It was a little past noon on a Saturday, under a clear cold sky and a weak winter sun. The plaza was filled with scattered groups of animals, most of them oriented towards the stones at the front. Nick casually scanned the crowd, an interested look plastered on his face. Once in a while he would glance at his partner beside him. She was staring at the rally speaker up front with rapt attention, ears up, paws clasped together. She even had the eye sparkle going on for full effect. He had to admit, he was impressed with her performance.

He carefully kept his features in check as the crackle of the radio picked up in his ear.

"Team Salt and Pepper, state your positions."

He stood up on tiptoe a little, this time scanning for his colleagues.

"Delgato and Clawhauser, stage right, by the giraffes."

He could see them easily enough, Delgato watching the whole show with mild interest. Next to him and in stark contrast was Benjamin, bopping up and down with barely contained enthusiasm.

"Grizzoli, stage left, beside the pond."

The white wolf was harder to spot. Standing alone, he was openly scanning the crowd with a stern look. Out of five, he was the only one in uniform today.

"Wilde and Hopps, dead centre, by the big elm."

Her face betrayed nothing of the message she was relaying. Up ahead the current speaker, a young and enthusiastic oryx, delivered a particularly fiery quote, and she clapped enthusiastically along with the crowd. A genuine smile broke through his own facade as he watched his partner, completely acing her role. His eyes trailed down ever so slightly. She was looking good in casual wear, too. He caught himself and reluctantly snapped his gaze back to the front. They had a job to do, so he really shouldn't be thinking about how snug those pants fit her.
Neither should he be thinking about how nowadays, she always called them in as Wilde and Hopps over the radio, with his name first. It was probably a coincidence, but it still made him grin every time she did.

The demonstration was about halfway, he guessed. He wasn't sure how many mammals were still lined up to speak to the gathered crowd. As long as things stayed the way they were now, their job would be fairly easy, and keeping up their roles shouldn't be too much of a problem.

He sidled a little closer to his partner, casually resting one paw on her head. To her credit, she didn't jump, simply looked at him with a questioning look. He allowed his paw to caress over her ears. They drooped instantly. She shot him a sugary sweet and fake smile, leaning into the touch. He could hear her teeth grinding together. If she had been able to speak freely, he knew exactly what she would say about him touching her on the job. His paw brushed one ear aside and came to rest on her shoulder. Up on stage, the oryx was halfway though his inter-schminter equality spiel.
He pulled her snug against him. She was still smiling, unwilling to break character, but he could feel the slight resistance. She kept her eyes up front, draping one paw around his waist, looking for all the world like a very comfortable and happy bunny. Inside his ear, the static of the open com buzzed like a very persistent fly.

He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, risking a low whisper against her ear. "Benjamin sure is going for the oscar tonight, isn't he?"

The cheetah was positively gushing at the speaker, awing at all the right places in his speech, all the while being quite literally draped over Delgato's side. The lion was undergoing it all with a confident and relaxed smile, even when the cheetah planted an excited kiss on his cheek.

The fox looked down at the rabbit with a warm smile.

She puffed up her cheeks in a huff, but he could already feel her relent, melting into his embrace. Her ear flicked against his snout, and he snapped at it playfully.
With a sudden and audible chuckle, she wrapped his tie around her paw and pulled him close for a quick nose rub. He grinned, planting a kiss between her ears as she leaned into his chest. This gig just got ridiculously easy.

Grizolli's voice crackled into his ear. "Wilde, check your ten, possible trouble."

He made a point of looking at the speaker first, his arms draped comfortably around his partner, before letting his gaze wander. They weren't hard to spot. "Couple of wolves with the punk attitude?"

"Affirmative. See what they're looking at?"

Pressed against his chest, he could feel the bunny sigh. "I see them. Think they know?"

The pair of wolves stuck out like a fox in a rabbit den. They were halfway hidden behind some trees, scowling at the speaker and the crowd in turn, whispering to each other with a lot of short and snappy gestures. Currently, their attention was mostly focused on a young couple a bit further on, an otter and a beaver. The young animals were quite oblivious to the attention, happily wrapped up in each other and listening to the speaker with rapt attention. Two high school kits by the looks of it, high on puppy love and hope. They'd never see it coming. Nick checked the wolves over again, careful not to let his gaze linger too long. There was something in the stance of their ears that made his gut clench.

"Grizzoli?"

"They're hunting all right." Even over the radio, his voice sounded rough. "Best keep an eye on them. They look the type to go in for some tracking."

The otter daintily turned on her feet and planted a short and sweet kiss on the startled beaver's nose. Neither of them noticed the hint of teeth the wolves were showing. Nick willed his hackles down. There really was no point in confronting them at this time. They'd surely deny everything, likely as not double back later to cause all sorts of trouble. A police officer wouldn't get much, trying that route.

Time to let the sly fox out to play.

"Hey Hopps. Want to play catch?"

She was looking past the trees, softly stroking his paw. She replied without looking up. "What are you suggesting, Wilde?"

He chose his words with care, picturing their fellow officers already grinning at the whole situation. "Well, if they want to chase something so badly, why not give them a sturdier target?"

He flinched slightly as their wolf partner openly chuckled into the com. "Is this gentle-mammal bothering you, officer Hopps?"

She glanced over at the white wolf with a seemingly accidental look. "Hush Grizzoli. Adults talking." The radio fell silent.

She scanned the crowd again, seemingly random, but he could tell she was looking the younger couple over, assessing the wolves, evaluating the whole situation. He squeezed her paw in his, silently reassuring her.

She straightened up with a sigh. "All right, let's do this. Grizzoli, permission to engage?"

To his credit, the wolf was trying to keep the smirk out of his voice. "You have a go, Wilde-Hopps. Give them a show."

She suddenly giggled, high and fake probably only to Nick's own ears, turning in his embrace. He made a mental note to tell her later that it really wasn't her sound. She reached up to plant a short kiss on his nose. He made a show of wrinkling his muzzle, before very deliberately and pointedly, licking her cheek. She squealed and pulled back with a laugh.

"Looks like you got a nibble, Hopps."

A nibble was good, but not enough. They had to make sure. He saw her eyes widen right before he kissed her, crashing down on her lips with enthusiasm. If this didn't work, he really didn't know what else would. She was raising her paws now, placing them on his chest as if to push him away. He made a little high sound, and her paws slid into his neck instead, returning the kiss, and gods did she taste good, had it only been yesterday since he kissed her last? It suddenly seemed all too long ago.

A polite cough in his ear reminded him they had quite the audience to consider. "That got their attention all right. They don't look happy."

Nick pulled back to nip himself an ear, mindful to go for the one that was transmitter free. She hummed, closing her eyes in a content grin. He growled playfully, pushing the sound just a tad to make it audible to eavesdropping ears. She giggled just as loud.

Grizzoli's voice sounded oddly flat. "Hooked and lined. How predictable. This might just work."

Nick scoffed. "Of course it'll work. It's us." He smiled down at his partner, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "Want to play Catch the Rabbit?" She almost punched his shoulder for that, but her hand shot up to his face for a soft caress at the last possible moment. Her face was a conflicted mix of laughter and annoyance. He'd pay for all this later, he was sure.

"Lead on, partner."

He suddenly straightened out, turning away from the crowd, pulling her along with a smooth grin. She had to run a few steps to catch up, evening out next to his gait with a weird little hop-skip. He looked at her antics with a bemused smile. She looked quite silly, really, like a little kit at a fair. He decided he liked it all the same.

The noise in his ear told him Grizzoli was on the move as well. "Stay in sight, you two."

"They might never bite if we do." It was a mystery to him how she could keep her voice levelled while doing that damn skip-bit. "There's an alley not too far from here. How about we set a trap?"

"The one next to the juice stand? That's a dead end, Hopps. No way out if something goes wrong. I'd lose eyes on you, and you're not armed." Grizzoli fell into silence.

His partner settled into a normal walking pace, sliding one paw around Nick's waist. He almost unconsciously did the same.

The static finally picked up again. "I don't like it, but it's your call. Wilde?"

He looked down at his partner with apparent reservations. She shot him a confident smile. "We can do this. It'll be just like the museum! Except this time we'll actually have back up."

Nick sighed. "Hopps, I swear, one of these days you're going to get us both killed."

He left her no time to reply, suddenly bending down to plant a quick kiss on her nose, dashing away before she could react. He knew she'd follow, so he added just a bit of speed before coming to a full stop, swivelling round just as she was almost on top of him. She tried to backpedal, but he pulled her into a snug embrace with a playful growl, dazzling her with a kiss that spread the heat to the very tip of his ears. Suddenly, the plan seemed like the easiest hustle to pull. He dragged his bunny into the alley with a sly smile.

Let 'em come. Together, they could take on the world.

Soon as they were out of sight, her face slid back into police mode. She gave him a short nod, and they broke into a run, him following her lead. It didn't take long to find a good vantage point. Good view of the alley entrance, far enough from the street to make their target cocky, low risk of getting cornered, and a sturdy wall to press her up against, like so.

Her cop face fell to startled surprise. "What are you doing?"

He smiled innocently, sneaking one paw around her torso to hold her up to his level. "Giving them a show, what else?" She eyed him warily, her gaze constantly flicking over his shoulder. He resisted the urge to swivel his ears. "They there yet?"

"I don't see them, maybe they figured it out—" her eyes widened slightly. "No, there they are." She focused back on Nick. "Still sure about this?"

He bared just a hint of teeth. "Just tell me when."

She pulled him against her lips with surprising fierceness. Her paws found the scruff beneath his ears, her tongue flicking against his teeth for a way in, and he found his mind suddenly vacant as he granted her control, a low growl building in his chest. Her paws dug into his fur and he pressed flush against her, breaking the kiss to nip her neck, her shoulder, suddenly so very hot and bothered, almost forgetting why they were here.

He saw the glint in her eyes right as she broke the silence.

"Apples!"

He dropped her with a snarl, feeling the brush of her ears against his legs as she pounced through them. He heard the surprised grunt before he had pivoted all the way, just in time to dodge the oncoming punch. The young wolf stumbled and hit the wall instead, howling in pain. Nick grabbed the injured paw and twisted it behind his back, slamming his opponent against the stones. What he lacked in height he could easily make up with just a hint of pressure on what felt like a broken wrist.
Meanwhile his partner was lying flat on the other perp's back, one leg hooked behind one of his, her both paws locked behind his arms, pulling his shoulders back. The floored wolf was snarling and rocking, somehow unable to get up.

Nick let out a low whistle. "You have got to show me how you do that one day."

She wasn't even breaking a sweat. "Hopps here. All clear!"

"Who are you talking to?" The wolf pressed against the wall demanded. Nick added just a touch of pressure, turning a snarl into a whiny whimper. "You'll see, hot shot."

When Grizzoli entered the scene, one look at the situation was more than enough to turn his worried frown into outright laughter. The wolf on the ground snarled in fury, redoubling his efforts to get loose. "What are you laughing about? These two attacked us without warning! We demand you arrest them!"

"Oh really?" A dangerous glint came into the officer's eyes as he dropped down to look the wolf in the eye. "You got tackled by a poor defenceless bunny? You ready to make a statement about that?" The youth stopped fighting the rabbit's hold, suddenly wary. Grizzoli took out his handcuffs with a scoff. "That's what I thought."

The wolf with the broken wrist came willingly enough, ducking into the patrol car with downcast eyes and his tail between his legs. His friend took a bit more persuading. He fought Grizzoli's grip the whole way, snarling into Nick's face as he passed. "Filthy Preychaser! No self respecting pred plays with their foo-ugh!"

Grizzoli had slammed the wolf against the patrol car with enough force to make the car rock on its wheels.

"Woops. Must have tripped." His face was placid, but the white wolf's voice was pure ice. A shiver ran over Nicks's spine, and by the way the other wolf's ears went flat against his skull, he must have felt it too. He didn't give any more trouble after that.

With the two troublemakers finally secure, their Team Leader seemed to relax back into his own self. "Good job, you two. I'll take these two down for processing. Unless you want to do that yourself?"

His rabbit pulled a face. "No thanks. All I want to do right now, is take a long, hot bath."

"Oh come on, Hopps." Nick crossed his arms with a crooked grin. "I don't smell that bad." He ignored her scowl and chuckled at Grizzoli, who didn't join in the banter. Instead, he was looking at the pair of them, his head slightly cocked in that puzzled wolf way.

Nick's chuckle died in his throat. Judy didn't seem to notice. She was taking the little electronic bug out of her ear to hand it over, and he quickly followed suit. Grizzoli collected them without further ado, simply nodding one last time before getting into the cruiser.

It wasn't until the police car turned the corner that she finally looked at him, suddenly confused at his expression. "Something wrong?"

He looked down at her with a cocked ear. "Apples, Hopps? Really?"

She simply grinned. "Worked, didn't it? And now you can't complain I never use it."

He snorted. "Me, complain? I wouldn't dare." But he smiled at her anyway.

Compared to a weekday, the ZPD was oddly quiet. Nick and Judy hurried to their respective locker rooms for a quick shower. Debrief was only thirty minutes away, and whatever it was Grizzoli had noticed downtown, Nick really didn't feel like letting Bogo catch a whiff of it. He scrubbed his fur with furious vigour. What was it they said about hindsight? Nothing he could do about it now, except but roll with the punches.

His partner was waiting for him outside, back into uniform as well. She gave him a sceptical once over. "Straighten your tie, you know Chief hates it when it's crooked." He pulled it into place without comment.

The rest of the team wasn't hard to find. Their laughter boomed through the mostly deserted hallways, occasional startling an officer at his desk.

Nick made a show of sweeping towards the two felines, shaking their paws with an air of formality. "Officer Delgato, officer Clawhauser, may I congratulate you both on your immaculate performance?"

The lion smoothed down his mane with a grin. "Thanks,.. I think. Clawhauser definitely owes me dinner after that cheek action. I'm usually not that easy, I swear."

His partner for the day bumped his hip with a grin. "Aww, don't go breaking my heart now! I might never get over it!"

Delgato deadpanned. "It's not you Benjamin, it's me."

The cheetah gasped, clutching at his heart. "Are you… breaking up with me?"

Delgato clapped him on the shoulders with a heavy look. "Our love was never meant to be. It simply burned too bright. Be brave, my Speckled Delight. You will find love again, this I swear."

The cheetah's lip began to tremble. Nick was looking at the whole thing with obvious delight. His partner meanwhile had her paws clamped over her nose, shaking with silent laughter. Seemingly oblivious to his audience, the cheetah started to heave with strangled sobs.

"Don't ask me to go on without you. I just can't!"

Delgato considered for a moment. "What if I sent you donuts?"

"Oooh!" The cheetah snapped straight into his happy self again. "Break up terms accepted!"

Delgato nodded solemnly. "It is settled." He winked at Hopps, who was still trying to contain her laughter. "Back to work."

Grizzoli was waiting for them in the briefing room, as was Chief Bogo.

"Welcome back team, close the door. Hopps, wipe that grin off your face."

"Yeah Hopps," Delgato quipped. "He can't have been that good a kisser."

Grizzoli barked out a laugh, while Benjamin let out a loud "Ooooh." Nick only froze for a heartbeat, recovering with practiced ease. He raised his chin with mock hurt. "Hold on now, I resent that! I am a fox of many talents, kissing included!" He put one paw over his heart and raised his snout, in stark contrast with his absolutely mortified partner who had her face hidden behind her paws, a hard flush blazing to the tip of her ears.

The buffalo snorted. "Find someone who cares, Wilde. Team Leader, your report so we can all go home, please."

The white wolf stepped up to start the mission briefs, and the group settled down.

And then Monday rolled around, and everything went back to normal. Aside from the compliments that came their way from various corners, wanting to know just how they tackled two wolves in their prime without any assistance or weapons, nobody even mentioned, well… that. Even Delgato only shot them a friendly good morning when he walked into the precinct, dropping a big box onto Clawhauser's desk when the cat wasn't looking. And if Grizzoli suspected anything, he was very carefully sidestepping the whole issue. But yeah, he probably knew. Damn wolves and their noses.

Nick leaned against the wall next to the bullpen, looking at the comings and goings of it all. His partner, edgy ever since they walked in, was finally relaxing next to him. He dared to shoot her a small smile.

This could work. It might just work.

At his desk, Clawhauser was roaring with sudden laughter. Nick looked over to see the cheetah pull two donuts from the mystery box. They were covered with a dark yellow glaze, topped with chocolate sprinkles.

I'll probably post chapter two somewhere next week. BE WARNED, the next one is going to be absolutely smutty. If that's not your cup of tea, I highly recommend you skip it and wait for chapter three.