A/N: Hello fellow Shadowhunters! Guess what? I start school tomorrow! Actually, I start High School. So I don't know when I will be able to post new stories, but I'll try every few weeks and see how it goes! I don't know if I want to continue Paralyzed, mainly because I don't have much muse for that story, and the plot is going nowhere :/ anyways, tell me what you think! Have fun reading!
Magnus awoke with a sharp, stabbing pain in his side. It was so intense, that his eyes watered, and he almost cried out in pain. His hands, which were usually tan and luscious, were now cold, clammy, and lacked its sun kissed demeanor. Alec wasn't in the bed with him, which usually would alert Magnus into calling him and asking the usual questions like 'Where are you?' 'What are you fighting?' 'When will you be home?' and it always ended with a 'Okay, be safe darling, I love you'. But right now, the Warlock could barely concentrate on crawling to the toilet in the bathroom. Along with the mysterious and persistent hurting of his side, his stomach was doing flips and acrobatics inside of him. Letting out a sob of pain, Magnus heaved over the toilet and the food he had eaten the previous day came up, leaving his mouth with a rotten taste, for which the only cure he could have was water, however, he couldn't swallow that. This was what the Downworlders called the Warlock Flu, and boy was it nasty. Not only was his magic supply drained entirely, but the symptoms a normal Mundane would have were multiplied by what seemed one hundred and placed on the unlucky Warlock. This time, it was Magnus. He loathed being sick, it was horrible.
After he had scooped some water into his mouth with shaking hands and spit it out, Magnus weakly walked on hands and knees back to his bedside, where he didn't even have enough energy to pull the blankets off the bed and curl up in them like a caterpillar does in a cocoon. But he did reach for his phone and dial Alec's number. Sure, he could text, but he didn't know when Alec would respond. Besides, he needed his blue-eyed Shadowhunter by his side right now. After two and a half rings, which were like eternity in hell for the Warlock, Alec picked up, sounding cheery and happy.
"Alec," Gasped Magnus in pain. Curling into a ball didn't help, but he did it anyways. It was a sense of security and comfort. Alec also was, but he wasn't there at the moment, so Magnus would have to make do with what he could get.
"Magnus?" Alec said, more concerned now than anything. "What's wrong?"
Magnus had almost lost the ability to speak, the agony was so bad. "I just need you to come here. Right now." He murmured through gritted teeth. Then he ended the call and whimpered in pain, which then caused him to wrap the canary yellow comforter closer to his trembling body. Coughs wracked his body, setting his lungs and throat on fire. Magnus's head ached, throbbing with every heartbeat his vascular organ made. He was going to throw up again, that Magnus could tell. But he couldn't even move, because he had no energy, and also because he was afraid that if he did, he'd black out now that he was in pure torment.
After he'd thrown up some bile onto the hardwood floor, Magnus just laid there, and he knew it was a very pathetic sight to see, but there was not a single thing that he could do about it. He closed his eyes, which were no doubt glazed over by the fever that wreaked havoc on his body. Magnus tried to focus on his breathing, taking slow, cool lungfuls in through his mouth, which almost quenched the flames that had overtaken and overpowered him. And the breath that he exhaled through his nose was hot and stuffy, the scorching heat being expelled from his being. His body was sweating, his hands losing the death grip he had had on the bright blanket which now hurt his eyes.
All Magnus did was moan in pain. That was all he could do until Alexander got here. Alexander, who would make the pain subside just with his very presence in the same room. Finally, Magnus found the will to speak again, but the voice was not his own, it was rough and husky and broken, lacking the language of English. Instead, he spoke in Indonesia, his native tongue.
"Tolong biarkan rasa sakit pergi, Alexander. Jangan biarkan penyakit ini mengalahkan saya. Aku butuh kekuatan sehingga saya bisa menjadi kuat lagi. Rasanya sakit, Alec, sakit begitu banyak." He spoke hoarsely, but nonetheless very loudly, almost like a shout. He could understand the words he spoke, but Magnus lacked the ability to comprehend what he was saying, only knowing that he had uttered Alec's name.
The door to his bedroom opened, and Magnus could hear his boyfriend gasp in surprise. "By the angel, Magnus. What happened to you?" Alec came over, and the Warlock felt smooth hands sliding under him, picking him up with ease. Though Magnus wasn't heavy, he suspected he was as light as a feather, or at least, he felt that way. His arms found their way around Alec's necks, shaking horribly as they did so. Magnus knew that if you handed him paper and pen and told him to write his name, it would be impossible, the end result would be shaking lines that were insensible nonsense that no one could make out.
Magnus had no clue whether or not he was still speaking Indonesian, so he kept quiet, focusing on the blue of his eyes. They were so blue, the Magnus wondered if they were an ocean, or maybe a piece of the sky that was caught in his irises. The Warlock only knew that he loved them and that he loved Alec, who'd take care of him until he was well again. The illness was major, the worst one to date, so Magnus didn't know when it would subside and then eventually pass. He was aware only of Alec carrying him to the living room swiftly, murmuring soft comforts into his fevered hair.
As he was set down on the plush couch, Magnus started to hallucinate. Alec was shining brightly as the sun. His knight in shining armor, Magnus thought, and that was the last sensible thing his brain formed before he went delirious from the fever. He was vaguely aware of his head shaking violently back and forth, screaming things in languages that he had not spoken for decades. Magnus's eyes had also managed to roll backwards in his head, showing nothing but whiteness. Hearing Alec saying stuff like he did, all broken and scared for Magnus, broke the Warlock's heart. He couldn't help what he was doing. He couldn't think. Sometime later, Alec walked away, and Magnus knew this only by the pain coming back in his stomach, also the uneasy feeling of nausea. But then he came back, and everything was alright again. A hand clamped over his mouth, dropping something in his jaw. Magnus swallowed, and the hand receded, now climbing over to his cheek and stroking it lovingly and comfortingly.
Then the world was pushed away from Magnus Bane, and he was floating in a dream, where he wasn't sick. He supposed he was still envisioning things that were not there. But this was in his mind so he supposed it was okay that all the time periods he had lived through were mixed together in one jumbled mess. It was impossible to tell where the twenties stood, or where Victorian London era hailed from in the small room Magnus was in. To tell the truth, he was a bit scared. The people he had known and loved were twisted and warped, like some freaky decrepit thing out of a horror film.
Never in a millions years had Magnus expected his father to step out of a 50's diner, dressed like a drape. Magnus had killed him, and the crime went with him forever. Killing your parents was not something you forgot, no matter how hard you tried. His father came over and grabbed Magnus by the jaw, clenching his fingers so hard that they would leave bruises later on.
"You're a failure, boy." His father didn't use Magnus's name. Technically, he didn't have one given by his parents. Usually his mother had ignored him, which drove her to insanity and she eventually hung herself out in the barn out of disgust at what she had created. A monster. Magnus's father, or stepfather, just called him 'boy' or 'hey you'.
Just like the last days on the farm, Magnus's father dragged him to a trough full of water, and shoved his head in it. But because this was a dream, because this was Magnus's dream, he could make up a new scene in his mind. A happier one that didn't involve death or loss. And then, the sensation of drowning was gone and Magnus realized he was sitting on a hilltop with none other than Alexander Lightwood, and they were having a picnic. This was the dream Magnus wanted to have every night for the rest of his days. Birds cawed up ahead, adding to the fact that this was almost real. And it would be, except for the fact that everything went by too fast or went by too slowly. And except for the fact that Alec's skin was melting off his face like a wax figure held up to an open flame for too long. Magnus yelled, and scrambled back down the hill, eventually falling into a pit of brambles that marked his skin with blood and scars. Every person he had come to love and care for was hanging their head over the bramble pit, laughing and cheering that the Warlock had fallen. The worst part was that Alec, who now had the face of a beautiful angel, whispered deadly 'I never loved you.' Right in Magnus's face.
Magnus opened his eyes to the real world, breathing heavily. He knew it was just a dream, none of it was real. Alec still loved him, and his face didn't melt off and then reconstruct into such beauty in silm seconds. His father never lived in the fifties, and didn't dress in leather. Magnus's vision was blurry for a moment, so he only saw colors and lines, the shapes nonexistent at the moment. His mouth was parched and felt like a dry desert that hadn't had rain for months. His head throbbed more and more now that he was awake, and the late afternoon sunlight breaking in through the windows didn't help in the slightest. The pain in his side had reduced to a slight cramp, but Magnus still didn't move. His fever was still raging on, making him sweaty and shaky, overall he felt no better than he did before he blacked out. He was thankful that he wasn't throwing up anymore, but then again, he probably didn't have anything to throw up.
Alec was nowhere to be found in the living room, and Magnus started to panic. What if he left him to go fight demons or practice fighting with Jace? What if Magnus desperately needed something but couldn't get up to grab it? What if he went delirious and hallucinated again? Suddenly, footsteps sounded from down the hall and though Mangus knew Alec was trying to be as quiet as possible, but the treading still sounded like gunshots and settled in his ears and rattled his poor head.
"Oh, you're awake." Exclaimed Alec when he saw Magnus peering at him curiously over the couch.
Magnus nodded sleepily, the drug he had swallowed earlier not completely expelled from his system. He shut his eyes, the darkness helping his head feel better. It was like a bad hangover, with many more side effects to go along with it. Alec walked over to the side of the bed, his steps muffled when he hit the carpet. Magnus felt the younger man's hand press lightly on his temple, checking his temperature.
"You've still got a raging fever. Last time I checked it was 103, it seems to have cooled down some, but not much." Alec explained to the very sick Warlock, who was too weak to even nod in understanding. Magnus coughed wickedly, hurting his throat and lungs even further. Alec propped his upper body up, stroking the small of his back between the shoulder blades. This felt good, and after the coughing passed Magnus was able to relax again, letting his tight and coiled muscles go limp in Alec's arms.
"Thank you." Magnus whispered hoarsely after cleaning his throat many times. He looked in Alec's blue eyes, and yes, they still were a bit concerned, but they were full of compassion and meaning and sympathy.
"For what?"
"For coming back here and taking care of me." Magnus confessed, falling further into his boyfriends arms. His nose was stuffed up, which he loathed. He had to resort to breathing in and out through his mouth.
"You know I would have, Magnus. I'm just glad you called me when you did." Alec said, nuzzling Magnus's fevered skin. The coldness of Alec felt good, and sent shivers down his spine.
"You are?" He breathed out quietly, not wanting to break the intimacy between them. If it weren't for Magnus being sick, they would've gotten a lot closer. But being ill had put a damper on his health and mood, and he knew that if he wanted to get better, those things would have to wait.
"Uh huh." Mumbled Alec into Magnus's shoulder blades. "Who knows what would've happened if I wasn't there when you had that episode of speaking in tongues like you were possessed."
"D'you know what I was saying?" Magnus asked, turning his head slightly to give his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. It wasn't good for him to do this, the Warlock knew, but he could care less right now.
"Not a clue." Answered Alec. "But you were saying my name a lot. It was cute, and kinda scary, because I didn't know what was happening to you and I didn't know how to help you."
"Oh, Alexander. You've helped me enough already just by being here to hold me." That was the honest truth, and Magnus would stick by that statement for the rest of his long industrious life. His stomach rumbled, signaling that he was hungry. He should be, no food was in his system. "I'm starving." He complained.
That made Alec move from cuddling Magnus to standing up, moving the Warlocks sweaty hair out of his face. "I'll make you some soup, k baby?" He said sympathetically, bending down and kissing Magnus on the forehead lightly. He left the living room and went into the kitchen, where the sick man still had a good view of him, since there was no wall or door blocking him. The lingering sensation of Alec's kiss made his temple tingle, as if it was being cooled down by a small ice cube.
Magnus thought about dozing off once or twice, since the pill he had taken wasn't fully gone. He suspected Alec had given him Benadryl, which made you fall asleep for a couple of hours. But as he closed his tired cat eyes, something, or someone, lifted his head up from the position it had fallen to, which was very uncomfortable. Alec was back, cooing soft words in Magnus's ear quietly. When he was instructed to open his mouth, Magnus obeyed willingly, and he was rewarded by warm, delicious soup. It soothed his aching throat and warmed every inch of his long and lanky body. He smiled happily, his eyes still closed. Being held in Alec's arms, have soup spoon-fed to him, it made Magnus feel like he was being babied, which he really didn't mind. He never got the chance to be a child, so this day made up for it. Being sick wasn't all that bad, he confirmed in his mind.
When the soup was gone, Alec sat and cradled Magnus's head in his lap, singing a childhood song he had learned so many years ago. It might've been because the Warlock's ears were muffled up with fluid, but he thought that Alec had a wonderful voice. He still coughed slightly, and his headache still persisted, but the prickling pain in his abdomen had subsided completely, so Magnus was able to move a little better now with no irrational fear of exploding. He knew that he still had a fever, he could tell that by the shaking and the sweating that still plagued him. Magnus hoped that some color was returning to him so that he wasn't pale as a ghost anymore.
"Can we go outside?" Magnus whispered, turning his head so that his cheek was pressed against Alec's upper thigh. His eyes were still closed, which helped the migraine throbbing in his head. It was an odd request for him to make at the moment, but Magnus longed for the cold New York wind to blow on his flaming skin.
"Not until your fever breaks, my darling little Warlock." Was Alec's reply. Magnus felt his boyfriend's fingers trace patterns onto his skin, which in turn sent cold shivers down his body that Magnus enjoyed thoroughly.
Magnus was glad to call Alexander his. If he was still dating Camille and he got sick, she'd tell him to man up and then leave him to fend for himself. At least with Alec he gave you a sense of security, and not just because he was a Shadowhunter. It was also because he was just so... Responsible and serious. Magnus often enjoyed trying to get his darling little blue-eyed boyfriend to go and try on clothes with him at the mall, which loosened him up enough to go out for a night on the town, ending up with them shirtless and cuddling on either the couch or the bed.
After a while, Alec shifted Magnus in his arms, so that his chin rested on Magnus's head. It was an advantage to be the taller of the two in the relationship because you got to bend down and scoop up your lover. Magnus sighed heavily, and blinked sleepily. It wasn't because of the Benadryl anymore, merely because todays events had exhausted him, and the fact that he was warmed up by the lemon colored quilt and Alec's cool body heat. It was completely silent, and Magnus could hear the crickets outside, rubbing their legs to make music. Magnus coughed dryly, covering his mouth and sitting up further. His shoulders hunched forward, his lungs gasping for air. It felt like he was spitting up a hairball, which he'd seen Chairman do many times before. He groaned inwardly, and soon the sound escaped his burning lips. Leaning forward, his fevered temple touched the smooth and cool of the plush couch. Alec rubbed his back and slowly the coughing went away, replaced with the feeling of his throat raw and sore. Magnus couldn't speak now, not because he didn't want too, but because it hurt so much.
The night had crept upon them suddenly, as if the moon had extinguished the sun with its silver beams of radiance. When Alec went to feel Magnus cheek and forehead, he made an approving sound. "By the angel, Magnus, you're so much better."
"Only because you're here." Protested Magnus, supporting himself with his elbow as he sneaked a quick kiss on Alec's cheek. His voice was rough and hoarse from coughing, and he knew that he'd pay for it later, but Magnus wanted to talk to Alec some more.
"Do you still want to go outside? Your fever broke and I think you deserve it, what with all the things you've been through today." Magnus nodded happily. He let Alec help him up, not because he needed it, but because he wanted to be babied a bit more before he got better. Magnus wobbled on his legs, like a newborn colt just beginning to stand by his mothers side. He grabbed onto his boyfriend's shoulder for extra support, and Alec in return wrapped his arms around Magnus, helping him and guiding him. Maybe he did need the added guidance to the door.
Once they were outside, Alec shrouded his arms around Magnus, placing soft kisses that felt like butterflies landing on his neck, and it was pure bliss. The Warlock turned to face the Shadowhunter, pulling him closer because he wanted him. He had wanted him from the moment he saw Alec at his party, his blue eyes large and alert. And now that Magnus had him, he was never going to let Alexander go. He put his arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips. Alec kissed him back, hard and fierce. Thoughts raced vividly through Magnus's mind, especially the dream that he had. That wasn't real. Alec's face would never fall off like that, nor would he laugh if Magnus fell into a large pit of brambles, with the thorns tearing at his tan skin. Most of all, Alec would never tell Magnus that he didn't love him, because that would be lying, and Alec didn't lie.
A/N: I loved this, I fricken spent the entire day on this one-shot, and I have to say that I am extremely proud of this piece of work. I know most people like to write Alec all sick and depressed (I should know, my other Malec oneshot, Cut, is exactly that.) but I enjoy ones where Magnus is sick and helpless, and so I wrote one. Hope you liked it, don't forget to favorite and review!
Ave Atque Vale,
Wicked.