War Machines

22

     Zeke frowned at the water. "I still do not see the point of this," he complained. "I have frequently seen these pools of water but never understood the reason for them. You say they are not for bathing but simply because people wish to be in the water?"

     "Yes," I explained patiently. We'd done recon, ensuring our safety. Now I was busy peeling off my armor. "C'mon, get that armor off."

     He was still frowning, but he reluctantly began undoing his boots. "This seems most impractical. The pool is filled with unheated water, meaning it will stress the body by lowering body temperature. It is unlikely to be sterile and, in fact, appears to be growing algae, meaning there is an increased risk of infection. It will slow our movements, making us more vulnerable in the event of an attack. Without our armor, this only makes us..."

     "We already checked it out. We're out in the middle of a wasteland, inside what's left of a brick building, and the only door is blocked by rubble," I told him. I was sitting down to pull off my boots. "We wouldn't have gotten in here ourselves if you hadn't flown us. The only way in or out is through there." I pointed up at the missing roof, where the stars were visible. "It's not likely anything is going to come after us, and if it does, we'll deal with it."

     "We will have to dry our clothing," he pointed out. He was making a face as he pulled off his boots, wiggling his taloned toes. "Wet clothing under armor will be most uncomfortable."

     "Problem easily solved." I quickly pulled off my shirt and then shimmied out of my pants and underwear. Naked, I strolled to the water's edge. Then I turned back and checked on Zeke.

     "You are as inconstant as the shifting sands," he said, scowling. "When I first took you Home, you chastised me for not covering my genitals. Now you display your own?"

     I smiled sweetly. "Zeke? Get your clothes off and get into this water." I turned around, jumped up, and dived neatly into the pool. The cold water was a bit of a shock and I was gasping when I came up. But I'd found it was usually best to just take the plunge. Besides, my blood needed cooling.

     I could see him illuminated by the moonlight that streamed through the missing roof. Zeke hadn't moved. He was standing there, scowling at me with his arms crossed over his chest. "Either you take those clothes off, or I'll do it for you," I warned. "Strip and swim, flyboy!"

     He grumbled something in his own language. Then he quickly stripped out of his clothes. He was still scowling as he stepped into the water in the shallow end and waded toward me. "I was correct," he called through chattering teeth. "This water is quite effective at reducing body temperature."

     "Yes, I can see that," I said, glancing meaningfully down. "Now we're both women, huh?"

     He looked down. "You confuse me, J Alpha. My gender remains male?"

     "Not by the look of your block and tackle!" I swam toward him, took his hands, and drew him further into the water. He took a few steps forward and then resisted. I rolled my eyes. "Just duck under the water and get it over with," I advised. "You're halfway under anyway. Once you're wet, it won't feel so cold."

     "That seems unlikely to change the temperature of this water."

     I hummed. Then I grabbed the back of his head and shoved him forward and down with all my strength. He went under the water and immediately started thrashing. His wings flapped, throwing water everywhere. I let him go, and he popped back up, sputtering and cursing at me in Creeper. I laughed and came closer, putting my arms around his neck. "There, see? That wasn't so bad."

     He cursed some more. I laughed again. Then I tightened my arms around his neck, pulled his head down, and kissed him. Zeke froze. When I drew back, his glowing eyes were wide. He blinked owlishly at me. "Wha-what are you doing?"