Rhino's P.O.V.
Luckily for me, after helping Bolt out for half an hour, at least there were some good shows on the magic box again. I had a hard time deciding which one to watch, but in the end I settled on a police chase over the highway with a well known racer.
But just when he was about to run into a roadblock, which could have been the end for the chase, I was nudged by someone. I turned my head to see who it was, and found Mittens standing next to me.
„Yeah?" - „Rhino I need your help." I was for once shocked. That had to be the first time I ever heard her say that, not only to me, but to anyone! Amazed by how she was suddenly asking me for help, I even pressed 'mute' on the remote to fully concentrate on her problem.
„Sure, what's on your mind?" - „Do you know what dogs like to do? I mean, I already know quite a bit, but maybe some more insight from an outside guy?" That caught me even more off guard. „Uhm, I think they like to 'be active', I don't know why someone would like to do that, but dogs sure do!"
„Of course I know that dogs like to be active! But what in particular? Or more: Things that you can play together that don't involve the same thing happening over and over!" - „I mean I'd think they like playing fetch or tag or things like that... Is there a reason why you ask me and not the dog that's literally behind you right now?"
The cat ripped her eyes wide open when I said the last part and slowly turned her head around to see... nothing. I just made that part up to test something. „Rhino... There is no dog behind me." I shruggged, but her reaction told me a lot.
I felt like a detective from one of my favourite shows! „I thought I just saw him... But why don't you go find him and ask him personally? If anyone, he could give you the best insight!" - „Rhino, if I made a TV show and asked you what the end should be, and then I told you that that would be the actual end of the show, would you still be excited to watch it?"
„No, then I knew how it en... Oh." - „Exactly." - „So... fetch it is?" - „Yep, not like you told me anything new anyway..." - „Alright, you two have fun, I'll stay here and see how the car chase ends!" I unmuted the movie and, to my relief, it wasn't over yet.
Mittens' P.O.V.
How am I going to ask him? Just say 'Hey, you wanna play fetch?' or what could I do? Maybe I should just look for him and ask him if he'd like it anyway... I had no idea where the dog went, but something told me that he had to either be outside or in the bedroom.
It was only logical for me to check the bedroom first, but when I peeked through the door, he was nowhere to be found. Just as I turned around to look for him on the yard, I ran into something soft. When I moved back, I saw that the 'soft thing' was actually Bolt's leg, and he was standing behind me.
For a moment I was out of words, then I found my voice again. „Hey Bolt, you wanna play fetch or something?" A grin started to widen on the dog's face. I couldn't understand how they get so excited over such little things.
„Sure! Like, right now?" I nodded. „Great! I'll wait for you outside!" And thus he ran down the stairs to the door, with his tongue sticking out. That was another thing I didn't understand, why dogs always do that!
I went downstairs too and got outside, where the dog was already waiting with a yellow tennisball in his mouth and a smile so big that it was a miracle how the ball didn't already roll straight out. He dropped it right in front of me, and I tried lifting it where his slobbery tongue hadn't already been.
Even though I already played it with him a few times, I had my doubts that such a repetitive thing couldn't be fun over a long time!
Shrugging it off, I threw the ball away from me. Well, it was really more rolling than flying, I was used to throwing a stick, but Bolt still seemed excited. With his tail wagging and tounge sticking out, he chased after the yellow sphere, and picked it up.
„That was pretty good for a start! But try throwing it further!", he remarked, as the ball fell down on the grass next to me. Sure, as if I'm not already doing what I can... The ball might not have been that big, but it was really hard to throw it far!
I took it again and tried a different position, so that I could push it away from me with both front paws. I took all the force that I could collect and catapulted the tennisball away from me. The white dog was more than happy to see it fly over the lawn, and it even had a decent distance!
As Bolt shot across the yard, I couldn't help but feel happy for him! Just seeing how much fun he had was really bringing a smile to my face. With every throw that I did I felt more and more amused by the different ways he had to catch the the ball, and how progressivly more happy he became, that I caught myself giggling and laughing with him.
So that's what's so fun about fetch! Not the repetitive throwing and bringing, it's seeing how much fun the hunter has! I never thought about that! He looks so... cute doing this!
The way that his fur shook when he ran, how his ears flopped as he picked up the ball, and this always present tail wagging were just... well, somewhat cute...
„Mittens?" I snapped out of my thoughts. „W- what?" - „Are you ok? Should we go inside?" Why was he suddenly so... Oh! Because I was sitting on a flower pot with propably the most thoughtful expression ever!
„Do you want to?", I asked to see if he was tired yet, because secretly I wasn't, and I really wanted to see him run across the yard a little more, even though I didn't want to fully admit it. „Why not? Penny should be home soon anyway!"
I sighed and followed him through the door. About two hours had passed when we were playing. Bolt remained right, as Penny got back from school shortly afterwards and greeted us as usual with open arms and hugs.
After everything we've went through, we've grown so much as a family that we couldn't imagine a life without one of the others. Just thinking about not being with them made me feel strange. I was left behind once already, and I would do anything that this wouldn't happen again.
