Chapter Text
The Lease
It was a slow patrol day, and the car was filled with comfortable silence. They both just had lunch and got back on the clock, so now it was a waiting game to see if anything would happen before their shift was over.
Judy was watching civilians travel to and fro. It was always so entertaining to her, seeing how busy with life the city was. She wondered if it would ever lose its awe.
“I can’t believe you grew up in this, Nick. I can’t lie, I am a bit jealous.”
Judy waited for a response but was met with silence. She turned her head to look at the fox; he was wearing his sunglasses, and it looked as if he were looking out the window. But she heard the long, low breaths and knew he was watching the back of his eyelids.
She crunched her nose in irritation, then pulled her arm back and gave him a punch. “Nick! Wake up! You can’t sleep on the clock.”
The fox jumped, knocking his sunglasses askew and reaching for his arm. “I’m awake! You don’t have to use me as a punching bag. A simple wake-up would have done fine.”
Judy rolled her eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind. Falling asleep on the clock isn’t very professional, you know. Did you not sleep well?” A worried tone in her question.
Nick shrugged and took off his crooked glasses. “Eh, the gym above started hosting more workout classes. A bunch of elephants performing pilates is louder than one would think.”
Judy digested the information and gave him a frown. “Nick! I’ve told you that you need a better place! It's so loud, and everything in your apartment jumps.”
“It can’t jump as high as you.” He said with a chuckle, then continued. “You, carrots, cannot be talking; I have a laundry list of things wrong with your shoebox. How about this: once you move, I move.”
She gave Nick a smug look. "Well, funny you say that, because my lease will be up soon. I’m going to start looking at places, so that means you should too.”
He raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Is that so?" His voice had its usual cadence, but she sensed a bigger question was in those words. “Same area, or are you going to move around?”
Judy hadn’t thought about the logistics much yet. So she said as such, “Not really sure; I want a good commute, and I don’t want anything too far from the city. What about you? When is your lease up?”
Nick shrugged. “Whenever. I’m on a monthly lease.”
This information stunned her. “So you can get a new place at any time? Yet, you chose to live under an elephant gym?”
“What can I say? I work in mysterious ways.” He gave her a smirk.
She nodded in agreement. “You got that right.”
Nick opened his mouth to respond, but then a certain ferret ran by the car in a rush. And an angry squirrel with a DVD chasing him.
Nick and Judy gave each other a look and exited the car.
***
Later that night, while Judy flossed her teeth, she thought about their conversation from earlier. She needed to move into a new place, and so did Nick. So…what if they moved in together?
They spent so much time together already, so their dynamic wouldn’t change much. Or at least she thought it wouldn’t change.
She was considering getting a roommate anyway. Judy loved her private space, especially after living with her big family. But sometimes she missed knowing her siblings were right next door, having them barge into her room, or the late-night talks during sleepovers. Nick helped mitigate those feelings; he never questioned when she asked to come over later in the night.
He even invited her to his apartment now. So they’ve definitely reached a level of comfortability with each other. They have seen how each other lives, and somehow they have chipped themselves deeper into each other's lives.
So him being her roommate wouldn’t be the worst idea. He is someone she knows and trusts. Plus, she has had glimpses into how he lives; it’s not the best, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. But spending every day together and living together are two different extremes.
She finished up her nighttime routine, and different prospects floated around in her mind.
Would he even want to share a space with her? Nick has mentioned on various occasions how solitary he was, but she found that statement was upheld very loosely. Ever since solving the Lynxley case, the two of them have been relatively on the same page. They listen to each other more and spend most of their free time together; they laugh together, eat together, and tease each other endlessly.
It’s all been…good, great even. So would moving in together really be a good step? She knew they had different living habits that may conflict. And spending too much time with any mammal could drive any animal nuts. So what if they move in together? They live too differently, and then they start to resent each other, which then in turn ruins their carefully curated partnership.
Judy shook her head at the thought; they would never resent each other. Not after all the things they had been through together.
She sighed and paced in her tiny space. The background sound of her neighbor's loud conversation filled her ears. She started to create a mental list of the pros and cons of her and Nick living together.
Cheaper rent? Might take a miracle. But if they looked in the right place, it could be cheaper than what they pay now.
Bigger space? Check. They could get separate rooms. Maybe a kitchenette.
No more loud neighbors? Hopefully.
Messy Apartment? Not if she could help it.
Potential to become more than partners? High.
The last question appeared in her mind as she gazed at the carrot pen propped on her windowsill. She made her way to it, and her heart hummed a bit louder as she picked it up.
She admired the delicately sealed cracks, trying to map which pieces Nick was able to delicately place and which ones gave him trouble. She tried asking him how long it took him, but the fox was ever the avoider. She placed her thumb over the button that had been pressed many times over.
Love ya, partner.
The familiar words from the husky voice filled her ears. Hearing it calmed something in her and at the same time caused her pulse to quicken. It was a combination of feelings and sensations that didn’t make sense, and yet she felt them all the same.
This wasn’t the only time she’d felt like this either. It was happening more frequently, and all of it was linked to him.
Like when she found herself smiling at him when he wasn’t looking. And if she got caught, she pretended to be deep in thought about something else or looking past him. He played along, usually. If she caught him looking, they would give each other toothy smiles and carry on.
There were touches between them that lingered too long sometimes. He would put a hand on her shoulder and keep it there, or she would wipe something imaginary off his fur. But neither of them commented on the more than simple touches.
They admitted things to each other that without context would seem like love confessions.
It was all so personal and something that was only between them. And something between them that could only be understood by them.
Again the question rose: what would moving in together change?
The only answer Judy could conjure was "Only everything."
And that thought didn’t scare her as much as she thought.
A smile spread across her face at the realization that she, Judy Hopps, wanted to move in with Nick Wilde.
***
The following day, Judy chewed her lip trying to find the right moment to bring up the topic. She didn’t think the conversation would go bad, but that thought didn’t make it any easier to quell the nervousness inside her. Her chance appeared as they sat quietly in their shared cubicle, filling out paperwork on their respective computers.
She casually twisted her chair towards the fox's direction, and she unconsciously began tapping her foot.
"Soo... I’ve been thinking.”
Nick’s ears rose, and he pushed himself away from the desk and swiveled his seat in Judy’s direction.
“Oh no, those are words that lead to questionable ideas. Last time you said that, I became a cop.” He held his usually sly expression, and his posture was relaxed as always. But she could tell he was happy to take a break away from paperwork.
She gave a curt chuckle. “That you did, and you are doing so well.” Her voice was sincere.
She saw his expression change slightly at her praise but didn’t dwell on the observation.
“Anyways, I was wondering…” That last part of the sentence came out in a rush, her foot thumping unconsciously with her words. “If you wanted to look at apartments together. We both have the chance to move soIthought,hey!Whynotmovetogether—
“Wait…Wait! Carrots slow down.” Nick had moved closer and placed his paw on her leg. “You want to look at apartments?”
Judy took an unsteady sigh. The tips of her ears were burning, and she could feel her heartbeat pounding. “Yes, I was wondering if we could look together.” She tried to sound casual, like it was no big deal.
Nick’s pupils widen. “What do you mean? Like just looking at two separate apartments together or looking at one apartment together? In which we both move in?" He moved his paw off her leg and moved his arms to emphasize his questions.
Judy missed his touch. Instead of focusing on that, she just gave a nervous chuckle, “Whichever you prefer.”
She wanted this to be a choice for him. She didn’t want to force him into a decision or try to coerce him. No matter how much she hoped he would say yes.
Ever since the thought popped into her mind last night, she couldn’t shake it.
The fox followed her chuckle with a more nervous one. His expression filled with disbelief, “Carrots, are you serious? Do you really want to live with me? You remember how I live, right? You weren’t hallucinating that.”
Judy just nodded. “I am serious as an ox. Yes, I do remember when I first saw your apartment. But if we live together… We can create a cleaning schedule and maybe contain the mess to your potential room. But only if you want to."
His expression didn’t change; his eyes only searched hers. Trying to find the answer somewhere in her eyes. She knew his questions were deeper than cleaning; he was asking if she knew what she was getting into. And she did.
She tried to reassure him, “I understand what I’m getting myself into. I want to live with you. I know it’ll be Nick Wilde 24/7, and I want you to know it’ll be Judy Hopps 24/7.”
Disbelief was still on the fox's face as he digested her words. The disbelief slowly morphed into animated surprise. A smile inched its way across his muzzle.
His voice came out in a tone she could only describe as elevated.
“Wow, I really have to rethink my whole 'foxes are solitary animals' sentiment.” Her ears perked at his tone and his words.
“Is that a yes?” She knew it was. But she had to hear him say it.
“Yes. We can look for an apartment together.”
She squealed and jumped from her chair to his. Wrapping her small frame around him, a small yelp emitted from the fox. “I am so happy to hear that!” But then she realized they were still at work and quickly moved back to her chair. Then gave him a sheepish look.
Nick gave a genuine laugh at her actions. “I’m excited too, although we do have to have a more in-depth conversation later. I should have known the lease conversation in the car wasn’t over.” He muttered the last sentence more to himself than her.
“Of course! We have to talk about a lot since we’ll be roomies!” She couldn’t contain her excitement.
Nick was still smiling at her, and there was a look in his eyes that told her his sole focus was her; this intensity was usually only reserved for their softest moments. When it was just them, and right now it felt like it was. So she held it, hoping her eyes communicated the sureness in her decision and the joy spreading through her.
Nick broke the spell first; he quirked an eyebrow and said, “Should we share a bed too?”
Judy blushed and gasped, “Nick!”
The fox smirked and shrugged. “What? I'm asking an important question!”
The Move-In
Nick was still in a state of denial as Judy unpacked her boxes in the living room. An unrealistic part of him expected her to still pick up her boxes, walk to the door, and tell Nick that all of this was an elaborate prank before stepping out the door.
But he learned by now—but was still accepting—that Judy wouldn’t do that. The bounciness in her movement and the smile on her face were genuine. She wanted to share a space with him.
Nick began to unpack with the same energy in his movements, placing his knickknacks on a shelf.
Sharing a space wasn’t completely foreign to him. There had been a point where he drifted from couches in basements to sketchy hotels and even a few nights in Finnick’s van. What was completely foreign to him was sharing a space with someone he held so close to him.
It created a compund of feelings that made him want to retreat into an alleyway and simultaneously run headfirst into a waterfall. Not the best way to describe his feelings, but he was never one to accurately describe how he felt. But he was learning, for her.
When Judy first mentioned her lease in the cop car, he thought she would ask for help to look for an apartment. So that night, he started looking at a place for her and maybe a few places for himself as well. Then that turned into looking at places for the both of them, but he didn’t take it seriously. It was just something to pass the time.
But that little activity to pass the time turned into being very helpful. A few hours after Judy asked him to be her roommate, she was on the phone with him saying they needed to start looking at places together. Barely leaving him time to process after their shift ended, but it gave him the chance to smoothly say, “Don’t worry your fuzzy tail; I already know a place.”
Her surprise gasp over the phone sent a pleasant thrill through him.
“Wow! Really? Look at you, senior detective, already on the case.”
“Not so much a case but a place of residence.”
He heard Judy shuffle in her chair. He could imagine her at her tiny desk with the TV on as background noise. “The case of the best shared apartment! I think it has a nice ring to it.”
“Let’s leave the naming of things to me; you don’t quite have the knack for it. Don’t quit your day job.” Nick moved towards his desk to open his laptop.
“Har har, how else would I pay our shared bills?”
“You keep using the word shared; it gives the impression you are excited to move in with me.”
“Well duh, I asked you, didn’t I? I think it’ll be nice. Can I be honest?” Judy’s tone went soft towards the end.
He could feel his mouth go dry and his tail gave a nervous flicker. Judy has always worn her heart on her sleeve, but recently she’s been even more open with him on certain things. And Nick loves it; it gives him more to chew on when he thinks about her. Not that he doesn’t have plenty of thoughts about her already. But as much as he loves it, it terrifies him. It makes him want to do the same, reveal layers of himself to her.
Nick broke away from his thoughts with the clearing of his throat. “I’m all ears, although not quite as big as yours.”
She gave a small laugh. “You like my big ears. But…" she paused. “I really am looking forward to moving in with you. I feel a bit lonely sometimes; my own space is nice. I…guess I didn’t realize how much the burrow had an effect on me. So, having a roomie—you—is perfect. We spend so much time together that us moving in together basically cuts out the in-between, you know? We won’t have to wait to see each other; we will be in the same space! Which may be a lot for some animals. Maybe even you, but for me… I don’t know. I’m just happy you agreed. Anyways, I’m rambling.”
Nick was stuck between feeling hurt or flattered he was the chosen one. His brain formed the idea that it seemed like she just wanted a mammal there, and it just happened to be him. But his heart raised fifty floors at the fact that she wanted it to be him. It was always an ongoing battle inside the fox.
He wondered if them moving together was a good idea. This was a big step for him, for her, for all of mammal and reptile kind. With any other mammal Nick wouldn’t even have considered the idea, but with this single bunny he constantly struggled to say no. So now he was filled with hope and excitement for something he wasn’t sure he wanted. That’s a lie; he did want it. And that was the problem. Because under the excitement and jitters there was a shade of worry. He was worried she would tire of him or see Nick for who he really was. And who was Nick Wilde? He didn’t even know, but he knew Judy would see it.
“Nick?” Her voice was soft; it flowed from the phone into ears like a wisp, calming the swell of unsureness rising in him.
“Carrots.” His voice is steady but softer than before.
“Any thoughts?”
“I do like your ears.”
He could imagine her eyeroll, “Old news. Any other thoughts?”
“I’m nervous.” He spilled out. “It’s just—I haven’t lived with anyone for some time, and now I am on a one-way ticket to Shareville. But I am also a very happy passenger? It’s complicated, and I haven’t had time to sort it out. Just know, I highly doubt I would get tired of you.”
It wasn’t the best response, but Nick was not the one when it came to being completely honest yet.
Judy gave a pleased hum. “Good to know. Anyways, on to lighter things, when can we tour this place you mysteriously have lined up?"
***
“Nick, this place is great! A new start together!” She was admiring the place, walking in the rooms and staring out the windows as he followed behind with a proud smirk on his face. It was a decent space; they both had their separate rooms separated by a small hall but had a shared bathroom. There was a kitchen, a living room, a small balcony, and enough space for a dining table.
When they had first viewed it, she couldn’t believe the rate or how spacious it was. She kept asking what the downside was. Nick just told her about a slightly longer commute and having to deal with him. Judy declared that was well worth it.
Now they both sat tiredly on their new couch in their new apartment, facing a black-screened TV that hadn’t been turned on yet.
Nick had his eyes closed, enjoying the lack of shaking and elephant noises. “Should I pop champagne?"
Judy laughed. “Oh! That’s not a bad idea. But maybe we should do it at the housewarming.”
Nick popped one eye open and looked at her, surprise in his voice. “Housewarming? This is the first time I heard we were hosting one.”
He wasn’t opposed to the idea, but he wouldn’t do it if it was just him.
She turned her head towards him and said in a different, surprised tone. “Well yeah! I didn’t get to have one for my old one, obviously."
“Obviously you had no friends, or obviously you had no space?” He said in a playful tone.
She punched Nick in the shoulder. “No space, obviously. I have loads of friends.”
“I hope to meet them at the housewarming then.”
Judy grinned. How could he ever say no to her? “So we will be having a housewarming?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “I just didn’t know. Can’t exactly form an opinion on something I don’t know.”
Judy shifted, her face serious, and placed a hand on the shoulder she punched moments before. "Nick, this is our space, so if you don’t want to have one, we won’t.”
She looked so adorable when she was determined about something. And here she was determined to make sure he was on the same page.
He gave her a genuine smile. "Well, since you said shared, now I’m saying yes.”
“Ya! Happy to hear that, partner!” She was smiling ear to ear now, her purple irises shining, and her eyelashes full.
God, how was he going to live with her without completely losing himself?
He didn’t want an answer.
Before he could second-guess himself, Nick pulled Judy into a hug. “Although, I think this place has all the warming it needs.”
She returned his hug and giggled in his arms. “What does that even mean?"
“It means we are warming the space with our partnership."
“I think the phrase is warm with love."
“You said it, not me.”
Judy pulled back and gave him a playful look. But she didn’t move her arms, so he didn’t either.
They stared at each other for a moment, and her eyes darted to his muzzle then back to him. It was quick; if he blinked, he would have missed it.
"I...I was thinking of hosting after we’ve settled. Like a month or two.”
He barely caught what she said; he was too focused on the implications of where her eyes darted.
But when he did finally register what she said, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay, that sounds like enough time.”