Judy let her eyes wonder around the rustic-themed room, with the furniture and picture frames made from pinewood logs and branches. Nick had left her on the couch—which had been set a few feet from the wall, creating a walkway behind it that led deeper into the house—to bring in the stuff he'd bought her, as well as the fruits and vegetables that were still in the truck from when she'd highjacked it that morning.
She hadn't seen anything of the room when Nick had first brought her inside, as she'd been too focused on him. But now she took the time to really see the place. A fireplace with a stone mantel stood against the wall opposite her, with several trophies sitting atop it and a large flat screen tv hanging on the wall above it. Against the wall to her left sat a smaller love seat, and the wall on the right held the room's window looking out onto the front yard. A small square table sat in the corner closest to the door and a thick, padded chair sat in the opposite corner.
A
thick, braided rug covered the hardwood floor under her feet and a long, oak coffee table sat in front of her. A couple of coasters and a magazine about flowers and songbirds sat upon it, along with the tv remote. Thick cushions lined the two pine-log couches, and she wiggled into the one she sat upon before leaning back. She couldn't keep the sigh of contentment from escaping her—this couch was a piece of heaven!
"Are we comfortable enough?" Nick asked as he walked back inside the house. Taking his spoils into the kitchen, he left the fruits and veggies on the counter, then brought Judy the plastic bags full of all her new stuff. She'd already gone through most of the clothes, but she hadn't yet gone through the sack from the convenience store.
Reaching into the top, he pulled out the new phone charger and waved it in front of her face. "Were you missing this?"
"Nick!" Judy exclaimed as she grabbed it out of his hands. "Am I glad you bought this! I forgot to charge my phone last night and it was dead by the time I arrived at the hospital. My parents must be freaking out by now!"
"When was the last time you talked to them?" Taking the charger from her, he held his paw out for her phone.
"This morning when I asked for the truck keys. That's when I figured out what the Nighthowlers were." Handing the phone over, she watched Nick plug it into the wall next to the couch and set it on the end table.
Nick nodded, saying, "Well, after it's charged a few minutes, you can call them and let them know you're still alive."
"I am not looking forward to that conversation. They freak out over every little thing." Running her paws down her face, she muttered, "They were happy I was just a meter maid. My dad was even doing a little victory dance and chanting, 'Meter maid. Meter maid.' Ugg."
"Ooh, that's rough."
"Tell me about it," she muttered. "And if I don't answer right away, they just keep calling. I probably have about a hundred missed calls and texts by now." Flopping back on the couch, she groaned. "They'll probably have a heart attack when they find out I needed stitches."
Nick crouched down in front of Judy and watched her a moment with sympathy. Reaching over, he lightly scratched the fur between her ears and then ran his fingers up one of them.
She hummed in contentment as her eyes shut, and she relaxed further into the couch cushions. "You keep this up, Slick, and I'll fall asleep."
Bringing his other paw up to caress her other ear, he spoke softly, "Isn't that a good thing? It's been a long day and you were injured. Sleep is just what the doctor ordered."
"Hmm," she murmured. Nick's paws on her ears should be illegal. His larger paws and longer, bigger fingers with his slightly rough paw pads, allowed him to stimulate more of her ears at one time. And he knew just the right amount of pressure to use, making her hum in utter bliss. Who knew she could get such pleasure from such a simple caress?
"You know, Nick," Judy murmured as the tension continued to slip from her body, making her a limp noodle in his paws, "I'm never going to be satisfied again with another bunny rubbing my ears."
Nick paused a moment, picturing some dumb buck touching Judy like this. Pushing the image from his mind, he focused solely on her ears. "I enjoy doing this, so why would I hand this honor off to some nameless buck who can't see how wonderful you are?"
Judy's eyes flew open and she stared at his face. His attention was on her ears and he wasn't meeting her gaze, but even so, she knew he meant what he said. Nick thinks I'm wonderful? He considers rubbing my ears an . . . an honor? She didn't think he realized what he'd said, or he probably wouldn't have said it, but she had clearly heard it. Bringing a paw up, she rubbed her heart as it felt like someone was squeezing it.
She'd always been the headstrong freak, the weird one who thought she could be more than a carrot-farming bunny. She'd been teased and bullied as a kit for her dreams, and her one attempt at dating—yeah, that was a complete joke. Nick's words echoed in her mind again, 'some nameless buck who can't see how wonderful you are.'
She held back a sniffle. No, crying, Judy. Hold it together. Blinking the tears away, she studied his handsome features again. Kneeling, his face was just a little above her own, so she could see his expression clearly. His mask was down, and his eyes danced with relaxed happiness.
Seeing this made her eyes water again. Nick was happy rubbing her ears. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so relaxed, content, and just plain happy. His happiness at simply being with her (they weren't doing anything really) beat any of the attention she'd received from the bucks back home.
Holding back another sniffle, she closed her eyes and relaxed further into his wonderful touch. "You better keep your word to stick around," she murmured as sleep started stealing its way back into her mind. Missing Nick's curious glance, she continued, "Because you know I'll be asking for an ear rub whenever I'm feeling stressed or just need to relax."
Grinning, Nick turned his gaze back to her ears. They were so soft, and warm, and fuzzy. "I told you already, I'm a selfish creature, so I'll steal any chance I can to run my fingers over your ears." At Judy's happy giggle, he added, "Just be sure to return the favor."
Judy's eyes popped open and all sleep fled from her. "Really!? I can rub your ears, too? You'll let me?"
Nick paused and his emerald gaze dropped to meet sparkling amethyst. He hadn't really thought before he spoke but seeing her excitement made him seriously consider it. It had been decades since he'd let anyone pet his ears, not since he was a small kit, so his initial reaction was denial, to take his words back.
But this was Judy. She wouldn't hurt him. And now that he thought about it, the idea of feeling her small, soft paws touching him sent a warm tingle down his spine. Could he really pass up such an unexpected opportunity? Him—the king of opportunities? No. No, he could not.
Dropping his hands as a smug grin spread across his face, he answered, "You know, I haven't let anyone touch my ears since I left home." Leaning forward until their noses nearly touched, he grinned mischievously, "Are you sure you're ready for the consequences?"
"Ha! What consequences? You'll be putty in my hands." Scooting closer to the end of the couch so Nick would have room, she patted her lap and said, "Come on, put your head down." With a wide grin, she beamed back, "It's my turn to relax you."
Seeing her bright, confident, smirking smile sent a thrill through his whole body. It shouldn't—she was bunny, not a vixen—but he couldn't help it. She was tearing down his walls, and he didn't have an ounce of desire to stop her.
"Well?" she pressed, patting her lap again. "And don't even think about saying your day was any easier than mine. You might not have lost blood, but I know your ribs must be hurting after being rammed by that ram."
Nick met her intense gaze and his grin widened. "Okay, I won't lie and say my ribs aren't a little bruised, but before I let you turn me into putty," he glanced down at his clothes, "I should get something cleaner on, don't you think?"
Judy looked over his outfit and had to agree. There was dirt and grime smudged all over his shirt and pants. Wrinkling her nose, she said, "You're right. Clean clothes would be good."
With a smirk, he stood up and ruffled the fur between her ears one last time. "I'll be back down in a minute." Stepping around the couch, he headed up the stairs and entered the bedroom on the right. Throwing his clothes off, he grabbed another pair of beige pants—he still needed to pick up Judy's pain medication—and a simple black t-shirt. Since he wasn't hustling, a loud shirt wasn't needed.
A chuckle escaped him. Judy had only ever seen him in one of his Pawaiian shirts. She probably didn't even think he owned a normal shirt. It'll be interesting to see her expression when he got back downstairs. Leaving the room, he stepped into the bathroom and splashed water on his face, then wiped it off—leaving a dark smudge on the towel.
"Wow," he murmured, "I really need a shower." But later. Right now, he had a date with soft rabbit paws. Throwing the towel in the hamper, he hurried back down the stairs. He knew Judy was eating before he made it halfway down as he could smell her grilled Italian veggie wrap.
Judy was finishing up her last veggie wrap when Nick came back into the room and her eyes popped. "Wow, Nick," she whispered, eyeing his chest. "You look good in black." The black tee was snug, but not tight, and showed his lean figure off handsomely. She'd felt his muscles when he carried her, but now she could see them—and he looked hot. Now if she could just convince him to wear some jeans. Black jeans.
"Thanks, Carrots. You don't look so bad yourself." He could see the inside of her ears turn several shades darker and his smile turned smug.
To distract herself from the warmth his comment caused her, she ate the last bite of her veggie wrap and chased it down with water from the bottle Kimberly had given her. Capping it once she'd finished, she glanced back up and asked, "So are you ready?" Setting the bottle aside, she patted her lap again.
Putting up a paw, Nick said, "One last thing before I put my sensitive ears in your soft, capable paws." Judy glared at him and he put both paws up in a hold-on motion. "I'm really not trying to stall, I just want to make sure we're both as comfortable as possible."
"Meaning . . .?"
"Well, it's late and you nearly fell asleep already, so I was wondering if you wanted to get ready for bed first? Go to the bathroom, brush your teeth—that sort of thing. I bought you a toothbrush and bunny toothpaste."
"Oh, yeah. That's . . . actually a really good idea." She beamed up at him again, still surprised at his ability to think of everything. Did it come naturally to him or was it part of his training? He'd had all those permits ready when she tried to bring him in. That's not something you do on a whim. You had to plan, not just for the moment, but for the future and to think of different possibilities and eventualities—to be prepared for anything.
"There's a half-bath down the hall there." He pointed to the left and explained, "The sink in there is a little taller than the one in the upstairs bathroom, but I don't think you'll have too much trouble reaching it."
Judy's eyes grew big as saucers, and she reached up to grab the front of his shirt, then jerked his face down to her level. There was barely a centimeter between their noses as she exclaimed, "You have two bathrooms!"
"Um, yeah," he answered, his own eyes now big as saucers. "A half-bath downstairs and a full bath upstairs."
"Do you know how incredible that is!" At Nick's surprised expression, she explained, "I had to share a bathroom with over two dozen people at my shoebox apartment! And we won't even discuss how many of my siblings I had to share a bathroom with! This is amazing!"
"O—kay."
Giggling at his funny expression, Judy released his shirt and clapped her paws together, her ears fully erect and her nose twitching in excitement. "Okay, show me your bathroom."
Standing up, he straitened his shirt out while giving her an exasperated look. "It's not that unique, you know. Just about every two-story house here in the city has a least a bath and a half. And most of them that have more than two bedrooms have two full baths."
"Well, it is to me. It's going to be so nice to be able to share 2 bathrooms with just one other mammal." Clasping her paws together, she beamed up at him. "Being able to stay here with you is going to be great, Nick. Thank you so much for inviting me."
The sheer joy and gratitude he found shimmering in her beautiful amethyst eyes mesmerized him, and it took several moments for his brain to reboot. "Uh, yeah. No problem." Giving her his warmest smile, he said, "Remember, you're my best friend and I'm selfish, so there's no way I'd be happy knowing you were anywhere else."
Judy hummed, her smile getting even bigger with her buckteeth clearly showing. "Well, it makes me happy knowing you're happy having me here." With that, she stretched her arms out so he could pick her up.
Once he had Judy comfortably in his arms, he leaned over and pulled the travel kit from the convenience store bag and handed it to her. "I figured this would get you by until we can get your stuff from Bunnyburrow."
Judy turned the clear, plastic case over in her hand as Nick carried her to the bathroom. There was shampoo and fur conditioner, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a small fur brush, and a small wooden chew rod. It's exactly what she needed for several days.
Glancing down as they neared the bathroom, Nick commented, "I'm not sure what the wooden rod is for, but it says it's for rabbits, so I figured it was something you needed."
"Yeah, I need it. It's a chew rod."
"A what?"
Judy chuckled at his baffled expression. "A chew rod. Rabbit teeth keep growing throughout our lives, so we need to periodically chew on wood to grind them down."
"Really? I only thought beavers and gophers needed to do that."
"Well, our teeth don't grow as quickly as theirs. It's a slower process, so we only need to chew for about 20-30 minutes three times a week."
"Well, that's interesting." Stepping into the bathroom, he set her down in front of the sink. "Are you going to be okay."
Judy looked up and nodded, then glanced around the spacious (to her) bathroom. "This is so big!"
"Only to you," Nick snorted. "Remember, this was built with slightly-larger mammals in mind."
She looked around again, then realized Nick was still standing there. "I'll be fine, Nick, you can go."
"Are you sure?" The concern in his eyes couldn't be hidden.
"Yes, Nick, I'm sure. The sink is right here and the toilet's right there. I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about."
Nick met her gaze a moment longer, then nodded, his ears splayed back, worrying. As he closed the door behind him, he hollered, "Yell if you need anything."
"I will," she called back through the door.
As he left Judy to prepare for the night, Nick decided to eat one of his left-over wraps, then put the other one away in the fridge. Next, he decided to go through the house and plug in all the electronics. Not wanting to pay for electricity he wasn't using, he always unplugged everything but the fridge. Having a cold fridge whenever he came home was essential.
By the time he finished plugging everything in, Judy opened the bathroom door and stood waiting in the doorway. Nick hurried over and scooped her up before depositing her on the couch. Stepping back a moment, he cocked his head, ears alert, and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? It'll make me greedy."
Judy merely grinned at him. "I think I can handle that." Patting the couch beside her, and then her lap, she added, "Come on, I'm not getting any younger here."
Nick's grin turned to playful as he climbed onto the couch and rested his muzzle in her lap. The second her soft fingers caressed the edge of his ears, his eyes closed and he let out a soft sigh. He couldn't believe how incredible her small paws felt. He knew it'd feel good, but never imagined it'd feel this good. After several minutes of contented silence as she massaged his ears, he murmured, "Try scratching around the base, too."
"Okay. Like this?"
As her blunt claws dug through his fur and reached the skin, his head turned sideways into the scratch and his muzzle parted. With his tongue hanging slightly out of his mouth and his tail wagging happily, a contented whine escaped his throat.
Judy giggled and scratched a little harder, trying to see what other noises she could pull from her fox. Watching him in this completely unguarded moment, she totally fell in love with his happy, blissful reaction to her touch. She found herself feeling selfish and greedy herself. She wanted to take any and every opportunity she could to pull this reaction from him—and she did not want to share this side of him with anyone.
Nick thoroughly enjoyed Judy's pets, caresses, and scratches and after a while he got greedy for more. He debated several blissful minutes on whether or not to actually show her this secret ability of foxes, but this was Judy and her gentle fingers were magical. He finally caved. There was one more spot he was dying to have her scratch.
Turning over on his side so that he was facing the middle of the room, he exposed his chin and neck, then pointed to a spot where his jawline met his throat. "Scratch me here."
Judy raised an eyebrow but didn't complain. Being able to touch more of Nick was further icing on her cake. With an eager smile, she dug her blunt claws through his thick fur and began scratching. And as she did, a soft rumbling sound emanated from his throat and deep in his chest. She paused in surprise, but the slight whine from him had her scratching again. The rhythmic rumbling continued, coupled with happy whines coming from his open mouth, and Judy finally put a name to the sound. "Nick, are you . . . are you . . . purring?" It sounded different from a cat's, but it was definitely a deep, rumbly purr.
A grin spread across Nicks face. "It's a little-known fact, but something all foxes can do—when the right person scratches them in just the right spot."
Judy continued scratching as she thought about his words, and a warmth spread through her whole being at what he implied—that she was the right person. With warmth filling her heart, she lost herself in the joy she found in scratching and pleasing Nick. With a bright smile, she switched between rubbing his ears and scratching his throat and the base of his ears. He was so blissful—she loved it.
As Judy had fun relaxing him, Nick nearly lost himself to the sensations Judy's soft paws were evoking in him. While hovering in that pleasant place between wakefulness and sleep, his thoughts wandered. He didn't think Judy was aware how intimate the act was, or what it meant for a vixen (or doe in her case) to be scratching a todd's ears and throat like this. As a kit, parents would frequently pet and scratch them, but once they were adults, it was reserved solely for mates.
Is that what he considered Judy? Is that how he saw her now? After only four short days of actually spending time with her (he didn't count the 3 months they were apart)? It seemed rushed, especially since fox relationships usually developed slowly with a long courtship and a very short engagement. But what about bunnies? He knew hardly anything about them. What made a buck eligible mate material to a rabbit doe? And what did he really have to offer her. He was just a con-fox. He was good at what he did, one of the best, but that was no lifestyle for a family.
And what did Judy want? It was obvious she saw him as someone special, something more than just a friend . . . but more what? Although she was a career doe and wasn't looking to settle down and have a family anytime soon, at some point she'd want that, right? And now that she was living her dream and had made a name for herself, who's to say some handsome buck won't come along and convince her he's the one.
The thought of her with anyone else, the image of some buck touching her—touching his bunny—had his happy whine turning to one of pain. After experiencing these simple little touches, to be able to enjoy such intimate pets and caresses with her, there's no way he could go back to living without.
As Nick's purr cut off and his happy whine turned to a pained whimper, Judy froze. Everything had been wonderful and they'd both been enjoying the other's presence—so what went wrong? "Nick! Nick! What's wrong? What happened?"
Nick didn't respond at first but remained facing away from her, his face a grimace. After several deep breaths, he was able to bring his mind back to the present instead of the futuristic nightmare he'd been imagining. Rubbing his eyes a moment, with Judy waiting for an answer, he then rolled over so that he was facing her abdomen.
"Nick?" she asked hesitantly.
Burrowing his face into her stomach, he wrapped his arms around her small waist and pulled her closer, then breathed in her sweet scent. She was still here with him. This was real.
"Ni-ick! What's wrong?" She was really worried now. Did he actually fall asleep and wake to a nightmare? Was something from his past haunting him? Not knowing what else to do, she leaned over and rested her cheek against the top of his head. With her light breath tickling his ear, she wrapped him in her arms and began petting his neck with slow, gentle strokes. "Please talk to me," she whispered.
Nick scrunched his eyes shut to keep the tears back that were burning his eyes. Taking a deep, ragged breath, he spoke. "You say you're afraid that I'll leave you again." She nodded and he continued. "But I'm terrified that you'll leave me. We haven't even spent one night in this house, and already it feels like home. I never expected to find anyone I'd want to pet or be petted by, but here we are. Your touch is incredible, Judy, and I'm already addicted to it."
Taking another deep breath, her scent flooding his senses, he said, "I told you I'm a selfish creature and if you started petting my ears that I'd get greedy—and I am. I'm feeling incredibly greedy, but I'm afraid that after getting used to your presence here and you spoil me with your touches, that I'll wake one day and you'll be gone. That you'll decide that you could do better with someone else."
"Oh, Nick, that is never going to happen, trust me." Running her paw down the back of his head and between his shoulder blades, she rubbed her cheek into his fur. "No one could ever replace you, Nick. And there is no one else I'd want to stay with—to be with."
"Even if one day some handsome buck shows up and starts treating you like the wonderful, beautiful doe that you are?"
Warmth filled her heart and butterflies fluttered inside her stomach. First, he calls her by her name, and now he claimed she was beautiful. Not cute—beautiful. "Nick, there's not a buck alive who could treat me as well as you do. Nor is there a buck alive I'd want touching me. I told you already, didn't I? That after experiencing your large, foxy paws on my ears, that I'd never again be content with a bunny touching them."
A grin spread across Nick's muzzle and he rubbed his face into her belly. "Does that mean I get exclusive rights to your ears?"
Judy paused. She knew what he was asking. But is that really what she wanted? To give him exclusive rights to herself? I wouldn't mind if he took everything. A shiver ran down her spine as the troublesome thought whispered in her mind again. Pushing it aside, she focused on the question at hand. If she agreed, she'd be promising to never date anyone. Well, anyone who wasn't named Nicholas P. Wilde.
She grinned remembering the expression of pure happiness on his face, both while he was caressing her ears and when she was caressing his. Oh, who am I fooling? There's no way I'd be okay with anyone else touching me. And dating? Which dumb buck could possibly compare to my sly fox? With a warm smile, she nuzzled his head. "Of course, you have exclusive rights to my ears. Only you are allowed to touch them—no one else."
Nick's grin widened. "That means you can't complain when I scare off every stupid buck that comes along and starts pawing at them."
Judy giggled. "Trust me, Nick, if any buck tries touching them, I'll be disappointed if you don't defend what's rightfully yours."
Nick couldn't hold back a chuckle. Was she serious? They weren't even dating yet, and yet, she was already declaring herself as his. Foxes were quite territorial so this promise of hers was stroking his ego in ways he'd never thought imaginable. She'd promised and he'd hold her to it—he wasn't sharing her with anybody.
Continuing to rub her paw over his fur, Judy chirped happily, "You know, Slick, this works both ways. If you have exclusive rights to my ears, then I get exclusive rights to yours."
He let out a barking laugh, then nuzzled her stomach, before letting out a happy whine. "Yes, you do, 100 percent." With the last of the tension draining from his body, Nick felt his mind slipping towards a deep, restful sleep.
Humming in satisfaction, Judy nuzzled his head even as she hugged him tightly. She'd never get tired of hugging him—or being hugged. She smiled warmly. Heaven. This was what heaven must feel like. With a wide smile plastered across her cheeks, Judy finally stopped fighting sleep.
As both mammals finally succumbed to the sleep their weary minds and bodies craved, neither remembered the little smartphone charging on the end table beside them. The phone was still powered off and neither remembered about the worried parents who hadn't heard from their headstrong daughter since she disappeared that morning.