Painful Love

Demons

Alec had been feeling it for some hours now, but he had dismissed it. He had dismissed it because he was busy preparing a party for Max's fourth birthday along with Magnus, the master of parties. Before Alec, Magnus had thrown parties every now and then, more often than not, because he didn't know what to do with his free time.

With Alec, he had stopped going out so much, mainly because his husband didn't handle well a crowded room, let alone with loud music and movement.

Alec was hanging some drawings of Max's, while Magnus was preparing food. The blue-eyed man felt himself draw in a deep breath and he stopped. He stood there for some minutes, his back against the wall, breathing heavily.

He didn't know what was going on. He hadn't had panic attacks in a long time. Not more than some months, but still. He didn't want to have one, not now, not ever again. He didn't notice himself rubbing his chest distractedly, eyes fixated in on the wall in front of him.

"Alexander, you think we'll have enough?" Magnus' voice came from the kitchen.

Alec moved off the wall, his hand still on his chest. He walked into the kitchen and found his husband with his purple apron on, a million things all over the long counter and practically anywhere Alec looked at.

"Cookies."

There were at least sixty cookies in a couple of big plates.

"I think so..." Alec muttered, watching his frantic husband move around the kitchen, multitasking. "Magnus, we still have an hour, calm down. Shower. Get ready, I can handle this." He took the bowl from the cat-eyed man's hands.

Magnus watched Alec some seconds, mentally deciding whether to do as Alec said or to keep baking cookies.

"Okay." He agreed, realizing there were enough cookies and pastries. "Okay, but-..."

"No 'but', go." Alec practically kicked him out of the kitchen, not before he got an affectionate kiss from Magnus.

Alec prepared the food, putting it all on plates, thankful for only having to open bags of chips and trashy food his son loved instead of having to bake like Magnus had. The hour left until they had to go pick Max up went by too quickly. Magnus came back ready from the shower and kissed Alec goodbye before leaving to go get Max.

The plan was for Magnus to go to the park with Max, so that his friends and their parents could get to Magnus and Alec's home earlier. Alec would receive everyone. Magnus had been a bit worried, because he knew Alec sometimes had trouble with people, but his husband had promised him he could handle a couple of parents and their kids.

Still, Alec had taken one of his pills without telling Magnus, just in case something did happen. He was glad he had, because the pressure in his chest worsened the second the doorbell rang.

"Hi," Catarina said, coming into the apartment. Alec closed the door and muttered something that was meant to be a greeting, but ended up sounding like a grumble. He was starting to feel anxious despite the pill and still being alone. He was getting the table ready with food, but it was all starting to look wrong and like it needed some rearrangements.

"I brought Max this." Catarina said, handing Alec a small present once she saw he wasn't busy anymore. Alec nodded and silently put the present on a chair, just to put it on the table and then move it to the sofa, where it stayed.

There was an awkward silence between them, as Catarina tried to make small talk but failed, since Alec was a bit too focused on the constant ticking of the clock in the living room.

Magnus' parents were the next to get there. Isabelle also came. The next ones were the first strangers, a man and a woman with a boy whose age was the same as Max's.