For Nick, dreams were usually uncomfortable at best and nightmarish at worst. He rarely found any motivation to cling to them as hard as he was right now, trying in vain to hold on to the scraps of sensation that were rapidly fading as the sun poked through the blinds.

He couldn't remember a time in his life where he'd felt so much relief and comfort. The lingering feeling of intense affection was so strong as to be almost intoxicating; the earthy, cedar scent associated with it was just a bonus, and one he might have enjoyed a little more than was appropriate.

Nick wanted to lose himself in that, to let go completely and sink back into the comfort of feeling perfectly secure and at peace. Nevertheless, the sun continued rising and he would have to face the day eventually.

Something warm and soft was draped across his chest, tucked under his chin.

Must have grabbed a pillow from the bed, he thought. It felt surprisingly heavy though, and he slowly ran a paw down its fluffy surface. Rough pads traced a path through short fur that seemed oddly familiar. The more social species could get faux-fur pillows or dolls to help them sleep, but most of them were prey or microscale. A fox with one would be pushing the limits of politeness to say the least.

Finnick would never let him live it down if he found out. But when did I get one? He couldn't remember, and the strange smell that had persisted from the dream was only getting stronger. His mind was throwing out alarm bells, but he couldn't put a finger on what was causing it. Reaching further, there was a sort of fabric-covered rise. His probing claws brushed against a fuzzy protrusion poking out of a hole in the material, and he gave it a squeeze.

Judy moaned softly, tightening her grip and cuddling deeper into his chest.

Nick's eyes shot open as his brain finally processed what his subconscious had been screaming at him.

That's HER SCENT you moron!

What happened last night? Had they gotten drunk? He racked his memory, trying to find an explanation for the rabbit sprawled across him. As far as he could tell, they had just gone to bed after watching a movie and chatting. Obviously he'd missed something important.

This was going to be a delicate situation.

He gave her a gentle poke. "Hey fluff, time to get up okay?"

Judy stirred. She stretched out fully for a moment before clenching him tight, her firm hips rocking as she squirmed against his chest and nuzzled hard into his chin. Several busy moments passed before Judy sighed and relaxed, snoring quietly.

Nick couldn't stop a small whine of pleasure from slipping out. He'd heard that all's fair in love and war, but this was just too much.

Moving carefully, he rolled Judy off him and onto the couch. As he pulled away, her eyes fluttered open and she let out a huge yawn. "Mornin' sunshine" said Nick.

"Mmm, g'morning Nick." She gave him a muzzy smile.

He grinned. "Sleep well?"

Judy sat up and stretched. "Yeah, just had to-" She froze. An impressive, radiant blush crept across her face as the realization hit her. "Oh my god." Her ears fell. "Oh my god, Nick I'm so sorry! I couldn't sleep, a-and you were so quiet and I didn't mean to-"

"Relax carrots, I'm not mad at you."

Judy's ears sprung forward. "You're not?"

He winked and held up two fingers in salute "Scouts' honor."

She sighed in relief. "Thanks, Nick. I guess got a little carried away last night."

"I do wanna talk about that, but we should probably put some clothes on first."

Judy went scarlet, and immediately rushed off the couch to the bedroom. As the door slammed shut, Nick started looking for the corner his own pants had been tossed into the night before.

Ten minutes later they were sitting at Nick's cramped dining table, munching on cereal as Judy explained what happened overnight. When she'd finished, Nick chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Y'know," he said conversationally, "what you did was so outta line I ought to have ZPD's Mammal Resources rake you over the coals for improper conduct." He fished out another spoonful of soggy flakes. "I mean really, you didn't even try to wake me up? We coulda had some real fun last night, fluff," he said with a grin.

Judy huffed. "Oh yeah? If all that wasn't enough I'd love to hear what would have gotten you up, slick."

He held up a finger. "First off, I can't believe you said that out loud."

Judy rolled her eyes.

"Second, I uh, may have gotten a little help with that last night"

"What do you mean?"

Wordlessly, Nick got up from the table and went over to the couch. Reaching down behind it, he came up holding a bottle of cold medicine and a guilty expression.

"I was having some trouble myself, to be honest."

Nick's look of frank embarrassment was so out of place that Judy almost forgot to reply.

"But why?" she finally managed.

Nick scratched his neck, looking anywhere but at her. "I, um. I couldn't stop thinking about you, carrots. And what I wanted to say yesterday was…"

He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes.

"I love you, Judy."

"Oh, Nick…"

Slipping off the rickety chair, Judy crossed the room and took him into a big hug, reaching as high as she could and nuzzling into the crook of his chin. Nick hesitated a moment, then wrapped his long arms around her and pulled her in close.

"I take it the feeling's mutual then?"

Judy's muffled affirmative rumbled into his chest. Nick ran his heavy paws down her back, gently exploring soft curves that were distantly familiar but now achingly tantalizing. Judy made quiet sighs of pleasure as his rough pads dragged through her fur, gradually going limp in his arms. Already struggling to keep himself from falling over, Nick gripped Judy by the rear and hefted her up onto his waist. As his claws dug in, Judy let out a moan and gripped him hard, burying her twitching nose into his neck ruff. Nick fought to stay upright as her warm breath huffed into him and her scent sharpened, making his head spin with its intensity.

They stood locked in the tight embrace until Judy eventually pulled away, flushed and beaming. Nick reached down to her face and plucked a tuft of his own fur free, giving her a quizzical look.

"You're really enjoying this, huh?"

Judy grinned, pulling his muzzle down so they were eye-to-eye. "More than you can imagine, slick" she said, throwing in a saucy wink and kiss on the snout.

Nick just barely managed to keep his composure. "High praise coming from a bunny I guess."

"We're not ALL sex-crazed maniacs, you goof."

"Bummer."

Laughing, Judy dragged him over to the couch. She hopped up and turned to him, beckoning with open arms. Nick however had paused at the edge of the sofa, looking conflicted. "Maybe we oughta slow this down a bit, carrots. Take a little time to get our heads clear, y'know? It's been kind of a wild morning for both of us."

Judy huffed in frustration, but she could see his point. Emotions were running high and they might end up doing something crazy at this rate. Not that I'm against it, she thought privately. The feel of his claws was still fresh, and she was suddenly craving to explore all the intimate differences between them. The automatic fear of predators had mostly faded by now, but the primal thrill was still there and seemed to only intensify her feelings.

"You're right, Nick. We've got the weekend off, so maybe dinner tonight then?"

He grinned. "It's a date. A real one this time, promise."

"Great! I'll see you at six."

"Right."

Neither of them moved.

"Maybe… one more hug for the road, carrots?"

"Sure, five minutes can't hurt."

"Ten is no biggie."

"Fifteen, at most."

It was going to be a busy weekend, but for now they had a little bit of time.