Restless Heart Syndrome

Chapter 4 Stop When THe Red Lights Flash

Maryse frowns. "I don't suppose you'd be open to living here?"

Magnus chuckles, shaking his head. "I do have other clients, you know, some of which would not appreciate coming to see all you lovely shadowhunters. They'll be unnerved enough with Alec in my apartment."

Maryse rubs at her temple. "Fine. When he wakes up, take him back to his apartment to get his things. Jace and Isabelle might stop by today or tomorrow. They've been worried."

"His apartment?" Magnus asks, slightly confused. The last time he checked, Alec lived at the institute... It was only a couple, maybe three, weeks ago.

Maryse nods. "He moved out. Didn't want to be here. Actually, he didn't much say why… He might have just been hiding this. Ask him if he knows anything about it when he wakes up, will you?"

Magnus nods.

"We should discuss payment."

When Alec wakes up, he's surprised that his senses aren't nonexistent but there's no painful stinging in his stomach. It's odd… he feels… normalish. Not sick. Maybe they found a cure. Removed the tumor, or whatever. He'd be happy to have it gone and done with.

His eyes open to the ceiling, and there's a slight breath beside him. He turns his head towards it, and freezes when he sees golden cat eyes staring back.

"Morning, sunshine. Or, night, seeing as it's no longer really daylight hours."

"What..." Why is Magnus here? Is he imagining it?

"I've been called in to deal with that lovely little menace you've got inside you. It's caused quite some trouble."

Alec swallows, his throat dry, eyes averted from the warlock he's pretty sure he still loves."Ah."

Just that syllable is difficult, and a silence that doesn't suit the glitter fest of a warlock stretches on.

Glancing up, Alec realizes that Magnus isn't a glitter bomb today. His hair has hardly any gel, and his make up is limited. His clothes aren't quiet as extravagant, either.

"Why don't you get dressed, so you can pick up all of your things from your apartment?" Magnus suggests, looking at the pale face of the teen.

"Why?"

"You're living with me until this is sorted. Your tissue won't regenerate if I'm not around."

It's almost like a train filled with every emotion hits him, but he just nods slowly, pulling on the socks and boots he finds a the end of his bed. Realizing he doesn't have a shirt he starts his search for one, and soon enough the two of them are leaving the institute for Alec's apartment, a swirl of unpleasantness lingering resolutely in their bodies.

Alec feels dizzy as he reaches the top of the stairs, a nausea he can't shake as the halls dance in front of him. He knows what's coming, and pulls out his keys, trying to rush for the door as he hears Magnus behind him complaining about the stairs, like Jace did. And yet they claim not to be similar... But it hardly matters, because Alec's finally gotten the door open, and he can finally get to the toilet. He can already feel the vomit creeping up his throat, and he lets it as he shoves his head in front of the toilet. A few seconds later he can feel Magnus's presence behind him, watching him as he vomits.

After he's done, Alec flushes the toilet and washes his teeth, not feeling as ill when the disgusting taste of his own insides are replaced by the mint flavor of his tooth paste.

"Does this happen often?" Magnus asks, leaning on the door frame.

Alec nods, not wanting to speak to Magnus. He doesn't want to say something he'll regret, so he just keeps everything on a simmer because he can. He doesn't feel as ill, as awful as he has the last two weeks. All he needed was Magnus, like something out of one of the fairy tales he studied in his classes with Jace and Isabelle.