Char's rubbed his temples, looking down at the two of them. Fa sat in a chair next to Kamille's stretcher, her head laying against the way and her hand in his. They both looked year older than they were, the war having already aged them. No longer children, little soldiers. Char hoped it was just the infirmary lights making Kamille's sick such a sickly pale. Char is no medic, but kKmille's hand looked broken, at least fractured and his side looked nasty when they pulled him out of Zeta. At the time, Char had feared it could be fatal with how kamille was responding. It wasn't like him to just go limp, he had looked so lifeless.

Fa was the one to pull Kamille out of zeta, and hadn't left his side since. Even when getting her few minor wounds treated she insisted on being near Kamille. She was right to do so, the few moments when Kamille became lucid she was the one to calm him down. Her firm yet caring words immediately resonated with Kamille and he listened long enough to get him sedated. Fa was the one who truly protects, takes care of, Kamille. Her companion alone is more than Char can provide, no matter how hard he tries he can't fully understand Kamille. And today, on the battlefield, fa was the one who rescued zeta after is was disabled, who prevented zeta from being destroyed after that shot from the hyper cannon.

The shot that was meant for himself.

Char had saw the commanding hizack take aim for the bridge but his hayuka shiki just wasn't fast enough, and his beam rifle had long ran out of energy. As he rushed towards the hizack to counter it, the hizack fired right before he was able to destroy it with his beam saber. Kamille had rushed zeta in front of the bridge, and with no time to counter took a direct hit to protect the bridge. With the commander destroyed, the few remaining mobile suits retreated. A victory for the Argama.

Fa has been the one to pull zeta into the mobile suit bay, not Char. He didn't feel like he has the same right to be here as her. She, even sleeping, was watching over Kamille. They both were in better hands together than with himself. He couldn't stay here, Char felt like he was invading.

Char existed the infirmary and decided to go somewhere, anywhere but here. While watching over Kamille guilt ate at him. Looking down the hallways, it was empty. A tiredness hung in the air. The whole crew was exhausted, and still fearful. The titans had them on the run. Pasting the commons even shinta and qum where quiet. It was as if the Argama herself was exhausted from battle.

Char sighted, he needed a distraction. Something to take his mind off Kamille. Amuro would be perfect, he hadn't had a chance to be alone with his lover since they left the Audhumia together. Brief kisses and urgent touches have been all they've shared. Even just being near him would be a comfort, a familiar presence, a stable point in char's life from as far back to when they rivaled each other. Char, turned sharply and started heading to the mobile suit bay, already knowing where Amuro would be. Even with as late as it was, it was unlikely Amuro had left with the shape that their mobile suits were in.

The Argama's mobile suit bay had emptied out hours ago, only Amuro remained as Char looked around. Amuro was inside of zeta's open cockpit, likely fixing what was destroyed in the battle earlier. In the other bays adjacent to zeta were the mk II and methuss, looking worst for the wear but better than when they first came in. But mobile suits wasn't char's main concern as he used a scissor lift to get up to Zeta.

"Amuro, its late," char whines as he draped himself over Amuro. Amuro didn't even turn around, just grunted in response. While not uncommon of Amuro to do so, especially while enacted in mechanisms, Char could see the tenses in Amuro's shoulders. Something was bothering him.

Besides the two of then, the mobile suit bay was empty. The stall Amuro was in was only illuminated by the soft lightof zeta's eyes and the scatter floors lights Amuro had laid down on the scissor lift next to the cockpit. Char forced himself furthering into zeta's cockpit, wrapping his arms around Amuro's middle and rested his Amuro's shoulder to see what his boyfriend was doing. It was cramped with the two of them on the floor of the cockpit and multiple screens and wires scatter about. Zeta had taken a direct hit, completely ruining the chest plate and the cockpit. It's surprising any of the internal mechanic were still intact, even more surprising that Kamille made it out alive. Both of them were grateful for that, yet also worried for slightly different reasons.

"Amuro, its late," repeated Char, more seriously this time. He knew Amuro's habits of overworking himself to counter anxiety. The day had been long, stressful- it was time for bed. Their assisted shifts had long ended and they needed the rest.

"I know, but Zeta needs-"

"It can wait until tomorrow. You on the other hand, cannot."

"I'm fine," Amuro muttered, trying to pull away from Char. Char grasped him on the shoulder, not letting Amuro escape that easy.

"Amuro, you're exhausted."

"I'm not, I can finish now. Zeta's computers need re-calibrated and aligned at the very least. The mainframe took the bulk of the damage. We're still in enemy territory. Zeta's useless if-"

"Amuro," char snapped, "you need rest and you cannot do any good for zeta in this state it's useless to continue." Char flashed an annoyed look at Amuro, any playfulness he had was gone now. Amuro was acting foolish and childish, overworking himself like this. Astoniage and Kamille handled zeta's maintenance fine before Aumuro took it over. Even without Kamille, Astoniage was more than capable enough to handle Zeta.

Amuro continued to pull away from him but regretted his words as soon as he met Amuro unfamiliar eyes. His eyes were bloodshot with bags underneath, panic laced in them. A frantic energy in them which Char has not seen before. Amuro's eyes were the stony firmly Char was familiar with when Amuro dug his heels into the ground.

"Are you suggesting I'm not capable of my duties? I'll have you know i earn my keep on the Argama!" Amuro was nearly yelling, clearly panicking. Char had no idea why Amuro was freaking out so bad. Was it the stress of the battle? But Amuro stayed behind on the Argama it's not like he had to pilot a mobile suit-

Oh

Oh god

Char knew he had messed up.

He felt like an Kamille in infirmary, there was no one one the Argama who could pilot zeta. That is, besides Amuro, who now was standing, braced against the side of the cockpit. He looked like a cornered animal, and hell Char knew he felt like one too. He felt like a fool for not realizing early.

"Amuro no one is going to make you do anything okay." Char had tried to say so as calmly and comforting as he could be it did nothing to calm the frantic look in Amuro's eyes. It was lost cause to try to clam Amuro fon here, perhaps his room would be better."Let go back to my room, I think I have notes on Zeta Kamille gave me," Char lied, gently taking Amuro's hand.

"but I have work to do…." Amuro said, but he put up not protest being lead of the Zeta onto the lift. Char could fell Amuro's hands shaking badly and wonders how you even managed to handle the delicate electrics of zeta like that. Out of the cockpit, it was more visible how bad of a shape Amuro was in. It was as if the weight of piloting zeta was physically on his shoulders.

Char guided Amuro by the hand through the dark corridors of the Argama to his room. Amuro followed behind, pushing not further protests. Arriving at his door char turned the lights on dim and guided Amuro to his bed, not bothering to have Amuro change yet. Sheets could be cleaned, what mattered now was comforting his boyfriend. Amuro was fidgety, eyes constantly darting around the room and his hands picking at his callouses. Char gently separated his hands and lifting his up to brush Amuro's hair out of his face. Amuro refused to face him, turning away.

"Amuro look at me. Everything is okay."

"that's a lie," Amuro mumbled softly. "I can't leave the Argama unprotected. Your hyaku is in need of replacement joints, you can't protect us alone. The methus and mk II are in even worse shape. We cant send the memos out alone. That leaves only zeta…" his voice was shaking too badly for char to continue to understand the rest of what Amuro said, but he could guess.

"Emma could pilot zeta, it's not the same as mk II but-" Char was interrupting by Amuro abruptly standing up.

"you knows that's not true."

"Kamille may-"

"So it's fine to send children out in our places! Kamille should never have had to design Zeta, let alone pilot it! Children fighting our wars," Amuro brakes out with a sob, Char hoped it wouldn't have come to this. All Amuro's trauma bubbling up after being covered for seven long years.

"It's not your war either," char whispered while gently pushing Amuro back down on the bed. His eyes weren't as frantic, more so resigned, almost hopeless. Char cannot say the same for himself, he would never dare to, but this was never Amuro's fight, none of it was. All Char could think to was hold Amuro to his chest, knowing their was little he could do to comfort him. Realistically, Amuro was right. With the Argama weakened and on the run the titans were likely to attack again. Char didn't know what to hope for. An immediate attack would force Amuro into zeta, but if the titan held off for awhile that would then allow Kamille to pilot zeta. With his injuries there's no telling how that would turn out and with as stubborn as Kamille is, he would never have Amuro go out in his place. He felt trapped in the familiar cycle of knowing his love ones would get hurt. All he could do was hope that the night would be peaceful.