"So, um," I began, clearing my throat, "did you enjoy that?"
Oh my gods. I immediately wanted to kick myself. Why did I say something so stupid? Me and my big fucking mouth.
A grin crossed Bear's lips. "I did." His hands hovered in the air. "What about you?"
It took me a second to realize he looked as shy as I felt. That made me relax a little.
"It was, um, good, yeah. Was that... your first kiss, too?"
Bear nodded.
I sighed, which turned into a laugh. "Okay, then it wasn't just me."
Bear let out an amused chuff.
Despite being trapped in an underground tunnel with no clear exit yet, both of us were in good spirits. The atmosphere was light and hopeful. I felt fuzzy inside. I didn't know if it was the lingering effects of Bear's kiss or if those glowing mushrooms were releasing spores or something.
Anyway, we couldn't stand around like a pair of awkward teenagers forever. We needed to escape from this tunnel.
"Come on, let's ditch this place," I said.
Following the mushrooms, we picked our way through the winding tunnel. The air smelled damp and earthy, like soil after morning rain. There was a distinct lack of sound down here, not even little scurrying animals.
"This goes on forever," Bear signed with a frown. "I don't see any exits."
"There must be one," I said, patting him on the shoulder. "And hey, if not, we can go back to the hole we fell in and call for help, right?"
I was mostly joking, but my suggestion made Bear freeze. I realized I'd been insensitive again. That must've triggered bad memories. "Fuck, sorry."
Bear zoned out. His eyes were glassy as he stared at the tunnel wall, like he wasn't actually hearing me.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
He shuddered as if jolted. "Yes. Sorry."
"I gotta watch my mouth," I mumbled. "Please tell me if I ever say anything dumb and I don't notice, okay?"
Bear nodded distractedly. He rubbed his arm and craned his neck to look at the tunnel's ceiling. He seemed more on-edge than he was a moment ago.
I didn't want to hide things from each other, especially not after our kiss.
"Seriously, is everything okay?" I urged gently. "You can tell me if something's bothering you, Bear."
He rubbed both his arms now.
"Don't like being down here," he signed. "And I don't like the idea of calling for help."
"I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have phrased it that way."
Bear shook his head. "You're fine. It's not that." He exhaled through his nose. "I've been in a similar situation before. It was the worst experience of my life."
I frowned in sympathy, but before I could reply, Bear added, "Let's keep going."
He walked in long, powerful strides. He clearly wanted to get out of here ASAP. I didn't blame him, because I did too.
But I wondered what his experience was. Was it too painful for him to tell me?
My mind tried to piece an appropriate sentence together. How could I ask him without being rude or probing? My thoughts distracted me and I slowed down. Bear walked faster than me with his longer legs. By the time I noticed I was falling behind, Bear had disappeared. Now I was by myself in the tunnel.
