...Our First Date
A/N: As always, thank you to kt_valmiri for editing and ScaraMedn for beta reading! Enjoy, everyone!
………….
Skye grinned down at her little brother who was pouting on Jack's couch. Her eyes moved from young todd to the overly excited cheetah fawning over him and Judy. The doe was grinning at their sitter, the vixen having no doubt she was just as excited about the evening as the cat.
"Oh! Em! Goodness!" Benjamin Clawhauser gushed as he pulled out a stack of movies from his bag, adding them to his tower of board games on the coffee table. "We're going to have so much fun! I have games, music, magazines, snacks! We'll order pizza and make s'mores! We can even have a dance off! Ooooooo! I'm so excited!"
"You're a brave mammal for being willing to watch these two, Benji," called Jack from the hall. Walking into the living, the buck kept his eyes down as he straightened his sweater. "You're going to have your paws full."
The grin on Skye's face became slightly bashful when the buck looked up and saw her. His entire body went still, his ears standing straight up on his head as his eyes took her in. Once again, she applauded her mother’s skills in picking out clothes. Her black skirt and sapphire blue blouse complemented his own dark jeans and white button up. Casual, with a hint of class. He looked good enough to drag back to the bedroom for several days.
It was only the fact that Ben's voice echoed loudly that had them remembering everyone else in the room.
"Oh, don't be silly, Jackie! Judy is an absolute delight!" Benji's fur bunched as his chubby face lit up on Nick. "Oooooohhhhhh! I don't think I've ever met such a little fox before! Fox kits are so cuuuuute!"
Nick scrunched down in his seat further, looking disgruntled. "I'm not little…" he grumbled under his breath. "Or cute."
Judy laughed at his reaction. "Oh, how the tables have turned!"
With a glare at the bunny doe, the todd crossed his arms and looked annoyed at the situation, though a smile tugged at his muzzle. Ben merely bounced around as he did inventory on what he had brought, his smile never leaving his face. Completely charmed, Skye knew why Jack had chosen him. She just hoped her brother wouldn't make his life too miserable.
"I'm expecting you to be on your very best behavior, young todd," she lectured as Jack came to stand next to her.
"Same goes for you, Judes." His little sister's face flashed with shocked outrage as her mouth fell open, Jack cutting her off before she could retort. "And don't give me that 'I would never!' look. I've known you for thirteen years."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"It means you're exactly like me." He smirked at Judy's frown. Turning to Skye, he gave her another look over, the skin under his fur tinged pink. "And you look… disgusting."
Skye snorted and gave him a playful push, the buck smiling.
"Seriously though," he continued, catching her paw and pulling her towards him. "You're beautiful."
With a shy smile, she put her paws on his shoulders and lowered her muzzle to his. "Thank you." Her lips lightly touched his before they were interrupted again.
"AWWWWW!"
Starting, Jack and Skye simultaneously dropped their ears and looked over at their siblings. Nick and Judy snickered at them while Ben beamed with his eyes aglow.
"Ahem…" Jack cleared his throat and ran a paw down his crimson ears. "Call us if you need anything. Judy, if you and Nick hang out in your room, door stays open. Ben, don't let them out of your sight."
"And you," Skye turned her focus to her brother. "Best. Behavior. I mean it. If you cause Ben any trouble, it's bedpans for you. Got it."
Rolling his eyes, Nick held up two fingers. "Best behavior. Scouts honor."
With a final stern glance at the teens, Jack and Skye headed for the door. As soon as it was shut, Ben bounced back in front of them, grinning happily.
"I'm so excited! Are you two ready to have some fun?"
Nick repressed a sigh as Judy sat up straight and gave the cheetah a sweet smile.
"Actually, Ben. I'm a little hungry." Nick gave her a look out the corner of his eye. Judy just smiled at their sitter whose face lit up.
"I'll order some pizza!"
"I think it's my sweet tooth that's really starving. I was thinking more like ice cream."
Ben looked hesitant. "I don't know, Judy. I'm trying to cut back."
"And you've been doing such a great job. So, treat yourself."
Ben's face morphed into a longing look at the idea of all the treats he had denied himself lately.
"Weeeell…" he began hesitantly. "I guess one cheat night wouldn't hurt!"
Judy grinned and bounced off the couch. "I'll get ice cream and chocolate syrup! Nick, you grab the cupcakes from the counter."
"I'll get the bowls and spoons!" Ben squealed. "And I'll put on some music!"
Nick laughed at their enthusiasm before doing as he was told. Maybe the night wouldn't be all that bad.
……….
Less than five minutes into the seminar, it became very obvious the mouse on the stage was not Marcus Lemousis. A quick examination of their tickets confirmed the spelling of his name was wrong. Deciding to stick it out, the buck and vixen shrugged and took their seats. And what a mistake it was.
Jack and Skye sat in their chairs, visibly cringing at the mouse enthusiastically speaking on stage.
The buck leaned over to her to whisper, “I was expecting this to be a bit more…”
“Businesslike,” she supplied, “and less…”
“Ponzi scheme.”
Both mammals shared a chuckle behind their paws before Jack motioned for her to leave her seat. Creeping along the aisle, Skye reached behind her and felt him grasp her paw. Giggling and keeping low, they snuck into the center aisle and darted for the exit. Thankfully, the Royal Palm Hotel had a spacious and busy lobby. No one really noticed the pair running away from the conference.
Skye was still laughing as they raced towards the lobby bar, the hippo bartender in his finery nodding a greeting to her and Jack before filling two glasses with ice and water.
“Wow!” the vixen laughed as she climbed up to take a seat on a bar stool. “That was a huge waste of time. How much did those set you back, Jack?”
With a leap, Jack landed next to her, still grinning. "I didn't pay for them. We have Sandra to thank for that." The hippo bartender gave them a confused look before he set water glasses in front of the pair. The buck winked at her before turning his grin to the larger mammal. "And no sense in stopping the party. Barkeep, a bottle of your finest Pinot Noir, please."
Nodding, the hippo turned to the wine shelf behind him.
"Very classy, Mr. Hopps," Skye grinned as the bartender set two glasses and an open wine bottle in front of them.
"Classy is my middle name, gorgeous." With a grin, the buck poured them each a healthy amount before setting the bottle aside and raising his glass. "Miss Wilde. Thank you for joining me here tonight. It's not the fancy, romantic night of dinner and dancing that I wish I had treated you to. But I can't complain. That was a very… entertaining… Marcus LeMousis impersonator. And, after everything, I still get enjoy your company. Not a bad first date."
Her glass was still touching his as she smiled at him. "Date?"
"I mean," Jack smiled nervously and fidgeted on his stool. "I understand if that's a bit too forward… I mean, we've known each other for a couple weeks so I understand. But, being here, with you, tonight… It just feels like… well…"
"A date," she finished, leaning towards him. The paw not holding her wine glass moved to his jaw. "I think I can live with this being our official first date."
Their lips had just barely brushed when they both heard the not so quiet scoff of a mammal next to them. She was prepared to just tune out whomever the nosy mammal was, but she felt Jack's ears fall down his back as the mammal huffed again. He tensed, his lips still pressed to hers, before pulling back.
"Hey," she whispered to him softly. His brows were furrowed in anger as he began to turn his head towards the intruder. Skye's paw slid from his jaw to his cheek to keep his attention on her. "Ignore it. It's just you and me. On our first date."
A slow smile spread on his face at her words before the buck nodded and kissed her again.
"Disgusting!" Jack and Skye gently broke apart and rolled their eyes at each other before raising their glasses to sip at their wine. "Hey, perverts!"
Taking determined sips, they exchanged head shakes. "Ignore it," Skye repeated.
"Hey," came the angry, slightly slurred voice again. "I'm talking to YOU, stripes!"
"But we're not talking to him, handsome," Skye murmured to Jack, who laughed with her.
Though their laughter died when a firm nudge landed on his shoulder.
Jaw set and face fighting to stay blank, Jack turned to look at the mammal who interrupted them. "Can I help you?" he asked the burly ram glowering down at him.
"Yeah you can help me," he snapped, looking over at the vixen with disgust. "You can help me but not making my wife and I throw up our dinner. Have some respect! I’m sure bunny does can be an easy lay, but that doesn't give you the right to shove your tongue down the throat of a pred in good society! Have some decency."
"Sir," all three mammals looked to the bartender who was eying the ram sternly. "I'm going to have to ask you to return to your seat. Any issues with other patrons can be reported to management, who are equipped and trained to handle them. So, please, stop bothering our other guests and return to your chair."
Casting one last glare at the vixen and buck, the ram made his way back over to his wife, the small ewe haughtily adjusting her glasses and turning her nose up at them.
"I apologize for the disturbance," the bartender continued, bringing their attention back to him.
He gave them a small smile. "If there's anything more you need, please let me know."
"Thanks," Skye leaned forward to read his name tag, "Joseph. I think we're okay for now. Right, Jack?"
"Here's to you, Joseph!" Jack raised his glass grinning as Skye copied him. "May the world be filled to the brim with wonderful mammals like you."
Joseph grinned and nodded before moving down the bar to continue helping his patrons.
"Sir!" The shrill voice had the couple looking over at the ewe, who shot them a venomous look while her husband stared daggers in their direction. "We would like to speak to the manager, please! NOW!"
Before Joseph could respond, a well-dressed deer buck strode up to stand next to the sheep couple.
"Hello, ma'am. My name is Derek and I'm the bar manager. What seems to be the problem."
"The problem is the lack of decency this bar seems to have," the ram began while his wife nodded in agreement. "I work hard and pull double shifts to treat my wife to a nice evening at one of the best bars and restaurants in Zootopia. And we have to spend the night with those two freaks of nature practically rutting next to us? That, DEREK, is a disgrace to this city!"
"Oh, my gods! It was one kiss," Skye interrupted, her raised voice catching their attention. Jack swiveled in his seat to face them and crossed his arms as he glared back at the sheep. Skye's paw rose to his shoulder as she drew herself up behind him. "It's not like we were ripping each other’s clothes off!"
"It was disgusting!" The ewe shot back. Even the wool piled on top her head seemed to shake with anger. "Your parents ought to be ashamed of both of you. Your relationship is everything that's wrong with this world and I live for the day when these stupid politicians wise up and finally ban you deviants from the rest of us decent mammals!"
"Oh, yeah!" scoffed Jack as he jumped from his seat and took a step towards them. "You're so decent you have to jam your nose into other mammals’ business and screech about a something you know absolutely nothing about. Yeah, you're a real hero, lady!"
Derek moved to stand between the two couples and raised he's hooves. "Please, let's calm down. I would be very upset to have to remove anyone from the hotel. So, if you'll just"
"Don't you speak to my wife like that, stripes!" The ram jumped from his spot and stepped as close to Jack as he could. "At least I found me a lady I can spend the rest of my life with. Unlike you, who's probably just satisfying some perverted kink." His beady black eyes moved from the buck's outraged face, to Skye's shocked blues. "You heard me, sweetheart! All this bunny wants from you is what's between your legs. All these bunnies are nothing but whores"
Jack had seen old nature shows and dramatizations of how prey and predator were before everyone became civil. He had always been impressed at the speed at which everyone seemed to move. Skye put them to shame. One moment, she was tense and angry on her stool behind him. The next she was leaping from her seat in a perfect pounce, landing gracefully on the other side of a very startled Derek.
The ram's eyes went wide with shock as she grabbed the closest filled glass and splashed in his face followed by a sharp, open pawed slap.
To his credit, the ram wasn't surprised for long. His eyes narrowed in rage as he drew back his hoof, only to have the vixen dodge, the ram's punch lining up beautifully with Derek's groin. The deer buck gasped in pain, Jack gave a gaff in amused disbelief, while the sheep couple gave bleats of horror.
"I think we'll be going now, Joseph," Jack said, pulling some bills from his wallet and tossing them on the bar top. Skye hurriedly rejoined him, both noticing the group of security guards headed their way. "Like, now. Keep the chaaannnggge!"
The last bit was drawn out as Skye grabbed his paw and ran towards the exit, laughing as the ewe and ram were halted from following. A pair of guards went after the bunny and fox, who ginned at each other and picked up their pace.
"Hey, Jack?" asked Skye as they ran towards the hotel lobby.
"Yeah, gorgeous?" The pair of them ducked under the outstretched hooves of a waiting giraffe, the security guard uselessly shouting at them to stop as they easily passed her.
"How much was that bottle of wine?"
The doors were in sight, blocked by a tall, burley lion scowling at them. Glancing at each other, they ran even faster towards him and lowered their heads in a charge. At the sight of the two fast approaching small mammals, the lion gave a very unlion like squeal and moved out of the way.
Still running as they burst through the double doors and hit the sidewalk, Jack laughed and shrugged. "NO CLUE!"
Their laughter was breathless as they continued to run, the guards that had originally been after them stumbling to a halt just outside the exit. A warthog doubled over and panted before looking at the hyena next to him. Both turned to glare at the embarrassed lion.
"Thanks for your help, Tom!" growled the hyena sarcastically.
"Yeah," agreed the warthog. "Your bravery knows no bounds."
Tom hung his head and shame. "Sorry…" With disappointed shakes of their heads, they looked at where their targets had vanished. After a moment, the trio turned from now bunny and fox free sidewalk, and headed back inside.
………….
Skye didn't know what had come over her. One moment, they had been running away from the Palm Hotel security guards. Now they were several blocks away and ducked into the first alley they had seen. The pair gasped for breath and laughed as they peeked around the corner, the vixen vaguely amused that Nick's trouble-making streak seemed to be genetic.
Huh, she thought as she looked at Jack with a smile. Who knew Mom passed on the hoodlum gene?
The buck was panting lightly, before he met her gaze with a grin of his own. His blue eyes were bright with amusement as he looked at her. Her heartbeat sped up as their paws reached for each other. Jack pushed her against the wall, his lips capturing hers as his paws rose to cup her face. Her arms slid around his neck easily, one leg lifting to pull him close and keep him there.
They couldn't get enough of each other. Lips parting only briefly to pull air into their lungs before they connected again. A loud growl from both their stomachs had the couple giggling into the shared space. Parting and pressing their foreheads together, they smiled and breathed each other in.
"Food?" he asked with a smile.
"Food," she agreed. Jack's paws slid down her body as he prepared to push himself away. Only to be pulled back in for another kiss. When she finally released him, Skye smiled at the dreamy expression on his face. "And afterwards, maybe I'll treat you to dessert."
Gently moving passed him, letting her paw trail down his chest, she made her way back onto the street.
"Yes, ma'am." Paw in paw, with goofy smiles on their muzzles, they carried on with their first date.
……………
Nick and Judy looked cautiously at the large cheetah collapsed on the couch. The furniture gave a small groan at his weight.
They’d had an eventful night with Ben popping in a movie that was quickly ignored in favor of new music he had put on his phone. The fox had dissolved into laughter as Judy and Ben bounced around the living room, their 'dancing' bringing tears to Nick's eyes. After a couple hours, and several s'mores and bowls of ice cream, the large cat had flopped onto the couch, panting.
"Whew!" he gasped, closing his eyes as he tilted his head back, tongue lolling out of his muzzle. "Give me a minute, guys. Just gotta catch my breath!"
Judy watched his breath even out before a loud snore cut through the silence. With snorts of laughter, the teens looked at each other.
"And he's out like a light," Nick murmured, creeping from his place on the floor to stand next to the doe. "Very clever, Carrots. Sugar him up and let him crash. So diabolical! I mean, what would Jack think if he found out?"
He grinned at her when she gave him a hip bump. "Easy there, Slick. I go down, I'm taking you with me."
"There's a threat." His smile softened when he looked over her. "So… what now?"
"I want to show you something."
Perplexed, he watched as she made her way to the door. Following her as it was pulled open, both teens peeped downstairs. The Perk was still open, though most of its patrons were calling it a night. Turning away from the hum of the mammals closing up shop, Judy shot him a grin and crept towards the second set of stairs leading to the roof.
"C'mon," she whispered as she moved up the stairs.
Bemused, Nick closed the door quietly and followed. The bunny paused at the roof door and grinned at him.
"Ready?" she asked, her grin growing wider as he enthusiastically nodded his head. "Okay… Voila!"
She pushed the door open and stood to the side. Nick's eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. An obstacle course stood in front of them, an intense combination of monkeybars, balance beams, rope ladders, and agility tires. It was an impressive set up. One that had the todd asking a very important question.
"How the hell did I beat you?" His eyes were narrowed in confusion as he turned them to her.
With a sigh, Judy gave her head a shake. "I ask myself that question every day. Wanna go for a round?"
"Get ready to lose again," he shot back, racing her towards it.
Nick was the first one on the rope ladder, giving a loud laugh as he landed on it, only to have it cut short by a small body tackling him.
"Hey!" he shouted as Judy climbed up his back and stepped on his head. She pulled herself up onto the monkeybars. "That's cheating!"
But Judy just laughed from where she stood. "You know there's no shame in calling it quits! I thought you foxes would be good at this."
"Watch it up there little bunny!" came his response, giving her a mock frown. "Keep talking like that I'll have to gobble you up."
"You'd have to catch me first, Slick." And without another word, she moved further through the obstacle course. Nick was right behind her, leaping from bar to bar and climbing up and down ropes. He was always just a claw's length behind of her, something she took great pride in. But like he anticipated, she paused just a bit too long to gloat.
"Gotcha!" The todd tackled her to the ground, earning a loud groan from her followed by laughter.
"Get off me, you dumb fox," she exclaimed through her giggles. "You weigh a thousand pounds!"
"Ha ha ha! Knock me off if you can, Fluff!" Nick grinned down at her as his fingers dug into her sides, making her laugh harder.
"Yoyo you're the worst!" Judy squirmed under him, her paws on his shoulders, trying to wiggle away.
"Oh! You don't mean that."
Nick laughed and eased up on his tickling. Judy's laughter died down in equal measure though her smile remained. Her paws were still on his shoulders and small body tucked under him. Nick's paws stayed still on her side, his thumbs resting lightly on her belly. Both teens smiled into each others eyes their muzzles moving closer, eyes falling shut when they felt their lips brush together
"Oh, my gods!"
The loud, panting exclamation startled them out of their trace, both their eyes going to the roof doorway. Benji leaned against it, panting, obviously fighting to keep from doubling over. Nick and Judy scrambled to the feet, both blushing furiously.
"You… *gasp*… nearly… *pant*… gave me… *wheeze*… a heart attack!" Pushing away from the door frame, he staggered over to where they now stood. "Don't ever do that again! Jack will kill me if he knows you two snuck off."
"Sorry, Ben," they muttered together, eyes cast to the floor. Benji finally caught his breath enough to smile happily at them.
"Oooooooohhhhhh!" he squealed, paws coming up to cover his smile. Suddenly snatching them both up in a hug, he gave a little wiggle of joy. "I just can't stay angry with you two! You're both so"
"Don't say it!" Judy gasped out. Both teens were released just as suddenly as they were caught.
"Oh, alright!" Benji chirped, still beaming at them. "Let's get inside before Jack and Skye come back. And remember! Nothing happened."
"Right," agreed Nick, looking over at Judy who walked towards the roof door just in front of him. "Nothing happened."
Judy smiled over her shoulder at him, eyes filled with disappointment. "Nothing at all."
……………
The city was as dark as it could get. Mammals were fewer on the streets, shops and restaurants waved off their last patrons, and one by one, the lights from the surrounding homes flicked off. An early summer breeze swept through the silent streets, adding just the right amount of romance to the night when paired with glow of the street lights.
Skye was walking on air.
Paw in paw, they savored the feeling of closeness as they bantered easily. It was later than they expected to be out and part of her worried about any potential trouble Nick would be in. One never knew with her youngest brother. But those worries moved further and further away every time she caught Jack's eye.
“So,” began the buck, with a smile. “You always dreamed of be a GM for an independent coffee shop in Savanna Central?”
Grinning, Skye shrugged. “I actually never had a dream for what I was going to be when I grew up. I couldn’t decide.”
“Just kinda fell into the coffee shop biz, huh?”
“Something like that. It’s just always lively and changing. I like the work and the mammals I’ve met,” her eyes flicked over to him coyly, “ and work for.” Jack’s blush was as visible as his happy grin. Nudging him with her elbow, she moved closer to him as they walked. “So… What did Jack Hopps want to be when he grew up?”
“Ahhh…” The paw not holding hers reached up to scratch his neck as his blush intensified. “Well, I knew I always wanted to be a cook or baker. Something that had to do with food.”
“Buuuut…”
With a bashful shrug, he continued. “My Pop-pop used to tell us his war stories. He was part of this elite team of government agents, always running around the world doing these amazing things. He made it seem like they were spies. Pop-pop said he had code name and everything. It was all very 007.”
“I’m guessing you use to pretend to be part of the action?” They shared a laugh as he nodded.
“I had a name picked out and everything.”
Pausing her steps, Skye’s jaw dropped. “What was it?” He shook his head vigorously. “C’mon! Tell me! I’m not going to judge or laugh. I promise.”
Releasing her paw, Jack bit his lip and looked down shyly as he muttered to himself. Skye quirked her eyebrows and leaned her head in towards him. Giving him another small nudge and encouraging smile, she waited patiently for him to repeat himself.
“My code name was Jack Savage,” he said, his voice still a bit soft. Looking up at her finally, he cleared his throat and kept walking. “You’re laughing.”
“I would never,” she countered, still smiling and taking his paw again as they continued their walk. “I like it. It has a ring to it. And I think you would have been a great spy.”
“Aww, now you’re just trying to butter me up.”
“Is it working?”
“Almost too well.” They laughed again, walking closer together.
Finally, they came to the darkened door of the Perks.
"I had an amazing time, Skye," Jack began as he pulled his keys out.
“I did, too, Jack.” She watched him toy with his keys, seeming to think unlocking the door would end their night. Stepping closer, her paws slid up his chest as her muzzle dipped until her lips met his. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she vaguely heard his keys drop as he pulled her closer.
“If you’re interested,” he panted when they parted slightly for air, “I know a spot really, REALLY close we go to for a night cap.”
“Lead the way then, tiger,” she purred back before nibbling his bottom lip and wrapping her tail around his waist.
Groaning, he pulled away and stooped to grab his keys off the ground. Hurriedly unlocking the door, while Skye’s paws and lips did their best to distract him, Jack stumbled through the door and disarmed the alarm. After making sure both were reset and locked, he pulled her in for another passionate kiss before dragging her upstairs.
Their desire cooled marginally at Jack’s apartment door, remembering Nick, Judy, and Ben on the other side. Exchanging one last, heated kiss, they straightened their clothing out before Jack let them in. Apologies for being late died on their lips after seeing what they walked into.
“Oh my,” Skye murmured, her voice tinged with amusement.
Ben lay sprawled on the floor, an open magazine draped over his face barely muffling his snores. An upturned popcorn bowl lay next to him, its contents surrounding him. The coffee table was covered in empty pizza boxes and ice cream bowls, stray marshmallows and open bags of chips and pretzels. On the tv, the menu for a DVD was displayed.
Both adults turned their attention to their siblings. Nick and Judy lay asleep on the couch. The todd was sitting up against the back of it, his head resting atop of Judy’s. The little doe was snuggled against him, his tail in her arms.
“I’ll get a blanket and pillow for Nick if you get Judy,” Jack whispered after shutting off the tv then tiptoeing away to the hall closet.
The vixen stepped over Ben and around the coffee table. Judy barely stirred when Skye gently pulled her brother’s tail from the doe’s arms and scooped her from the couch. In his sleep, Nick grumbled in protest before falling over and settling back into sleep. Jack returned with the pillow and blanket, smiling and gesturing down the hallway towards Judy’s room. Turning his attention back to the sleeping todd on the couch, he carefully slid his paw under Nick’s head before settling it on the pillow.
Nuzzling into it, the todd was covered with the blanket as Skye came back from Judy’s room.
“... camping trip this weekend, Dad… tent has holes…” Jack cocked his head at Nick’s sleep talk, before turning to look over at Skye. The vixen’s eyes grew distant and sad, her body frozen in place with her arms crossed.
Concerned, Jack walked over to her and put his paws on her elbows. She smiled sadly at him, grateful he didn’t ask her what was wrong.
“He was one of Nick’s scout leaders,” she explained, letting herself be led to his bedroom. Jack let her enter first, gesturing for her to take a seat on the bed. “The day he…” She shook her head and looked down at her paws. “He was going to take the pack camping that weekend. Nick said it was the last thing Dad ever said to him. I didn’t know he still dreamed about it.”
He let her go silent, let her get lost in her thoughts, but still reached out to grasp her paw. All he wanted was to let her know he was there. Something she seemed grateful for when she looked up and smiled at him. Jack smiled back and scooted up to the head of the bed, still holding her paw.
Following after, she lay on her side facing him.
“Tell me about him?” Jack asked with a soft smile, passing his paw over her face tenderly.
“How much time you got?”
“For you, beautiful,” he murmured back, pulling her into his arms, “I have all the time in the world.”
……………
The trauma ward at Tundra General was nonstop busy. One of the weather generators had malfunctioned, causing a section in Tundra town to warm considerably. The issue was caught fairly quickly but once it was working again, the drastic change in temperature had turned the roads into sheets of black ice. Several unsuspecting cars lost control, resulting in TG radioing for any and all available paws to help out.
Vivian was on her first shift. She had set herself up in her hotel room earlier. The same hotel, in fact, that she and Matthew had stayed in for their wedding night. Mercifully not the same room, though. But it still put her into an emotional coma.
Which, given her profession, was a blessing.
Not long after Matthew's death, Vivian found she had problems helping her fellow foxes. No matter their fur color or stature, each one reminded her of him. Considering the area of TundraTown where the generator had failed was sixty percent fox, the vixen nurse needed that coma to survive the sea of red fur she now faced.
She was walking beside the stretcher carrying one such todd, eyes straight ahead as she and her fellow nurse headed towards the patient's new room with the doctor right behind them.
"This one here, nurse." The lioness doctor stepped back to let the smaller predators carry on through the door. "I'm passing his chart onto Dr. Beest. He's a better… stature for this room."
Vivian smiled at taller mammal and saluted. "I'll fill him in when he gets here, too. I'm going to get Mr. Fax settled, then I'll be right back down."
With a smile and nod, the doctor went on her way leaving the patient to Vivian and a pig sow. Carefully, both females transferred him from the stretcher to the bed. The sow was paged, leaving just Vivian to take his vitals. Pressing her stethoscope to his chest, she listened closely and frowned at the rapid heartbeat.
"Don't stress too much about that," rasped the injured todd, his swollen eyes on her and pained smile on his muzzle. "It beats that fast when there's a pretty vixen nearby."
"And don't worry about my gagging," Vivian replied with a smile of her own. "It's only because I'm lactose intolerant. So, cut back on the cheese, please."
The todd gave a pained laugh. "Ouch! And here I thought it was a car accident that made me hurt this badly." Still smiling, he closed his eyes and sighed as Vivian continued to check his vitals. "So, Nurse Wilde… any relation to Officer Matthew Wilde?"
His eyes opened to the best of their ability when he realized she’d froze. Understanding bloomed when he saw her turn away from him.
"I met him once," he continued quietly. "He was a good todd. I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you…" Neither spoke another word, save for Vivian explaining how the various remotes in the room worked.
Dr. Beest had just entered when Vivian was finishing up. After briefing the badger on what had been done so far with the todd, he gave her a smile and said she could head back to the trauma ward. Giving the patient a polite nod and smile, she turned to the door.
"Nurse Wilde?" The pained voice had her pausing before she turned back to the wounded todd. "If it's not too much to ask, I'd be honored to enjoy a cup of coffee with you. As a thank you for taking such good care of me. And as a bribe to hear all about the life of one of my heroes."
At a loss for words, Vivian looked at the ground briefly before raising her eyes back to him. Dr. Beest watched with amused curiosity, slinking away from the bed to be as inconspicuous as possible.
"Just focus on getting better, Romeo," she said finally, giving Mr. Fax a tired smile. "Then we can talk about getting coffee."
"Deal." He returned her smile before looking over to the badger doctor. "Well, doc, you heard the lady. Let's get me better."
Vivian left with a shake of her head. Moving through the halls of the hospital, back towards the trauma ward, her fingers twisted the warm metal of her wedding band. Exchanging bands was a more modern thing among foxes. Scent marks were more than enough for a married couple, bands were usually reserved for widows and widowers.
But the look in Matthew's eyes as she had slid his onto his paw, mere moments after he had done the same with hers, kept flashing in her mind.
It's only been three years, she thought as she rejoined the chaos. What would your kits say? What sort of wife are you to even consider having coffee with someone other than your husband?
Just…
… Stop.
………..
Morning was never a difficult thing for a Hopps bunny. Both Jack and Judy were used to being woken up well before sunrise to get some farm work in before going off to school. The buck's internal alarm clock was finely tuned to the routine, the habit having gotten worse when The Perk was first opened.
This morning, however, had him waking to the pleasant slide of a leg across his hip as a gentle paw slid down his chest. Smiling at the press of an inquisitive nose in his neck fur, he turned his head to nuzzle back. Getting up for the day was going to be very, very difficult if she kept doing that.
"Good morning," he murmured, Skye pulling back to smile into his eyes.
"Good morning." Their lips pressed together in a sleepy kiss. Skye giggled as he rolled himself on top of her, pressing kisses into her neck.
Waking up next to her was the most satisfying experience he had ever had. Even if they hadn’t gone further than just kisses and cuddles. There was clumsiness in Skye’s voice when she spoke about her father, endearing her even more to the bunny buck. Something told him she wasn’t use to talking about him, as though she had burdened herself for the sake of her family.
Propping himself over her, Jack grinned down at her before kissing her lips.
“Mmmmm…” she groaned in delight when their kiss ended. Her big blue eyes batted up at him.
“Are you always this affectionate in the morning, Agent Savage?”
Jack chuckled and kissed her again. “Only with you, gorgeous.”
“You know,” Skye began after kissing his lips again. Her paws moved to the front of his shirt, popping the buttons free. “We got a little sidetracked last night. Not exactly how I was hoping we would end the night.”
“Is that so?” Jack lifted one of his paws and moved it to her knee before sliding it down her thigh, her skirt already bunched around her waist. “And how were you hoping the night would end, Miss Wilde?”
“Well, something like thi-”
A loud knock broke their spell, both growling at the interruption. The door swung open, revealing Nick with a paw clamped over his eyes.
“Are you two dressed?” he asked, ears flattened on his head.
With sighs, Jack pushed himself off Skye as they begrudgingly straightened out their clothing.
“Yes, Nick, we’re dressed.” Skye rolled her eyes as Nick peeked through his fingers and gave a dramatized sigh of relief.
“Good! Judy’s making pancakes and Jon wants to know if you two are still alive.”
“What time is it?” Jack asked as he reached for his phone. Sometime in the night, it worked its way out of his jean pocket. Which explained the knot in his thigh from where it had been jabbing him.
“It’s eight thirty,” answered Nick, smirking as the pair of them sprang out of bed in alarm.
“We’re late!” They exclaimed at the same time.
“This is also not the morning I had in mind!” Jack said, Skye laughing in agreement.
Her eyes landed on her brother who laughed at them before heading back to the kitchen.
“I’m going to take Nick back to my apartment so we can change,” she planned, after making sure she had gathered all of her things. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Sure you don’t wanna play hooky?” They grinned at each other as they moved to the bedroom door. Skye’s paw reached out and grabbed him, pressing him to the door frame and kissing him passionately.
“This is a ‘To Be Continued’, Agent Savage.” Pressing another kiss to his lips, she smiled alluringly at him before heading to the kitchen.
“Yes, ma’am,” came his dazed response, a big grin plastered on his face.
…………..
The day was actually fairly quiet. After the initial morning rush, everyone fell into their usual workday routine. Nick dutifully kept up with the pile of dishes, Judy rushed around the lobby making sure tables and floors were clean. Skye and Sandra were checking inventory while Kari and Gideon were setting up the dessert counter.
"Ok," muttered Jack, oblivious to the amused smile Skye gave him. "I have the cookie ingredients all set up for Gid to start on, Jon is working on lemon curd for the tarts, and we need to taste test the berry compote. And that sandwich shop ordered seven loaves of sourdough, so I have to check the starter. Busy, busy day…"
Muttering and running through his mental checklist of duties, Jack walked to the order board and pulled a few down. Sorting through them, he wandered into the front and stood where Gid and Kari were finishing up.
"I hope you like cookies, Gideon. We have to make enough for us and at least five orders so far." The buck grinned at the young fox's excited expression.
"I can't wait!" The young exclaimed. Kari laughed at his enthusiasm, shaking her head as he accepted the orders Jack offered him and rushing back to the kitchen to wash up. Jack smiled after him.
"Gotta love his spirit," the buck said happily. Exchanging a look with Kari, he pulled a to-do list from his apron pocket. "Since it's slow, I want you to do a walkthrough of the lobby. Nick and Judy finished detailing the kitchen a lot sooner than I thought they would. This should keep them occupied for at least a day or two"
The sound of the bells had both of them looking towards the door.
"Welcome to the Perk," greeted Kari, taking her place behind the register and smiling. "How can I help you?"
Jack felt his stomach drop. Teeth clenched, he gulped audibly and turned to look through the order window at Skye. They exchanged glances before turning their attention back to the ewe in front of the register.
"Well, well, well," the short, familiar female began, her green eyes filled with vindictive amusement. A hoof reached up to adjust her glasses as she smirked at the buck. "Isn't this a coincidence."
"I don't suppose you're here for one of our famous lattes and a muffin, are you?" Jack gave her smile that was only slightly nervous.
With a small laugh, the ewe from the bar shook her head. "Even better…" Her other paw pulled up a rolling briefcase. Bending to unzip one of its pockets, a metal clip board was pulled out and pen clicked open. Straightened up, she smiled wickedly again and adjusted her badge.
"Health inspection."