Work Text:
The bullpen was unusually quiet. Not completely quiet—there was still the occasional phone ringing, printers humming, and distant shouting from another department—but compared to the normal chaos of the ZPD, it felt suspiciously peaceful. This was exactly why Chief Bogo had assigned them paperwork.
"All case files from the last six months need to be organized and cross-referenced," Bogo had said that morning. Then he'd pointed at opposite ends of the computer room. "Separately."
Nick had immediately known what that translated in his language:
"I don't trust you two staying together let's any work be done."
Now Judy sat at one row of computers while Nick occupied another on the far side of the room. At least twenty feet separated them.
Judy was determined to be productive. (If she could be) She clicked through folders. Sorted reports. Updated timestamps. Organized witness statements. (For nearly seven minutes.) Then her phone buzzed. She ignored it. Buzz. Again. Ignored it again. (Tried) Buzz. With a sigh, she glanced down.
Nick ❤️
Judy immediately knew this was a mistake. She opened it anyway.
'Hey Carrots.'
Judy smiled despite herself. Could leave his text as just seen.
'We're literally in the same room.'
A few seconds later:
'And yet I miss you. Didn't feel your presence here.'
Judy physically rolled her eyes. Then she looked across the room. Nick was pretending to work. The second he noticed her looking, he gave her a shameless wink. She nearly dropped her phone. She opened and closed her mouth only once. Bogo could hear her. So she typed instead of it.
'Focus'
Nick leaned back against his chair. Smirked through typing back:
'I am focused.'
She frowned slightly. Really wanted to avoid typing more and more; But with Nick...?!
'On what exactly?'
A pause. Then:
'Your ears.'
Judy instinctively touched one. Blushing briefly, not that much to be obvious to him.
'What's wrong with my ears?'
'Nothing. They're cute.'
Judy groaned. Couldn't control herself to not answer his text.
'Told you never call a rabbit 'Cute'!'
He grinned at that. Luckily, her head was down and didn't notice that.
'Oh, really? That was as a pawpsicle seller.'
She huffed silently. Rolled her eyes but that didn't help her to stop her grin. Across the room, Nick looked incredibly pleased with himself. She put her phone face down. Rubbed her temples. No. Absolutely not. She was not doing this today. She returned to her files. Thirty seconds passed. Buzz. She didn't look. Buzz. Still didn't look. Buzz. She finally cracked.
'What?'
'I can see you pretending not to smile.'
Judy bit her lip. Unfortunately, that only made her smile more.
'I'm working here.'
'Me too. You thought only you can observe?'
She looked up. Nick was still typing. Not on his work computer. But on his phone. Judy bit her gum to suppress her grin.
'I didn't say that... but you're literally not.'
'Okay, fair point.'
Judy finally laughed. A dangerous mistake. Now she was invested. The messages started flying.
'How's your side of the room?'
She wrote back a 'seriously?' but before sending it erased it. Typed another one:
'Less handsome than yours.'
Three dots appeared immediately. Then:
'Wow...'
'Officer Hopps initiating flirting during work hours.'
She accidentally covered her face by her ears. That was her mistake.
'You started it!'
Nick's smirk deepened into a softer smile.
'And you're finishing it.'
Judy buried her face in one paw. Across the room, Nick looked victorious. The sly fox actually gave himself finger guns. Finger Guns. Like an idiot. Her idiot. Another message arrived.
'Wanna know a secret?'
'No.'
'Well, Too bad. But you know, I'm telling you anyway!'
She unconsciously avoided her gaze from her phone for a brief moment. Then looked back down only to find his new text.
'You're adorable when you're trying to be serious.'
Judy's ears turned pink. Nick immediately noticed. The smug grin on his face doubled. She sent:
'Stop looking at me.'
'Make me.'
'Nicolas Wilde.'
'I'm serious, Judith Laverne Hopps.'
The use of her full name was a declaration of war. Judy narrowed her eyes. Nick grinned wider. Then— The door opened. Neither of them noticed. Because they were both busy texting.
'You're insufferably cute, you know. It was a trap for my heart.'
'And you're ineluctably annoying.'
'Same thing.'
'Not even close.'
'Wanna bet?'
'No.'
'Coward.'
'Fox.'
'Bunny.'
'Fox.'
Then another one appeared on her phone.
'Future Mrs. Wilde.'
Judy froze. Her eyes widened. Across the room, Nick looked immensely proud of himself. Judy's entire face went red. She started typing furiously. Then a deep voice spoke behind them.
"Interesting."
Both predators and prey jumped about three feet into the air. Slowly. Very slowly. Then they turned. Actually tried to turn to that special person. Chief Bogo stood in the doorway. Watching them. Silence. Nick locked his phone. Judy nearly threw hers into a drawer. Neither move was subtle. Bogo stared. They stared back. Bogo stared harder. Nick attempted a smile.
"Chief."
Bogo looked at him. Then at Judy. Then back at Nick.
"What exactly are you two doing?"
Nick answered immediately. "Working."
Bogo held out a hoof. "Phone."
Nick surrendered it.
Bogo looked at Judy. "Phone."
Judy surrendered hers too. The room became very quiet. Bogo opened Nick's messages. Nick's confidence vanished instantly. Judy wanted the floor to open and swallow her whole. Bogo scrolled. And scrolled. And scrolled until saw the last unseen message. His expression somehow became even more disappointed. Finally he looked up. Nick looked away.
"'Future Mrs. Wilde'?"
Judy covered her face. Nick considered fleeing the country. Bogo closed his eyes. Taking a long breath-The kind adults took when they were deciding whether murder was worth the paperwork.
"You two were assigned opposite sides of the room."
"Yes, sir," Judy squeaked.
"So you would stop distracting each other."
"Yes, sir," Nick admitted.
"And instead, you texted each other."
"Technically," Nick said carefully, "we weren't talking."
Bogo stared at him. Nick immediately regretted speaking. The chief handed both phones back.
"Fine."
Nick blinked. "Fine?"
Bogo pointed. "Hopps."
"Yes, sir?"
"Move your desk."
Judy blinked. "What?"
"Move it next to Wilde's."
The rabbit and fox exchanged confused looks. Bogo sighed.
"You clearly spend more time talking when you're separated."
A pause.
"At least if you're sitting together I can see what you're doing."
Nick slowly grinned. Judy started laughing. Bogo immediately regretted everything. As he left the room, he muttered:
"I should have become a florist."
The door closed. Silence. Then Judy looked at Nick. Nick looked at Judy. Their phones buzzed simultaneously. Judy checked hers.
'Carrots... everything is safe now'
She looked up.
"Nick."
"What?"
"We are literally sitting next to each other now."
Another buzz. She looked down.(She promised herself this will be the last time.)
'I don't care.'
Judy burst out laughing while Nick nearly fell out of his own chair trying not to laugh with her.