Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Judy's ears perked up as the door clicked open. She bounded out of the kitchen into the hallway, beaming brightly.

“Hey there, Nick! How was your day?”

Nick let the door creak slowly shut behind him. The bags under his eyes were worse than usual, and he was slouched over as though weighed down by the world. “Hellish,” he said finally.

Judy raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk forming on her face. “More or less hellish than usual?”

“More. Definitely more.” Nick shuffled forward into the sitting room, dumping his bag against the wall.

Judy followed behind him. “That's right... Monday is when you have the most physical training, isn't it?”

“I still think it doesn't count as 'training' if they end up breaking you,” protested Nick flatly. “I'll be no use as a cop if I'm a pile of... broken bones and pulled muscles.” Nick let himself collapse onto one of the couches, landing face first and bouncing slightly. “Ow,” he added.

Judy walked around him, still smiling. “Well, you'll be no use as a cop if you can't chase down any bad guys either! Don't worry about it. I struggled with the physical stuff for ages. You'll get there eventually.”

Nick pulled a cushion into his face. “Mmmmmmmmmph,” he said.

“That's the spirit! Besides, you're awesome at the academic classes. You're doing great, Nick.” Judy opened the door connecting the sitting room to the kitchen. “I gotta finish these dishes real quick, okay?”

“Mmmmmph,” said Nick.

Judy leaped back onto the tall stool she'd been using to reach the sink. “You really need to take better care of this kitchen,” she called as she resumed scrubbing dirty plates. “I mean, this house is lovely!”

“Mmmmmmmmmph!” Nick countered.

Judy nodded. “Yeah, that's fair. You can't be expected to do too much when you come home so tired every day. But that's just one of the many reasons you're lucky to have such an understanding and supportive roomie, right?”

“Mmmph.”

“Right! Plus, you get to come home at the end of every day. I had to take a room at the academy.” Judy gestured with the sponge, sending flecks of soapy water in various directions. “It was okay, but I really missed my own room back home, y'know?”

“Mmmmmph.”

“Yeah.” There was a few moments of silence as Judy finished up the plates and Nick lay still on the couch.

“I'm real glad I was able to move in,” Judy said after a while. She took a bowl from the pile of clean dishes and started to dry it. “I mean, my apartment was just the worst. And with you finding it harder to make rent...” She chuckled. “Must've been tough to give up the tax-free income of a semi-legal con artist, huh?”

“Mph,” said Nick sourly.

“But things worked out pretty great,” Judy said quietly. “You got to keep your house, I got to move in somewhere way nicer, and... we both got a cool room-mate.”

With difficulty, Nick turned himself over on the couch, moving to lie on his back. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and cleared his throat.

Then he picked up another cushion and held it into his face.

“Mmmmmmph,” he said.

“Exactly.” Judy pulled the stool into the living room, then headed back into the kitchen. “Oh, Chief Bogo was asking about you today!” She dropped her voice as low as she could to imitate the chief's mighty baritone. “'How's Wilde finding academy life?'... I told him, 'Every day he comes home and says he's in hell!' And he said, 'Good. That means it's working.'”

“Mmmmph.”

“Yeah, yeah. Like I said, you'll get there.”

Nick heard Judy re-enter the room and put something on the stool. “Speaking of the chief, I gotta dash. I got the night shift tonight, so you'll have to cook your own dinner for once.” She patted him absently on the arm. “You take it easy, y'hear?”

Nick pushed the cushion off his face, but his eyes were still closed. “Believe me, Carrots, I will.”

“Heh, thought so.” Judy went to the hallway and easily jumped into her coat, which was hanging from a hook at fox height. She landed lightly and hefted up her bag. “See ya later, Dumb Fox!”

Nick didn't open his eyes until he heard the door shut. He looked blearily over to the stool. She had left him a bowl of blueberries.

Nick smiled quietly to himself, picking out a handful. “... Sly Bunny.”

Chapter Text

Nick trudged up through his driveway. He was tired – the same kind of crushing, pervasive tired he'd been since starting at police academy – but there was a smile on his face. He had gotten out a little earlier today, and he knew Judy wouldn't be home yet. He was looking forward to surprising her.

Judy was the perfect housemate. Her boundless energy apparently carried over into how she tackled domestic chores. She handled dishes and laundry and everything else so quickly and efficiently it was sometimes hard to tell she even lived there. She said it was a result of growing up with siblings in the triple digits. Nick, being an only child, took her word for it.

But she did more than carry her own weight. At every opportunity, she helped Nick with his training. Some of it was direct, like helping him study the written material or giving him tips (and often warnings) about the physical regimen.

But mostly, she was just there. Greeting him at the door with a huge smile. Helping him make dinner and clean the house and do all the necessary tasks that would have seemed impossible otherwise. Carrying him through his tiredness. Being there.

He caught himself smiling absently as he unlocked the door. "You're going soft, Wilde," he told himself. "So much for 'never let them see that they get to you', huh, pal?" It was playful. So far, going soft hadn't been so bad. Pretty nice, actually.

He entered the house, hanging up his jacket and letting his bag rest against a wall. He yawned, heading for the living room. There were a couple of things he intended to do, but one thing took priority over all else. First order of business was to sprawl on the couch for a few minutes and regain some energy.

He shuffled along the carpet, rubbing his eyes, wondering what to make for dinner. Then, he stopped. His nose had caught something. He looked up.

Judy was on the couch. Face buried in a pillow.

Nick stared. "Carrots?"

"Mph?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Mph mph mphmmphmmph."

He perched on the edge of the couch, gently touching her shoulder. "Could you, uh, run that by me again?"

Laboriously, she rolled around. She looked at the ceiling instead of him. "I got suspended," she muttered.

"What?!" Nick stared, green eyes wide. "Why would they suspend you? Did you solve too many crimes at once or something?"

"I..." She winced, shifting uncomfortably. Nick hadn't seen her this miserable in a long time. She took a deep breath before speaking. "I yelled at Deputy Chief Wuntch."

"What?! Seriously?" Judy didn't need to explain who she was. Nick knew her. Nick knew everybody. "She's the scariest goat I've ever met! And you yelled at her?"

Judy nodded dismally.

"I'm guessing that didn't end well."

Judy shook her head dismally.

"Man, Carrots. What was this about?"

"She... she was saying stuff about Bogo." Judy sighed, hugging herself. "But that doesn't matter. Bogo said that himself. He made that very clear when he suspended me."

"Oh... I kinda thought Wuntch suspended you. She'd have the power to, right?"

"I guess," mumbled Judy. "But it was Bogo. He called me into his office afterwards, and..." She closed her eyes, as though exhausted. "...I yelled at him, too."

Nick resisted the urge to yell 'What?!' a third time. It wasn't helping.

Instead, he leaned over her, staring. "Um... how? He's one of the scariest anythings I've ever met. It must've taken real guts to stand up to him." He considered adding 'I should know', but stopped himself. That didn't count.

Judy's eyes stayed shut. "That's kind of the problem. I'm all guts and no brains..."

"Don't say that. You're really smart! You–"

"No! I'm not!" Her face screwed up tightly. "I'm an idiot who keeps ruining everything! Honestly, I don't know how I even got this far..."

Nick drew himself up, folding his arms in mock indignation. "Well, I seem to remember you hustling me pretty good back when we first met. Please don't beat yourself up too much. You're the smarter one, so if you're an idiot, that leaves me in a pretty bad place."

He was hoping at least for a chuckle. Nothing came. She just lay there wretchedly.

Nick sighed. "You gonna be alright? I know how much you love your job. Being suspended must be rough."

"It's not just that..."

She opened her eyes slowly and met his gaze. She looked timid – scared, even. It was unsettling. It took a moment for her to put words to her fears.

"What if... what if it's never enough?"

He pulled back slightly. "What?"

"See... I thought the Night Howler case..." She scoffed, shaking her head. "This is gonna sound really messed up, but... I thought it was my big break. I solved it – we solved it. You and I."

"I mean," shrugged Nick, "I helped."

"You did a lot more than 'help', and you know it. I'd never have gotten anywhere with you."

"Sure," he said quietly. Without much conviction.

"But..." She rolled onto her side, talking to his knee. "But what if it isn't enough? What if, I dunno, people forget about it? We saved the city, sure, but... there's always something else. Some new crisis. In a few years, maybe it'll just be a footnote. And I'll have to do something else, and... my whole life is just one big, uphill struggle for people to take me seriously." Her voice cracked. "What if nothing's enough...?"

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Nick tensed. He was very, very concerned that Judy was about to cry. It was only something he had seen once, and he had no desire to see it again. Ever.

His first instinct was to wrap her in a warm hug and tell her everything would be okay. But he had no idea how to do that. He was a mammal of much worldly experience, but not really in the 'warm hugs' department.

What did he know how to do?

Spin. Sell. Tell a story.

Nick slid off the couch and hunkered down, his face level to hers. His expression was kind but serious.

"Carrots, listen to me. What I'm about to say comes from the deepest place of respect."

"Okay...?"

"You're talking absolute garbage. And if you honestly believe a word of what you just said, well... you really are a dumb bunny."

She sniffed. "Thanks, Nick. Really feeling the respect."

"Seriously!" He stood, splaying his arms dramatically. "'A footnote'? Really, Carrots? It baffles me how you can write off what happened so easily. You arrested two mayors! Two! In a row! This city may never fully recover from how hard you saved the day. Pretty sure you created like three new political parties. Accidentally!"

He saw Judy's mouth twitch – his impromptu comedy routine was working. Full steam ahead.

"Zootopia was falling apart. Mystery epidemic of over a dozen missing persons cases. And who ended up solving that mystery?" Nick tapped his index finger to his chin. "I don't seem to recall. Well, I know who it wasn't... Wasn't Chief Buffalo Butt. Wasn't any of his lackeys. And it definitely wasn't that inept witch, Deputy Madeline Wuntch. Do you remember, Carrots? Who was it?"

Now she had a slight smile. "Me. It was me."

"Oh, right!" He grinned. "And the officer who told off the city's most powerful crime lord to his face – could you remind me who that was?"

"Me."

"Outmanoeuvred a pack of mercenary wolves and brought down a secret operation?"

"That was me too."

"Wow!" He planted his hands on his hips. "And who was it who tricked a tyrannical mayor into ruining her own airtight plan?"

Judy pulled herself into an upright position. "That was you."

"As part of a fantastic two-person improvised drama performance in collaboration withhhhhh?"

She nodded. "Me."

"Well now. You sound pretty accomplished." He wandered back to the couch. "The point being – d'you mind?"

"No, of course not."

He sat next to her on the couch. "Point being, you don't need to do anything else. You've more than earned your spot in the history books." He smiled. Warm, genuine. "The story of Judy Hopps is amazing. I'm just honoured to be a part of it."

"I'm honoured to have you in it," she said softly.

They held each others' gaze for a moment, the sentiment hanging in the air.

But then she sighed. When she had sat up, gravity had claimed her ears. They drooped despondently. "But it hasn't... translated yet. I'm still so low down in the force."

Nick scoffed gently. "Uh, yeah. Because you've been there less than a year, and spent a significant chunk of that time brooding on your parents' farm instead of working."

Judy frowned awkwardly. "Well, I mean, when you put it that way–"

"It starts to make sense?" Nick chuckled. "Look, I get you're frustrated. But you need to give it a little more time. So Bogo still doesn't think too highly of you. What about the other people at the precinct, huh? Have they changed their tune?"

"Well..." Judy ran through her mental list of other officers. "Yeah, I think so. Clawhauser was already on my side, basically, but he was really impressed. So was most of the precinct, I think. McHorn and Johnson aren't dismissive of me any more. And some started reaching out to me! The other day, Fangmeyer and Wolford invited me to lunch!"

"See? Focus on the positives! Look around at what you have, and use that to move forward." He settled back against the couch. "And it's not just the people you know. You're an inspiration, Hopps. And I don't say that kind of thing lightly. But think of all the bunnies who have the confidence to try to be something other than carrot farmers. No, more than that! Think of all the foxes who can try to be things other than hustlers. Think of all the people, all over the world, who heard your story and were amazed."

Not trusting herself to speak, Judy just watched him, a timid smile on her face.

He gave her a grin. "You have your foot in the door now, Carrots. All you have to do is keep walking, and try not to get yourself thrown out of the building. That's your job now." His smile didn't waver, but humour left his eyes. "That, and... stay alive. It was kind of a miracle you survived that case. Just stay alive. Go to work every morning, and come home every night. That'd be enough."

"Nick..." She drew closer, laying a hand on his arm. Nick had a powerful sense of deja vu. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing he felt.

too much pull back pull back pull back

He broke away, smoothly seguing into a nonchalant shrug. "And hey. Things'll be a lot different in thirty years. When you're Chief of Police."

She frowned. "I dunno about that..."

Nick nodded. "No, you're right, I was off. Closer to twenty."

A little laugh. "C'mon, Nick..." She managed a grin. "At this rate, I'll be lucky to still be a meter maid."

Nick felt his ears perk a little. She had cracked a joke! Definite progress!

"Like I said, Carrots, the positives! Look at where you are, compared to where you started." He grinned ear to pointed ear. "I mean, you're the first ever rabbit police officer to get suspended for yelling at her boss like an idiot! Isn't that magical?"

She chuckled despite herself. "Nick, shut up..."

"Sorry, I'm afraid I can't do that. I won't stop talking until I've successfully cheered you up."

Judy raised an eyebrow. "What if the only thing that'll cheer me up is Nick Wilde shutting up for once?"

"Well, that'd be a tragic impasse."

For a few moments they sat in comfortable silence. Nick scanned his partner, breaking out his con-man's eye. She was definitely feeling better. Her face had settled on a bittersweet smile, and her posture was a lot less tense. She was relaxed.

But her ears were still drooping. He wasn't done.

Nick sighed gently. "Look. I don't pretend to know the challenges you face as the first rabbit cop." He looked off into the middle distance. "Though I guess I'll have a rough idea of what it's like once I'm done at the academy..."

"No." Judy turned to him, a spark of her usual determination in her purple eyes. "It won't be the same for you, I promise. I was alone. You won't be."

They shared a quiet smile – until Judy's expression fell and she looked away again.

"Unless I get myself fired in the meantime..."

"That won't happen," said Nick. Friendly but firm. "Here's what you're gonna do. When your suspension is over, you go in, and you do everything Bogo tells you. You follow all his commands to the letter, for as long as you have to."

She stared. "I..."

"And you know why? Because he's expecting you to fail. He thinks, after all this time, you might not have what it takes." He leaned in, giving her his best, most devilish grin. "You go in there, Judy Hopps, and you prove him wrong. You're gonna be the model employee out of spite."

Judy took a second to think this over. "...Yeah. Yeah, okay. I think I can do that."

"Good to hear. But that's a concern for later. You've got some time to yourself in the meantime, and we need to fill it. No wallowing in sadness, okay? Here's the deal. First off, we're ordering takeout. Your choice. I'm paying."

"Nick, you don't have to–"

"Then, we're putting on a movie, whatever you want to watch. And we'll have a nice dinner, and then we'll eat a ton of ice-cream straight out of the tub, partly to make you feel better and partly because that's on my bucket list."

She raised an eyebrow, her smile growing wider. "That's not on your bucket list."

"Funny story," he said breezily, his eyes sparkling. "See, I thought you were limited to activities involving buckets, and items similar thereto. 'Eat ice-cream from the tub' is actually the only good one I have. Rest are garbage. But by the time I realized my mistake, I already had the list laminated, sooooo..." He shrugged, making a dance of the motion.

She giggled. "Your jokes are so weird sometimes."

"Only sometimes?"

"No, good point. You're always weird." 

He smiled. "Weird fox. Amazing bunny. I'm always here for you, Hopps. You know that."

For a second, she just sat there, giving him a big smile. Her ears were up. Finally. Without warning she burst forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, thank you!"

Nick froze.

He wasn't used to close contact, and she had taken him by surprise.

But that was no excuse.

With conviction that would have impressed his instructors at the academy, Nick pushed past his surprise and regained control. He shifted into a better position and returned the embrace, pulling her into a warm hug. He wrapped his tail around her back for good measure.

"You're fine, Judy," he murmured, patting her head slowly. "Everything's gonna be okay. I promise."

She nestled her face into his shoulder. "Oh, Nick... I don't deserve you."

"Yeah," said Nick softly. "You deserve better. But I guess I'll have to do for now."

Chapter Text

Almost there.

He had slaved through the physical training, broken again and again until he learned to adapt. He had spent long nights with dry textbooks, and set new records in the written exams. He had worked, for months, toward a singular goal.

And now here he was. A few short hours from graduation.

Nick lounged on his couch, enjoying a well-earned rest. Right now, the dorms at the academy were buzzing with a carnival atmosphere, recruits finally able to let out months of nervous energy. While Nick considered all of his fellow cadets good friends – it had proven to be a heck of a bonding exercise – he had only revelled in the ruckus for a few hours. He wanted to be presentable for tomorrow morning. He wanted to wait for the ceremony here, at home.

He wanted to see Judy.

The front door clicked in the hallway. Nick smiled, but didn't move. He knew she would come to him.

Moments later, Judy let herself into the living room. She smiled at him brightly, hands clasped behind her back. "Hey, Nick!"

"Hey."

"Big day tomorrow. All set?"

"Think so. Looking forward to it." He was wearing his usual smirk – though around Judy, it always came out subtly warmer. "Be careful, though. You're not allowed to see me in my dress until I'm walking down the aisle."

Judy laughed. "Well! I was gonna ask if you were excited about officially becoming my partner, but I think you just answered that question..."

'Til death do us part, suggested Nick's brain, and his gut twisted uncomfortably. He was no stranger to dark humour, and despite her cheerful demeanour, neither was Judy. But policework was dangerous. That was... It'd be...

He quickly shoved those thoughts under a dark rock, where they belonged. It was over in an instant – Nick's face showing no sign of discomfort, as always – so he changed gears easily. Still smirking, he just shrugged. "Yeah, Carrots. I am."

"Me too, Nick! Me too."

She crept closer – and revealed she had been holding something behind her back. A small box, wrapped neatly in blue and green paper. She offered it with both paws.

"Actually... I got you a little something. Nothing major, just a small gift to celebrate."

Nick raised his eyebrows, leaning forward. "Oh, Carrots... you shouldn't have," he said. And meant it.

"Nonsense! Go on. Take it."

He lifted it carefully – if it was so 'little', why was she holding it with such reverence? – then settled back in his seat. "You want me to open it now?"

"Yeah!" Judy climbed onto the couch, sitting next to him. "Like I said, it's not big. And you might want to have it tomorrow."

A smile tugged at Nick's mouth. "Well. Now I'm curious."

"Then go ahead!"

He did. His claws crinkled the paper, moving methodically.

Unwrapping the paper revealed a deep blue case. With a final glance to Judy – who was watching intently, ears high – Nick opened it. He stared.

A pair of sunglasses. Aviators, specifically, shining brilliantly in the dim light. They looked expensive.

The best shades Nick had ever seen.

"I remember when we busted Lionheart together," Judy was saying. "Bogo wanted me to read him his rights, so I left you by the squad cars for a few minutes. And when I came back, you'd 'borrowed' a pair of aviators from Wolford's glove compartment! He was a good sport about it, but he did want them back..."

Nick realized, dimly, that his paws were shaking. Where did she get these? How much had they cost? He knew a low-quality product when he saw one, of course he did, and these were... How much money had she wasted?

"Then a while back you mentioned to me how your Braybans were getting rickety..." A chuckle. "And I was like, 'getting rickety'? You must've had them for years! So I started looking around..."

Nick's thoughts spiralled, a mess of prices and stores and feelings and numbers, focus on the numbers, he'd need to buy her something really great to ever match something this thoughtful. Dammit! He'd never be able to – why did she have to – he was already so–

"And when I saw these ones, I just... I remembered the night at Cliffside, and how you wanted to 'blend in' with my department, and I figured it was, y'know, a nice way to..." Judy must have finally looked up. She trailed off, voice quiet. "Nick?"

Oh god. He was crying.

He wasn't sobbing. Nick, as a rule, did not sob. He hadn't since Ranger Scouts. That night he had learned there was no room in the world for his tears. He forced himself to stop. Crushed his pain into uneven cubes until the nausea passed.

But even he had his limits. And there had been times over the years, some more recent than he liked to admit, where the dam... didn't burst, per se. Just overflowed. And Nick, not sobbing, would lie or sit or stand there, silent tears running down his face.

It was happening.

Judy tensed, bringing a paw to her mouth. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Was it – did I–?"

His instincts kicked in, but he was different mammal now, with different instincts, and they conflicted.

Never let them see that they get to you. Too late. Far too late. Leave the room, straighten up, never speak of this again.

That wasn't an option. Judy was his partner. This was a present. He had to save the situation, salvage it.

Tell a joke! Carrots, your presents are so bad they make me cry. No! What?! No! Horrible!

Tell the truth. That seemed unfathomable. Even after a year with Judy, after so much progress, he couldn't just... talk. Not when he was taken by surprise like this.

But he had to say something.

Nick had just sat there for an entire two seconds. It dragged like a funeral. He stole a glance at Judy. Her ears were low, her eyes wide. He could read her easily. She was horrified, doubly so because she had no idea what she had done wrong.

That wasn't helping his tears.

He unfroze suddenly, laying the sunglasses on table. He wiped at his eyes, trying to disappear into his arms.

"Um," he said.

"What's wrong?" said Judy. Worried, self-conscious, probably louder than she intended. "I'm really sorry, I had no idea that–"

"No, no. Of course. It's not your fault at all." He dried his eyes, already regaining control. "Seriously, it's nothing. I'm just – just tired from the training, that's all, and nervous about tomorrow. I'm not..."

Another silence, one that dragged for a few moments. Then Judy shuffled closer. "Hey. If you need to talk, I'm right here." She reached out.

She laid a paw on his arm.

Nick remembered their first adventure too. He remembered the first time he had ever opened up to her. He remembered Judy laying a paw on his arm, just like this. He remembered his discomfort, how he had quickly pulled away.

He remembered every moment between then and now.

He pulled his arm away – so he could reach around and use it to pull her close. He caught her in a hug, arms tight around her.

Judy blinked, but a second later she was eagerly returning the embrace.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise. I thought you weren't the hugging type..."

"Shut up before I change my mind," mumbled Nick, and Judy laughed.

She adjusted position, pressing herself against him. Her small arms wrapped around him, revealing her surprising strength. "Easy now. It's okay, Nick."

His breath hitched. "It's not! I shouldn't – I don't–!"

"Shh..."

Nick hesitated for a moment, but soon he was relaxing into the hug. He clung to her. She was so much smaller than him, yet so much stronger. It wasn't merely a question of muscles, though he could feel the power resting under that soft fur. She exuded confidence. Safety.

He felt at home.

"You are," he said slowly, "the best person in the world, and I'm unspeakably lucky to have you, and I'm sorry I'm so weird."

She chuckled into his chest. "Oh, you foxes... you're so emotional..."

Nick couldn't help but smile. "Shut up! That's not even a stereotype..."

For a few moments, they sat there. Judy rested her head against him. Nick held her tightly.

His old anxieties about physical contact had faded a lot in recent months. But not completely. Nick pulled back, disentangling his limbs. Judy sat back as well, giving him space and a small smile.

"Feeling better?"

"Uh, yeah." He returned it. "Yeah."

"Good. Good." Her smile diminished. "Nick, I don't want to pry, but... what was that? Is everything okay?"

He sighed. She was owed an explanation. "I guess..."

Nick thought it over for a moment. It was hard to articulate the problem. But it would always be easy to talk to Judy.

"I'm not used to... this. To somebody treating me this way. My life has been generally low on people giving me free stuff."

His eyes wandered to the sunglasses.

"And this... I mean, it's expensive, so you spent money, and high-quality, so you spent time and effort researching it. And it's practical, which you know I prefer to ornamental junk, and it's something I, specifically, will use every day." He let out an awed little sigh. "And on top of all that, it's – it's thoughtful. You had the whole story to go with it, and you're right, it was a big moment and this is an amazing way to make me feel like I actually belong..." He turned back to her with a lopsided grin. "It's the perfect gift, Carrots. You went from zero to Perfect Gift. No wonder I got whiplash."

She laughed at that, clearly thankful the joking tone had returned. Nick wasn't the only one who relied on humour to sail difficult conversational waters. "Are you saying you're gonna cry every time I give you something?"

He snorted. "Yeah. 'Hey Carrots, can you pass the salt oh god my feelings'!"

Judy burst out laughing. Nick savoured the joy on her face before continuing.

"No. I just... Take it as a general warning, I guess. I'm still working through stuff. A lot of stuff. I don't talk about it, you know I don't, but I... I've been through some rough times. And sometimes I can have weird reactions to weird things, especially if it's sudden. But I'm getting better." He felt a warm smile break out. "Thanks to you."

She returned it. "I'm really glad to hear that, Nick. Anything you need, I'm here."

"Thanks, Judy."

The silence was warm for a moment. Then Nick felt a tendril of his old anxiety.

"Do me a favour, okay? ...Don't tell anybody about this."

"About what? The fact Nicholas Wilde actually has emotions?" She was smirking, but her eyes were soft. "Don't worry, Slick. Your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." He looked back to the sunglasses, still lying on the table. Moving delicately, he picked them up, cradling them in one paw. "And these too. Thank you so much. I'll take good care of them, I promise."

He unfolded them, claws moving with reverent grace. Then he settled them on his face for the first of many, many times.

"How do I look?"

Judy looked him over, eyes bright. "...Like a police officer."

He smiled. "Great. The illusion is complete. Hopefully someone will actually fall for it."

Judy shoved him playfully. "Darn it, Nick, quit joking about how much you suck! I always feel bad if I laugh..."

"Right, right. Sorry."

"And you won't be fooling anyone." She smiled softly. "When people look at you, they're gonna think you're a brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy cop. And there's no hustle there, no con. Because that's exactly who you are."

Nick was glad he was wearing the sunglasses. They were useful for moments like this. When everything became slightly too much, and his careful mask, the cool exterior he had built for decades, wasn't quite able to–

...Oh, what the hell. It was Judy.

He slipped the aviators off, letting her see his eyes, his vulnerable expression. He really was touched. He was tearing up again. And that was okay.

They held each others' gaze for a moment, green on purple. Neither of them said anything. Neither of them had to. Nick loved their constant banter, but he treasured these silences too. He knew what they meant. Despite everything, the drama and excitement and initial antagonism, he and Judy were comfortable with each other. In a way that was rare, glorious.

Partners.

Nick let out a breath, wiping his eyes. "Hoo, boy. I... Hopefully I'll keep it together tomorrow. Because y'know, I've... catharsis'd myself now. Emotions gone, all vented out. Better out than in, right? Pressure's off."

"Sure, sure." Judy shifted, coming very slightly closer. "You're really okay?"

"I'm really okay. I just... yeah."

He stood, a touch abruptly. He folded the glasses up and returned them to their case. "I'm gonna put these with my dress uniform. I'm wearing them to the ceremony and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me."

"Well, that's the spirit." Judy settled back on the couch, smirking. "After all, the whole point of law enforcement is to be yourself and have fun."

"You say that sarcastically, but I'm just following your example." He returned her wry look. "I seem to recall you committing several fun felonies to stop Bellwether. Don't high-road me for accessorising."

Judy shrugged. "Got me there. Do what you want, Slick."

"I will. And thanks to these, I'll look fabulous doing it."

He moved for the doorway – but paused in the frame. After hesitating a moment, he turned back.

"Um, Judy?"

"Yes?"

He took a breath. He knew there was no need to be nervous. "I'm... really glad I get to be your partner."

She returned his timid smile. Nick tried to commit the scene to memory; Judy, relaxed on the couch, watching him warmly. Eyes soft.

"Me too, Nick. Me too."