Earlier

The ice was completely dark, the audience shrouded in shadows and expectant silence. The lone source of luminescence was the spotlight shining over the GPF silver medal winning skater, Yuri Katsuki. Yuri looked down at his skates, waiting for the music to begin. The ice radiated light similar to the sparkles vibrantly reflecting off of his costume. Blue. Everything was the color blue.

He suppressed a grin. The color blue was his favorite; it always seemed like such a calming and peaceful color. And now the whole world was watching from both an audience and through their televisions as the bright hue he wore was the only thing visible on the rink. The music began to play. Stay Close to Me, the song his coach, Victor, had skated to for his free program last year. Yuri started to mimic the motions Victor had done for his free program.

The music was so lovely. Only, Yuri knew something the audience didn't. Yuri wasn't here just to show how well he could do his coach's program. He was here to show how much his coach meant to him, for all to see. Yuri drifted down the ice and prepared for his first quad.

He pushed his body forward until, finally gaining enough speed, he flung himself into a swirling spin in midair, then landed his quadruple lutz. The audience cheered. Yuri summoned as much passion as he could, not only into his movements, but also into his expression. This skate was a dance, one that he would use to convey all of the emotion inside of him. He pictured the look Victor had had when he skated to the song.

It was so forlorn, so pensive. Yuri sunk in to that emotion. Victor, he thought. Yuri sprung into the air once again, landing his second quad. Victor. Desperation grew inside of him.

A year ago, he never would have imagined being able to skate for an exhibition. It was Victor who had brought him this far, to allow him to become a medal winner. He had spent everyday for the last year by Victor's side and he couldn't bear to be without him now. Yuri landed his last quad and continued to dance with the music. Energy began to swirl throughout his body.

He wasn't alone. Victor wasn't even watching him from behind the walls of the rink. He was there, with him. The light following him switched to purple. Victor, garbed in his matching, magenta costume from last year, appeared out from the dark and on to the ice with Yuri.

The audience roared around them. Yuri gently brushed Victor's chin and the two held hands as the drifted across the ice. To take a single's skating exhibition and change a routine into a pair skating program was incredibly unexpected, but it wasn't the first time the duo broke the norm. As ecstatic as Yuri was to finally be performing this skate with Victor at the Grand Prix, he focused his mind on the movements of his body. Thinking was hardly necessary, however.

All Yuri had to do was use his heart to navigate himself into succession with his fiancée. It felt so natural to him by now. Yuri helped Victor to find a good grip around his waist. Victor then lifted Yuri off of the ground and lifted him high into the air, as if Yuri was his possession, a prize that he could present to the whole world as his own. He placed him back down into a dip and the pair spun around.

Yuri felt so honored back when Victor asked if he wanted to learn how to do the program spot on. Yuri was still a little embarrassed that Victor had watched the video of him skating to the song, but he really did want to learn the routine perfectly and it became one of the first things his new coach practiced with him on. It was funny how Victor trying to teach Yuri how to do his skate turned into them goofing off and accidentally delving into pair skating. Ever since Yuri gained the confidence to go for the gold and get into the exhibition, deep down, he was especially hopeful of being able to perform this routine, which now even meant being able to do it with Victor at his side. Yuri tenderly touched Victor's cheek with the palm of his hand, carefully pulling it away as the skate continued to unfold. The warmth of a partner in the rink was such a new sensation for Yuri. He could only hope that he could do this again, and again….

"I don't know Victor, I'm a little concerned", Yuri sheepishly confessed to his coach.

"Yuri, don't you want to see all of your friends? You should celebrate, you did well this year", Victor tried reassuring him.

"N-no it's not that. I'm just scared I might get bored and accidentally drink too much booze", Yuri shamefully admitted.

"Aw, is that what's wrong? Don't worry, I'll protect you from too much champagne. Still, let's have some fun!" Victor cheered.

He took Yuri by the hand, feeling the slight chill of the metal ring around his finger. There was never a day Victor regretted putting that ring there. The two walked down the dimly lit hotel hall. Yuri blushed. He somewhat hoped someone would walk by and see them together. He was really starting to like being seen by Victor's side in public.

They carried on until they entered the large lobby. Moonlight illuminated the streets outside visible from the large windows all across the lobby's large walls. Not much was visible out there, or inside of the expensive hotel at the moment. The calm, orange lighting inside was constantly being disturbed by strokes of white flashes. Cameras were everywhere.

People were scattered in crowds against the walls behind stanchions cheering and asking for interviews. Well dressed skaters and sponsors were being channeled towards the conference center of the hotel. As soon as Victor and Yuri joined the fray, the crowds only got more chaotic. Victor gently tightened his grip on Yuri's hand. The two smiled and waved at the cameras. They funneled in line with the other celebrities and headed towards their destination.

The lobby continued onward until it opened into the large, lavish conference center in the next room. The red walls, sconces, and brilliant chandeliers reminded Yuri a lot of the last time he was at one of these things. Music played and people laughed. Victor and Yuri searched the round tables covered with white tablecloths and place cards for their names.

"We got seats with Yurio, didn't we?" Yuri asked.

Victor nodded and looked over at the other side of the room.

"Ah, there he is!"

Yuri Plisetsky sat alone at one of the tables in the far right corner of the room.

"Yuri!" Victor and Yuri cheered as they waved at their little superstar.

Yurio looked up and tried to hide his shame. Why were those two always so embarrassing? Victor sat to the right of Yurio and his fiancée sat to the right of him.

"It's so fancy this year", Yuri remarked.

"You should have seen the celebration after Worlds last year", Victor added.

"Yuri didn't qualify for that, did he?" Yurio recalled.

Yuri nodded. He didn't make it to the Four Continents or the World Championships last year. He was so humiliated by his failure at the GPF and the Nationals two years ago that he didn't even watch the Worlds on television. Not even to see Victor skate and win gold. Yurio noticed Yuri seemed uncomfortable with the topic.

"The pizza's good, try it", he said as he picked up a slice from his plate on the table, a long string of cheese still attached to it as he took a bite.

Victor stood up to go to the buffet tables.

"Get me something while you're there", Yuri told him.

"Your wish is my command", Victor said with a grin.

Yuri watched as he walked away. He admired the flattering, black suit Victor was wearing. Finally, he was wearing a suit for an appropriate occasion and not during one of Yuri's competitions for no reason. Even Yurio was dressed nicely for the event with a nice, navy suit that highlighted his light blonde, shoulder-length hair. Yuri squeezed the ends of his sleeves. He was finally able to wear the suit Victor bought him for his birthday. The fabric felt so soft. Suddenly, the lights in the room dimmed and the music turned off.

"Excuse me, everyone!"

Phichit, one of Yuri's best friends and a fellow skater from the GPF, stood in the middle of the room where there was a clearing for people to stand and talk, or eventually dance. Only now, Phichit stood alone as he spoke into a mic and a spotlight shone on him.

"May I have everyone's attention please. I would like to welcome all of you to this year's Grand Prix Finals banquet!"

The audience clapped, politely, trying to mask their confusion.

"Now, I would like to make a special announcement. One of you… is a murderer!"

Everyone began to murmur and chatter in more confusion.

Phichit continued, "Tonight, we're going to play a game! To help promote everyone to talk and have fun, we're going to play a game I call the Skating Spy. The banquet's sponsors have let me organize the game and you're all free to play along! Now, onto the rules of the game".

"Great, what kind of stupid game am I getting dragged into this time?" Yurio scoffed.

Yuri saw the pictures from the GPF banquet he was at last time. He saw how Yurio had jumped into the dance offs on his own. He smiled as he imagined Yurio was secretly excited about this game as well.

"One of you has been selected to play the murderer in the game. This person will select four different people throughout the night to 'kill', which means they will be asked to leave the banquet", Phichit explained.

The crowd groaned.

"We don't want anyone to be left out, right? So, the only way to save those four people is to find the murderer as soon as possible!"

"There's no surprise that Phichit would be the one to host this game", Victor said as he placed a plate for him and Yuri on the table and seated himself.

Yuri nodded. Phichit was practically the most sociable person Yuri knew. He had so many connections and was constantly communicating with fans through social media.

"Throughout the night, you will have to determine who the murderer is by using the clues about them that I, the police chief, give to you throughout the night about who the murderer is. You'll have to get to know everyone if you want to figure out who the murderer is based on their life. Now, here's the trick. Everyone in here must come to a unanimous vote on who they think the murderer is. You get two chances to vote together. If neither vote guesses correctly, you lose the game! Now, is everyone ready to have some fun!" Phichit cheered.

The crowd now seemed quite eager about Phichit's idea. The lights turned back on, the music began to play once again, and everyone raced out into the middle of the room now talking their heads off.

"Yuri, stay by me. I won't let anything happen to you tonight", Victor said, placing a hand on Yuri's thigh.

Yuri's face became very serious and he nodded in return.

"Ugh, don't make me puke", Yurio said as he rose from his chair and walked out into the crowd.

Yuri dug into a slice of pizza Victor had brought him and gulped down some champagne. Yuri was excited to play pretend with his friends, even if it seemed a little childish. It would also give him an excuse to stay by Victor, too….

To be continued...


Update Summary: I took out a few lines from the first chapter that suggested Yuri's pair skate with Victor at his exhibition wasn't canon, because I honestly thought the scene was just Yuri hoping to pair skate with Victor someday, but now I actually get that that scene was his real exhibition skate after the GPF which is independent of the competition instead of it taking place at a pair skating competition. So, the second chapter has a reflection of that exhibition scene and will also lead into the banquet that took place soon after, which I will complete soon. Enjoy!