Nick Wilde strolled down the familiar street, paws tucked into the pockets of his worn jacket. He had a spring in his step, enjoying the warm sun filtering through the trees as he made his way to Finnick's garage. It had been a while since he'd caught up with his old partner, and he was looking forward to seeing what the fennec fox had been up to.
As Nick approached the garage, he heard the unmistakable beat of an old-school hip-hop track echoing from within. His ears perked up, and he couldn't help but smirk. He knew Finnick had a soft spot for those kinds of beats; he always did. The song that played was one that brought back memories of a much different decade.
Curious, Nick stepped closer and peeked through the half-open garage door, catching sight of something that made him stop dead in his tracks.
There was Finnick, in the middle of the garage, trying—and failing spectacularly—to execute what looked like some kind of breakdance move. The small fox's face was scrunched up in concentration, but his body didn't seem to be cooperating. Finnick kicked out his legs in what Nick assumed was supposed to be a windmill, but it looked more like he was trying to swat a fly.
Nick couldn't hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing, his voice ringing through the garage. Finnick froze, his large ears twitching in surprise. He whipped around, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Nick leaning against the doorway.
"You sly fox! How long have you been standing there for?" Finnick demanded, crossing his arms in an attempt to salvage his dignity.
Nick sauntered into the garage, still chuckling. As he stepped inside, he leaned against the nearby wall with an ear-to-ear grin. "Long enough to see you absolutely nail that," he teased, flashing Finnick a playful wink. "Looked less like a dance and more like you were trying to chase your own tail."
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Finnick grumbled, though a hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "I'm just a little outta practice, that's all. Gotta get back into that groove, ya know what I mean, Wilde?"
The fox raised an eyebrow, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Practice for what, exactly? I didn't know you were planning to make professional breakdancer your new career."
Finnick shot him a glare, but it was more playful than anything. "Ya didn't hear any bit of what they been sayin' on the news? Breakdancing's a Mammalympic event now. I was just… testing the waters," he said, a bit defensively.
Nick blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Wait, seriously? Breakdancing? In the Mammalympics?" He shook his head in disbelief. "What's next, hopscotch?"
"Hey, don't knock it," his fennec friend said, pointing a finger back at him. "I was pretty good back in the day. Coulda shut a street down with some of my moves, you know that for a fact."
He grinned at memories of those days from years back that came flooding back. "Oh, I remember. You were the one who gave yourself that title of 'the baddest breakdancer on the streets of Zootopia.'"
Finnick's expression softened, a nostalgic smile creeping across his face. "Those were some good times, weren't they?"
The vulpine nodded, leaning against a stack of crates. "Yeah, they were. Heck, that day you said you'd make us that much in tips from those moves on that street corner, I thought you were crazy. Definitely caught me by surprise."
"Was one of many talents ya didn't know of yet," Finnick said, his voice tinged with fondness as he recalled that point in time. He looked down at his tiny paws, flexing them. "I guess I'm not as nimble as I used to be, though."
Nick clapped a paw on Finnick's shoulder, a genuine smile on his face. "Come on, Finnick. You've still got it. Maybe a little rusty, sure, but who isn't?"
His friend sighed, then gave him a sideways glance. "You think so? Maybe I should give it another go."
Nick's grin widened. "Oh, absolutely. Show me one of your old moves. I bet you can still pull it off."
Finnick rolled his eyes, but he couldn't resist the challenge. Being unable to do that was just in his nature.
He set the boombox to play a different track, something with a bit more bounce, and positioned himself in the middle of the garage. Taking a deep breath, he dropped to the floor and attempted a basic backspin. For a moment, it looked like he might actually pull it off. But just as he was about to complete the spin, he lost his balance and toppled over, landing in a heap. "Damn..."
Nick burst out laughing again, clapping his paws. "You've still got the heart, buddy. The execution… well, let's just say it's a work in progress."
Finnick groaned for a second but couldn't help but laugh along. "Yeah, yeah. I guess I'm not Mammalympic material after all."
"Maybe not," Nick said, helping Finnick to his feet, "but now instead of trying to get spotlight, we get to kick back and enjoy the show."
Finnick nodded, his smile returning. "You know, you're right. Besides, I'd probably break something if I kept trying."
"Like your pride?" the tod teased.
This earned him a playful nudge from Finnick. "You shush, Wilde..."
They both laughed as they stepped outside the garage, taking a seat on the curb. The sun was starting to dip in the sky, casting a warm glow over the neighborhood. The sound of the Mammalympics broadcast from the garage TV still drifted from inside the space, the competition of the newly-included sporting event just beginning.
Author's Note: Hey there, everyone! With the Olympics concluding today, I kinda went without saying that I made a story that at least briefly mentioned one of the sports that was in the games that happened this year.
Wrote this upon seeing that breaking (breakdancing) was actually going to be a sport that would be part of this year's Olympics. I have no idea why I didn't know up until now that it had actually been added to them back in 2021. XD
Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed this little story. Your thoughts, whether good or bad, are, as always, gladly appreciated.
'Til next time, folks! :)