Hiding

Chapter twenty

Alec is still feeling dizzy and even giggly as they leave the bathroom. He has never felt this lighthearted and content before. His hand brushes against Magnus' as they walk next to each other. Alec has never felt a stronger connection to anyone in his life, and he has never ever had this overwhelming feeling of wanting to be physically linked to another human being before. It is like he can't get Magnus close enough. But he restrains himself. He has to remember that his father can never learn about this, and he knows a lot of powerful businessmen, so Alec can never feel safe anywhere in the business world, since he won't know who might be watching and reporting back to his father.

"Stop right there." A security guard approaches them.

"Is there a problem, sir?" Magnus asks politely.

"Yes. I need you two to leave." He gestures towards the exit.

"But I have a meeting..." Alec can feel the happiness from a few seconds ago slipping away from him.

"We do not accept behavior like that in this building."

"Behavior? What are..."

"Oh..." Magnus interrupts Alec with a hand on his shoulder. "I think they might have heard us..." He whispers. Alec's eyes widen in terror.

"Leave." Repeats the security guard and Alec swallows a few times and then follows the guard to the exit.

"I am so sorry..." Embarrassment. That is the only thing Alec can feel in this instance. Utter embarrassment.

The guard doesn't respond, he only closes the door and walks away as soon as Alec and Magnus are outside the building. "Shit..." Alec runs his hand through his hair. "This is a catastrophe."

"Maybe it's not that bad." Magnus tries to comfort Alec.

"It is that bad, Magnus." Alec raises his voice. "We were thrown out! Of a company that my father is in contact with. I'm so fucking dead." He paces back and forth. His classic go-to move when he is frustrated.

"Call her." Magnus hands Alec his phone. "Call the CEO and explain it to her. She is a nice woman. Openminded. She might be persuaded not to tell your father."

"That will be humiliating..." Alec mutters.

"I know. But it's better than your father finding out, right?"

"I should never have done it..." Alec hides his face in his hands. "It was so irresponsible. I was so irresponsible. Damn it! how can I be this stupid?!"

"Alec, you are not stupid. And yes, it might not have been the smartest thing in either of our lives, but it isn't like we killed someone."

"Don't downgrade it." Alec snarls, "it was fucking stupid!"

"Fine, you think it was stupid. That is up to you." Magnus clenches his jaw as he speaks. "But I don't regret a fucking second of it. And you shouldn't either."

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean it like that.." Alec gestures between them. "It's not about us. I enjoyed it. I really did, Magnus. But I just wish we had picked a different spot." He takes a deep breath and reaches out for Magnus hand. "I really am sorry."

Magnus' face lights up slightly. "You're forgiven."

"Thank you." Alec instinctively leans in almost kissing Magnus before he remembers where they are and pull back. He clears his throat. "I better call her. Stop this from coming out."

Magnus nods but doesn't say anything. Alec is afraid he might not be completely forgiven. How many times can he fuck up before Magnus completely gives up on him? He needs to pull himself together.

When the CEO answers the call Alec explains the situation to her with very blushing cheeks. A few moments later, she walks out through the doors.

"So, you fucked in the bathroom, and now you are banned?" She grins, Alec blushes and Magnus smiles.

"We didn't actually fuck," Magnus says, "but I did give him..."

"Shut up!" Alec's voice screeches and Magnus laughs loudly. "Oh my god. Don't tell her that!"

"Well, it seems like you two made an honest mistake based purely on being newly in love. It happens to the best of us." She says with a wink.

"We are not..." Alec stops himself from finishing the sentence. It won't be fair to Magnus to say they aren't in love. Because Magnus is and it will just be rubbing his face in the fact that Alec isn't quite there. Or at least he doesn't think he is. He can't be, right? It is just a fling. A casual hookup.

"I'm going out to lunch with my son, but when I get back, I will get things cleared up with the security team and make sure you aren't banned anymore."

"Thank you... We will also appreciate it if you could keep this to yourself and not let Mr. Lightwood, Alec's father, know."

"Oh, I would never tell him. We are not that close."

"Thank you." Alec says. "My father doesn't really... uhm appreciate my..." Alec fumbles with the words. He doesn't know how to say it.

"Sexuality." Magnus finishes for him, and Alec sends him a thankful look.

"Really? But he is your father?" The woman seems completely shocked. "I thought we as society had evolved past bigotry like that."

"Clearly not." Magnus mumbles.

"He is just old-fashioned." Alec says wanting to defend his father, even though he doesn't really know why anymore.

"old-fashioned. Jeez..." she puts her hand on his arm. "No one deserves that. You should live your life the way you want to and not how you father wants you to."

Alec doesn't answer he just sends her a tiny smile.

"Hey mom, are you ready?" a familiar voice sounds behind Alec and he turns around just to see the young man they nearly crashed into on the highway. "Oh, it's you." He says, panicking slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm considering going into business with you mother apparently."

"Oh..." he says. The woman looking back and forth between them.

"How do you two know each other?"

"Uhm..." the boy sighs heavily and surrenders himself to the truth he hasn't told her. "We were nearly in a car accident together." He looks down at the ground and picks at his fingers. "I looked at my phone."

"You did what?"

"No one was hurt." Alec jumps in. "And it was as much my fault as his. Maybe even more. I was distracted by... Uhm..."

"Me." Magnus says and lifts his hand, "hi, I'm the distraction."

"Jeez, you guys just can't keep your hands of each other, can you?"

"It wasn't like that." Alec says quickly. "Just eyes. No hands."

"If you say so." The woman doesn't seem convinced and Alec blushes. Magnus just laughs.

"Mom, can't they come with us?" the young man says. "I Really want to thank them. They were so nice to me."

She considers for a moment and then smiles.

"Sure. Why not. But remember, we have to go to the hospital afterwards, so it can't be a long lunch."

"Of course. I wouldn't forget my appointment to talk about bottom surgery. Jeez mom. It's the most important thing in my life right now."

"Bottom surgery?" Alec turns to Magnus and whispers. "What does he mean?"

"He is in transition."

"Transition?"

"Transitioning his body to reflect the gender he identifies with."

"Oh." Alec is genuinely shocked. "But... His mother is so supportive... is that what its supposed to look like?" Alec asks, felling a strange kind of jealousy mixed with pure joy for the young man.

"Yes, Alec." Alec wasn't expecting an answer, since it was a rhetorical question, but apparently Magnus finds it too important to be left unsaid. "That is what parents are supposed to do."