Rules of the Wilde

Chapter 1: Amorphous

Nick Wilde was choking.
Now, this type of choking wasn't the type that anyone else really noticed physically. It was more like something in his stomach had risen up into his throat and was currently tying it up like some dog-forsaken ascot. Or a collar.
Nick shakes his head. No, no. No point in comparing it to something so negative now.
Because these feelings didn't exactly feel negative. In fact, he had even grown accustomed to the choking. Might have even enjoyed it a little. When it rose up to his mouth, now that was when there was a problem. Then, there was the risk of him saying something he didn't want to say in front of Judy. Which was weird. Because usually around her he couldn't keep his mouth shut. But sometimes the suaveness, the cool demeanor he played was usurped by those damned butterflies and it made him tongue-tied. It was better than him accidentally blurting out some deep, dark confession though.
Anyway.
Nick stops to check his watch.
After the police station, he had stopped at the library to return some movies he and Judy had rented (The Lovely Bones, The Fast and the Furriest, movies 1-5, and Pig Hero 6 to name a few) and had also stopped by the grocery store to get more coffee filters (none for Judy, of course). It was 2 in the afternoon now, and he was thinking about hitting the bar on the lower East side of central Zootopia. It was one of the only bars that had ever really trusted him before he became an officer, the owner being a monkey named Sunny, whom had seen his share of injustice and therefore showed trust to those who didn't really receive it that often. Sunny just knew. It was one of the places that to Nick, felt like a second home (that sounds really bad, he wasn't a raging alcoholic or anything, only on certain Tuesday's could he use a Dry Martini so early in the day). He decided to call up his old drinking buddy, "little toot-toot" and see if he wanted to knock a few back with him.
It went straight to voicemail.
"Hey, it's Nick." He said into the phone. "I mean, heh. Of course it is. Who else likes you enough to call you like I do?" Inhale. "Anyway, I just wanted to see if you wanted to take an early 'lunch', per se. But either your phone's dead or you're just busy, so I'll call you another time. Thanks."
With nothing else to do for a few hours, Nick decides to just go to the bar alone for now. Maybe "little toot-toot" would turn his phone on later and just meet him there. He highly doubted it though.
Nick liked walking. He could drive, sure. He could get a car if he wanted to. His taxes had been taken care of. But he still preferred walking. He supposed that walking all of his life had just conditioned him for that, but it also helped him think better. Walking gave him time to think, and he had a good way of shutting the outside world out when he did this.
Right now, he was trying to pin down a feeling that he had been having. It hadn't completely taken shape yet, but it was rapidly forming. It was on the brink of it. But Nick was afraid of naming it, because naming it made that feeling real and whatever it was centered around Judy and had a way of making him unable to say anything but wanting to tell her everything all at once.
It felt like what some animals might call "love".
But how was he supposed to know that? He had never really felt it before. I mean, sure, he had had girlfriends in the past, and uh, of course, flings. But nothing ever truly serious. Nothing that felt like what "love" should feel like.
Nearing the bar now, a modern place called Elephant Trunk, Nick shook his head to alleviate his thoughts of Judy.
Wait. Judy? Why did he just think of Judy? His thoughts weren't exactly centering around Judy now, were they? Just the feeling that he got around Judy....and when he thought about Judy...and-
No. You know what? It was time for a drink. Time to blow this all away. Too bad that he had never been into smoking.
Entering the bar, he took in the familiar cushioned seats at the bar, the dim lighting mixed in with the smooth jazz music constantly playing at a lowered volume. He took his seat, nodding at the familiar face of the bartender, Sunny the monkey, before tapping his fingers along the counter.
"Aye, Sunny." He greeted casually. "How's the wife?"
"Still pregnant." Sunny said, sidling up to him. "How's Judy?"
"She's good."
"She hardly comes around anymore." Sunny comments, grabbing a glass and using his tail to pour the alcohol into it. "The usual, right?"
Nick sighs. "Yup. The usual."
"You alright pal?" Sunny asks. He whisks syrup into the drink with his tail, while getting together a slice of lime and a small drinking umbrella with his hands. "Hard time on the force?"
"Not really." Nick says, shaking his head. He pauses, images of Judy flashing through his mind. "Just a little confused. Like how did I get there, y'know?"
"I don't know, fox. I never really doubted you, but you know what's even more weird?" Sunny slides the drink up to Nick, who takes it halfheartedly in his hands. Nick looks at him more expectantly than he does his drink. "This is the first time I've ever heard you doubt yourself. Are you sure that it isn't something more?"
Nick hesitates. "No. I'm just a little tired I guess." He gives a small laugh. "A lot of work, y'know?"
Sunny looks towards the door as the bell above it rings, signaling that a flurry of new customers are entering for a drink. "Oh, believe me, if anyone knew about hard work, it would be me. I'd probably go bananas if not for my wife." He pokes Nick's drink. "Sorry, Nick. I've got more work to do."
"That's fine. Do what you gotta do, pal."
Sunny nods before heading off to deal with the new customers.
Nick sighs again, halfheartedly taking a sip of his drink before turning his attention to the TV in the corner. A football game between The Vultures and The Rams is on, and The Rams are down by 2 points. Nick continues to drink as the bell behind him continues to ring, signaling that the early-ins like him are all banding together to drink in harmony. He props his feet up on the chair in front of him, laying back with his drink in paw.
Someone taps him on the shoulder. "You look like you own the place." A female voice says.
"Haha. I wish. Owning a bar would probably be easier than being on the force." Nick says without looking behind him. "But I don't really mind being on the force either."
"Good. Because I wouldn't mind having someone like you arrest me." The voice replies, moving into view. "And taxes would probably be a bitch."
Nick takes in the literal fox before him, a fox with a curvy body, her tail draped elegantly on her hip, her ears lowered. Her mouth is colored with red, her eyes a shiny green, her fur brushed until it shimmered. Her outfit is more casual than the aura she gives off, her being in a black skirt with heels and a flowy, white button-up shirt, the top button undone, a tie draped seductively low on her chest.
"Please don't give me a reason to." Nick replies, allowing his eyes to slowly travel up and down her body. "And be careful. I have a distant aunt who is a literal, bonefied, bitch."
"Oh, I'd give you plenty of reason to handcuff me." She says with a breathy laugh. "And your aunt is a dog? You look pretty foxy to me."
Nick's ears raise a little. He turns back towards his drink.
"Well, she's an aunt by marriage."
There's a small pause.
"Is..this seat taken?" She finally asks.
Nick glances at the empty seat before him. "Nope." He says, lowering his feet. "This was a party for one."
She sits down next to him.
"Well, let's change that." She extends her paw to him. "I'm Lucille. My friends mostly call me Lucy though."
"Lucy, huh? I'm Nick." He says, taking her paw into his and placing a gentle kiss on it.
Lucy giggles before pulling away. "You sure know how to make a first impression."
"So do you." He glances at her. "Do you have anything to drink yet?"
Lucy smiles. "No, not yet. Why? Do you have a recommendation?"
"Just the usual. You looking for something heavy, or something soft?"
"I'll just have what you're having."
Nick smiles. "Good choice. Hey, Sunny!" Nick calls with a raise of his paw.
Sunny hurries over, looking over at Lucy knowingly. "Yes?"
"One for the lady, please."
"Of course, coming right up." Sunny says, smiling at Lucy.
Lucy smiles back. "Thanks, Sunny."
"Oh, anything for a friend of Nick's." Sunny replies while making her drink. "You know, he's a real good guy, single too. You don't find many guys like him nowadays."
Lucy nods, cutting a glance at Nick. "I know." She purrs as Sunny leaves the drink in front of her, before winking at Nick and walking away.
Nick rolls his eyes. "Sorry about that. I'm like a son or something to Sunny, even though he's only..what? Twenty years older than me?" Nick smiles before taking a sip of his drink. "Actually, I guess that he could be my father, if I was actually a monkey."
Lucy studies him for a second. "Was it a hard day on the force, Mr.Monkey lover?"
"Monkey lover?!" Nick guffaws. More like bunny lover. "You heard the man! I'm nobody's lover."
"You could be mine, if you play your cards right."
Nick smirks. "I'm pretty good at hustles." He says, finishing off his drink.
"Anyway," he continues. "What's a beautiful lady like yourself doing here," Nick glances at his watch. "At 3:27 in the afternoon?" Nick nods towards her drink. "Hard day at work?"
Lucy sighs, stirring around her drink with her straw. "Yeah. Being at a school all day-"
"Y-you're a st-student?" Nick sputters, surprised.
Lucy smirks. "Nope. I'm a teacher. And I think that I could teach you a thing or two, Mr.Nick..?"
"Wilde. Nick Wilde."
Lucy takes a long sip of her own drink before setting it back down.
"Well, Mr.Wilde, if you want to go somewhere after this and get to..know each other better I certainly wouldn't mind it."
Nick sighs, glancing at his watch once again. "Actually, I've got someone to meet after this, so I can't do any of that."
"I don't mean to pry, but may I ask who you're meeting?" Lucy says, finishing her drink.
"A colleague of mine." Nick says, standing up and pushing his chair in. "And I've got a few more things to take care of before that, so..seeing as I've overstayed my welcome here already anyway, I've got to bid you, adieu." Nick smiles at Lucy, tipping his head at her and starting to head for the door.
"Wait." Lucy says, grabbing onto his paw. "Let me give you my number, at least."
"Sure, sounds good."
Lucy gets a napkin from the bar, hurriedly scribbling her name and number down on it. "Here," she says, putting it into Nick's paws. "Call me later?"
"How could I resist?" Nick replies with a smile before heading out of the door.