EDITED 5/30/2020
The house that I am using for the story, I found on Zillow.com It's in Glen Head, New York at 32 Evans Drive for nearly $3,000,000. If you want to go check it out it is gorgeous and has enough room for for future plans. Magnus' loft was getting kinda crowded, don't you think?
Alec woke up and at first all he noticed was that he didn't know where he was. He could tell he was in a bed and he was pretty sure he was alone in the room. The bed was very comfortable, and he had been tucked in. The curtains were drawn but there was still enough light in the room that he could make out shapes, if he had held his hand in front of his face, he would be able to see it.
However, once he came around a bit more, he could feel the pain. The pure, unadulterated pain. His joints locked up and his head tilted back as he gritted his teeth. His legs and feet were sore all to hell, but it was nothing compared to his chest, abdomen, back, arms and neck. Being burned alive would hurt worse.
He must have made a noise because someone that was apparently sitting at the foot of the bed was standing beside him within a moment.
"Alec?" It was Simon. A light beside the bed turned on and Alec could see him better. "Hey, man it's okay. It's gonna be okay, I'll go get Magnus." He turned to leave but Alec called out to him quietly.
"No." He gasped. "Don't leave." He couldn't move, he could barely breathe. The pain was so intense.
Simon nodded. "I'll text him." Simon pulled his phone out and typed on it before turning back to Alec. "I'm sure he'll be here soon. We're all worried about you. You slept through the portal trip here and most of the unpacking. Every time you woke up you were out of it, didn't even recognize Magnus. You kept asking him to go find himself and then crying when Magnus said that he was him, which kind of sounds weird but I can't think of any other way to say it."
Alec just listened to Simon talk, it admittedly soothed some of the pain since he was so focused on what the vampire was saying.
"Should I stop talking?" Simon asked. "Is my voice hurting you more?"
"No." Alec choked out, he felt like his throat was closing up.
"Right. So, we've been here for almost a day, I think. It's about four in the afternoon. Jem, Tessa, Wesley, Clary, Madzie, Raphael, Magnus, Catarina, Me and you are here. Catarina is going back to Brooklyn tomorrow, but I'm going to stay for a few days to help out. Jem and Tessa took over the basement, the house is amazing by the way. It's like a mansion. Clary and Wesley have a room a few doors down from here, Madzie has the room right next to yours. Catarina keeps conjuring her up some toys. Raphael took the room next to Clary's and this is obviously your room which leaves four empty bedrooms which Magnus looked a little pleased with so I'm not sure what that means . . ." He would have said more but Magnus and Catarina came into the room.
Magnus closed the door behind him as Catarina shooed Simon away from Alec's side. She took the comforter and peeled it away from his body, Alec looked down at his torso to see that someone had placed bandages over his wounds. The only problem is that some of them were stained red with blood, and a few others were soaked a light green.
Alec wasn't stupid or uneducated when it came to injuries. He knew what it looked like when burns were infected, third degree burns were worse.
Increased or persistent pain. Increased redness in or around the wound. Swelling in or around the wound. Increased Drainage. Change in the color of drainage. Foul smell. Warm feeling from wound. Bleeding from the wound. Chills or fever. Loss of appetite. Vomiting or diarrhea.
The runes were infected.
"Alec," Catarina went to say.
"I've got an infection. Right?" He asked her.
Catarina hesitated before nodding. "I'm going to run and grab some IV fluids and antibiotics. You haven't eaten in five days, so we are going to try and get your appetite up. We want to take care of this quickly, infected burns can cause sepsis or TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome)"
"Which can kill me." Alec said.
"Right." Catarina sighed. "Magnus will clean the burns and put more salve on while I go get the meds. Okay?"
Alec nodded and Catarina shot him a small smile before leaving the room, ushering Simon out with her. Magnus stepped up to the bed, a basket of supplies in hand which he set on the bedside table before sitting on the bed next to Alec.
"I'm sorry." Alec whispered.
"Whatever for?" Magnus asked as he poured a liquid onto wash cloth and pressed it to the wound that used to be his deflect rune.
Alec hissed, realizing it was some kind of disinfectant. "Simon told me about the couple times I woke up. How I didn't recognize you."
"You don't need to be sorry about that, Sayang." Magnus told him, smearing the salve on the wound before bandaging it again. "You were delirious with a fever, vomiting in your sleep. We were relieved every time you woke, it meant you were getting better. Sometimes you'd wake speaking another language. Russian, French, Norwegian, Spanish. I am not offended that you didn't recognize me. It was rather sweet how you kept fending me off like I was trying to steal your virtue. All you cared about was finding your husband. It was flattering." Magnus moved on to the wound that used to be his wedded union rune.
"Isabelle called me." He said gently.
"Yeah?"
"Wesley has gone to collect your belongings from her, but she informed me of some developments. Some of which I was already privy to." Magnus looked up to make sure Alec was listening. "The Downworld has dissolved all alliances with the Clave as a result of your exile. Andrew Underhill has stepped down as Head of Security and at least one hundred Shadowhunters in New York and the surrounding states alone have stepped down and at least attempted to turn in their steles. No one will take the job of Head of the New York Institute. The heads of the Minnesota, Texas, North Carolina, Barcelona, Paris, and Athens Institutes have all stepped down. You are a very well respected and beloved leader in the Shadow World. People are outraged."
"Really?" Alec asked, shocked as Magnus moved on to yet another former rune.
"The Clave is looking at a possible uprising. Not only from Downworlders, but from their own people. Some of the Nephilim are even going so far to say that the only way they will come back is if Jia is replaced as Consul by you." Magnus informed his husband.
Alec shook his head. "That's not possible." The pain was starting to lessen greatly, the disinfectant and salve doing its work.
"It is." Magnus said. "If the Clave is put under enough pressure, or gets scared enough, it is entirely possible that they will revoke their decision, grant you your runes back and make you Consul."
Alec looked at him blankly, Magnus hadn't been looking at him as he spoke, completely focused on the wounds that were causing his husband so much pain and discomfort. He moved quickly but precisely, disinfecting, soothing and bandaging Alec's wounds.
"What if I say I don't want it?" Alec asked quietly.
"Being Consul was your dream." Magnus reminded him. "You wanted to change the world."
"You're my dream." Alec countered. "You and our children, our friends."
"You can still have a career, Alexander." Magnus said softly. "If the Nephilim take you back, you don't have to worry about me being angry, being Consul is an incredible opportunity."
"I don't want a career. I don't want anything but you and our family." Alec protested. "All I want is you!"
"Okay." Magnus said quietly.
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Alec was able to go downstairs the next day. Magnus laid him out on the couch with a plethora of pillows propping him and wrapped him up in a large, fluffy blanket. The fire was roaring away in the fireplace making the room pleasantly warm and snow was falling in big fluffy flakes, blanketing the ground and deck just outside the floor to ceiling windows. Alec was watching the snow fall, looking past Jem who was sitting slouched over at the piano.
Magnus, Tessa and Raphael were sitting over at the small bar a few feet away, talking quietly amongst themselves. Wesley had come back the day before from Brooklyn with Alec's things, which Magnus said he had put into one of the two home offices the house had to offer, and he and he and Clary were upstairs having a tea party with Madzie. Catarina had returned home and Simon had insisted on making a snowman out in front of the house.
Jem played a few notes on the piano and Alec lazily turned his head to focus on his friend. Jem hadn't really spoken to him since Alec had returned less than two days prior. He'd come over to Alec every once in a while and asked if he needed anything or if he was doing alright, but other than that, Jem had kept his distance.
"Jem." Alec called.
Jem turned his head and looked at Alec inquiringly. He heard the halt in conversation from behind him and decided to get Jem closer. "Could you grab me a glass of water?" Jem nodded and went to retrieve the water from the kitchen. Alec decided that when Jem approached with the beverage, he kept the man beside him and spoke to him quietly.
He heard Magnus resume the conversation behind him rather reluctantly, but having apparently decided that his husband was alright, he had no excuse to prolong the silence.
Jem returned with Alec's glass of water and he approached the man and Alec took the glass, setting it down on the coffee table before quickly gripping Jem's forearm, making him look back at him surprised. Alec pulled lightly, making Jem take another step towards him.
"C'mere." Alec waved his other hand towards himself.
Jem looked confused but knelt down next to Alec. Alec let go of Jem's arm and wrapped his arm around the older man's shoulders pulling him into a hug. Jem pressed himself against Alec carefully, sliding his arm under Alec's neck as he started to cry. The conversation at the bar stopped in stunned silence as Alec and Jem gripped each other on the couch.
Jem whispered to Alec sadly. "Even if we weren't Parabatai," He cried. "You're my best friend. When Magnus said they'd killed you . . ."
"I know." Alec told him. "I'm so sorry. I'm still here, I'm still your best friend."
Jem held on to Alec for a moment longer before letting him go. Alec saw him glance up at Magnus, Tessa and Raphael before wiping the tears off of his face and walking away from the group. Alec couldn't see as Jem made his way downstairs but he did hear Tessa excuse herself from the bar to follow her husband to their room.
That left Raphael and Magnus by themselves with Raphael standing behind the bar and Magnus sitting on a stool.
"You need anything, Dad?" Raphael called over towards the couch.
"I'm okay." Alec replied, looking back towards the window before glancing over at the fireplace.
"We're going to go check on Madzie and her playmates." Magnus told him. "Will you be okay for a few minutes?"
"Magnus, no one knows we are here, I'm in a house full of Warlocks, Vampires and Shadowhunters. I have magic, and a cell phone. I'll be okay if you leave me alone for five minutes." Alec told him not unkindly as he stared at the flames.
Magnus wandered over and placed a lingering kiss on Alec's forehead before he and Raphael made their way up the stairs. Once he could no longer hear them, Alec sat up a little more and stared more intently at the flames in the fireplace.
He wondered if what he was feeling now was the same thing Clary was feeling when she intentionally placed her hand into the flames of her fireplace. He wondered if she really found relief from the feeling of the burn. He pushed himself up to his feet, wobbling slightly, and stumbled over to the fireplace. He lowered himself to his knees in front of it and stared for a little longer. He reached out and grabbed the handle on the glass of the fireplace and slid it open. He took a deep breath and placed his hand over the flames, feeling the warmth on the skin of his palm before lowering it slightly until he felt the burn. He was ashamed to say that it felt good.
His hand hadn't even been in the fireplace for a full minute before he heard Wesley shouting.
"Hey!" His British accent rang throughout the house loudly. "Hey what in the bloody hell do you think you're doing, mate?" He heard hurried footsteps coming up behind him and heard them upstairs, heading towards the stairs.
"Get your hand out of there!" Wesley yelled at Alec, taking him by the shoulder and jerking him backwards. Alec fell back onto the rug, the hardwood beneath it made his back ache painfully as his wounds made contact with the ground.
"Wesley?" Magnus shouted from the stairs as he walked down. "What's going on."
"You need to get down here." Wesley said angrily. "Your husband has lost his damn mind."
Wesley shut the fireplace with a loud snap and then grabbed Alec under his arms and dragged him to the couch. Alec looked over dazedly, and saw Magnus approaching them with a concerned look on his face.
Wesley re-situated Alec on the couch, reclining him back against the pillows and throwing the blanket back over him before turning to Magnus.
"Guess what I found him doing?" He asked Magnus.
"I -" Alec started to say.
"Don't." Wesley snapped.
"What did you find him doing?" Magnus asked warily.
Wesley grabbed Alec's wrist and showed Magnus the ugly burn on Alec's hand. "He walked over to the fireplace and stuck his hand into the fire, just like Clary did the other week."
"You did what?" Magnus snapped at Alec, grabbing his wrist from Wesley. He sat on the coffee table and examined the blistering burn. It was over his entire palm and was an angry red color.
Magnus visibly took a large steadying breath. He refused to look either man in the eye as he dismissed Wesley. "Thank you, Wesley. I've got this from here, but I'd appreciate some discretion when it comes to this matter."
"Of course, mate."
Wesley walked away and Magnus healed Alec's hand, still not looking Alec in the eye.
"Magnus." Alec prompted in a low voice. He regretted sticking his hand in the fireplace, if only because it had put that look on his husband's face.
"Don't" Magnus was angry at him. Really angry. "I can't talk about this with you today. I just can't. I'll make up one of the guest rooms for you for tonight."
"Wait, what?" Alec panicked. "Magnus, wait."
Magnus stood up and started towards the stairs. "Non-negotiable." He said. "I'll send someone down to babysit you. Perhaps you will be less inclined to mutilate yourself if one of our children is in your presence."
"Magnus, please!" Alec called after him.
Magnus didn't stop. He darted up the stairs and Raphael came down a moment later, settling on a couch adjacent to him and pretended he didn't notice his father weeping into the pillows that were propping him up as he turned into the back of the couch.
Magnus didn't come back downstairs to help Alec up to bed that night. In fact, Magnus didn't come back downstairs at all. Raphael and Clary helped their father up to one of the spare rooms, which was mortifying, the bed had sheets, blankets, pillows and pillow cases thrown on to it; Magnus' doing, Alec was sure. It hurt him that Magnus didn't even care enough to make the bed for him when he was in such bad condition at the moment.
Clary goes to make the bed for Alec, but he stops her, telling her that he has it. After several minutes of hesitating and protesting from both of his children, Alec tells them that clearly Magnus thought that Alec was in good enough condition to make the bed therefore, he would do it himself.
Both Raphael and Clary looked very hesitant to leave Alec alone to make the bed but Alec convinced them. It took a lot of effort and he had to take a break halfway through, but once the bed was done, Alec closed the door, turned off the lights and collapsed to the bed drenched in sweat.
He fell asleep with tears streaming down his cheeks and the thought that he didn't feel right.
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Magnus woke up from a fitful, restless sleep when the light from the windows reached his eyes.
He had gotten up multiple times during the night and started to go to check on Alec before deciding not to. He didn't sleep well without his husband, which aggravated him to no end since he was so angry with him.
Magnus swung his legs over the edge of the bed and pushed himself to his feet. He slipped a robe on over his silk pajama pants and bare chest. He padded out of his bedroom and down the hall to the room he had put together for Alec.
He carefully pushed the door open and was worried when he found it empty. The sheets didn't even look slept in. Confused and concerned, Magnus spun around and started down the stairs, leaving the door of the room open. He was sure he had asked his two eldest children to assist Alec up to the bedroom he had put together. He looked down over the railing of the spiral staircase towards the couch, Alec wasn't there.
"Oh, God." Magnus panicked. Why had he thought it was a good idea to leave his husband alone when he was clearly prone to self harming tendencies.
He rushed back up the stairs and started looking behind every door for Alec. He finally found Alec fast asleep in one the bedrooms farther away from their bedroom, Magnus had specifically chosen one the bedrooms closer to their own so that if Alec had cried out or something had happened, Magnus could have heard him.
Magnus sighed in relief at seeing that his husband was in one piece and was indeed still breathing. Magnus wandered further into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed, his back pressed to Alec's lower back as Alec was curled up on his side, facing away from the door.
Magnus leaned over Alec and saw that he was profusely sweating. "Alexander?" He turned more towards Alec and placed a hand on his arm. "Alexander, wake up."
Alec groaned and opened his eyes. Magnus could see that his eyes were glassy and he wasn't registering that Magnus was really there. Magnus reached down and placed the back of his hand to Alec's forehead.
Alec instantly let out a little moan and rolled over towards Magnus, pressing his forehead further into Magnus' hand.
"Darling." Magnus worried. "You're burning up!"
He reached down to stroke Alec's cheek and the man recoiled.
"Mag'us" Alec whined. "Mag'us, please."
"Please what, Sayang?" Magnus pushed some magic into Alec, relieving some of his husband's illness.
Alec's eyes cleared some, they focused in on Magnus' face and tears started to gather. "I'm sorry." He croaked. "Please don't be mad at me."
"Oh my darling." Magnus sighed. "I'm not mad at you, I was scared. I shouldn't have acted the way that I did, I'm sorry."
Alec just seemed to stare up at him sadly. Magnus stood up and leaned back down over Alec, sliding his arms underneath his knees and his back, pulling Alec into his chest and standing up straight.
"Mag'us" Alec whined as Magnus carried him out of the room before apparently giving up and plopping his head down onto Magnus' shoulder.
Magnus magicked their bedroom door open and then closed once they were inside and then carrying Alec into their adjoining bathroom.
"Was happ'in?" Alec asked. Magnus set him down on the closed toilet, waving a hand making the tub fill up.
"You've got a fever, Sayang." Magnus moved over to him and ran a hand through his hair. "We need to cool you down."
Alec seemed to pout, "I don't wanna." He slurred, leaning forward to press his forehead against the top of Magnus' chest where his neck met his chest.
"I know, darling." Magnus crooned. He pulled Alec away from his chest and pulled his shirt off over his head. "But we have to." Alec groaned again and Magnus smiled into his hair as Alec let his head fall back down to his chest. He pulled the rest of Alec's clothes off and helped him over to the tub.
Alec started to struggle the closer that they got to the tub but Magnus whispered reassurances to him the entire way. He supported Alec as he stepped into the cold water and then eased him down prepared for Alec to lash out.
He wasn't, however, prepared for Alec to start to cry. "Alexander!" He leaned forward to peer into his husband's eyes as the thick tears rolled down his cheeks and the sobs were wrenched from his lungs. "Alexander, darling." He cupped his cheeks in his hands.
Alec reached forward and grabbed Magnus' arms, he pulled on Magnus hard. Magnus toppled forward into the cold water, on top of Alec. The man was still crying even as he pulled Magnus to him.
Magnus flicked his wet hair out of his face and pulled his soaking wet robe off, throwing it out of the tub and ignoring his soaked pants. He wrapped his arms around Alec's neck and pulled him into his chest as Alec sobbed.
"Alexander, what is it, darling?" Alec didn't seem to hear him so Magnus switched tactics. "Dites-moi quelle est la question, mon amour chéri. Pourquoi pleures-tu autant?" (Tell me what is the matter, my darling love. Why are you crying so much?)
Alec's reply was muffled as he spoke into Magnus' neck. "Je ne me sens pas bien. Tout fait mal. Je veux juste te tenir, s'il te plait laisse moi juste être avec toi, Magnus." (I don't feel well. Everything hurts. I just want to hold you, please just let me be here with you, Magnus)
Magnus just tightened his hold on Alec and sat with him in the water and carded his fingers through his curly black locks, whispering reassurances into Alec's ear.
He would do whatever it takes to make Alec feel alright again.