Art by  sudonym!

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Hopper lived up to his name as he hopped in place on his long, wide paws. Ivan looked on nervously at his little bookshelf on the wall, certain that the rabbit's eagerness would cause the books to fall. "Dude, I'm totally going to call him right now before he goes to work!"

"Doesn't he work as a bartender?" Darryl asked.

"Yeah, I better hurry. The cell reception there's lousy as shit." Hopper ran out of the bedroom, and Ivan released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding all this time.

Darryl smirked down at the snow leopard. "Dude, you are so wound up."

"Vound up?" Some American slang went over Ivan's head. This one left enough room for Darryl to walk under.

"Yeah. You're tense. You worry too much."

"It is hard not to vorry."

Darryl tittered rapid, high pitched laughter. It hurt Ivan's ears. "You have a killer accent, Latté."

"You have killer accent as well."

Darryl tilted his head, looking blankly at Ivan. "Huh? I don't have an accent."

"To my ears, you have accent. All Americans have accent."

Darryl's ears perked up, and his tongue almost lolled out of his muzzle as it split open into a grin. "Oh! I getcha now. Yeah, I guess I would have an accent to you."

"Yes. Now, if I could ask you to be leaving." He tapped the page he'd been trying to read. "I need to finish studying."

Darryl looked at the book, and for a moment stood there silently as if he were trying to grasp the concept of studying. He finally blinked, and nodded. "Oh yeah, sure thing, big guy! No problem."

As Darryl closed the door behind him, Ivan felt himself relax. He could finally finish his reading assignment for World History and--

The door flew open, slamming up against the wall as Hopper bounded in. Ivan held up the book in front of him as a shield. "DUDE!"

"VHAT?"

Hopper flinched, ears folding back. "Dude, you don't gotta yell. You scared the shit outta me."

Scared him? Ivan's fur had fluffed out thanks to him! He'd need to find his brush and spend at least an hour combing himself down. "Vhat is it, Hopper? Please, I must finish reading assignment!"

"I just called my cousin, and he said he'd come over tomorrow before work to meet you."

"I do not vish to meet people." It was a lie. A bad one, and Hopper knew it.

"Dude, you were saying last week how you wanted to meet more people. Here's your chance."

"I do not know if I can be meeting your cousin."

"Listen, Latté, if you meet my cousin I'll buy you your lattés for a week."

Ivan perked his ears forward. "For a veek?"

Hopper nodded. "A whole, solid week."

"Starting tomorrow." Lattés were expensive. If he didn't have to buy his favorite coffee--coffee which earned him his nickname--for a week, it might be worth meeting someone, even someone like Hopper's cousin.

"Deal!"

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