Hopeless

Chapter thirty

"Hey!", Isabelle greeted as she entered Magnus' apartment. "Hey.", Alec greeted her back. They planned to meet and surprise Magnus with a delicious self-cooked dinner when he wakes up. "So, did you bring all the groceries?", Alec asked and Isabelle nodded:" I got everything yesterday after the funeral." Alec bit his lip. The weight of the funeral still laid heavy on his heart. "Have you heard from Jace?", he asked but Isabelle had to deny that. "I am actually worried about him. He looked drained yesterday." Isabelle nodded:" Me too. He really didn't look good." "Well, I can understand why, but he really has to take better care of himself.", Alec sighed. "But there's nothing we can do about it.", Isabelle replied. "That's kind of the worst part about it all. I have no idea what he is going through, I can only imagine. It feels weird saying this because he is an adult and is able to make his own decisions but I just don't want him to pass out because of exhaustion somewhere.", Alec said. "Me neither. It must be hard for him right now. But it isn't easy for anyone of us." Alec bit his lip:" It feels so wrong to me. I am just lying around all day, doing nothing. I wish I could be actually helpful, at least sometimes, instead of always just being a burden." Isabelle stroke his brothers back:" I can only imagine how wrong the situation may seem to you at the moment. But most important of all is you finding your old strength and recover well. That is what we need you to do, because only you can do it. We have no influence on that. And that should be your number one priority too." Alec smiled weakly and started washing the vegetables Izzy brought. They decided to make a stir-fry with some mince. Therefore they started by washing the vegetables and cutting them into small pieces. Wile Alec was busy with that Isabelle pre-fried the mince and poured some barbecue sauce into it. After some minutes they added the vegetables into the pan. "That was really fast.", Alec said. "Two pairs of hands work faster than one.", Isabelle admitted with a smile. They were really happy they could actually offer Magnus something in return, even if it was just such a small thing like a homecooked lunch. It didn't even look good, it also smelled delicious. "I got that recipe from Simon once. He said that this was so easy, even I would be capable of doing it.", Isabelle chuckled. "That's offensive but also so true.", Alec said laughing. "Well, that just was really offensive. It's not my fault you somehow magically managed to be born with the talent of cooking and I wasn't." Alec grinned. His sisters cooking skills weren't something to be jealous of. Quickly afterwards the food was done and the siblings started preparing the table. IN this very moment Magnus entered the kitchen. He looked surprised:" You cooked?" Alec and Izzy nodded. "Can I just marry both of you?", he asked with a grin. "That would kind of be incest but I am down to it.", Isabelle laughed and so did Alec. Considering his feelings about Magnus he was actually happy he didn't have to comment on that statement. "Please sit down.", Izzy said and pointed at one of the chairs. Magnus did as he was told and Isabelle and Alec served the food. As they tried it they realized it actually was very good. "That's delicious!", Magnus said. Izzy gave Alec an high five. "We tried our best for you.", Isabelle admitted. "Apropos our best,", she added, "Alec, your birthday is coming up. Any plans?" Magnus' jaw dropped:" Wait, it's Alec's birthday soon? Why did nobody tell me?" Alec ran his hand through his messy hair:" It's not a big deal." "Oh hell yeah it is!",Magnus exclaimed, "We will throw the party of the year." Alec grinned:" See? That's what I am talking about. Everyone automatically assumes it is important to me and worth the time and the effort. But it really is not." Magnus looked shocked:" With all due respect but I cannot accept that. I will think of something magical." Alec smiled weakly. "Hey, let's just really celebrate it once. My big bro is turning twenty six, you are more than half your way to your thirties!", Isabelle exclaimed. "Thanks for reminding."; Alec sighed. "Oh come on, don't be so grumpy. You have so much more to live for. Life is an exciting journey and you stand at the beginning of it." Alec grinned:" Not sure if there's so much to be excited about. In the end, we live and we die. We don't matter." Magnus frowned:" Okay, that got way too deep. I just woke up, please have mercy. Anyways, when is the day of the days?" "On Saturday, in exactly a week." Magnus smiled satisfied:" A week is more than enough to come up with a magnificent idea." "Just please don't overdo it.", Alec sighed. Magnus just grinned:" overdoing something should stand in my ID somewhere. It's literally me. I am too much of everything." Alec laughed:" Well you definitely are. I mean, an overwhelming and extraordinary personality, that's for sure." Isabelle laughed:" That was very close, darling brother. Well saved." Magnus just laughed:" I wouldn't mind. I mean it's the truth- all the colors, the glitters, the confetti- I am a lot to take at once." Alec laughed:" Yeah, but it's what makes you special. I like that about you." I love that about you, he thought. You aren't like anyone else, you are unique and both so similar and so different from me. But, as always, Alec kept those romantic thoughts to himself. Now wasn't the moment. But it would come, that was for sure. "Okay, let's put the dishes in the dishwasher otherwise the sauce will stick to them and we will never get them clean.", Magnus suggested and Alec and Isabelle followed his order.