Scenic Route •A Bear Grylls Fanfiction•

Chapter Nine: A Better Understanding

That night as we sat around the fire, munching on squirrel and berries, we got to talking. "So, tell me more about yourself." Bear said as he gave me a smile. I swallowed my mouthful of food, thinking. "Well, what do you want to know?" He brushed dirt off of the knees of his tattered pants, saying, "Anything."

Where to start.. "Well, I can lick my elbow, I'm obsessed with macaroni and cheese, I hate sleeping with less than two pillows, I'm allergic to sour cream, my favorite holiday is the Chinese New Year, I don't like snow, I can fit 19 grapes in my mouth, my birthday is Valentine's Day, I'm really bad at singing but I do it in the shower anyways, I love Pepsi, and once I swallowed a dime." Bear burst into a fit of deep laughter as he swiped a tear from under his eye. "Why that is surely the most incredible thing I have ever heard." I blushed, and shrugged my shoulders. "Your turn."

He scratched his stubbled chin, thinking for a moment, before speaking, "well, I've always wanted to be a doctor, I love to read, I hate the color red, my favorite food is salad, and.. there's only one other thing I can think of.." I gave him a puzzled look before he stood, and walked around the fire, past the branch where my flannel shirt laid out, squatting in the dirt in front of me as I sat on my stump. I wiped the corners of my mouth clean with the sleeve of my shirt and wiped my hands on my leggings before Bear leaned in close to my ear, resting his chin on my shoulder, placing his hands gently on my waist, and whispered, "all I know I'm this moment.. is that I'm falling in love with you."

My eyes widened and I gasped, before I instantly began to choke on some berries in my mouth that we had picked earlier. I coughed and pounded my fist on my chest repeatedly. "Oh my god", Bear frantically stood up and rushed to my side, smacking my back as I hacked and heaved. Disgustingly enough, the red berries came back up and landed in a mushy pile on the ground as I tried to catch my breath.

When I could breathe again, I burst into a fit of giggles, clutching at my stomach as Bear knelt beside me, giving me a blank stare. I regained myself Bear asked, "So, um.. Are you okay?"

I laughed more, snorting as I covered my mouth. I managed to get out between gasps of laughter, "I'm.. I'm fine. That was.. Was just.. So.. So funny!!" My lungs were burning. Have I ever laughed this hard? Bear laughed nervously. Yep, I was definitely making him feel even more awkward. I caught my breath again as I rubbed my eyes. I was so tired it wasn't even funny anymore. I was goddamn worn out. "I'm so sorry, that was really rude of me." I calmed down before gesturing for him to kneel down in between my knees again where he was before.. That happened.

I took a deep breath and put my hands on his shoulders. I gathered my thoughts, looking up at the stars between the trees. His hands settled on my waist again as I cleared my throat before looking back into his crystal eyes. He had a blank expression as he stared at my face, looking for any sign of a trace of any emotion. "Bear.. I.." My mind was blank. I couldn't think of anything to say to him. Sure, he was sweet, but.. I knew I couldn't be in love. We could easily date when we returned home (if we returned home..), but.. fall in love?

Love is a big, big word.

Love is when you devote, trust, care for, and focus on one person and one person only. Maybe when we found the river earlier my period hormones were getting to me again. I couldn't have really meant all of those thoughts I was having. How can you picture marrying someone and having kids with them when you hardly know each other?

My heart was hurting

I didn't know what to do

As I searched to find words, any words, to say, Bear spoke up, "Lynn I'm so, so sorry I shouldn't have said that I'm probably totally weirding you out right now it just kind of slipped and I think I'm suffering from heat exhaustion or dehydration or something because my head feels fuzzy and I don't know if it's being stuck in the woods or you or these feelings I'm having but all I know is you are the most perfect girl I have ever met and you're smart and beautiful and talented and I just want you to be mine and I'm not just saying that because you're the only girl I've been with for the last week, I really mean it I.. I.."