Work Text:
Monday, 9 AM
“Judy Hopps, will you make me the happiest fox on the planet and marry me?”
Judy gave Nick an exasperated smile and dumped her armload of case files on his desk. “Nick, if that was any drier my ears would shrivel off. Also, you can’t get out of filling out your paperwork with a fake proposal. Get off your butt and start writing!”
Nick sighed theatrically and put a paw on his chest. “She calls my love false! O most wonderful rabbit, you hold my heart in your paw and you treat it ungently. Also can I borrow a pen?” He grinned.
Judy socked him. “You keep losing them, you dork. I’m starting to suspect you’re running some sort of pen hustle.” She turned to root around in her desk, and Nick put his chin on her head.
“My scheme has been discovered! That’s why I wanna marry this rabbit, so all her pens will be legally mine and I can retire off the profits.”
Judy laughed, and elbowed him from behind, passing a pen back. “Jerk.”
Tuesday, 1 PM
“Where would I be without you, Carrots?”
They were on traffic duty, in Sahara Square’s sweltering summer heat. Judy flicked her ears back in annoyance and punched numbers into the ticket printer.
“Probably in jail for felony tax evasion. And it’s not like I made you draw the short straw this week.”
Nick panted behind his sunglasses. “And my favorite mammal to keep me company, too. I’m so lucky.”
Judy got into their tiny traffic car. “You must miss palling around with Finnick on boring days like today. Do you keep up with him?”
“I see him once in a while. He calls me a filthy pig, but in a ‘happy for you’ kind of way. He also wasn’t incredibly gorgeous like you, so it’s definitely an upgrade.”
She rolled her eyes and took a swig from her water bottle, passing it to him. “I’m sure foxes find the rabbit figure very alluring. Eyes up here, slick.”
Nick put his chin on his paws, looking her over up and down. “I can’t believe you don’t know how attractive you are. I can hardly take my eyes off you, Carrots.”
Judy blushed, just a little. “Foxes and their silver tongues. Are you trying to flatter me into letting you quit early?”
“You’d be somehow even prettier if you did! Why, is it working?”
She smiled and shoved him out. “Nope, you’ve still got 36 tickets to go. Now go ticket that giraffe car, just for getting me flustered.”
Nick pulled on gloves and climbed up the huge car carefully. “Oh well. I wanted to spend the whole afternoon with you anyway!” he called down, tucking the ticket into the windshield wiper.
“Yeah, right. Also, your glove’s smoking.”
“Oh, shit! Ow ow ow ow.”
Thursday, 1 AM
Nick opened the cruiser door, carrying a drink tray. “Coffee, for the light of my life?”
Judy took the offered cup and looked at him with bleary eyes. “Not in the mood for the compliments tonight, I’m way too tired. Thanks.”
Nick frowned, and got in the car. “I hate stake outs. How much longer do we have?”
“Three hours. But Bogo says we get the day off if it lasts the whole time.”
“Thank God.”
“No kidding.”
They sat in silence for a while. Judy rested her head on her fist, while Nick fiddled with his phone.
Finally, Nick turned to Judy. “...What’s wrong with the compliments, Carrots?”
Judy sighed and slumped against the wheel. “Nothing. Forget it, I’m tired and cranky. Insincere compliments are great.”
“Insincere?”
Judy raised an eyebrow. “I mean, they are, aren’t they?”
Nick didn’t say anything, suddenly refocused on his phone. Another stretch passed.
Judy looked across the car. “It’s just... look, I don’t have any issues with self-esteem. I always knew I could be a cop, a great cop. And I even think I look good! Most days. But I’m not perfect, I’m not gorgeous, I’m not the world’s greatest rabbit. And when you say things like that to me, day in and day out...it kinda feels like you’re making fun of me.”
Nick swore under his breath. “Judy, I’m--”
“Hey, hey, it’s ok. I know you’re not, that you wouldn’t do something like that. Just...maybe cool it for a while?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Thanks.” She gave him a gentle smile, but he didn’t meet her eyes.
Thursday, 2 PM
He texted her the next afternoon.
Me: hey carrots you up yet
Me: caaaaarrots
Carrots: ugh
Me: theres my bunny
Me: you wanna get food?
Carrots: five more minutes
Me: cmon its not like you need the beauty sleep ;)
Carrots: .... :/
Me: crap im sorry
Me: wasnt thinking
Carrots: I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Nick
Nick slumped back, staring at the wall.
Friday, 5 PM
Nick had been avoiding her all day, but Judy rounded on him as they walked out the door.
“Hey. We should talk.”
He tensed up, then sighed, leaning back against ZPD’s outside wall. “Carrots, I’m really sorry.”
She nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate that. But can I ask you something? Something maybe kinda weird?”
“Yes, you bet. Anything at all.”
Judy took a deep breath. “Will you tell me the truth?”
Nick looked at her with a confused frown.
“Look, you joke around all the time, and most of the time it’s funny!” Judy said. “But it’s been too much lately. There’s too many layers. I can’t tell how you really feel. Sometimes I can’t even tell if you like being my friend at all, or just resent me all the time for pulling you out of your comfortable life.”
Nick looked hurt. “Don’t say that, Judy...”
Judy sighed. “I’m sorry, but sometimes I just don’t know which way is up with you. So please. How do you feel about me? The truth.” Her expression was serious.
He looked in the air, then down at her feet, then made eye contact again. He looked decisive. “Fine. You want to hear the truth? Judy, I’m head over heels in love with you! The worst day with you is better than I ever had in my old life. You are the best mammal I know, and I don’t ever want to leave your side.” He inhaled and lowered his muzzle, watching for her reaction.
Judy’s eyes went wide as he spoke, and her ears stood straight up. “Nick...” She reached out to take his paw, studying his face. “That’s... that’s what you always say. Are you saying that’s what you really feel?”
He looked away. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
She glared. “Nick, what the hell! This is important! You have to be honest with me!”
He winced and tore his paw from hers. “Fine, then no, it’s not true. How could it be? We’re different species, I’m eight years older than you, I’m lazy and you’re a workaholic, we’ve got nothing in common!” He turned away from her. “I thought it was obvious.”
Judy’s ears drooped. “So...that was just another joke?”
Nick’s ears fell too. “I guess...that’s what I’m saying. Yes. I’m so sorry.”
She nodded and sighed, eyes closed. Then she walked up slowly, and hugged him from behind. “It’s ok. I guess when you put it like that...kinda hard to imagine anything working out, heh.”
“Pretty hard, yeah.”
She rested her head on his back. “Well, I’m sorry for what I said. I’ve always known you’re my friend, and I shouldn’t have tried to force it out of you. I guess foxes just aren’t too open with their emotions, hmm?”
Nick nodded slowly. “Yeah...it’s tough for us to open up. But, no. I’ve never resented you. Not for a minute.” He broke the hug and turned around, giving his best hustler smile. “Best friend, that’s what you are to me. ”
Judy grinned. “Hey, we’re making progress! Look at that, I got some honesty out of you.”
Nick wiggled a finger, smile frozen. “Hard-won, though! Don’t expect it to be a habit!”
Judy took his paw and gave him a light hip check. “I can live with that. Whew, I feel a lot better! I should yell at you more often.” She winked. “So, confirmed best friend, dinner at my place?”
“Nowhere I’d rather be.”
They walked back in silence, hand in hand. Judy’s face was satisfied, like she’d solved a case that had been bugging her for a while.
Nick’s smile was starting to crack.