Why didn't the Soviet Union and the u. s want to fight each other

Because they wanted to avoid mass nuclear destruction

Explanation:

Both sides didn't want to lose troops or pay for the war, and due to both sides having some sort of economy struggle they couldn't afford to start a war

But most importantly i would say they didn't want the nuclear destruction that might have wiped out both countrys

Both had nuclear missiles and didn't want them to launch them