Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer Applies
A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first alternate universe. Pretty cool huh? Its a 1x2 fic because I need to give my readers at least one, one-shot of Heero and Duo. It will be pretty long, to tell you straight up. But I put my heart into this fic to make it good. (I hope to enter it into the Nanashi fanfic contest this year..). Don't be easy on me and tell me what I need to fix in the fic. Thanx! Enjoy!
Duo Point of View! ^.^

Flashes of Light by AlantisB

******

"I may run and hide
When you're screamin' my name, alright.
But let me tell you now
There are prices to fame, alright.
All of our time spent in flashes of light."

Larger Then Life, Backstreet Boys

******

The lights were focused all on me as I went through my routine just like I practiced. My body was pumped up to the beat of the music and I was lost in my own little world of fantasy. I forgot everything that was around me; I was totally focused. It was just me and the ice. I ignored everything but the ice beneath my skates. I ignored the audience and the judges and the cameras of all the news stations in the nation were not even in my thoughts as I went through the motions of what I loved to do best, what I had dedicated myself to since I was seven years old. I was in my element.

The song that my body was tuned to was coming to the end as my dance on ice was coming to an end. When I posed to finish my routine, there was absolute silence in the audience for a couple of seconds. I slowly came out of my little world and could feel my body heaving for breath and the sweat running down the sides of my face. I'm telling you, having finished that performance in front of national TV was the most exhilarating experience of my seventeen years of life. I never felt more alive before that moment.

The ice rink suddenly erupted with enthusiastic applause and I swear I must've had the largest, most stupid grin on my face but I didn't care. I had figured skated for the United States Championship and if I didn't win, it didn't matter because I had performed at the US Championship! THE Championship of the good old US of A. I bowed to the audience with more grace then I had ever done when not skating. God, I felt I was on top of the world and to think, my teachers never thought I'd amount to anything! Life is funny that way; isn't it?

I grinned as I skated around the rink to work up the crowd while grabbing the roses from the ice that were thrown at me from the audience. My trainer motioned me to come to the little booth that allowed me to exit the rink. I skated over ignoring my heaving breath. I grabbed him in a largest hug I ever gave anyone and I started laughing in relief as I smiled at him. That was so cool! I didn't fall flat on my face or anything! My trainer grabbed a black blanket from the side as soon as he detached himself from me and wrapped it around me. Oh, I didn't notice I was shivering. Good thinking, man!

"That was good Duo, you did great!" My trainer smiled at me warmly.

I swear to God, no trainer is cooler then Quatre Winner! For a guy that grew up in the hot southern state of Texas, he sure knew how to train a guy to figure skate. The fact he is my bestest friend in the world helped him train me better because I listen to him. Wait, is bestest a word? Oh well, it didn't matter!

Quatre helped me sit down as I grabbed my blade covers from the side and slipped on the black plastic so the ice blade on my skates wouldn't ruin the carpet. My braid fell over my shoulder and I flicked it behind my back so I wouldn't accidentally chop off my hair. I'd never skate again if that happened! Well, maybe I'm overexerting but my hair is my best feature! I would never show my face in front of a camera again if that happened.

I sat there nervously as I waited for my scores to show up. What was taking the judges so long? You would think they could just give me my damn scores now so I won't be a nervous wreck for ten minutes. But no, they like to see you sweat a little in front of cameras.

"Shhh," said Quatre trying to get everyone around us to quiet down. The judges were about to announce my scores. I crossed my fingers and looked up at the scoreboard.

"Duo Maxwell of Colorado's score is: 9.8, 9.9, 8.7, 9.8, and 9.9." The audience cheered and everyone around me was shocked then suddenly my best buddy and trainer, Quatre, gave me a huge hug as I stared at the scoreboard. My score was higher then the other skaters by three points. Just three little points! My mind had shut down in the overload, this couldn't be happening to this poor little orphan boy out of Colorado. My dream had come true; I was the United States Champion figure skater.

I won.

"Oh my god! I won!" I cried out in shock. Then I laughed out loud and hugged Quatre back and I was too excited to sit and talk to news reporters who started to crowd around me to get an interview. My yard long chestnut braid swung behind me as I hugged everyone I knew around me in my excitement. The only thing that could make this even better was if Father Maxwell and Sister Helen were here to see me now. The only two people who thought I had talent for figure skating and started training me when I was seven. But I can't hope for more miracles right? One is enough for today.

"I won the US Nationals!" I yelled. Today was the best day of my life and at that moment I decided it couldn't get any better then this.

******

I stared out the window of the black limousine watching the buildings fly past me. It's been a little over two months since I had won the United States Championship in figure skating. My trainer Quatre sat across from me in one of the seats drinking some nice hot tea and sitting there comfortably. We were heading to our hotel somewhere in Tokyo so we could get some well-earned rest. I tried to remember how I had gotten here.

After we went home that night for some sleep, the championship was all over the news in the morning. It was cool to see myself on TV, I was one of those skaters that kinda come out of no where so the news people play me all day as the lead story. It was cool, to say the least. But then the phone rang around two o'clock in the afternoon and Quatre got up to answer it. I heard the mutterings of a low voiced conversation then Quatre had said a cheerful goodbye to whoever was on the other side of the line. I sat up from the couch and looked over at him.

"What's up, Q-man?" I raised an eyebrow at the cheerful blonde boy who practically bounced into the room. His face was in a wide smile, the kind that went from ear-to-ear.

"Duo, that was just the head organizer of the World Championship Figure Skating. He called to ask if you would like to participate this year in the World Tournament."

I think I had my mouth open in shock because Quatre walked over and sat down next to me. "You don't have to decide right now, Duo. It is a big step in skating."

"What are you nuts?" I grabbed him by the shoulders and grinned. "Of course I would like to go to World! Man, you have no idea how cool that would be! To get a gold metal in world would be like, the best thing to ever happen to me! You better call that dude up again and tell him I'll go!"

Quatre had laughed and agreed. He got up and went to call the World Championship again. That was how my American butt landed in Japan. Japan was where the World was taking place in two months so Quatre had the bright idea of heading here two months early so I could practice here instead in the USA. To get a feel of the place, he said.

If you ask me, I think he just wanted me to turn into a human popsicle. I had no idea Japan had such cold winters, but just because I had no idea of the weather didn't mean I wanted to experience it first hand! Plus leaving all my cool friends behind made me kinda sad. The only thing I could see I had going for myself is that I knew Japanese. I had taken Japanese as my language in High School so I was okay, I guess. It was iffy at best, but living in Japan for the next few months should help me with it.

I sighed as I watched the sky open up and snowflakes started to fall. I pulled my coat tighter around me and blew my hot breath into my hands then rubbed them together.

Did I mention I was failing Japanese?

******

The halls were empty of students which was a good thing because I don't feel like being pushed around for autographs or something today. I had my school schedule in my hand and I glanced up from it every once in a while to check the room numbers above the door. My homeroom was 604 and I think I'm really lost because none of the rooms are near the six hundreds.

I was walking down the hall with a little bounce in my step. Since Quatre was eighteen he didn't have to go to school so I was pretty much on my own. Not that I minded really, I needed to be around other people then Quatre. He was a nice guy and all but he was a worrywart.

After we had settled in our hotel room, he had called the schools and got me enlisted in a Japanese school not too far away from the hotel. I had complained and complained that I hated school and that I didn't want to go, but eventually the blonde had convinced me I should. He said that even if I was the USA champion I had to have something to fall back on in life if skating doesn't work out. Sometimes I hated when he was right.

I looked up from the paper again and I noticed I wasn't the only one in the hall. There was another guy who was about my height and had the most craziest hair I had ever seen. It was all over the place! I grinned and I ran over to the guy as he shut his blue locker.

"Hiya! I'm Duo Maxwell and I'm kinda lost, can you tell me where room 604 is? I'm new in this school." I tried to say it in my best Japanese but I think it sounded a little funny because the guy just turned to look at me and started to stare at me. He had the most enticing blue eyes I had ever seen.

I stood there for a few minutes waiting for him to respond. I felt like an idiot after a while. I mean this guy probably didn't understand a word I just said because I must've fucked it up so bad its not even understandable. "Heero Yuy. That is my homeroom. Follow me." He said in a monotone and I shrugged and followed the guy around the corner and to the end of the hall. Maybe my Japanese wasn't as horrible as I thought!

I cheerfully walked behind Heero and looked around the hall. Japanese schools weren't much different then American ones, the only difference was there were Japanese kanji written everywhere and not English words and lettering. Japanese Schools and American Schools have one major difference, I noted. Japanese students, like Mr. Heero Yuy in front of me, all are stiffs. At least an American student, myself being an example; know how to have fun. Sure the Japanese kids get more of an education and learn more, but they become boring stiffs for the rest of their lives working for the emperor while American kids become party animals and get more money from the government. It's a fair trade, right?

We entered the classroom and I looked around with wide eyes. Damn, this room was huge! How can anyone concentrate on the teacher speaking if the room echoes? Okay, so I was stretching that a little but it was pretty big. The guy who led me to the room walked up some steps and slid into a two seat desk. I noticed he was by himself and that a lot of the girls were drooling over him while the guys were glaring at him. Oh ho! A ladies' man. I guess even Japan has them around.

I snapped back to reality and walked over to the teacher's desk. "Excuse me, I'm a new student here." I said in English. No use embarrassing myself in front of my homeroom teacher right? I could always do that later. "Duo Maxwell."

The teacher looked up at me then smiled pleasantly. "Welcome to my class, Maxwell-san. Please take a seat next to Yuy-san and the class will begin shortly." Wow, she had pretty good English for a Japanese woman. I nodded and grinned and I bounded up the steps and slid into the seat next to Heero.

For the rest of the day I had people glaring holes into my back and sometimes a paper balls thrown at me by most of the girls. My first day was okay if you don't count that I almost choked on a paper ball that was thrown into my mouth when I turned around to yell at one of the girls.

When school was over I headed back to the hotel and changed into a pair of black sweats and grabbed my black duffel bag and put on my black baseball cap. That's a lot of black right? But I can't help it if it was my best color. I stopped at one of the fast food places and had a little ramen noodles (while spending 10 minutes figuring out how to hold the damn chopsticks). I then headed over to the World Champion ice rink that Quatre had said I could practice at if I felt up to it today.

I changed into my skating clothes and put on my skates. I came out and noticed someone else was on the ice. I sat in one of the seats and my eyes became slightly larger as I stared. No fucking way! That is not Mr. Stick-up-my-ass Yuy doing a triple axial and better then I could! But that can't be right. I knew was in denial, and it because it was Heero, the Japanese student stiff, was figure skating like a dream in tights. I rubbed my eyes and blinked and looked again to make sure. Yup, it was Heero.

I then noticed that there was another guy who was on the ice too but looked to be correcting Heero's form. He had weird bangs that covered one of his green eyes and he had blue jeans and a green turtleneck on. Every once in a while he would stop Heero and show him what he did wrong. That must be his trainer, but if that is a trainer and this is the World Champion ice rink...

Was Heero Yuy the champion of Japan?

******

Every day for a week I watched Heero practice. After that first day his trainer was no longer with him but I didn't really notice because I think I was too absorbed in the Japanese boy. His form was perfect, so perfect I gave him his own little nickname in my mind; The Perfect Skater. It was so fitting because I knew my form couldn't be as good as his. He glided on the ice with grace I never possessed and his technique was so unusual he would get the judges' appeal in the World. How could I have ever thought I would be able to reach World? I'm just a poor kid out of Colorado that had a streak of luck in winning the USA Championship. I could never match him in figure skating.

By the seventh day I was sick of myself. Why should I care that this Japanese stiff could skate better then I can? Skating was never for the prizes I would win but for myself. I will not let Mr. Heero Yuy cloud my goals. I would skate for myself and not to be better then anyone else.

I arrived at the ice rink earlier then usual to get onto the ice before Yuy could. I glided onto the ice and started my new routine I had spent all week working up. I blocked out the rest of the world and closed my eyes as I performed. I ignored everything, the lights and anyone who could be watching because it was just me and the ice.

This routine was my best, the one I knew could make it in World's Champion Tournament. I called it "Dancing With Death" because that was what it seemed like. Ice was considered cold, hard, and could kill you. So in a way when I glide over the ice like this, my body in tune with the music in my mind, I was dancing and the ice was Death. And therefore I was dancing with Death. Clever isn't it?

When I finished, I came back to reality and felt eyes boring into the back of my head. I turned around and noticed Heero standing there with his arms folded. We stared at each other for a while not really saying anything. Heero skated over and stopped about a foot in front of me. I was nervous but I didn't show it. I wonder if he felt me staring at him when he performed this whole week? If he didn't, he never showed it, much to my relief, because that would be embarrassing to get caught.

"You're good." He said in monotone. Then the Perfect Skater left the rink without saying anything else. I stood there for a while in confusion. 'You're good'? That was what he wanted to tell me after trying to burn holes in the back of my head? Jeez, you think you know a guy and then he goes and tries something like this.

I skated over to the booth and changed into my sweats and took off my skates. I thought over what I've been doing over the last week. Although my Japanese had improved a bit, I still didn't learn much else in school. I was too busy ducking paper balls and thinking about Heero. I swear that was all that was on my mind these days. Heero Yuy. Was I becoming obsessive? Nah, not in a million years! I just wanted to show up the guy in World and see the look on his face when he comes in second. That would be awesome but I got to admit, I don't think I would ever get the gold. It was too impossible. But hey, since when did Duo Maxwell worry about the little details like impossibility?

******

I frowned at myself when no one was looking. The World Championship was only a week away. But I have one little tiny problem. See, over the course of about two months I've been sinking. Not in grades, why would I care if my grades suck? But I mean, I was falling for Heero Yuy. That is a bad thing! Very bad!

I started to notice it when I would wake up from my dreams with Heero's name on my lips and when I would see little things in Heero that no one else figured out. Like, how his mouth would twist upwards a little bit if I said something funny or in gym how he has the most amazing figure in a towel. I started to shy away from him because of it and I think it hurt him some. I mean I'm the not brightest light bulb in the box but I can when the guy won't sit next to me anymore.

I knew I couldn't fall for Heero Yuy for two reasons. One, we both live in two different countries and long distance relationships don't work. Two, because I wasn't gay. At least, I didn't think I was. I mean, I never really had time to think about my sex life because I had none. Training and going around the country never gave me an opportunity for a relationship. Plus what would Father Maxwell say? Didn't the Catholic Church hate homosexuality? Would that count me out of heaven? I don't know but it makes me worry. I shook those thoughts from my mind as I ate lunch. There was one last reason I couldn't like Heero.

"HEEEEROOO!" Yelled a girl's voice.

Relena Peacecraft, the most popular girl in school, was his girlfriend. Doesn't that just suck? To top it off the girl doesn't know the meaning of playing hard-to-get. She hangs on him all the time and just won't leave the poor guy alone. I feel sorry for him because having an annoying girl around you with such a loud decimal voice range must kill his poor eardrums.

Not that I care, I mean, I wasn't falling for him. Nope, not me! Aww, who am I kidding? I was head over heels for the guy but he doesn't know. I still go to the ice rink and watch him practice even though I shy away from him at school. That's a crazy thing to think isn't it? It is. But since when was I ever sane to begin with?

******

I took a deep breath as I skated onto the ice and got into my ready position. I had seen Heero Yuy before my turn, and I knew my luck was slim in beating his routine. But I wouldn't give up hope, because my chance was just as good as his. I focused myself and left the world behind me as I started my Dancing With Death routine. God, I never felt so in tune with the ice as I did at this moment. I forgot everything but my skates touching the ice in an elaborate dance.

I believe I never worked so hard in a routine in my entire life. I wanted the gold; I wanted to win. The hell with Heero being better then me, I knew I could win. I was working hard; my body was heaving with effort as I put my heart and soul out for everyone to see as I danced. I knew Quatre was staring at me as if I grew another head, because I've never performed as good as I was before tonight. I was smiling, I was working the crowd as I got them to cheer and clap at every trick I did. It was amazing! The thrill of commanding the audience and the dance made me addicted to the attention.

It would be so much better if I could have Heero here with me, dancing to my song.

The song came to a close as I posed for the end of my dance. My chest was moving up and down as I gasped for breath. My cheeks were flush and my hair was coming out of the braid. My arms and legs felt so sore but I didn't care. I looked up at the audience and gave them my 100-watt grin. The noise was deafening as everyone clapped and cheered. Some people even threw roses like they did for Heero. I glided over toward the wall and grabbed some of the roses, waving to the crowd as I glided over to the booth.

"That was great Duo! Wow! When did you learn to do that so well?" Quatre asked as he helped me in and wrapped the blanket around me. I just gave him a weak smile and took a sip of my water bottle that was next to me.

"Just practice, Q-man!" I replied. The crowd around me grew quiet as the judges got ready to announce which country had won. You know, winning didn't seem too important to me anymore. I'm just glad I got this over with. But winning would be nice, I wouldn't pass up the gold metal for anything.

A man's voice blazed through the loud speaker. "Duo Maxwell of USA's score is: 9.8, 9.8, 9.5, 9.2, and 8.7." It was in Japanese, so I had to wait for Quatre to translate for me then I promptly shouted in glee and laughed. Wow! I got such a high score! This was the best day ever! Oh wait, the judge was saying something else. "-Maxwell is the winner of the World Championship figure skating."

My mouth dropped open and I knew I looked silly but damn, I won? How the hell had I managed to get lucky twice! It was like, impossible! Jeez, I must have lady luck as my mother in order to pull this off. I just hugged everyone and grinned cheerfully as I answered reporter's questions on 'What will you do now that you won the Gold.' I felt like replying "I'm going to Disney Land!" But that was too cliche. Besides, I'm sick of Micky Mouse since I live in the USA and seeing him in Japan wouldn't be too exciting.

I noticed a figure making his way toward me and my eyes widened when Heero smirked slightly and handed me a banquet of red roses. He then leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Congratulations, Duo." I turned to him and his lips grazed mine softly. My eyes were wide, I mean really wide, as I stared into the Japanese boy's eyes in shock.

His eyes were showing love, not outright and mine were showing it too, I think. I was happy and floating on air because he loved me and not that annoying girl. He loved me, Duo Maxwell from Colorado, USA. I grinned at him cheerfully; then my vision went white as I lost his gaze from the camera's flashes of light.

******

This is my longest one-shot to date. I know it moved fast, but since it wasn't multi-chapter like I'm used to it was a new experience. Please tell me what you think! Ja!

-AlantisB