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"This went to shit quick. Just my luck." Jared grumbles. They and Darius were out on a date at a nearby wildlife sanctuary just outside of town. They had set up a picnic beside the border of the forest. Grove, who had been brought along for exercise, had begun yipping and jumping excitedly near the trees. When the two had turned to see what was causing the hound to bark, they were surprised to find two Not-Deer standing on the edge of the trees. Darius is instantly delighted. "Oh my god." he whispers. "Look at them. So beautiful." Jared swallows anxiously. The encounter during the snipe hunt was still fresh in their mind. "Oh yeah. Stunning." they mutter. Darius opens the picnic basket and pulls out an apple. The deer watch him closely as he stands and approaches slowly. "Darius what the hell are you doing?" Jared hisses. He doesn't take his eyes off the deer as he gets right up to the female. "Feeding her you silly goose." he answers casually. Holding out the apple, the female sniffs it briefly before munching at it. Darius squeals quietly. "There you go sweet thing." Jared rolls their eyes at his partner's gushing over a three-eyed cryptid. She finishes the apple, then starts making her way toward Jared. More specifically, the picnic basket. Jared freezes in fear.
"Remarkable. She's very hungry." Darius observes her closely. The male Not-Deer accompanying her steps out and walks up to her side. They stick their heads in the basket and nibbling on the fruits inside. "By all means help yourselves. Rude." Jared huffs. Darius sits beside them. "Don't be that way goosie. One bad encounter isn't a reason to judge all of them." he kisses their head, which Jared tries to swat away. Darius takes another apple and hands it to them. "Go on. They don't bite." he smiles. They glare at him. "It's not biting that concerns me. It's those." They motion to the male's antlers. Darius groans and grabs Jared's hand and holds it out. Their anxiety shoots into orbit, but a strong arm wraps around their shoulder. "I've got you. Trust me." The male snorts, watching them suspiciously. Jared can't help but flinch when he starts eating the apple. "See? They're more worried about filling their bellies than stomping us." Darius whispers. Jared can't help but relax a bit. The female heads back towards the trees and disappears into some bushes. The male finishes his snack and looks back to where his mate went. There's a brief rustling of leaves, but then it stops. The male makes a low rumbling sound. More rustling, and the female reappears and walks back toward them. This time, two tiny fawns stumble behind her.
Now it's Jared's turn to be excited. "Babies! She's got babies with her!" they gasp. The fawns make their way to the basket and lay down to eat. "They look to be only a few days old." Darius points out. Grove keeps a distance to avoid scaring them or the parents. The family of Not-Deer stays long enough to fill their bellies. The male leads them back to the forest, giving a looks of gratefulness back at the couple. "I'll admit, they're a cute family." Jared says softly. Darius pulls them into a hug. "I'm proud of you for staying calm. This is a great accomplishment goosie." he boops their nose. Jared playfully bites at their finger. "Still doesn't mean I'm not cautious." he huffs. Darius laughs. "Of course not. Heaven forbid that Dr. Jared Hel be a softie who goes with the flow." he teases. They smirk. "I'll show you softie." they push Darius onto his back and hover over him. "You gonna go with the flow?" they smirk sassily. Darius laughs. "Wouldn't care to think otherwise." Grove watches and lays his head down in his spot, tail wagging. Off in the trees, the Not-Deer watch. The male and female give each other a look of amusement and continue their way home.