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Judy’s brow furrowed as she scrolled through the results on Zoollow, clicking into and quickly clicking out of each apartment listing that popped up in her query. Ugh, why was rent so stupidly expensive?
“Careful, Carrots. I think I’m beginning to see smoke leak out of those ears.”
At the sound of her partner coming up behind her into their shared cubicle, Judy slumped further down into her seat with a groan. “I’m going to need a side-hustle to afford these apartments. Still in the Pawpsicle business?”
Nick placed a hand on the back of her chair and leaned down to look at her screen, the smell of the coffee from his mug wafting into her nose as he did so. “Looking to move?” he asked, taking a sip.
“Yeah, my lease is up next month so I was thinking about upgrading. It would be nice to actually have a kitchen.”
“Darlin’, it would be nice to have a toilet.”
“It’s actually not so bad sharing a bathroom with my floor. It’s nothing compared to sharing a bathroom with all my littermates.”
“Ugh, speak for yourself. Communal spaces give me the heebie-jeebies,” Nick gave a theatrical shudder.
“Yeah, yeah, solitary creatures and all that jazz,” Judy couldn’t help but crack a smile, grinning up at her partner as he graced her with his half-lidded smirk.
“With one notable exception,” he responded softly, planting a quick kiss between her ears before crossing the cubicle to his own seat. Judy’s heart fluttered at the affection, quickly glancing around the office space to see if anyone noticed the kiss. It was no secret that the two were dating, but that didn’t mean Bogo wouldn’t chew them out for PDA at the precinct. As crazy as she was about the fox, Judy was determined to separate their partner life from their, well, partner life as much as possible.
“It doesn’t even matter, I can’t afford any of these apartments anyway. I’m probably stuck where I am.”
“It’s hard to find something affordable and nice in Sahara Square. Either pick one of those adjectives or look in other districts.” Nick swiveled his chair to face his own computer, powering it on.
“But then I’m going to have a longer commute,” Judy replied, although the rebuttal sounded weak even to her own ears. Public transit was hardly a concern in Zootopia; the system functioned like a well-oiled machine. The real reason left her mouth before she had the sense to stop it. “And I’ll be further from you.”
Nick turned his head to meet her gaze. “Don’t worry, Carrots. I’ll spring for a MetroCard.” The warmth from his smile melted her, and he knew it. “Once we’re out of work I’ll make a few calls to some old connections. Who knows, something may pop up.”
“Who do you know that rents out apartments?”
“I told you, sweetheart. I know everybody.”
**********
“You sure you don’t want to come with us?” Judy skipped down the steps of the precinct, the soft light of sunset bathing the city in an orange glow. Having changed out of her blues into a pair of jeans and a black blouse in anticipation of going out with Nibbles that evening, she was feeling particularly energized at the prospect of a free weekend.
“No, you go ahead. Those chic, shiny joints aren’t really my thing. Give me a dive bar and a draft beer any day.”
“Yeah, right. I seem to remember a certain fox downing three mango margaritas and singing karaoke at the Pink Pony Club two weeks ago.”
“And I rocked it,” Nick gave her a wink as Judy giggled at the memory. “It’s okay, you go ahead and have your girls’ night. I have homework, remember? Call me if you get sloppy and need a ride back, though.”
“Sweetheart, I am never sloppy,” Judy bounced up on her toes and gave him a kiss before he could respond with his own memories of Judy’s margarita and karaoke track record. “Later, Slick!”
Luckily, the bar Judy was meeting Nibbles at was only three blocks from the precinct so she made it well before the sun went down. Judy spotted Nibbles at a booth in the back corner and slid in beside her with a smile. “Where’s your other half?” Nibbles asked as she waved over a waitress.
“Nick said he wasn’t up for it tonight, although I’m not sure I believe that. I mentioned to him that I was having trouble finding a new apartment in my price range and he said he was going to make some calls.”
Nibbles chuckled, but did not respond right away as the waitress arrived to take their drink orders. After ordering their cocktails, Nibbles leaned over conspiratorially. “Why don’t you just move in with Nick?”
Judy frowned, tracing the marbled edge of their table to avoid meeting Nibbles’ eyes. She wasn’t going to lie, the thought did cross her mind. The idea of moving in with Nick made sense, of course, but the thought of asking him terrified her. While he had opened up considerably during their time together, both as a couple and otherwise, she knew that he still guarded his privacy. She would hate to put him in a situation that compromised that. “Don’t you think it’s too soon? We’ve only been dating for four months.”
“You’ve known each other longer than that, plus you spend every day with him anyway. And most nights, I’m sure.” Judy’s ears flared red at that, but she did not deny it. “You two are crazy about each other.”
“We are,” Judy murmured. “Trust me, I would love to move in together. But what if that’s not what he wants?”
“Please, Judy. That fox looks at you like you’ve hung the moon. Besides, you two are practically attached at the hip anyway. I’m surprised he let you out of his sight for tonight. You know what they say about foxes and how protective they are of their mates.”
“He didn’t let me do anything; I do what I want, thank you,” Judy bristled at the comment, but she couldn’t deny the truth in what Nibbles said. Nick was very protective of her, which worked out wonderfully as partners on the force (especially for a cop with a bunny hero complex). But she was also aware of how strong Nick’s feelings for her were, and her greatest fear was that he would agree to something he didn’t want just to spare her feelings. Granted, her fox wasn’t one to mince words, but this was previously uncharted territory in their relationship. Heck, in any relationship she’s had.
The waitress dropped off their drinks, and Nibbles took a tentative sip before sparing Judy another smile. “If I know that fox - and I do, as much as he likes to deny it - there is nothing he would want more.”
Judy chewed her lip as she sipped her own deceptively strong drink, the rum taking the edge off her nerves. “Maybe, I guess I’m just not quite ready to bring it up yet.”
**********
Judy checked her phone as she grabbed her seat on the subway ride home. Her apartment was only two stops away from the precinct, a fact which she was silently thankful for. She was decidedly not sloppy, thank you very much, but she had definitely had her fill for the evening. To her delight, a text from her fox waited for her.
Text me when you get home.
Grinning, Judy typed back her reply. Aww, is someone worried about me?
I’m worried for those around you. I’ve seen what you can do while sober, I’m terrified at what you’re capable of while drunk.
Judy chuckled. I am NOT drunk.
How many margs deep are you?
Only 2!
Wow, only two. You’re half my size, sweetheart.
Judy could hear his sarcasm through the text. It was probably the rum talking, but she couldn’t help herself from typing out her response. I know how big you are, Slick. Feeling a little silly, she punctuated it with a winking emoji before firing the text off, giggling slightly at her boldness.
The “. . .” popped up and vanished a few times, eventually disappearing entirely. Judy bit a knuckle to conceal her grin. While it was true that they had been dating for four months, the intimate aspects of their relationship were still fairly new, and very, very exciting to the rabbit. While it would be a lie to say she had been very experienced before the fox, it was clear he knew what he was doing. He left her positively breathless. His response finally popped up.
Call me when you’re home, baby.
A thrill raced through her. Nick was generous with terms of endearment to his friends and an insatiable flirt; heck, he called her “darlin’” and “sweetheart” before they even dated. But “baby” was a recent development, reserved only for her, and usually used in a very specific context.
Judy responded with a heart emoji, tucking her phone back into her pocket. She had a feeling this was going to have to be a MuzzleTime call.
**********
Judy flopped back on her pillows, catching her breath as she gazed at the fox on her phone screen. She had indeed wasted no time in MuzzleTiming Nick once she got back to her apartment, and had made it quite clear how much she had missed his company that evening. While the two were sufficiently caught up for the moment, Judy still missed the fox desperately. How could she miss someone she spent nearly every waking moment with?
“I wish you were here,” Judy breathed, rolling onto her side while keeping her eyes on the screen. “It’s not the same without you.”
“Me too,” he answered huskily. Nick looked far more composed than she, however the hungry, near-feral look in his eyes gave him away.
“I always wish you were here,” Judy murmured, the rum that still coursed through her making her far more vulnerable than she typically would be. “I hate being without you.”
An odd look crossed Nick’s face, if just for a moment. It was gone too quickly before Judy could properly decipher it. His trademark half-lidded smile made its way back to his face. She had long ago come to think of it as a mask of sorts, a defense mechanism to hide what he was actually thinking or feeling. She would absolutely hate it if it wasn’t for the fact that she found the expression devastatingly handsome.
“That reminds me,” Nick began, clearing his throat. “I have a lead on an apartment in Tundratown. Want to go see it tomorrow?”
“Tundratown?” Judy’s face scrunched up in distaste. “I don’t know, Slick. I’m not sure I can handle the cold like that all the time.”
“Yeah, not the most ideal location, but I think you should see it before you rule it out. My connection sent me some photos and it looks great.”
“Can I see the photos?”
“And spoil the surprise? No way.”
“You’re annoying,” Judy grumbled, shimmying under the covers and propping her head on her pillow.
“You know you love me.” Nick was laying back on his own bed now, his phone propped on his belly.
“Always, Slick,” Judy flashed a sleepy smile at her phone. “I’ll text you tomorrow. Good night.”
“Good night, Carrots.”
**********
“So even though it’s in Tundratown, it’s still on the same subway line you take to work now. Granted it’s another twenty minutes added on your commute, but you can still be at the precinct in under half an hour,” Nick and Judy claimed two seats on the subway as the car left the station, Nick handing her the coffee he had picked up for her on his way to meet her. She smiled as she took a sip. She had never actually told him her coffee order directly, he just knew, simply remembering the mundane details of their day-to-day life. The same skillset that had made him such a successful hustler also happened to make him a great boyfriend. Nothing slipped by him, no detail went unnoticed.
“That’s not bad,” she remarked, settling back into her seat as the outside world rushed past her window. “Although one of these days I’m hoping the chief will give us our own squad car to take to and from the precinct.”
“Cars are more trouble than they’re worth in this city, trust me. Those meter maids are relentless-ow!” Nick laughed as he rubbed his arm. “Punching your boyfriend? I’ll bring you up on charges, officer.”
Judy stuck her tongue out in response and leaned against him, delighting when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her into his side. She didn’t think she would ever tire of this casual affection, how comfortable he was to show the world that she was his. Judy recalled being nervous when they first started dating, worried that an interspecies couple like them would attract negative attention - they certainly drew some funny looks while in BunnyBurrow. But thankfully, Zootopia’s city center was far from BunnyBurrow, both culturally and physically. Most didn’t even spare them a second glance.
“Here’s our stop!” Nick said, glancing out the window as the train pulled into the first station of Tundratown. Hopping to their feet, the pair made their way onto the platform.
Judy was immediately pleased to see that they were in one of the nicer areas of Tundratown, not far from the central market she enjoyed on the occasional patrol. Nick took her paw as he led the way through the crowded subway station and down side streets. She had lived in Zootopia for two years now, spent every day patrolling the streets, and yet she still had her moments where she was rather turned around. She marveled at the ease with which Nick navigated the city; he could probably do it with his eyes shut.
After less than five minutes of walking from the subway station, Nick stopped in front of a rather quaint brownstone on a quiet street. “Okay, here we go!”
“It’s cute! Close to the station too, always a plus.” Judy said, taking in the building itself as well as its surroundings. The street was lined with similar buildings, with what looked like a bodega of sorts on the corner. Pine trees lined one side of the street, blocking the next street from view. She noted the street sign: Noel Lane. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here before.”
“I wouldn’t think so, this is more of a pred neighborhood.” Judy cocked an eyebrow at him, and Nick merely shrugged. “Don’t worry, no one would mess with you. It’s a lot of otters, badgers, and raccoons on this street and the next.”
“I’m not worried. In case you haven’t noticed, I happen to be dating a predator.”
“It may have caught my attention.”
“Good, then lead the way.” Judy gestured toward the front door and Nick stepped forward, pulling a key from his pocket. “How do you have the key?”
“My connection dropped it off to me last night, I told them I wanted to bring you by.” This struck Judy as rather odd, but swallowed her questions as Nick opened the front door, following him up the stairs to the second floor apartment.
“Here it is!” Unlocking the door, Nick swung it open and stood aside, allowing Judy to enter in front of him. She walked forward into what she assumed would be the living room. While the room lacked furniture, it had a brick fireplace along one wall, worn wood floors, and a brightly lit kitchen tucked around the corner of the room, its cabinets painted a cheery pale yellow.
Judy couldn’t stop the smile that slowly spread across her face as she took it all in. Poking her head into the bedroom, she observed the small yet adequate space and was happy to note that despite the chill outside, it was nice and toasty within the apartment. Stepping out of the bedroom, she observed the bathroom across the hall and found it in good repair, if a bit outdated. Honestly, the whole place just had a feeling to it - home. It wasn’t huge, it was old, but it was clean and bright and cozy. It was perfect.
Returning to the main room, Judy noted that Nick had not followed her in her exploration of the space, but rather had stayed near the front door. Interestingly, he looked rather nervous. “Well? What do you think?”
She smiled at him, if a bit sadly. “I love it, Nick. Really, I do. But I’m almost afraid to ask what the rent is. There’s no way I would be able to afford this.”
“You’d actually only be paying $300 more per month in rent.”
Judy’s ears shot straight up in shock. “What?! How is that possible?”
Nick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, diverting his gaze from hers. “You’d only have to pay $300 more per month in rent . . . If you were to split the rent with someone else.”
“But who . . .” Judy stopped, taking in Nick’s uneasy countenance. It suddenly dawned on her what was going on. “Are you . . .?”
“You know I have a monthly lease; the way I used to live, it was the only situation I would ever consider. But now . . .” Nick paused, still not quite meeting her eyes. “I want more, Judy. I want you, and not just at work or when we hang out. I don’t want to just sleep over or have you over my dump of an apartment. I want . . .” Nick paused, as if not quite ready to say it, but charged ahead anyway. “I want home.” He finally met her gaze. “I hope I’m not freaking you out. Is this too fast?”
Judy’s face split into a brilliant grin, rushing forward and grabbing Nick’s paws in her own. “You mean it? You really want to move in together?”
Obviously relieved by Judy’s enthusiastic reaction, a grin matching Judy’s own spread across Nick’s muzzle. “I do, one hundred percent.”
Launching herself at him in a missile of gray fur, Judy threw her arms around his neck and wrapped Nick into a hug, one which he enthusiastically reciprocated. He pulled her in tightly, her feet lifting from the floor. Burrowing her face into his neck, Judy whispered “I was so afraid to ask you.”
Nick pulled back slightly so he could see her face. “What? Why?”
“I was worried you’d say no, or just say yes because you didn’t want to hurt my feelings and then you’d start to resent me and we’d fight and things would get weird . . .”
“Oh, we’ll probably still fight. I’m a slob and I’m pretty sure your underwear drawer is color-coded. But we’ll fight with love.” Judy chuckled at this, burrowing her face once more into his neck. “We’ll make up with love, too,” Nick growled in her ear, tickling her sides and making her squeal with laughter.
Sliding back down to her feet. Judy peered up at Nick, cocking her head to the side and putting her hands on her hips (in what Nick had affectionately taken to calling her tough bunny cop stance). “So who is this ‘connection’ that owns the apartment?”
“This building is owned by the Ottertons. Emmett and his family live in the downstairs unit.”
“What?! No way!”
“Yep. Emmett’s mother used to live in this unit. She moved into an elder care facility a few months back and I heard a few weeks ago that they were looking to rent it out. When I called yesterday to ask if they had a tenant yet and that we may be interested, they were ecstatic.”
Judy smiled warmly. Since the Night Howler case, she had run into the Ottertons frequently, especially at functions hosted by the Big family. She was always happy to see them and their lovely family. “Well, let’s tell them we’ll take it! It’s perfect. Thank you, Nick.”
“You’re welcome, Carrots. God, I can’t wait to move out from under that gym.”
**********
The end of the month was in two weeks, so Nick and Judy both had ample time to get their new apartment ready and move their things over little by little. Finding used furniture in good condition on MuzzleBook became something of a sport to them; in no time at all, their new place was furnished. The big day had finally come; they had both handed in their keys to their old apartments and were moving their last few items.
“Careful, Clawhauser. I don’t want to tell you how long it took me to pay off that tv,” Nick said nervously as he watched the cheetah carry his precious flatscreen up the flight of stairs. He followed with his game systems in his paws.
Clawhauser rolled his eyes, shooting a glance up at Judy who stood at the top of the stairs. “Let me guess, the most precious thing he owns?”
Judy smiled at Benjamin as he shuffled past her, plopping the television on the stand in the corner of the room. Her eye caught the framed photo from their first case as Nick made his way into the room as well, putting his game systems below the tv. “Maybe not the most precious thing.” Nick caught her eye and winked.
Clawhauser turned and looked around the apartment, clasping his paws together with a wide grin. “You two, this place is perfect! I absolutely love it. I can’t believe it! This is such a big step for you guys!”
“Thanks Ben, she finally wore me down,” Nick tossed an arm lazily over Judy’s shoulders, pulling her into his side.
“You asked me, you dork.” Judy rolled her eyes.
“Details, not important.”
Clawhauser giggled and made his way toward the door. “I better be invited to the housewarming. Or the engagement party, whichever comes first - the way you two are going.”
“She hasn’t locked me down yet, Ben.”
“Oh, I think she has.” Benjamin winked at them before shutting the door behind him. “See you at work!”
Judy crossed her arms, but a playful smile graced her muzzle. “‘She hasn’t locked me down,’ huh? Don’t foxes mate for life?”
“I am truly the most modern of foxes. I can’t be too sure, especially since I don’t think I’ve met all your sisters yet-ow!” Nick chuckled and rubbed his arm. “I’m kidding, Fluff. I think I can only handle one unstoppable rabbit with delusions of grandeur in my life.”
Judy threw her arms around his waist, pulling him into a tight hug and breathing him in. She couldn’t recall a time when she had felt more happy, more at peace . . . more at home.