Chapter Text
“Judy, you know I respect you a lot, but…” Benjamin twirled a strawberry glazed donut round his finger, casually resting his cheek in his other hand, glancing at the crowded pinboard.
“… If Chief finds out, he’s gonna flip!!! And, if I were you, I wouldn’t waste my time staying up late if I didn’t have a night shift.” He took a bite of the soft, pink pastry, carefully munching on it to savour the taste, “Also, you’re gonna need that rest.”
Judy fidgeted with the ball of red string, lost in absolute thought as she analysed the polaroids that she managed to salvage from a few files. But, the silence was loud, and her ears flew up when she registered what he’d said.
“Huh? Oh! Yep…! Just give me five more minutes Clawhauser, and I’ll be out!”
The cheetah groaned, flopping onto the table on his back, making the table creak in protest.
“You’ve said that for the past two hours!!! And… why are you doing this by yourself? Where’s Nick?”
“Right here.”
Clawhauser jumped and fell off the table with a yelp.
Judy immediately threw the red string behind the pinboard, and flipped it over, so that the empty side of the board was neatly presented to the fox in the doorway.
Nick scoffed, unimpressed, and crossed his arms, leaning against the frame.
“Wow Carrots. Didn’t think you were one to go against your word.”
Judy face palmed and groaned, before taking a deep breath and straightening up.
“Nick…I know I said I’d go straight home… but… I just came back for some stuff-“ She grabbed some random box on the floor, holding it up like it was some trophy.
“See!? And… I’ve found it! So… I’m leaving now!” She beamed, heading out towards the door as fast as possible, but still walking somewhat slowly to seem unsuspicious.
Nick rolled his eyes, uncrossing his arms, now effectively blocking her path. He bent down to her eye level, paws on his knees.
“Listen Carrots, has anyone ever told you how much of a workaholic you are?”
Judy blinked for a second and burst out laughing and then winced when Nick gently flicked her forehead.
“Okay, first off, I’m not a workaholic!! I just like to get things done.” She put down the box, kicking it aside.
“And secondly, why did YOU come back Officer Wilde?” Judy arched a brow.
“Because you can’t be trusted by yourself sweetheart.”
Judy frowned, hands on her hips.
“Excuse me?”
“There, I’ve said it.” Nick raised his hands in mock surrender, grinning.
“Now, we just need to get you home…” He lightly tapped her nose, before straightening up.
“Excuse me!? Listen up Nick. I am not a child, so don’t treat me like one.”
“Yeah, you go Judy!” Clawhauser called back from the room, that was further and further behind as they walked down the hallway.
“Mhmm… sure. Because in Zootopia, you can be anything you want to be.”
“Nickk…” Judy groaned.
___
After walking into her apartment complex, Nick got a vague idea of how Judy was living. Sure, the reception seemed homey, but the receptionist was a sheep.
A sheep!
Enticing.'
Sure, Nick lived under an elephant gym that sounded like the drums of war every time they did cardio, but he had to admit, it was rather spacious. He had a kitchen, a whole living room and a laundry room, and he didn’t even need to pay rent. But Judy’s apartment could be described as small. Smaller than small. It was kind of sad.
Judy slipped off her vest, flopping down on the bed.
“Looks like someone’s having a sugar crash.” Nick smirked, looking around her apartment.
“Not… a sugar crash… just the side effects of six or seven coffees.” She sighed, rubbing her eyes.
Nick whistled.
“Carrots, you really were planning to stay up the whole night?”
She shook her head.
“Then why don’t you try getting your beauty sleep, hm?” He said, lowering the blinds before turning towards the door.
Judy sat up.
“Wait-“
He paused, the door half open.
“… Can you stay?”
“…”
No. Nick wasn’t about to crash at his partner’s already cramped apartment.
But… his own complex was down a few blocks, and he was kind of sleep deprived.
Kind of funny, the thing is, he was sleep deprived because of her.
So, he closed the door and sat on the end of her bed.
“Are you scared of the dark?”
Judy punched him lightly, getting a dramatic “ow” out of him.
“No… but… I thought I had this whole thing undercover, and now I’ve just realised that I barely know anything. I mean, come on Nick, I didn’t even know what balloons were… and I…”
“I’m just a dumb bunny.” Nick pressed a button on the carrot pen.
“What? Sly fox. Dumb bunny.”
Then for once, Judy didn’t say anything, just turned to the side to look at him.
“… Is that all I’ll ever be to you?”
Nick blinked, then frowned.
“Carrots, you know I’m just playing-“
“No. I know. I mean…” She sat up again, her violet eyes meeting his emerald ones.
“You know what I mean.”
Nick’s breath hitched, and he thought he was going to get an aneurysm. In the dark, her eyes glistened like stars in the night sky, and they were so beautiful, so beautiful and untouchable and indescribable. Judy was so pure, so kind and he thought that life had no meaning until he’d met her, that day in the stupid elephant ice cream shop with Finnick. She was so small, but she could take down rhinos twice her size and that… made him feel a dangerously large sense of admiration for a someone like her. He was called a predator his whole life, and beaten up and chewed off, but she gave him a chance. Even if she didn’t trust him at the start, a chance was enough, and he’d fallen so deep into it that he knew that he’d never come back out again.
So yes, he knew what she meant.
“Judy, what do you mean?”
Her face heated up, and Nick’s façade melted.
“I… I mean…. I really like you Nick. And I know that partners can’t date and Chief would fire both of us but… you’re the only one who’s ever believed in me and still believes in me, and will always believe in me, and when I’m around you, I feel like I can do anything because…” She stopped, thinking she’d said too much.
“How many times did you rehearse that?” He chuckled softly, gently tilting her chin towards him.
“Eyes on me princess.”
Nick had never kissed anyone before, let alone another species, so he needed to take it slow. His gaze met his again, and she nodded slightly as he quietly leaned in and kissed her chastely on the nose and pulled away.
“Can I be your boyfriend?”
Judy didn’t reply, just hugged him. He froze for a second, before melting into the embrace, a hand on the small of her back as he stroked her ears with the other, so that he held his entire world in his arms.
God, he loved her so much.
He'd do anything for her.