Fading Scars: A Series of Malec One Shots

I Could Never Forget You

I remember the first day Alec began to show signs of Alzheimer's. He wasn't even old. He was only 38 at the time when I started noticing little things here and there.

At first it was small things, like misplacing his stele or forgetting where he put his jacket. I was fine with this. Anyone could've made these mistakes. But when he started doing things on a daily basis, that's when I began to grow worried. He used to bring home the same groceries everyday and forget that he'd already gotten them the day before. He'd wake up from a nap sounding completely lost and confused as to where he was. At one point he even forgot who I was.

Mundane doctors couldn't be trusted. Of course Alec looked normal but once they got their hands on his blood, they knew something would be off. He was part angel. Naturally that was going to raise some questions and more than likely they'd ship him off to some research facility where he'd be poked and prodded with needles galore. I couldn't have that. I didn't want that for him. He deserved better.

My good friend Catarina Loss ran some tests. Being a nurse, she could identify whether or not he was starting to show signs of Alzheimer's. I trusted her with the blood samples and the tests and whatever else she needed to do. I didn't tell Alec what was really going on. I just told him there was an odd flu going around the institute and everyone was getting tested to make sure they weren't sick. He happily obliged.

A week and a half later, Catarina got back to me, saying that Alec was showing early signs of Alzheimer's. It was rare to see it at such a young age, but she also said it was partially due to stress and trauma. It made sense. Alec slayed demons for a living. He was constantly putting his life on the line. He witnessed things that nobody should ever have to witness yet here he was. Suffering the consequences because of what he was.

That same night his results came back, Alec had a mental breakdown. He began to scream and throw things at me, demanding to know where he was and who I am. I answered in a calm voice, saying that I was his husband and he was safe at home. Eventually, he calmed down and the recognition came back into his face.

"What's happening to me, Magnus? What's wrong with me?" He began to sob into my shirt.

"You'll be okay, angel. I got you. You're safe," was all I could whisper to him. What else could I say? I couldn't tell him he was losing his memory. That would break him completely.

I took him out to dinner that night, just to keep him occupied and stimulated. One thing I could always count on Alec for was his commentary on the food that came out of the kitchen. For someone who wasn't exactly fully human, he had an amazing palate when it came to food. Just by smelling it alone, he told me all the spices they used, how much vegetables they put in, and several other things. He was remarkable.

"They used a red wine reduction for the New York strip. Seasoned with salt and pepper. I smell garlic too but that could be in the baked potato," Alec said as he watched the waiter walk past our table with an order. "Fascinating, isn't it? Mundanes have such patience for this line of work. I'd never be able to do it."

"I think you're letting yourself fall short. I think you'd be great in this business. Especially when it comes to cooking. I've been alive for quite some time and tasted foods from all over the world and never have I ever met someone with tastebuds like yours. Or a nose like yours for that matter."

Alec laughed. "Trying foods from different cultures in New York isn't the same as trying them from their home country. It's not as authentic."

I frowned. "Let's travel, Alec. Just you and I. We'll visit all the places that mankind has forgotten about. I can show you the world and everything in it."