Author's note: I got the idea for this when I was thinking about wanting to write Malec fanfiction. I hope that you think it's cute. I have it mapped out to be eight chapters and I will try to get it finished quickly (within the next couple weeks)

Chapter One

Alec walked out of his bathroom, drying his hair. He walked over to his nightstand and picked up his phone. He had just realized Magnus hadn't called like he promised.

He punched in the warlock's number.

He answered on the third ring with a croaky, "Hello, Alec."

"Magnus? Are you okay?"

"I'm sick." He said simply.

"Like a cold or just laryngitis?"

"The first."

"Would you like me to come over and take care of you?" He sat down on his bed and started pulling on his shoes.

"You don't have to."

"But do you want me to?"

"If you want to." He sounded a bit like he wanted Alec there, but wasn't about to start begging. Yet.

"I'm going to ask my mom for her soup recipe, it's a miracle cure. Then I'll get the stuff to make it and be there in an hour at the most."

"I love you." Magnus sighed.

Alec smiled, "I'll see you soon."

Alec let himself into Magnus's apartment. He saw the warlock lying on the couch with his cat Chairman Meow lying on his chest. Discarded tissues littered the floor and a box sat on the coffee table. He lifted his head and smiled.

"Hi." He said softly. He let out a sneeze and pulled another tissue from the box.

"Hey, there. You look like hell." He sat down the grocery bag and walked over. He placed a hand on Magnus's forehead. "Feels like you got a bit of a fever."

He nodded.

"Are you cold?"

"Not at the moment."

Alec leaned over and kissed his forehead. "I'll get the soup started."

"Thanks." He said and it sounded a bit more strained than before.

As he chopped the vegetables, Alec chattered on about the events of the evening. He didn't know if Magnus was really listening, but he went on talking, hearing the occasional sniffle and sneeze.

He left the soup to simmer. He walked over and saw that his warlock boyfriend was dozing. He gently moved his feet and put them across his knees. He ran a hand slowly over his lower leg and started humming an old nursery rhyme Maryse used to sing to him when he was ill. He didn't remember the words, but he remembered the tune.

Magnus opened his eyes and smiled.

He smiled back. "Do you need anything?"

He started to shake his head and let out a large sneeze. "Tissue." He pointed to his room.

Alec got up and found his box of unopened tissues. He walked back in and handed it over. Magnus took it and struggled to sit up. Alec helped. He wiped at his nose. Alec made a face.

"You've been ill yourself. In fact, I took care of you."

"You did." He sat down and pulled the warlock down to rest his head on his lap. He ran his fingers through Magnus's hair. "That's why I wanted to take care of you."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

They sat without talking for a long time. Alec continued to move his fingers through his boyfriend's hair and Magnus continued to sniffle and wipe at his nose which had started to run like a faucet.

"I have to stir the soup." He removed himself from under Magnus and walked into the kitchen. "All done." He called.

He walked back into the living room with a steaming bowl. He sat it down on the coffee table and helped him to sit up. He passed the bowl over.

Magnus put a spoonful to his lips. "Too hot." He sat it back on the table.

"It'll cool soon enough." Alec picked it up and stirred it, blowing in it. "My mother used to do this. Sometimes she still does."

Magnus rubbed his throat.

"Throat sore, huh?"

He nodded. "And I'm cold."

"So the soup should warm you right up." He passed it over and noticed Magnus's hands were shaking. "I'll get a blanket." He hurried out of the room and came back with a quilt. He draped it over the warlock's shoulders.

"That's yours." He croaked as he slurped soup.

"Yeah, well, I don't need it right now. You do." Alec rubbed his back. "Do you need anything else?"

"Water?"

"Right on it." He kissed Magnus on the temple. "You're hot."

He looked up and gave a smirk. "Thanks."

"You know what I meant." He rushed off to get the water.

"Doesn't matter." He called hoarsely and then fell into fits of coughs that shook his body. Soup sloshed over his hands. "Ow." He said between the hacking.

Alec quickly took the bowl away and sat it on the coffee table. He dabbed at Magnus's hands with a wad of tissues he pulled from the box on the floor. "It wasn't so hot was it? And your magic could fix this all up."

He shook his head. He struggled out, "Spell made me sick in the first place. Power zapped until I get better."

"A spell? What spell? You have a cold."

He sighed, "I was—" He shook his head again.

"Has this happened before?"

He shook his head. "Not to me."

"So you don't know how long it will last?"

He shook his head again.

"Can someone else fix it?"

"I'm High Warlock." He croaked.

"And?"

He opened his mouth, but closed it again. He tried to push himself up, but it was too hard. "Pen and paper." He pointed to the kitchen.

Alec stood and walked into the kitchen. After digging through two drawers, he found a yellow pad of paper and a pen. He handed it over.

In his large, quick scrawl, he wrote, "I was trying to get back at a neighbor. He stomps around at all hours. So I was just going to mess with his heating for an hour. But the spell I worked backfired. I think it's like some sort of Charmed-esque 'personal gain' crap."

"And you got a cold as a result?"

He nodded and wrote some more. "Fever is getting higher, I can feel it. You did too. And the chills are getting worse." At this, the pen skipped across the page as he spasmed with a cold chill.

Alec took the pen and paper. "Have you known anyone to have this happen?"

He nodded.

"Do you just have to ride it out, then?"

He nodded again.

"For how long?"

He shrugged.

"Is there something I can get you then?"

"Tea would be nice."

Alec stood and walked into the kitchen. He pulled out three types of tea. "Which of these do you want: blueberry black tea, Earl Grey, or green?"

"I don't care." He whispered.

"Indecisive bastard." He mumbled as he went to work filling the kettle.

When he walked back in, Magnus had resumed eating the soup. He held it out when Alec held out the tea cup.

He wrinkled his nose. "Earl Grey?"

"You said you didn't care."

"As long as it wasn't this."

"You should have said that." He held out his hand. "Give it here and tell me which you actually want."

"And ruin a perfectly good cup of tea?"

"I'll drink it."

"You don't like tea." He rubbed his throat.

"Stop arguing with me, Magnus Bane. Give me the damn tea and tell me which one you do want?"

"Green." He handed over the cup.

Alec took the cup away and went about the process of making the tea again, setting the bowl of soup in the sink. He sipped the rejected tea, "Blegh." He downed it in two gulps and put the cup in the sink with the bowl.

Magnus took the cup and brought it to his lips, only to scald his tongue. Alec handed over the cup of water for him to sip. He sat the glass down heavily on the coffee table. Alec tried to pass the tea cup back. He lifted his hand and shook his head.

"Seriously?" the Shadowhunter said.

"It's hot."

"It will cool off." He put it on the table.

Magnus lied down, pulling the quilt over his shoulders and shivering. His teeth chattered. Alec put his hand on the warlock's forehead.

"God, you're on fire."

His response was a sneeze followed by a fit of coughing.

"Can you take any medication?"

"Already tried." He said around the hacking.

"And it didn't work?"

He shook his head. He finally settled down. Alec helped him sit up and take a sip of the tea he'd just scoffed at.

"Is he really a horrible neighbor?"

Magnus widened his eyes and nodded.

Alec stood and helped his boyfriend lie back down. He left the room and returned with a wet rag. He kneeled down and draped it over the warlock's forehead.

"Tissues." He croaked.

He handed them over.

Magnus wiped at his nose. He took out another tissue and tried blowing it. He repeated the process a few more times and then said, "Can't breathe." And started pouting.

Alec went to the bedroom and returned with the pillows. He stuffed them under his head. "Better?"

He nodded.

Alec started cleaning up the mess his warlock boyfriend had created.

"Alec." He called.

He came over, "Yes?"

"Not comfortable."

"The pillows?"

He nodded.

"If I take away the pillows, you won't be able to breathe. You're going to be uncomfortable either way."

Magnus struggled to sit up and push one of the pillows away.

Alec took the pillow and threw it on the floor and helped him to lie back down. "Now?"

He sighed as he lied back. "Can't breathe." He threw his hands up.

"Breathe through your mouth."

He made a face.

"Your lungs are connected to your mouth for a reason, Magnus. What am I supposed to do?"

"Fix it."

"I can't. Unless you have some way of going back in time and making you not try to cast a spell against your annoying neighbor."

He shrugged and let out an exasperated breath.

Alec went back to cleaning. Magnus started snoring softly on the couch. Alec quietly put the dishes away. He walked around the apartment and turned out all the lights. He leaned over Magnus and whispered, "You want to go to bed or sleep here?"

"Here." He mumbled.

Alec kissed his forehead. "I'll be in your room, then, if you need me."

Magnus nodded and rolled onto his side.