Story: „Just Alec, now"
Chapter 12: Taking a breath
Rating Story: NC-17
Rating Chapter: R - NC-17
Warning(s): AU/AH, mature content, swearing, language
Pairings: Malec, Jem/Will (TID)
Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare thought of the wonderful world of the mortal instruments and infernal devices. I just play with them and change their life a bit (HA I change it drastically!)
The sight was breathtaking. The ground was frozen and small heaps of snow were lying on the tree branches standing close to the small farm house at the lake. Alec has grown up in a more rural area in New England and should be used to the view of a house at a lake and the solitude it brought. But standing here in front of the house and looking at the small forest around him, he suddenly noticed how much he had missed the sound of nature around him. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly he felt a lot calmer than the day before.
Two arms sneaked around his waist and he was drawn against the chest of his boyfriend who was laying his head on the smaller teen's shoulder.
"Are you done with breathing in the air? There's air in New York, too."
Magnus snuggled closer to Alec. It was just too early in the morning to be this good-humoured. The older teen couldn't fathom what this fuss about nature and a lake was about. He liked the cozyness of their loft and the availability of cable television and online radio stations and damn he had forgotten to bring his MP3-player. He kissed the free patch of skin of Alec's neck that wasn't covered by his scarf, what earned him a small shudder of the younger teen.
"Magnus, don't molest your boyfriend out here at this time of the day. He'll catch a cold."
The older teen turned around and scowled at Will who was getting the bags from their car.
"I could have slept until now if you hadn't woken me up for a trip to a lake in the middle of nowhere."
"I didn't hear you complaining when I announced going on a holiday this morning."
Magnus mumbled under his breath earning him another shudder from his boyfriend. He grinned and licked the small patch of skin in front of him. Alec squirmed in his arms trying to break free.
"MAGNUS! I told you not to molest him! Take your things upstairs."
Disgruntled the older teen let go of the raven haired teen. Alec was bright red when he turned around and pulled the scarf tighter around his neck to cover every part of his neck. They walked back to the car and got their bags from Will. The older man took Jem's suitcase and his backbag and walked inside with the teenagers where Jem was already making a fire in the hearth to warm the house. It was a small two storey house with a living room and a kitchen in the back and two bedrooms on the second floor. The furniture was old but looked well-kept.
The gray haired man stood up and walked up the stairs. He showed the teen the room they would be staying at.
"It's small and you need to move the beds together if you want to sleep in one bed. We have to share one bathroom up here which is connected to both bedrooms."
There was a small balcony in front of their window, large enough for two people to stand on but nothing else. Alec loved the view immediatley. He could see the lake and the small forest around it. There were paw prints of rodents and birds in the snow on their balcony. Magnus was sitting down heavily on the bed closest to the window, his bag between the twin beds. He felt tired from being woken up in the middle of the night (5 in the morning) and their two hours drive out here. He looked at Alec who was still taking in the scenery.
"Will and I will be driving to the store in town to buy food. That shouldn't take longer than an hour. We will be having breakfast then. You can take a nap until we're back or read. If you want to go outside, don't go too far into the woods. There are wild animals beside small cute squirrels and bunnies out there."
The gray haired man turned around after he had received a nod from the teenagers and went outside where Will was already waiting in the car. His partner has gotten a day off but he had to go back to work the next day. That would leave him and the teenagers alone for two days until Will came back on Friday to stay with them until Sunday morning. He sighed as he fastened his seat belt. There were a lot of things to buy for the short week of their stay and he needed to get something that Will shouldn't know about at the drug store. Sneaking around had never been one of his strong points and with Will being a cop it was even worth. Well maybe he was lucky today.
Magnus was yawning on the bed and turned on his side to take a better look at Alec. His boyfriend was still looking outside watching the scenery as if he needed to absorp it for when they went back to New York.
"Tell me about your hometown."
Were the hell had that come from? One moment he was watching the other teen and then he was demanding that he would talk about his hometown?
"Sorry. I don't know where this came from. You don't have to tell me."
Alec smiled at him and lay next to him on the bed. Their coats were long gone but they boots were still on and there feet were dangling from the end of the bed to keep the comforter clean.
"Idris is a small town in New England in the middle of a forest. There is an old art nouveau mansion on a hill overlooking the town but it has been standing empty forever. My favourite seasons were autumn and winter. The forest would shine in red and gold and later the would be snow and we always had a white christmas. It was really old-fashioned with carollers and old-fashioned christmas decoration."
The teen was playing with a button on Magnus' shirt thinking what else to tell him.
"There was a festival celebrating the harvesting season with a bake sale and maze out of hay bales for the kids. They would vote for the tastiest apple pie and the biggest pumpkin. It had been fun."
Alec smiled fondly at his memories of being a kid in the small town but sobered up very soon.
"Everyone knew eyerbody and that wasn't so funny any more. There were rumours and whispers whenever something had happened. Being a small town what else would they be doing? I think that is why... well you know."
Magnus just nodded. Sneaking an arm around Alec's middle moving closer so that Alec's hand was trapped between them. He kissed the smaller teen. They hadn't done that in a while. They staid silent comforted by the warmth provided by the body of the other.
Alec was woken up by a hand shaking him gently. Jem was leaning over them. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes he looked at the older man. He was placing something in the drawer of the nightstand standing in between the beds. Magnus was still snoring softly next to him, so Alec shook his shoulder what just earned him a grunt and Magnus rolling over onto his other side. That movement exposed a patch of skin on the older teen's stomach and Alec took advantage of it. He started tickeling his boyfriend until he sat up scowling at the younger boy.
"When you're done scowling at each other you can come down for breakfast. I can hear Will's stomach growling up here."
Taking a look at them he added: "Better take a comb and get dressed properly again. I really don't need a repeat of one particular discussion." and walked out of the room. Magnus yawned and made his way to the bathroom taking his toilet bag from his suitcase. Alec just combed his hands through his hair and pulled his sweater down. He stretched and stood up from the bed. Magnus got out of the bathroom and they made their way downstairs where the smell of fresh coffee and fresh rolls was coming from. Will was already sitting down, a local newspaper in his hands, while Jem was cutting fruits for their breakfast.
They took their time eating and chatting. Jem told them the story of the small farm and where he got it from. The house had been empty when his uncle had bought it and the man - who had been in his thirties back then - had asked a young woman in a furniture shop to furnish his new weekend home. The young woman had been suspicious at first but whenever she visited the old house she would slowly get to know him better and in the end they fell in love. A year later they were getting married and ever since they were travelling the world. It was decided that they would take a stroll through the woods around the lake before settling into the small house for the next days.
"Jem? Jem please wake up." The gray haired man woke up groggily. He looked around unsure at first were he was. "Jem?" He looked up at Magnus who was only clad in loose pyjama pants and bitting his lip.
"Magnus?" The older man sat up, an afghan falling from his shoulders. He had fallen asleep on the sofa in front of the fire. The book he remebered having read after dinner was lying on the small table next to the sofa with a bookmark where he pressumed he last had been.
"Jem!"
"Magnus. Yes. Is something wrong?"
He rubbed his eyes still trying to wake up fully. By the distressed state of his older charge he needed to wake up quickly.
"Alec. He's hot. Really hot."
"Hot? What do you mean 'hot'? If this is a joke I'm going to ground you. Gosh I'm too old to sleep on the couch. How late is it anyway?"
Magnus rubbed his hands up and down his bare arms. The ember was still glowing in the hearth but it was getting colder by the minute.
"It's 10 past 3 in the morning and Alec is burning up, Jem."
Jem starred at Magnus before he could make sense out of what the teen was telling him. Before he had time to think further he was up and walking up the stairs to the room the two boys were sharing. Will had gone back to New York that morning what left them without a car and Jem hoped that he had everything he needed to take care of the younger teenager.
He entered the room. Magnus appearently had turned on the small table lamp on the night stand. They hadn't put the beds together but had opted to sleep in one bed instead. Alec was lying still in bed breathing quickly and sweating heavily. Jem sat down on the bed and rolled the teen on his back.
"Magnus go to my room and get my stethoscope from the first drawer of the dresser."
The older teen didn't hesitaste and walked into the other bedroom getting what was asked of him. He wondered shortly why Jem had brought his stethoscope but was more then happy that the older man had taken it with them. He came back inside and saw Jem taking a small plastic bag from their nightstand. He unpacked some packages of medicine and the gray haired man took the offered stetoscope and warmed it in his hands not to shock the raven haired teen lying on the bed. He listened to Alec's lungs before probing the teen's stomach.
Unsure what to do Magnus took a seat on the unused bed and looked at his guardian and boyfriend. He had been so confused when he had woken up from Alec's labored breathing, thinking the teen had a 'nice dream' but then he felt the temperature of the other boy's skin and without thinking much he stood up and searched for the gray haired doctor to help the younger teen. Magnus blushed when Jem got some cream from the plastic bag, smeared it on the thermometer and took Alec's temperature rectally rolling the younger teen on his side again.
He could see that Jem must have been able to wake the younger teen up as sleepy blue eyes were watching him. Alec's breathing had slowed down and while Jem was rubbing circles on the raven haired boy's back said teen drew geometrical forms on the bed sheets. Minutes passed and from time to time Jem was looking on his wrist watch. After what must have been ten minutes he removed the thermometer and wipped it on a tissue. Alec rolled back on his back and looked at the doctor.
"Your fever is very high for someone who had been feeling well at dinner but nothing to be afraid of when taken care of. Your right lung sounds clogged but your left lung is free. My diagnosis: influenzal infection. You need to stay in bed for at least two days, three would be better. No strenuous activities for at least a week. We will see if you can go back to school the week after we go back to New York."
The gray haired man got a pill from one of the packages still lying on the nightstand.
"Magnus go and get us some water. Alec will need to take something against the infection."
The older teen stood up and walked downstairs to get a bottle of water from the kitchen. Jem walked over to the dresser and got a pyjama from one of the drawers and some underwear. He walked back over to the younger teen.
"We will need to change the sheets of the bed. I want you to take a shower and get dressed before you can lie down again, understood?"
Alec just nodded and took the clothes from his guardian. He sat up slowly. His muscles felt like jelly and he didn't know if he could get to the bathroom himself. He removed the sweaty bed sheets and stood up. The younger teen swayed and Jem helped him to sit down again just when Magnus came back again with a bottle and a glass. Alec took them gratefully from his boyfriend and emptied the first glass of water in one go. He refilled the glass and took the offered pills from Jem. The blue eyed teen grimaced at the taste from the pills and downed another glass of water to get rid of the it.
"Magnus? Take Alec to the bathroom and help him get showered. I will change the sheets."
The older teen just nodded and took the clothing from Alec and helped him to the shower. When they escaped, the bed was freshly made and the duvet from the other bed was thrown back as well.
"I'm sorry, but you two can't sleep in one bed until Alec is well again. I would feel better if Magnus would be sleeping in Will and my room but I know how well that would go down with the two of you. So I trust you not to climb in each other's bed."
Alec lay down in his bed and covered himself with the fresh duvet while Magnus just sat down on his bed. They hadn't slept in seperate beds since day one and even then Magnus had ended up in Alec's bed. Jem stroked over the younger teen's head and wished him a 'good night'. Sighing the older teen lay down when Jem stopped him. The older man got his stetoscope from the nightstand and listened to the older teen's lungs and took a look at his throat. Satisfied the older man told Magnus to lie down and covered him with the duvet.
"Good night. I'll be back in the morning. If Alec's breathing gets laboured again, I want you to come and get me."
Magnus just nodded. He turned on his side to look at Alec when he turned back to his guardian who was nearly outside.
"Why did you bring your equipment? Normally you don't have that with you when we're on holiday."
"Alec's breathing had already changed back home. If I would have told Will, he would have disagreed with coming here but I thought you two needed some much needed time off. So I packed my stetoscope and got some flu medicine from the local drug store. Now go to sleep, Magnus."
Jem turned around and walked to his room. He set his alarm to 7 a.m. and changed his clothes. He just hoped that Alec would be well enough when Will came back or he wouldn't hear the end of it. He got into bed and closed his eyes.
Alec's fever had broken by the next morning and he felt well again. Still Jem told him to stay in bed that day. If he still felt well enough in the evening he would think about letting Alec stay in front of the fire the next day. The teen was utterly bored and the 'don't climb into each other's bed role' was still active. Magnus was allowed to stay in their room and read to the younger teen - if he didn't read himkself - but there was nothing to do in the meantime beside getting better - and Alec hated it.
In the evening Jem took his temperature again (Alec had gotten over the embarrasment of getting the thermometer shoved up his ass like a five year old) and declared the blue eyed teen well enough to stand up and walk down the stairs to sit in front of the fire with a blanket. Ths short walk down had him coughing but Jem assured him that he needed to get his lung clear again and coughing would help a lot with this task.
Alec took a seat on the couch closest to the fire. The gray haired man sat next to him and passed him a mug of steaming tea. Magnus was sitting on the armchair sulking because he still wasn't allowed to be too close to his boyfriend. When he had asked Jem why the older man was allowed to sit so close to Alec and not be afraid to get ill, he had simply shrugged and told him "being a doctor I get in contact with a lot of viral infects and thus don't have to fear a common cold. I'm simply immune.". The older teen had huffed and went back to read the book he had started when Alec had gotten ill.
"James?" Slowly the gray haired man woke up. Two violet-blue eyes were looking at him. He turned his head and found the clock on his nightstand stating 4:28 in the morning.
"You're here early. Is something wrong?"
The raven haired man bend down and kissed his partner shortly.
"Just Garroway telling me to see my family."
Jem sat up in bed and watched Will undress. The older man got into bed and lay on his side.
"There is something you are not telling me."
"I could say the same thing about you. You didn't tell me that Alec is ill."
The gray haired man bit his lip.
"I just wanted them to have a week off after their confessions. They needed some time away from New York."
Will just nodded and stroked over Jem's lip. He leaned up and kissed him again.
"I missed you."
Jem laughed softly and lay down on Will's chest. The raven haired man stroked his partner's back sensually earning hm a grunt from the doctor.
"The kids are just a door away, Will. We can't..."
"I can keep quiet if that is your concern."
"William Herondale! What if Alec wakes up or something is wrong and one of them comes inside? Wasn't once enough for you?"
Will smirked and stroked slowly down Jem's creak.
"They are doing more than sleeping at home in the loft and Alec isn't so shy about sex anymore."
Jem had started panting from Will's administrations while he tried to hold his moans in but that felt just too good. When Will entered one finger slowly into him, he couldn't stop himself from moaning lowly in his throat. He nodded and the older man got the lube from their nightstand and prepared his partner before entering him. The gray haired man's breath caught in his throat and he exhaled slowly, signaling Will to start moving. It didn't take long for them to find an even rhythm and Jem was embarrassed at how fast he came.
It was eight in the morning when Jem woke the next time. Will was still sleeping peacefully an arm thrown over his face and the duvet around his hips. The gray haired man got his clothing and walked into the bathroom to take a short shower. When he was done, he made his way downstairs to start a new fire and get the breakfast ready.
He stopped short on the last step and looked at the hearth where a healthy fire was burning in the grate and Alec was sitting wrapped into the afghan. The teen looked up and greeted his guardian.
"Good morning to you, too, Alec." The older man walked over to the blue eyed teen and felt his forehead. "Your fever is nearly gone. The fresh air and silence must have been good for you." Jem stroked over his hair. "Want to tell me why you're down here - dressed no less - and not upstairs or why you haven't woken me up?"
"I just didn't feel like sleeping or lying in bed any longer and I didn't want to wake Magnus. I kept him up until late with my coughing." The teen got back to reading. "And I looked into your room and Will was back and I thought it would be better to let you two sleep as well."
Jem laughed softely and stood up again to prepare the breakfast.
"Have you started the fire?"
"Yeah. I have done that in Idris often enough."
"Alec. I really don't mind if you say 'home' or 'family' when talking about Idris and the Lightwoods."
"But I do and they aren't. Not anymore. I don't feel like I'm betraying them when I call you and Will and Magnus my 'family' and New York my 'home' as I feel like would betray you three when I speak of them as family and home. Do you know what I mean?"
"Yes. I know what you mean. Thank you for starting the fire."
The last days went over too quickly for all of them. They took a picture in front of the lake for their family wall at home and packed the car. Alec was still coughing but his left lung was free again and Jem told him that he would be able to go back to school on Wednesday if he still took his medicine for the rest of the week.
They arrived at the loft late in the evening and Chairman Meow was greeting them happily. Magnus took the small kitten into his arms snuggling it close to his chest talking baby nonsense words to the white cat. Alec just smiled at them and brought his things into their room. He placed his bag on their bed and took a deep breath. Their bedroom smelled of sandalwood and Magnus and he was glad to be back again.
"I'm home."
AN2: Thank you for all the reviews, favs and follows :)