Sage strolled silently among the growth of the verdant forest, hooves barely disturbing the soft grass that no doubt many before him had idled on. Though Sage wouldn't linger with his thoughts for too long, he was a deer with a purpose, after all.

A purpose that kept leading him back to the same place come every beginning of the winter month, when deer like him should've been searching for lower elevation and shelter from the merciless cold with his deerkin, but instead checking on another who he had suddenly decided one day needed his utmost attention.

Guest, a human living in the forest under a proper house who was isolated from most others, perhaps it was that they liked to stay alone or they were fascinated by nature...

To Sage, at least, it hadn't mattered. As long as you wouldn't bother him. It's not as if he were shy; he was just a reclusive loner.

That was always his immediate thoughts about you before he'd so foolishly gotten trapped in a hunter's snare; he'd almost suffocated if it hadn't been for you accidentally stumbling upon him and setting him free. He knew you hadn't even meant to find him, but part of him hadn't cared, even if he wasn't sure why.

He'd ended up shortly laying you a visit after that, which so happened to be the start of winter; he hadn't known why he'd come back if all he was going to do was leave after a while, but he had, and apparently he'd found you interesting enough to come back the next start of winter.

And the winter after that.

And the winter after that...

He kept coming back, even if it was just for a glimpse of you or an interaction on the patio or your porch; he'd let you approach him, and once he'd actually let you stroke his muzzle.

He knew he might've been acting ridiculous playing off as some lovesick stag who didn't know how to let go...

But at the same time he didn't care.

So he'd stand at your patio, waiting for even a small glimpse of your figure, though he secretly hoped for an interaction with you, even if he'd never admit it out loud, not even to himself.