Hello! Super excited to request.
How about a Nick Wilde crushing on Detective! (Small Wild Cat) Reader and working up the guts to ask her out? How would he go about things? Would Judy try to wingman or let him be?
I keep going back and forth on if I should just make a fic for him, but im not sure. It's always nice seeing other writers' interpretations <3
❝ NICK WILDE × DETECTIVE! READER — WORKING UP THE NERVE ❞
Nick Wilde does not get nervous.
That is a fact he has built his entire life around. Smooth words, easy smiles, quick thinking. It is what keeps him in control, what keeps him one step ahead, what keeps things simple.
So the fact that he is currently leaning against his desk, staring at absolutely nothing while completely losing his train of thought is… a problem.
“You’re doing it again.”
Nick doesn’t even look over as Judy Hopps walks up beside him, already fully aware of what she is about to witness.
“Doing what?” he asks, tone casual, like he hasn’t been zoning out for the past three minutes.
“That thing where you pretend you’re not staring at her,” Judy says.
Nick’s ear flicks.
“I am not staring,” he replies smoothly.
Judy raises a brow. “Nick.”
He sighs, finally glancing over at her. “Okay, maybe a little.”
Judy follows his line of sight across the bullpen, where you stand near one of the desks, flipping through a file with focused precision. Smaller than most of the other officers, quick on your feet, sharp-eyed in a way that makes it clear you miss very little. A wild cat, built for speed and instinct, with a reputation that had spread through the precinct faster than anyone expected.
And Nick had noticed.
Immediately.
“She’s good,” Judy says quietly, watching you for a moment before glancing back at him. “Like, really good.”
“Yeah,” Nick mutters, before he can stop himself.
Judy’s ears perk slightly.
Nick straightens a bit, like he just realized he said that out loud. “I mean, yeah, obviously. She’s a detective.”
Judy smiles slowly.
“Oh, you’ve got it bad.”
“I do not,” Nick says instantly.
“You forgot what you were saying mid-sentence earlier.”
“That happens.”
“You called Bogo ‘Carrots.’”
Nick pauses.
“…that was one time.”
Judy just looks at him.
Nick exhales, dragging a paw down his face. “…okay, maybe I’ve been a little distracted.”
“A little?” Judy echoes, amused.
Nick leans back against the desk, crossing his arms as he watches you again, this time less defensively. “…I don’t know what the move is,” he admits after a moment, quieter now.
That catches Judy off guard.
“You don’t know?” she asks. “Since when do you not know how to talk to someone?”
Nick huffs softly. “Talking’s not the problem.”
“Then what is?”
He hesitates.
That alone says enough.
Judy’s expression softens slightly. “You actually like her,” she says.
Nick doesn’t answer right away. He just watches you, the way you move, the way you focus, the way you interact with the other officers like you’ve always been part of this place.
“…yeah,” he says finally.
Judy smiles, a little gentler now. “Okay. So go talk to her.”
Nick snorts. “Wow. Incredible advice. Really groundbreaking stuff, Hopps.”
“I’m serious,” she insists. “Just… be normal.”
Nick gives her a look. “You’re asking a lot of me here.”
Judy laughs, nudging him lightly. “Do you want me to help or not?”
Nick considers that for a second.
“…define help.”
Judy’s grin turns just a little mischievous.
—
You notice Judy first.
She approaches like she always does, friendly, energetic, just slightly too intentional to be casual. You look up from your file, offering a small smile.
“Hey, Hopps.”
“Hey!” she says brightly, leaning against the desk beside you. “Quick question.”
You raise a brow. “That sounds dangerous.”
“It’s not, I promise,” she says, though the look on her face suggests otherwise. “What are you doing after work?”
You blink.
“That is a loaded question.”
“Not really,” she says quickly. “Just… curious.”
You hesitate for a moment, then shrug. “Nothing planned. Why?”
Judy’s ears perk slightly, like she just confirmed something important.
“Great,” she says. “Perfect, actually.”
Now you’re suspicious.
“Hopps…”
Before she can answer, there’s a voice behind her.
“Okay, I’m gonna stop you right there.”
You glance up as Nick steps in, one paw gently but firmly catching Judy by the shoulder and pulling her back a step.
“Interrogation tactics are my thing, remember?” he says, shooting her a look.
Judy holds up her paws innocently. “I was just asking a question.”
“You were about to ask twelve more,” Nick replies.
She grins. “You’re welcome.”
Then, before either of you can stop her, she slips away.
Just like that.
You look back at Nick.
Nick looks back at you.
There’s a brief pause where neither of you say anything.
“…so,” you start, crossing your arms slightly. “Was that planned, or…?”
Nick huffs a quiet laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “She means well.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.”
That earns a real smile out of him, something a little less practiced than usual.
“Yeah,” he says. “Fair.”
Another pause settles in, but this one is easier. Less awkward. More… open.
Nick glances at you, then away, then back again like he’s trying to find the right angle.
“…so you don’t have plans tonight,” he says.
You narrow your eyes slightly. “That sounds suspiciously like a follow-up question.”
“Maybe it is,” he replies.
You tilt your head, studying him. There’s something different in the way he’s standing, the way he’s speaking. Less polished. Less controlled.
More real.
“…go on,” you say.
Nick exhales slowly, like he’s committing to something.
“I was thinking,” he starts, then pauses, shaking his head slightly. “No, that sounds too rehearsed.”
You blink.
Nick laughs quietly, a little self-aware now. “Okay, let me try that again.”
He meets your gaze properly this time.
“I’d like to take you out,” he says, more simply. “If you’re interested.”
There’s no smooth lead-in. No clever line. Just that.
Honest.
You study him for a moment, taking in the shift, the effort, the fact that Nick Wilde is very clearly not running on his usual script right now.
“…you’re nervous,” you say.
Nick immediately shakes his head. “I am not—”
Then he pauses.
“…okay, maybe a little.”
You smile, just slightly.
“That’s new.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
That softens the moment, just enough.
You consider him for another second, then shrug lightly. “Alright.”
Nick blinks. “Alright?”
“Yeah,” you say. “I’m interested.”
There’s a brief moment where he just processes that.
Then his grin comes back, slower this time, a little more genuine.
“Good,” he says. “That’s… good.”
From across the room, Judy is very obviously pretending not to watch.
You glance over at her, then back at him.
“…she’s going to ask for details later, isn’t she?”
Nick groans quietly. “Oh, absolutely.”
You laugh.
And just like that, the tension breaks.
Nick relaxes slightly, falling into step beside you as the conversation shifts into something easier, something natural.
Not perfect.
Not polished.
But real.
And honestly?
He thinks he likes that a lot more.
