It didn't take a genius to figure out that Judy's most preferable way to make use of a skipped class period would be to get a leg up on some one-on-one tutoring with none other than the top student in the class.

It was almost comical in a way, just how the tables had turned and for once she wasn't the top student offering the tutoring in the scenario.

Instead she was the one accepting the help, and from the one mammal she least suspected to give it.

Not that she'd complain.

The small bunny fumbled slightly with her paws once retreating from their shake, beaming up at the fox that stood confidently over her. "Well… lead the way. We've got thirty minutes before I've got class."

"Wait a sec, before we go," Nick murmured as he glanced around them apprehensively. "You and I agreed on keeping this low-key. That means we move fast and avoid drawing attention to ourselves. Sound good?"

"Oh, yeah. Right. Understood." Judy nodded, knowing it was probably for the best for herself as well, considering any hint of the two being caught together beyond obligatory limits was bound to make social headlines.

Not to mention that most of her close friends were opposed to the fraternity as a whole, including her entire freshman building who showered her with constant praise for besting the frat fox and getting them into The Jungle. The small rabbit didn't want to imagine how her roommate, of all mammals, would react to the news of her willingly cooperating with an Alpha Preda member. "I guess that means the library isn't exactly our best bet, huh?"

Nick agreed with a small, humorous huff. "I've got a spot in mind that we can crouch at. If you don't mind crouching, that is. In dirt."

"Pshh." Judy swatted the air dismissively. "A little dirt doesn't bother me. I was literally raised in dirt. So no big deal."

"Great." He chuckled. "Then you'll be real comfy. C'mon." He waved at her to follow after him as he began to march away from the lawn bench.

It was a little startling how quick his stride was, although it was a pace she had no difficulty keeping up with. They jogged over the grass towards the empty campus paths, dodged windows and peeked around the bends of building corners before proceeding.

The rabbit thought all of this effort was complete overkill, but she refrained from doubting his paranoia as a crowd of sorority girls walked towards them from a perpendicular path in a storm of hushed giggles.

She accidently bumped right into the fox who froze in his strut at the sight of the approaching girls, colliding into his back with a muffled 'oof.'

He took the brunt of her collision well, barely stumbling as he flashed a forced smile at the ladies making their way ahead of him.

"Stay behind me and don't make a sound," Nick whispered rigidly over his shoulder to Judy, closing the gap between his legs in an awkwardly stiff stance.

Judy froze still, standing with her hips glued together and her back to his, striving to hide herself perfectly behind his shape.

"Ohh, hey, look who it is!"

"Well shit, speak of the devil!"

The bunny's eyes widened as the voices neared, one voice in particular she thought she recognized from the abundance of random friends she managed to make so far in the semester.

In her sneaky curiosity she tried to peek beyond Nick's side to get herself a cheap glimpse.

"Looking cute as ever, Wilde! What's up?" A curvy antelope ahead of him flirted, accompanied by a smirking raccoon and a blushing snow leopard.

"Nothing but sky from what I can tell," he greeted with a wink, smiling as naturally as he could. "I'd love to chat with you three, but you all kinda caught me at a bad time…"

The fox sensed some movement from behind him, a shift that made his emerald eyes widen and his smile flatten into a darkly pressed line. He instinctively looked down at his side to see the source of the slight motion, catching the eyes of a peeking bunny looking from beyond her hiding spot.

His drifted attention made the sorority girls follow his gaze, their eyebrows asymmetrically arching with confusion when they saw nothing there.

This was because the red fox swiftly maneuvered his tail around the stubbornly curious rabbit's middle to lift her up and secure her against his back.

"Like I was saying—"

Taken by surprise, Judy vocalized her response to his action with a loud gasp. The sharp, fluttery intake of air clearly sounded like it was from a smaller animal, reminiscent of a mouse's squeak or a fox kit's hiccup, much less from a young adult fox. The not-so masculine-sounding gasp made the girls standing in front of him glance around with strange expressions.

Recognizing her noisy blunder, the fox brought a pounded a fist to his chest and forced a series of coughs out to distract the sorority members from the origin of the sound.

"Geez. You alright there?"

During his faux hacking episode, everytremor radiating from his ribcage was definitely felt by the rabbit against him, who clutched onto his tail and bowed her head slightly to decrease her chances of whiplash.

"Not sure if he needs a good pat on the back or the Heimlick maneuver…"

"N-no, I'm all good!" Nick assured in raspy voice, flashing his teeth in a weak smile. "If only this pesky cough could stay hidden." He emphasized the last two words briefly as he tugged at his white jacket collar. Judy got the message, pouting to herself in a moment of definite stubbornness, despite mentally conceding that she nearly broke the terms of their final deal. "Wouldn't want to spread this to you ladies, unless catching random coughing fits happens to be on your bucket lists."

"Haha yeah no, I pass."

"Are you coming down with something?"

Nick chuckled awkwardly. "They don't call it flu season for nothin', am I right?"

From her newly stable position within the curl of his flexible tail, the bunny's feet were hovering a few inches from the pavement. She lifted her knees slightly to keep her legs out of sight, essentially curling herself into the smallest shape she could with her back against the fox. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but at least his tail was forgivingly soft. The brownish-red appendage was likely most, if not more, than her total height, its volume-rich fur cushioning her on all sides. Judy was almost tempted to pet it.

"Good thing I'm vaccinated then." One of the girls snickered shyly. "So, uhm, can I get a hug?"

Judy's eyes widened as she felt the fox stumble back a few steps, his tail coiling a little tighter around her middle in a way that made her chest heave.

"Uh, no hugs for me today." He nervously protested with his paws raised in surrender. "I really suck at hugs. It'd be a crime to put down 'huggable' on my resume."

"Aw c'mon," she persisted playfully. "I don't bite!"

Nick quickly thought of the best excuse he could in the spur of the moment and just rolled with it. "Uh… it's just that I… haven't showered in weeks." He nodded. "Y'see, I'm building up my musk as a natural deterrent from the assholes I encounter on a daily basis. Get any closer and I can't guarantee that you won't lose consciousness."

"Uh..." The sorority girl hesitantly stepped back from the fox, withdrawing her outstretched arms.

"What the fuck?"

"That's… concerning?"

"Yeah." Nick bluffed with the straightest face he could muster. "Too dangerous for hugs, that's for sure."

Judy swore she nearly broke her face at how hard she was smiling behind her small paws that tried to muffle any inklings of laughter trying to creep out.

"I bet you still smell better than half the football team." One of the girls complimented in good humor. "Anyway. Wanna join us for lunch?"

"Thanks, but no thanks ladies." Nick smoothly declined with an apologetic smile. "I appreciate the invite but I've got plans. Real important stuff. But hey, enjoy lunch for me!" Cue finger guns. "Heard those new cicada burgers are delicious."

He walked around them, his front facing them at all times as he showcased his very best vulpine smile. Disappointed tongues clicks filled the air and once the girls sighed their overly dramatic farewells, the tail around Judy's stomach loosened and gently lowered her, allowing her to relocate her footing on the ground.

"Nice tail reflexes. We're lucky there was no once behind us during that whole fiasco," Judy whispered amusingly, stretching her limbs. "And that excuse you gave? Holy cow, I thought I was going to give us away by bursting out laughing."

"I know," Nick whispered low, his eyes darting around them. "I felt you giggling. Made my tail all ticklish. It wasn't a pleasant sensation."

"I think if anyone should be talking about unpleasant sensations, it should be me," she quietly rebutted. "Being scooped up by the rear end of a fox isn't exactly how I'd like to spend my free time."

It was then that she got hushed by the fox as he raised a finger to his muzzle, inspiring her violet eyes to roll.

Nick started motioning with strange paw signals that somehow he expected her read, and after she refrained from speaking again, he was on the move.

With an eyebrow raised she followed after him again, this time down a shaded path between two buildings she had never visited nor seen before. They were old-fashioned compared to the more modernized styled academic buildings around campus, using the same dingy red brick as the freshman halls. They were nothing fancy, not particularly an eye-sore either. But there was a waft of something odd in the air that made Judy's nose twitch.

The fox scanned the area as they sped past a set of empty bike racks and approached a ramp that seemed to lead to a large automatic gate with a 'waste disposal' sign above it.

"A… garbage exposal exit?" Judy referred to the gate with scrutiny evident in her voice. "…Nick, I'm sure there are more sanitary places we could duck into than this."

"We're not studying in a dumpster closet, rest assured Carrots," he quietly replied as he confirmed the coast was indeed clear.

Then, with the rabbit close behind, he led her down a small brick tunnel beside the ramped exit seemingly shaped for only small mammals to enter; a dark tunnel that technically entered the building but instead led to a space entirely out in the open.

It exposed something she never would have expected.

A patch of neatly trimmed lawn, decorated with small groups of vividly colorful flowers hidden at the very center of the staff-operated building. A dense weeping willow tree stood at its focus, casting a generous shade that the fox quickly entered.

Judy, on the other-paw, was frozen in her tracks as she glanced around herself in awe of the small sanctuary.

They were at some secluded outdoor space that was hidden within the building— one that fascinated the bunny with growing, yet limited knowledge of the campus.

Fortunately there were no windows along the circular limits of the garden; simply woody vines that breath-takingly traversed along reddish-brick exterior. Above them was a doughnut-hole viewing of the sky where clouds drifted slow, revealing more sun with each passing second.

It was the closest thing reminiscent to the out-doorsy nature she was accustomed to back at home.

"Not many students know about this little spot," Nick sighed almost in relief of that fact, breaking her free from her admiration of the garden as she turned to look at him standing in the shade. "Figures. You have to get past a dumpster trail to access it, which explains the eau de shit. Hah well, sorry about that. Good thing is, I've never seen anyone else here before the few times I've come here. For… obvious reasons."

Judy turned slowly in her spot to look around as she replied. "How'd you even discover this in the first place? It's… beautiful."

"Because I know every nook and cranny on this campus." He responded with a shrug, suddenly aware of the dreamy look in her eyes. "All of Zootopia, to boot."

"That must be amazing." She exhaled the last word distractedly, leaning forward to run her paws softly over the flowerbeds underneath her. It was exciting, to say the least, how very small she was in comparison to such a large and mysterious city that hid treasures beyond her imagination. She suddenly wanted to explore it all, discover every nook and cranny of like Nick had done.

"It's nothing new for me, really." He humbly admitted as he watched her wistful astonishment from the tree shade.

The fox was undeniably content that she happened to like the spot he chose. To him the garden was really nothing special, and definitely not a place he'd bring someone to impress them. But she seemed to prove him wrong judging by how her eyes lit up as she silently prized the simple greenery, even attempted to gently catch a few butterflies that whizzed over the lawn.

He found himself staring at her for longer than he felt was probably appropriate and cleared his throat to snap himself back to reality.

"Well alright, how about we get this show on the road." The fox sat squarely on the grass underneath the bowing tree and brought out his exam booklet. "Since we're looking at a short amount time, I'll just walk you through my test so you can hear out my answers."

Judy realized her distraction with the garden and carefully dismissed a butterfly that happened to sit on her elbow. She quickly ducked into the shade and sat in front of him with her legs crossed beneath her, looking up at him with tall ears and a calm grin. "Gotcha. I'm ready when you are."

Nick nodded, refusing to acknowledge how strangely adorable she looked sitting like that across from him. "Okay. Ahem. So, look-ee here…"

He pointed to the set of questions on his lap, read them aloud, and eloquently explained his answers without referring to what was written. He did it all from memory, knowing all the terminology on the branches of government, all the important names of mammal politicians, crimes, and dates— even the cause and verdict of historical Supreme Court battles.

Judy watched him, completely dazed at how remarkable he was.

"So you see," Nick spoke smoothly as they maintained eye contact with her, using his paws to gesture. "Victimology means exactly what it sounds like. It's the study, hence the 'ology', of characteristics observed in typical crime victims. Victimology exposes the reasons why certain mammals are more likely than others to become victims of a crime…."

The handsome fox continued, even touching upon points the bunny completely missed out on or didn't even recall studying.

It took a little over twenty minutes without a peep from the attentive rabbit, and as he was relieved to finally stop his tutor-like rant, he tossed her a calm smile. "And that's basically it. Y'know, you could've interrupted me at any time if you had any questions."

"Well, that's the thing," Judy bashfully laughed, rubbing the spot behind her ears. "I didn't have any questions. You explained it all... really thoroughly." She jotted down some notes along the margins of her test with her other paw as she spoke. "How in the world did you not get a perfect score on this?"

Nick smiled contently as he leaned back in his seat, straightening the collar around his neck. "I missed two points because I wrote in cursive. Kind of a silly reason to miss out on points, if you ask me. But rules are rules I guess."

Feeling like a complete imbecile suddenly, Judy settled her small paws on her lap, thinking over his explained answers with parted lips.

There was a brief moment of silence of her just letting all of his hidden brilliance soak in.

"Nick, I…" She searched for words she knew she wanted to say. "I didn't mean to offend you earlier when I assumed that you cheated. In fact, you're incredibly intelligent. And I shouldn't have doubted you." She became flustered at her own admission, sinking in her seated position with her gaze on the grass.

Nick grinned sheepishly as he appreciated her words. "Mm, what was that? Didn't quite catch it the first time."

Judy sucked in a breath, amused and somewhat relieved he didn't take her disbelief to heart. "You're not as dumb as you look." She cracked a smile.

"Eh, I liked the compliment the first time around a lot better, but I'll take what I can get," he amusingly drawled. "But now, seeing as we have a bit of time to spare, I'll help you improve like I promised. You mind if I take a quick look at your test?"

"Oh, uh," Judy blinked. "Yeah—I mean, no, I don't mind. Here," she stuttered, looking over at her splayed open book, scattered notes, and exam booklet before handing the latter over to him. Her ears were droopy as he accepted it and saw her score. "For the record… I procrastinated. Badly. I never usually score this low and I really am embarrassed about it…"

He said nothing as he began to skim over it.

Judy inched closer and observed as he flipped through the pages silently for a few minutes, his expression lacking any signs of spite, mirth, or judgement as he delicately worked through every one of her written words. In that moment she lost all previous discomfort or embarrassment over him knowing her grade. Instead the rabbit curiously watched him with a trembling pink nose, noticing the entertaining way his ears twitched and his green eyes danced along the page as he read silently to himself.

"Hmm." Nick stroked his chin. "You explain yourself pretty well, but it doesn't… sound natural. Kind of like you just mind-purged all the info you managed to memorize last minute."

Judy nervously laughed, twirling the end of one of her ears. "Yeah… you kind of hit the head on the nail there."

He closed the booklet and looked over at her, suddenly aware of how close she sat across from him now, their knees almost touching. "You've got the major stuff down, you just missed a couple of relevant points and rambled a bit here and there. But you've basically got the idea." Nick critiqued as he sat her booklet beside his own. "Nothing to beat yourself up over at all. You passed. Congrats."

Judy smiled weakly, still quite unused to academic criticism but still completely grateful for his help. "Thanks. But really, my work compared to yours? Are you kidding?" Judy playfully nudged his arm, which made him grin goofily. "I can't believe I'm saying this but, you really do make me look like a dumb bunny."

"Aw c'mon. Give yourself some more credit, Carrots." He chuckled. "I bet if you had the right study techniques down, you'd snag the highest score title from right under my nose." The red fox spoke confidently, a statement that definitely praised the smaller mammal next to him.

"Hmm." The bunny hummed, looking over at him with a coy smirk. "Maybe I could. And maybe I will."

"Uh-oh." He laughed sweetly. "I've really gotta watch out for you, then, don't I?"

Judy's vaguely answered with a raise of her eyebrows before breathing out a quiet laugh.

As she swept her ears behind her there was a moment of serene silence: lingering smiles on the faces of natural enemies, birds chirping overhead, and shifting patches of sunlight peeking through the tree canopy when the wind rustled its branches.

Those peaceful seconds were then spoiled when her phone alarm went off unexpectedly, its rumble in her back pocket making her stand onto her knees and fish it out quickly. "Oh shoot! I've got seminar in five minutes. When are you free to study again?"

"Uh," Nick bit the side of his lip as he thought. "Noon on Tuesday Thursday?"

She shook her head as she gathered her materials. "No can do, I've got statistics on those days. How about…" She stuffed a bit recklessly into her book bag. "Wednesdays at three?"

"Nah, I've got Prehistoric studies then." He scratched his ear. "Hmm. It's a bit of a sacrifice but what we could do is…"

"…skip lunch Wednesday and Friday?" She chirped the idea, which was acknowledged by the fox with a quirked brow.

"You noticed too?" He breathed the question humorously, to which she responded with a side-to-side nod.

"Hah... yeah. I mean, I've seen you in the cafeteria too many times to not remember we happen to share a free period on those days."

"Aw. You notice me." His paw found his chest in a playful gesture. "I'm touched."

She rolled her eyes smugly. "Don't be. I'm just attentive to detail."

"Well, you better be attentive to all the magical-goodness I'm about to school you on twice a week." Nick bragged with a hum, leaning back against the base of the willow tree with his arms behind his head. "It's a plan then?"

"I think it could work." She optimistically agreed. "As long as you can come up with some excuse to get out of eating with the Alphas, and I can do the same with my friends…"

"I'm sure they won't care much if I skip out on a meal or two." Nick carelessly shrugged in regards to the fraternity. "So that's that, then. We'll meet here."

"Yep." Judy stuffed her booklet into her bag in a rush, crushing some papers in her effort to hurry. "I really gotta run now, or I'll be late."

"Wait." The fox spoke up again. "Before you go…"

Judy looked up at him curiously and watched as he folded his exam booklet and offered it to her. "You might need this. As an answer key, that'll help you correct your test in your alone time and really get the information down."

The bunny hesitated before taking his test. "You… sure you're okay with this?"

He nodded easily, a smirk painting his muzzle. "Since we've made amends and all I doubt you'll be setting it on fire."

She laughed. "I'll take good care of it. Thank you, Nick." After brushing off her jeans and slinging her book bag over her shoulders, she sped out of the tunnel entrance and retraced her steps towards her next class, Nick's booklet clutched securely against her chest.

.o0o.

The day was a surprisingly pleasant one, despite the way it began.

From making amends with the last mammal on the planet she ever thought would turn out to be a decent individual, to discovering some actual self-confidence over a heartbreaking test score, this week was bound to be promising.

Especially every Wednesday and Friday here on out.

Judy secretly anticipated learning more from her secret tutor. About her secret tutor.

And spreading out over the flowerbeds of the hidden garden he showed her, just to feel the nostalgic sensation of untrimmed earth against her fur.

Until then she would have to spend her nights studying on her own, independently reviewing the fox's exam booklet to correct her incomplete written answers. She placed the books side by side, using a highlighter and pencil to mark up her booklet while not leaving as much as a fold on Nick's test, keeping it in pristine condition (or in the same bent-up condition she was given it in, at the very least).

Judy paused for a moment under her desk lamp to admire his unique penmanship. It wasn't at all like that brash, inappropriate note he tossed into her lap weeks ago. This writing was smooth, intentionally delicate, and extremely easy to read unlike most cursive texts.

It was an attractive display of gentleness, especially coming from an Alpha predator.

Her ears shot up once the door of her room swung open, and almost immediately she stuffed Nick's exam underneath her own.

"Hey Judy!" Bellwether greeted with a heavy exhale, which easily revealed she had taken the stairs for a change. "I know I'm home… later than I should be. It's just that… I've been running around like a chicken… without a head recently." She hung her bag on the back of the door as she caught her breath. "With class, and seeing teachers during office hours, plus the dumb elevator not working… I've been crazy-busy."

"It is Monday, after all," Judy laughed softly. "We're all headless chickens today."

"We've got big plans for Pawlitics and Law coming up. Just emailed the students that signed up wanting to join, invited them all to meet with us next week. And by all, I mean two. Can you believe it? That's two-hundred percent more than I anticipated!"

The bunny hummed humorously, turning in her seat to look at her test booklet again. "That's great news, Dawn. We'll give 'em a great big welcome to the club."

"Not to intrude on your studying or anything," the sheep spoke softly as she stepped closer to Judy's desk, close enough so that when the rabbit glanced up, her roommate was hovering nosily right above her. "Buuut I never got to ask you what you got on that Criminal Justice test. You were taking a while to grab yours this morning so I decided to run off to class." Dawn leaned over the desk, curiously glancing over the papers there before resting a hoof on its edge. "How'd you do?"

"Oh, well," Judy began a bit nervously. "I… didn't do so hot."

"What?" Bellwether gasped quietly.

"Yeah… I got a seventy, which is literally the lowest score I've ever gotten." Her ears drooped a bit, until Nick's encouraging words somehow came back to memory.

Is a little test all it takes to get the almighty Carrots down?

"But I won't let it get me down," she amended with a small smile. "I'm just gonna aim for higher on the next test by trying my best."

"Oh, muttonchops. Well that's really a bummer," Bellwether pouted. "And here I thought maybe you were the mammal that matched my score." The sheep sighed almost in disappointment, withdrawing herself from the desk and crossing her arms. The movement made the papers on Judy's desk shift a little, causing a corner of Nick's test to become visible. Judy slowly repaired the inference by sliding her test booklet over it again completely. "Not to rain on your parade by bragging about me, Judy, but I managed to get the highest grade in the entire class."

Violet eyes fluttered wide, but the rabbit concealed her confusion as best as she could. "W-what?"

"You heard right! I got a 98!" The sheep squealed happily, even tapping her heels on the ground to celebrate. The movement caused her red framed glasses to tilt, which she adjusted back to place easily.

Puzzled by the new information, Judy just forced a smile. "Wow, uh… well, congrats. I know you must've studied pretty hard for it."

"Aww, thanks." Dawn beamed. "The thing is," she began as she took a seat at her desk chair, slipping her shoes off slowly. "I went to speak with Dr. Castor today during office hours to clarify if I got top place, but she told me that there were two mammals that scored the highest. Me, and someone else. For confidentiality purposes, she couldn't tell me who the other top-scorer was." She whined lowly, giving a heavy sigh in tandem with the drop of a shoe. "And not for nothing? I'm dying to know who it is."

The firm grip on Judy's pencil proved to be a testament to her discomfort. Fortunate enough, she was great at keeping secrets, blame her loyalties to literally dozens of Hopps siblings she kept secrets for. She didn't intend on telling anyone about Nick's hidden intelligence or high test score, simply because she wanted to keep her end of their deal. Perhaps even out of respect for him.

"Y'know, I kinda admit, I'm glad you weren't that mystery-scorer." The sheep admitted with a laugh, a hoof toying with the frilly seam on her chest. "I get… really competitive when it comes to scores."

"Huh." The rabbit blinked, unsure of what to think. "Is that so?"

"Mhmm. Don't tell a soul about this, but in middle school I once swapped out cartons of lactose-free milk for regular milk on a girl's tray because she scored higher than me on a math exam. Since she was lactose-intolerant she got so sick after a month of me doing it. Her parents made her transfer schools and I never saw or heard from her again. Let's just say I've been trying to keep my rank as number one ever since."

Judy became tense at the jarringly unfamiliar look in the sheep's eyes.

"And I'll do anything and everything to keep it that way." After a moment of solemnly allowing her words to sink in, Dawn laughed heartily, even rolling forward in her wheeled chair to give Judy's shoulder an amusing rattle. "Grade school sure was somethin' right?"

"Hahah. Yeah." Judy made her best effort not to frown from the concern she felt suddenly form in her gut. "Just curious here… what would you do if I was the mammal that got the same score as you?"

"Huh. Well." Bellwether withdrew her hoof to sway in her seat pensively. "I'd still tell you about the milk incident. And maybe I'd have you… consider it as a warning." She happily shrugged before retreating from her chair to saunter to her dresser. "Man, was this a long day or what? Can't wait to hit my bed to count myself to sleep." She rambled on casually, as if everything she said wasn't at all alarming.

"Same… here." Was all Judy managed to hesitantly reply, being sure to immediately stuff the booklets on her desk into her book bag before zippering it shut.

.o0o.

Knock knock knock.

Those were probably Finnick's least favorite sounds in the vocabulary of music's entirety.

Being a music major required silence. Focus. Headphones. And he actually appreciated the idea of not hanging out with the frat until the weekend just to get some piano practice in, especially now more than ever with his piano recital fast-approaching.

Much to his displeasure, the knocking turned to banging.

"How many times do I gotta tell ya to take your keys with you, asshole." He groaned as he tore himself from his seat, mashing the keys of his keyboard as he pushed himself up and strolled over the heap of crap on his living room floor. "Hold your damn horses, I'm comin'!"

Finnick approached the door and swung it open impatiently, his dark brows knitting together as he glared up at his unannounced visitor.

"Weaselton?" He murmured the question as he was taken aback, squinting slightly as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight outside. "What brings you here?"

The lanky weasel looked even less content than the fennec fox, his arms crossed over his scarlet alpha jacket and a grouchy mug making the frown on Finnick's muzzle practically look like an ear-to-ear smile.

"I came by to have a little chat with Nick," was all he said, peeking over the fennec fox into the messy apartment. "Is he here?"

"Nah, he's out right now. But he said if I saw you, to tell you that you should use a little more softener next time because his towels are scratchy." The tawny fox droned the request, slightly annoyed at his flat mate for asking him to relay his stupid messages. "Want me to tell him you stopped by?"

"Actually." Duke scowled, his eyes narrowing. "Pretend I was never here."

And just like that, the weasel tore himself from the door frame and left.

"Weird guy." Finnick shrugged, shutting the door firmly before returning to his practice.

Meanwhile, the weasel strode down the sidewalk with his teeth bared, inspired to kick an empty soda can he spotted lying near a parked car.

"I'll add that fucking softener, alright!"

Before now, he hoped that maybe he could settle a deal with the fox: get out of doing annoying chores for him as a minor expense for threatening to tell the entire campus about what he saw that night at the Alpha Preda house party. Spreading rumors would be a hell of a lot of work for the admittedly introverted weasel, as well as getting the generally uninspired head Alpha on board with a consequence for Wilde.

After a week of no down-talking from the somewhat aloof fox, Weaselton figured he'd go the more forgiving route. Cut the guy some slack by not blowing the situation out of proportion while still getting out of doing his stupid laundry. Maybe demand some respect while he was at it.

But that message Finnick passed along was the straw the broke the weasel's back.

Duke wouldn't settle on just blackmailing now, oh no. That'd be letting that slippery fox off easy.

For all his wise-talking, he'd make Nicholas Wilde regret ever becoming a high-rank Alpha in the first place.

A/N:

Hey everyone! Thanks for taking time to read what I've managed to scrap together, the last few weeks have been extremely hectic. Consistently writing a story can be tricky if you're moving all the way across the country! I'm happy to ease into my regular writing habits again now that I've gotten settled into my new place, all's well and I'm thankful.

Unfortunately however, I will have to put this story on hiatus as I am starting grad school :c. Don't worry though, I don't intend it to be *too* long, and I've already started working on the next chapters to come- I don't intend on abandoning ship in the slightest. I'm shamefully in love with my story, hahah, so I will definitely finish it. But I will need some time to focus on my studies, so I hope that can be understood!

Let me know what you thought. :D Til next time!