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Shadowhunters are usually immune to any little mundane cold that catches on in seasonal periods, which is why Alec is completely puzzled to why the majority of his Institute is suddenly inundated with a surprisingly non-resistant cold strain. First it was a couple of the kids who caught it after going on some outdoor training sessions with their supervisors in the height of mundane cold season. He didn’t really think anything of it, sure kids can are more susceptible to infections until they start getting runes, but nothing as insignificant as a cold should properly bring them down with anything.
Turns out Alec did need to be worried as this year an especially aggressive strain has swept through New York and it’s taken down the majority of his Institute within one week.
-
First it’s three children. Then another two adults come down with it. Within two days a section of the Institute are displaying symptoms. Alec tries a quarantine, cornering off half the Institute in a weak attempt to try and stop the spread of this non-life threatening, but still extremely annoying cold. At this point they’re already stretched to the absolute max, with Alec having to juggle where exactly he can place his teams. Even though it is extremely rare that any Institute has to deal with an outbreak, nevertheless a mere cold outbreak, none of Alec’s best fighters have come down with it yet, and he really hopes they can all ride it out, otherwise New York is going to become extremely vulnerable to demons.
Alec is sat at his desk on day eight of infectious hell, in his currently completely off limits section of the Institute (as if he becomes sick he might just have a nervous breakdown at the possibilities of what might happen when he’s gone), when he gets a knock at the door. He doesn’t even have the time to deny them entry as its Magnus and he only really knocks as a formality. Yes, his warlock boyfriend who definitely cannot get sick, causing Alec infinite jealousy, has been going round the Institute seeing if he can do anything to help ease the situation, which is not much but at least he can do some cool magic, making the kids feel less terrible.
“See you’re still holding out then?” Magnus chuckles as he weaves his way towards Alec’s chair.
“Somehow, someway,” Alec muses angstily, disliking the fact that really the only reason he is not sick is due to him being the Head of the Institute. Instead he should be with his family and attempting to look after them all whilst simultaneously being sick as well, like the good old days of his childhood.
“Look, I know you feel bad, but I don’t think you’ll be able to keep this up much longer. The Shadowhunters you’re sending out are working too hard because they’re the only ones who can defend the city, including yourself, which is just going to make it easier for you to catch it. I think you should ask for some help,” Magnus tries to talk some sense into Alec who has tried to remedy the problem of defending an entire city from demons upon his shoulders.
“I know, but I can’t call the Clave, their Shadowhunters are just going to get sick as well, and then what I am going to do. I think we’re just going to have to wait it out until people start getting better again,” Alec sighs, understanding what Magnus has said but knowing he truly can’t take it on board fully.
“No, not the Clave. You do have many downworlder allies darling,” Magnus replies, kissing Alec’s forehead lightly before he slips out of the room, knowing that Alec has a mammoth task to organise.
Alec spends the next hour on the phone, cashing in all his favours in as he does. Both Luke and Raphael come immediately to the Institute, with Maia and Simon tagging along with them. He needs to try and get the majority of the downworlders in the area to help hunt the demons while the Shadowhunters are unable to. It’s not impossible, considering the has very strong links with the communities in Brooklyn, but it’s damn hard.
“All we need is a few teams to scout out specific areas on rota for just a couple nights until we can take back over again, the vampires, werewolves and warlocks all come up with four teams each, we should be covered,” Alec states, trying to read both Luke and Raphael’s expressions as he does.
“How many in a team?” Raphael asks, the cogs in his brain already attempting to figure out who would be the best to ask.
“Three is ideal,” Alec replies, seeing the uneasiness that descends on both of the leaders faces.
“How is this gonna work?” Luke questions, not really being able to understand how Alec plans this 365 days a year, all without it going terribly wrong.
“Well, we have three sections and if everyone is able to get enough teams then we’ll rota it so no one has to patrol a more than two nights,” Alec replies, knowing that this needs to work otherwise some evil creature is going to take advantage of the fact that the city is being left unguarded.
Both Luke and Raphael agree to the plan and say they’ll be ready with their teams by nightfall. Now all Alec has to do is convince Lorenzo.
-
After a lengthy phone conversation it seems like the only reason Lorenzo agrees to provide the necessary warlocks is because it will make him look favourable to both the Clave and his own people, but at this point that is the best Alec can do. He soon creates the rota with all the sections on it and sends it to the leaders, hoping to God that it works. For Alec’s own sanity Magnus hasn’t been put on any of the warlock teams, probably because Lorenzo knows that that would immediately cause him to be on Alec’s bad side, which no one ever wants.
Luckily he’s managed to organise the whole thing in perfect timing because this cold has finally pierced his inner circle. Alec’s inner circle really consists of only Magnus, Jace, Izzy, Clary and Simon at a push, and that’s only because of the amount of times he’s around whilst Clary is at the Institute. Magnus informs him that Clary caught it and Jace is doing absolutely nothing to prevent himself from catching it either, which is to Alec’s delight. He already knows he won’t be able to keep himself away from Jace due to their parabatai bond, which is just a recipe for disaster, he can only hope that Izzy remains un-inflicted so she can run the Institute in his near obvious absence.
After sorting out everything with the downworld he decides to call it a day, quickly poking his head around Jace and Clary’s door to check on them. Just as Magnus said, if Jace hasn’t caught it already he definitely will have before the night is over, he’s got Clary curled under his arm, with her face smushed into his chest. His eyelids are slightly open, arms tending when he recognises that someone has entered the room. He immediately recognises it as Alec and just gives a thumbs up with the arm not being used to protect a sick Clary. Unsatisfied that Jace is going to cause him the phantom grief of his cold, but still pleased that he’s found someone that he really cares about, Alec leaves them be, giving them a nod before he heads to Magnus’.
-
It’s nice being in a germ free environment for a night, even if he feels shitty due to Jace, but he has an Institute to run, regardless of the potential risk to his health. Ultimately he’s just thankful that he got a good lie in due to him not really needing to be there on time considering it’s the downworld that needs his attention, not the Institute. He kisses goodbye to Magnus, who he’ll undoubtedly see in a couple hours anyway, to leave for the Institute. He feels slightly crummy but he knows it’s only down to his slightly idiotic, slightly adorable parabatai, also due to the fact that the subway is crammed.
He makes it though, and takes a quick walk around the ‘cornered’ off areas of the Institute, but realistically nothing’s truly off the table with this virus spreading like wildfire. He addresses the little amount of shadowhunters who still standing, or not looking after loved ones, assigning them to assist the teams of downworlders that have their usual patrol jobs to do before retreating to his office. Today he needs to tackle how to inform the Clave of how he’s handled the whole situation, which he can’t imagine is going to be easy, but it needs to be done and he sure as hell knows no one else is going to do it.
The Clave exhausts him with an hour and a half of lectures based on unfounded discriminatory beliefs about downworlders. It makes Alec’s ear want to bleed with the intense amount of pretentiousness shoved into it all, along with the stern ‘we’ll get back to you after this is all over’ threat that lies over him. He already knows that he’ll be asked to come before the council - which is in no way exciting - but he’ll deal with that hurdle when needs to cross it. Right now the only hurdle in his way is getting some tea, because that call made his mouth all weird and dry.
He exits his office, noticing that it’s slowly becoming late afternoon out of nowhere, and works his way to the kitchen. The tea container has been ransacked by the rest of the Institute’s occupants, but there’s at least a couple left that he can use. He makes his tea and debates going back to his office, or maybe to check on Jace, and by extension Clary, because he’s been a worry in the back of his mind all day or just find Magnus, go back home and spend another nice evening on the sofa. He knows that he should check on Jace though, even if he goes home now he won’t be able to get it out of his head that he hasn’t seen him.
He does exactly that, resolving that he’s only going to be in Jace’s vicinity for a couple minutes, if that, the likelihood of him getting infected is low. The he’s going to get Magnus, and go home. Yet, as soon as Alec sees Jace’s miserable self curled up in the blankets of his bedding, his heart can’t help but drop a little. The whole scenario reminds him of when they were kids and Alec would have to look after his three siblings if they ever got sick, just that Max isn’t actually here right now and Izzy has suddenly turned into Clary, but it’s still family in a way.
Simon is with them both, completely asleep with Clary on the sofa in the room. Jace instead has his eyelids slightly open from the intrusion into his room. He smiles gently at Jace, decisively entering the room fully, closing the door behind him. He sits at the foot of the bed, speaking is small whisper tones as he doesn’t want to wake either of the other two. Jace slightly unfurled himself from his blanket burrito, in order to speak to Alec and breathe at the same time.
“You enjoying yourself there?” Alec chuckles quietly, nodding towards Jace attempting to remove his arms from the massive blanket.
“Yes, definitely,” Jace croaks playfully back, his mere voice sounding miserable even though he tries to make it not so.
“Even Clary has abandoned you, how pitiful,” Alec laughs, its comical how large the bed is and how small Jace seems to want to be.
“Remember when we were kids and you’d have all four of us in mum’s massive bed and make sure everyone got cuddles?” Jace prompts (Alec thinks he knows where this is leading), “can we do that again, like right now?” He sounds small, almost like he doesn’t want to say what he’s saying out loud.
“Sure Jace,” Alec replies warmly, untangling the blankets from around Jace, slipping off his uncomfortable jeans and climbing into bed. His back almost immediately thanks him for it.
He abandons his tea on the bedside table, favouring the situation with Jace so much more. He leans against the backboard, allowing Jace to make himself comfortable. Jace places his head on Alec’s collar, whilst wrapping his arms around his torso, Alec just allows him to do this, waiting patiently with the blanket so he can drape it over the both of them. As soon as he does Jace is out like a light. Alec doesn’t particularly feel that tired, so instead of sleeping he turns the light off and just sips his tea in the darkness, allowing himself to be comforted by the sounds of Jace and Clary breathing as he does.
Within minutes he’s asleep anyway.
—
Magnus trails around the Institute, not seeing any sign of Alec anywhere. He goes home for a little while, seeing if he turns up there, but he doesn’t. Deciding that he’s probably fallen asleep in his office for the umpteenth time, he portals straight there, and it’s empty. He doesn’t expect to find him with Jace curled into him, looking like he’s been sleeping for a good couple hours. This is not a massive surprise, Alec is either in two places if he’s not with Magnus himself; overworking himself in his office, or somewhere with Jace, there’s no inbetween. It is also unsurprising that Alec has allowed himself to catch whatever virus Jace has at its full extent, probably only thinking about Jace’s wellbeing in this situation over his own (Magnus can’t really blame him on that one, even if he could get sick he’d risk getting a cold for Alec any time).
“Alec?” Magnus hums in a low whisper, sliding his hand through the messy extent of Alec’s bedhead. It’s likely that Alec stirred the moment he heard footsteps approaching the door but Magnus always ‘wakes him up’ like this regardless of his Shadowhunter abilities.
“Hmm, yes?” Alec replies sleepily, opening his eyes slowly to reveal Magnus in all his glory.
“You should really tell me when you’re going to fall asleep in random places, I was beginning to get slightly worried,” Magnus replies half-heartedly, knowing that this impromptu cuddle session with Jace was 98% unplanned in its entirety.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you worry,” Alec pouts, starting to detangle himself from octopus-Jace, wanting to hug Magnus instead.
“Are you okay with leaving?” Magnus asks before Alec fully deattaches Jace, knowing that it’s sometimes hard for the pair to separate if one of them isn’t in their best condition for whatever reason.
“Yeah, let’s just get Clary into her actual bed before Jace is whining when he wakes up,” Alec chuckles, standing up from his place in the bed.
Alec slips a hand into Magnus’ as they shut the door on the room, Magnus using his spare hand to conjure them up a portal. Alec checks in with Izzy once he gets home, hoping there’s nothing outstanding to do before he joins Magnus on the sofa for a much needed movie marathon. Luckily the Institute didn’t burn down whilst he was napping, which means he can devote this time to Magnus. He easily lies in the same position Jace was in but in Magnus’ arms, feeling truly at peace with the world in that very moment.
—
Truly, the second Magnus discovered Alec with Jace last night he expected this. Alec has stolen all of the covers, huddling himself under the masses of pillows and blankets in the bed. His breathing sounds more laboured than usual, and even though it’s past 07:00 AM he has not even stirred from his sleep, suggesting that, even with the nap he accidentally took yesterday, he’s exhausted. Magnus knows he needs to wake him up to see what sort of condition he’s in, is today going to be a sit on the sofa and be kinda sad day, or an in-bed all day feeling horrific day?
“Hey baby,” Magnus moves his hand onto Alec’s shoulder, attempting to rouse him from his slumber.
Alec just makes a non-communicable sound in return, turning over as he does, burying his way too hot for comfort forehead into Magnus’s lower torso. Magnus just places his hand into Alec’s hair, relishing in the moment.
“How’re you feeling?” Magnus asks softly, slowly moving his thumb over Alec’s left temple as he does.
“Terrible,” Alec replies, Magnus then knows it’s going to be one of those days.
“In exactly what way?” Magnus questions, hoping he can do something about it.
“My head hurts and my nose is starting to block, I sorta feel sick and I’m still really, really tired,”
“Okay then,” Magnus says, gently removing Alec from his torso in order to get up, “stick that in your mouth first,” as he does he passes Alec a thermometer, “do you want tea?”
“Thank you,” Alec rasps back, placing the thermometer under his tongue as he throws his head back onto his pillow over dramatically.
Magnus returns swiftly with two mugs of tea, he sets them aside before sitting back down. He reads the thermometer, 100.4, not that concerning, but worth making sure it doesn’t increase substantially.
“Do you want to get out of your sweaty pyjamas and onto the sofa to watch reruns of reality TV all day or do you just want to stay in bed and move as little as possible?” Magnus asks as he hands over Alec’s tea.
“Probably the first one,” Alec replies, sighing as the steam from the tea starts to make his nose run a little. Magnus just chuckles.
Soon enough, with the help of Magnus’ magic, Alec is changed and laid out on the sofa, covered in blankets with his own hot water bottle. Magnus is just wrapping up an ice pack into a towel to put on Alec’s forehead before he can go and call all the clients he was meant to see today to tell them that someone way more important is sick and needy right now.
“Hey, I’m going to just cancel my appointments and call the Institute to tell them you’re not coming in today, if you need anything just shout for me,” Magnus kisses Alec’s forehead before placing the ice pack on it, he’s literally moving less than three rooms over from him but still doesn’t him to be out of his sight in any capacity right now. Alec hums in return, turning his focus back onto the TV once Magnus left.
Luckily, the prestige of being the best warlock in the city means that most of his clients are fine with him having to reschedule, others are surprised that he’d put a shadowhunter over his own kind but they’ve obviously never properly met Alec before. Izzy is the only one who seems to not be sick when he calls the Institute, telling Magnus to pass on her ‘get well soon’ to Alec.
Magnus walks back to Alec, seeing him look so miserable breaks his heart. He sits on their coffee table just so he can feel a little closer to him, brushing the hair out of his eyes with his fingertips. He doesn’t intend to wake him.
“How did that go?” Alec mumbles, attempting to keep his eyes open enough to focus on Magnus in his entirely.
“It was fine, they all took it okay. Izzy’s running the Institute so don’t feel like you need to rush back or anything, a couple days on this sofa will do you good,” Magnus replies, smiling as the relief shows on Alec’s face, “do you want anything else?”
“Just you really, but could you maybe make some of that nausea potion? I’ll be fine if you don’t want to though, you don’t have to,” Alec backtracks, not wanting to appear over-dependent on Magnus.
“No problem, honestly, can you wait ten minutes?” Magnus asks apprehensively, not knowing if Alec is feeling like he will throw up at any second or if he’s just feeling a little too off for comfort.
“No rush!” Alex replies, bundling back down, as Magnus hurriedly walks over to his potions room.
The only issue with Alec when he’s sick is that he gets all apologetic for having needs because he thinks he’s being too demanding. They’ve been dating for what seems like an eternity but even Magnus hasn’t been able to get him to kick the habit yet. Asking for simple things like a glass of water, or to pass the remote from the other side of the table, Alec just gets up and tries to do it even when he shouldn’t. Magnus thinks it’s partly because he was constantly told not to rely on anyone and be independent of anyone else, partly because he had to take care of himself when he was sick. No one was there for him to just take care of him.
That’s why he’s not surprised when Alec is attempting to reach for another pillow from the other sofa when Magnus returns from brewing his potion.
“Hey hey hey, stop that and let me get it for you,” Magnus shoos him away back into the covers.
Magnus sits Alec upright, sliding behind him as he does. He places the pillow on his chest and lets Alec fall down into his torso. He passes Alec the potion, encouraging him to take it as a shot of some sort instead of sipping it down as it doesn’t taste that great. The second that it’s down Alec relaxes completely into Magnus, turning slightly into the pillow to attempt to take another nap. Within minutes he’s happily snoozing away and Magnus is definitely stuck watching reruns of ‘Friends’ for the millionth time.
Having woken up feeling marginally better than before, Alec had decided to take a shower himself whilst Magnus made them both something to eat. He walks out, sniffing as all the steam made his nose drippy, in only his boxers, a towel around his neck, ceremonially dropping himself down into a chair opposite his currently occupied boyfriend.
“Aren’t you cold?” Magnus asks, raising one eyebrow as he turns to grab some herb from his spice rack.
“Just a little, I think my fever’s broken though,” Alec answers, within a click of the fingers he has a blanket draped over his shoulders.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Magnus confirms, wiping his hand down on his apron and feeling Alec’s forehead. He hums in approval, going back to stir his pot.
“It might just be a 24 hour thing,” Alec wonders outloud, thinking that he might have just caught a weaker strain of the virus.
“Yeah, for my strong shadowhunter maybe, but go sit back down on the sofa, if you do too much too soon it will just get worse instead of better,” Magnus sighs, sending him another look.
“I’m sorry you had to take the day off to look after me,” Alec apologises suddenly, feeling bad that he’s causing Magnus any fraction of stress.
“Hey, I enjoy taking care of you, even if I don’t like it when your all miserable and sick,” Magnus stops with the stirring, giving Alec his full attention.
“I just feel so needy, I don’t know I just don’t like feeling this way,” Alec stumbles over his words, looking down at the countertop. Magnus flows smoothly around the island, placing two fingers under Alec’s chin to coax him into looking at him.
“Sometimes you just have to be a little dependent on someone else, that’s not a bad thing, I’d hope to think that you don’t mind when I’m dependent on you,” Magnus doesn’t want to have to play it this way but he does, just so Alec doesn’t feel all mentally miserable as well as physically.
“No, no, I don’t mind at all,” Alec backtracks, starting to see the sense in Magnus’s argument.
“Why is it any different? I love you Alexander, all of you,” Magnus kisses Alec’s still warm forehead, resting his chin on the crown of his head after he’s done. Alec wraps his arms around Magnus’ back, smushing his face sideways into Magnus’ chest, attempting to breathe in his cologne.
“I love you too Magnus,”
They stay like that for a while, complicit in each other’s company, before relocating to the sofa, settling down to rewatch the entire marvel franchise (Alec falls asleep before Steve becomes Captain America).