Judy Hopps And Nick Wilde: Loving Carrots

Prologue:

Nick Wilde braced himself for Judy's "6:00 a.m. isn't too early," alarm.

He turned over to peek at the bunny on the small bed a few feet away from his own. Across the room was more like it, which he made sure to complain about often.

They moved the desk to the end of her bed and the alarm along with it. She insisted it be closer to her since he might've pressed snooze once resulting in them being late to work and an earful from his sweet little Carrots.

It has been four months since their adventure together, not that a normal day with her isn't any less exciting. He wouldn't trade their ice cream and movie dinners for anything.

There haven't been any major crimes in Zootopia since, only a few speeding tickets for his buddy Flash. He knows that Flopsy the Copsy over there, has just been itching for action.

He watched in rapt fascination as she adjusted her blanket over her shoulder. It was the small things that made him all the more enamored by her.

They haven't had the "we" talk yet. And he wouldn't push, as long as she needed, he'd wait.  He has never had whatever this thing is that's between them so he planned to cherish every minute of it, even if sometimes he wished it could grow into something more.

"I told you," Judy said in between giggles and the sound warmed his heart, "Once you get into a routine, six doesn't feel so early."

Well to be fair she did tell him.

"How'd you know?" He asked shyly.

She turned over to face him, eyes still closed, "I could feel the stare of a sly fox on me." She opened her eyes and they glowed with a challenge. He held her tempting gaze-

"BEEP! BEEP!" And just like that their little contest was over, she laughed, silenced the alarm with a swift movement and shifted into her officer Hopps persona.

She made her bed and grabbed her uniform, then gave him an assertive look. Even in her carrot covered pajamas she looked ferocious. Nick groaned dramatically and got out of bed.

They have worked out a system where he uses the bathroom first. She claims she's just trying to be nice but they both knew if she went first he'd fall back asleep.

"You could join me Carrots, it'd be much faster." He offered, making sure to flash her one of his grins that he knows drives her crazy.

Judy in turn tapped her chin pretending to contemplate his offer. "Hmm and what would Clawhouser say?"

Nick cringed at her same old defense against any of his flirting. He might have let a few of his feelings towards Judy slip to Clawhouser, who because of that was now their biggest supporter.

"It's not-"

"Yes, yes, I'd love to hear about it any other time, now go!"  She shouted, practically shoving him into the bathroom and slamming the door in his face.

Some faint shouting came from next door, "Hey! Argue on your own time!"

"Oh shut up Buckly!"

"No you shut up!"

"No yo-"

"Sorry! Go back to sleep, you'll need it for your partying later."

Their neighbors, the Anterlsons seemed to agree with Carrots' reasoning and the noise stopped.

Carrots has this out worldly patience that kind of scares him sometimes, especially when it comes to their neighbors, couples argue yes, but they were on a different level.

🥕🥕🥕

Judy tapped her foot impatiently outside of their bathroom door and rubbed at her tired
eyes. She barely slept last night, but she wouldn't tell Nick a bad feeling in her gut was what kept her awake, not his watchful gaze, if only to spare him a bruise on that big ego of his.

That gaze.. she wouldn't think about it right now, even though that gaze has been increasingly difficult to avoid these past weeks.

Nick opened the door to reveal himself fully dressed in his uniform- thank the sweet cheeses, in the past he's found it funny to "Go back to our roots," or wear, "All natural clothing," as he would explain.

He knew how uncomfortable she was at the Naturalist Club, which seemed almost forever ago- She ceased her thoughts for a moment to look him over, a reaction she couldn't help, especially in that uniform.

She must've been scowling though, because Nick started to make a tsk grin sound and said, "My, my, my Carrots, testiness looks good on you."

If his uniform and him along with it wasn't such a thrilling sight she might've snapped back. Instead she just scrunched her nose in mock disgust, swung her uniform over her shoulder, strutted past him and closed the door.

She could've sworn she heard him laugh through the door and decided there was no way she was about to acknowledge how these little moments with him gave her butterflies.

🥕🥕🥕

"I'm just saying, I feel like we would have more room if we just moved our beds together."

"How does that make any sense?" Judy countered.

"Fine. We'll compromise, get rid of my bed and just share yours."

"Nick!" Judy halted, throwing a hand over his mouth, "So help me I will leave you in drying cement."

He removed her hand and chuckled, throwing his own arm around her shoulders. An arm that Judy made no attempt to remove, although she should, just to get back at him, but she just couldn't bring herself to break away from his warmth. Especially with the chill she's been feeling all morning.

They have fallen into such a comfortable routine with each other its hard to remember a time she didn't have his pesky flirting in her life. She would be lying if she said he didn't have a certain power over her.

She looked up to see him smiling like he knew it too. She almost let herself give in this morning, almost dared him to cross that line with her, but she would contain herself for him. After all they were just friends and she wouldn't want to do or say anything that could jeopardize that.

She heard a buzz in her pocket and pulled out her phone. Thank goodness this happened before their briefing, she couldn't imagine what Chief Bogo would say or do. Not silencing her phone, so amateur, she mentally head smacked herself.

Even after solving the missing animals case they weren't exactly on smooth terms. Any conversation they had usually resulted in him rubbing his temples and telling her to get out.

She looked at the screen and saw her parents' picture pop up. So she quickly silenced her phone, shoving it back into her pocket with poorly concealed annoyance.

Nick pulled his arm away from her shoulders probably about to ask what was wrong, when they arrived at the Bureau. She gave him a "We'll talk later" look that he obviously wasn't satisfied with, but she led them inside anyway.