Chapter 87: Return To The Bunker Part Three

After taking some readings Ai returned to the base and radioed Mai to send Eiji out. "Once Eiji is through, shut the shutter and turn off the camera." 

"I know Eiji already explained it to me so I wouldn't shoot him." Mai replied with a light laugh. Ai chuckled and put her radio down. A few minutes later Eiji came out with a tub of warm water, a bucket of warm water, some rags, and a bag with a clean set of clothes and a few other things. As soon as he was through the shutter it was shut and the light on the camera went out. 

"How was it?' Eiji asked. He laid out a thick blanket on the ground for Ai to step on once she finished taking her clothes off.

"The soil outside the base has soaked up most of the rain and has radioactivity but not enough to harm any humans. But I did find out one thing..." Ai said as she began taking her clothes off and sticking them in the bucket. Eiji gulped at what he was seeing but did his best to refrain from looking. 

Ai found his reaction amusing as she said without a hint of shyness: "You can look all you want. I do not care. It's just skin and flesh. No different than when I looked at you. Plus this is just basically a bathing suit anyway. It is just called something different, no?" 

Eiji really did not know what to say but since he got permission he wasn't going to miss the show! But to make it seem less embarrassing for himself for bluntly watching her wipe herself down he asked: "What did you find?."

"I found a sentient first type machina." Ai replied a hint of anger could be heard in her voice.

"Wait, what!? Sentient? What do you mean?" Eiji asked.

"As I said, it was sentient. It was as if it was a lost three year old acting timid and afraid. Well, it had a reason to be afraid as I smashed it into pieces with my fist but that is beside the point. Eiji, how much do you know about the machina?" Ai had never actually asked Eiji how much he knew or if he was just trying to survive like all the other humans.

"Nothing really. I was with my father visiting his small little mercenary crew that he formed on the side when the machines attacked." Eiji felt kind of lucky the machina did attack or he would not have met Ai, but at the same time, he wished it never had happened.

"Then I think we will have a lot to talk about later. For now, help me wash my back off then get me a towel." Ai said, handing Eiji the damp cloth in her hand. Ai was completely used to Eiji being around her almost twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. 

Eiji took the towel gently began to wash Ai's back doing his best to hold back the stupid smile on his face. Ai could feel his trembling hand and knew Eiji was not used to this sort of thing. "Just so you know Eiji, at some point you will need to get used to this. Our lives will not always be this easy. I am doing what I can to keep this base as long as I can but sooner or later we will need to move on and showering or bathing will become a luxury. We will need to wash ourselves in the rain or cold streams that are not contaminated. There will be many women much prettier than me stripping down to nothing right in front of your eyes. The future is nothing more than a nomadic life and survival." 

"How do you know?" Eiji asked. He had been wondering for a while why Ai knew so much but until now she had never really talked about this stuff.

Ai brought the tub close to her and dunked her hair into it, soaking it completely. She then turned her head to the side and said: "Help wash." 

Eiji did as she asked as if he was her personal maid or something along those lines. "You will find out soon. You and I will take a trip back to Mai's and I's old bunker. I will explain things on the way. Whether you believe what you hear or not is up to you. But what you hear is for your ears only. I trust you now, otherwise, you wouldn't see me like this or be able to touch my hair and back for as you have. Your hands don't wander, you have my respect for that."

"Well... I do not want to piss you off…." Eiji replied. It was not like he did not want to wander with his hands, it was that he did not dare to. For two reasons. A: one punch would probably separate his head from his body and B: he did not want to lose her trust.

"Haha. That is true! Okay, hand me the clothes so I can put them on then you can pat my hair dry for me." Ai was enjoying having a servant. She felt his kind of pampering was not so bad once and a while.

"What do you need at your old bunker?" Eiji was feeling weird how the conversation ended so he quickly asked another question.

"Underwear! Mai has gotten bigger in the bust and her bras don't fit as well anymore. Shogo won't stop staring at them when she goes braless. He truly is a pervert. Not that you are any better."

***

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