Bet ~Jean x Reader AU~

Chapter 6: Nala

I gazed blankly out the window, watching as the curtain of snow continued to fall from the sky, adding to the white blanket on the ground. Thick gray clouds masked the welkin, choking out the sun, leaving everything dark and gloomy. To be honest, it wasn't necessarily a pretty day out. And the nasty weather only made everything feel way colder than it already was. I did not appreciate any of it either.

I breathed in a haggard breath and turned to face forward, my eyes falling on Professor R. She was happily chatting about how excited she was to see what the semester would hold and so on. I wasn't really paying attention. Truthfully, my mind was elsewhere. My thoughts lingered on my exhaustion, my eyelids almost too heavy to keep open as the sleepiness plagued them. I had been conscious for a solid twenty-four hours by then and I was certainly feeling it. My body ached and was stiff from my tired state, but that wasn't even what I was thinking about the most.

A deer. He was photographing a deer. I thought, my memory reversing back to those early hours of the morning. I still recalled the way the adrenaline pumped through my veins after hearing the clicking, unaware what it was until I crept into the woods. There I had seen him, my eyes watching as he snapped each picture. Luckily, he never did stumble across me. Instead, he had remained oblivious to my existence and made his way back to the trail, at which I had waited a few extra moments before leaving myself. I couldn't take the cold anymore.

I didn't know who he was, and nor could I see any distinctive features due to the night, but one thing about him caught my interest. Nala. He called her Nala. I recalled how he petted the doe and how she did not view him as a threat after sniffing him. She came right up to him and nudged him. It was extraordinary to me. Who was he?

I shook my head, making sure to chase that thought from my mind. I needed to focus. I redirected my concentration back to my instructor, but it didn't take long before the mysterious fellow once more crept into my thoughts. I didn't know him, I couldn't see him, but the way he interacted with that doe wouldn't leave my mind. It wasn't like it was anything special. But, it wouldn't just leave my mind. To be honest, the way he had interacted with her was so sweet. It was almost precious even. Regardless, I couldn't just erase any of it from my mind.

I wonder...I wonder if Nala would approach me. I bit down on my lips and shook my head, randomly doodling a small sketch in the corner of my sketchbook. That's ridiculous.

That was when I realized I was doodling a tiny doe.

**Bello my precious lovelies!! I hope y'all are having a spectacular day! Sorry for the shorter chapter, but at least it's something. Thank you sooo, soooo, SOOOOO much for any and all support! Y'all are amazing!! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross

P.S. I leave tomorrow for my trip! I'm so excited and nervous. ^-^