Golden sunlight poured into the bustling Hill Street plaza. The late afternoon brought long shadows and longer lines to the numerous cafes and restaurants that lined the area, each promising "a unique and cultured experience for the discerning patron" if the reviews were to be believed.

Nick suggested they get their usual Friday dinner somewhere nicer than the run-down grocery near her apartment or the ring of fast food chains around his, and now they were crammed into a small boutique offering something called a sumo roll. Judy was no stranger to sushi, but it had only ever been an occasional treat from the cheap selection at the corner store. The fifteen dollar price tag here seemed a bit much for the next step in quality, but Nick had insisted on treating her this time.

Her tail twitched with impatience as the massive line moved forward. Her usual stomping grounds were charming in their own way, but she'd never realized just how much variety in food and entertainment existed in the wealthier areas and now she was itching to try them all. The area was host to numerous software development companies that seemed hell-bent on establishing themselves as the trendiest, most fashionably modern places to work in all of Zootopia. Mammals just a few years her senior were discussing multimillion dollar stock options or the latest killer app.

Nick was unfazed, of course. He'd shown up wearing fitted jeans and a sport coat, and seemed to blend right in with the crowd of young techies and entrepreneurs. That had been a surprise, and not an unwelcome one. Until now she'd simply resigned herself to being best friends with a terminally unfashionable fox.

Judy had to admit he cut a fine figure in the well-tailored outfit. His stint in the Academy had done a lot to fill out his lanky frame, something he maintained with an unexpected focus even as an officer. Her eyes flicked downwards as an idle sweep of his tail caught on her ankle and she traced it down its bushy length to the source. Long association and a snug fit left little of Nick's figure to the imagination, and she found herself captivated as the slow arc of his tail gently rocked his hips.

"Y'know if you keep staring like that people might get the wrong idea, fluff."

Busted. She felt her ears heat up.

"Yeah, well… I didn't think we'd be dressing up for this is all" she grumbled. That much was true at least. She'd thrown on a simple shirt and leggings before rushing out to the metro station.

Nick turned and gave her an exaggerated show of appraisal. "Don't sell yourself short, carrots. The whole 'starry-eyed farmgirl' look suits you fine."

She gave him a playful nudge in the ribs. "Flattery will get you nowhere, mister sly fox."

He grinned. "It won't? And here I got all dressed up for nothing…"

They stared at the menu for a moment.

"You ah, you always look good to me though Judy. Really."

What?

Before she could follow up on that, the harried-looking doe at the counter called them over and they rushed to place their orders. Fortunately, it was a short wait for the actual food, and a moment later they were strolling through the plaza looking for a place to sit and enjoy the surprisingly heavy rolls.

"Doesn't look like there's any room here," Judy said.

Nick scanned the plaza. "Yeah, we might have to hoof it for a bit. Sorry."

She raised the enormous roll in a mock salute. "Lead the way then, officer Wilde."

Terraced parks and walking paths wound their way through the area around Hill Street. The area's sudden transition from sleepy suburb to booming tech center resulted in plenty of cash being thrown around by the city to keep it looking fresh and modern. Outdoor gyms, picnic areas and play structures for children were scattered liberally throughout the park paths.

Nick and Judy strolled through the area, taking in the sights and munching on their rolls. Judy had to admit it was well worth the price tag. The mix of fresh vegetables, spices, and stomach-filling rice made for a refreshingly hearty meal that was absent the greasiness of Tigranese takeout or the stale blandness of supermarket salads. Nick was digging into his own meal with gusto, and from the faint pink flecks she could see he'd gotten a seafood roll.

"Francine asked me out again. At this rate I'll be out of excuses in a week."

Judy snorted. "I'll be sure to have paramedics on standby then, slick."

The precinct had a substantial betting pool going already, with even odds on a hospital trip or a funeral.

"She just likes the jokey types, y'know? Remember the hyena she was going out with?"

"Don't remind me, I still see the incident report when I close my eyes." Nick shuddered. "I guess it was consensual though."

He chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "What about you? I bet you've got an army of suitors chomping at the bit for some serious math sessions huh?"

Judy huffed. Of course, he would never let her live down that crack about multiplying all those months ago.

"I'm a little busy babysitting a certain someone who's pushing his luck right now," she said with a grin, waggling her half-eaten roll under his nose for emphasis. Nick moved to snatch a bite of the roll, but Judy yanked it away from his jaws as they clicked shut. She threw him a wink and took a huge mouthful out of the roll in triumph.

Rubbing his chin, Nick went back to munching his own roll. "You know you love it, carrots."

They chewed in silence for a moment.

"I do, Nick."

Something about her tone made him turn back to her again. Judy steeled herself and pressed on.

"I do love spending time with you, and- ow!" She was interrupted as a massive raindrop splashed on her face, and it was quickly followed by several more. All around them mammals yelped in surprise as a torrent of water began falling from the suddenly darkened skies. Freak storms weren't unheard of due to Zootopia's extensive use of artificial climate conditioning, especially in the border areas. Usually the city's weather service would issue an alert if one was brewing but some were simply too sudden for any warning.

"Hold that thought, fluff! We gotta get to some cover!" Nick shouted over the pounding rain. Unfortunately, their path had taken them almost halfway through an open park area and by the time they made it to the nearest metro station packed full of other disgruntled and wet mammals they were thoroughly soaked.

"So much for our evening out" Nick grumbled. "Sorry carrots."

"It's ok, Nick. The food was great."

Judy shivered. It wasn't exactly a warm day to begin with and the temperature was dropping even more.

"But can we s-stop at your p-place to dry off?" she asked through chattering teeth.

Nick was starting to feel the chill himself. "Sure thing, it's closer anyways."

A short train ride left them at Nick's doorstep, an aging but well-maintained apartment building in Rainforest District. Nick grabbed some towels for Judy and took the shower first, shaking off as much water as possible and toweling dry the rest of the way. A fresh shirt and some sweatpants had him high and dry, although his fur was a poking out all over. When he finally gave up trying to smooth it out and went back to the living room, Judy was already in the bathroom.

He knocked on the door. "Got everything you need in there?"

"I don't have any fresh clothes, Nick. Can you dry mine out or something?"

"You got it, fluff-" he was interrupted by the door snapping open and a soaked bundle of clothes landing at his feet. Judy's smiling face poked past the door.

"Just set it to low, ok? Thanks!" With that, the door swung shut again.

A moment later the sound of the shower snapped him back to reality, and he headed down to the communal laundry room.

Nick chucked the sopping wet bundle into the dryer, dropping a few coins in the slot and starting the machine. With any luck, they'd be dry by the time Judy was done showering and he wouldn't have to leave her waiting.

Naked.

In his apartment.

With a growl, he pulled out his phone. This train of thought was going in circles, and he could at least kill some time with some web browsing or a game. But there were several texts waiting from Judy. Was she done already?

Flipping to the message app, he was greeted by a photo of Judy draped in a towel holding up one of his personal hygiene products.

Musk Mask? Haha does it really get that bad?

Nick rolled his eyes. Of course, after that jab about multiplying earlier she had been itching for a chance at revenge. The stuff was more for politeness anyways, so you didn't tip off every nose in the city that you were "eligible" at the moment.

Not my fault we foxes are irresistible

Especially to elephants, right? ;p

You're never gonna let me live that down huh

Nnnnoooooooooope 3

He sighed.

Will you need a ride back home? It's still raining a lot

Um actually nick can I stay tonight?

Nick?

Yeah! That's fine. You can stay the night carrots no worries.

Great! Thanks so much nick 3

The clothes dryer buzzed loudly, and Nick nearly dropped the phone.

Get a grip, she's just spending the night to avoid the rain. It was a Friday so it's not like they had anywhere to go tomorrow morning. Besides, they usually spent their time off together so how was this any different?

Because she asked to stay, he thought. If she really wanted to go home, they could call a Zoober in minutes. Then there was that look she gave him earlier, it seemed almost…

Hopeful?

Something was nagging at his thoughts.

He scrolled back to the photo. Uh oh.

Hey carrots? You realize there was a mirror behind you right?

What do you mean?

You know I always wondered if the white ran ALL the way down ;)

OMG NICK DELETE THAT PIC

He howled with laughter. Maybe tonight would be interesting.