Bugs was getting things ready. In theory this was simple, the TV was tuned to the correct channel, the popcorn popped and put on the table and Bugs had even made orange juice, which he'd put in posh glasses on the table, because he knew Elmer didn't drink alcohol. Elmer was the only one who didn't drink, though it should be noted that technically none of the toons were allowed to drink until they were 21. It's just that no one ever bothered enforcing it, why would they? The bartenders got money and the police got less hassle. Simple really.

It was nearly 5 now. The game started in five minutes, but Bugs wasn't worried. Fuddsey was punctual. Bugs was feeling so on top of everything that he sat on the sofa and treated himself to a glass of orange juice. As soon as it hit his taste buds Bugs made a face and spat it out. Oh, what he would give for carrot juice! But Bugs knew Elmer didn't like carrot juice, so here the orange juice was.

'Oi should stop thinkin' about da orange juice.' Bugs thought to himself as he looked at the clock 5 o clock exactly. He straightened himself up and shuffled round on the sofa so he didn't look like the beginning of a romantic scene and waited.

Elmer, on the other hand, was having a crisis.

"I keep telling you." he said, irritably, as he watched Petunia rummage through his wardrobe. "I don't own anything casuaw! A weave-over from the Egghead days-"

"You must own something casual, Fuddsey." Petunia said, stubbornly. "I refuse to believe you can get to 17 and not own a pair of jeans! What do you do when you -" She caught herself. "-Never mind."

"When I go out, you mean?" Elmer said, with irony.

"How about this?" Stubborn to a fault, Petunia removed herself from the wardrobe and revealed a dark blue jacket that looked distressingly familiar.

Elmer shuddered. "Daffy gave me that. The fiwst Chwistmas after the war. He wanted to cheew me up."

"And you kept it all these years?" Petunia sounded delighted.

The hunter turned a deep shade of red and looked at the floor. "Only cos it'd be cwuel to give it to someone!" He said, hotly.

Petunia rolled her eyes. "Relax, Elmer. I'm just teasing. But I do think you should wear this one."

A few more minutes of debating later and Elmer was standing in front of his full-length mirror and looking at his reflection like he was unsure it was him.

After about a minute of this, Petunia grew concerned and asked Elmer if he was alright.

"...Why?" He said, quietly. "Why the heww is he asking me? He's Bugs Bunny, I'm just...Ewmew Fudd."

Petunia rolled her eyes. "First of all, he may be Bugs Bunny but that does NOT make him the be-all and end-all of the universe despite what the executives think and secondly, he has TOLD you, he wants to get to knows you better and isn't that a good thing? I've told you before you need to expand your social circle-"

"-Yes, alwight Mom." Elmer said, snarkily.

Petunia put her hands on her hips. "Hey, you wanted me advice, remember? But seriously Elmer. "She softened her voice upon realising the hunter really was scared. "This is normal, okay? This is how people make friends, they talk to each other and try to find somethings in common or something they like about the other person. Like me and Porky. He liked me and took me out to a museum. It was the boringinst place on earth, but it did allow me to spend time with him and discover he has good sense of humour, which I liked and that I actually liked spending time with him. The next week he invited me to a café." She giggled and hearts came into her eyes as she sighed. "I nearly took his hand of-"

"-Well, that's gweat for you and Porky, but you'we engaged. I'm not trying to get Bugs to engage me in anything. We're not even pwoper friends-!"

"You go down the pub together every week." Petunia said, flatly. "You drive him back when he'd had to much to drink. You've hung out together occosionally after filming cartoons. Remember when you took him down Toontown Lake?"

"When he invited himself along to Toontown lake, you mean-"

"-You didn't stop him!" Petunia argued. "And I remember you saying you had a nice time. And - the final point - you're not standing your ground and staying at home. Which means on some level you must like the idea of spending more than an hour with him?"

There was quite a long pause while Elmer thought through this statement. Then he huffed and folded his arms. "It would have to be a bawwgame-" He muttered.

"You'll. Be. Fine." Petunia came close to him. "Can I just sort your collar out? It's annoying me more than I ever thought possible."

Elmer sighed, but let her.

Once Petunia had finished she gave the human-toon a hug - trying to ignore how he flinched in her embrace - before stepping back and saying, positively. "You'll be fine. Now, you'd better go or you'll be late."

Elmer looked at the clock and saw it was somehow five past five already.

"Jiminy Cricket! I've gotta go! Thanks Petunia, I'ww see you tomowwow!" And with that he ran off, leaving the pig to laugh, fondly, after him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bugs was beginning to get worried. It was ten past now and no sign of Fudd. He put the newspaper he'd been looking at aside and started to pace up and down, wearing a hole in his carpet as he did so.

Then the doorbell rang and Bugs leapt on it like it was his saviour. "Where've you been!?" He exclaimed. "I was beginning to think oi was gonna hav' ta end out a search party!"

Elmer looked slightly taken aback and said, a tad defensively. "It's onwy ten minutes."

Bugs considered explaining to Elmer the importance of arriving on time for a game that Bugs was certain he'd said started at 5 o clock, no ten past, but took one look at Fudd's slightly furious, slightly embarrassed eyes and decided he wouldn't.

Instead he took Fudd in and handed him the orange juice. "Made it meself." The rabbit said, proudly.

Elmer did look impressed at that and took a sip. "Taste nice." He announced, after careful consideration. "How'd you make it?" He added. realising the rabbit was dying to be asked.

Bugs grinned and beckoned Elmer through to the kitchen. Inside said kitchen was a wooden barrel full of oranges. Or rather, what had been oranges.

"It's da same system dey use for wine." Bugs said, proudly, as Elmer turned slightly green. "Porky told me. So oi figured if it worked with grapes why not oranges? You alright?" He added, seeing Fudd's face had gone completely green now. "Ya not gonna be sick, are ya?"

Elmer took a steadying breath and forced himself to NOT think about the fact he'd just drunk something that Bugs Bunny's feet had been in.

"Oi washed ma feet first." Bug said, insulted. "Give me some credit, Fuddsey."

By now Elmer's face had returned to normal, and he felt able to say, feebly. "Let's just watch the game." Before shuffling back to the living room.

Bugs looked at the barrel, trying to work out where he'd gone wrong, before giving up sand following Elmer into the living room. He was slightly annoyed to see the hunter had chosen to sit on the armchair, so they clearly wouldn't be siting next to each other on the coach like Bugs had envisioned.

The rabbit sighed. Somehow he thought this would be a long night.