Hiding

Chapter five

"I really don't need an assistant there." Alec tries to find a way out of what he fears will be a dreadful week. "I'll do fine on my own."

"No, you won't. You will be tired and exhausted and not be doing your bet work. Which is completely unacceptable. If you want time to see these companies in person, you will do it my way. My assistant will be there to help. End of discussion."

"Yes sir." Alec replies when he sees there is no getting out of it. Once he passes Magnus' desk, he signals for him to follow. Without hesitation, Magnus do is instructed. He follows Alec all the way back to his office without asking a single thing. Once inside, Alec closes the door behind them.

"Let me make something very clear. I had no intentions of bringing anyone with me on this trip. I have no desire to have you there. The only reason you are coming, is because my father demands it, so all you'll be doing is working. No sightseeing, no fancy restaurant, no shopping. Nothing. Do you understand?" Alec is using his I-am-the-boss-and-you-will-follow-my-orders voice.

"Sure thing, boss." Magnus salutes him with a grin on his face.

"Good. Now, go pack your things. I will pick you up in an hour."

Magnus hurries out the door and rushes towards his desk. As Alec begins to gather his things to go home and pack his suitcase, he hears Magnus' voice screaming through the hallways.

"ROADTRIP!"

"Goddamnnit..." Alec mumbles and rubs his temples. "This is going to kill me."

An hour later, Magnus is waiting outside his building with his luggage. Alec rolls his eyes as soon as he sees him. He has a suitcase, a briefcase and a cooler with what Alec assumes is road trip snacks. The suitcase is purple with glitter. And very fucking large.

"You do know it's only a week, right?" Alec says as he gets out of the car to help him with his luggage.

"Yes... why? Do you think I won't have enough?" Magnus seems really concerned as he looks at his bags.

"I think you are good..." Alec says and puts the sparkling suitcase into the trunk of the car. Magnus jumps into the front seat and instantly starts to fiddle with the radio. "What are you doing now?" Alec sighs.

"I'm pairing it with my phone. I made a road trip playlist."

"You did what?" Alec says with despair in his voice. Already fearing the trip. "When did you have time for that?"

"I'm quick," he winks, "and very efficient when it's something I want."

"Yes, I'm beginning to realize that." Alec mumbles under his breath as he sets the car in motion to the soundtrack of 'single ladies' by Beyoncé.

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Alec drops down on his bed as soon as the door to the hotel room opens. He feels like his ears are bleeding. Not just from Magnus' choice of music, but the fact that he felt the need to sing along to every single song. Very loudly. And if he didn't sing along, he talked. Yapped, in fact. There is no mute button on that guy.

Finally, Alec is able to enjoy some quiet time before he has to endure Magnus voice yammering in his ears again. He has exactly one hour to shower and get changed before they are supposed to visit the first company on the list. His father has called them beforehand, setting up the appointment.

Alec groans loudly, when someone knocks on the door.

"No thank you." He yells, expecting it to be the hotel service.

"You can't just say no thank you. It's rude." Magnus' voice travels through the door.

"Jesus Christ." Alec says as he gets up. In two strides he's at the door and yanks it open with a force that nearly rips it from its henges. "What?!"

"Wow. Someone is in a mood. Who made you angry?"

Alec scowls at the man in front of him.

"You have to ask?" He says through gritted teeth. Magnus shrugs and slips past Alec and enters the room. Alec sighs and shots the door. "What do you want?"

"I want us to prepare."

"Prepare what?" Alec can feel his patience growing thin. He is tired and way to introverted to constantly have someone chatting around him.

"The meeting, of course. We are here to work, right?" Magnus asks with a slightly annoying smile on his face. A smile Alec would take much pleasure in slapping of him.

"I intended to shower before the meeting." Alec says and Magnus drops down on Alecs bed while opening his laptop.

"Then go shower. Just keep to door open, and we can work at the same time. Efficient, right?"

Alec shakes his head slightly but at the same time he knows that this is a battle he will not win.

"Fine!" he says and opens his suitcase with rigid movements. He yanks out some clean clothes and stomps into the bathroom. He turns on the shower and start to undress while listening to Magnus' constantly rambling.

"Do you agree?" Magnus asks, and Alec realizes he hasn't actually heard a single word he has said. Not really, anyway.

"What?" Alec asks and when he turns around to look in the direction of Magnus, he sees the man leaning forward on the bed, gawking with his mouth wide open. "Jesus!" Alec screams. "DUDE?!"

"I'm sorry!" Magnus shouts and looks away instantly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to look. I just thought you were in the shower, and that you couldn't hear me, so I wanted to talk more clearly and... I'm so, so sorry." Magnus rants.

"Fine..." Alec breathes out shakingly, "It's fine. You just startled me."

"Likewise." Magnus says and Alec notices a shift in his tone. Something he can't quite interpret.

"Let's just move on."

"I'm trying..." Magnus says. "But I'm failing."

"Then try fucking harder!"

"I'm sorry. It was just so unexpected!" Magnus voice reaches a high pitch, and it occurs to Alec that Magnus might actually be telling the truth when he says he is trying and failing. After all, Magnus is a bisexual man who isn't in celibacy like himself. Seeing Alec naked, might have triggered something that he is now battling with. The thought sends shivers down Alec spine. And not exactly unpleasant ones.

"Just... think about something else." Alec says in a much gentle voice.

"Right... because it is that easy..." Alec hears Magnus mumble. Clearly not meant for Alec to hear.

"Listen, I'm going in the shower now. Why don't you run down and get us something to eat. A sandwich or something, and then we'll go over the preparation for the meeting when I'm presentable again.

"Great. Good idea." Magnus is out of the door before Alec even gets to tell him what kind of sandwich he wants.