Disclaimer:Don't own them and don't make any money off of them.
Thirty second Gundam Wing
All in a Name
1x2
It was hot near the machinery of the satellite, and a difficult climb along the struts and casings, but the thrill of being in danger , of having that adrenaline pump through every vein, kept Duo coming back there, again and again. It cleared his head and let his anger and frustrations bleed away... at least for a small time, at least while he was concentrating on not falling to his death.
Luck had not been on his side, this time, though. Even his skill at finding every handhold and step, had been negated, thoroughly, when a vent had opened up unexpectedly. It had thrown Duo wide, and a desperate clutch for purchase, had left him trapped, arm clamped tight when the vent had closed again.
Duo didn't like pain, but he liked the thought of calling for help even worse. He spent precious time, trying to jump the system, through a service panel, and then realized that the system was automatic and that the failsafe was n some technician's cozy office. The panel was only to control the venting fan.
"God hates me," Duo ground out. He looked down and sideways at the colony spread along the inner hub of the station. He could imagine the work crews swarming up and getting the poor ex Gundam pilot loose. Laughter and a new nickname, that would probably start with 'dumbass', were in his immediate future if he didn't get himself loose.
His circulation was being cut off, Duo knew. His arm was growing numb. There was also the slow trickle of blood running into his armpit. If he didn't act soon, he would be a dead dumbass Maxwell. Duo used his chin to activate his cell, strapped to his upper arm, along with his knife, and then used his tongue to dial a certain number. It was one he dreaded, but it was only less humiliating than letting the entire station know his mishap.
"Yuy," an impatient voice answered.
"Uh, Heero?" Duo felt his face go hot. "This is Duo."
There was an angry silence and then Heero said, "If this is to apologize, I'm listening."
Duo snarled,"No, it's not! I've got nothin' to apologize for, you-"
The phone disconnected and Duo was left with dead air. He swallowed hard, took a tight rein on his temper, and hit redial.
"Yuy," Heero replied.
"Don't hang up!" Duo begged. "Okay, maybe... maybe I said some shitty things to you, but I kind of-"
"You called me an asshole," Heero reminded him, seething. "If you're not going to apologize, I don't need to listen to anything more."
"Jeez! What are you, a girl?" Duo snorted. "You know I was right-"
Duo was talking to dead air again. He gritted his teeth and dialed again.
"Yuy," Heero's angry voice, growled.
"Okay!" Duo exclaimed quickly, "Maybe I did go over the top, a bit, but let's not talk about this now. I kind of have a prob-"
"Why shouldn't we talk about it?" Heero demanded. "I'm a professional Preventer agent. My work is very important to me. It's my life. I'm dedicated to keeping the peace that we've fought so hard for. Calling me an asshole. without a real life, isn't something I'm ready to forgive."
Duo frowned. "Then why do you want an apology?"
Heero was quiet and then he replied tightly, "I want you to understand me, why I chose the career that I have. I don't want you to mock it."
Duo tugged on his trapped arm, hissing at the pain, as he said, "Why does my opinion matter? Kirkwald said you were a stick up the butt, tin soldier, and you didn't go ballistic about that."
"His opinion is irrelevant," Heero replied with some hesitation.
Duo thought about that as he jerked on his arm and was dismayed to see more blood. "That so?" There was silence and then Duo said, "I was stupid, I guess, the way I put it. I didn't mean that your job wasn't important, or any of that, I just... think that you need a home life of some sort... a dog... a real place to live... somebody to care about. Saving the world, twenty four seven, seems... I dunno... like everyone's cheating you out of your life."
"I chose my career," Heero pointed out softly.
"Yeah," Duo snorted. "You do that self sacrificing thing too good. You need someone to put the brakes on it ,once in awhile."
"Like you?" Heero snorted back, though he sounded nervous.
Duo grinned, despite his danger and pain, feeling as if he were suddenly 'getting' something that had been there all along. "Yeah, like me."
There was a warm silence while they both thought about the implications of that, and then Duo gave a last tug. The sound of pain he made, as his arm came free, leaving some skin behind, made Heero gasp out, "What's wrong?"
"Stuck my arm in a vent on the section 29alpha struts of the station," Duo panted in pain, knowing that he couldn't climb to safety with his arm in that shape. "I think I need some evac, here, Heero."
"Idiot!"Heero exclaimed and Duo heard him knocking over things as he scrambled from wherever he was. "I'm coming! Don't try and climb out by yourself."
"I'm sitting tight," Duo promised, smiling despite the pain. "It doesn't look as bad as it feels, but I could use the help anyway. "
"I'm bringing a med kit,"Heero told him and then, after long minutes, "Duo?"
Heero sounded scared, sounded angry, sounded... "Yeah, Heero?" Duo prompted.
"You are a real Dumbass!" Heero told him,and Duo knew that he had taken a service skid to a point to where he could see him hanging by fingers and toes.
"Dumbass and asshole," Duo snickered, as Heero positioned the skid underneath him, wild, chocolate hair blowing in the updraft of engines, and blue eyes intense with worry. "Guess we'll make a great match."
END