Chapter Text
“And I also brought some housewarming gifts.” Judy blissfully rambled as she descended the concrete staircase “Y’knowwwww, just the essentials. Some herbal scented candles, sandalwood fragrances, a few air fresheners, just somethin’ to-”
Nick pushed open the door into his sub-level apartment.
Judy went silent.
“...Huh!”
Well… apparently Nick could clean up quite nicely! Last time she had made an impromptu housecall to his (Well, she didn’t even know if she COULD call it an ‘apartment’, really; more so a crawl space beneath an elephant’s gym) home, it had been a rat hole not even pigs would want to roll in! But now the place was as spick and span as the squadbay back at the academy!
Sure, his sense of interior design was still atrocious, but at least it was free of the week-old-pizza stench.
“Yeah-huh.” he wryly smirked with a lean in the doorway, he waggled a finger at the airspray she was now trying to discreetly slide back into her purse “Thinkin’ I wouldn’t be a good host? Officer Hopps, how you wound me.”
“No no no! You’re right!” she immediately remedied “You are being very polite and generous for letting me stay with you and I shouldn’t be so judgy of your-”
**BOOM!!!!!**
Suddenly something akin to a thunderbolt made the entire apartment shake and sent Judy a full foot into the air - Nick stayed perfectly rooted to the floor, catching the TV remote and photo frame as they got flung off the table - he casually put them back in their place as quick as they’d been ejected.
Judy’s eyes shot to the ceiling “WHAT WAS-”
“Henry.” Nick said flatly. When Judy just looked at him with an even more lost expression, he jammed a thumb upwards “Powerlifting Elephant. Guy’s on the national team. Friday’s Leg Day for him. What you’re hearin’ is a 9.3 metric ton barbell hittin’ the floor.” he paused and checked his watch “Speakin’ of which…” he poked both index fingers into his ears “Plug your ears.”
**THOOM!!!! THOOM!! THOOM!!!!**
Now even NICK went airborne with Judy this time! Her face managed to contort even further in bewilderment.
“And THAT? Is 'Pilates and Pachyderms’, every weekday at 5.” he chuckled.
Judy set down her overnight bag, staring up at the piping of Nick’s ‘ceiling’ with wide eyes and pursed lips. “And uh…. Is it like that… all the time?”
“From 5 to 7? Hoo yeah. But can’t blame the 9-to-5’ers for wanting to get a workout in after the office.” he shrugged with a bob of his head. “THAT’S WHY: you n’ I are headin’ out for a night on the town.”
“Thank goodness-” she exhaled with a pressing palm to her chest. She unzipped her duffel bag in an all-too-excited manner to scoop out a stack of binders and folders “Cause I brought a few cold case files for us to have fun with! Lemme find a library nearby and-”
“Carrots.”
Judy looked up to see Nick slipping his arms into a worn out Sheep-fleece leather jacket, his keyring then spinning on an index finger and his phone and wallet being slipped into his pocket. His relaxed smirk and donning of sunglasses were the outfit of pleasure, not business.
The classic stand-off between the workaholic and the quiet quitter ensued with an exchange of glances that altered between harrumphs and pleading eyes. But Nick fired a flawlessly executed: “What’s the point of saving the city multiple times, if ya don’t take a chance to enjoy it?” to take the match.
“Oh alright, fine.” she smiled
“Great, cuz our ride is here!”
“Whoa, wha- HEY!” she scampered up the stairs after him.
“Come on, come on!” he laughed.
Where the heck was he running to? The nearest bus station was in the other direction two blocks away and-
Nick hopped onto the back of a moving trash truck??
He jubilantly waved her to him, so there was little time to think before her feet ran after and hopped onto the opposing handlebar.
“You can’t be serious!” she gawked “Is this even allowed??”
“ALLOWED?” Nick parroted “Sure, you’re the one who cares about rules.”
Nick’s neighborhood rumbled on by, boarded up windows, chain link fences that looked like they’d been there for decades, litter ironically blowing by on the sidewalks as the trash truck drove past it. Judy’s neighborhood may not have been anything fancy, but it at least appeared on Zoollow Group Real Estate!
There was a little bit of thrill, hitching a ride like this, but even still she had to ask: “Hold on, so is this really how you get around?”
“Eh, only to the important places.” he smiled with a shrug, he slapped the green metal affectionately “The only mode of transportation that’s always on time and never takes a day off.”
She couldn’t stop the laugh that came out in response “Alright, I’ll bite. So then what’s this ‘important place’ then?”
“You’ll see. But I think it’s high time you actually got to see the city you just love so much.”
“Oh come on, we patrol it all the time! I was seeing it for the three months you were going through training, ya know.”
“Noooooo no no no.” He managed to hook his arm around his handle so he could fold his arms “We see downtown and savannah square when we’re on the clock. If you wanna get the REAL city life, you gotta get off the subway map.”
Sure enough, Judy gave it five minutes and the sound of Paint Bucket drummers on street corners became audible. Two teams of giraffes were playing basketball in a court between buildings (and absolutely decimating the one poor antelope that had joined the game), graffiti lined every brick wall, but the streets were still bustling “This is our stop!” Nick chimed as he hopped off the back. “Thanks for the lift, Rodriguez!” the fox called out; a tiger’s arm stuck itself out of the driver’s window and gave a thumb’s up.
Nick was always a bit of the ungraceful type while in uniform… but when on the streets? He moved like water. Judy nearly got squashed by two rhinos and a hippo as she tried to keep up with him.
“Nick.” she spoke up “I know the police force doesn’t pay top dollar salaries, but didn’t you make 1.4 million in untaxed cash before we met? Why d- WHOA!-” she dodged an elephant’s foot “-Why do you stay in that apartment? I can help you house hunt tomorrow! Some place where you can get a good night’s sleep.”
“Carrots, carrotsssssss.” he snickered as he turned around to walk backwards, arms spreading wide “Real Estate isn’t about location, it’s about the people~”
“I thought you said foxes were solitary.” she smirked.
“Yeah of course, buuuuuut I’m only mortal - and good food is the Achilles heel of any man. Oh! Speaking of!”
Judy’s nose suddenly caught a whiff of something wondrous that stood out from all the other common smells of the city streets. Following Nick through the crowded sidewalk, she saw the line for the restaurant wrapped around the block before she actually saw the restaurant itself.
“You feelin’ Italian~?” he chimed.
She hadn’t realized she’d been hungry up until now, but her stomach made the sound of Mayor Lionheart’s roar “Oh YES. PLEASE.” she said dreamily.
But when she went to go for the back of the line, Nick’s arm swooped in behind her “Atatatata.” he tutted with a wiggle of his finger “Just follow me.”
He led the two of them around to the alleyway, skipping the line entirely. He strode ahead of Judy “Gimmie a sec.” rapping a knuckle against the back door. He took a step back and held up a finger to her, signalling ‘wait for it’.
“LORENZO!” an incredibly gruff shout was muffled from inside the door “If you’ve locked yourself out again, I swear I’ll-” the back door swung open with a vengeance. A Marsican Bear in a chef’s apron stormed out into the alleyway, eyes furiously glancing at the opposing brick wall before lowering down - his eyebrows went up and his eyes immediately went wide “NICHOLAS!!!” he boomed with a happy roar, throwing his arms around the significantly smaller mammal and scooping him up “My friend! Oh! A-too long it has been! How can-a you just not visit for-a so long! You break my heart so!” he laughed in a thick Italian accent.
“Tony!” Nick laughed as he patted him on the back “Sorry bud, work’s been pullin’ my tail the past few weeks.”
“Oh of course, of course.” Tony said as he set him down “I saw you on the news with Signorina Hopps~” he said with a wide grin and a purr in his voice “My friend, Life’s too short to-a wait on such things~ You need-a make a move before a charming bunny boy comes-along an-” his eyes wandered in Judy’s direction. Tony’s eyes went wide again and he gasped. The chef snatched the chef’s hat off his head with reverence “Oh my- Officer Hopps!”
“Oh my goodness!” He got down to one knee and practically snatched her hand to shake it with both hands “W-What an honor this is! We-a seen all you’ve done on the news! Nicholas has told-a me so much about you! Your newspaper clippings are-a framed all over the dining area!”
“O-OH!” Judy’s face felt hot. All her life was spent trying to get the approval of others… So anytime praise was finally dumped on her? She became a deer in headlights.
“We were just in the neighborhood and I thought I’d treat my partner to the best calzones in the city~” Nick hummed. “Any chance we can order some to go~?”
“Can you order some to go?” Tony repeated mockingly “For my favorite customer?” he called back into the kitchen “HEY JOE! Two-a orders of Nicholas’s usual, Ey?”
Nick fished for his wallet, but Tony furiously snorted “AH!” swiping a hand “You no pay a cent here! Your a meals on da house for life!” and glanced at Judy “Nicky boy ever a tell-a you all he-a did for me? I wouldn’t even have a restaurant without him! When-a bank tried to a foreclose on the building, Our Nick showed me how to-”
Nick’s eyes suddenly went wide and the fur on his face somehow went pale. He quickly snapped both arms out to get Tony to stop talking “AHHHHHHHH!!! Atatatatat- hehehehHAHAHA!!” loudly laughing to drown out the bear, all while nervously looking back at Judy.
The bunny was now folding her arms and squinting at him suspiciously.
Another bear walked out with two take-away boxes in plastic bags - Nick couldn’t grab them fast enough to then push Judy back out onto the sidewalk “H-H-Heheh, thanks Tony! I love ya! I owe ya!”
His bunny partner was now glaring at him with a tapping foot. Nick reassured her on the spot that his days of slipping money past the government’s eye were over.
“-And besides! I had to bring you by to meet Tony at least once.” he chuckled as they strutted down the street with the lowering sun changing the hues of the sky from orange to deep blues “All the guys in the kitchen are crazy about you; you’ve saved the city twice now, Judy. Take some time to drink in the hero worship a bit.”
“I know.” She shrugged shyly with her hands behind her back “I-I just don’t… It’s great to be appreciated, but I always freeze when someone is grateful.”
Nick grinned between sips of his drink “That right? Well don’t worry partner, I’ll make double sure to keep all compliments of you to a minimum~”
Judy slugged him in the arm.
“Hey! Hey hey! I’m carryin’ the food here!”
0000oooo0000oooo0000
Nick had to have paid people to come up to them or something.
As he took her down a stroll through his section of the city, people were coming up left and right to take pictures! They barely got much of a chance to enjoy the street performers, street musicians, and general nightlife before:
“Heyyy, Nick! What ar- W-wait… JUDY HOPPS??”
“Niiiiiiiiiick~ Good to see- Oh my God… ARE YOU-”
“Is that my favorite Fox I see? Ho- ……..O-Officer Hopps? THE Officer Hopps??”
Nick may have had plenty of acquaintances on the street, but to them, Judy was a celebrity! Everywhere she went, people were spinning their phones around to get pictures with her! Predators especially seemed to be too eager to get a photo……..but reptiles? Dear gosh, it was like something out of a drama movie. Anything with scales tearfully hugged her and poured out a lake’s worth of adoration and gratitude!
And all the while, Nick just stood in the background, warm smile on his lips, and hand firmly in pocket: all too happy to give her the spotlight. She tried multiple times to send a scrap of all the praise his way, but she’d always get corralled by another adoring fan wanting to get her attention! (One particularly drunk jaguar ripped open the shirt to his business suit and begged her to autograph his chest).
Sunset had turned to twilight by the time they’d managed to escape!
“Whew! That all went so fast!” she gasped as she trailed after him behind an alleyway he guided their egress down “I’m sorry, the food must be frozen by now, should we microwave them back up at your place?”
He waved it off immediately “Nah, you have any idea how hot Lorenzo cooks these things? I swear, the cheese could melt through steel.” he hopped over a barrier “And besides - I promised you a night on the town, didn’t I?”
He walked to the loading docks of one of the many skyscrapers they were passing between now. He tossed the take-away containers up onto the ledge before jumping up to grab the ledge and pull himself up. He laid on his belly and reached a paw out for her “Come on.”
The Bunny jumped the entire gap with a single leap.
“Show off.” he snorted and stood up. He went to the backdoor and kicked over a rock to pull a hidden key off the ground.
“Whoa whoa whoa.” Judy put her foot down “Nick?”
“Relax. It’s not trespassing, carrots.” he said with a smirk.
“And yet you mention it!” she gawked “Nick, come on, we can’t be doing this! We’re police officers who uphold the law! We can’t just…. break it!”
“We’re just using the elevator, nothin’ else.” he swore earnestly - and when that didn’t work, he turned around fully and pleaded “...Judy… trust me. I want to show you somethin’.”
Officer Hopps stood her ground for a few moments, but Judy eventually replaced her and trudged in after him with a groan. She followed him down a dark corridor clearly meant for the largest fauna of Zootopia, into an elevator that opened with a chime, and onto one of the many platforms meant for smaller animals to ride up (Least an elephant businessman accidentally squash a dozen hamster co-workers from accounting).
Nick casually slurped his soda loudly as the elevator went up the 70 floors, noisily enough that she had to break her silence “So HOW do you know about this place?”
“Eh, used to stock the vending machines here a few years ago, Elephants got the biggest products, best thing to resale to smaller customers.” when his sixth sense could feel Judy’s eyes judging him, he chuckled and threw his hands up “USED to! I’m a model citizen now!”
He leaned against the wall and grinned at her “-And besides, I thought it would be the perfect spot for tonight.”
“Oh?”
“I promised I’d take you for a night on the town, didn’t I~? Couldn’t take you through Zootopia without the best spot in the city~”
The bell chimed and the elevator doors hissed open, no sooner did they get out, Nick was in front of her “Okay okay okay… close your eyes.”
She didn’t argue, unable to repress the amused smirk that made its way over her lips. She felt both her paws taken by Nick’s, him gently tugging her along as a seeing eye dog. Her feet felt concrete, then steel grates, then concrete again, then the metal of a service staircase, then concrete yet again. Her ears picked up HVAC units and the wind blowing told her they were on the roof. Knowing Nick, this was all the lead up to a punchline at her expense… somehow.
They stopped, Nick let go of her hands and moved beside her “...Okay, open ‘em.”
Her smirk vanished, the breath was taken out of her.
The Zootopia Skyline.
The warm, dark purple of the night sky was illuminated by the glow of her perfect city. Gold, emerald, sapphire, and diamond lights shimmered in the beautiful plateau of rising skyscrapers. She could see the cyan twinkle of the stadium down by the water, party boats nearby flashing their different colors. She could see the swooping architecture of the metropolitan center at the western edge of the city. Over in the distance was the Palm Hotel - the crown jewel of Sahara Square that had captured her imagination ever since she was a little girl. And just the thousands of other towering monuments of Zootopia’s ideals… no money on earth could buy a view this beautiful.
They were just standing next to some industrial HVAC units on the top of the service balcony for the skyscraper. By all accounts, this should have been the rattiest place in the sky… but… this view was priceless.
She had lived in and defended this city for nearly a year now… but she had forgotten just how gorgeous it was. No, not that. No. No… she hadn’t taken the time to stop and appreciate what was right in front of her.
“It’s… beautiful…”
Nick was suddenly beside her “It’s because of you.”
Her eyes quickly were on him; that gentle voice of sincerity wasn’t in character for him!
“This city nearly fell apart TWICE… and it would have had it not been for you, Carrots.” His gaze suddenly averted when she made eye contact “You SAVED this city, ya know that? SAVED it… only seemed right that you had the best seats in the house to see your handiwork.” he jabbed his thumb to the streets below, referencing her recent adoring fans “You deserved to see all the little pictures-” he fanned his hands out to the skyline “-and now? Think you should see the big picture~”
“WE saved it~” she said with a smile.
“NO.” he shook his head “Judy, without you a thousand predators would have been drugged by those nighthowlers… maybe even me, probably. And had we followed my lead at the Zootennial? Marsh Market woulda been bulldozed and reptiles would never be back.”
“Nick…” she was almost hurt by his words about himself “...and without you, I would have run back to Bunnyburrow and never come back. Without you none of this would have happened!”
“Hmm.” he grunted.
She went to touch his arm affectionately, but he was already moving away, picking up the take-away bags from Tony’s Restaurant “Now then-” his cocksure smirk returned “Party for Hopps, your table is ready~”
0000oooo0000oooo0000
Nick’s phone played Gazelle’s latest album on his Paw-tify app. Their legs hung over the railing of the massive catwalk that gave a view of Zootopia not even postcards could match.
“OH MY GOD!” Judy gasped as she covered her mouthful of Calzone perfection.
“RIGHT??” Nick laughed with an equally full mouth.
She devoured it in a very un-lady like fashion “Do they deliver with Zuber Eats?? Oh my gosh, I want a million of these!” she swallowed “But anyways, continue! You REALLY convinced the CEO to put vending machines outside the board room?”
“Hooooo yeah.” Nick laughed “I ran me a MEAN vending service, got to even use the elephant price discount for larger portions cause Finnick and I were ‘employees’ and rated the discount. We were reselling elephant pastries as gerbil wedding cakes - we were making almost two grand a day some weeks!”
“You’re AWFUL!” she laughed.
“Look, I once ran a ferry service for HIPPOS.” he snickered “Gimmie a month to brainstorm and I guarantee you I could sell shampoo and shaving cream to reptiles.”
Why did it take her this long to let Nick take the lead on their outings?
Nick was playing her favorite songs that he knew by heart. She was enjoying cuisine at a caliber she didn’t know could even exist. She had an open air balcony giving her a view not even the best five-star restaurants could get… and she was with company she wouldn’t trade for all the pop idols in the world.
It was paradise.
She couldn’t help but get sucked into all his stories of toeing-the-line-with-the-law hustles he’d gotten away with over the years. Any other day, she’d be swatting him on the head… but now? She just couldn’t help but get lost in seeing him so happy.
Her brow furrowed and she stopped sipping her soda “Huh… Ya know… that begs the question…” she pondered out loud before looking at him “Nick… You’ve made well past a million dollars over the years- so why on EARTH do you stay in that place? I know, I know ‘It’s about the people’... but we could find you a better apartment in the neighborhood at least.”
“Eh…” he shrugged dismissively.
The back and forth went on for a solid five minutes before he finally cracked and went “I dunno… I guess… It’s really all I know.”
He pursed his lips and tried to find his words “I-I mean, like… I guess… I dunno. All of this is… NEW to me!” he shifted awkwardly “Up until a few months ago… I mean… I thought I was going to spend the rest of my years doing what I always had been doing: running shifty hustles and peddling cash outta people - no real… I dunno, no real goal. No direction.”
“I mean, yeah, I like the people and being among…people ‘my level’, if you know what I mean. But like… I… I don’t KNOW anything else!”
He leaned back on his palms “Did you know I grew up just a few blocks away from where I live now? Or that I still pay my bills in cash even though I got a bank account now, thanks to you? I do everything outta habit because… well… without you, sometimes I’m worried I’m still that same old fox who’s just taking a break from being a scumbag, not a changed man…” his expression soured and he shook his head “Yeesh! Argh! Feelings!” he laughed unconvincingly “Don’t make me talk all mushy, you know I stink at this!”
“Nick… you are so much more than what you ever give yourself credit for.” she consoled him.
His shut his eyes and shook his head “Darn it, we’re already this far in, so I gotta get it over with now.” he swallowed loudly - all his usual confidence disappeared “T-There’s another reason why I wanted to bring you here. I don’t know how else to say this s-so uh…. Here we go.”
She didn’t know why, but her face suddenly felt hot “N-Nick?”
“Do you uh… recognize where we are? Sure, we’re in an elephant neighborhood… but right down there?” he pointed over the railing “Is an elephant ice cream shop, the place I did my last ever hustle… and one of the most important places in the world to me now.”
Judy’s heart skipped a beat.
“Because right down there? Exactly one year ago as of tomorrow? I met the most important person of my life…” he suddenly got too shy to make eye contact and looked away “And ever since then, my life has been amazing… all cause of her. And I uh… wanted to take her on a night on the town that owes the world to her… c-cause well… I uh…” he scratched the back of his neck “I… I also kinda owe the world to her.”
He sat there, stiff as a board; oh, how awkward he got when having to discuss his kryptonite.
He flinched when two little rabbit arms hugged his side “And down there I met the biggest jerk I’d ever met… not knowing that he’d become the greatest partner I’d ever have.” Her head rested against his jacket’s shoulder “Cause without him… I’d be completely lost. I would have ran back to Bunnyburrow and given up so long ago if I didn’t have the smoothest, kindest man in the world to put up with me for so long.”
Nick chuckled “Well what can I say? Guess you’re startin’ to rub off on me.”
Judy let him free of her embrace, but still relaxed against him as they finished their dinner. She had braced for this weekend as an ordeal to stress through, not wanting to screw things up (Or wake up to cockroaches crawling over her in Nick’s apartment) but now? Gosh, she’d do anything to pause this moment up on this random tower and save it..
“It’s beautiful up here...” she stated.
“...Yeah…” His voice sounded funny “Beautiful…”
A concert had to have been going at the stadium because she was hypnotized by the spotlights beams out of it so delicately. The light show over at the Zootopia Agricultural building lit up the south side of downtown. The still occupied offices on all the skyscrapers made a beautiful mosaic of lights. She could have spent the whole night up here but…
“Brrrrbbrrrr!” she shuddered as a gust cut through her thin wind breaker, being so high up this late at night was starting to get chilly!
“Oh crud, sorry!” Nick swallowed the last of his calzone “Shoulda told ya to dress a lil’ warmer, we can head back down if y-”
“NO!” she quickly interjected “I’m fine - or, at least lets enjoy the view a little longer.”
“Carrots, you’re shaking like a leaf.”
“And I do patrols in Tundratown. I’ll survive.” She fixed him curtly.
Nick silently obliged for a minute… but then-
*ZIIIIIIP*
The fox shed his fleece leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She got a blast of warmth on her whole torso… but it was nothing compared to the heat she now felt rushing on her cheeks. It was a weighted jacket, the shoulders and sleeves far heavier than any article of clothing she owned. It had been worn so many times that the inside fleece was matted and the elbows on the leather outside had been rubbed nearly clean through.
“Oh no! Nick, I’m fine!” she rejected out of reflex, but then-
…She caught a whiff of his jacket… and it calmed her tremendously. It smelled like Nicholas. The smell of that cheap cologne brand he always wore. The after-aroma of the gas-station coffee he practically lived off of. The very faint smell of car exhaust and just the slightest hint of sand. Add all that into his usual scent and… and…
Her little rabbit fingers sunk around the jacket’s fabric so tight, not even Officer McHorn would have been able to pry it from her.
“There. Better.” He taunted “You were makin’ me cry.”
It was practically swimming on her. With how calm and laid back he was, it was easy to forget the size difference between them… Nick was big.
And warm…
“But what about you? H-Here-” she opened up the jacket to try and pull him in “At least take a little!”
“Already got a winter coat on.” he boasted with a fluff of his bushy, red tail “A fox’s pelt comes in a fashion style a BIT thicker than you farm bunnies.”
“Zip it, city boy. I don’t think that thick pelt is the reason you fall back on so many morning PT runs at the precinct.”
Nick let out another one of his trademarked, low chuckles “We’ll make a city girl outta you yet, Judy.”
The enjoyed the skyline for a quiet moment before Nick broke it with:
“...So why the city?”
“Hm?”
“Naw, naw, it’s just…” he shrugged “I know you wanna make the world a better place n all, but like… just up n’ leavin’ all you’ve known? Leavin’ the country to come to the city for your dream? And makin’ it WORK?” he stifled a self conscious laugh “I mean… I couldn’t even bring myself to live in a different neighborhood.”
She yawned widely and curled the jacket tighter around herself, the dark purple of the evening had long since turned to the pitch black of night. “Well, it was… ‘difficult’ at times, sure… but… *yawn* Home is where the heart is…”
The lights of the city were so beautiful… so soft…
“And besides.” she said tiredly “If I ever do get homesick...Bunnyburrow is only a 30 minute train ride away.”
“Heh…” he acknowledged.
That didn’t do anything to answer his question, though. Judy was an enigma. He had lived in Zootopia all his life… he had a fondness of the concrete jungle he could swing through with ease, but he never had the ‘love’ for it Judy exuded. How did someone who’d never even seen the place with her own eyes be so fanatically devoted to serving and protecting those in it? That level of selflessness … it was something he just couldn’t wrap his head around. Was it idealism? Was is stupid naivety? Was it-
….
Hold on.
Bunnyburrow was a 30 minute train ride away?
Judy had crashed with him because her apartment building was getting fumigated for the weekend.
He’d immediately offered her a spot at his place to save her from spending on a hotel room, but… she could have gone just as easily back to her parent’s house for the time being? Her home?
Bunnies were horrifically high-strung creatures. To say they needed ‘extreme levels of comfort at all times’ was that understatement of the century. The times Nick had visited her apartment, he’d nearly gotten nauseous from the amount of pink on her door alone. When he scratched his head at the 20 bunny plushies on her bed, she explained to him that she needed the familiarity of a fluffle to even close her eyes to sleep.
Bunnies were twitchy. They never turned eye contact on an animal they didn’t completely trust… and with lodging? Forget it. They’d never close their eyes to so much as nap if they were in the same room of an animal they didn’t know inside and out… so why didn’t Judy just go home to her folks?
Nick glanced down at her “Judy-”
She was leaned up against his arm and fast asleep.
His heart skipped a beat. His face flushed a level of heat that would have made even camels pass out from heat exhaustion.
She was so soft and light that he didn’t even feel her go limp against him. But she was out like a light. A bunny hand had somewhat braced itself against his arm. Her ears drooped, completely slack.
Nick suddenly felt frozen, his body completely unsure on how to move; well, that was until that damn protective instinct Judy had implanted in him oh so recently decided for him. His tail draped its warmth over her shoulder.
He could have stayed like that forever. Her? Him? Overlooking the best view in all of Zootopia? Late at night with the stars of skyscrapers overpowering the stars in the sky?
He’d always adored this view… but for so many years, he’d have to come up here alone. Finnick was never one for wonder, and that was about the closest thing he had ever had to a real friend all his life. All his life, he’d had so many things to see… but never once someone to share it with.
But that was all until…. ‘She’ came in and actually began his life.
Again, he so badly wanted to stay up here forever… but the night was getting colder and he didn’t want Judy to catch her death of cold on his account.
“Judy…” his whispered, nudging her gently.
No response.
“Judy?” he whispered a little louder.
But she only snored that soft little breath of hers louder, her eyelids showing zero sign of fluttering open… well… she HAD been pulling some crazy hours this week.
Nick couldn’t even chuckle in amusement at that. It wasn’t funny, it wasn’t adorable… it was… SHE was… she was so beautiful.
The fox’s free hand muted the volume of his phone and brought up his Zuber app. He already got a ride confirmation as he pocketed it. He picked up the litter of their Italian dinner and stuffed it into the takeaway bag. Careful not to disturb her, he scooped one arm slowly beneath her haunches and lifted her up against his chest, his other arm securing around the small of her back - he was FAR stronger than any of the other officers gave him credit for.
He carried her soundly sleeping self back to the elevator. For so many years, he always loved to take a final panoramic view of the skyline before heading back down… but right now, all he could stare at was the little grey country girl snoozing against his chest.
He was so used to looking to HER as her rock - but it was so easy to forget that the bravest, strongest person in his world was just a bunny… a little bunny.
And she looked so fragile when she was asleep.
Well… she would always have a den with him.