The Bunny and the Fox: A Wildehopps Fanfiction

2: "It's Been Getting Harder To Breathe These Days."

Clawhauser would not stop talking to Nick the next day at work.

"So, how was duty yesterday?" the cheetah asked, crumbs escaping his mouth as he munched on a glazed doughnut. Nick didn't know why he was suddenly so interested in parking duty, of all things, but he only shrugged.

"Uneventful. We only wrote thirty-something tickets."

The enthusiastic Clawhauser shook his head wildly. "No, I mean, how were you and Officer Hopps?"

Nick nodded. Now this was more like him to ask.

"Fine."

"Uh-uh. Nope. That isn't an answer, mister."

"Well what do you want me to say?"

Clawhauser frowned. "Is she still ignoring you?"

The fox's shoulders hunched a bit in response. "That obvious, huh?"

Clawhauser laughed a bit, munching on yet another doughnut. "Well, you two are usually inseparable. I hardly see you guys talking anymore. Everyone has noticed."

Nick shrugged again. He didn't quite know how to respond; Clawhauser was right, and Nick certainly didn't have an explanation as to why Judy seemed to want nothing to do with him anymore.

He didn't really want to think about it.

As if fate was playing a cruel joke on him, Judy Hopps walked in, her vest improperly buttoned and a half-finished cup of coffee in her hands. She met Nick's eyes, and her own went blank; a wall put over them to hide any emotions she might be feeling. Nick knew she didn't want to talk - God, she had made that perfectly obvious - but he couldn't help himself. He missed her.

Judy had already ducked into her office, but before she closed the door, Nick slid in. Everything in the rational part of his mind was telling him to stay away, telling him to get some space, but his heart was telling him to confront her.

He decided to do neither of those things. Instead, he opted for small talk. It was the only thing he was actually decent at in the way of interaction, and hey, if it would get her to open her damn mouth, it was better than nothing.

"So, did you hear about Gazelle's concert?"

Judy didn't seem to register what he said until he tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up from her notebook and frowned, and Nick had the sinking feeling she hadn't even noticed him enter. She was in her own little world, stuck in her thoughts, and in that moment, Nick wanted to know what they were.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I did," she replied curtly, as if she were talking to a stranger on a bus. Nick faltered for a fraction of a second, shook himself, and began again. Any talk was better than none.

"I heard it sold out in a matter of minutes. I was actually hoping to get a ticket, but there's no more left," he said, leaning against her desk. Judy was chewing on the end of her pencil, but she looked up at him and frowned.

"What do you want, Wilde?"

Ouch.

Nick stepped back. "I was just-"

The bunny lept from her chair, her eyes no longer blank, but full of fire. He couldn't tell if she was angry at him or herself, but it frightened him nonetheless.

"Have I not made myself clear?" she asked, her paws shaking slightly. Nick tried not to focus on that. "Or should I dumb it down to your level? God, I thought foxes were supposed to be smart."

"What? Why the hell would you-"

"I don't want to see you," she growled, her voice low. It was the angriest Nick had ever seen her, and it put him on edge. He didn't know what he even did to hurt her to make her so furious at him. For her to hate him.