"Poodle, I need your help." Karen rushed into Jack's apartment to find him jumping rope in his boxers. Both of their eyes widened and they looked at each other in shock. It wasn't often that he was halfway naked and jumping in front of her. "Honey, why are you…"
"Because it's freeing." They continued to stare for another moment before they burst into laughter. It was the first time in months that she had laughed wholeheartedly and it was very welcoming. He walked closer to her and took her in an embrace as the laughter continued.
"Oh, honey, I needed that." He kissed her lips in a form of greeting and she smiled brightly at his example of affection, even though he did nothing to cover himself.
"What did you need, Karebear?"
"Well, you're really in to this fitness stuff, right." He gave her a strange look and held up his jumping rope in response. "Okay, um, I wanted to know if you'd help me with that."
"Jumping rope?"
"No, Poodle, I'm fat and I need you to help me get thin again." He was left in shock at her sudden admission. Flaws were never something that they discussed together.
"Of course I'll help you. In fact, I'm getting ready to go to the gym right now. Go and get some sweats on and meet me in the hallway, okay?"
"Oh, thank you. But I don't have any sweats." He rolled his eyes in a playful manner and pulled her into his bedroom by her hand. He handed her a pair of his sweatpants and a fitted tee-shirt. "Thanks, honey, you're a lifesaver." She hugged him again before hurrying to his bathroom to change her clothes.
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Karen had been dieting for almost a week before Jack would allow her to step on a scale. She personally didn't own one and never really thought about the amount that she weighed, only the size of her waist. She closed her eyes as he looked down at the digital face of the scale.
"What is it, Poodle? Is it good?"
"You lost five pounds in a week." She opened her eyes and excitedly looked down to the numbers before her.
"Oh my gosh, honey, we did it." She jumped off of the scale and hugged him tightly, her excitement showing in their embrace. He picked her up and spun her around in a circle as they giggled together. At the sound of the commotion in his bathroom, Will hurried through the open door.
"What the hell is going on in here?" Karen pulled herself from Jack's embrace and hurried over to him. She was jumping up and down in front of him and clapping her hands, something that he hadn't seen her do in a very long time.
"I lost five pounds."
"Oh, Kare, that's great." She hugged him and continued to giggle. Jack hurried over and hugged her from behind, sandwiching her in between the two. They all shared the happiness of the moment, completely thrilled for something good.