Chapter Text
After the whole disaster of Lyxney's case but Gary's freedom,Nick and Judy proved themselves well to stay as partners even after the horrible miscommunication,separation and almost death they got,when Chief Bogo successfully recovered from Gary's venom bite he approved of them and kept them as partners.
They even catched once again the 200 highly dangerous criminals Nick accidentally released when he tried to escape prison with Nibbles just to get to Judy,it was overwhelming really..but it was worth it at least for Nick because at the end his favourite mammal is alive,he even met her family even though he can hardly remember all of her 275 siblings. At least her parents approved of him,he knew they didn't really have any easy views on foxes and maybe predators in general but glad it went well at the end,they even invited him to bunnyburrow on the next week off they will have which starts from….
tomorrow.
Nick would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling like a nervous teen on his first day of middle school,sure they did meet him at Gary's celebration party but they didn't really have time to be all together and for them to get to know him better,he did play with some of Judy's siblings though and even cut every pawpsicle for every rabbit,he did make a good impression as first meeting but now things are getting serious.. at least that's what he thinks now that he is packing his suitcase for over 2 hours now and it's not even half done.
It's 12 am,they need to get to the train station tomorrow morning at 7 am and he only packed 3 outfits with his closet being a horrible mess and still doesn't know what more outfits and most importantly ties to match and take with him.. great. Now it might sound shocking but Nick does care about outfit match,especially when he needs to make a good further impression for his favourite mammals family like a guy meeting his girlfriend's parents
Speaking of that, Nick also takes the nervous system into the next level along with panic and worry when it comes to his feelings for Judy, it has been like that ever since they made up under the bridge after she “betrayed” him,well it did start there but he realized those feelings when he was locked in prison and opened up to Nibbles.
To be honest,almost everyone knows.. even Judy's annoying ass neighbors when she leaves him for a few minutes to get something from the market near her apartment and they start with their “hey buddy you gotta make the first move fast or an ugly buck will” bullshit,don't get him started on the zebros..they can't get more insufferable, he is already planning evil pranks to get them back when he gets back from bunnyburrow.
In general,as much as he tries to deny it.. it will never work,guess he isn't that great at acting after all maybe at undercover,,that's something at least. Even Bogo noticed AND teases him about it outside work with his famous and same “make your move but it better not affect your work or I will completely split you up this time” words everytime it gets to this topic.
If it wasn't obvious everyone who knows telling him to confess,well he did during the weather wall after thinking he lost her forever,but in order to try to make it sound platonic he confessed without the “I am in love with you” so he hopes Judy took it that way, because seriously why would Judy get in a relationship with him? Why would she give her heart to a fox who was a complete jerk to her when they first met even when she stood up for her and she was already struggling trying to prove herself as a real cop.. not to mention that runny ass mouth of his.. “nobody cares about her or her dreams” every time he remembers that he hits his head at the wall and cusses himself out.
Sure it was a year ago but it's hard for him to completely forget,he really wants to apologize about it. He had thought about it ever since he was in the training academy but then he thinks Judy would think of him as slow and stupid if he apologizes for something that already happened a year ago.
Even worse,what would her family, especially parents think if they found out his feelings for her,they would want him away from her,they would be disgusted,they would change their view on foxes or predators in general again.. they would-
The call ringtone from his phone broke his overthinking and snapped him back to reality,how long has he been overthinking all of this out of the blue?? He checked the time before picking the “Carrots” call.. 12:30 am.
Just great.
“Hey slick! Are you ready for tomorrow?? Because I am SOO excited! I can't wait to welcome you in our home,show you our garden,introduce you to my childhood friends and show you the whole village in general and ohmygod now thats its finally spring the Carrot Day Festival is in this Friday and Weekend we are gonna spend it together I can't wait for your first experience there!!”
Judy being happy or excited even when it's about cases,paperwork and stuff that are challenges for him in general,makes his heart flutters like a butterfly does with its wings,speaking of butterflies he often gets butterflies in his stomach obviously because of her,this bunny is gonna be the death of him.. there is nothing more he loves and makes him smile than Judy being in a good mood and ready for anything.
And he is not willing to ruin that in this one week vacation.
The whole stress and overthinking went down as he pulled the classic Nick Wilde grin and talking style “someone is in a good mood to show her city partner who has never stepped foot in a village in his life her kingdom,shouldn't you be sleeping fluff? I thought you said we needed to get up early with energy tomorrow~”
“You shouldn't be talking and I already packed my suitcase so all I need to do when I get up is shine my teeth and get dressed and you know rabbits are fast,I will be at the station even before the train driver gets on that wheel~and you have already packed your suitcase and ready to sleep and wake up an hour earlier before the train gets at the station…right?~” she said with a teasing way as if she knows Nick's suitcase is not even halfway done.
Nick slowly turns his head to his suitcase and the mess with shirts, pants , underwear and ties everywhere,he is aware he won't be sleeping before 3 am if he keeps going on like that so might as well use his phone with 10 alarms than his actual clock this time.
Yeah he really shouldn't be talking
“Uh..yeah! I packed everything I need and the only thing that's left is my sleepwear,you don't need to worry about even a tiny bit Carrots,I have everything organized~”…not
“Sure you do” she let out a chuckle “make sure you also organize your apartment as a whole after we get back” she said with a teasing and joking tone,even if she is actually joking he actually really need to clean up this mess now that he will have a new visitor every now and then. He doesn't clean his apartment not because he doesn't care about hygiene or anything…if we exclude the pizza slices on the floor where God knows when and how long have he left them there.
He just in general doesn't find a reason to clean bc like he clarified to Judy foxes are solidarity animals so he never expected a visitor in his place only him,himself and he.
But now things changed,he got a badass,beautiful,kind,trustworthy,cute(even though Judy won't like it if he said that outloud),strong,brave and energetic bunny who is now worth every moment of his life and would risk it all for her. (Risk It All by Bruno Mars is def his song fight me)
So once this trip is over and get back to work,he will take all the free time he has left to clean up this mess and invite his favourite mammal for movie night, cinemas are limited anyway and barely release any good movies anymore.. at least that's how he thinks,unless Judy would want a cinema movie night,then he would accept with no hesitation.
Anything for his favourite mammal who changed his life for the better.
“Sure will do fluff,just watch without you even notice it I will invite you for a movie night at my place and you will see the biggest change of your life and that picture you took which I hope you deleted it will look not even once percent close to the future apartment after I get my hands on it~”
as confidently as he said it,another stress got in him,where will he even start?? It may sound easy but he doesn't even have a bed it's just a mattress and it looks like a peanut butter jar of his slept on it and left dirt
Well he did eat peanut butter on his mattress before so it won't be any surprise if there is actually peanut butter on his mattress, and that makes it even more stressing how will he be able to clean it and find the time to dry it. But that's a problem he decides to push it away and deal with it when the time comes. Now he's got more serious problems like when he will finally pack this suitcase and get up early with barely any sleep and make her family feel as comfortable and trusted towards him as he can.
Now that he thinks about it further,what about her grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins and in general all the other mammals who live there?? They aren't any easier than simple parents and siblings especially little siblings who are literal kids and he is very good with kids that must be said. But what about the sassy aunts?..he watches too many movies. He knows how more protective and mean an aunt can be than any other parent and even worse grandparents,and what about the villagers?? How will they react when they see a literal fox out of the blue step on their mostly bunnies,sheeps and possible goats place.
Judy did mention another fox lives there so it calms his down a little but first meetings like this will forever stress him out,Judy may not be his girlfriend (yet) but he had been in lots of relationships and situationships before,and the family meetings barely went well.
To be fair his personality was still masked before he wasn't the fox he is today,so he will take half of the blame for how bad those relationships and family meetings were. But at the same time they weren't being respectful to him either, hell the city hasn't even FULLY accepted him yet especially when he was a con artist. He still get some shocked reactions when they see him as a cop not even because he is a fox or predator in general anymore but it must be said he is kinda well known in this city and not in always positive way
But maybe it's time for him to push the past as hard as it can be for him aside and focus on the present and maybe future. He can do that…right?
“Don't worry, that photo will be deleted when you show me that charming improvement of your apartment~ but now let's sleep shall we? See you at the train station at 6 slick,Goodnight~”
“Trust me you will not be dissapointed,goodnight carrots~”
He may had the classic Nick Wilde way of talking when they were on the phone but the moment they hang up he goes back to the stressed and nervous Nick,he checks his phone and it's 12:35..without wasting any more time he shoves half of the clothes that he tossed around in his suitcase and got a backpack to put his other stuff there,never in his life he had to bring a big suitcase AND a backpack on a one week trip,it's mostly female mammals who do that because they got their extra products like makeup,pads when needed,skincare products,shampoo,conditioner,bodywash gel…fur gel if needed…and much more.
But most male mammals?? Especially the Nicholas Piberius Wilde?? All he would ever pack is 3 outfits at best,an underwear,3 pair of socks,his brush which he also use for his teeth,his all in one shampoo bottle and his deodorant..this is the first time you ever catch him packing half of his closet and even his skincare products which he sometimes forget he has them.
After all he needs to make a good impression and show them how much of a good and clean boyfriend material friend and partner material he can be for their daughter.
He finally throws himself on the mattress with his face on his pillow and he just hopes he at least get to wake up at 5.
He won't disappoint her them.
He needs to be perfect.