#but him and pearl are so funny together too. i love the kinda? sheepishness he talks to her with lol

[liauditore]

BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY!

[truthofherdreams]

24 Days of Dickkory-smas

2. Pretend boyfriend/girlfriend for family Christmas party (ao3)

“I need your help.”

Things never end up well when Dick pops his head into her cubicle with such words. Last time, they both almost got fired over one of his so-called brilliant ideas. Before that, she nearly flooded the staff bathroom to prove him wrong about something. Then there was that time they got locked out of the building at midnight with all their shit still inside and no mean to break in.

So, really, Kory should stop entertaining him. It’s assured to be a shit-show.

Which is why she sighs and turns toward him. Or, well, turns as much as she can while her feet are propped up on her desk and her keyboard is balanced on her stomach – what? She likes to be comfortable at work, okay! “What do you want this time?”

And thing is, Dick is half decent at his job when he feels like it. He’s also the most popular guy at work, with the majority of people-attracted-to-men lusting over his (arguably interesting) ass all day long. But Dick has about zero skills when it comes to socialising, and to relationships, and to basically acting like a normal human being. Which is funny as fuck most of the time.

Which also means he rambles. A lot.

“Well, see, my sister is organising a Christmas party this year after a few years of us not really gathering as a family – you know how it is, she travels a lot and Rachel isn’t always the best at family shit, and driving back to Gotham isn’t that practical to us. And, anyway, Donna is going all in this year, big dinner at her place with lots of people, food for days, even…”

“Dick,” she interrupts him. Puts him out of his misery, really. “To the point.”

He sighs, and frowns. Cute. Almost. “She was very sarcastic about it, all ‘Guess you don’t need a plus one?’ so, obviously, I had to argue back. And well, long story short, I told her we’re dating so, are you free next Monday evening because I need you to be my date?”

Her mouth has opened agape halfway through his speech, but it’s only once Dick is done that Kory actually starts laughing. And laughing. And laughing. Tears pearling at the corners of her eyes that she brushes away with a knuckles, even if her body is still shaking with silent giggles. Dick looks upset, quite obviously, but it’s hard to take him seriously when he apparently decided to re-enact a Hallmark movie, just because – well, because he’s a petty dude, apparently. Kory can almost relate to that.

“Are you out of your mind?” she asks with another peel of laughter. “Your kids know we’re not dating; they’ll snitch in a second.”

He looks… almost sheepish now, which is totally not what she’s used to when it comes to Dick. Like, yes, the guy is awkward as fuck when it comes to making small talk, but at least he has enough confidence about him that it almost looks like he knows what he’s doing at all times. Except now, apparently.

“That’s the thing, right. I told them, and they find it fucking hilarious. Even told me they want to see this shit happen, just to see me fail. I think there’s bets going on and all.”

Kory has met Dick’s kids a couple of times before. They’re both cute as buttons, even if they definitely give as good as they get when it comes to sass and wit. Definitely take after their foster father in that category. And, well, maybe it’s the sick part of Kory talking, but she kinda want to see that shit happen too. And she’d never say no to spending more time with Rachel and Gar, cause those kids are awesome.

Which is basically how she finds herself in Dick’s soccer mom van not even a week later, on her way to Donna Troy’s Detroit loft. Dick has been prepping her for days about this shit, so now she can only picture his sister as some kind of crazy helicopter sibling who believes vaccines are causing autism and everything is cured by essential oils. Why else would he put so much effort in this story, after all, if not because his sister is off her rockers?

Needless to say, ‘surprise’ barely covers how Kory feels when the door to the loft opens on a very beautiful, very put-together brunette. Donna grins from ear to ear at the sight of them, hugging the two teenagers first, then Dick. Despite knowing they are not blood-related, Kory can’t help but notice how much they look like each other – it’s the way they hold themselves perhaps, or how Dick’s rare smiles seem to mirror Donna’s.

“And you must be Kory,” Donna exclaims as she pulls Kory into a hug too. “I’d say I heard a lot about you, but this one never tells me anything.”

“Like you tell me everything about your girlfriends,” he replies, petulant.

Kory jumps in. “Girlfriend, singular.”

Donna is grinning even more now, and Dick throws her a surprised smile before he checks himself and pulls an arm around her waist. It’s stiff and awkward, and he’s obviously not used to acting like that, but muscle memory is a beautiful thing to Kory. It only takes her a few moments to relax, leaning into him just enough that soon his arm doesn’t feel so uncomfortable around her or his body so tense against her side.

“You’re doing great,” she whispers to him as they make their way instead.

“Shut up.”

Donna’s Christmas dinner is less of a family matter than a quick get-together with friends, and Kory is soon introduced to many people who all seem to more or less know Dick and whose names she forgets the moment they move on to another conversation.

Thankfully, both for Dick’s social anxieties levels and for Kory’s boredom levels, Dawn and Hank are quick to arrive too, and stay by their sides all through the evening. Kory does enjoy Dawn’s company – so peaceful and quiet, her voice soothing even when she tells a particularly funny joke – and is glad to see at least two familiar faces. It doesn’t take long until a biracial guy, who introduces himself to her as Wally West, joins them in their corner of the loft.

And it’s so interesting, seeing Dick outside of work. Yes, there’s been the odd night out at a bar here and there with their colleagues, and that one dreadful picnic their boss all forced them to attend. But it really is something else to see him surrounded by friends who’ve known him for quite some time now – he’s more relaxed than she’s ever seen him, more at ease. He’s smiling a whole lot more too, and perhaps Kory is starting to understand why everyone and their brother has a crush on him.

“You all look like a Benetton advert and a half,” Donna jokes as she walks toward them, beer in hand. “Kory, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Dick shares a meaningful glance with her – of course they were expecting Donna to go all big sister on her ass tonight – but Kory rolls her eyes at him before she stands up. He has nothing to worry about; they did make up a believable story and she does know how to lie flawlessly.

Donna asks her to help with the cheese cubes or some other bullshit, just the two of them in the empty and quiet kitchen, so Kory isn’t fooled. This is less of a nice chat and more of an interrogation, at this point.

“It’s nice that you could come tonight,” is how Donna decides to start the conversation as she takes some stuff out of the fridge. “I haven’t seen Dick that happy in a while.”

Well, he did promise Kory he would do all her annoying paperwork for two months if she agreed to this so – sure, he must be thrilled. “Thanks? I guess.”

They do set up to cut some cheese and put it into bowls, which proves more arduous than Kory had anticipated, what with her nail extensions and all. She’d rather not take an emergency appointment at the salon between Christmas and New Year, thank you very much.

“Don’t tell him I said that, but I worried about him. Between his jobs and the kids, I think he often forgets to just – live, you know? It’s good that he found someone.” Donna smiles at her, and it’s soft and loving. Not for the first time, Kory aches for her own family, halfway across the world. “Especially with the way he talks about you.”

Her eyes widen, just a bit. “He talks about me?”

“Oh, girl, I was only fucking with him earlier. It’s been going on for months now, every time I manage to have him on the phone. Always complaining about how your bonuses are bigger than his and how your boss likes you better, and Kory this, and Kory that. It seriously only was a matter of time before he realised how bad he had it for you.”

Kory finds herself grateful for her dark skin – it definitely helps hiding the blush on her cheeks and how warm her entire face feels all of a sudden. She has a hard time believing Dick would just rant about her to his sister if given the chance, even more so than she has a hard time believing siblings actually still call each other to gossip in 2018. But it’s – cute, almost? Definitely heart-warming. The thought of Dick complaining to Donna about her, over and over again, until it became A Thing, capital letters and all, doesn’t fail to make her smile.

“But seriously though,” Donna goes on as she gathers a bunch of cheese cubes before dumping them into a bowl, “not to be all ‘if you hurt him, I’ll hurt you’ about it but – he’s seen some fucking shit in his life. And I know he can be a pain about, well, basically everything but… be nice to him, okay? Cause I’m strong enough to break a few of your perfectly manicured fingers.”

Kory can’t help but smile at that, even though Donna is dead serious about it. It’s comforting, in a way, that someone is as protective of him as Dick is of his kids, that someone cares about him just enough to make threats about his happiness. It makes Kory long for something long forgotten, left behind in a country she no long calls home.

“Whatever she’s saying, she’s lying,” comes from behind them, the two of them turning around to find Dick standing in the doorway. He looks between her and Donna, before his eyes stop on Kory. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, we’re done. Thanks for the help, Kory.”

Donna grabs both bowls before she walks away, leaving them alone in the kitchen. Dick lets her go, before he moves closer to Kory. She pretends to focus on plucking bits of cheese from under her nails, just so she won’t have to meet his eyes; she doesn’t know if she’s quite able of such a thing right now, not when Donna’s words still ring in her ears.

“Seriously, though. You okay?”

He’s right in front of her now, hand curling around her elbow. Kory has no choice but to look at him, and witness the flash of worry in his eyes as he takes her all in. She feels stupid and childish – like a school girl who suddenly realised that the boy was pulling at her pigtails for months because he actually likes likes her. And she doesn’t know how to react, because maybe she was replying in kind all this time to hide the fact that she likes likes him too. What a concept.

“What are you doing next week?”

He frowns, just a little. “Next week is New Year’s Eve.”

“Yes.” Genius.

Dick frowns some more, looking into her eyes for – something. She doesn’t know what, exactly, but it makes her stomach fluttery all of a sudden with the way he takes a step closer, fingers tightening around her elbow. He’s so close she can see the specks of gold in his eyes, so close her red hair brushes against his face.

And he’s smiling now, one of those real but rare smiles. “Spending the evening with you?”

She might be smiling, too. “Good answer.”

[hannahberrie]

Something That Finds You: Chapter 11

Fandom: Zootopia Pairing: Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps Rating: T WC: 6712 Summary: "Love isn't something you find. Love is something that finds you."

In a time of tension in the land of Zootopia, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps are arranged to be married as a symbol of peace and unity. The only problem? They can't stand each other (the 8 year age gap doesn't help either). A story following Nick and Judy growing up together, through all the good and bad.

Chapter Selection: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]-11-[12] [AO3]

“So, do you like, like Nicholas?” Jacqueline asked.

Judy stiffened as she looked at her sister through the view in the mirror. The two (along with several of Judy’s other sisters, as well as some handmaidens) were crowded into the large dressing quarters together. Jacqueline was currently being fitted into her Carrot Days dress while Judy sat at the vanity. One of the handmaidens was brushing Judy’s fur, something Judy secretly resented. It was as if she was a kit! She was expected to get married and pop out hundreds of heirs, and yet she wasn’t even allowed to brush her own fur. Typical. “What do you mean?”

“Everyone saw you two sneaking off together the other night,” Jacqueline smirked, flinching as her corset began to get laced.

Judy felt her cheeks grow warm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said casually, focusing very hard on her petite claws. Her handmaiden gently guided her head upward again, forcing Judy to maintain eye contact with her sister.

“Oh, c’mon Judy,” Juniper, another Hopps sister, said from the corner. She was picking out what pearl necklace she wanted to wear. “You’re such a bad liar!”

“I am not!” Judy huffed, “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“Because it’s true!” Juniper snorted.

“And because we all know you and Nick were probably off warming up for the wedding night,” Jacqueline snickered.

Judy gaped at her. “What?”

The other Hopps sisters in the room giggled at Judy’s shocked expression.

“She’s so lying!”

“Busted!”

Judy glared at them through the mirror just as her handmaiden finished brushing her fur. “You guys are ridiculous. Nick and I are friends. Friends! The other night he was just helping me move blueberries to the carriages!”

“Mmm hmm,” Jacqueline just hummed, “And I’m sure you helped him move his blueberries afterwards.”

Judy felt her face flush red, completely mortified. “You’re completely vulgar, Jacqueline,” she griped, getting up from the vanity. “If Mom heard you right now, she’d have a fit.”

“Oh, please, prude-y Judy, you’ll be married within a year, you’re going to have to start thinking about these kinds of things soon enough.”

“Trust me, I know,” Judy said with a shudder, thinking back to their lesson with Miss Hufflethump. “That doesn’t mean it’s any of your business. Besides, Nick and I aren’t going to be romantically involved. It’s going to be a platonic relationship.”

Her sisters all turned to look at her, faces scrunched up with confusion as if Judy had grown a second head.

“What?”

“But you’re going to be married.”

“That doesn’t even make sense!”

Judy hesitated. “Well, yes, we’ll be married, legally, but we’re just going to stay friends, emotionally.”

“Huh?”

“But how will you have heirs?”  

“That doesn’t even make sense!”

“Never mind!” Judy waved her paws dismissively. “It made more sense when Nick said it. The point is, I don’t like him. We’re just friends!”

Her sisters exchanged doubtful glances. “Riiiiight,” Jacqueline replied with a snicker, “We totally believe you.”

Judy was thankful for the knock on the dressing room door, which provided a much-needed interruption from her tittering sisters.

“Miss Hopps?” One of Judy’s handmaidens called out, stepping into the room.

“Yes?” Judy replied eagerly.

“Nicholas is waiting for you in the foyer. Your parents want to make sure that you two board the same carriage together.”

Judy’s sisters immediately burst into taunting laughs and jeers.

“Don’t get too cozy!” Jacqueline crooned, spurring even more giggles.

“Goodbye, girls,” Judy said testily as she rolled her eyes at their eccentricities. She grabbed a strand of pearls off one of the dressers and fastened it around her neck before following her handmaiden out of the dressing room.

For once, in like, forever, she was actually excited to see Nick. Despite not wanting to admit anything to her sisters’ insufferable teasing, she was enjoying her time with him. He’d helped her with the blueberries the other night, even though he didn’t have to, and they’d even had some fun while doing it. He was quite funny, though Judy would never admit that to his face. It’d make him even cockier than he already was.

She entered the foyer, where Nick was indeed waiting for her. He turned at the sound of her footsteps, locking eye contact with her and making Judy feel slightly flustered.

“Hey, Cottontail,” he said casually. He was sporting a new, crisp suit, similar to the one he’d worn when they’d first met, but instead of navy, this one had a deep maroon waistcoat and tan trousers.

It was only then that Judy looked down and realized that her Carrot Days dress was meant to coordinate with Nick’s suit, her dress being summery off-white in color with a maroon sash around the waist, finished off with a large bow above her bustle.

Great. Now even the seamstresses were pushing for them to be together.

Nevertheless, Judy wasn’t going to focus on the negatives. While it was becoming alarmingly clear that she wasn’t going to have control over her marital life, she could control how she felt. And after almost 18 years, she was done with feeling mopey. She would find a way to make herself happy, despite how limited her options were.

“What do you think?” Judy asked, giving Nick a twirl. She couldn’t help but giggle at his bemused expression, and how her dress billowed around her with a satisfying woosh! “Do I look ‘presentable’ enough for you?”

Nick stroked the underside of his muzzle thoughtfully. “Nah,” he finally answered with a shake of his head. “This is completely unacceptable. How can I ever show you off to the public now? We’ll be laughed out of the Burrows.”

Judy held back a laugh as she lowered her head mournfully. “I’m so sorry, my dear, great husband. Will you ever forgive me?”

Nick only laughed in response, which caused Judy to laugh, and soon they’d nearly torn themselves apart in fits of giggles. It would have made for a nice moment…

…If it wasn’t harshly interrupted by their parents.

“Oh, Nicholas, you look simply dashing!” Lady Wilde exclaimed. She was followed by Judy’s parents, who were beaming just as widely. Judy suspected it was mostly because Nick and Judy were no longer clawing at each other’s throats on a regular basis.

Judy’s eyes flitted over to Nick. His mother did have a point — Judy hadn’t noticed when she’d first looked at him, but Nick did look quite nice today, with a crisp, clean suit and neatly brushed fur. Then again, he looked extra nice any time he wasn’t fresh back from swimming in creeks or hiking through the woods.  

“And Judith, you look simply divine!” Lady  Wilde went on, stepping forward to give Judy a loving hug.

“Doesn’t she?” Nick said, “You guys sure know how to assign them!”

Judy snorted and giggled as her parents exchanged tentative glances, clearly unsure of how to react. Nick’s mother removed a paw from Judy to swat at him, though without any genuine malice.

“Nicholas is just joking,” she explained to the Hopps, and her parents smiled appreciatively.

“I know,” Judy replied, exchanging a wry smirk with Nick. He winked at her.

Lady Wilde pulled back carefully to smile at Judy. While the vixen wasn’t incredibly aged (she was only slightly younger than Judy’s mother), her movements had a tentative and careful flow to them. There was a look in her eye that was incredibly other-worldly, a tough look that’d probably seen such hardships.

Ever since Judy had found out about what happened to Nick’s father, she’d felt slightly uncomfortable around Lady Wilde. She felt the increasing responsibility to say something, to console her somehow, even though the death had happened years ago. Should she say something? Or nothing at all? Not knowing what to do was incredibly disorienting, and a feeling that Judy couldn’t stand.

“Well, there’s no time like the present!” Judy’s father declared. “Shall we?” He held out his arm to Lady Hopps, who took it gracefully.

Nick and Judy glanced at each other before following suit, though with slightly more difficulty. Considering that the top of Judy’s head just barely reached the top of Nick’s torso, linking arms was no easy feat. Judy had to stand on her tip-toes and Nick had to slightly buckle his knees in order for it to kinda work.

It was pretty painful, to say the least, but their parents looked so pleased and Judy knew they’d get chastised if they didn’t do it anyway.

“Oh! Before I forget!” Lady Hopps said suddenly, “You and Nick will be giving a short speech before the ceremony officially begins!”

Nick and Judy’s faces blanched. “What?!”

“I’m sorry,” she continued, giving them a sheepish smile, “I meant to tell you earlier, but it must have slipped my mind with all the preparations. Don’t worry, it’s nothing huge, we just need you to welcome everyone.”

Nick opened his mouth to protest, but Judy clamped down her grip on his arm, silencing him.

“Thanks, Mom!” she said brightly

“Carrots! I don’t know anything about this festival,” Nick hissed into her ear, “I just moved here like…yesterday. What am I going to say?”

“I’ll just wing it!” Judy whispered back.

“You? Wing something? Hate to break it to ya’, Fluff, but you’re the most obsessive planner I know.”

“Am not!”

“The thought of misplaced blueberries nearly gave you an aneurysm,” Nick reminded her.

“They did not!”

“They so did.”

“Are you two alright?” Lady Hopps asked warily. The group had made their way out to the courtyard, where countless numbers of Judy’s family members were boarding carriages to head into town.

“Of course!” Nick said, speaking slightly louder to be heard above the hustle and bustle of the bunnies. “I was just telling Judy how excited I am for Carrot Hays.”

“Days,” Judy hissed, giving him a nudge.

“Days!” Nick amended.

If Judy wasn’t straining to hold onto Nick’s arm, she would have smacked herself on the forehead.

This wasn’t going to be pretty.

The carriage ride into town went by far too quickly. It didn’t give Nick nearly enough time to plan out what he was going to say for some kind of speech. Yes, Judy said she would handle it, but who was she kidding? Definitely not him. She was fidgeting like crazy in the carriage seat next to him. Not just that, but he felt guilty putting all the pressure on Judy. That didn’t seem very husband-y. Not that he was trying to be her husband. They weren’t even married yet. But he still wanted to be a decent mammal.  

But sadly, no matter how hard he tried, his mind kept coming up blank. After all, he really knew nothing about Carrot Days. How could he give a speech on it?

“You sure you got this covered, Fluff?” he mumbled to Judy. The carriages had to have been custom-built for the Hopps, or at least bunny families in general, because it sat nearly ten mammals within its circular form. This meant Nick and Judy were riding into town with about 8 other bunnies, most of which had been staring at Nick the whole time. Awkward.

“Let’s go with ‘yes,’” Judy quietly replied, “I think I’ve got it figured out. I mean, I have to, don’t I? It’s not like this is the first time we’ve had to do something just because my parents asked.”

She said it lightly, like a joke, but Nick understood that there was still a suppressed resentment to her tone.

“Yeah,” he said back, trying to lighten the mood, “Like that time they asked me to bathe you when you were a baby. Talk about doing something against your will.”

His smirk grew only larger at the way Judy’s face burned bright red. “W-what?!” She stammered, ears standing on end. “B-but…that didn’t happen! D-did it?”

“Nope. But you should see the look on your face — it’s priceless.”

Judy let out a relieved huff of air before frowning and punching him in the arm. “Dumb fox!”

“I’m sorry!” Nick chuckled, rubbing at his arm slightly, because jeez, the bunny could hit as hard as she kicked, even if she didn’t know it, “I couldn’t help myself.”

And just like that, the carriage rolled into the town square, far too quickly.

Shi-

“Welcome to the Carrot Days festival!” A voice rang out, swinging open the door of the carriage. The other passengers scampered out excitedly, all chattering away with each other. Nick exchanged an anxious look with Judy before putting on a brave face. “Well, no time like the present, Carrots,” he said confidently (at least, he hoped it sounded confident), “Let’s go get our carrot on.”

“Never,” Judy replied, exiting the carriage, “Say that sentence again.”

“So you don’t want to get your carrot on, Carrots? I thought carrots was the whole point of Carrot Days, Carrots?”

“If you say ‘carrot’ one more time…”

Nick smiled at the back of her head as he too exited the carriage, the door of which was being held open by a bunny who was looking way too chipper, considering it was only about 9 o’clock in the morning.

When his feet hit the ground, he finally got to blink up into the early morning sunlight, as well as get a good view of the town square. And needless to say, the bunnies had gone all out. Decorations covered nearly every inch of the town square, a vibrant explosion of summery hues. There were golden flowers in extravagant bouquets, wreaths, and garlands. The Bunnyburrow flag billowed in the wind beside the flag of Zootopia, both carried through the crowd by two proud-looking rabbits. The notes of flutes, violins, drums, and fiddles danced through the air from a band was playing towards the center of the square. And, of course, there were carrots. Carrot cakes, carrot pies, carrot bouquets, chilled carrots…Nick quickly gave up on trying to identify just how many different carrot things he could identify.

Before he could even fully take it all in, Lady Hopps had already found them and was pushing them through the thick crowd of mammals. “We’ve got to get you to the stage!” She exclaimed, barely audible over the noise of the town square. Nick couldn’t help but notice the stares they were already attracting as they wove their way through the crowd. He knew that the Hopps were pretty well-known around here, but he’d never fully realized how much until now. Whispers were exchanged as people caught sight of Nick and Judy passing by together, and though his hearing wasn’t as sharp as a rabbit’s, he still caught wind of things like “Hopps,” and, “Proclamation,” and, “Predator.”

There was a small stage that’d been hastily built in a grassy clearing that overlooked the bay, and Lady Hopps hastily escorted Nick and Judy onto it.

Predator. The word rattled around in Nick’s mind with uncertainty, not quite sure if it was an insult or not.

Come to think of it, Nick realized, there weren’t that many predators around Bunnyburrow. There were bunnies (obviously), sheep, squirrels, deer — really, the only predators he’d seen around here was a bobcat family that’d moved in recently (it’d been the talk of the town for weeks), a handful of fox families, and one bear family.  Even today with the festival, a day that’d brought mammals from all over Zootopia, it was still mostly prey.

During his time away, his father had further explained the Unity Proclamation and why it was necessary. Predators Against Wrongful Segregation, also known as PAWS, was threatening an uprising, and this marriage was supposed to solve/sedate it somehow. It sounded ridiculous to Nick when he first heard it, and it still did today. After all, how was a little marriage going to solve anyone’s problems?

But looking out at the crowd today, he could kind of understand why there was so much unrest. Predators, at least in Bunnyburrow, were given hardly any representation, and the ones who were here (i.e., the bobcat family), were often gossiped about like no tomorrow.

Nick was shaken out of his reverie by Judy clearing her throat. He blinked and refocused, realizing that he and Judy were now standing front and center stage, right in front of a crowd of hushed festival attendees.

The speech. Right.

Nick looked over to his…no, calling Judy his fiancée still felt way too weird. His rabbit? His Judy? Judy. He looked over to Judy, whose paws were shaking, but was standing firmly beside him.

“Welcome!” She called out. With such a tiny frame, it was honestly surprising that she was able to project her voice so far. “Thank you for attending the annual Carrot Day festival! It’s an honor to have you all here!”

Nick listened to her chatter away, desperately searching the recesses of his mind for all his lessons on speech-giving he’d had in university. Inflection kept jumping out at him, but that was virtually useless…

“We, the Hopps family, as well as the many citizens of Bunnyburrow, have spent the past few weeks preparing this celebration for you all, so I really hope you’ll have the opportunity to completely enjoy all the festivities that the festival has to offer!” Judy continued.

Nick had to stop himself from laughing right there on stage. The way Judy strung out her sentences with supplementary words reminded him of his times back in university, during his essay writing classes, when he’d needed to meet the requested word count of his professors. The history of the land that is Zootopia began approximately 2 centuries ago, that is to say, about 200 years ago. The land of Zootopia was historically founded all those 200 years ago when Sir Lionheart sailed the SS Zoologia to what is today known as the land of Savannah Centre, the capital of Zootopia, 200 years ago…

Judy finished speaking and turned to Nick with a tight smile, nudging him slightly. “Say something,” she hissed, low enough only for Nick to hear.

Here we go.

“Yes!” Nick added, feeling like a complete idiot as his mouth rambled on, “So, there’s games and food, lots of carrots, of course, so…ah…have fun! Mazel tov, and all that.”

The audience broke into polite applause, and both Nick and Judy breathed sighs of relief.

“So, that wasn’t completely terrible,” Nick whispered to his rabbit partner.

“No,” Judy said through her teeth, waving to the audience, “But mazel tov?”

“I could have just said ‘hey.’”

Judy snorted, breaking through her tight smile and collapsing into genuine giggles. “That’s true!”

Nick smirked down at her before bending his knees and linking arms with her, leading both of them off stage. Judy’s mother was waiting off stage for them, and thankfully, was smiling.

“What do you think?” Judy asked hesitantly.

“You did very well, dear,” her mother assured warmly, “I’m sorry that I forgot to tell you sooner, but you know how busy it’s been around here.”

Judy nodded in understanding. Nick could sense her muscles relax at her mother’s approval. As rebellious as Judy could be, Nick knew that she still needed her parents’ approval. She was a walking paradox in that way.

“What should we do now?” Judy asked her mother.

“Well,” Lady Hopps looked around the bustling festival thoughtfully, “I suppose you should go out and enjoy yourselves. You two deserve a little fun.”

Nick couldn’t agree more. “I think that sounds great!” He said, already pulling Judy back towards the town.

“Thanks, Mom!” Judy added cheerfully.

“Just remember!” Her mother called out after them, a bemused smile on her face, “You’re a symbol for the people! Make good choices!”

Nick and Judy nodded as they headed into the thick of the festival. The band had started up again with their jovial tunes, children were setting up ball games in the fields, vendors were shouting out the prices of their various carrot goods, and excited chatter filled the air.

“What should we do first?” Nick asked Judy.

Before Judy could reply, she was cut off by a loud and all-too-familiar cry. “NICK?”

Nick hadn’t heard that voice in years, but he’d recognize it anywhere. Sure enough, when he turned around, Finnick was standing behind him, paws on his hips and a wicked grin on his face.

“Finnick!” Nick exclaimed, breaking away from Judy to exchange a pawshake with his old friend, “Good to see ya’ buddy! And may I say, you haven’t grown an inch!”

“Shut up, man!” Finnick growled, giving Nick a shove. Nick responded by yanking him into a headlock and giving him a noogie. The two scuffled back and forth for a bit before their ears perked up to the sound of Judy clearing her throat.

“Uh…Nick?” Judy asked cautiously, raising a paw as if to remind him that she was still there. “Hi.”

“Oh! Right!” Nick released Finnick, brushed himself off, and took a casual stance next to Judy. “Finnick, you remember Judy, right?” He felt a little stupid after asking the question, because, of course, Finnick would remember Judy. He was the one who lived in Bunnyburrow, Nick was the one who had left.

“The pipsqueak!” Finnick snorted, earning a glare from Judy. “So you two still doing the whole marriage thing?”

“Yes,” Judy replied stiffly, folding her arms across her chest. “We’re still betrothed.”

“Damn,” Finnick lamented with a shake of his head, “Sorry, man. Sounds like it must be hell.”

Nick felt something prickle at the back of his neck. An uncomfortable sensation. “Well, you know,” he shrugged, “It is what it is.”

Finnick opened his mouth to speak again, but this time Judy cut him off. “Well, as…great as it was running into you again, Finnick, Nick and I really have to get going,” Judy simpered, linking arms with Nick again.

“Uh, yeah,” Nick added, eyeing Judy. “I guess we better.”

“Alright, man,” Finnick said with a dismissive wave of his paw, “but hey, when you’re not attached to that ball and chain, we should meet up! Hang around, just like old times!”

“Of course!” Nick nodded, genuinely, “You still on Taproot street?”

“You know it.”

“I’ll keep you posted then.”

Finnick gave a final nod before slinking off into the crowd, approaching a pair of attractive vixens with a confident gleam in his eye.

Judy, looking disgruntled, led Nick away and back into the crowd.

“You alright, Carrots?” Nick asked casually.

“Finnick could use a few manners,” she replied crossly, not looking at Nick.

“Ah, he’s always been like that,” Nick shrugged, “I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

“I guess,” Judy said with a sigh, using her free paw to brush her ears down. She hesitated for a moment afterward, grip on his arm fidgeting. “Do…do you really think I’m a ball and chain?”

Nick’s eyebrows raised in surprise. He didn’t think Judy had been paying attention that closely to their conversation, nor that she would care that much. For a second he thought she was joking, but when he looked at her he saw that her face was set with seriousness.

“No,” he assured her. “I mean, sure, you’re annoying sometimes, but it’s not that bad.”

He hoped that she would understand the sincerity behind his playful jabs, and thankfully, it appeared that she did.

“Okay,” she replied, a small smile on her muzzle. He felt her muscles relax again, like they had with her mother, and Nick began looking around for something to distract themselves with. Thankfully, Carrot Days really was extravagant as everyone had talked it up to be, and there was plenty to do.

As this was his first time, Judy guided him through everything. Her excitement was palpable, and she eagerly led him from attraction to attraction. They tasted carrot dishes of every kind, watched a magician perform tricks, joined in a game of ball with some kits, and Nick even purchased one of the golden flowers for Judy to tuck behind her ear.

“It’s beautiful,” she admired, looking at her reflection in a shop window.

“Yeah, it’s pretty nice,” Nick admitted, his throat feeling dry for some odd reason. He needed a drink. Or something to eat, at least.

As if to directly answer his needs, his eyes fell upon an elegantly painted sign, reading: BLUEBERRY PIE EATING CONTEST!

Um. Yes.

“Carrots!” Nick whined, tugging on her paw and pointing towards the sign, “We have to enter!”

Judy peered at the sign, hesitantly. “I dunno, Nick. Knowing you, you’re probably going to make yourself sick.”

“But it’s free blueberry pie! Free, all you can eat blueberry pie!”

Judy eyed him, unimpressed. “We can make you pie at home.”

“Not free, all you can eat pie. And there’s a prize!”

“What’s the prize?”

“I dunno, but there is one.”

Judy smirked at him. “Oh boy. Well, in that case…”

“Please, Lady Hopps,” Nick said, kneeling into a deep bow in front of her. He knelt his head and held her paw to his heart, really milking the whole thing up. “I will eat all the pies, and win you the prize, whatever it is. I will fight for you, to the death!”

“Unless you’re planning on choking on the blueberries, I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Judy snorted, though she was blushing severely.

Nick lifted his head to give her a pleading pout. “Pleaseeee?”

“You’re such a child!” Judy laughed. “But fine!”

“Really?”

“Let’s go, you dumb fox.”

Nick leapt to his feet and pulled Judy towards the rows of tables that had been set up for the contest. Other contestants — some bucks, a couple foxes, a ram, and some bears — had taken their seats already, so Nick and Judy followed suit.

“Get ready to watch and learn,” Nick boasted to Judy, cracking his knuckles.

“All the same to you,” Judy said right back, mimicking his actions.

Nick paused, confused. “What?”

“You think that just because you’re a fox you can eat more than me?” Judy taunted, sitting up higher, “Well, think again fox. I may not be able to win the contest, but I know I can beat you.”

Nick laughed, a mixture of surprise and delight and impressiveness. “You’re challenging me, Fluff?”

“You bet I am.”

“Alright, you’re on! Prepare to eat your heart out, Fluff.”

“I will! Because I’ll eat more than you!”

Nick gave her a playful nudge, which she returned before the pies started to be distributed.

“You’ll have 20 minutes to eat as much as you can!” A brown buck called out, holding up a silver bell. “Whoever can finish the most will win the grand prize!”

A bunny placed several pies in front of Nick and Judy, then moved onto the next contestants. With golden brown lattice crusts and oozing blueberry filling, they almost looked too good to eat. Almost.

Nick gave Judy a wink before readying himself and grabbing a fork.

“On your marks, get set…”

And with the ring of a bell, the contest began.

Nick dove right in, eyes closing with pleasure as he took his first bite. The pies tasted just as good as they looked, maybe even better. A small group of onlookers had formed and started cheering on the contestants, willing them to eat faster.

The first pie was easy. Nick had downed it within 5 minutes, much to Judy’s alarm. She frowned when he tossed aside the empty pan and smirked at her cockily. “It’s not over yet!” She mumbled through a mouthful of blueberries, and proceed to eat away at her pie even faster.

As the time ticked past, Nick’s confidence began to wane. Judy finished her first pie by the same time Nick was almost finished with his second, but by then he was already slowing down.

In the end, when the final bell rang out 20 minutes later, Nick had finished 5 pies in all, Judy 3 and a half. Despite this feat, the award wound up going to one of the other foxes, Gideon, who had finished 10 pies within the allotted time. Nick was disappointed, though mostly for his ego’s sake, not because he was sad about missing out on the grand prize: a carrot pie.  At least he’d still beaten Judy, though.

“Ugh,” Judy groaned, slumping over in her seat. “I’m stuffed.”

“What was that about beating me, Fluff?” Nick said dryly, turning to her.

“Shut up,” Judy moaned, giving him a half-hearted nudge.

Nick smiled and helped her up from the table, his own stomach filled to the brim. “I will admit, you did a lot better than I thought you would, Cottontail.”

“Oh, really? And how many did you think I would finish?”

“One…half” Nick snickered.

Judy rolled her eyes and nudged him. The two followed up the contest by taking a pleasant, quiet walk back through town, allowing their stomachs to settle slightly. There was a small commotion happening in the center of town square, and Nick couldn’t help but be drawn to it. He led Judy towards it, the sound growing louder as they grew closer — footsteps, music, clapping, laughter.

To their surprise, they saw that a dance circle had formed in the town square. 20 or so couples were dancing a jig in time to the band’s music, all to the cheering of the onlooking crowd.

The dance partners held paws with each other as they twirled through the square, smiles on their faces and a lightness in their steps. It did look pretty fun, though after watching the dancers for several moments, it occurred to him that he was currently still arm-in-arm with a female, who was his technical financée.

Nick turned to look down at the rabbit beside him, who was already looking back at him. He could practically hear Judy blushing.

“Do you…ah…do you think we should?” She asked cautiously, looking up at him in a way that was, unfortunately, very cute.

“Dance?” Nick repeated, voice sounding slightly hoarse.

Judy shrugged as if she was indifferent to the whole thing, but Nick knew her better. Her eyes were scanning, scrutinizing, anxiously awaiting his next move.

Nick hesitated. Dance? With Judy? It still felt like only moments ago they were bickering and snickering and differing in every way possible. Now, she was asking him to dance.

“I dunno, Fluff,” Nick said slowly, “I’m not really a dancer.”

“Liar! We took lessons!”

“Well, yeah! Only because we had to!”

“So you can dance, you just don’t want to.”

“Basically.”

Nick expected her to pout or cry, but then again, Judy wasn’t 6 years old anymore, so neither of those responses would really fit. Maybe give him a glare or an exasperated sigh.

But instead, she smiled and laughed. Laughed.

“Then I will dance for you, Sir Wilde!” Judy giggled, “To the death!”

“That,” Nick snorted, though unable to hide his grin, “makes no sense.”

“It so does,” Judy insisted, inching closer to the circle of dancers. The music was beginning to grow in intensity and excitement, and Nick couldn’t help but notice how Judy was beginning to hop in place.

“It really doesn’t,” Nick countered, though his foot was already starting to tap with the rhythm of the drum. In his defense, it was absurdly catchy.

“Well, unless you want me to die, then you should probably come over here, so I don’t have to dance to my death,” Judy said.

“We can’t have that now, can we?”

“We really can’t.”

And so, with a reluctant sigh that was more for theatrics than anything else, Nick took her paw and led her into the dance circle, much to Judy’s overt and eager delight.

Their height difference came into play again as they linked paws. Judy had to crane her head up to look at him, and Nick had to keep his head and paws lower than usual, but they made it work. It was a lot easier than linking arms, that was for sure, but still slightly awkward.

But as the music began to pick up and Nick and Judy began to dance, all awkwardness slipped away. The dance was simple, really, especially compared to all the fancy waltzes and foxtrots they’d had to learn in lessons. This dance was a simple jig, one of linked paws and bouncing movements and a lively beat. The dancers moved in a circle, twirling and spinning around the town square in a fluid current of rhythm and song. Nick and Judy took cue from the others and merged into the group like fish in the tide, and within moments, they were moving along right with the others. Nick led the pair, eyes locked with Judy and a sheepish grin on his face. She only beamed back at him, completely caught up in the thrill of it all.

The fiddles played their merry turn, the violins added a sophisticated harmony, the flutes tittered in excitement, and the drums pounded away, all to the rhythmic clapping of the bystanders. Nick slipped his paws down to grip her waist as he and the other bucks lifted and twirled their partners in the air. Judy gasped at being lifted off the ground, and Nick couldn’t help but laugh at how she squealed his name in both indignation and delight. When he lowered her back to earth, the jig resumed and the flow continued, spinning, floating, pounding.

As the music grew even faster, the clapping quicker, the dance movements swifter, Nick lost himself. The beats of the drum matched the pounding of his heart, already elevated due to sheer adrenaline. The world around him suddenly slowed and became nothing more than the feeling of his feet hitting the cobbled street, his the feeling of his rough paw pads interlocked with Judy’s downy fur, and…

Those eyes.

God, he felt like a total sap for noticing it, but he couldn’t help himself. They were sparkling, almost as if with tears, but of a happy sort. Deep nebulas of violet and amethyst, radiating pure joy. He felt his stomach lurch as that nauseous feeling was right back, but this time there was no omelette to blame. The pies, then, maybe…

And just like that, the music ended and the dance came to a halt, far too quickly.

It was like awakening from a dream, the way Nick was so abruptly and unceremoniously brought back to reality. The audience broke their rhythmic clapping and burst into appreciative applause, cheering for both the band and the dancers.

Judy gave a breathy laugh as she pulled away from Nick, looking slightly dizzy. “Wow,” she said, looking up at Nick with a demure shyness.

“Wow,” Nick simply replied, feeling at a loss for words.

“That was really —” Judy began, then stopped. Her face changed as her gaze broke away from him and her face paled.

“What?” Nick asked, suddenly needing to know what she was going to say next. “That was really what?”

Judy just shook her head frantically as one paw flew to her mouth and another to her stomach. “I-I don’t feel so well,” she mumbled into her paw, swaying in place.

Nick’s eyes widened in alarm. “Judy?”

It was a shame, really, the whole situation. They’d been having such a great time. The dance they’d shared had small sparks of something. Friendship, perhaps, or maybe something else. Regardless, whatever moment they had was immediately ruined by Judy fleeing towards the nearest barrel of carrots and hurling chunks of blueberry pie into it.

There was an audible shocked gasp from the crowd, no doubt because of seeing the one of the most prominent Hopps daughters, retching into a barrel of now-spoiled carrots. Then, the nail in the coffin.

“JUDY?”

The shrill tone of Lady Hopps could have shattered glass.

Heart sinking in his chest, Nick looked over to see that both his mother and Judy’s parents had been watching the dance, and, consequently, what followed.

Uh oh.

Nick ran to Judy’s side just as the parents did the same.

“Are you okay, Judes?” Nick asked, helping her up.

Judy wiped at her mouth with the back of her paw, face downcast with absolute mortification. “I’m fine,” she said, though the somber tone said anything but, “I just ate too much.” She glanced around, past her parents who were now beside her, at the crowd of gawking onlookers, and wilted. She looked like she was about to faint, so Nick gripped her arm, keeping her upright.

“Oh, Judith, what were you thinking?” Judy’s mother lamented, cupping her daughter’s face. Her face was so downcast, she looked as if she’d just witnessed a death.

“I’m sorry, Mom!” Judy pleaded, looking into her mother’s eyes with shame, “We just got carried away! It was an accident!”

“It’s my fault, really,” Nick cut in, “The whole thing was my idea, to do the pie eating contest, I mean.”

“That’s very kind of you Nick, but really, where are your manners, Judith?” Lady Hopps went on, “Your ladylikeness? All those lessons with Miss Hufflethump and with your tutors! Did they mean anything to you?”

Judy had nothing to reply to that last question, which almost would have made Nick laugh if he wasn’t feeling so guilty about everything.

“Well, let’s be reasonable here,” Nick’s mother said gently, placing a paw on his son’s back, “It looks like they got ahead of themselves. They certainly didn’t do it on purpose.”

Nick and Judy nodded their heads quickly, grateful for the supporting words. “We really didn’t!” Judy insisted.

“I know that,” Lady Hopps said, sighing heavily, “I don’t mean to snap at you, Judy, nor you Nicholas, but you both understand how important it is that this all goes well. We have to make a good impression!”

Nick nodded. “We do, and I’m sorry, it won’t ever happen again.”

“Ever,” Judy reinforced.

“You bet your carrots it won’t,” Sir Hopps said, “I think it’s time we call in reinforcements, don’t you agree, Bon?”

“Reinforcements?” Nick and Judy asked simultaneously.

“Agreed,” Lady Hopps said gravely. “I’ll send out a letter first thing tomorrow morning. But for now, you need to go clean up.”

“Mom! What is going o—“

“Now, young lady. You too, Nicholas.”

Nick turned to look at his mother, who nodded. With heavy feet and drooping ears, Nick led Judy away from the town square, towards the long path home.

Both were silent for several moments, and neither spoke until they could no longer hear the whispers or scoffs of the crowd, nor see the town at all.

“Whaddya think she meant by ‘reinforcements?’” Nick asked hesitantly.

“I don’t know,” Judy sighed. “It sounds terrible. Like we’re wayward prisoners.”

“Does that mean two Miss Hufflethumps? I can barely handle one of her, Carrots.”

“Considering how upset they were, I think it’s even worse than Miss Hufflethump.”

Nick didn’t know it at the time, but as it would turn out, Judy was completely, entirely, absolutely right.