Hidden Love

Chapter 3

"I see you," I whisper playfully only to make the dog bark and jump out in full view as if playing to my tone of voice.

Despite my aching muscles, a full-hearted laugh erupts from my lungs while my eyes watch as the dog looks up at me with eyes full of joy and energy.

"Once I'm better we can go out and play, yeah?" I offer to the Doberman.

It must be because I uttered the word 'play' that the dog jumps in a half spin before charging down the hallway and disappearing into the living room; my giggles never seize to stop.

With the constant pitter-patter of dog paws coming from the living room, I heave myself off the side of the breakfast bar and take the agonizingly slow pace to corner the breakfast bar and into the kitchen. A sigh of relief emits from me that I've finally made it, but I don't hold my movements in case this time might be my last from moving for the rest of the day.

The cold metal of the fridge handles spreads through my hand while I open the door to see an array of home-cooked ready-made meals.

I hope Jungkook won't mind if I take one.

In a small blue, just about see-through, plastic container, I see that there is a half-eaten meal of rice with vegetables and sliced pieces of chicken. Glancing to the left-hand side of me, I see a microwave that I'll be able to heat the food in for about a minute. So, I take the box, pop open the lid and shakily sidestep to be in front of the microwave; the door to the fridge closes behind me with a soft thud.

With as much strength I can muster, I press the button that releases the microwave's door from its lock and I place the container in the centre of the kitchen's facility; the lid gets discarded to the side on the open kitchen counter. Closing the microwave door, I navigate the arrange of buttons to set a timer for a minute before the microwave bursts into life; the container on the inside is slowly being rotated.

Another heavy sigh leaves my lips while my eyes close softly and I turn around to lean my body against the cold kitchen worktop, relieving some of the heat that's building on the surface of my skin. On a deep breath in, my eyes open to see Jungkook's dog peering at me with a cocked head, but this time there is a stuffed toy in its mouth.

With a grin, I ask the dog, "what have you got there, buddy?"

The dog comes right up to be in front of my feet when it drops the toy and looks up at me with questioning eyes.

"Want to play?" I ask, going back to a playful tone that my body's pain had tried to dismiss when the dog disappeared into the living room.

In a blink of an eye, the dog moves into a playful bow and waits for me to pick up the toy - my back feels like it's going to break, from the pressure of aching muscles, as I crouch down to pick up the stuffed animal. Standing upright, I take a moment to rid the dizziness in my head before holding up the toy in my hand making the dog bark moments before the tongue comes lolling out of its head again.

"Go get it!" I shout playfully while throwing the toy over the breakfast bar; my arm protests in agony.

With a squeak, the toy bounces off the wall next to a door, opposite the breakfast bar, before being launched in the direction of the front door. The Doberman doesn't take a second to go charging after the toy. However, my body is at its limits now and involuntarily slides down the cabinets to sit upon the cold laminate flooring. A groan leaves my lips when my bum hits the floor and the back of my legs meets the cold.

It sounded like a mile away, but by the front door I hear the dog bark before a voice playfully responds with, "what you got there Bam?"

Ah, so the dog's name is Bam and Jungkook must have just come in.