Chapter Text
Being a couple brought a lot of new things to the table.
For starters, Judy didn't have to sleep on the couch anymore. She got to share a bed with Nick.
Not only was it way more comfortable, but she also got to wake up next to her favorite fox every day.
Also, flirting galore. They no longer needed to be nearly as subtle.
The best part, though, was just how exciting it all was.
Neither of them had ever been in a real relationship before, so it's like they were learning everything together.
There was a first time for everything.
As the days passed, however, Judy and Nick decided to keep their new relationship status to themselves.
They didn't want to make a big deal out of it right away, especially in a professional environment like the ZPD, and they figured that if anyone was curious enough, they would ask about it.
Although there was a chance that some mammals already assumed that they were a couple through context clues.
Regardless of that, though, no one seemed to notice their increase in usage of the word "partner".
"How do you think your parents are gonna feel about us?" Nick asked inquisitively when they got home one day.
Judy hadn't really thought about that yet.
"Huh... I'm not really sure," she replied, "I assume they'd be okay with it. They might have a few questions, though."
"Ah... something genetics related, I assume," Nick said.
"Probably," Judy sighed, "I just hope that when I do tell them, they keep those question to themselves."
"Well..." Nick butted in, "Okay, I'm gonna play devil's advocate here, and say that maybe some of those questions may be worth asking."
Judy tilted her head, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, interspecies relationships are not too common in Zootopia," Nick explained, "So think about how uncommon it is for a predator and prey to get together. It's probably never been done before."
"True..." Judy replied, "But that shouldn't stop us! My parents told me at a very young age that there were no bunny cops, so you know what I did?"
"You became the first one," Nick replied.
"Exactly," Judy explained, "I'm not gonna let anything stop us from being together."
Nick smiled, "I love seeing you so committed."
The two embraced, and Nick gave Judy a small peck.
"One of these days, I'm gonna introduce you to everyone," Judy grinned.
"In Bunnyburrow?" Nick asked.
"Aw, you remembered the name, how sweet," Judy smirked.
"Of course, foxes are known for having amazing memory," Nick jokingly bragged.
"But you can never seem to remember to do your laundry," Judy playfully replied.
Nick frowned, "Okay... well, I didn't say we have perfect memory."
Judy rolled her eyes.
"Besides," he continued, "I only remember the things most important to me."
"So, would you like to go to Bunnyburrow then?" Judy asked.
"Depends," Nick replied, "Are foxes even allowed?"
Judy giggled, "All mammals are allowed in Bunnyburrow, it's not strictly for bunnies. In fact, one of my good friends back home is a fox too. He's a really good baker, and my parents have him as a business partner."
Nick was surprised, but glad, "Alright then, sure. I'll go to Bunnyburrow with you."
About a month later, the two of them took a ride on the Zootopia Express, all the way to the Hopps' family home.
Judy had texted her parents several days in advance, saying that she was planning on visiting.
Bonnie and Stu were happy to hear this, and they planned out a good time for her to show up.
Judy never told them specifically why she was going to visit, but they would know soon enough.
As the large house drew closer, Judy began to feel slightly nervous, but she wasn't alone. Nick was pretty nervous, too, but he was just good at hiding it.
"I have a funny idea," Nick said as they stopped in front of the door, "You're parents don't know I'm here, so how about I hide, and then I'll pop out when your parents least expect it."
Nick pointed at a nearby bush, and Judy chuckled.
"Okay, we don't need to jumpscare them, but I do like the idea," Judy replied, "How about I allude to you being here first, and then you pop out."
"That works too," Nick shrugged, and then snuck away.
Judy pounded on the front door and waited patiently until it swung open.
"Hey, there she is!" Stu exclaimed, "Bon, Jude's here!"
Bonnie made her way over, "Judy, how's it going, hun?"
"Not bad, not bad," Judy smiled, as the three of them hugged tightly.
"We're so glad you came to visit. We've missed you," Stu smiled.
"Well, it's not just me here; I brought someone else with me," Judy admitted.
She gestured to her left, and Nick got up from behind the shrubbery, strolling into view.
"Hey, it's me, I'm here too," he smirked, while giving a small wave.
Bonnie and Stu's eyes lit up.
"Oh, Nicholas! What a wonderful surprise, nice to see you again!" Bonnie said, excitedly.
"Well, I wasn't gonna pass up the opportunity to visit," Nick replied.
As they entered the residence, he looked around at the sheer size of the place.
"I told all of your siblings that we would be doing 'boring adult stuff' and that made them stay upstairs," Bonnie said as they sat down, "So there's going to be no interruptions."
"So how have you two been doin' lately?" Stu asked, "You got any cases you still need to crack?"
"Not at the moment, no," Judy replied, "We're... taking it easy for a bit. We actually asked for a day off so that we could come here."
"We honestly thought the Chief would say no, but we've been so productive lately that he thought we deserved a break," Nick added.
"That's good to hear," Bonnie smiled, "So, have you found a new apartment yet, Judy?"
"Actually," Judy said, "Nick and I enjoyed living together so much that I decided to move in for real."
"We've been official roommates for a couple of weeks now," Nick smiled, wrapping his arm around Judy.
"Honestly, that's pretty smart, and very convenient," Stu said.
"Yeah, I mean, you two see each other almost every day anyway, that just makes sense," Bonnie added.
"But, that's not all," Nick added, "There's another big reason why we're living together now."
They turned to each other and smiled.
"Not too long ago, we discovered that we had feelings for each other," Judy grinned.
"So now we're partners in more than one way," Nick smirked.
"Oh my gosh, that's great, you guys!" Bonnie said ecstatically, "You two are perfect for each other."
Stu tried his best not to cry, "I was hoping this day would come soon."
Both Nick and Judy breathed a sigh of relief.
They didn't need the parental approval to be happy, but it was a cherry on top of their blossoming relationship.
"So uh, should we get a bite to eat?" Nick suggested, "I know a great place."