Work Text:
Nick Wilde had been called many things in his life. Sly, cheating, thief, liar. He heard those words every time a mammal gave him a sideways glance, moved away from him while waiting to cross the street, or gave him a funny look when he bought a cup of coffee. Being a cop helped. But when he was off duty, he was just another fox. Untrustworthy.
And he had forgotten what it was to be called “Loved”. His mother had loved him, once, but she was gone now. Not dead, just…gone.
And now…well, now he might just, maybe, be loved. By a certain bunny cop, with a bright personality and glowing amethyst eyes.
When they were working together to solve the Nighthowler case, he had avoided any thoughts of affection. If you care, you get hurt. But maybe, at the end, they were…friends? Maybe. And all through his training, he kept wondering. Was she really his friend, or was it just a temporary infatuation after the excitement of the Nighthowler case? After all, how could you be “Best Friends” with someone who you’ve known for an amount of time that can be measured in months? Nick had known Finnick for over a dozen years, but he was still more acquaintance then friend.
The moment he knew was after Judy had jerked their cruiser to a stop, and Nick ended up with a pawpsicle attached to his face.
“Oops. Sorry.”
Her tone of voice was anything but repentant.
“Sly bunny.”
“Dumb fox.”
“You know you love me.” Nick said jokingly.
“Do I know?” Judy wondered, countering sarcasm with sarcasm, but then, to her partner’s surprise, she said “Yes, yes I do.” with genuine feeling.
Huh, Nick thought, who would have guessed. Maybe you can be best friends after only a couple months. Maybe I am loved.