The breaks screeched, onlookers screamed, the sound of bodies colliding with the pavement filled the streets, time stood still.
Yuri and Otabek had been driving around Almaty on Otabeks motorcycle earlier that day, the sun was shining on their faces.
"I love this Beka. Almaty is so beautiful" Yuri commented as they rounded another corner. Otabek knew these streets like the back of his hand.
"I'm glad you like it" Yuri couldn't fully make out what he'd said due to their helmets but he got the idea. He wrapped his arms around Otabeks waist tighter.
They stopped off at a donut shop and got one each, chocolate filled and covered for Yuri and plain jam and sugar for Otabek.
"Wanna bite?" Yuri asked
"Sure. I try yours you try mine?"
"Sure" Yuri smiled and leaned towards the offered food item as Otabek did the same. While their mouths were still covered in the others donut Yuri pulled Otabek in for a kiss, a very sweet and messy kiss.
"That's disgusting Yura!" Otabek said laughing.
"You love it" Yuri retorted.
It was getting late by the time they finished their donuts, Otabeks mother had told them not to be too late as she would have dinner ready. They decided to go for one more lap around the city. They'd still be back with plenty of time to spare.
Rounding another corner, Yuri made a mental note to ask Otabek why there were so many god damn corners in the city. They approached a red light and Otabek slowed down, this gave Yuri a chance to speak a kiss in. The lights in Almaty seemed to stay red forever, he slipped him helmet off and kissed the only bit of skin he could reach, just below Otabeks helmet. He'd done this before and it always seemed to make his boyfriend happy. Otabek turned around to tell Yuri to put his helmet back on and it happened.
Approaching from their left was a black Toyota Avensis going way too fast to be safe.
"Yuri put your helmet on now!" Otabek ordered. Yuri hesitated and looked where Otabek was staring.
"YURA….." That was the last work Otabek said before they both felt the impact of the car hitting the side of the motorbike. Their left legs would be broken for sure, they took the brunt of the impact.
The breaks screeched, onlookers screamed, the sound of bodies colliding with the pavement filled the streets, time stood still.
The next few moments went by in a blur, Otabek was drifting in and out of consciousness. He thanked god he told Yuri to put his helmet back on. When he opened his eyes the next time he managed to stay conscious. He instinctively looked for Yuri, he looked for blonde hair, he couldn't see him.
"Yura?" Otabek shouted, he tried to move but soon remembered his broken leg. Someone from the crowd came over and helped him stand. He couldn't put any pressure on his left leg so they acted as his left leg for now.
As soon as he stood up, he saw him. Yuri was lying face down on the pavement.
He hadn't managed to get his helmet on in time. His helmet lay a few feet to his left, cracked but not completely broken.
"Yuri?" Otabeks voice was almost inaudible, as if he didn't believe what he was looking at. He didn't believe it.
Otabek threw himself out of the strangers grasp and fell beside Yuri.
"Yura. Yura. Speak to me please" Otabek took his boyfriends body into his arms. He turned him over and only then did Otabek see the true extent of the injuries. His face had scraped along the pavement and he had blood coming out of his left ear. That wasn't a good sign and Otabek felt sick. He couldn't lose him.
"Yura….please, look at me. It's Beka" Otabeks eyes started to blur with unshed tears. He saw Yuri's eyes flutter slightly.
"B…..Beka" The first word he said was Bekas name. Otabek cried, still holding onto Yuri.
"I'm here Yura I'm here."
"Beka….I..It's not good" His sentence was short and broken but Otabek knew what he was referring to.
"It's ok, there's an ambulance on the way. Stay strong for me kitten" Yuri reached up and touched Otabeks cheek, it was wet. He had tears streaming down his face but he didn't care.
"Beka….I'm not…..There's too much…..blood" Yuri knew but he couldn't say it.
"I know but it's ok we'll get you to a hospital soon and…."
"Beka….I'm dying" Yuri said it. Said what they were both thinking.
"No…..no Yura you'll be ok. You have to be ok" Otabek was begging, begging for him not to go.
"I love you so much Beka" Tears were now slowly making their way down Yuris cheeks.
"I don't want to die Beka, I'm scared" Yuri started to sob. Otabek cradled him and began rocking slightly. It's something he had started doing whenever Yuri had a nightmare, it always seemed to calm him and he'd drift back to sleep. The difference now is that he wouldn't be drifting back to sleep.
"I'm sorry Yura. I'm so sorry. I love you. Please don't leave me" Otabek rocked Yuri as he sobbed into his shoulder.
"B…Beka?" Yuri's voice sounded so far away, like he was drifting away on the wind.
"Yuri? Yuri wake up" He was shaking Yuri slightly. He opened his eyes again.
"Yura the ambulances, I can hear them. Stay with me kitten please." Otabek was placing small kisses across his head.
"Beka, no one will ever love you as much as I do. I need you to know that. I will love you until my dying day, it's come around sooner than I'd like. You are my world. I love you with everything I have and I want you to know it's ok….It's ok to love someone else….Grieve for me yes but don't stop your life because of me" A fresh lot of tears escaped both of them accompanied by sobs.
"I'll love you forever Yuri Plisetsky. I love you so much"
"I'll always love you Otabek Altin. Forever" Yuri smiled up at him from where he lay in Otabeks arms, he then closed his eyes and Otabek felt the weight shift in his small body.
"Yuri? Yuri? YURI!" Otabek screamed shaking Yuris body, nothing.
The ambulance arrived on scene a few moments later to see a distraught Otabek still clinging to Yuris body.
"We'll take him now" One ambulance man said, putting his hand on Otabeks shoulder.
"Please. Be careful with him…he doesn't like sudden movements" Otabek knew it was stupid saying that, Yuri was dead. He felt he needed to say it to them and they seemed to understand that need by their reactions.
"We'll be careful. Come on, we need to get you examined." Otabek followed the older man to a second ambulance that he didn't even know had arrived. He saw Yuri being wheeled to the first ambulance.
"Forever and Always my Yura" Silent tears fell as Otabek felt his heart shatter.
Otabek would never be able to love anyone as much as he loved Yuri Plisetsky, he knew that for a face.