By: Mad Mary Kidd

Pairings: 1+R, 1+2, 2+1

Warnings: 2lb angst, 1 tsp violence, 1/2 tsp het, pinch of shonen ai hints, OOC to taste

Disclaimer: They're not mine, no matter how much I wish they were. I'd have a much nicer computer if I owned GW

Intro: Not sure when this is set exactly. Before things get really serious, anyway. A snapshot of a quieter moment, if such things exist for Heero and Duo.

Push It

"Hey Heero, why so glum? It's a beautiful day, whyn'cha go enjoy it?" asked Duo brightly.

"Hn," was Heero's eloquent reply. He'd been staring out of the window for a long time now, and Duo was beginning to get worried about his friend. He decided to do something about it, and sat down next to Heero, risking a little nudge on the other boy's shoulder. To his surprise, Heero did nothing in response to the touch.

"Penny for 'em," Duo said softly. Heero turned to him.

"What?"

"Penny for your thoughts. It's what people say when they know there's something on your mind, and want to ask if you wanna talk about it," replied Duo. Heero stared at him for a moment, then turned back to the window.

"There's nothing on my mind."

"Uh huh. That's why you've been staring out that window and sighing like your dog just died."

"I said, there's nothing on my mind."

Duo heard the warning note in his friend's voice, was used to listening out for it. He just chose to ignore it.

"Yes there is. I'm no Quatre, but I don't need a space-heart to see you're brooding."

"Leave it alone, Duo. I don't want to talk about it."

The note of warning had been upped a notch, but Duo was still studiously ignoring it. He knew he was skirting a black eye, possibly more than that, but he pressed on.

"So there is something! I knew it. Is it Relena-sama?"

A pause. Then, "...No."

"I knew it. Heero Yuy, starry eyed over a girl!"

"I am not starry eyed!"

This was more like it. Duo knew the more he talked, the more inevitable that black eye was; but to get Heero to show some emotion, even a negative one, was exhilarating. Duo felt sometimes as if Heero were a mountain he was trying to climb, and Heero's heated declaration felt as if he'd reached some kind of peak.

"Yes you are," continued Duo, delighted at provoking a reaction out of his taciturn friend. "You're all starry eyed and goofy and - "

Wham.

Duo's reflexes were faster than the average person's, but even he hadn't seen that one coming. He keeled over to lie on the hardwood floor, staring at the ceiling. It was better to do that than remain upright, as doing the latter would probably mean two black eyes. Experience had taught him that Heero would calm down in a minute.

There was a long silence.

Finally, Heero broke it.

"Why do you do that, Duo?" Heero said, his tone unusually soft.

"...Do what?"

"Push and push until you push past my limit. Don't you know where it is by now?"

Duo took a moment to answer. In truth this was because he didn't trust his voice to hold out, but when he spoke again, there was no sign of any inner conflict.

"I know exactly where your limit is, Heero."

Heero stared at him for a few long moments. Then he slowly picked himself up and wandered out of the room without so much as a backward glance.

"Well, I guess that's what I get," said Duo aloud, to the empty room. "If you're gonna be friends with a Perfect Soldier, you gotta expect a few bust-ups."

Heero wasn't seething. He'd stopped doing that the second his fist had connected with Duo's face. But punching Duo had never made him feel better before, and it certainly wasn't helping now. In fact it had made him feel much worse, and had only compounded his predicament. It wasn't as if Duo deserved it, and hadn't he, Heero, been trained better than to attack innocent bystanders, no matter how they provoked him? Heero knew he should apologise to Duo, but somehow there was no force on the Earth or off it that would make him go back in that room right now. He felt thoroughly ashamed of himself.

He shook his head, as if trying to shake his thoughts into some kind of order. He knew Duo meant well, but the braided boy knew Heero had a short fuse. No, thought Heero. That still doesn't make it Duo's fault. I shouldn't have hit him. I hate seeing him hurt. And knowing that I caused that hurt... That is a wretched piece of knowledge indeed.

He had been wondering why he wasn't able to kill Relena, when Duo asked him. Wondering what that odd tugging feeling in his chest was whenever he saw her. Why he wanted to protect her when he knew he'd be better off if she were to die. Duo's remark about being "starry eyed" had probably - well, alright, definitely been too close to the bone. Heero was horrified at the thought that he could allow a girl - or anyone else - to cause his performance to be less than efficient. He had been trained better than that, and he knew Doctor J would be disappointed to think that Heero was just another bundle of overactive hormones.

Add to that the recently-acknowledged feelings he seemed to be developing in regard to... someone else, and it was no wonder Heero's already short fuse had decreased somewhat in length these past few weeks. Heero shook his head again. He knew he was angsting, but he couldn't help it. They hadn't had a mission for a few days now, and so Heero's mind had been forced to amuse itself by poking at things Heero would sooner have left well alone.

Take, for example, these newly-discovered feelings. It wasn't as if it bothered him that it was unconventional. He wasn't the type to give a flying fuck what other people thought of anything he did, never mind his choice of partner, but it did add to the confusion somewhat. And why now, when he was already preoccupied with Relena and all the problems her presence caused him?

And why did it have to be him?

Duo was wrapping some ice in a towel in the kitchen when Heero walked in. He stopped the second he saw the braided boy, and was about to turn around, hoping Duo hadn't heard him, when he spoke.

"Too late, heard ya." There was no teasing in the voice this time. In it's place was a note Heero hadn't heard before, and wasn't sure he liked. He stiffened, straightening his shoulders.

"Are you alright?"

Duo didn't turn around, just spoke to the worktop.

"...Fine."

Heero nodded. "Well... good."

The words were there, crowding to the front of Heero's mouth, straining to be spoken aloud, but he could not grant them freedom.

Gomen nasai1, Duo...

At last Heero opened his mouth to speak, but Duo beat him to it.

"It's alright."

Heero blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you're trying to apologise. Don't worry about it."

Poleaxed, Heero said nothing. He watched as Duo finished wrapping up the ice and brought the bundle to his face.

"Want some coffee?" Asked Duo.

Heero blinked again, then shook his head. "I'll make it."

Duo finally turned to look at him, with a quizzical expression made almost comical by the makeshift ice pack over one eye.

"Okay," he said at last, and sat down at the table to watch Heero fill the coffee pot.

Owari2

1"Gomen nasai" "I'm sorry". I really hate it when people put in random Japanese phrases and don't bother to put in a translation for all us non-Japanese baka.3 It's just showing off; it's not big and it's not clever. /rant .

2 "Owari" "The End"

3 "baka" "idiot", or "idiots". See previous.