Startled, Candice spun to find an angry Lululemming-clad kudu - and an equally irate gemsbok behind him - standing in the empty hallway. "Who are you?"

"NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" Bucky narrowed his eyes, dropping his yoga mat and pointing a hoof down the hallway. "NOW BEAT IT!"

"YEAH!" Pronk added. "GET OUTTA HERE!"

"This has nothing to do with you!" Candice snapped. "So butt out!"

"TRY AND MAKE US!" Bucky practically snarled, "SHE'S LIVING HER OWN DAMN LIFE, AND SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE LIKES OF YOU!"

"SHE AND THE FOX ARE HAPPY!" Pronk continued. "AND WE'RE NOT GONNA LET YOU MAKE HER FEEL ASHAMED FOR IT!"

"NOW FOR THE LAST TIME, GET LOST!"

Candice sputtered furiously. "How dare yo–"

"SCRAM!"

The older bunny jumped slightly, her eyes darting between her sister and the angry pair of mammals. Letting out an indignant huff, she clutched her purse closely and left, obviously trying very hard not to look like she was running. As she vanished around the corner, Judy turned to look up at the usually-annoying couple.

"Guys, I..."

"Some mammals are hateful, small-minded jerks." The kudu muttered as he knelt to pick up his mat. "And no matter what you do, they'll never feel bad for the things they say to hurt you."

"You live like you wanna live, bunny. And don't ever let anyone make you apologize for it." His husband added.

"Thanks, guys." Judy sniffed. "You two are really great neighbors."

Pronk snorted. "Are you kidding? We're awful!"

"He's right." Bucky nodded emphatically. "We're pretty much the worst."

Pronk turned to glare at him. "Who are you calling the worst?!"

"We are the worst!"

"You're the worst!"

"No, you're the worst!"

"SHUT UP!"

"NO, YOU SHUT UP!"

Sighing softly, Judy locked her apartment door and began heading downstairs. Walking slowly so as not to run into Candice again, she'd just about reached the lobby when she spotted Nick on his way back.

"Heya, Carrots. I just saw your sister on her way out." Nick chuckled. "I tell ya, I've been glared at before, but the look she gave me wa...oof!"

Wrapping her arms around him tightly, she turned her head away from his chest and said. "Let's do it. Let's move in together."

Her fox didn't respond for a moment, barely even breathing. "S-seriously? Don't mess with me on this one, Carrots."

"Seriously." She insisted, smiling up at him. "I'm done letting other mammals tell me how to live."

"Well, alright then. Let's do it." The look on his face was positively glowing. "Want to go pretend to watch the rest of the movie while we root through apartment listings?"

"I'd love that." She hopped into his arms and kissed him joyfully. "But I can think of much more interesting things you could root through first."

"What are y...oh!" He grinned and ran up the stairs, holding her tightly as he took the steps two at a time. They reached her apartment in record time, laughing as he practically threw her onto the bed. Scrambling to rid each other of so much unnecessary clothing, the pair didn't immediately notice the shuffling sound on the other side of the wall.

"WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE FEELING BETTER, BUNNY!"

"What the fu-?!" Nick cried, recoiling from the sudden shout and nearly falling off the bed.

"HEY! STOP THAT! THE FOX AND BUNNY ARE TRYING TO HAVE SEX!"

"I'M JUST TRYING TO CREATE AN EMOTIONALLY SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT, YOU JERK!"

"WELL CUT IT OUT! LET THE FOX HANDLE HER EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING!"

"I'D CUT IT OUT IF YOU'D JUST BACK OFF!"

"I'D BACK OFF IF YOU'D STOP BEING A CREEP!"

"I'M NOT BEING A CREEP!"

"YOU'RE BEING A CREEP RIGHT NOW!"

"SHUT UP!"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

"NO, YOU SHUT UP!"

"Well, one thing is for sure." The fox groaned, dropping his head onto the pillow and pulling his girlfriend into his arms. "I am not going to miss those two."

"Yeah." Judy agreed, nuzzling up under his chin and smiling softly. "They're the worst."

Seriously, though...they're the worst.