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“I didn’t know you played the guitar” Were the words from his partner that set everything in motion. A small quiet night, tucked in the tod’s underground apartment, that silently turned into something neither wanted to acknowledge out loud.
Routine, he decided to call it, one forged through companionship and tradition centered around saving their day off for each other. Ice cream followed by showing her around the hidden places in the city. Those little spaces reserved only for those willing to find them.
He turned, his gaze finding the bunny doe sitting on the old stained couch with him. Her head tilted with a question burning behind her eyes. One he feared answering may give away more than he was willing at the moment.
“I, uh, may have dabbled from time to time” He replied breezily, trying to hide the way his paws clenched and his tail pressed tighter around her hips. “Keep the old soulful fox image going”
“Why haven’t I seen it before? Were you hiding it from me?” She pressed confidently, knowing the reaction she’d get from the tod. Something he learned loved and hated in equal measures. A mischievous smirk on her muzzle that, were it not on the bunny, he’d think he was looking at a mirror.
“No! No, it was just, boxed somewhere. Felt the itch and, dusted it off. You know, for old time sake” His sight moved from the bunny to the instrument propped against the wall. Mentally berating himself for leaving it in the open after his latest practice session. His surprise wasn’t ready to be shown but he may just have dashed his hopes for a perfect opportunity.
“You are very cute when you get flustered,” Her paw found his arm, short fingers curling around it and digging into his fur. Her thumb caressing lightly against his pulse. “but you know you don’t have to be with me. I’m your support animal, remember?” She asked with a warm smile, one that spoke words that didn’t need saying between them.
He chuckled. “I know, and I’ll take your word, Fluff” Pressing his nose against the back of her paw, nuzzling into it and taking in her natural scent. “Cuteness’ your specialty, after all” Her grip tightened, the feeling of her blunt claw tips digging into his skin sending an electric shock down his arm.
“Careful Slick,” She warned playfully. “kicking is also my specialty and you are currently in range” Her leg pressed against his, her foot hooking around his shin.
“Fine, greedy rabbit. I’ll refrain from the C word for now” He said, placing a paw on her knee, taking the leg off him before he lost control and started panting. He stood, the doe eyeing him curiously but letting him go, and walked toward the guitar, his fingers trembling when he reached for its neck.
“You wouldn’t believe the stories this one could share” He walked back, handing it to his partner before seating back at her side. Her curious digits testing the strings. “I would sometimes sit by Sahara Square’s fountain, the one close to that salad place you like so much” He chanced a look at the doe, her eyes shining his way with curiosity, his uneasy smile relaxed. “Made a couple bucks whenever Finnick wasn’t available"
“You must be really good then” She stated, with the certainty of newly acquired knowledge burning itself on her memory.
“Well, I ought to be, been playing since I was seven!” Pride leaked into his words, his heart telling him to share his story with her. “My mom took me shopping for one when I showed interest in my dad’s guitar. It was a second hand store specialized in instruments and, believe it or not, they actually had a kit sized one on display” He chuckled at the memory, he could vividly recall the feeling. “But you know me, I saw a bigger one, the glossy finish of the varnish reflected my face on the wood, and I fell in love with it”
“Is this one - ?” Judy asked, carefully guiding the guitar back into his paws before pressing herself against his side, her head resting on his shoulder as she watched him strum a few mindless chords out.
“No, that one is safe with my mom. I was too scared to take it with me when I ran away from home, fearing it may break and I’d lose the last connection I had with my dad. He’s the one that taught me” Her paw began running circles over his back, the other securely holding into his arm in a comforting gesture.
He felt the need to lighten the mood a bit. “This hunk of wood came from a dumpster from Echelon Gardens. Those rich types really don’t waste a thought on throwing anything away, a couple of bucks later for a fresh packet of strings and this one was as good as new” He finished with a disappointed shake of his head, his smile growing when he heard her giggling over his theatrics.
“Play something for me?” She innocently asked, eager to hear the tod play, to discover something new about him.
“I don’t know, Carrots. Tickets for my shows are fairly expensive” He teased.
“Oh no, and I was dying to hear you play” She played along, sounding sorrowful.
“I mean, we could come to an agreement - ” He tried relenting, before feeling her move, using his arm to push herself upwards and then, a tiny pair of lips meeting his cheek. The sensation stayed despite their touch disappearing, his cheeks burning with intensity.
“Wo - Would that be enough, for one song?” She timidly asked, having sat back down to press her nose against his shoulder, hiding her face from view.
He felt himself crumble before her, his paws took their position without thought. The song was already in his mind, had been for a while and despite not feeling ready, he knew it was now or never. “You can get a whole fox with one of those” He muttered, not giving her time to respond unless he lost his nerve, and started playing.
His fingers danced as he used the tip of his claws to pluck at the strings. Taking a big gulp of air before he opened his mouth. “¿Hace falta que te diga, que me muero por tener algo contigo?” He sang, his voice calm. Turning to face her, staring into her purple eyes that looked at him as if asking a silent question.
“¿Es que no te has dado cuenta, de lo mucho que me cuesta ser tu amigo?” He questioned, forgetting where the song ended and his own thoughts began.
“Ya no puedo acercarme a tu boca” He looked down at her lips, the thought of forgoing the song and stealing a kiss crossing his mind with concerning persistence. “Sin deseartela de una manera loca”
“Necesito, controlar tu vida. Saber quien te besa, y quien te abriga” The image of Judy by some other animal’s side sent a spike of pain to his heart. One he used to fuel the lyrics “¿Hace falta que te diga, que me muero por tener algo contigo?”
“¿Es que no te has dado cuenta, de lo mucho que me cuesta ser tu amigo, Pelusa?” He asked directly to her. Her eyes shined with unshed tears, holding a paw to her muzzle while the other rested on his leg, clutching at the fabric of his pants.
“Ya me quedan, tan pocos caminos. Y aunque pueda parecerte un desatino” His paws stopped, the strings vibrating into a dull silence before his voice cut into it. “No quisiera, yo morirme sin tener, algo contigo” His voice trailed off into a shared secret.
They stared at each other in silence. Nick trying to regain control of his emotions, while Judy froze, too stunned to find the right words.
“I - ” She was the first to speak. “I didn't know you knew spanish either”
“I just like surprising you” His voice was soft, lacking the usual mirth, as he left the guitar on the floor, propping it against the couch’s side, before taking one of her paws. “My mom’s latina. Came to Zootopia for a better education and met dad in college, this was their wedding song” He looked down at it, running a thumb over her knuckles before smoothing the grey fur down and beginning anew. “I grew up with salsa and bachata around the house, so I naturally learned it over time. She would sometimes start dancing on her own, and pull me or dad to dance with her. That’s why I don’t really… It’s a memory I have with them, nowadays the only time I have fun while dancing is with you” He looked at her, his eyes vulnerable and full of emotion.
She took a deep breath, squeezing his paw before asking. “Can I hear it again, the original one this time?”
“I, uh. Sure, it’s on my playlist” He took the remote resting on the nearby table, pressing a few buttons before the sound system began playing the same fingerpicking from earlier, only this time accompanied by a bass guitar.
She stood up, pulling on his paw for him to stand with her, and pressed herself against his front, her arms circling his midsection before beginning to slowly sway side to side.
He chuckled, understanding her intentions, and pulled on one of her arms to rekindle his hold on her paw. A questioning look on her face that soon changed into surprise along with a scream laugh when he suddenly twirled her around.
They danced around the room, the smiles on their faces never leaving as one song turned into three. Forgetting everything but the feel of their fur toughing, the gentle warmth of their paws on their bodies. And came to a stop when the music slowed, fading into silence signaling the playlist was over.
Judy pressed her forehead against his chest, her little paws holding into him. His head lowered, his lips touching the spot between her ears.
“Nick?” She called, voice soft but full of certainty.
“Yes Sweetheart?” He asked, breathing in her scent, finding comfort in her arms.
“Lo sè un poquito de español, aprendí un idioma en universidad” She spoke, her words in broken spanish pulling a fond smile out of him.
“Ya veo” He warmly replied while tenderly looking down at her.
“I prefer my fox’s version” She said after a moment of silence. Pulling back enough to stare back at him, distractedly switching from his eyes to his lips.
“Your fox?” He asked, surprised.
“My fox” She repeated.
“Does that make you my bunny, then?” His tail wagged.
“Like you haven’t been calling me that in your head” She mocked.
“But now I’ll be able to say it outloud” He pushed his nose past her face, nibbling into her neck and stealing a giggle out of the doe.
“Fine!” She screamed, he relented on his attack. “Your bunny then” She placed a paw on his long muzzle, touching noses with him.
He pressed his palm against her cheek, angling her mouth toward his own, and pressed their lips together. “My bunny” He breathed out against her after separating.
“My fox” She whispered back, moving to start another kiss. And another, and another, and…