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Nothing in the world could stop him today! Alfred had just picked up some roses at a flower shop on his way to Arthur's house. He had chocolates in his bag, and something extra special in his jacket pocket. Today, Valentine's Day, Alfred had big plans. He was practically shaking on his bike from the excitement of it all. Yes, nothing at all could hold him back now, he was going to go to his boyfriend's house and love him into next month.
They'd been together all this time, though of course there were fights here and there. Nothing was ever too major though, he loved Arthur too much to let some petty arguments ruin anything. He was sure Arthur felt the same, even if he never wanted to admit it. Artie was stubborn like that, and it was one of the things Alfred found frustrating and endearing all at the same time.
Their first date all those years ago was still fresh in his mind. He'd spilt ice cream onto Arthur's pants, and when he tried to clean it off it had just made things look super awkward for the both of them. Yet despite all of that, Arthur had laughed. He'd laughed and that was the moment Alfred had been stricken by just how beautiful the man really was. Even now, getting Arthur to laugh was hard, but it was also completely worth it in the end.
Rounding a corner, he could see the block with Arthur's apartment ahead. Almost there, so close he could taste it. His phone rang, playing ‘Shut Up and Dance’ by Walk the Moon. It was Arthur's ringtone, and Alfred couldn't help himself. He answered, putting the phone on speaker and holding it tight as he steered his bike. “Hey babe~ I'm almost to your place.”
Arthur, from what Alfred could tell, was excited. Alfred had learnt to tell some of Arthur's emotions from his voice, though it was difficult because the tone of his voice was kept mostly controlled. “Oh? Well I suppose I'll have to make you some coffee then.”
Al could almost hear the smile, but Arthur would just deny it anyway. “Thanks! I've got some presents for you, hope you're ready!” Alfred couldn't help himself. “And I have something special planned, unlock the door, I'm here~”
The curiosity in Arthur's tone was the last thing he could make out as he fumbled with his phone to shut it off so he could park his bike in a moment. He was right at the street of the apartment complex, but he'd failed to see the red light coming up. Before he even knew what was happening, he was in the air, then on the ground again, shock leaving him frozen on the street as pain began to surge through his body.
For what felt like an eternity, he couldn't breathe. He couldn't hear. He couldn't think. He could only see the blue sky above and the pavement below. It was as if time had slowed down, leaving him in a form of shocked stasis. The first thing to come back to him were his thoughts, rushing by at a mile a minute, all jumbled together. Thoughts of Arthur, thoughts of his plan, thoughts of why this had to happen to him now of all times? The second thing to come back was his hearing.
He could hear the screams of bystanders, the cursing of the driver who had hit him, and the sounds of people shouting for help. What he heard most though, was a tiny ding of metal. The ring he'd brought for Arthur, the one he was going to propose to his boyfriend with, was rolling across the pavement until it stopped and laid as still as he was.