Judy Hopps And Nick Wilde: Loving Carrots

Chapter 3: The Advice

"It is us Judy."

Gosh, Nick thought. When did I become so..so soft?

But he already knew the answer to that. In fact it was dressed in carrot pajamas and sleeping in the next room.

Those pajamas. Mixed with the defeated expression on her face when talking about her parents, Nick thought he was never going to be able to let her go, at least not until her troubles were forgotten and the hop returned to her step.

But it was her long ears flopping down that finally did him in. His heart broke for her.

Nick saw it as a subconscious thing she did when upset, which was a rarity, because his little Carrots never did anything that wasn't part of her Officer Hopps ruse.

However, the more time they spend together the more Nick has started to see those little breaks in character, small actions that even she can't hide behind her bage.

Nevertheless Nick respects the unspoken caution tape between them, if only to spare her from him- then a dangerous thought crosses his mind.

He wonders if Judy is able to see through his own ruse. That behind the mindless flirting and the partners against crime act, he doesn't know how to keep himself from craving more, craving her.

He feels it every time he looks at her, like a wave of all he could ever want washing over him.

But there was fear there as well. The fear of him corrupting his perfect little bunny, the fear of not being able to be enough for her, and the fear of her eventually figuring out that she could do so much better than a washed up con artist.

Nick turns the cold water on in the sink and splashes some on his face. He knew what she was trying to say about her parents, that they would never accept someone like him with their daughter, and he couldn't blame them.

He tried to sound confident for her, but in reality it terrified him, meeting her parents - meeting her dad! He was sure they would see right through him, see the truth he kept trying to bury in his heart.

Nonchalance hasn't been working for him recently. Then again he doesn't think it has since that darn carrot pen.

A flutter in his stomach has Nick looking up to the mirror only to be met with his own wide dilated eyes.

What is happening to him?

He rubs at his eyes and decides that's enough self reflection for one night. He opens the door very carefully not wanting to wake the sleeping bunny and makes his way over to his bed.

Grabbing his own set of matching carrot pajamas, gifted to him by Judy, he hears a faint buzz from somewhere in his sheets.

Fishing around his bed he finds a phone, assuming its his he opens a text that reads:

Unknown Number

Unknown: Hey Judy! It's Collon, Collon Longears, you probably don't remember me, I got your number from your mother. We were reminiscing over how me and you used to be like two peas in a pod when we were little, I know it's been so long, but maybe this will help jog your memory-

What is long and comes in pairs?

Ha! I hope you laughed at that, I sure did!

Anyway I heard you were coming back home to help with the case, so I just wanted to thank you, it will be nice having a fancy professional around ;) I'll meet you at the station tomorrow to start going over the case, can't wait to see you, I'm practically jumping for joy!