BLUEBERRY SOAP

Author's note:

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, all rights reserved to Disney. There are some slight innuendos in here, hence the T rating I have given it. Also, there are some nods to the movie within this one-shot, so if you have not seen the movie, you have been warned. But seriously, who hasn't seen Zootopia? 3

Anyways, I hope you enjoy and happy reading!

Hugs,

AleahLondon1987

With a lazy flick of his thumb and wrist, Nick Wilde popped the last morsel of his chocolate candies into his mouth, snapping it up tenaciously with a half-enthused lick of his chops the second afterward. He gave a sigh, giving a last glance over the package before wadding it up between his paws. He reached across the police cruiser's cabin, promptly plopping the wrapper into the makeshift trash-bag that he had set up on the passenger side's floor mat.

Street activity within the bustling, shining city of Zootopia had long since diminished, due to the fact that most mammals had already made their way home for the night. Vehicles had cleared the highway on-ramp ahead, and the soft, whistling sound of the wind the only sound that made its way to Nick's triangular, large ears through the open window of the cruiser.

So much so that when the abrupt, sudden crackle of the police scanner ripped through the silence it made the otherwise cool and collected fox jump a few inches in the air.

'THIS IS CHIEF CONTACTING ALL UNITS ON PATROL. REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE.' Chief Bogo's booming demand was enough to make an unsuspecting mammal cringe, but Nick just smirked. The tough-as-nails chief and he had become like old friends over the course of the last few months, and it was hard to take him seriously anymore.

'UNIT 475 OFFICERS HEFER AND CHEETAY REPORTING. STATUS UNCHANGED. OVER'

'UNIT 23 OFFICERS HOOFBRAM AND CLAWBORN REPORTING. STATUS UNCHANGED. OVER.'

'UNIT 112 OFFICERS FURBOROUGH AND WOLFBANE REPORTING. STATUS UNCHANGED. OVER.'

"Typical Monday night….why can't Bogo just let us throw in the towel?" Nick mumbled to himself, glancing about the empty streets around his parked cruiser and through his rearview mirror.

'OFFICER WILDE. REPORT YOUR STATUS. OVER.' Chief Bogo barked through the speaker, making Nick jump again slightly. He groaned, throwing his head back in angst for a split second before snapping up the small speaker, pressing the button.

'UNIT 717 OFFICERS WILDE AND HOPPS REPORTING. STATUS UNCHANGED. OVER.' Nick babbled half-wittingly, giving a roll of his eyes. Just then, the passenger door swung open, and a pair of long, gray ears could be seen peeking over the seat for a split second.

"Still nothing, huh? Doesn't surprise me." chimed Lt. Judy Hopps, Nick's partner and friend. Hopping up into the seat, she placed a steaming hot cup of frothing liquid in both cupholders.

"What took ya so long, Carrots? Couldn't remember my order?" Nick chided jokingly, receiving a sarcastic laugh from his small but agile partner.

"Ha ha, very funny, Officer Wilde. But no, I didn't forget. Tall carmello latte, in an insulated cup, with an extra shot of expresso, whipped on top and just a hint of cinnamon." Judy rambled off like a champ, a small smile on her face. Nick nodded, his lips curling into his famous smirk.

"Good job, fluff. You get a gold star."

"Whoop whoop! That makes three this week!" Judy shouted with mock enthusiasm, giving a fist pump. Nick chuckled.

"Cool down there, hot stuff. You still have yet to get my Chipawtle order right." He reminded her with a smug tone of voice. Judy rolled her large violet eyes, resting them back on lock with her partner's identically large but emerald orbs.

"Never in my life have I ever heard of a fox wanting so much rice on his burrito." She said, trying to defend her failed attempts at getting them dinner at the popular restaurant. Uncrossing her arms, she reach over for her latte, her small paw barely able to grip around the circumference of the cup. As much as she had tried to sound firm in her answer, her remark simply made the fox chuckle again.

"And exactly how many foxes, may I ask, have you gotten a burrito for?" He said low in his throat. Judy leaned into him, keeping her gaze locked on his while her smile grew.

"Why do you ask? Jealous much?" She teased, giving a wink. Nick shook his head, the same lazy grin and half-lidded stare plastered across his face.

"Not for you, Carrot Top." He whispered.

'ALL UNITS REPORT BACK TO ZPD. TIME TO SWITCH PATROLS.' Chief Bogo bellowed, and Nick mouthed a silent thank you, shifting the gear from P to D.

"That's our cue, Officer Hopps. Time to pack it in!" He took off at the speed of lightning, not caring who or what saw him, laughing as Judy let out a surprised yelp at the sudden jolt forward. She shot Nick a glare, but he had that look in his eye that she couldn't argue against. The 'you know you love me' look. She shook her head, fastening her seatbelt and opened up her clipboard to fill out their report for the evening.

"How's about a round of Netflix at my place? There's a couple of action thrillers that I've been DYING to get my paws on and I finally downloaded them this morning before work!" Nick said as Judy and him, once again in their civilian clothing, exited the ZPD. Judy looked up at him, enjoying his childish excitement. However, she was extremely tired and wanted to take a shower.

"I dunno Nick, I'm kind of whooped. How about tomorrow? We have the whole day." She suggested, knowing that tomorrow was their day off and they usually ended up hanging out together anyways. For a slight second Judy could have sworn she saw the fox's expression falter a bit at her rejection, but it was quickly replaced by his usual façade. Shoving his paws into the pockets of his khaki pants, he shrugged a shoulder and turned the other way on his heel.

"Suite yourself, Carrots. Don't say I didn't offer." He started to walk the other way, waiting ever so patiently for his expert reverse-psychology to work its magic.

Judy stood there, watching him saunter away, thinking about it. She hated how he practically lured her in every time with his words, regardless of what they were. He knew full and well that he had a hold on her, and it was somewhat annoying. However, a small part of her wanted to go with him. To spend yet another evening with the only mammal who has ever given her any attention since coming to Zootopia. She enjoyed his company, truly she did. There was not a moment of their day together that she didn't find herself smiling or laughing about later in her apartment. (And quite perhaps that was the only thing she could within those walls without earning a snide remark from her all-too inclusive neighbors.) Her feet and body ached from the day's work, but she grumbled. She always gave in to him.

"Alright, I'll be there. Just give me some time to shower and get dressed out of these nasty clothes." She said.

Nick's ears perked in delight at her sudden change in thought, and he smiled, turning about and leaning slightly forward with his paws behind his back.

"Glad you have decided to join me. 7:00 and not a minute more!" He said with a stern wave of his finger, as if scolding her for being late at curfew. Judy just rolled her eyes and shoved his paw away, turning away to walk in the direction of her apartment.

Nick watched her figure get further and further away, until she gave a look back to him to wave before disappearing around the corner. He sighed, a small smirk still on his muzzle.

"Oh, Carrots. What would I do without you?" He mumbled softly, turning in the direction of his apartment, his bushy tail swaying back and forth.

The hot water spouted like molten lava out of the showerhead, gliding down and off of Judy's dense, slick fur, her paws scrubbing her favorite body wash into the very nooks and crannies of her small, muscular build. She liked the water extremely hot. It helped her to forget about the day's events, as if the boiling liquid burned the frustration away and spat it onto the shower floor, letting it glide down the drain and disappearing forever from Judy's body and mind.

She tenderly stroked the soap into her ears, then leaned forward to wash it off. She turned it off after that, grabbing her favorite lavender-colored towel and wrapping it around herself, stepping into her bedroom.

Looking up, she admired the photos she had tacked to the wall above her desk. There were some of her parents, her friends back home, and a few high school memories. Her eyes looked over every one of them, and as she absentmindedly reveled in each one, she froze as her eyes went to the corner of the room, closest to the window.

It was a few moments after the ceremony inducting the newest members of the Police Force. Nick had just been assigned to the ZPD and Judy as his partner. In excitement she had pulled out her old polaroid tucked away in her back pocket, earning a snide comment from Nick.

"Really, Carrot Top? Who uses polaroids anymore?" He sneered sarcastically, but she just shook her head.

"Oh just get over here and take a picture with me!" She snapped, grabbing the elbow of his arm and yanking him up against her. Nick's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, but he wasted no time in snaking an arm around her small waist and beaming into the lens. There was a small click, and Judy squealed, throwing her arms around him.

"Welcome to the ZPD, Nicholas Wilde." She said softly. Normally Nick would have chastised her for using his full name, but instead he smiled and hugged her close. He felt his heart-rate slightly accelerate, as he had rarely been this close to the over-enthusiastic bunny, save their reunion hug after Judy's screw-up with the press and the pit in the Natural History Museum when he had playfully but carefully clamped his jaws around Judy's neck before revealing their brilliant acting plan to sack Bellwether. His nose buried into the crook of her neck, he detected a slight hint of a scent on her that seemed different from her normal smell. Before he could inhale it again, she yanked away.

"Come on! Clawhauser invited us to Coldclaw Ice Cream to celebrate!"

Judy beamed a warm smile, pondering on the memory fondly. Turning to her dresser, she pulled out a cotton tee, pale blue in color. She also dug out her favorite pair of spandex capris, along with a thong she had recently bought. Although technically not within regulation, Judy found herself wearing the skimpy strip of fabric quite often when she had to wear her skin-tight armor and spandex on duty. Oh how Nick would have a field day if he found out-

Hold up. Judy thought, realizing she had just insinuated within her own mind that Nick would somehow find out that she wears thongs. That's ridiculous. There's no way that he would ever know. Ever.

She shook the formulating thoughts from her brain as she slipped everything on, eager to go over to Nick's apartment. Despite them being partners for the entirety of a year, Judy had seldom been to his abode. They had always conducted their outings elsewhere, like at their favorite spot in the park or at a concert. They rarely ever took their time together to either one of their apartments, partly because they always got tired or ran out of time, the other being that the sheer thought of it sent Judy's heart racing.

Ugh, why? Why on earth does it bother me? Nick is a friend! It shouldn't mean anything if he wanted to hang out here or I hang out there!

A slight buzz of something shot through Judy's body as she thought of Nick seeing her apartment. Of him standing in here, causing the room to seem a lot smaller. Of him looking about, making some kind of smart remark, with that weak-in-the-knees look on his face, the one that could save a mammal from death. Or better yet, save Judy from any bad day she was having…..

Stop it, Judy. Get it together. He's not here, and he would never come here even if I wanted him to. Judy had come to terms in her heart that Nick was very fond of her, but perhaps not as romantically as she wished. It was hard to tell what he truly felt, since his classic "don't let them see that they get to you" attitude went for everyone he dealt with on a daily basis, including her. Though they had had a few breakthroughs in the past, Judy felt as if Nick was just doing what he always does, and not letting anyone completely within the walls behind his calm and collected aura. She had dropped many a hint, but Nick would always shrug it off or joke about it before ultimately the subject was dropped, leaving Judy feeling foolish every time for even trying.

Gathering what she wanted to bring, she left her apartment, walking along the fairly-lighted pathway along the street. Not a soul was out at this time of the evening, except for a lemming or two working the third shift or the occasional sheep making it home late to his family. Judy took into the scene around her as she saw Nick's apartment complex within view, approximately five blocks away.

It had proved extremely convenient that the two lived so closely, since they always met up in the morning to walk to the ZPD. Judy liked having that routine, that security that every morning when she would leave the building there was Nick, standing there with a breakfast item bagged neatly in hand, looking at her over the top rim of his aviators, and greeting her in his normal fashion.

As she neared the apartment complex, Judy could hear the thump of bass rocking the top level, accompanied by loud shouting and laughs with crashing glass. She prayed that Nick wasn't any part of it, knowing the fox to literally be quite 'wild' sometimes.

Riding the elevator up to the fourth floor, she took a sharp turn to the right and knocked on the last door of that side of the corridor. The number 451 flashed her reflection back at her as she heard the lock unhinge and the door crack, revealing a singular emerald eye, full of mischief.

"What's the password?" Nick said in a hushed, gravelly tone. Judy huffed.

"Nick, let me in!"

"Ah, ah, ah. What's the password?" He repeated in a sing-song tone. Judy groaned, then mumbled something.

"I don't think I heard you. What was that?" He leaned his ear to the door.

"I said I'm going to hurt you." She snapped through gritted teeth. He swung the door open, outstretching his arm.

"Close enough! Welcome to La Casa de Wilde." He said, giving a small bow and gesturing inside.

Nick's apartment wasn't at all like Judy expected. It was neat and orderly, with modern touches here and there. There was a maroon-colored fabric loveseat and couch angled towards a flat screen TV, with strategically placed rugs covering up patches of the hardwood floors. Judy could see a door leading into the kitchen, and on the walls she could see a movie poster here and there of Nick's favorite action thrillers. Judy wanted to tell Nick it was lovely, but for some reason her mouth didn't agree with her.

"It's…..clean." was all she could utter.

"Ouch, Carrots. Quite the critic." Nick said, sarcastically hurt, shutting the door and grabbing the remote. Judy immediately tried to save herself.

"I mean it's nice! Not what I expected a fox like you to have!"

Really, Judy?

"It's fine, Carrot Top. I get it." Nick's calm reply didn't make her feel any better. The fox plopped down onto his couch and flipped on the TV. Judy cautiously sat down, not wanting to cause anything else to happen that would make her seem disoriented or disrespectful. As if it hadn't even happened, Nick turned to her.

"So, we've got Fast and Furriest part 5 and The Godpanther 2 on the lineup. Which one would ya like to watch first?" He said. Judy had no clue what any of these films were about, so she took a random guess.

"The Godpanther 2?" She said quizzically. He smiled.

"The Godpanther 2 it is." He said matter-of-factly, selecting it on the screen. While it buffered he stood up, passing in front of Judy and giving her a sideways look of acknowledgement.

"Popcorn, Carrots? Soda?" He asked. Judy shook her head.

"No thank you."

As Nick was rummaging around in the kitchen, Judy took a deeper look around. His apartment was definitely bigger than hers, if not nicer. He must pay a lot of his salary to live here. Judy looked over to her right, and realized there was yet another opening leading to a small corridor. At the end of the corridor, Judy saw another door, this one slightly ajar. Glancing back and seeing Nick nowhere in sight, Judy got up to investigate.

Pushing the door open, she took in the room, and quickly realized it was Nick's bedroom. She felt a flush of heat go to her cheeks, but before turning to walk back out, something caught her eye.

Walking over to the opposite side of the room, Judy spied a picture frame, silver embossed and quite large, taking up the entire right corner of the desk. It had a young fox in classy attire standing between two older foxes, also adorned in classy clothing. She giggled, realizing the little fox was Nick. He had a toothy grin plastered across his juvenile face, or would-be toothy if not for the fact half of his teeth were missing. Judy admitted to herself that he had been a cute kit.

Turning about, she spied another picture frame on the nightstand, this one significantly smaller but still taking up a good portion of the surface of the table. She recognized the same exact picture she had been reveling in earlier, but this one was printed and glossed over, and she could see her reflection in the photo. Her mind started racing, wondering why on earth Nick had their picture on his nightstand and how he had got a hold of a copy in the first place. The polaroid camera only printed out one copy of the photo, and she had never given the film to Nick.

"You know, the movie is playing in there, Carrots."

Judy screamed, whirling around to face a smirking Nick, who had snuck in behind her as quiet as ever. He had a paw extended with his thumb jutting back towards the living room. She gave him a punch in the arm, at which he chuckled.

"You scared me half to death!" Judy exclaimed.

"Well, the way I see it, you deserved it. Snooping about in my room." Nick retorted.

Judy huffed, pushing past Nick and stomping back into the living room like a little kid who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She plopped onto the cough, crossing her legs and beginning to tap the ground with her one foot rapidly.

"Awh, did I make a wittle bunny wabbit mad? Did I ruin her little adventure?" Nick said in a taunting baby voice, pinching Judy's cheek. Judy swatted it away, pretending to not feel her heart skip a beat at his touch.

What the heck? Judy thought, as if her heart had done something without her permission.

"Y'know Carrots, if you wanted to see my room, ya could have just asked. I'd have been more than happy to show you." He said, giving a coy wink. Judy's face flushed, and her nose twitched in frustration.

"Yeah well, I'm not interested at all anymore. So what good does that offer do now?" Judy said, crossing her arms. Nick smirked again, but raised his paws in defeat.

"Alright, alright, sorry for scaring you. But seriously. Why did you go in my room?" He asked, curiosity dripping from his tone. Judy's ear drooped shamingly behind her, and she looked down to twiddle with her thumbs as she answered.

"I don't know…..j-just…..curiosity I guess." She mumbled.

"Curious about what? Did you think I'd have some rabbit pelts or something crazy pinned to my walls or some crazy torture devices?" Nick joked, carrying a popcorn bowl into the room. Judy shook her head.

"No, I just…..I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry for invading your privacy." She mumbled even softer than before. Nick's face fell. He put the bowl down on the table, sitting down next to her and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Look Carrots, I'm just joking. It doesn't bother me all that much. Quite frankly, I'd much rather have you snooping around in my room versus anyone else in this crazy city." He reassured her, pulling away and popping a fluffy white popcorn ball into his mouth. Judy looked up, watching him turn his gaze to the movie. His eyes focused on the screen, she studied his profile. The sleek, sharp jut of his muzzle protruded handsomely from his face, a strong look that she had rarely noticed until now. The sleek, fiery fur glistened ever so slightly in the TV's glow. His ears, large and pointing up, twitched every now and again. Her eyes glided downward for a moment, studying the crème color of his fur on his chin and throat all the way down to his chest, which had a slightly muscular tone to it peeking out from underneath his green Hawaiian shirt. That familiar warmth was back in her chest, buzzing about like an angry bumblebee. Her ears and cheeks flushed red. Looking back up at his face, her breath hitched as she realized he was looking back at her, studying her just as intently.

"Carrots?" He said softly, his tone full of curiosity and concern. She couldn't reply. Her heart was in her throat. He leaned in closer, close enough to where Judy could smell the predatory musk and warmth on his fur. It was incredible, and until now she had never truly realized how mesmerizing it was. She looked into his eyes, and knew this was it. It was time to affirm everything she had been wondering and pining about for months.

"Why do you have a photo of us from the polaroid?" She whispered. Nick's expression dropped slightly, and Judy was screaming internally.

You stupid, STUPID bunny! You could have asked him anything and you ask him about the stupid polaroid picture? What is WRONG with you?

Nick leaned back ever so slightly, and Judy could tell the sarcastic wheels in his brain were turning stronger than ever. However, when he opened his mouth, quite a different answer came out.

"Well, I knew that the polaroid only printed one picture at a time and I…..kind of wanted a copy." Nick said, his voice pausing in mid-sentence. Judy's ears perked up. Was Nick…embarrassed?

"But how did you get it?" She asked. He sucked in a breath, then sighed.

"Being an ex-con does have its perks, Ms. Hopps." He said. While slightly taken aback by his formal address of her name, it suddenly dawned on her what he meant.

"Y-…..you stole it?" She said, the words heavy on her tongue. "You stole the film?"

"I put it right back! I developed one copy of that picture and I put it right back in your locker! Officer's honor!" Nick shouted quickly, making an X over his heart and raising his right paw.

Judy studied her partner again for a moment. This time there was a change to his physique, something Judy had not seen before. There was a look in his eye that she had only seen once before since knowing him, and that had been the night he graduated from the police academy. She had caught him staring at her amidst the loud, chaotic celebration at Coldclaw Ice Cream. It made her blood run hot to her face, and her foot thump slightly against the floor. A fluttering feeling infected her entire tummy, sending goosebumps to her skin. It took every amount of will-power she had to tear her gaze away.

This time was much worse.

Judy could barely form the words to say as she stared at her partner, her friend, her colleague. Whom she had grown to share everything with, from her worries to her joys. Her best friend.

"Nick, I…I'm not mad…..not at all." She uttered, her ears beginning to perk up a bit. "I'm…flattered that you would go through so much trouble…just for a picture of us."

Nick's emerald eyes had dilated quite profusely as she spoke, and he leaned in ever so slightly to whisper, "It's the only picture of us together. And I wanted it." He muttered.

Judy could feel his breath, hot on her face. She realized how close they actually were, and the crazy feelings started all over again in another wave. As Nick leaned further and further in, she closed her eyes, awaiting the warm mass of lips to press against hers.

Instead, she felt it against her neck.

Confused, she opened her eyes to see Nick burying his muzzle into the soft fur of the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply.

"So tell me Carrots. Why do you smell like blueberries?" Nick's voice was low in his throat, gravelly and one hundred percent swoon worthy.

Darn fox. Doing the exact thing I did to him. Judy snapped in her head, realizing he was giving payback for her off-topic question just moments ago.

"U-uh…no reason. It's just my body wash. It's blueberry-acai." Judy said calmly, trying to fight the urge to wrap herself around the handsome fox that continued to stroke his muzzle against her fur. After a few moments, Nick pulled away, his half-lidded gaze and lazy smile returned to his physique.

"So is this new? I don't remember smelling it on you just a little while ago." Nick inquired, absolutely reveling in Judy's bashful, embarrassment demeanor at the moment. The bunny fished for the right words, but they blurted out before she could stop them.

"I wanted something different and I found it in the store. It's actually not entirely blueberry. It has acai, oatmeal, and shea butter in it as well. Quite a good mixture, actually." Judy rambled, only to have the fox cuddle up to her again.

"Hmmmm but the first ingredient is blueberry, isn't it?" Nick argued playfully. Judy gulped a lump in her throat.

"Y-yes." She replied.

"So it's just a coincidence that blueberries happen to be my favorite food, and you all of a sudden started using this body wash?" Nick lifted his gaze to hers, cocking a single brow and flashing a smirk. Judy couldn't take it any longer.

"I know you have a much stronger sense of smell than me, and since we're always working together in tough conditions...I wanted to at least smell…..good to you. I know you like blueberries, so that's what I got. I care about you….." She trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut. It sounded ridiculous, and had she known it would have caused so much trouble, she would have just gotten the bargain brand.

She felt Nick shift around, and she felt a reassuring arm wrap around her waist, a paw snatching up hers. She opened her eyes, and Nick looked at her with such admiration she almost couldn't believe she was seeing it. His entire body was still, with only a slight rise and fall of his shoulders indicating he was breathing.

"I care about you too, Judy." He said softly, and Judy's heart soared at the mention of her real name in his statement. Nick let go of her paw and cupped his around her cheek, stroking lightly with his thumb.

"Not a little…..a lot." He continued. "No matter what I say…..or do…..you are by the best thing to ever happen to me."

The words rung in the air like bells, and Judy felt the whole world fall away, as if nothing else mattered except Nick and her sitting on that couch. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, and before she could stop it one managed to break free and cascade down her left cheek. She began to reach up to brush it away.

"Nick, I-" She began, but Nick snatched at her paw, leaning in and gently gliding his tongue along her cheek. Though most of his kind would not readily do it, Judy found it even more heartwarming that Nick reverted to his natural instinct to groom to ease her emotional state. It felt nice.

Nick pulled away again just enough to look Judy in the eye, and a soft smile cascaded along his muzzle. Before Judy had time to utter another syllable, Nick pressed his lips to hers, locking them in a passionate kiss. Judy squeaked for a moment, but gently eased into it, kissing back. It felt like an eternity before Nick pulled away, pressing his muzzle to her fully extended right ear.

"I love you, Judy Hopps." He whispered tenderly. The words were firm and certain, tender and cautious. It was every emotion Judy had ever hoped to feel from someone she loved. She gave a breathless giggle.

"I love you too, Nicholas Wilde." She uttered softly, beaming the biggest smile.

Glancing back at the TV, Nick chuckled. Judy shook her head. She could already tell he was back to being Nick, and the mushy moment was gone. Though this time, deep in her heart, she didn't mind at all.

"So, this movie's a dud. How about something with a little more angst?" He said. Judy shook her head. She could already tell he was back to being Nick, and the mushy moment was gone. Though this time, deep in her heart, she didn't mind at all.

"Sure, Nick. Can I go to the bathroom first though?" She said, starting to get up and walk towards the bathroom.

"Oh and Carrots?" Hearing her nickname confirmed Nick was back to his sarcastic self entirely, and Judy smiled, turning about to lock eyes with him.

"Next time you hit the store, pick me up a bottle of that blueberry soap. I can already tell it's going to smell quite enticing on the both of us." He said, giving a coy wink of suggestion. Judy giggled, shaking her head and said nothing to her partner. Her best friend.

Her soulmate.

And so ends my fanfiction. Please tell me what you thought of it and if I should do more oneshots or even try an actual story. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my story!

Warm regards,

AleahLondon1987