Nick wasn't remotely surprised that Judy had a BA in Criminal Justice, but she'd been a little nonplussed that he had an MFA in Theatre. "C'mon now, Carrots. Hustling or acting aren't that different. It's all about selling a story."
ooooo
The world may keep changing. Henri thought, glancing at the small grey rabbit. But some things will always stay the same.
In his four years as the Maître D' at La Mangeoire, Henri Saunière had seen more than his share of nervous mammals waiting for their date to arrive – and the way she fidgeted and kept glancing up at the entrance told him that she was clearly waiting for someone special. In fact, judging by the way she kept checking her reflection in the nearby mirror, it was most likely the first date as well.
Not wanting her to stand about unnecessarily, the sharply-dressed ibex was just considering asking if she'd prefer to wait at the bar when her eyes lit up and she began to bounce lightly on her toes. Following her line of sight, Henri was surprised to find a fox smiling warmly back at her.
Ah, la amour. It seems that love truly is blind.
ooooo
Despite having spent most of the last two hours getting himself pumped up, Nick still felt his heart climbing into his throat as he approached the restaurant. This was absurd. There was no reason for him to be nervous. For gods' sake, they'd been together all day without any problems. So why was it that, in just a couple of hours, he'd gone from cool and collected to downright panicky.
He groaned quietly and wished, not for the first time, that he could be as fearless as his partner. If there was one thing Nick knew without a doubt, it was that Judy Hopps had a spine of solid steel. After all the things they'd seen in their years together, there was simply no way she was feeling as anxious as he was.
Once again commanding himself to calm down, Nick stepped through the restaurant door and immediately noticed the bunny waiting for him. She spotted him as well, and her face lit up with a radiant smile that made Nick wonder if it was possible to experience both complete serenity and outright panic at the same time.
"So...uh...hi." He croaked, resisting the urge to smack his forehead against the wall for sounding so dull-witted.
"Hey." She responded shyly.
"You..." He cleared his throat and prepared for a smooth recovery. "You look really beautiful tonight."
"Oh, thank you. You do, too." Blushing, she gestured at him with one paw. "Er...handsome, I mean."
"Excuse me?" They both turned to find a pretty antelope smiling at them politely. "Your table is ready."
ooooo
Watching the hostess guide the pair to their table, only Henri's stern professionalism kept his laughter at bay. Notwithstanding the awkward conversation, there was no mistaking the warmth and affection in the gaze they'd shared.
Although this was obviously not a fix-up or spur of the moment get-together, that didn't make the pair any less nervous. A first date would always be a first date.
ooooo
Judy was still mentally kicking herself over her 'handsome' remark as the hostess led them to their table. As if Nick needed her to clarify that for him. Of course he looked handsome! Then again, he'd obviously put in the extra effort that evening...maybe he was hoping for a complement? If that was the case, was 'handsome' good enough? Did foxes like to be called handsome? What if...
Stop it! She commanded herself. This is NOT high school, and I am NOT some awkward starry-eyed kitten! Now, I'm going to act like a grown doe or so help me...
"Everything okay, Carrots?"
The note of concern in Nick's voice brought her fierce inner monologue to a grinding halt, and she looked up to find he'd politely pulled her chair out for her. She felt her ears flop backward of their own volition as she searched for an appropriate response. "Of course! W-why do you ask?"
"You were looking a little intense just now. Something on your mind?"
She laughed a little nervously as she sat. "Oh, you know. Just arguing with the voices in my head."
The voices in my head?! She groaned internally. What is that supposed to mean?
To her immense relief, he just chuckled as he moved around to his own seat. "Fair enough, Carrots. Just be sure to warn me if they start winning."
ooooo
Oh man, did she ever look pissed. Nick thought as years of experience helped to maintain his easygoing smile. Settling into his chair, he carefully scrutinized his date for any sign of where he might've screwed up. I shouldn't have pulled her chair out for her. She probably thinks I'm a total chauvinist now. Though she DID call me handsome just now, which is pretty awesome. Am I overthinking this? I'm probably overthinking this.
"...ly sorry."
Blinking, Nick realized that although he'd been looking right at her, he could not for the life of him recall a single thing Judy had just said. She had apparently been apologizing for something, and there was nothing but sincerity in her eyes. However, the lack of relevant context meant he wasn't quite sure how to respond.
She was looking at him expectantly so, in the absence of a better solution, he decided to just roll the dice. "Sorry? Why?"
She shrugged. "I feel like I should be giving you my full attention rather than getting lost in my own head.
"You have nothing to apologize for." Nick assured her, resisting the urge to laugh at the irony. "I totally understand."
"Thanks." She smiled, a little shyly. "Anyway, how was your..." Trailing off, she began fiddling with the edge of her napkin. "Er...never mind."
"My what?"
"I was just, y'know, going to ask how your day was." Her slightly nervous laughter reappeared. "But I was kinda there the whole time."
"Oh. Right. So you were." Nick coughed faintly and began to fidget with his tie. "So, I...uh...hear they make a pretty great salad here."
"Yeah, I've heard it's really good. I mean, if you enjoy salad. You like salad, right?"
"Sure, I eat salad sometimes." He reminded her.
"I know. I didn't mean..."
"It's okay." He assured her. "I just don't eat salad as much as you."
"Yeah, because you're a predator and I'm..." She trailed off.
"Prey?" He finished, wincing as he said it. "Would you...uh...would you prefer if I got a salad?"
"No, no! You can get whatever you want! I was just saying that we're...um...different. On the inside, right? Not that there's anything...digestively speaking, I mean."
"...what?"
"Oh, sweet cheeses." She dropped her head into her paws with a defeated groan. "I thought awkward first dates were for mammals who haven't known each other for years."
"I know, right?" He agreed, feeling almost as frustrated as she looked. "I feel like I'm sixteen again."
Judy took a deep breath, giving her head a slight shake. "Okay. This is fine. We've spent hundreds of evenings together. This one is just a little more..."
"Life-changing?"
"...significant." She finished.
"Okay, Carrots. You're absolutely right. Except, before I wasn't hoping any of those nights would end with us-" He snapped his mouth shut, ears pinning sharply against his head.
"End with us...?" She repeated, trailing off as her brain quickly filled in the rest of Nick's sentence. Feeling her cheeks and ears begin to burn, she dropped her eyes to the table. "Oh. You're talking about..."
Feeling the conversation start to go off the rails, Nick began to panic. "Not necessarily! I'm not trying to pressure you or anything. I just figured we'd eventually...you know..."
"No! I mean, yes! I mean, not tonight but, y'know, eventually."
"Good...er, that's cool, I didn't...oh hell."
ooooo
Watching from near the kitchen, Henri winced at the conversation's sudden downward spiral. Granted, he'd seen worse first dates...but not many. It was obvious that they were letting their nerves do the talking.
As their server approached to take their orders, the ibex turned and strode purposefully into the kitchen, glancing around until he spotted one of his most capable waiters. Despite normally being their most energetic staff member, the young mammal had just completed his shift and looked practically dead on his feet. "Tobias! Toby, may I have a moment?"
Looking up tiredly, the young mammal shuffled over. "Can it wait till tomorrow, Mr. Saunière? I'm beat."
"I understand, Toby, but I would like to ask a favor." When Toby began to protest, Henri added. "You can refuse, naturally. I would not hold it against you."
Certain that his manager wouldn't ask if weren't important, Toby nodded slowly. "What do you need, sir?"
"Thank you, Tobias. Now, there are a pair of mammals in the restaurant..."
ooooo
Absently pushing bits of his shrimp stir-fry around his plate, Nick strained his imagination trying to picture a way this date could be going worse - to his dismay, nothing was coming to mind. He'd been looking forward to this evening for weeks, but now there was a little voice in the back of his mind that had actually begun suggesting that he call the whole thing off.
He was just imagining how in the world he'd go about doing so when another rabbit swaggered by their table, his ears snapping upward the moment he got a good look at Judy. Ignoring Nick entirely, the buck placed an elbow on the table and leaned toward her. "Heya, gorgeous. What's hoppin'?"
"Um...hello."
"Well, you must be the prettiest doe I've ever seen. I could gaze into your lovely amethyst orbs all night."
"My lovely what?"
"Alright, Casanova." Nick jumped in before the buck could really test Judy's patience. "You've had your fun, now get on your way.
"Buzz off, Red. The lady and I are talking."
"I beg your pardon?" Judy snapped.
The buck's smile widened as he ran his eyes over her figure. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I wouldn't make you beg."
"Why you little..." Nick growled, hackles beginning to rise. He was just about to stand when Judy stopped him with a subtle paw gesture.
"So, how about you ditch this loser, then you and I go find someplace quiet and get friendly." The obnoxious rabbit emphasized the suggestion by leaning well into Judy's personal space. "What do you say, hot stuff?"
"What do I say?" Judy smiled sweetly, then grabbed ahold of the buck's collar and yanked him close enough to shout right into his ear. "I say that the only mammal I want to get friendly with is the one sitting across from me!"
"OW! Lemme go! Lemme go!" The buck cried, trying to pull out of her grip. Judy happily obliged him, but waited until he gave a particularly hard tug. Suddenly free, the buck tumbled backwards, quickly leapt to his feet, and high-tailed it away from the smirking pair.
ooooo
"Ow, ow, ow..."
"Tobias! Are you alright?"
"I'll live." The rabbit groaned, rubbing his ear painfully. "Ugh... I feel like such a dirt-bag."
"I apologize for that, but it was for a good cause."
"Maybe, but it's still my ear that's ringing. And not for nothing, you could have warned me that it was Judy Hopps at that table."
"Whom?"
"Seriously?" Toby stared at his boss in disbelief. "Mr. Saunière, you need to get a TV."
"Humor me." Henri responded flatly.
"Judy Hopps, the first-ever rabbit police officer? The one who cracked the savage mammals case a little over four years ago? It was in all the papers."
"Ah." Henri shrugged, waving his paw dismissively. "I was still in Ewerope at that point."
"Well, she's a pretty big deal in the rabbit community." Toby winced. "Seriously, I feel like I should call my mom and apologize for my behavior."
Peering out into the restaurant, Henri was pleased to find the fox and rabbit were laughing happily. As far as could be seen, the earlier awkwardness had been banished entirely. "Au contraire, Tobias. You did a very good thing tonight."
ooooo
"Well, that was effective." Nick chuckled, grinning as the hapless buck scampered away.
Judy gave a casual shrug. "What can I say? Sometimes the best way to be clear is to be loud and clear."
The two of them shared a genuine laugh, and for a brief moment their earlier nervousness vanished. Before long, though, the wet-blanket sense of awkwardness began to descend once more. Determined not to let it smother them again, Nick took a deep breath and reached across the table to take Judy's paw.
Surprised, the bunny let out a faint gasp, then winced in embarrassment. "Sorry."
He smiled with more confidence that he actually felt and gave her paw a light squeeze. "It's just me, Carrots. Nothing to be scared of."
She let out an annoyed sigh. "I know that. It's just that we spend all day together. What are we supposed to talk about?"
"We've never had trouble making conversation before." He reminded her. They were unusually lucky that, unlike many partners, spending at least forty hours a week joined at the hip hadn't affected their ability to think up things to talk about.
"Yeah, but that's normal conversation." She huffed. "And if we just have a normal conversation than what makes this different from every other time we've shared a meal? I wanted, y'know..."
"Date conversation?"
She nodded.
"Okay, then. Let's go with a first date classic." He suggested. "So, Judy, what do you do for a living?"
She blinked in surprise, then a mischievous twinkle appeared in her eyes. "Well Nick, since you ask, I actually have a small stand on 17th & Acorn that sells pawpsicles and bootleg DVDs."
"Interesting." He responded. "Making good money with that?"
"About two hundred bucks a day, Red." She winked. "And yourself?"
"Oh, I juggle geese."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Geese." He repeated. "I juggle them."
"That doesn't seem like it's true." The bunny quipped, taking a sip of her wine.
"Well, it makes the truth sound more believable by comparison; I'm a police officer. It's been my lifelong dream, in fact."
"Is that right?"
"It's true. When I was a kit I was in a play about it."
"Were you now? How'd the audience react to that one?"
"Reviews were mixed." He shrugged offhandedly. "Everyone's a critic."
"Don't I know it." She chuckled.
"So, I have to ask. How does an innocent country bunny like you find herself on a date with a big city fox?"
"Innocent? I'm twenty-nine, Nick." She laughed. "I have dated before."
"What? And here I thought you were practically raised in a convent." Nick teased. "To be honest, I don't think I've ever even seen you look twice at another male."
"To be fair, my first few months in the city were a little crazy. And after Bellwether went to prison, males apparently found me, according to Ben, too intimidating."
"Oh yes." The fox agreed smoothly. "Positively terrifying."
"And recently, well..." She trailed off, blushing lightly.
"Recently...?" He prompted, a familiar smirk appearing on his face.
"Recently... I spent the last half-year mustering up the courage to ask one of my co-workers out."
"I see. He must be quite the specimen."
"He's okay." She winked. "But just because I haven't dated anyone recently doesn't mean I'm some innocent little schoolgirl."
"Left a trail of broken hearts back in Bunnyburrow, did you?"
"Hardly. Most of the guys back home weren't interested in moving to the city, and I wasn't interested in staying. Kind of a non-starter, y'know?" She shrugged. "I actually got kinda serious with a buck in college, though."
"Yeah? What happened?"
"He was going to grad school overseas and I had my sights set on the academy. Neither of us were willing to give up our dream, so we broke up."
"Hmm. I'm sensing a pattern here." He peered at her skeptically. "So, hypothetically, if you wanted to get the crème brulee for dessert, I wanted to get the apple pie, and neither one of us were willing to change our mind..."
"Oh, I'd break up with you on the spot." Judy deadpanned. "This bunny doesn't compromise."
"Darn. I really had my heart set on that pie, too." Leaning forward, he winked and gently flicked the tip of his tail against her knee. "But rather than letting baked dessert come between us, how about we just settle the bill and go do something a little less dangerous?"
"Less dangerous? I'm not sure if you noticed, but I'm dating a fox." Judy whispered conspiratorially, leaning closer to meet him. "Danger is my middle name."
"I thought it was Lav..." Nick began.
"No, it's Danger." She interrupted.
"Right. My mistake."
They stepped out of the restaurant a few minutes later, and the cool breeze made Judy regret not wearing a jacket. Just as the thought was going through her mind, however, she felt the warm weight of Nick's coat settle on her shoulders. Smiling up at him, she grabbed the lapels and pulled the jacket snugly around her. "My, my...such a gentlemammal."
"I have my moments." He smiled, briefly resting his paws on her shoulders. "Wait here and I'll go hail us a cab."
ooooo
Susanne was in the middle of her crossword puzzle, trying to think of a ten-letter word for 'fluent or coherent', when a nearby car horn caught her attention. Looking across the street, the black-furred hare was surprised to see a fox waving his paw at the taxi stand outside La Mangeoire and being pointedly ignored by most of the cab drivers. The only driver that did choose to notice him, however, was alternating between honking his horn and yelling at the smaller mammal to make way for a real customer.
"Asshole..." The Zuber driver muttered, rolling her eyes at the irate mammal. For all the noise cab companies made about groups like Zuber stealing their jobs, the truth was that they were doing it to themselves with morons like this. Glancing down at her phone, Susanne regarded the lack of nearby ride requests as she debated whether or not to pick the fox up herself.
Since she started driving for Zuber, she'd made a point of sticking close to Lion's Gate on Friday and Saturday evenings. Most of the city's high-class restaurants and exclusive clubs were clustered in the Southwest Savanna Central neighborhood. While that usually made for good tips and interesting passengers, it was still a little hit-or-miss. On one paw, she'd once given a ride to a grey wolf and his much younger date, a cheetah who couldn't have been a day over twenty-one. She'd silently wondered what their story was - trophy wife? mistress? – but hadn't asked. Her father had raised her to not judge other mammals. Besides, they were both very polite and friendly, and when she'd dropped them off the wolf had wished her a lovely evening and gave her a hundred-buck tip.
On the other paw, there were passengers like the trio of young elk who spent the entire drive loudly talking about how much money they made working in finance, called her car a middle-class-mobile, tried to light up a nip joint, then paid the fare in loose change and didn't tip anything.
Susanne's mind was made up, though, when the other driver threatened to turn the small predator and his date into matching hood ornaments. The mother of nine could clearly see the vulpine's bristling fur and indignant posture, even from across the street, and decided to step in before either mammal did something stupid. Tossing her crossword book onto the seat beside her, she pulled away from the curb and practically glided through traffic, smoothly coming to stop in front of the fox.
Rolling the window down, she smiled warmly at the surprised mammal. "You called for a Zuber?"
"Um...no?"
"Pretty sure you did." The older hare tipped her long ears toward the rude cabbie and smirked at the mildly confused fox. "Unless you'd rather take a cab."
"You know, now that I think about it, I did request a Zuber." He nodded thoughtfully, turning to his date. "C'mon then Carrots. Our chariot awaits."
Leaning forward to get a better look at the other mammal, Susanne felt her ears briefly snap upward in surprise. She hadn't noticed from across the street, but the date on the fox's arm was actually a rabbit. Specifically, a rabbit who was currently giving their friendly neighborhood cab driver the most murderous glare Susanne had ever seen.
Well, she thought, unsuccessfully trying to hide her amusement as the fox gently guided the riled bunny into the car. That's a new one.
"So, where we headed to tonight?"
For his part, the fox looked almost surprised at the question. "I'm...actually not sure. I guess I was looking forward to our date so much I forgot to plan most of it."
"Heh...me too." The bunny giggled, a little nervously. "Every time I thought about it, my brain just started playing 'Yay!' on repeat."
"Good lord. Could you two be any sweeter?" Susanna groaned playfully, glancing over her shoulder. "Well, if you're looking for a little adventure, I could offer a suggestion?"
"I'm all ears." Judy answered with a faint smirk.
Rolling her eyes at the old lagomorph joke, Susanne turned her eyes back to the road. "Well, have you two heard of Wild Times?"
ooooo
Nick's eyes, wide in wonder, danced from one sight to another, a joyful grin on his face as he tried to take in every detail at once. "This place is amazing!"
Their Zuber driver had certainly lived up to her word. She'd driven them up to Barrier Bay, near the spot Savanna Central and Sahara Square met, where a brightly lit amusement park sat nestled in the shadow of the climate wall.
"It certainly puts the Carrot Days festival to shame." Judy agreed, more amazed by the fact that her partner – who had claimed more than once to 'know everyone' – had never even heard of this place before.
"You know, I used to dream about opening my own amusement park."
"Really?"
"Yup. I mean, it wasn't that big a thing." He waved a paw dismissively. "Just the kind of innocent stuff kits tend to dream up. But at the time it seemed like the greatest idea any mammal had ever had."
"Sounds about right to me." For some reason, her eyes drifted upward to gaze at Nick's recently shortened left ear. "So, I've been meaning to ask how you've been doing since...y'know."
Glancing away, he cleared his throat softly. "I'm all good, Carrots."
"I'm serious, Nick." She reached out to grasp his paw. "How are you doing?"
"I'm really okay." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "A couple of nightmares, I guess. Nothing I can't handle."
"Nick..."
"C'mon, Carrots. You really want to talk about this? You'll have plenty of opportunities to explore my hidden depths another night." He waggled his eyebrows, drawing a slight giggle from the bunny.
Although Judy seemed a little hesitant, she eventually nodded. "Alright, another time. But we are going to talk about it."
"Sure, no problem." He agreed quickly. "Now, what would you like to d-"
"Ooh! Games!" Judy interrupted, practically dragging the startled fox by the paw into a sea of flashing lights. "C'mon, let's go win something."
ooooo
"I'm telling you, you can forget all about pawpsicles. The real hustling is in Hollywood."
"Uh-huh." Judy responded, closing one eye as she lined up with the skee-ball machine.
"I'm serious, Carrots. The more they charge, the worse the movies get."
"Sure. That doesn't sound crazy at all."
"What about the new Batmammal movies, then? Or that Gunslinger movie that utterly tanked? Or Pacific Ram 2, huh? What about that?" Nick ran a paw over his face dramatically. "Can you believe we paid actual money to see that train-wreck?"
"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad." Judy argued, though not with much conviction.
"Are you kidding? We were watching the same movie, right? It was one Megan Fawkes appearance away from being another Transfurmers movie." Nick shook his head in disbelief as she lined up her shot. "I don't know what I expected, though. Everyone knows that sequels are never as good as the original."
Tossing the ball in a smooth arc, she bounced happily when it landed squarely in the center hole. "Alright. I'll admit it wasn't exactly Oscar-worthy."
"You mean it was a cinematic catastrophe from start to finish."
"That's a bit much, I think."
He hummed noncommittally, reaching down to pick up a skee-ball. "You know, I should've gone into acting instead. I'd have made a fortune."
"Is that right?"
"Why not? When you think about it, hustling or acting aren't that different; it's all about selling a story."
"What?" Judy gasped, looking affronted. "Acting is not the same as conning mammals out of their money!"
"Sure it is. The only difference is mammals know that actors are lying to them."
"It is not!"
"Yikes. Careful with that temper, Fluff." He quipped, tossing the skee-ball from paw to paw. "It's all fun and games till you end up pulling a gun on me."
"Too soon, Nick." She muttered, scowling. "Way too soon."
"Oh, I didn't...sorry." The pair stood in awkward silence for a moment. "Look, all I'm saying is that I know a scam when I see one. I do have some experience in separating fools from their money."
"Really? I had no idea." She drawled.
"Did you know theatre popcorn is sold at a thirteen-hundred percent markup?"
"What's your point?"
"So, if one were to sell...oh, I don't know...let's say a fifteen buck Jumbo-Pop at that kind of markup? That'd be...um..." Nick mimed doing the math in his head. "Gosh, that'd be about two-hundred bucks per day. Sound familiar?"
"It's the theatres that set those prices, not the actors." She argued. "Are you going to throw that ball or not?"
"Uh-huh. And just where do you think those thirty-million buck paychecks come from?"
"Acting is a noble profession, Nick. Maybe you could at least try to be a little less jaded?"
Sighing, Nick resumed tossing the skee-ball back and forth. "You're right. I'm sorry I let cynical Nick crash our date."
Her expression softening, she reached up to give him a light tap on the shoulder. "I'll forgive you on one condition."
"Name it."
"Throw the darn ball, Nick."
Glancing down at his paws, he seemed surprised to find that the skee-ball was still there. With a soft, embarrassed laugh, he turned and gently tossed the ball toward one of the hundred-point corner hole. He let out a faint growl when it bounced off the rim and rolled all the way to the bottom, earning him a mere ten points.
"Poor fox." Judy laughed, curling her arm around his waist. Laying her head on his shoulder, she looked up at him with feigned sympathy. "Do you need me to win a prize for you?"
"Actually," He murmured, wrapping his tail around her legs as he gazed down at her. "I think I've got everything I want right here."
"You do?"
"Yup." He paused a few seconds before slowly and deliberately licking his chops.
The sight sent a pleasant, if unexpected, shudder through her. Glancing around quickly, she gave him a vaguely scandalized glare. "Nick!"
"Yes, Carrots?"
"Don't do that!"
"Do what?"
"That!" She repeated, waving vaguely at his muzzle. Leaning forward with a mischievous smile, he nipped gently at her raised paw, drawing a faint gasp from Judy's lips even as she snatched it back again.
"Nick!" She stepped away from him, doing as poor a job of fighting her grin as she was of hiding the scarlet blush in her ears. "So...um...weren't they going to...uh...make a movie about us at one point?"
Chuckling, Nick decided to take the hint. "I think there was something in the works while I was still at the academy, but nobody ever contacted me about buying the rights. Must have gotten stuck in development." He shrugged. "It's just as well, probably. You know some Hollywood yahoo would have messed it up anyway. We'd have been fighting off elephants with our bare paws or some nonsense like that."
"You're probably right. I mean, look at those Jack Savage movies. I'm pretty sure that a ZBI agent can't just take off in an attack helicopter on a whim."
"What if instead of a movie, they made a stage musical about us?" He mused. "I'd pay good money to see the Chief performing some kind of power ballad."
"Gods, can you imagine?" She laughed.
"Oh, easily. I've seen much stranger shows in my day." He shook his head at the memories. "Off-Broadway is a very peculiar place."
Her ears perked up at the mention of the famed theatre district. "Broadway? You've been to Zoo York?"
"Mm-hm. Lived there for about a year, actually."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. It was right after that whole rug...incident...with Mr. Big. It seemed like a good idea for me to get out of town for a little while, and I had some relatives there I could stay with."
"Oh." She gave him a sidelong glance. "So you spent some time on Broadway, did you?"
"Off-Broadway, Carrots." He reminded her. "That's where you find the productions that don't have the massive Broadway budgets. In fact, some of them had practically no budget, so there were plenty of opportunities for stage-hands who were willing to work cheap."
"Wow...you actually worked backstage on Broadway."
"Off-Broadway." He corrected her again.
"Whatever." She laughed, waving a paw at him. "That's still really cool. You know, I actually minored in Performing Arts in college."
"No kidding?"
"Yup. I majored in Criminal Justice, but I've always liked theatre. It made me feel...I dunno...larger than life."
"A completely foreign feeling for you, I'm sure."
"Smarty-fox." She muttered, smiling softly. "It seems silly now, but for a while I actually considered giving up on becoming a police officer to pursue acting."
"Well, I'm glad you didn't." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her between the ears. "You know what, though? That gives me an idea. Come on!"
ooooo
Twenty-five minutes later, Judy found herself following her partner as they crept down a dimly lit hallway. She knew they were somewhere on the Zootopia University campus, but Nick had rushed them here so quickly that she hadn't seen which building he'd led her into.
"Nick...why does it feel suspiciously like we're trespassing?"
"Don't worry, Carrots. This building is open to the public."
"At eleven-thirty at night?" She asked, skeptical.
"Sure, why not?"
"Nick, I d-"
"Ah! Here we go."
The fox pulled her through an unmarked door, and Judy suddenly found herself enveloped in darkness. Reaching out blindly, her ears swung wildly as she tried to get her bearings. "Nick? Nick, I can't see a thing. Where are you?"
"Right here."
The unexpected whisper - mere inches from her ear – just about scared the living daylights out of her. "GAAHHH!"
"Easy, Carrots. Deep breaths."
"I swear, if I could see you right now..."
"Okay, okay." Gently taking her by the shoulders, he guided her forward. Straining her ears, Judy could hear the faint creak of metal and the soft flapping sound of rope lines. A moment later, all of those seemed to vanish when they stepped out into what sounded like a huge, empty cave.
"Where are we?"
"Trust me." He murmured, bringing her to a stop. "Stay right here and don't move. I'll be right back."
Standing completely still in the pitch darkness, Judy reminded herself that she trusted Nick completely. He'd never in a million years put her in harm's way. She could hear him bustling about somewhere to one side of her, and was about to ask what the heck he was doing when she suddenly found herself bathed in light.
Blinking to clear her vision, she was astounded to find herself standing center stage and looking out into the Mammalian Theatre for Performing Arts. As the house lights slowly came up she gazed breathlessly at the beautiful space around her. To either side, the architecture of the walls formed an intricate pattern of columns and scrollwork. A sea of more than three-thousand velvet upholstered seats spread out before her, the main floor raising up to the balcony, on to the beautifully patterned ceiling high above. A dazzling chandelier hung at the center, encircled by a painted fresco of gods and musicians, angels and performers.
"Oh wow..."
"Is it everything you imagined?" Nick asked, sidling up beside her.
"So much more." Judy whispered reverently, gazing with wonder into the massive space, sparing him a brief glance over her shoulder. "Hey Nick? Do you think I could have been an actress?"
"I think you would have been the most breathtaking figure ever to grace the stage." He answered without hesitation. "Broadway wouldn't have deserved you."
"Don't you mean Off-Broadway?"
"Oh, those hacks definitely wouldn't deserve you." He laughed. "Why the sudden curiosity?"
"Just having a bit of a wistful moment." She laughed, waving off his concern. "I would have loved to go to school here and perform on this stage. I couldn't have both dreams, though, so I pick the one closer to my heart."
Smiling warmly at the bunny, Nick pulled her gently against his side. "I'm sorry, Carrots."
"Oh, don't be. It was a passing fancy and it's not as though my family could have afforded it, anyway." She turned to look up at him, laying a paw on his chest. "This is really cool, Nick. Thanks for giving me the chance to experience this."
"Anything for you, Carrots." He answered softly, leaning down slowly, eyes locked with hers.
"Really?" She could feel his breath on her whiskers and her heart started beating faster. "Anything?"
"Absolutely anyt-"
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN HERE?!"
"Oh shit!" Nick yelped, his eyes snapping toward the theatre's main entrance, where a grizzly bear in a very familiar uniform stood. "Not good!"
"ZPD! FREEZE!"
Taking his date by the paw, the pair bolted for the nearest exit. "Time for a dramatic exit, Carrots! Run!"
"FREEZE MEANS STOP!" The bear bellowed, charging after them as the pair began running even faster. Both of them worked hard to develop their species' respective speed, however, and to their immense relief they soon heard the bear's steps falling further and further behind them.
ooooo
The small ZPD detachment on the Zootopia University campus may not have been the most sought-after posting in the department, but Staff Sergeant "Papa" Bill Rankin genuinely enjoyed it there - particularly when he had the opportunity to harmlessly put the fear of god into a couple of frisky trespassing students.
Running behind them, he was reminded of how few mammals knew how swiftly a bear could run; it was certainly much faster than they looked. Even at his age, Bill was more than fast enough to catch a fox and rabbit – if he'd wanted to, that is. Bill grinned as he gradually let them open the distance, slowing to a walk after a few minutes and chuckling as the young couple continued on their mad dash to escape.
No matter what anyone said, kids these days were no different that when he was in school. Mixing romance with a little rebellious danger was just the kind of thrill many a young mammal was looking for. After all, his wife still said that his proposal beneath the stars in the university's botanical gardens was the most romantic moment of her life, and that being chased out by one of the groundskeepers – a surprisingly spry old billy goat – had done nothing to spoil it.
He'd raised three cubs of his own, and if they'd taught him anything at all it was that if a young mammal really wanted to do something, they were going to find a way to do it. There was no point in trying to enforce the law on campus with an iron fist; better to maintain a constant presence, make sure that they knew that they could always come to him if they needed help, and only drop the hammer on them when they crossed that fine line between rebellious and dangerous.
Glancing at his watch, Bill was surprised to find it was almost midnight; the perfect time for a brisk foot patrol past the campus frat houses. There was nothing quite as entertaining as watching frightened frat boys desperately trying to hide their beers and nip baggies, as if the bear hadn't smelled both a block away.
As he began walking toward fraternity row, he reflected on the pair he'd just chased from the theatre. He sometimes had a little trouble determining the ages of smaller mammals, but he was sure that they'd been older than the average college student. Now that he really thought about it, they'd actually looked a little familiar...
ooooo
"Okay..." Trying not to pant too loudly, Nick risked a glance around the corner. "Okay...I think we lost him."
"Lucky us." Judy deadpanned, glaring at her partner as she tried to catch her breath. "So earlier, when you said that the building was 'open to the public', what you actually meant was...?"
"Look, we can argue back and forth about who may or may not have illegally trespassed somewhere." His mouth went a little dry at the stormy expression on the bunny's face. "OR...we could just celebrate the fact that it all worked out."
Stepping forward, she jabbed one of her short claws sharply into his chest. "You're lucky I like you, Wilde."
He nodded furiously. "Believe me, I know it."
"Good. Now let's get going before we miss the last train."
Falling quietly into step beside her, Nick only had a few seconds to worry that he might've screwed things up before Judy took hold of his arm and draped it over her shoulders. She snuggled right into his side, so much so that he barely heard her mutter. "Dumb fox."
ooooo
"Hey Nick?" Judy looked up at her date as they casually strolled from the subway station toward Judy's building. "What do you think you would have taken?"
"Taken where?"
"If you'd gone to college, I mean." She clarified. "What do you think you'd have majored in?"
"If?" He smirked down at her. "I did go to college, Carrots."
"You did?"
"Yup."
"Seriously? How has this never come up before?"
Nick shrugged lightly. "I dunno. You never asked?"
"So where did you go?" She laughed. "Lucky Jim's University & Used Car Lot?"
"Same place we just got chased out of, actually. ZU Faculty of Performing Arts." He responded casually. "MFA in Theatre."
Judy halted so abruptly that it took Nick a few steps to realize he'd left her behind.
"Hold on. You have a master's degree?"
"I do indeed."
"In Theatre?"
"Yup."
"A master's degree."
"We've established that."
"From Zootopia University?"
"You got it."
"You have a master's degree in theatre."
"Alright, hang on a second." Frowning, he reached out, took hold of her ears, and began to angle them around. "I think your reception is out of whack."
"Cut that out!" She shouted, laughing as she swatted his paws away. "I'm just...surprised."
The pair walked in silence for a few minutes, a pensive look growing on Judy's face.
"Something on your mind, Carrots?"
"No. I mean..." She hesitated, picking at a bit of lint on her skirt. "We've learned so many things about each other tonight."
"And that's...bad?"
"No, of course not. It's great." She assured him. "It's just...we've been friends for so long. How is it that I didn't know you went to Zootopia University? Or that you lived in Zoo York for a year? Or that you wanted to open your own amusement park?"
"I'm a mystery, Carrots. A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a cheap Pawaiian shirt."
"I'm serious, Nick. One of the big reasons I felt ready to go for..." She gestured between then. "...this, was because I thought we really knew each other."
"This from the bunny who was worried that we wouldn't have anything new to talk about."
Rolling her eyes, she gave him an affectionate smack on the arm. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, but where I've lived or where I went to school are just facts, Carrots. They don't define me, just like your minor in college doesn't define you." He reached out and took her paw in his own. "Personally, I hope we never stop learning new things about each other."
"Well, when you put it that way." Sighing contentedly, she put the worries out of her mind and snuggled into Nick's side for the rest of the walk. It took her a second to notice when Nick finally came to a stop, and she looked up to discover they were right outside her building. "Oh...uh...I guess this is me."
"I know that, Carrots."
"Right. Because you already know where I live." She blushed lightly, fidgeting with her keys. "I had a really great time tonight, Nick."
"Me too, Carrots." A slow smile crept over Nick's muzzle as his tail began gently wagging. "So, do you think there's going to be a second date?"
Rolling her eyes, she took a step back and peered at him skeptically. "I dunno...maybe?"
Stepping forward, he closed the space between them a little. "Just maybe?"
"Maybe." She repeated, shrugging one shoulder. "I mean, you might be overqualified with that fancy master's degree of yours."
"Really?" He asked flatly.
"On the other hand," She continued as though he hadn't spoken. "You are pretty cute."
Grinning again, he took another small step forward. "And here I thought 'cute' was on the naughty word list."
"Oh, it is." Leaning in, she gazed up at him through her eyelashes. "But maybe I'm feeling a little naug-"
"HEY BUNNY! SOME OF US HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW! EITHER KISS THE FOX OR SHUT UP!"
They looked up to discover one of Judy's loud-mouth neighbors leaning out a window.
"What the...?" Nick's head cocked to the side in confusion.
Bucky (or maybe Pronk?) flashed him a rude gesture. "DON'T LOOK AT ME, FOX! I'M SURE NOT GONNA KISS YOU!"
"Well, that kinda killed the mood." He remarked, looking back to his date. "I guess I ought to mmmph-"
Whatever Nick been about to say was wiped from his mind as Judy's lips pressed against his own, his brain's natural response being to utterly short circuit. The first part of his mind to reassert itself actually felt a little indignant that she'd interrupted him. The next part immediately started telling the first part that it was crazy. When the third part popped up, it asked the first two if this was really the best time to be arguing about this. Then the entire rest of his mind shouted at all three to SHUT UP AND PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE JUDY WAS KISSING HIM!
Nick was no stranger to romance. He'd had his share of relationships over the years. In that moment, though, it was like he'd once again reverted to a nervous teen. For some reason, he couldn't figure out what to do with his paws. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and hold her close to him forever; he settled for resting them on her waist. His muzzle didn't quite line up with hers, their mouths were different shapes, and the height difference made for a challenge all on its own. On top of that, her nose was twitching like crazy against his own and the feeling of made him feel like he was going to sneeze – he didn't have to be a genius to know that sneezing in the middle of their first kiss was the kind of thing he'd never, ever live down.
It wasn't a perfect and magical moment, he silently admitted.
Actually, it was kinda awkward.
Nick never wanted it to end.
ooooo
"Well?" Bucky prodded his husband, trying to get a look out of their apartment's small window. "Did it work?"
"Shut up." Pronk hissed, peeking over the windowsill at the lip-locked mammals on the sidewalk below. "Of course it worked. Can't you hear the silence for yourself?"
"You shut up." Bucky whispered back harshly. "Everybody knows you can't hear silence."
"Yes, you can."
"Whatever. It's still a stupid plan."
"You're stu-!" Pronk's irate response was cut short when Bucky shoved a hoof over his mouth.
"SHHH!"
Glaring at his partner, Pronk reluctantly lowered his voice. "It's not stupid, because it worked."
"Yeah. A little too well." Bucky gestured to the window in irritation. "They're still at it."
"What? They are?" A quick glance outside confirmed that the couple below were still locked in their embrace. "Ugh...they seriously need to get a room."
"NO!" This time it was Bucky who suddenly found his mouth held shut. Shaking loose, he spared a moment to scowl at Pronk. "No, they shouldn't. Are you crazy?"
"You're crazy. Why not?"
"Because, dummy, if they get a room it'll be the room right next to ours. How much sleep do you think we'll get then? Bet you didn't consider that."
"Son of a..." Pronk pinched his brow in irritation. "I swear if I didn't love you, I'd really hate you."
"Shut up. You know I love you, too."
"Of course I know that, you idiot."
"Alright." Bucky sighed. "I think I can fix this, but I'm gonna have to get a little weird."
"You're always weird. I say go for it."
Taking a deep breath, Bucky shouldered his way past Pronk and stuck his head out the window. "HEY FOX! BUNNY! IF YOU'RE JUST GONNA GET ALL HOT AND HEAVY, YOU MIGHT AS WELL COME ON UP! THE MORE, THE MERRIER, RIGHT?!"
ooooo
"Oh wow..." Judy muttered, eyes squeezed shut as she stepped away from Nick. "Now that definitely killed the mood."
"No kidding." Nick agreed, glaring hatefully at the shamelessly smirking kudu and loudly adding. "What do you say to a little police brutality, Carrots? I guarantee no jury would convict us."
Shaking her head, she reached up and gently took hold of her partner's muzzle and pulled his gaze back to her. "As tempting as that is, I think maybe we should call it a night."
"Yeah. You want to go see a movie tomorrow?" He paused to consider something. "Though I should mention that if we do go to see a movie tomorrow, it'd be our second date. Because we're dating."
"I think I picked up on that." She assured him, laughing at the playfully serious expression on his face. Standing up on her tip-toes, she placed a quick kiss on the side of his muzzle. "Good night, Nick. I'll see you tomorrow."
"G'night, Carrots. Sleep tight."
Once she'd let herself into her building and vanished up the stairs, Nick casually turned on his heel and began making his way down the street. Looking back at how the evening had gone, it had been - in his humble-ish opinion - a damn-near perfect first date.
Admittedly, there had been a few moments where everything had very nearly gone sideways, but somehow fate had smiled on them every time. If it hadn't been for that particularly obnoxious buck, his nerves could very well have gotten the best of him right from the start. Were it not for a well-timed Zuber driver, one or both of them could easily have found themselves in a screaming match with some speciest cabbie. And if they hadn't been able to outrun that officer on the ZU campus, their date could have resulted in them having to explain to the Chief exactly why they had decided to trespass on university property.
I guess the universe figured it owed us one. Nick thought, whistling a happy tune. I don't think anything could spoil my mood now.
"DAMN IT, FOX! CUT IT OUT WITH THE WHISTLING!"
"I SWEAR TO GOD, ANTLERSON! NO JURY WOULD CONVICT ME!"
ooooo
Some of the tropes in this fandom that kinda bug me are the ones surrounding N&J's first date.
(A) It turns into this giant magical fairy-tale experience. Nick is Prince Charming, Judy is brought to tears at least once, and for some reason everyone they know is involved (ie. Manchas does the driving, Fru Fru gets them into a fancy place, etc).
(B) Their mutual lack of dating experience. How Judy was so driven to be a police officer that she didn't even notice boys existed and how Nick was so emotionally closed-off before he met her that he couldn't possibly be in a relationship.
(C) They flow effortlessly into dating without any uncertainly. Every first date I've been on has been a little awkward at first – in the case of my wife, I didn't actually realize out first date was a date, because I am an idiot.
Also, if you think I overdid it with the description of the Performing Arts Center, I invite you to Google "Orpheum Theatre Vancouver".