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After the fifth insistent buzz of the apartment intercom, which might possibly have started buzzing to the beat of 'baby hit me one more time', Alec decided there was no harm in answering and telling whoever it was that Magnus wasn't in. It was either that or he was going to have to wrench the intercom box off the wall to prevent himself going mad from the noise.
He pressed the talk button. "Hello?"
"Aren't you going to say 'residence of the awe-inspiring Magnus Bane' or something?"
Alec frowned, "Magnus?"
"Yes, it is I!" The tinny voice exclaimed through the intercom, along with a rustling of fabric and a slight thump, as if he'd made some extravagant movement and then stumbled.
There was a moment of silence, during which Alec stared at the intercom with a confounded expression.
"Wh... why are you calling your own buzzer?"
"Well I've never called at my own apartment before Alexander, I thought it might be an enlightening experience." He sounded almost tipsy, Alec thought, but after a pause Magnus spoke again in a lower more measured tone. "Besides, I don't think I can make it up the stairs. I can ask the doorman to help me up, but that would be terribly undignified."
"What?! Are you okay? Wait, I'm coming down." He pressed the lock button, the outer door buzzed and unclicked and Alec hung up, not giving Magnus a chance to reply as he bolted out of the apartment.
*************************
Alec tapped his foot impatiently inside the elevator as it plummeted to the lower floors. For some reason it has stopped calling at the bottom floor the day before, and Magnus mentioned that the apartment had organised a fix shortly. It meant only one floor of stairs before using the elevator, and he was concerned that Magnus couldn't manage even 20 steps. He exited the elevator swiftly and took the stairs three at a time, leaping down the last few and running into the foyer. The floor to ceiling glass let darkness seep in from the night-time streets outside, intruding on the soft foyer lighting.
Magnus was leaning nonchalantly against the wall just inside the door, his head down.
"Magnus," Alec called as he strode over, reaching out and grasping the warlock's shoulders. Magnus' head jerked up in surprise, his eyes glassy and groggy looking as if they had been shut. He swayed away from the wall and Alec moved his hands quickly to his waist to steady him.
"Woah, are you okay? What happened?" Alec peered in concern at Magnus and held him at arm's length, looking him over for any sign of injury. The warlock was breathing more heavily than normal, as if he had been exerting himself, and looked pale and exhausted.
Magnus reached out, unco-ordinated and patted Alec's arms. "I'm fine I'm fine, I just used too much magic. That emergency call to the institute earlier used almost everything I had, and this afternoon's appointment was time sensitive so I couldn't cancel. I had to take a cab back, I couldn't manage a portal. I'm fine."
"You don't look fine," Alec replied, his brow furrowed. He pulled Magnus close to his side and laced an arm around his waist, hooking his fingers into Magnus' belt on the far side. "Come on, let's get you to bed."
"Why Alexander, you devil. If you intend on bedding me in this state you're going to have to do all the hard work." If Magnus hadn't been so exhausted the expression he was pulling would have been quite lecherous, but as it was it only managed to make him look more tired. Alec's look of concern deepened and he gripped his boyfriend tighter, all but carrying him across the foyer and up the first set of stairs.
Magnus managed the steps with Alec's help, and they stepped into the elevator, Alec shuffling so that Magnus was propped between him and the mirrored wall. Magnus hummed quietly and dropped his head towards Alec's shoulder, collapsing against him a little. Alec tensed his arm to take more weight and reached out with his other to catch Magnus' hand which had curled into his t-shirt.
"Alright?" He asked softly.
Magnus huffed softly and nodded. "Yes, sorry, when my magic is this low but I'm trying to stay awake I can end up feeling a bit... loopy. I'm fine, I just need to rest."
A few seconds later the doors slid open, and thankfully the apartment hallways were empty and softly lit at this time at night. Alec adjusted his grip and walked slowly with Magnus to his apartment door, pushing it open and all but carrying the exhausted warlock inside. He steered them straight for the bedroom, momentarily moving his hands to just under Magnus' armpits and pushing him in front, supporting his weight, in order to get through the narrower bedroom door together. He quickly sat Magnus on the side of the bed, watching him slump and then melt down onto the covers with a tired groan of relief.
He bent down onto one knee and started working at the laces of Magnus' boots, gently tugging them off one by one and pulling off his socks too. He could hear the chinking of Magnus' belt, and he stood up again to find his boyfriend fumbling ineffectually with the clasp, his eyes looking unfocused and his fingers shaking. Alec pushed his hands to the side and undid the belt, unzipping the pants.
"Hips up," he requested, tapping Magnus on the hip with a finger. Magnus complied and the pants were discarded in a pile on the floor, leaving him in his dark purple Armani briefs. Alec lent forward and unbuttoned Magnus' shirt, glancing at his tired face. His eyes were shut and breathing heavy, as if he was half asleep already, and Alec worked faster.
When the shirt was open he wrapped a hand gently around the back of Magnus' neck and tugged slightly, "Can you sit for a second, I need to get your shirt and necklaces off."
Magnus' eyes opened wearily and he gave a small smile, reaching up with one hand and grasping Alec's free arm, helping to haul himself upright on the edge of the bed again. He looked down in confusion at his bare legs for a second, obviously not quite clear on when he'd lost his pants. He slumped forwards slightly and allowed Alec to manhandle him out of his shirt, and tipped his head down when he felt hands on the back of his neck. Alec unclasped the necklaces one by one and set them on the bedside table, turning back to Magnus where he sat slouched forward and head bowed.
Alec frowned, and looked over to the vanity table in the room, with some choice makeup bottles. He knew that Magnus took off his makeup with a product in a bottle and had seen him use cotton pads to do it so imagined he could replicate the job, but wasn't sure what to use. He rested his hand on Magnus' shoulder for a second and then headed for the bathroom, filling a glass of water and bringing it back to the bedroom to find Magnus lying down again.
"Okay," he said, in a voice that aimed to keep Magnus awake for a few seconds longer, "under the covers and then I'll take off your makeup."
Magnus opened his eyes again and sent Alec such a grateful and unguarded look that Alec couldn't help but lean down and place a soft kiss to his forehead. He reached up and pulled the covers down, nudging Magnus to slide backwards, "Come on."
Once he was settled under the covers, Alec placed the glass of water in his hands and encouraged him to drink, then went and stared at the bottles on the vanity. He picked up a few of the much less colourful bottles and found one that was marked makeup remover. He found the cotton pads in the first drawer he tried, and was feeling pretty proud of himself as he made his way back to the side of the bed and sat on Magnus' side next to the warlock. He brushed his colour-streaked hair away from his forehead and glanced at the almost empty glass of water abandoned on the bedside table. He held up the bottle and pads, "I use these right?"
Magnus blinked at him slowly and nodded, as if he couldn't quite believe Alec was willing to do this for him, and Alec brought the pad with lotion on it to the warlock's face and slowly and gently started to remove the day's makeup. He slowed and went more carefully around Magnus' closed eyes, anxious not to hurt the delicate skin around his eyelids while taking off the mascara and eye shadow. Once he'd developed a small pile of used pads, and inspected the last one back to see no colour on its surface, he stopped and took a second to look at his boyfriend's relaxed face. After a few seconds Magnus opened his eyes and smiled, his hand drifting clumsily to reach up and meeting Alec's side, gripping slightly. "Thank you."
Alec smiled back, wondering if Magnus thought he would ever not consider doing this when he needed it. "Of course," he replied, and leaned down for a soft kiss, "sleep." Magnus nodded imperceptibly, and his eyes slid shut again.
Alec padded quietly around the room, stripping down to his boxers and brushing his teeth, splashing some water on his face briefly and then turning off the lights and sliding into bed. Magnus was still, his breathing heavy and regular, and Alec settled down to sleep beside him.
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Alec couldn't tell what has awakened him at first, and he lay for a few seconds in that dark unknown space that often comes from waking before morning. As his scattered thoughts came together and he remembered helping an exhausted Magnus into the loft, shallow breaths and a quiet distressed sound filtered into his hearing.
He twisted to the side towards Magnus and leant up on one elbow, straining his eyes in the dark to make out his boyfriend.
The soft glint of moonlight filtering past the edges of the curtains illuminated a sheen of sweat coating Magnus' skin, the sheets pushed and tangled down below his bare chest and his limbs twitched and writhing as he panted. He looked like he was dreaming, his brow furrowed and lips murmuring quietly.
"Magnus," Alec reached out and grasped at his shoulder, frowning at the heat coming from the skin there. He popped up onto his knees on the bed and flicked on the bedside lamp, casting an orange glow over the bed. The light revealed a pink flush to Magnus' chest and face, and Alec leant over him in concern even as he let out another whimper in his sleep.
Alec took a firmer grasp on Magnus' shoulders and shook him slightly.
"Magnus. Magnus! Wake up, Magnus."
He rested a hand on his boyfriend's forehead as his eyes fluttered open, glazed and confused. It took a few seconds before Magnus stopped staring at the ceiling in confusion and found Alec's face instead.
"Hello darling... It's hot, I'm too hot."
His voice was rough and weak, and he coughed slightly, his breaths still coming rapidly and too shallow. Alec peered down at him and rested a hand on his wrist, noting his fast pulse. "I know, you have a temperature and your heart is beating way too fast.... is this... what's happening? Is this because you used too much magic?"
Magnus let out another small noise, seemingly unaware he was doing it, and pushed inffectually at the bedsheets. "Yes... yes... I haven't pushed myself to a fever for a long time, but yes. I went quite beyond my limits I think."
Alec stroked his thumb across Magnus' forehead, pushing his hair back from the hot skin. "Will it fade on its own, or do we need to call someone - your friend Catarina?"
"No," Magnus shook his head slightly under Alec's hand, then stilled as if it had made him dizzy. "She'd never let me hear the end of it apart from anything else, but no," he continued quickly, ignoring Alec's lips pursed with annoyance at his flipancy, "It will run its course and should break on its own, I've been through it before. As long as I keep cool and hydrated, and don't lose coherancy, it'll be fine."
Alec looked down at him, his uncertainy clear.
Magnus huffed and shifted an arm clumsily, bumping it against Alec's legs and grasping for him, apparently trying to squeeze reassuringly. "I'll be okay - just... you can call Catarina if I go all..." he waved a hand, "...strange on you, alright?"
Magnus let out another small grunt he was clearly unaware of, but he was obviously attempting to look better than he was. Alec huffed and nodded, the edge of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Fine, although how I'm supposed to tell the difference I don't know."
Magnus expelled a short laugh, quiet and strangled sounding and pushed again at the sheets.
"I'm too hot," he complained again, plaintively.
"I know, I know," Alec soothed, stroking his forehead once more, patting his arm and then climbing off the bed. "I'm going to get some more water and something cool for you, I'll be back in a few minutes."
He grabbed for his t-shirt from the discarded pile of clothes on the bedroom chair and shrugged it on, deciding that in combination with his boxers was enough in the mild weather, and padding swiftly out into the loft and heading for the kitchen. He turned on the lights and rubbed his eyes at the glare, gathering a glass of water on a tray and pulling some ice cubes from the freezer. He filled a bowl with water, poured plenty of ice cubes in and headed into the bedroom again, setting the tray on his bedside table and darting into the en suite to grab three clean face towels from the bathroom cupboard.
He threw them onto the bedside table too and then headed for the linen cupboard. Fishing out bedsheets and throwing them to the foot of the bed, he came around to his side of the bed again. Magnus' eyelids were half shut, his breaths coming in little huffs. Alec dipped a face-cloth in the ice water and wrung it out, folding it into a pad and setting it on Magnus' forehead. Magnus emitted a high-pitched grunt and then a sigh, closing his eyes and looking almost pained with the intensity of the relief the coolness offered.
"That's so good... Alexander, that feels... that's the best thing you've done for me ever. I take back all my previous declarations, this is the best thing."
Alec watched his breaths slow a little, expression settled in a mix of concern and amusement, and he squeezed Magnus' shoulder reassuringly.
"Think you can shift over to my side of the bed?"
Magnus opened his eyes, again taking a second or two for his gaze to find Alec again. "What?"
"The bedsheets are soaked with sweat, if we move you over to this side I'll change your half first and then you can move back. It'll be more comfortable."
Magnus mumbled an "oh," and placed his hands shakily to the bed at his waist, eventually rising to a sitting position through an awkward roll to the side and up. Alec reached quickly for his back and pressed, keeping him upright and feeling the tremors and heat running through his skin. Magnus' arms shook as he attempted to lift himself and scoot sideways.
"Here," Alec offered, snaking an arm around his waist and pulling him across the bed, dragging the sheets messily along.
"Thanks," Magnus breathed quietly, leaning into his hold with hot clammy skin.
Alec rescued the face cloth where it had fallen on the sheets and pressed the cold side to Magnus' head again, pushing him down to the bed. He made quick work of gathering the soaked sheets around magnus and applying new sheets to the empty side of the bed, then they repeated the move, with Magnus sitting and Alec helping him move across on to clean sheets. Alec threw the soaked sheets onto the bathroom floor to be dealt with later, and finished making the bed, keeping the top layer of sheets back to allow Magnus to stay cool.
He kneeled on the bed again, holding the cup of water he'd poured in the kitchen and rubbed at Magnus' arm, then removing the cloth on his forehead.
"Here, you should drink some more water."
Magnus rose unsteadily to his elbows again and Alec swiftly brought the glass to his lips, before he tried to take it himself. It was a testament to how ill he felt that Magnus made no complaint, and instead easily drank half the glass. Alec set it back on the table when he was done, and soaked two more facecloths in the bowl of ice water, wringing them out and folding one to replace the previous one on Magnus' forehead. The other he kept unfolded and set down on Magnus' chest, earning a gasp and a grateful moan. Magnus seemed to sink into the bed, his muscles relaxing with the relief the coolness brought and he mumbled something that sounded thankful.
"Okay?" Alec asked, his tone gentle as he rested a comforting hand on his boyfriend's shoulder.
Magnus hummed quietly, his eyes shut and a faint smile on his face. "Much better going through this with a gorgeous nurse to look after me, much better..."
Alec couldn't quite summon a smile, the idea of Magnus waking alone like this in the past sobering.
"You don't have to... I'm here now to look after you whenever you need it," he answered, feeling the need to say it. He squeezed Magnus' limp hand and felt him squeeze back gently, although his eyes remained shut. His breathing was more even now, the coolness helping him relax, and Alec lay back onto the bed and pulled the bedcovers over just himself.
He dozed fitfully, leaving the bedside lamp on and listening to Magnus' slightly laboured breathing and quiet moans of discomfort, sitting every now and then to resoak the wash cloths and replace them on his forehead and chest. A few hours later, Alec removed the warmed facecloths for the umpteenth time and found that Magnus' breathing was steadier and his skin not as blazing hot. He was sleeping more solidly and not shifting in his sleep, the noises of discomfort had ceased. Alec placed a hand to Magnus' forehead and judged the temperature as less worrying, and placed all the washcloths into the bowl, leaving them there. He pulled the bedcovers up to cover Magnus half way up his chest, and then turned off the bedside lamp and settled down with a relieved sigh to sleep properly.
*************************
In the morning Alec had eaten a brief breakfast to stave off his hunger and had a shower all before Magnus woke up, deciding to let him sleep and try to restore his energy as much as possible. He had looked a healthy colour however, when Alec had woken later than usual and struggled out of bed. He'd looked as if it was a normal morning after a normal night, and only the devastation of bowls of water, washclothes and clothes strewn over the floor said otherwise.
He stepped back into the bedroom from his shower, a soft pair of black pants on for comfort and a towel rubbed through his wet hair. Magnus was smiling at him from the bed, his eyes open and while not exactly fresh they were definitely clear.
"Hey," Alec smiled in relief, "how are you feeling?"
Magnus propped himself up onto his elbows with apparent ease. "Tired, but fine, I'm okay. Thank you, Alexander."
Alec smiled and nodded slightly, crawling onto the bed and then up to kneel next to Magnus. "You do look a lot better." He rested a hand briefly on Magnus' forehead.
"I feel better," Magnus reached out to squeeze affectionately at Alec's hip and pushed up off the bed to meet his lips for a brief kiss. "Much better."
"Oh yes?" Alec asked, his smile curving craftily up on one side despite his efforts to hide it. He shifted to hover over Magnus with his hands and knees either side of him. "Better enough for me to do that thing? Your absolute favourite thing? The best thing I've ever done for you?" He peppered kisses to Magnus' shoulders and neck as he spoke, and leant back to observe his boyfriend's amused and slightly confused expression.
"My... favourite... the best thing...?" Magnus was obviously intrigued despite his exhaustion, and was trying to look encouraging even as Alec reached out for the bedside table.
Alec saw the second he caught on, Magnus' eyes widened and he barked out "No...!" Alec gripped the edge of the cold washcloth from the bowl of water and flung it at Magnus with a grin that threatened to break his cheekbones, the freezing soaked cloth catching him full on the bare chest and neck with a splat and he shrieked in the most undignified way Alec had ever heard.
Alec rolled backwards, shaking with laughter even as Magnus fumbled and tried to launch the cloth back at him, "Alexander!!" They grappled for a second, Magnus letting out offended squeaks of laughter until his exhaustion betrayed him and he was left flattened under Alec. His boyfriend hovered over him, one hand pinning Magnus' wrist to the bed and the other moving quickly to press the cold washcloth up against Magnus' hot armpit and earning another quieter shriek of shock, and a final groan of defeat. Alec's laughter subsided to a quiet rumble, he lent down and kissed Magnus on the forehead and then dropped the cloth over his face.
Magnus huffed, completely limp and defeated. "Thank you," he said drily, his voice muffled by the cloth. "I love it."
Alec laughed and plucked the cloth away, looking down at Magnus' face - flushed from the struggle and trying to look damning, but failing to suppress the grin that was creeping across his face.
Alec grinned back, wide and goofy. "I love you." he replied, and sank down for another kiss.