Chapter Text
Time passes quickly following the reptiles’s return to Zootopia. Since helping Gary De’Snake find his great grandmother’s patent and prove his innocence, Nick and Judy had been helping Zootopia begin the gradual process of welcoming back the reptile community after decades of ostracism. As you can imagine, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, it was slow going. Rebuilding, reopening their district, and the mammal society growing accustomed to their fellow reptilian citizens. That was the hardest part. Once prejudice has been established, taught and learned by generations, it doesn’t just disappear, try as the kinder citizens may. Speciesism still exists, as unfortunate, and wrong as it may be. But hate and fear is taught, and as long as kind and loving mouths are willing to share the truth with others and their children, hope persists.
Having proved their innocence, Nick and Judy had been heartily welcomed back to the ZPD, with a new level of respect among their colleagues, and a teary hug from Clawhauser. They had even received- well, as close to an apology as they could get from Chief Bogo, a gruff nod, a slight smile, and a “Welcome back.” Which Judy was absolutely delighted by, much to Nick’s amusement. He couldn’t care less frankly, but it was nice to see Judy happy and vindicated, and he couldn’t deny his slight relief from the approval of the chief.
Hopps and Wilde had been a busy duo since returning, what with the reptile restoration and capturing all the escaped criminals that Nick and Nibbles had inadvertently let loose. But as things started to mellow out and Judy could have a thought to herself again, something had begun to bother her.
She and Nick had of course briefed each other on their abridged stories of what had happened after they had been separated at the Honeymoon Lodge, but Judy couldn’t help the haunting suspicion that there was something Nick hadn’t specifically told her. And it worried her. Especially since her most recent discovery.
Over the past couple days, around the office and even out in the field, Judy had been noticing Nick hiding his right paw. He would tuck it in his pocket much more often, and if he caught something tossed to him, he’d flinch a bit. He had even been writing more with his left hand (Judy being fascinated by the fact the he was ambidextrous). All this had led to Judy’s concern heightening, and her doing a little bit of snooping.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, she was just reasonably worried about her partner’s wellbeing. Perfectly normal! She’d stand closer to him, look over his shoulder (much to his apparent chagrin, but Judy knew he didn’t really mind) as he wrote, and try and steal glances at his paw. Eventually, she finally sees it, the light shines on his paw just so, cutting through his fur to reveal….
Scratches. Relatively fresh, and deep ones.
No wonder he’d been avoiding using that paw, it must be hurting him, and…
He didn’t tell her.
…Why?
Judy lay in bed that night very worried indeed as she thought it over.
What had happened?
When did it happen?
Who hurt him so badly?
And worst of all:
Why wouldn’t he tell her what happened?
Had she done something to upset him? To push him away? Did she not listen to something he said? Judy fretted as she lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn’t stop her wide-awake brain from churning out things she could have done wrong, and desperately wanted to find anything to say or do to make amends. Rolling to her side, she lets out a defeated sigh. Judy faces her desk now, where she sees the delicately repaired carrot pen she had set there. She smiles, remembering the treasured message it held.
Love you Partner.
That’s right. Nick cared about her, he trusted her too, like she trusted him. She doesn’t need to freak out about this… she would just give him time to come to her… that would probably work. Until then, she’ll just keep an eye on him, and be sure he’s okay. It was fine. Judy was a generally impatient person, but for Nick, she could wait as long as he needed to feel ready.
…………………………………………………………
Nick paces about in his tiny apartment, his tail flicking about behind him, reflecting his agitation. He had tried to convince himself that it was nothing. None of his business. But… it felt like his business.
Everything to do with Judy lately did.
And it both unnerved, and worried the fox.
………
A few days earlier, on one of their lunch breaks, Nick and Judy had gotten some food and taken it to a nearby park, exploring it, eating, and taking with each other. At one point, they paused to sit on a bench and Judy seemed to relax a bit, and take in the scenery.
Leaning back against the bench, she closes her eyes with a smile, taking a deep breath in through her nose, and letting it out through her mouth. Her ears stood tall and proud as she speaks.
“You hear that, Nick?”
Nick looks at her with a chuckle.
“Gonna need some clarification on what I should be hearing, Fluff.”
“Y’know, …everything.”
Judy opens her eyes slowly, still smiling peacefully.
“The sound of kids playing, their laughter, adults talking, the wind rustling the leaves of the trees, the distant traffic…”
He almost made a joke about not everyone having bunny-ear hearing, but stopped, and listened.
Huh. Now that he paid attention to it, he did.
“Even the smells! The grass, the dirt, our food.”
Nick nods, watching her face as she takes in her surroundings, her little pink nose twitching.
“It’s so beautiful. It almost reminds me of home. Sitting in our backyard in Bunnyburrow…But this place… it’s home now. It’s different, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. This, is the Zootopia, the home that I forever want to protect.”
Judy looks up at the puffy clouds drifting through the blue sky, happily watching them pass. Nick’s gaze however, is and always has been on Judy. He was… transfixed. Her fur gently ruffled by the light breeze, her sweet smile, how much she cared about everything, and everyone. How she noticed the beauty in things, whether that be in a busy city park, or in a shifty lowlife fox. Her violet eyes shimmering with unspoken passion for the very world she lived in.
He didn’t know what he would do without her.
Giggling, she breaks the short silence, (and Nick’s embarrassing line of concentration), turning to look at him, bashful.
“I guess that sounds a bit cheesy, doesn’t it.”
“I mean… a little. But it’s… admirable.”
Nick admits, trying to seem nonchalant about it, but much to his chagrin, Judy makes that very difficult by laughing, and tilting her head to the side with a curious smirk.
“Nick Wilde, was that a compliment…? I’ve gotta admit, I’m curious why you’d think so.”
He returns the sass in his reply.
“My my, looking a bit desperate for compliments there, Carrots.”
“My my, look who’s dodging the question here, Slick.”
He trained her too well, she was getting far too good at this.
“Alright, alright.”
Nick relents.
“You’re just good at that whole noticing thing. You seem to really live your life, and you see greatness in the mundane, it’s just… refreshing.”
Nick sighs with a smile, looking out at the park view. Quieter, he adds more.
“A guy thinks he’s seen it all, and knows how creatures work, then you crash into his life, and change everything for the better.”
Judy is about to cry, when Nick says one more thing, catching her off guard entirely.
“…and you have sauce on your cheek by the way.”
Judy falters, lifting her paw to her cheek, where sure enough, some stickiness remained.
“Wha- Nick!! How long has it been there?!”
“Only… the entire conversation.”
He grins mischievously, and Judy roughly elbows him in the side, causing him to grunt in pain.
“Ack- Okay, okay! Geez, you pack a punch…”
Nick looks over in time to catch Judy attempting to wipe the sauce off her face with a spare napkin, sees something that makes his heart stop. Hidden beneath the fur on her cheek as she rubbed it out of the way, there was a small scar. More than one actually, it appeared to be little lines next to each other, which looked suspiciously like…
…a claw mark.
Nick looks away, not wanting to be caught staring. How had he not noticed it before now?! He desperately tries to school his expression into a neutral one by the time she turns to him again, barely managing to do so. She tilts her head at him curiously, leaning in.
“Did I get it?”
“…Huh?”
“The sauce, Nick.”
Nick cringes internally. Ah. Right. He’d forgotten about that.
“Oh yeah, you got it.”
Focus, Nicholaus P. Wilde—
Nick looks away, unable to meet Judy’s eyes. Especially since being alerted to the worrisome presence of the clawed scars on her face; the sight of them and the scary possibilities that now unfolded before him had seared it into the forefront of his mind. He wished, hoped, longed to ask about them, what had happened, who hurt her so, and offer his condolences even late after the event.
But would that be too insensitive? It could be a touchy subject for all he knew, he couldn’t just bring it up out of the blue. But he can’t erase the sight of it from his mind, and worry. What if… she hadn’t told him for a reason…?
No. Stop thinking like that, Wilde….
“Good.”
Judy breathes in relief. Judy raises a teasing brow at Nick as she hops off of the bench that they sat on and onto the sidewalk.
“At least you told me before we got back to the station, I guess I should thank you.”
Nick smiles back, gesturing in waiting. Then Judy rolls her eyes fondly, and turns tail, her hips swaying, leaving him to follow behind her as she begins walking.
“That was it, that was the apology.”
Nick chuckles, sidling up beside her.
“Meh, a bit half-assed, but I accept it.”
Judy giggles, and Nick’s smile softens for a moment, as it often does with Judy. It fades a bit, knowing that he’s going to have to ask her about the scars eventually.
Maybe he could find an excuse to have her over...?
Little did he know, Judy was planning to talk to him too.
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