Undercurrents – a Zootopia FanFic by The Cubist

Author's Note - Welcome!

This fic includes a suggested soundtrack designed to complement some scenes. It is not mandatory to understand the story, and please feel free to ignore any and all text {between braces, such as this} if you're not interested in listening along. All music is available on YouTube, and a curated playlist can be found at

tinyurl com/undercurrentsmusic

use a period rather than a space.

Disclaimer: I hold the Zootopia IP in singular ownership. In fact I am a clone of Walt himself, created from genetic material harvested from a finger he lost while test riding the original Space Mountain, and heir apparent to the entire Disney Media Empire. The Disney estate can feel free to dispute my farcical claims.

{The Gandharvas - The First Day of Spring}

It was Friday night, and Nicholas P. Wilde was lounging with his button up shirt half open on the plaid sofa in his apartment's living room, watching inter-borough ice hockey on ZSPN 3. The Tundra Town Penguins - the de-facto (and frequent) league champs - were currently being taken apart by the Downtown Browns, Nick's home team. This season was turning out to be a good one for the Browns.

Nick would have preferred the recliner directly in front of the TV instead of the couch, which was further off to the side, but Finnick the Fenec had years ago claimed the La-Z-Cub as his for hockey nights, and Nick was far too fond of having teeth to try and get the rights to sit in his own chair back.

"MOTHER FUCKER!" Finnick roared at the TV as the Browns scored again, 4-1.

Finnick was a Penguins fan.

"Y'know, big guy, we don't have to follow through every time I make you a bet."

Finnick shot Nick a dirty look: "Shut up, cop! Maybe you forget how it works outside the fuzz yard, but I sure don't."

Nick sighed, "Look, Finnick, I don't need the money. I was just-"

"You take my money, or I'll break your fucking ankles."

Nick believed him. Finnick might have gone straight a year ago about the same time Nick entered into the Academy, but the memories he had of what the little Fenec could do with a baseball bat when threatened still occasionally surfaced in his nightmares. It was pretty certain that nobody would be robbing the Pawpsicle Parlor with him running and Mr. Big bankrolling the place.

"You are much more fun to be around when your team is winning."

Finnick grunted and took a swig of his beer, watching a polar bear check a moose into the corner, flattening him. Then one of his huge ears twitched towards the front door of the apartment: "You expecting someone?"

On cue there was a rapid knocking at the door.

"I think Judy said she was coming by tonight," Nick said, and levered himself up out of the couch to answer the door. Sure enough, Nick was greeted by the black tufted tips of grey bunny ears until he looked lower. Below her towering auditory hardware, Judy was wearing a huge grin and carrying a covered pupperware cake tray.

"Hiya, Hopps. To what to I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Judy gave him a once over, noticing the amount of police-fitness toned chest on display, but didn't spare him another glance as she brushed past and set the pupperware on the coffee table, giving Finnick a little wave, which he acknowledged with a lifted beer bottle. "Do I need a reason? Is it so weird that I want to spend time with a friend after work?"

"Well, no, but I figured you'd've had enough of me by the time you went home."

Judy laughed; "Your cheerful disposition and positive attitude is what I like best about you, Slick. Besides, it's not like we can relax a whole lot on patrol."

"I'm relaxed at work, Carrots."

Judy gave him a look of total disbelief, pointed directly at his ears, then shook her head with an harsh exhalation and walked to the kitchen. "Do you have any more of that Dragon Mead scotch ale from last weekend?" she asked as she opened the fridge that towered over her. Nick started to answer but Judy cut him off before he got more than a syllable out "Never mind, I found it. Thanks!"

Nick shook his head, padded back to the couch, and slumped back down in the corner to watch the game, taking a drink from the beer he'd left on the side table. Judy was so… present. Intense. She seemed to experience each moment like a wonder. Even after a year of knowing her, and six months of patrol work as partners (although Precinct 1 often depended on its patrol force to do detective work as well), her delight in everyday experiences still shone to like a light to him. Nick might have been a tried-and-true skeptic and probably always would be, but the first mammal who had believed in him, in his ability to be more than what society said his species could and should be, would always be able to bring a special light into his life.

His thoughts wandering, Nick didn't notice Judy leap up onto the couch, landing hard in the middle seat to his left. While Nick scrambled to keep his beer from spilling mid-swig from the jostling the forceful rabbit had given the couch, she asked, "So, what'd I miss?"

"Buncha refs on their knees, blowing the game!" Finnick responded, as a scuffle broke out on ice; "Get 'im!"

Beer successfully recovered, Nick looked to where Judy sat with an oversized-in-her-hands bottle between her legs, her feet not reaching the ground on the canine-sized couch, a big smile on her face. She was wearing leggings and a stretched sweat shirt, dressed as casually as Nick, although a slight bit more modestly. "I thought you didn't support any of the ZHL teams. Or care about sports. Did they even have sports back in dirt farm central?"

Judy took a long drink of her beer, "Cheese and crackers that is good after today. And for your information, Bunny Burrow has a championship horticulture team."

"…I don't think growing plants counts as a sport, Carrots."

"I can enjoy hockey as much as the next mammal, even if I don't care which team wins," she bristled.

"Fair enough."

Judy looked over to him as he leaned back into the cushions, focusing back on the game. His ears were pointed up, facing forward. And he had absolutely lied when he said he was relaxed at work.

As much as he was a consummate sly, silver-tongued sweet talker, Nick had never been able to completely eliminate the almost subconscious physical tell of his mood that was his ears. He had settled for looking constantly tense, the points drawn in straight line to the tip of his muzzle, to try and hide his real emotions mid-hustle. That drawn, pointy position and look had become his trademark and Judy had thought for quite some time that it was just some quirk of his physiology that his ears were so backswept until she had caught him dozing in the academy bunk room, police procedure manual on his chest, ears perked up and relaxed in his slumber.

It had been a little disarming for Judy to realize how hard he must have worked to hide that particular physical sign of his feelings – that, or he was just constantly that nervous in public.

Little by little, as he settled into the authority and respect of being an officer of the law, his ears had been more cheerful looking more often. Still, he never looked as relaxed at work as he did right now, despite any airs he might put on, if the position of his ears was anything to go by. His half open shirt was another dead giveaway, one that found her gaze lingering on a little longer than was strictly polite.

With a bemused shake of her head, Judy turned back to the TV. As a rabbit with roughly 100 brothers, Judy understood the importance of quiet Man Time spent together, and didn't feel the need to fill the space with conversation that would probably be unwanted, although she had come by on a bit of a mission. She watched the large mammals compete on the rink with her friends, but it was little more than noise and movement after the day she and Nick'd had.

A routine response to a domestic violence call had spiraled into something much, much weirder as they'd found, in a medium animal apartment complex in Savanna Central, not a sheep being harmed by a wolf, but an inter-species "Dungeon." Upon arriving at the scene, Judy and Nick had immediately heard the bleating and growling that had indicated something terrible was going on inside to the mammal that placed the complaint. When no one had answered their knocks and announcement, they had broken the door latch and stormed in, weapons drawn, only to find a wolf in leather gear 'abusing' a lamb while her ram, wearing a hood, observed the proceedings. Of course, before there was any hope of clearing up the situation, a handful of tigers, other wolves, and a wolverine had entered from another room, snarling at the invasion of privacy, and scared, Judy had called for backup.

The result was a far-too-public exposure by numerous officers of a group of mammals who wanted desperately to preserve their privacy. The taboo nature of the club had left a bad taste in most of the officers' mouths, and the paperwork afterward meant that Judy and Nick had spent most of the afternoon having to think about the odd combination of fetishes that had been thrown in their path.

Although Judy had been thoroughly put off by the leather, chains and whips, she had been surprised to find herself oddly intrigued by the idea of inter-species relations, particularly between a predator and prey species. In Zootopia they weren't exactly… frowned upon, but they definitely weren't very common or always well accepted. Judy had never been put off by the concept – who were they hurting? – and it always made her happy to see couples, no matter what their makeup. Unbidden, the image of a sly grin and emerald green eyes had popped into her head. Nick? What the hell was that supposed to be? Judy gave her head shake, as if to clear her mind's eye by force.

While mulling over her thoughts from the day, Judy had polished off her beer, so she hopped up to get another. As she passed between Nick and the TV, he found his eyes drawn to her wide hips and curved butt, watching her cotton tail twitch as she strode toward the kitchen. He stared at her until he abruptly caught himself, and with a confused feeling, looked instead at the pupperware container Judy had left on the coffee table.

"So, what'd'ya bring me?"

Judy's ears peaked from behind the fridge door.

"Just a little surprise for today."

"Today? Is there something special about today?"

Judy paused in front of the couch, before hopping up, looking a little crestfallen as her ears drooped back. "No, I guess not…" she said, glancing quickly at where Finnick sat, before she climbed back up to her seat with a second beer. Nick followed her eyes, and settled back into the couch.

"Ah. Just a gift between friends, then."

Judy nodded, beer bottle tilted back mid-drink.

Finnick spoke up from the depths of the recliner, "I guess you don't mind if I bust into whatever it is, then, Hopsy."

"No! I mean, yes, but… I… I guess if you want, it's, uh…"

Finnick leaned forward in the La-Z-Cub, looked at Judy's obvious anxiety, and rolled his eyes: "Oookay, I know when I'm not wanted." Nick and Judy both began to splutter protests, but Finnick interrupted, "Shut it! It's not like this game is going to get any better. I'm goin' home."

Nick stood to let Finnick out, and followed him to the door. Finnick paused outside and turned back to face Nick, giving him a significant glance while leaning his head in the direction of where Judy sat on the couch.

"Have a good night, big guy. You can pay me that bet next week."

"Fuck you, pig!"

"That's not a very polite way to address an officer of the law, now is it?"

"You're right! It's an insult to the swine community!" Finnick flipped him off from down the hall, before turning a corner.

Shutting the door, Nick paced back to the couch and sat down.

"Well. Can I see what's in the pupperware now?"

"I feel like I pushed him out the door," Judy said with trepidation.

"I don't think we could have forced Finnick to leave if we both tried shoving him out the door. He wouldn't have left if he didn't want to. Anyway, let's see what you wanted me to get all to myself."

Judy looked on, ears perked, as Nick pried open the container, revealing a blueberry pie with a note stuck to the top, which read "A year ago, I apologized to a fox for being a dumb bunny who didn't deserve his friendship. And he accepted my apology. Thanks, partner, for being a better mammal than I had earned – Judy" in her neat, looped handwriting.

"Aw, thanks, partner. I'm happy I'm your friend, too." He paused. "Was that only a year ago? It feels like it was 10... I can't even believe that was the same guy. So much has changed. I'm so much happier. All thanks to you," he said, smiling at her.

Judy beamed at him, blushing a little. "Nah, we just make a good team. Speaking of, the pie is from another great fox-bunny partnership – my parents and Gideon Grey bakeries, from my hometown. Seemed appropriate."

"Wait, these are blueberries from your parents' farm? Hoh man, I gotta have a piece of this."

"I'll get it," Judy said, and hopped down, leaving her second empty bottle on the coffee table as she walked into Nick's kitchen to get plates and a pie server. She returned quickly with them and another beer for herself, handing the utensils to Nick. He cut himself a slice, and went to cut a second slice for Judy when he noticed she'd only brought one plate: "Aren't you going to have some?"

"Nah, it's all yours, Slick. I can get more whenever I want."

Nick shrugged, and forked up his first bite. The moment it hit his tongue he shivered and melted in a near orgasmic shudder, which Judy watched possibly a little too intently as his chest fur trembled.

"Hhhuuuuuhhhh that is divinely good."

Judy giggled as he devoured the slice and cut himself another, eating with soft happy noises and many closed eye reverences.

"Are blueberries a sexual experience for all foxes, or just you?" she asked, mirth in her eyes.

"You're the one who said you didn't want any," he responded, "although I doubt you'd be able to restrain yourself as well as I do."

Judy punched his arm in response. Nick rubbed the spot she hit, shooting her an over-exaggerated hurt look, which she laughed at. Then he tossed the TV remote to Judy. "You pick something. I'm sure you've had enough hockey for the night," he said, while standing to collect the pupperware, dishes, and empty bottles to take to the kitchen. When he returned, with a glass of water in hand, Judy had put on Uncle Buck, the classic comedy about a grizzly bear trying to take care of a family of deer children.

About a half hour into the movie, Judy finished her third beer, setting the empty bottle on the coffee table in front of the couch, and straightened back up, losing her balance and slumping over towards Nick as the strong ale abruptly hit her. Nick reached over and pushed her back to vertical. "Whoa there, Judy. Maybe we better cut you off."

"Nahhh, um'fine," she said, waving a paw at him and slipping the other direction. Nick's left paw shot out and grabbed Judy's arm before she fell over to the other side "Ohhhhkay then, fluff. I totally believe you," he said. Judy climbed her way along his arm paw over paw, nestling herself under it and against his side. She huffed into his shirt, "There, now I can't fall over," staring at the TV.

{Tonic - If You Could Only See}

Nick had his arms up, surprised that the bunny had been so bold. Sure, they'd hugged and been close, but this was way more intimate than they'd ever ventured before. Still… it felt… right. Like she was supposed to fit there. Nick lowered his arms, wrapping his left around her to rest a paw on her hip. Her upright ears were just about at muzzle level, her muzzle against his ribs and shirt. She fit against him like the missing piece of a puzzle. Nick had this odd feeling of completeness, and sank into muzzy, hazy contentment while watching a silly movie with a beautiful bunny against his side.

Beautiful. Not a word he'd applied to Judy before. Cute, yes, much as she was liable to swat him for it. Passionate. Vivacious. Intense. But not beautiful. Not before the undercurrent of deeper emotion he'd barely registered before had made itself known to him in that moment.

Judy adjusted her legs, moving against him in a way that brought a little flutter to both their hearts. She didn't know what boldness had come over her in the moment, but she felt safer and more content then she could recall. She was exactly where she wanted to be, cuddled up to the lean, toned frame of her rock and partner. Her worries fell slowly away as she felt his warmth against her and breathed in his musky, spicy scent.

They watched the rest of the movie in that position, but eventually alcohol and fatigue from the day won out, and Nick felt Judy slowly go limp against him. She started to snore softly. He chuckled, and turned off the TV. At his motion, Judy's ears drooped back as she sleepily crawled further onto Nick's chest, putting herself in his lap and burying her muzzle in his chest fur, gripping it with both paws. Her right leg folded beneath her, her left resting between Nick's thighs. Subconsciously she rubbed her chin into his chest, and settled with a soft sigh.

Nick could smell that she had marked him. A bunny, had scent marked a fox. It should been off putting, being marked by a prey animal, but it wasn't – it smelled wonderful, just a more intense version of her lovely scent. He sighed himself, wrapped his arms around her shapely form to hold her more securely, and rubbed the side of his muzzle against her head, marking her right back. He squeezed her, and she relaxed into his soft chest fur, breathing deeply. Nick watched her intently until he drifted off too, head leaning against the couch, arms around his best friend.

AN: More to come. Unlikely in a swift fashion. Comments and questions welcome and encouraged.