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If there was one thing Judy knew, it was that she hated Nick Wilde with a burning passion. She hated the way he always tried to one-up her in class, the jokes he made at her expense, and the stupid pranks he pulled on teachers that always resulted in his detention. He was the epitome of everything she wasn’t, and it bothered her to no end. While she poured everything into her studies and her friendships at school, Nick just barely coasted by with spotty attendance and a solid emotional wall between him and anyone else. So, it was no surprise that she tried to steer clear of him. She had her mind firmly set on future goals with the perfect structure in her life to reach them, and she didn’t want any distractions. However, it was only a matter of time until Nick became one. 

As the school year dragged on, he went from being a small annoyance that tickled the back of her brain to being front and center in her daily thoughts. She couldn’t go a day without running into him. She would turn a random corner on her way to class, and he would be there. It was almost like he knew where to find her at all times, and it was a constant source of irritation for her. She couldn’t relax because she never knew when he would invade her space and say something snarky to throw her off. In other words, he made Judy feel constantly on edge. Because of that, she decided to blame him the day she finally snapped and found herself in detention. 

It was an abnormally hot afternoon in April when she entered the dreaded classroom. The humid air stuck to her fur, making her even more agitated at the current situation. The room was mostly empty, save for a grumbling porcupine in the back near a mammal with familiar red fur. She wasn’t surprised to see Nick in the space that was like his second home, but she still felt the air leave her lungs and her heart rate increase. Her face, however, remained impassive as she locked her eyes on a desk and forced herself to walk calmly to the chair. She could feel the moment he registered her presence. The fur on the back of her neck stood up like she was prey being stalked by a predator, and it took everything in her to remain calm and slip into her seat silently. 

“Good afternoon, Judy. You will spend this hour silently reflecting on the actions that brought you here. There will be no electronic devices, or conversing with other mammals. Understood?” Mr. Koalson, an older koala teacher, said to Judy from the front of the classroom. She stiffened, feeling even more tense over the situation that brought her there. Not only did she have to contemplate how her behavior would tarnish her spotless reputation, but she was forced to do it in a silent classroom with Nick Wilde’s predatory gaze burning the back of her head. When she realized she was silent for too long, she finally nodded at the teacher and turned her gaze out the window. She figured she was going to get very well-acquainted with the view considering her detention sentence required her to be there after school, every day, for the whole week. So, she settled in with her chin resting on her paw, watching mammals mingle outside as they waited for the school bus to take them home. 

Lost in thought, her bunny hearing failed to pick up on the slight shuffle of paws on the linoleum floor behind her. It wasn’t until she felt someone blow on the back of her neck that she snapped out of her daze. She whirled around, only to come face to face with an infuriating smirk and mischievous green eyes. Nick decided to move to the seat directly behind her. Judy’s stomach dropped, and she glared with all her might. If he was going to choose one day to bother her, she prayed to whatever god existed that it wasn’t that day. Her prayers went unanswered.

“You know, Carrots, I always thought I could count on you to be predictable. But this, this I never saw coming,” Nick drawled. His half-lidded gaze pierced whatever feigned sense of calm she tried to project, and it took everything in Judy to not let enhanced emotions from the day explode out of her. To her relief, Mr. Koalson cut into their conversation before she could reply.

“WILDE! Please refrain from bothering Miss Hopps. Remember, this is a time for reflection, not socialization.”

Judy watched as Nick’s lazy gaze traveled from hers to the koala at the front of the room. Mild intrigue trickled through her mind as she noticed his expression easily morph from one of disinterest to faux sincerity. 

“My apologies, Mr. Koalson. It won’t happen again,” the sly fox said. Judy turned to evaluate the teacher's reaction just as a satisfied smile graced his muzzle, and he offered Nick a nod of approval. She kept her attention locked on the teacher until she watched him slowly start to nod off. The silence of the classroom must have made him tired, and sure enough, he lost the battle. His head tilted back in his chair with soft snores. Judy glanced back at Nick to find he was still staring at her. She fought back a blush and willed her nose not to twitch. She knew from previous experiences with him that both would get an annoying amount of teasing.

“It’s concerning how easily you’re able to do that,” Judy said in a hushed tone. Nick raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“What, charm the mammals around me?” he asked. Judy scowled.

“No. You manipulate them,” she spit out. 

“I just tell them what they want to hear,” Nick whispered with a shrug. His relaxed persona didn’t budge even with Judy’s irritated attention on him. 

“And what if I told you I didn’t want to hear you at all? Would you stop talking?” Judy asked, narrowing her eyes as she leaned closer. A twinge of jealousy surprised her when she thought about how nice it would be to navigate the world like Nick Wilde. To not have a care in the world, and to do whatever she wanted. Judy wished she could find it in her to leave her future in the hands of fate, but she knew the minute she did that, she would be surrendering herself to a lifetime of boring, bunny marriage, instead of her desire to break the mold and be the first bunny cop. In response to Judy’s venomous words, Nick chuckled in a low tone that made her stomach flip. 

“Oh Judy, you know that’s not what you want,” he said. That time, she couldn’t stop her nose from twitching or from an aggressive blush to creep up her ears. She dropped them against the back of her head and turned back toward the front of the room, desperate to avoid his gaze. He was so infuriating. He was so cocky. He was so… right. And she hated him for it. Judy stared at the white wall in front of her with such intensity that she was surprised she didn’t burn a hole through it. As she made the conscious effort to ignore the insufferable fox behind her, she felt a light touch run down the length of her ears. She stilled, completely glued to her seat as her blood rushed. Her heartbeat thudded, and her mind raced, but all of her attention zeroed in on that feather-like touch to her ears.

“You’re burning up, Fluff. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were blushing,” Nick’s low voice murmured from behind her. A growl built in the back of Judy’s throat. Still facing the wall, she bit out the words, 

“Better not waste any more energy thinking then. You always end up being wrong,” she shot back. She knew it would just take one more brush of his paw against her ears to feel that he was, in fact, very right. But she was hoping he would back down, and he did. It seemed to be the only thing that went right that whole day.

She heard him lean back in his chair, followed by a lull of silence. Part of her worried she was being too mean, but she could only endure so much of his teasing on that day from hell. 

“You seem a little more high-strung than usual, so I’ll play nice and leave you be,” Nick said. Shock rippled through her at his words because he never gave up when it came to teasing. She knew firsthand just how creative he could get with his neverending sharp words and clever quips, so his willingness to back down left her speechless. She shrank in her seat slightly and sighed, continuing to stare in front of her. They both remained silent for the rest of the hour.

***

The first day of detention came and went more smoothly than Judy expected. Nick even let her leave with just a nod of his head instead of a snarky goodbye. The next day of detention, however, he wasn’t feeling as generous. He plopped himself down in the seat behind Judy again, and he tugged on one of her ears. Before he could retract his paw, Judy whipped around and grabbed his wrist. 

“Is it impossible for you to keep your paws to yourself, Wilde?” she asked incredulously. She was already tired of his shenanigans. He grinned, showcasing two rows of sharp, pearly whites. Judy averted her gaze immediately.

“It really is, Carrots. I try telling them no, but they just don’t listen!” he said, shrugging like he was a helpless little kit. She narrowed her eyes and dropped his hand like it was on fire.

“How would you feel if I invaded your personal space all the time?” she asked sharply. 

“Touch me all you want, Fluff. I wouldn’t mind,” he said, feigning innocence, but the glint in his eye told Judy he knew exactly how his words sounded. It took everything in her to suppress a reaction to his claim. She knew her cheeks were probably beet red, but she forced herself to stick around long enough to glare, then she turned her back to him. The bell rang overhead signaling the end of the day where luckier mammals got to return home, and Mr. Koalson greeted the same three mammals that were in detention the day before.

“Wilde, Hopps, Quill, good afternoon. By now, you all know the drill. Keep quiet, and reflect on your shortcomings or be productive in other ways,” the koala announced. He collapsed in a chair that seemed far comfier than the plastic one Judy sat in, and he opened a magazine. His four thumbs gripped the paper and lazily flipped through it. Eventually, his eyes began to droop again, and sleep claimed him. Judy hoped this was a common occurrence because it would certainly make detention more tolerable. Nick seemed to think so too because shortly after the teacher started his nap, he tapped Judy on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes and turned around.

“What?” she asked.

“Do you think he would consider us planning an escape route ‘being productive’?” Nick whispered. 

Judy barked out a laugh on reflex. Immediately, her eyes widened and she flung a paw over her mouth. First off, she couldn’t remember the last time she laughed at something Nick said. Secondly, her laugh was loud enough to almost wake the teacher. He stirred in his chair, and his mouth fell open with one loud snore. That time, both Judy and Nick snorted quietly with laughter. The stubborn bunny eventually reigned herself in and sighed.

“We did this to ourselves, so we have to suffer the consequences. That’s just how the world works,” Judy muttered. Nick raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. What landed precious little teacher’s pet, Judy Hopps, in detention?” he asked. Part of his tone seemed condescending, but the other part sounded genuinely curious. Judy shifted in her seat and turned away from his prying eyes. She wanted to snap at him to mind his business, but she also felt a stifling urge to talk about it. The situation was bubbling up inside her, threatening to spill over since the day prior. She couldn’t even bring herself to discuss it with her parents over muzzletime because she still couldn’t come to terms with it herself. At that moment, she decided she was going to tell Nick. He seemed like one of the only mammals who might’ve been able to understand her situation. Her ears fell against her head, and she turned toward him. She kept her eyes on the ground as she explained.

“I got into a pretty heated argument with a teacher,” she confessed. Nick’s muzzle dropped open, displaying unfiltered shock. Judy scrunched her face up and shoved it in her paws.

“I know what you’re thinking. This is something I would never do. But for some reason I did it, and the worst part is that I don’t even feel bad,” Judy said quietly. Nick continued to watch her with his lips parted. His gaze darted over her distressed face, carefully debating what to say next. Curiosity pulled the words out of him.

“Well, what was the argument about, Carrots? I’m dying to know,” Nick said, leaning forward eagerly. Judy swallowed thickly, finally pulling her face out of her paws to look at him. His head rested in his paws on his desk, and he seemed to be enthralled with the possibility of a story. She blew a breath out and thought back to everything that was said. She didn’t want to rehash how intense the moment really got, so she decided to briefly summarize the events.

“Ms. Pawlen, my history teacher, was being completely specieist. We were looking at the history of predators, and she was making claims that… that I don’t want to repeat. Anyways, I wasn’t having it. I’ll be damned if I let a teacher, of all mammals, get away with something so… something so backwards! They’re supposed to be teaching us the unbiased truth, and she was being horrible. I got into it with her, and she got embarrassed and lashed out. Her reaction made me even more upset, and it all escalated from there,” Judy finished her story in barely a whisper. Nick just stared at her, barely breathing. She met his gaze with wide eyes, unsure what to do. She thought for sure her story would elicit some kind of reaction, but he just stared at her with the intensity of a thousand suns. She swallowed and looked away, running one of her paws over her ears awkwardly. After a few moments, he snapped out of it and cleared his throat.

“Wow, Fluff. I never thought I’d live to see the day you talked back to a teacher,” Nick said with a dry chuckle. Judy laughed weakly, then silence lapsed between them. The mysterious fox continued to look at Judy weirdly, so she jumped at something to talk about.

“So! A confession for a confession. What did you do to get yourself in here?” she asked quickly, flashing Nick a toothy smile. The fox huffed and leaned back in his chair, putting distance between the two of them. He crossed his arms and winked.

“That shall remain a mystery for another time,” he said. Judy gaped at him and shook her head enthusiastically.

“No! Not fair! I was just vulnerable, so now it’s your turn!” She whined. Nick chuckled.

“The world’s not fair, Carrots. Best to learn this now,” he said simply. Judy let out a low groan and slumped in her seat.

“And here I thought I was getting somewhere with you,” she mumbled. When she realized he wasn’t going to budge on his answer, she hesitantly turned back around to face the front of the classroom. Like the first day of detention, the hour ended before she knew it. 

***

On the third day, Judy walked into the classroom feeling lighter than she did the first couple times. When she passed through the doorway, she noticed that Nick was already there, and he was working on something. She slowed her pace as she watched his brow furrow in concentration. He clutched a pencil tightly and wrote down something on the sheet of paper in front of him, only to grunt in frustration and erase it a moment later. She quietly padded over to her seat in front of him and slipped into the hard plastic. When he still didn’t look up, she turned around with a frown.

“What are you working on?” she asked politely. Slowly, his gaze trailed up his paper until it landed on her, and his eye twitched.

“Do you mind?” he asked. She pulled back, eyeing him up with a raised brow. 

“Now you know how it feels to be interrupted every time you’re trying to concentrate. Doesn’t feel good, does it, Wilde?” Judy asked sharply, referencing all the times Nick poked at her while they were in actual class. Every time he would do it, Judy would voice her annoyance, and he would just laugh and continue his prodding. Nick stared at her for a moment longer then let out a long sigh.

“Touché,” he mumbled. A corner of Judy’s mouth quirked up slightly, and she patted his desk with her paws.

“Okay. Then I will ask again. What are you working on?” she said slowly. Nick rolled his eyes and sat back, running his paws over his ears. He pulled at the orange appendages with barely repressed stress before leaning over the worksheet again.

“Chemistry homework. I don’t understand any of it. It just seems like a bunch of gibberish to me,” he answered honestly. As soon as the words left his mouth, a look of discomfort grew on his face. It was something Judy wasn’t used to seeing on the fox who usually seemed so calm. Her abrasive nature toward Nick softened slightly, and she put her paw on the worksheet.

“I took chemistry last year, so I can help you. Will you let me?” she asked gently. When Nick’s green eyes raised to meet hers, she didn’t know why her heartbeat picked up, but it did. She shook it off, managing to maintain eye contact. His eyes narrowed slightly, and moments passed before he finally collapsed his face into his paws and groaned.

“Fine. Help me. I can’t say I don’t need it,” he grunted past his paws. Judy clapped in triumph as the teacher walked in with the bell. He opened his mouth to speak right as Judy raised her paw. He blinked and stared at her for a moment before pointing at her.

“Yes, Miss Hopps?” 

“Nick and I are working on homework. May we continue?” 

Mr. Koalson’s muzzle split in a genuine smile and nodded.

“I will allow that, yes.”

Judy turned to Nick with a grin. He rolled his eyes, but one side of his lips quirked up slightly. He was still unbelievably annoying, but there was something about him admitting that he needed help that made Judy feel just a tiny bit closer to him. He no longer seemed like a relentless thorn in her side with a brick wall where his emotions should’ve been. Instead, he started to seem like a mammal she could relate to. They eventually began Nick’s chemistry homework on Stoichiometry. Almost as soon as they started, Judy felt herself getting into it. She talked more animatedly whenever Nick grasped a concept she was trying to explain, and he even seemed somewhat enthusiastic about learning. 

Judy was in the middle of drawing out a visual for Nick when Mr. Koalson stood up from his chair, signaling that the hour was over. She straightened up in surprise and looked at the clock. Sure enough, their time together was over. She frowned, wondering why she suddenly felt more negative than positive about going home. She sighed and looked up at Nick who was already watching her. She smiled softly.

“I think you’re going to ace the next chemistry exam,” Judy said confidently. Nick smiled as he gathered up his things.

“I hate to admit it, but you’d make a good teacher, Hopps.”

Judy’s eyes widened, and all she could do was blink once and stare at him as she processed the almost compliment. She pinched her side to snap out of it, then shook her head with a grin.

“No, no, no. I’m going to be a cop.”

Nick froze with his textbook halfway slid into his backpack. He turned his head to Judy and looked her up and down.

“I was thinking you’d get a job as a stuffed animal in a toystore, but sure! Try the cop thing,” he joked, and immediately Judy’s mood soured. She narrowed her eyes at him and socked him in the shoulder before he could move away.

“Ow!” he moaned, dropping his textbook all the way in his backpack and grabbing his shoulder.

“I’m going to become a cop, and nobody is going to stop me,” Judy said, sticking her nose in the air and turning away with a “hmph!”

Nick lifted his backpack over his shoulders and stared at Judy for a few moments before shaking his head.

“Yeah, Carrots. That’s what I’m afraid of,” he said. Judy rolled her eyes and mirrored his action, slipping her own backpack over her shoulders.

“How about you worry about your own future in your chemistry class, and I’ll worry about mine. Deal?” she said with finality in her tone. She wanted to be done with that conversation out of fear that it would turn out exactly how it always did when she talked to her parents (and frankly, any bunny back in Bunnyburrow) about her hopes and dreams. Nick stared at her with a weird expression on his face. He opened his mouth, paused, then shut it again. Judy waited as he found whatever words he was looking for, and eventually he spoke.

“Just… don’t get hurt. Alright, Fluff?” he said. Judy’s eyes widened slightly, and her grip on her backpack tightened. If she didn’t know any better, it almost seemed like he… cared? Was that even possible? She sucked in a breath and offered him a tight smile.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m tougher than I look,” Judy said. She then patted Nick on the shoulder twice, gave him another grin, and walked away. What she didn’t notice was the mix of slight fear and admiration in Nick’s gaze as he watched her leave. 

***

On the fourth day, Judy helped Nick with more homework. That time he seemed to grasp her explanations a lot quicker, and they ended with fifteen minutes to spare. Judy felt triumph surge through her, and she could tell Nick felt proud of himself too. He shoved his homework in his backpack and eyed Judy with hesitation. She waited, realizing that it took him a while to speak when he wanted to say something nice.

“Thank you, Judy,” he said softly. A genuine smile split her muzzle, and she jumped slightly in her seat. If it were any other mammal, she would have tackled them in a hug to show her appreciation. However, if she were to guess, she would bet that Nick did not enjoy being hugged. So, instead, she leaned forward and wiggled her eyebrows conspiratorially. 

“I have a proposition,” she said. Nick’s eyebrows shot up his forehead, and a wide smirk stretched across his muzzle.

“Oh, sweet innocent Carrots. I never thought you’d ask,” he said in a low, sensual voice. Judy’s eyes widened, and she swallowed back a squeak that threatened to escape her mouth. Instead, she took a deep breath in and leveled him with a flat stare.

“Not that. I was going to say, since I so very nicely helped you with your homework, how about you so very nicely tell me why you’re in detention?” she asked, batting her eyelashes in a manner she hoped was persuasive. Nick’s smirk dropped from his face, and she almost thought she saw a look of panic, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. A smooth mask of calm replaced his brief moment of fear, and he leaned into Judy’s space.

“I really don’t think you want to know,” he whispered. Her breathing stuttered, and she pulled back slightly. Her eyes darted between his, and she raised an eyebrow.

“No, I think I actually do,” she answered, determined to hear his story. He continued to stare at the stubborn bunny, hoping she would back down. Instead, it fueled her desire to know more. She grabbed Nick’s shirt and pulled him closer.

“Tell me, Nick,” she said firmly. The fox sighed, pulling away from her grasp. He looked down at his paws, and it worried Judy that the normally confident mammal wouldn’t look her in the eyes. 

“Well. It started the same day you talked back to your teacher. I was walking to lunch when I heard someone saying some mean things about another mammal,” he started. He seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say next, and Judy’s heartbeat picked up. She waited impatiently, wanting to rip the words out of him. Instead, she sat on her paws and stared at Nick until he spoke again. 

“So… I punched them in the face,” Nick said. Judy gasped so loudly, Mr. Koalson shushed her from his seat. She put a paw over her muzzle and leaned in.

“You punched someone? For talking badly about another mammal?” she asked, reiterating what he just said. She wanted to make sure she had the details right. He nodded, still not looking up from his paws. Even though she didn’t love violence, she had to admit there was something about Nick standing up to a bully that had a foreign feeling of butterflies awaken in her stomach. 

“Who were they talking about? Do I know them?” she asked, genuinely curious. Whoever they were, she was going to make a conscious effort to make them feel welcome the next time she saw them. When Nick finally looked up to meet her eyes, his expression struck her. He almost looked angry, which was weird because she was really only used to one smug expression on his face. He schooled his emotions and regarded her with something that resembled fondness. Judy was thoroughly confused. 

“It was you, Judy,” he said softly. At his words, Judy’s racing heart seemed to stop all at once. The air felt thinner, and the room felt smaller. She blinked. Then she blinked again. She dug her dull nails into her thighs to focus on that feeling instead of the prick behind her eyes. She was tough. She was calm. She was fine. Sucking in a deep breath, she finally spoke.

“Why would you punch someone for me, Nick? Out of all mammals, why me? You don’t even like me,” she said earnestly. Nick’s expression changed again, and Judy realized she was seeing a range of emotions she’d never seen cross his face before. It happened so fast she could barely read them, but she could almost make out a look of disbelief before he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.

“Is that what you think, Judy? That I don’t like you?” he asked. She furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head. At the same moment, Mr. Koalson stood up and gestured at the clock, signaling that detention was over for the day. Judy rapidly looked at the koala, at the clock, then back at Nick. She didn’t want the conversation to end, but Nick was already slinging his backpack over his shoulder and making his way to the door. She jumped to her feet and grabbed her own backpack, running to make sure he didn’t escape their discussion. She stopped him right at the doorway. He leaned against one side, and she leaned against the other, slightly out of breath.

“Nick! I-I don’t… I don’t understand!” Judy said, trying to search his well-guarded eyes. He stared at her, letting the anticipation grow as she waited for his answer. She was getting antsy, and he could tell. His gaze dropped to her rapidly thumping foot, then slowly rose up her body until he met her stare again. A corner of his lips turned up slightly. 

“Let me make it very clear, then,” he started, slowly inching closer to her until his dark paw rested above her on the door. She stared up at him, mind and heart racing, and stomach fluttering with a feeling she didn’t recognize. He leaned in even further.

“I can’t get enough of you, Judy,” he murmured. His voice came out in a low tone, and Judy held her breath. She couldn’t do anything but stare up at him as his gaze trailed over her face. When he saw she was thoroughly shocked, he smirked, pressed a claw against her rapidly twitching nose, and walked away. She let out her breath and willed her shaking body to relax. She couldn’t function; couldn’t think. What just happened?! 

***

The last day of detention couldn’t come quick enough, and when it finally did, Judy bounded through the hallways until she reached the promising classroom. Her first day there, she felt absolute dread. But on her last day, she almost didn’t want it to end. 

She whipped the door open and fixed her gaze on the seats her and Nick usually occupied. Nick wasn’t there, but neither was the porcupine who sat in the back. She frowned and looked around. Nothing seemed out of place, so she slowly made her way to her desk to take her seat. Eventually, Mr. Koalson came in a few minutes early and sat behind the front desk, but still no sign of Nick. Judy blew a frustrated breath out of her mouth, ready to risk leaving detention just to find him. She was about to jump out of her seat when he finally strolled in the classroom with practiced confidence right before the bell rang. His paws were in his pockets as he made his way to his usual spot, eyeing Judy with a cocky smirk. She waited for the feeling of irritation and annoyance to fill her body at the sight, but instead, it was replaced with a spike of anticipation and… joy? What was that about? 

She narrowed her eyes at him and turned away to face the front. Like clockwork, Judy waited until Mr. Koalson slipped into his afternoon nap before she turned in her seat. She met Nick’s gaze, and something in her stomach fluttered around. He leaned forward, still sporting a smirk.

“You seem awfully eager to see me, Carrots,” Nick said. Judy tapped her claws against the desk and leaned her head on her paw. 

“Well, you did leave me on quite the cliffhanger yesterday,” she admitted. Nick chuckled.

“What would you like more clarity on?” he asked, eyes searching hers. She smiled sheepishly and looked out the window before looking back at him. She was nervous. Why was she nervous?

“Well… everything?” she said, then added, “but first, I want to know what those assholes said about me.” 

Nick’s cocky expression shifted, and the smirk disappeared from his muzzle.

“They’re not worth your time, Judy.”

Before he even finished speaking, she started shaking her head. She put a paw on Nick’s arm.

“I want to know, Nick.”

He sighed.

“They made fun of you for arguing with Ms. Pawlen… and for wanting to become a police officer. They seemed to think you are… misguided and… a dumb bunny,” he said in a strained voice, barely able to get the words out. Judy sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to know, but it still hurt all the same. They were words she heard whenever she went home to visit Bunnyburrow, and she guessed she couldn’t fully escape the same stereotypes no matter where she went. Before she could respond, Nick spoke again. 

“For the record, I want you to know that I think those mammals are idiots, and… I think you’re very admirable, Judy. You are extraordinary,” he said softly. The candid words shook Judy to her core as she stared, wide-eyed at Nick. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her mind tried to grasp his statement. This whole time, she thought she was just dirt under Nick Wilde’s shoe. But somehow, for some reason, he cared deeply for her, and she couldn’t figure out when it happened, and why. But at that moment, she didn’t care. She didn’t need to solve the mystery; she just wanted him. She cast a glance over her shoulder at the sleeping teacher to confirm his oblivion, then she turned back around and launched herself across Nick’s desk. She captured his lips with hers, and she kissed him, hard. Judy always dove into things with an “all or nothing” mindset, and the kiss was no exception. She grabbed his collar with her paws and pulled him closer, settling in his lap as she robbed him of his breath. When they finally separated, Judy tried to chase his lips, but he gently stopped her with a claw on her muzzle. He smirked, and his half-lidded gaze met hers.

“See, I knew you wanted me,” Nick said. Judy groaned and tightened her grip on his shirt collar. After getting a taste, she couldn’t believe she didn’t do this sooner.

“Just shut up and kiss me, Wilde.”

When their muzzles met again, Judy realized for the first time that she was completely and utterly happy.