Chapter Text
Judy had many feelings about her partner but at this very moment, she was officially accepting a new one: she was helplessly in love with him.
It was the only acceptable explanation for why her stomach turned uneasily at the sight of him wooing another woman before her very eyes.
Valérie Vixen was a conniving, good for nothing, shady drug peddler. At least that’s what Judy surmised after spending the entirety of yesterday evening perusing through the case files that mentioned her name. Valérie was quickly becoming a prime suspect in the police investigation of Ruffrush, an illegal drug that was disrupting the bustling streets of Zootopia.
And now, she was a prime suspect in making Judy feel incredibly jealous. She was a lithe red fox, the exact same species as Judy’s beloved partner. Judy watched as Nick murmured something in her ear, giving Valérie an elegant twirl. Valérie laughed and leaned back into Nick’s embrace, her back against his torso, and her tail curling sinuously around one of his arms, which was planted on her waist.
Nick’s communicator was on for Judy to listen to their conversation.
“If you are looking for a good time, I have just the thing for you, mon chéri. What do you say we leave this club and go somewhere with a little more privacy?”
Nick scoffed, pretending to be scandalized by Valérie’s suggestion.
“Miss Vixen, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to seduce me.”
Valérie turned her head ever so slightly to give Nick the most charming smile she could muster, her accentuated eyelashes batting at him prettily.
“Is it working?”
Nick smirked back at her, “That depends on what you have in mind.”
“Come with me and find out.” Valérie responded, her tail tightening to maintain their intimate embrace.
From across the club, Judy sat wistfully, her eyes on Nick the entire time. But despite the excruciating pang in her heart, she put her mouth to the speaker of her communicator and said: “Go with her.”
Wherever Valérie planned on taking Nick would inevitably give them a clue about how Ruffrush was being manufactured. Either that, or she and Nick would become mates and run away to another ecosystem, far away from Zootopia. Judy swallowed audibly at the thought, unable to mask the hurt all over her face. It was unlike her to feel such melancholy, and especially to have this much trouble focusing on a case when in the presence of a potential criminal. But most of Judy’s escapades involved high speed chases, near death experiences, and her taking charge of the mission. Now Nick was sitting in the driver’s seat, and the scariest consequence she could fathom was that he would leave her alone and vulnerable with a broken heart.
Nick seemed surprised at Judy’s urging, his eyes finding hers through the crowd. His eyebrows slightly lifted as though asking, ‘Are you sure?’
She nodded solemnly, burying her anguish and reminding herself of what mattered most: making Zootopia a better place.
But Valérie had inclined her head towards Nick and saw him staring forlornly into the crowd of animals. She followed his gaze to Judy, a frown forming on her face.
“Who is that lapin you are staring at?”
Nick jumped at the question, and Valérie uncurled her tail from around his arm and pulled away from him.
“Do not tell me you came here with another.”
“I – I –“ Nick was tongue-tied, eyes still on Judy’s, whose expression was morphing from one of longing to frustration. In a matter of seconds, they’d lost their most promising lead.
“Go be with your mate, darling.” Valérie said, giving him a rough shove towards his partner. “And never play with a woman’s heart. C’est pas gentil.”
Valerie sashayed away, hips swinging left to right as she made her way to a group of coyotes.
Judy’s ears drooped, glaring at Nick as he walked back over to her.
“What happened?” She asked angrily.
“I broke character, I guess.” Nick replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
“That was our lead, Nick. You blew it.”
“Did I?” Nick asked, his demeanor shifting from shameful to smug. He brandished a cellphone from his pocket. The case was transparent, but in the center, there was an outline of a lipstick kiss. Valérie’s phone.
Judy gasped, all worries about Nick and Valérie cozying up together gone, as she swiped the phone from his hands.
“Oh Nick, you sly fox!” Judy pressed the power button, pouting a bit when she noticed it was locked. “But how are we going to get in?”
“I know a guy,” he wrapped an arm around Judy’s waist and steered her out of the club. “Now come along, mon petit chou, before someone realizes her precious phone is missing.”
“I’m sorry for snapping at you.” Judy said quietly when they arrived at her apartment.
“It’s okay. Like I said, I broke character. But I just want you to remember that that’s all it was. A character.”
The reassurance was unusual. Nick was gazing at her in that way he often did, usually when she was getting herself into trouble and he was worried for her safety. Now, in the doorway to her bedroom, there was no imminent danger. No beast to hide from nor chase down. There was just her and her fox who intuitively heard the saddened thrum of her beating heart and wanted to soothe it.
“I know.” Judy replied.
“Good. Because that look in your eyes when I was dancing with Valérie nearly destroyed my soul.” His tone was teasing now, and Judy rolled her eyes at him, the situation far too fresh to be making light of.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She waved him off, opening the door to her room to head inside.
She was stopped by Nick grabbing her by the chin and turning her around to face him again. Unsettled by his touch, Judy’s brow furrowed.
“What are you –“
Nick leaned in and kissed her right on the mouth. He left behind an obnoxiously loud smack, running a sheathed claw over her nose.
“I was being serious, carrots. Goodnight.” He gave her a salute; his signature smirk plastered on his face as he walked away.
Judy stared at his retreating figure, dumbfounded.