Disclaimer: Don't own. TT Don't even bother.

Thirty Minutes

One-shot

Written on the twenty-seventh of May, 2005

Heero was furious. Duo told himself he didn't particularly care, after all he was the one with the major injuries. He was the one who'd been crushed under a gundam with nothing more than a few layers of clothing to protect him. He was the one who'd acted as bait when the mission had gone wrong. But… in Heero's eyes… he was the one who'd fucked up what should have been an easy mission.

"It was simple. Detonate the target, don't get caught. What were you thinking?" Heero hissed, glaring at him.

Duo tried to ignore him, growling as he limped towards the ugly green couch someone had dumped in their most recent safe house. His head was throbbing, his arm and leg were on fire, his face was covered in blood, and he felt the beginnings of a concussion wrapping around his body.

"Look, Heero." He ground the name out as if the sound of it tasted bitter. It almost did… "It wasn't like I fucking fucked it up on fucking purpose."

Heero's eyes narrowed further. "The mission was compromised. You are to blame. Intention does not come into the equation."

Duo slumped on the couch and let his head fall into his hands. "God damn you, Heero."

"You compromised the mission."

"It's always about the fucking mission, isn't it?" Duo snapped, not looking up. The room felt incredibly hot, but his body was starting to shiver.

"Yes! It IS about the mission. We are about the mission. The mission is our LIFE."

"The mission is a duty, Heero! It's not a goddamned lifestyle! We're fifteen year old boys! I'm a fifteen-year-old boy! I have limits!"

"Limits are NOT a part of the mission parameter!" Heero barked.

Duo's head snapped up, his eyes smoldering, "Limits are a part of HUMAN FUCKING BEINGS! That's what we are! That's what I am! A human being, Heero! I make mistakes sometimes! I'm not a perfect FUCKING soldier!"

Heero lunged forward, his hand fisting in Duo's shirt. "You are a soldier. You are trained as a soldier. You are not suited for anything but being. A. Soldier."

Duo wrenched Heero's hand away from his clothing, trying hard not to stumble as the world shifted. "Soldier. Or. Not. Heero. We are human. We were trained by humans. The doctors are human beings, with limited life-spans and a little thing called mortality."

"Mortality did not cause this mistake. Your stupidity is to blame." Heero growled. "If you don't think like a soldier, you won't survive like a soldier. And you'll others down with you."

Duo glared for all he was worth at Heero. "What the HELL is your problem! I've been working my ASS off for these missions! I've been slaughtering, torching, bombing, and working myself to exhaustion for this fucking war.

Stupidity was not what put my guard down, Heero. Fatigue is what nearly got our asses toasted. Do you know what that is, Heero?" Duo was shaking, most of it caused by rage.

"Fatigue," he continued, "is going for three days without sleep… and without food… working my ass of on missions. Making this shit work.

How many times have I saved your ass, huh? How. Many. Times, Heero? Don't you think… you could show a little mercy for one of your hardworking comrades?"

Heero remained silent for several moments, not so much as twitching under Duo's resentful gaze. When at last he spoke… his words were, "Mercy…is for the weak."

That anger inside Duo swelled up and snapped his thin control. With an outraged cry, he lunged at Heero. The soldier did not lift a finger in his defense as the braided pilot tackled him. Duo's eyes were glistening with tears that he shamefully could not control. His hands fisted in the familiar green tintypes he hovered angrily over the other boy.

"What the hell is the matter with you! Why can't you be HUMAN like the rest of us!" Duo bellowed angrily, his voice wavering as tears streamed down his cheeks. "You push me to the brink of fucking insanity! You are NEVER satisfied with me!"

Heero glared at him and remained silent. Duo growled and jerked on the material of Heero's shirt. "You're such a BASTARD! I've had ENOUGH of it! Is it too much to ask for you to let me LICK MY FUCKING WOUNDS IN PEACE! Let me wallow in my OWN accusations before you dump yours on the pile! You think I don't feel guilty for fucking up the mission! What the hell do you want from me!"

Heero replied evenly, "What do you want, Duo? Do you want us to fail? Do you want to lose this war? Do you want to die?"

Duo failed to choke back a sob. He clenched harder on the fabric of Heero's shirt as his anger faded and was swallowed by sorrow. He dropped his gaze, his bangs shadowing his eyes.

His head snapped up and there was an angry desperation in his face.

"I WANT YOU TO LOVE ME, GOD DAMNIT."

Whatever had been going through Heero's mind died at those words. He stared wide-eyed at the boy above him.

"I WANT YOU TO GIVE A SHIT WHEN I GET HURT ON A STUPID MISSION.

I WANT YOU TO CARE MORE ABOUT ME THAN NOT HITTING THE TARGET.

I WANT YOU TO WORRY WHETHER OR NOT I'M COMING BACK DEAD OR ALIVE.

I WANT-

I want you… I want you to care."

Duo slumped against Heero, his face buried in the green shirt. "Why can't you do that, Heero? I'm…am I not good enough?"

Heero remained speechless, staring at the top of Duo's head. The other boy shifted… and stood, flinching as his leg nearly buckled beneath him. He didn't look at Heero as he limped out of the room. Heero stared at the ceiling when Duo disappeared from his line of sight. A door shut firmly somewhere behind Heero.

Duo curled up on his bed, making a half-assed attempt to cover himself with the blanket. His head was aching and his eyes burned. The small fractures in his arm and leg protested all the movement and excitement. He reached under his pillow and pulled out a pill bottle. He swallowed to of the pills and tossed the bottle onto the floor. He was asleep soon, despite the growing agony in his body.

Heero eventually got up, his mind still trying to wrap around Duo's words. I WANT YOU TO LOVE ME. Love him…? Heero looked around the room, his eyes coming to rest upon Trowa, who stood leaning against a wall. He hadn't noticed the tall pilot's approach. Trowa looked at him, but said nothing. Quatre walked into the room, frowning softly to himself. He stopped and looked up when he saw the two somber boys.

A long silence reigned over the room. Heero looked at Quatre. Quatre looked at Trowa. Trowa looked at Heero. Some unspoken something went between the three of them. A tense sort of communication.

It was Quatre who eventually broke the silence. He sighed and said, "He needs to be woken up every thirty minutes. If he sleeps longer than that, there's a risk of him going comatose. Also…" He wordlessly tossed something to Heero, who reflexively caught it.

The boy glanced down at the empty bottle. A sleep-aid. Yellow print on the bottle promised 'dreamless, nightmare-free rest.' Heero's fist tightened around the bottle and he looked up. Trowa had disappeared and Quatre was retreating from the room, glancing at Heero once over his shoulder. Heero looked at the door Duo had gone through and made up his mind.

Duo half-turned and blearily opened his eyes as the bed shifted. Heero sat beside him, his cobalt eyes looking down on Duo with an unreadable expression. Duo's muddled mind could think of nothing to say. Heero saved him the trouble of trying and spoke.

"Concussion. Every thirty minutes." He said shortly.

Duo blinked, then smiled. Heero gave him a vague smirk in return and offered a glass of water. Duo sat up, taking it gratefully. Heero's eyes stayed glued to him as he drank. When the glass was empty, it was taken and set aside, where it wouldn't be in the way. Heero then pushed Duo back down and stood.

"Thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes." Duo agreed, his eyes already sliding shut. Thirty minutes. "Thanks, Heero…"

"Baka."

Wee! I want to thank Neev for his/her review! And also for pointing out the funky formatting. I dunno wtf is up with but it's been acting like a super-whore for the last week or two.

In actual response to the review - Thank you SO much for your comments. Yeah, I guess I could've done with a little more subtlety in the 'I want you to love me bit' but Duo was angry. He just kinda lost it. As for the ending… mou, it does seem sappy. But it's not like BAM they're together. Heero's just… he was taken aback and he's trying to be a little nicer cause Duo MIGHT just have freaked him out a tad.

Thanks again!

(Re-posted on Wednesday June 1st, 2005 'cause the formatting was borked. )