Chapter Text
It was Friday night, and Judy was bored.
Everyone had something going on. Nick was playing poker with Finnick and his old buddies. (“Sorry Carrots, but I might have to arrest them later. If I lose enough money tonight there won’t be hard feelings.”) Clawhauser had tried to sell her on some gaudy nightclub, Fru Fru was taking Little Judy to a park the size of Big Judy’s apartment, and Francine was attending something called The Stampede, which didn’t sound like a place for bunnies. She’d even asked Bogo what he was doing after work, and gotten a cool “none of your business.”
It would be a night catching up on TV, she guessed. She got inside her apartment and sat down on the bed, thumping her head against the wall.
“Hey, Meter Maid, keep it down til we’re out, ok?”
Judy rolled her eyes and thumped again on the thin wall. “You know I’m a real cop now, Pronk. It was all over the news! You gave a statement on TV about how you two always believed in me!”
“And we did!” Bucky joined in. “But calling you Meter Maid stuck!”
“What’s with mammals and nicknaming me?” Judy muttered under her breath.
“Anyway, Pronk and I are going out to that new club, Shrewdio 54. We’re gonna get wrecked! You wanna come with?”
“Yeah!” Pronk added. “We should be better friends, in case you do something important again. We could get famous too!”
Judy’s eyes kept rolling...but she didn’t have anything better to do, and it had been a stressful week... “You know what? Let’s do it. How much is the cover, will a twenty be enough to get drinks too?”
Bucky sighed. “Your new name is Meter Underpaid. Let’s go, you can pay me back.”
She texted Nick in the car.
Me: Hey Blueberries!
Nick: that supposed to be me carrots
Me: Yes! You get nicknames too, I’m sick of being the only one.
Nick: veto
Nick: ill accept sexy devil or fox of my dreams
Me: Ha, good luck with that!
Me: How’s the game going? I’m headed to Shrewdio 54 with the neighbors, if you want to swing by!
Nick: lol
Nick: im fifty bucks in the hole but i think finnick and i are cool
Nick: and lol x2
Nick: not my scene
Me: Fiiiiiine. Leave a bunny all alone, probably to get stepped on or eaten.
Nick: that would suck, whod do my paperwork
Nick: call me if you get stepped on im there
Me: I won’t! If you don’t hear from me, I was crushed and you have to do all your own paperwork, like you should have been all along.
Nick: :’( rip carrots
Nick: beloved daughter, sister, paperwork-doer
Me: Friend?
Nick: acquaintance ^_^
Walking inside, Judy was assaulted by the noise. She flinched and held her paws over her ears to block out the dance beats. “That music! Augh, it’s way too loud!”
Bucky looked down at her sympathetically. “Aw, sorry M&M. Here, let’s get to a quieter corner. First round is on me!”
Pronk looked Judy up and down. “I’m guessing you want something fruity and weak? Hey, just like Bucky!”
Judy groaned. “Oh, shut up.”
“No, you shut up!”
“You shut up!”
“Hey!” Bucky looked hurt. “Pronk, that’s our thing.”
Two hours in, Judy had adjusted to the music and was actually having fun. The fruity mixed drinks definitely helped--she couldn’t say what they were made of, and didn’t want to think about the price, but she was feeling floaty and happy and that’s what counted. Her neighbors had moved to the center of the floor, and she could just barely see their horns bouncing and grinding from her stool. She’d hopped around the edges of the crowd herself, but she was pretty sure she’d get trampled if she tried to join them, like she’d said to Nick.
Speaking of Nick... She fished her phone out of her pocket and checked her texts.
Nick: carrots if youre dead text me back
Nick: *hoof* *bunny* :’(
Nick: since youre not im gonna assume youre fine
Me: Haha hey Nick! Worked about me I see!
Me: Worried
Me: Autocorrect you are a fickle mistress!
Nick: wow you must be hammered
Nick: a typo im so ashamed
Me: Shove it!!!!
Me: And ha, hardly! Just having a good time.
Nick: party animal *bunny*
Me: It’s me!
Nick: ok carrots glad to hear it
Nick: call me if you need anything
Nick: ill be smoking brandy and sipping cigars and having a really classy night
Me: You’re watching cartoons in your bathrobe aren:t you??
Nick: wow i guess judy is short for judgmental
After three more hours, Judy was not having fun. She’d had too much to drink, and the room was spinning. She’d tried dancing a few times, but it always seemed to devolve into skeevy guys grinding on her. Bucky and Pronk were making out against a wall in the back, and the music was hurting her ears again, now a primal sort of pulsing beat. Judy wanted to be anywhere but here.
She paid her tab ( do not look at the total, just sign and leave some cash, do not look ) and stumbled out the door into the cold air. She checked her phone: 2:35 AM, 2% battery, and a text:
Nick: saw a bunny run into a wall in this cartoon and thought of you. hope youre having fun
She burst out laughing and hit Call. It took him a few rings to pick up.
“Niiiiiick! That’s so funny! Hahaha!”
“Carrots? Did you just get home?” Nick sounded groggy.
“No, just out of the club! My head is killing me, owww.”
Nick sighed. “Oh, to be young again. Riding home in a Zuber with the Antler Boys, I hope?”
“No, they looked...busy. Haha. I’m just gonna walk, it’s not that far.”
“What? No no no, you’re clearly not ok. Stay there, I’m on my way. Shrewdio 54, right?”
Judy started to sniff. She was tired and overwhelmed. “Oh...ok. Thank you. I’m just gonna close my eyes for a second here...”
Nick groaned. “I’m heading there right now, OK? Try to keep your eyes open, that’s a sketchy--”
Her phone died. She slumped against the brick wall of the club, quietly crying.
Twenty minutes later, she heard voices. The club doorman and...
“Hey, you leave her alone, fox. She’s waiting for a friend.”
“Yeah, it’s me.” A phone clicked on. “See? That’s her.”
“...Fine. Take care of her, ok?”
She felt wiry arms lift her up from the wall, and a paw holding the back of her head. “Hey Carrots. Up we go, c’mon.”
Judy smiled and opened her eyes a crack. “Hey Nick. ‘ankyou.”
Nick beamed at her. “Anytime, fluff. You’ve got my paperwork to do on Monday, remember?”
She took a swing at him and nearly fell over. “Sh’tup.”
He held her shoulder and walked with her. “I was right on time, I see. You were ready to get in a fight!”
But instead of responding to the teasing, she slumped against him and snored.
Nick was fumbling with keys when he felt Judy jerk awake.
“Nick?”
He opened the door and looked down, carrying her bridal-style. “Hey Carrots. Hope you don’t mind, my place was a lot closer to take you. I’m gonna let you sleep it off on my couch.” She mumbled, still out of it.
Nick carried her to the sofa and carefully set her down, then locked the door and gave his suite a look around. It was very clearly a bachelor pad, with discarded Bugaburger bags littering the ground and dishes moldering in the sink. The furniture could charitably be called well-loved; the couch and bed both sagged and the card table by the kitchen was badly scratched up. “Kinda wish you’d gone back to your place, Carrots.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Whassat smell?”
Nick shrugged. “My neighbor is experimenting with essential oils, blending skunk and patchouli. I don’t even notice anymore.”
Judy giggled. “Yer gross.”
“And you’re drunk, and are going to wake up with a hell of a hangover tomorrow. Bedtime for bunnies, Carrots.” Nick gingerly set Judy down on his couch, and walked away towards his bedroom.
Judy caught his tail. “...Nick?”
He faltered and turned back. “Carrots?”
She gave him a pleading look. “Stay?” She poked the couch. “Couch is too lumpy, I need a pillow.”
He regarded her for a moment, then walked back and sat down. She happily scooted up and dropped her head in his lap.
“Of course, now I have to sleep on the lumpy couch.”
“Shhhhh pillows can’t talk.” Judy flicked her ears at his face sleepily.
Nick gave her a dim look, but she was already starting to snore. He sighed, and gently stroked her ear. “Out like a light, huh.” He smiled. “You could have asked for the bed, you know. I’m kind of wrapped around your finger, Carrots.”
“mmmmrrrnnn.”
He patted her side. “Really. For anyone else, I would have told them to shut up and tossed them a pillow from my bed.”
Judy shifted in her sleep.
“Why not tell you? Cause, honestly, this is like 90% of the way I’d want things anyway. What am I missing out on, right now? Smooches? Awkward fumbles? It’s a small price to pay, and I couldn’t risk making things awkward and not being your best friend anymore.”
He bent down and kissed her temple. Tomorrow, she’d wake up, puke everywhere, yell at him about his smelly, dirty apartment. Tomorrow, he’d go back to being her best friend, and be thrilled to be.
Tonight, he was happy to be needed.