It had been a long day for Judy. It had been the first day in a long time she'd worked alone, for starters. Bogo had stuck her with mostly office work for the day, though she did tag along with Fangmeyer for a patrol in the afternoon. They'd managed to pull over a very rude moose who refused to even speak with Judy until Fangmeyer came up behind her. Even after a little over a year on the force, Judy was still having trouble being taken seriously by some citizens of Zootopia.

The length of the day had begun to wear on her. Normally, with Nick by her side, her work days went by like a flash. Their playful banter, jokes, and companionship made the hours tick by joyously. After he became her partner, she enjoyed two months of that wonderful routine. The lack of her best friend meant today had been agonizing. She had no idea how she made it through her first year of service without him.

Judy had tried making jokes with Fangmeyer, but most of them fell flat with the tiger. She even tried using some of Nick's lines, as they usually could get a chuckle out of the tiger, calling him "Stripes." But her words just didn't have the charm Nick always seemed to have a surplus of. Resigning herself to silence, she looked out the window of the squad car at nothing in particular.

"Sheesh, Hopps. You're pretty miserable without Wilde here, huh?" Fangmeyer suppressed a smug grin.

"Yeah…" she said, absentmindedly. Snapping back to reality, she put on a face and turned back to her coworker. "I mean, it's just a lot…quieter without Nick around today." She smiled weakly, hoping to stem any comments she knew Fangmeyer probably had.

"He just took today off, right? He'll be back tomorrow?"

"His mom needed some help today. She's…not doing well from what I understand." Judy commented. She hadn't met his mother yet, other than briefly at Nick's graduation from the academy. She seemed well then, but she'd heard Nick mention a few times that she wasn't in the best of conditions. "But he'll be back to work tomorrow." She smiled again at the thought and returned to lazily gazing out the window.

Wow, Fangmeyer thought. She's got it bad for him. He chuckled lightly to himself. The two finished documenting the speeding ticket they'd issued to the rude moose on their on-board computer and Fangmeyer noted it was nearly the end of their shift. He put the car into drive and started heading back to the station.

Once back, Judy walked in and headed back to her desk to finish up the day's paperwork and clock out. The day was nearly over, and she really hoped she could see Nick that evening. Pulling her phone out, she began typing out a text.

[Miserable day, need to see you]

She read over the message before hitting send. She laughed at herself. Wow...sounds a little desperate, don't you think, Hopps? She quickly deleted the message and typed in something a little more unassuming.

[Everything okay with your mom?]

She hit send and eyed her phone as if expecting an immediate response, noting how Nick was listed in her contacts as "Dumb Fox." She laughed to herself. She really hoped they wouldn't have too many days without working together. It was torture to her rapid-fire bunny brain. She set her phone down and turned back to her computer to finish clocking out, not noticing a large shadow overtaking her cubicle. A small knock made her ears perk up, and she turned to see Chief Bogo behind her.

"Hopps." He looked rather indifferent.

"Yes sir, Chief?"

"Tell Wilde he better have his smug self back in here ready to work tomorrow." His indifferent look held firm, but inside he was a bit worried. Hopps just wasn't herself today, after all, and he noticed. Nick taking a day off had really put him out of two officers. That was a good sign for their partnership, but he hoped it would be isolated. The two of them had become very good officers in their short time together, and it pained him to see Hopps so sullen over something so simple. Her normal full-steam ahead attitude had waned today. "I expect you two to at 110%"

Judy nodded her head, putting on a smile. "Yes sir! I'll let him know you missed him." A small chuckle escaped Judy's mouth as Bogo's face changed to one of annoyance.

"Right… Well, have a good evening, Hopps." Bogo left her to finish her work. Those two sure are something. I've never seen a partnership like theirs take off so quickly. Especially pred/prey like that. Bogo certainly wasn't blind to the implications of their stalwart partnership. He didn't mind, as long as they worked hard and acted professionally. It was no secret that they were close, after all. He was sure it was only a matter of time.

Judy finished clocking out and noticed Nick hadn't responded yet. As if on queue, the phone blinked to life as the notification chime played. A small, involuntary squeak popped out of her as she grabbed her phone.

[Mom's good for today. I'm heading back to my place. Dinner?]

Dinner sounded wonderful, especially since she really needed to see him. Need? She thought. Nick was her best friend…it was only logical that she'd miss him. But she missed…him. Everything about him. His snark, his jokes, his attitude, his handsome smile…

It had only been a day but it felt like an eternity. It was as if just one day without him by her side made her realized just how close she was to him. She felt like she was missing a part of herself. Do I need some Nick time? Yes, yes I do.

[Okay, want me to grab something on my way over?]

[Nah, I'll make us something. Just got groceries.]

[K, See you soon]

Judy turned off her computer and headed to the locker room to change into more comfortable clothes: a pale blue t-shirt and a comfortable pair of jeans. She'd started the habit of changing after work since she and Nick so often went to hang out or grab dinner. It was far easier than taking the subway and heading all the way back to her apartment just to change clothes.

Nick's apartment, in contrast, was about a 20 minute walk from the station. She wasn't sure how he could afford a nicer apartment than she could, since they made about the same amount of money. She figured he had some leftover money hidden away from his previous endeavors. It was much nicer to spend time at his place than her little closet of a room. She had to find a new place to live, and soon.

As if to only make her day feel even longer, the walk to Nick's apartment took forever. By the time she reached his complex, she was nearly sprinting up the stairs to see him. After knocking at his door, she heard a comforting voice from inside.

"Come on in, Carrots."

Judy opened the door and stepped in, an amazing scent suddenly hitting her nose. She took in a big whiff of the smell. Cauliflower, potatoes, beets, almonds and…lemon? She entered the apartment and saw Nick busy in the kitchen that was connected to his living room. He was wearing a sleeveless light green shirt and some khaki pants.

"Wow…smells amazing!" Judy said as she walked in, setting her bag down. She walked over to the kitchen with him as he was pulling a pan out of the oven. "Nicholas Wilde! I never knew you could cook!" On the pan was a beautiful medley of roasted veggies and almonds.

"Gotta keep you on your toes, Fluff." Nick said with a smug grin. "Can't give away all my mysteries in one go." He grabbed two plates from his cupboard and plated the meals. Putting on his best fake French accent, he explained the dish to her. "Zis is a roasted medley of ze finest cauliflower, potatoes, and beets I could find, toss in olive oil wiz a dash of lemon zest, a pinch of salt," he reached over to a small container of what looked like a homemade dressing, "and a tres delicious orange vinaigrette."

Judy giggled at the display, taking her plate and sitting down at the table. She poured a little of the dressing on it and took a bite, amazed at how wonderful it tasted. "Mmmm…Nick this is amazing! Where'd you learn to cook like this?"

"Trade secrets, Carrots." He said as he dug in himself. "Glad you like it, though."

Judy gave a smirk back to him. "It gets the bunny seal of approval!" She took a few more bites before pointing her fork at him. "Wow, you are on cooking detail from now on."

"Gladly." Nick's famous half lidded smirk overtook his expression. "As long as you to do the dishes."

Judy laughed, giving him a playful glare. "Sly fox."

"Dumb bunny." He replied, nonchalantly.

Judy couldn't help but smile softly at him. I really missed this today. She looked on as Nick continued eating. His smug grin never left his muzzle. His brilliant green eyes finally looked up and met hers. They were so-

"Do I have something on my face?" Nick's words snapped Judy back to attention.

"Wha…no! No, nothing, I was just…uh…" She quickly looked away as she felt heat rising in her ears. She was sure she was blushing horribly. Get it together, Hopps.

Nick laughed. "It's okay, Jude." Of all the nicknames he'd given her, if he called her "Jude" it signaled he was being a little more serious. She looked back over until her eyes met his again. His smirk hadn't faded one bit. "I missed you too today."

Now she knew she was blushing. "Well..I mean it was a LOT quieter around the station without you."

"I'm sure Bogo didn't mind."

"Ha...he missed you too. Told me to let you know he expects us at 110% tomorrow."

"Sure, you'll be the 100% and I'll be the perfect 10."

Judy giggled. "In your dreams, foxy." She sighed lightly. It was as if the natural order of the world had been reestablished. She picked at the last few bites of her dinner, playing the day through her mind again. She tried to imagine what Nick would have said to the moose they pulled over. It would have likely been pure gold.

Finishing up his own plate, Nick took Judy's empty one as well and placed them both in the sink. Maneuvering over to his couch, he waved Judy over to sit by him. She hopped over the back of the couch, landing with her feet near Nick's side and stretched her back against the arm of the couch.

"Wanna watch a movie?" She asked, grabbing Nick's TV remote.

"Actually...why don't we just chat for a bit?" Judy's ears shot up in surprise.

She looked at him, seeing if he was joking or not. She couldn't tell. "Uh…okay. What…do you wanna chat about?"

"Well, for starters, how was your day? I'm assuming you did actual work while I wasn't there?"

"Oh…it was boring. Bogo stuck me with some paperwork, and then I went on a fairly uneventful patrol with Fangmeyer."

"Mhmm…sounds painful."

"It was SOOO slow today without you." She said as she laid her head back over the arm of the couch.

"Good to know how much you missed me." He laughed as he poked at her foot.

"Eep!" she cried as his claw tickled her foot. "Don't get a big head, dumb fox." She lightly kicked his side. "But it…wasn't as fun without you. I tried joking around with Fangmeyer, but he just scoffed at me."

"Aww, that stick in the mud? He can't replace me, that's for sure." Smirking at her, he let his paw fall on her foot, ruffling the fur on top of it.

Judy's face blushed again. Stop being so sweet, dumb fox! She decided to change topics. "How is your mom doing?"

Nick's expression softened slightly. Just slightly. Just a degree or so. But Judy had been around him enough to catch it. She knew he was worried about his mom. He looked forward at the blank TV. "She's…she's okay, Carrots."

Judy felt his paw leave her foot. "I'm…I'm sorry Nick. If you don't want to talk about your mom we don't have to."

He looked back at her, turning himself slightly to get a better line of sight. "No. it's fine. The doctors…well they have to do more tests. They can't figure out why she's losing so much weight. That's where I took her this morning." He feigned his best optimistic face. "To see a new specialist who can help."

Judy felt her heart sink a little. It pained her to see Nick like this. She cared a lot about him, after all. And his mother seemed so sweet.

"But, my mom wouldn't be happy to hear us talking about her like this. She's a very proud vixen." Nick laughed. "She'd tell me to worry about myself…and she did just that several times today. She was never one to enjoy other people worrying about her."

"Nick…if you-"

"My day was long without you too, Jude." He looked back up at her. His expression leveled out again. Just like that, his wall was back up. Even in his sincerity, he was still hiding behind his handsome smugness. Judy figured she shouldn't push too hard this time, deciding that was a good enough emotional breakthrough for Nick for the day.

Running her paw down her ears, she playfully chided "Oh really, the big bad fox missed the little bunny?"

"Of course, I missed not seeing all your bunny-isms."

Her ears popped back up. "Bunny-isms?"

"Bunny-isms. Like that, right there." He said, pointing to her ears. "When something gets you flustered, your ears perk right up and turn towards me. And then…" he waited a moment. "…ha! There it is.!" He huffed a laugh.

Judy could only giggle at his excitement. "There what is?"

"Your nose. When you really focus in on something, it starts twitching like there's no tomorrow!" He reached over and booped her nose with his finger. "You could say it's quite…"

"Don't even say it, Slick." She shot him a half-lidded smirk that rivaled his own.

"You wound me, Fluff." He said as he brought his paws to his chest. "I was simply going to say 'charming.'"

Judy giggled. "Uh huh…right. What am I going to do with you, Wilde?"

"Well, you have the whole day tomorrow to figure that out, since I'll be back to work."

Judy laid her head back again. "Good. Because if I'm honest, it was horrible without you today."

"Aww…poor widdle bunny." He reached his paw over to her foot again. "I'm sorry you had such a hard day." He took her foot in both paws, lightly massaging it. The sudden pressure caught her off guard, though it wasn't unappreciated. "How 'bout I make it up to you?"

Judy attempted to protest, but the pads of his paws hit a pocket of tension. The wonderful feeling shot up her legs as she relaxed into the couch a little more. "Well, if you insist."

"There ya go, just let ol' Nick Wilde work that bad day out of your system." He put more pressure onto her foot, pressing into it and moving his fingers around.

Oh wow…he's…surprisingly good at this. Judy said, her face blushing more and more as he continued rubbing her foot. She must not have realized how much tension her feet carried through the day.

"Is this another hidden skill of yours?" She let out of small gasp as he switched to her other foot, letting her head fall back again as her eyes closed. She let out a deep sigh as he massaged her other foot.

"Yup. I'm really good at making bunnies go dumb."

"Wow...how many bunnies do you give this treatment to regularly?" Even with her head back, Nick could see the smirk on her face.

"Well you're certainly the first, but I gotta admit I have a pretty good test subject here."

"Mm-hmm. Well you're pretty good from what I can tell. Did you take classes for this, or is it just a standard fox feature?"

"Ha, no, no, I just took classes on how to care for overly emotional lagomorphs."

Another laugh escaped Judy. "Har har, you big dummy."

"Now, now, Carrots. I take helping my partner relax after a hard day seriously." Rubbing on the toes of her foot, his paws lifted up, signifying he was done. Judy was laid back on the couch, practically melting into it as she gave out a long, relaxed sigh.

"Oh wow…I really needed this." Judy said as she slowly sat up, a huge smile on her face.

"I'll say, your feet were pretty tense."

"No, Nick, I mean…" she leaned over, placing her head on his chest and leaning her weight on him. "I needed this." The move took Nick by surprise, but he relaxed into it and placed his arm around her.

"Well, what can I say? I'm always here for you, Jude." His paw gently came up, stroking down her ears as she nuzzled into him.

After a few moments of content silence, she spoke up again. "I really missed you today, Nick." She pulled back a little, looking up at him. "I didn't realize how much until I saw you again."

Nick just smiled. "I really missed you too. It was no fun without my partner."

Judy smiled back, blushing lightly as Nick pulled her back to himself. She put his paw back on her ears, and he took the hint. He gently stroked his claws down her ears, making her shiver a little.

"Nick, why are you so good to me?"

Nick thought about it for a little bit, deciding that this was a situation where the best answer was actually the most honest one. "Because I love you."

The words rang like a gong in Judy's ears. Her eyes shot open for a second. "Love…me?" She pulled back a little, running her paw over her ears where he'd been scratching and looking away. "Like…a sister?" Her voice was a little shaky. "Or a friend?"

Nick knew what he meant, and he figured so did she. But he also could sense a little bit of apprehension from her.

"I'll love you however you need me to." He reached down and placed a paw on her shoulder, causing her to turn back to him, meeting his emerald eyes. "If you need me to rub your feet after a long day of work, I'm here for you. If you need me to listen while you vent about whatever's bothering you, I gotcha covered."

She couldn't pull herself from his eyes. His eyes were so genuine. He really means what he's saying.

"If you need me to watch a sappy movie and eat a tub of ice cream with you, you have my number."

A smile began working its way onto Judy's face. This felt right, after all. She might as well enjoy it.

"What if…" she looked down for a moment, then back up as she moved a little closer to Nick "..what if I just need someone to hold me and scratch my ears?"

"Well I believe I've proven I'm a good for that." His smile warmed Judy's heart even more.

She slowly moved closer to him, until their noses were only a few inches apart. "What if…" her voice was just above a whisper. "…I need someone to kiss me?"

"Well…then I'm your fox."

Judy smiled. "My fox?"

"If you'll have me."

Before Nick could even muster another smug grin, Judy moved up and landed her lips on his. The kiss was firm, smooth, and as far as Judy was concerned, absolutely heavenly. Emotions she had and even ones she didn't know existed came out in that kiss. It wasn't fireworks or frantic sensuality she'd seen in the movies. It was just pure and simple connectedness between her and Nick. She broke the kiss, much to Nick's disappointment. Her eyes fluttered open, catching his green ones in her sights again.

"I love you too." She said, smiling uncontrollably at him. She leaned back down and wrapped her arms around his midsection, burying her face into his side. The day that had started as the worst day imaginable had quickly become the best day of her life. And it felt great.

The two sat in the quiet for a while, taking in everything that had just transpired. Judy lost herself in his tender strokes on her ears again, and Nick loved the smell of her near him. Eventually, a small giggle came from Judy.

"What's got you giggly now, Fluff?"

"Just…today. This. It's so…unorthodox, don't you think?"

Nick laughed. "I think it's pretty par for the course for us, Jude."

Judy's smile widened again. "Oh…so there's an us now?" She giggled as she sat back up, looking once again into the emerald of his eyes that was quickly becoming her favorite color.

"Eh, there's always been an us. Just ask Clawhauser." The two broke into a small fit of laughter. The chubby cheetah always did say they'd make a cute couple.

"Well I'm sure he'll be glad to know he was right." Judy leaned back, stretching her legs out again. She looked at the clock. It was nearly 8 PM, but she certainly wasn't ready for this night to be over. "How about that movie now?"

Nick reached for the remote. "Sounds like a plan. What're you in the mood for?"

Judy slid over, pushing herself against Nick and forcing a loud "oof" out of him. "Well, you did say something about sappy movies and a tub of ice cream." She looked up at him with big, expecting eyes.

He looked down at and rolled his eyes in response. "Sly bunny."

"Your bunny." She said, reaching up and planting another kiss on his muzzle. "You said you like helping your partner relax at the end of a long day, and I have a little more steam to blow off before the night's over."

Nick felt the urge to say something, and knew it was just too good to hold back. "Well, if you need to blow off more steam, you now know how good I am with my paws and uh…mouth."

Judy shoved him away, half laughing, half yelling. "Nicholas Wilde! You dirty old fox!" She turned her face to hide the very obvious blushing overtaking her.

"What?" he said, feigning innocence.

"You sly fox. Go grab us some ice cream to cool you down before you start panting."

"Alright, alright." Nick stood up, stretching his back out. "But you know, you look pretty darn cute when you're flustered."

"Nick!" Judy threw a pillow at him.

"Hey, just stating a fact." He waltzed over to the freezer.

Judy let out a small growl tapered with giggles. "You're so…so…"

"Handsome? Witty? Articulate?"

"INSUFFERABLE!" she yelled.

Grabbing the ice cream from the freezer, he turned back to her. "And you wouldn't have me any other way."

"Oh no, Slick Nick. You don't get to use that smarm on me, mister!"

Grabbing a couple spoons, Nick headed back and plopped next to her on the couch again. "Well, would you rather I used it on someone else?" He made innocent eyes at her.

"Dumb fox!" she said as she snatched a spoon from him.

"You know you love me."

"I'm going to love the heck out of you if you don't stop!'

"See, now I'm confused, am I supposed to stop or not?"

"Just hush and put on a movie!"

Judy glued herself to him as the movie started, but both of them knew they wouldn't be able to give it their full attention. It was, after all, the end of a very long day.