The Chairman

I couldn't look away. It was too. . . too stupefying? - I think is what I mean. The elevator doors swooshed closed behind me startling my heart back into my chest where it continued to work overtime. I was still staring lost in those green-gold slitted pupil eyes.

Yes. Yep, I'm going with stupefied.I thought as i tried to close my mouth. My jaw hanging open like a broken nutcracker doll.

My brain slowly began to process what the hell I was looking at. It was a twenty-foot tall cat! A cat! It wasn't real,but an extremely well detailed painting of a furry gray cat with lazy looking eyes that seemed to stare right back at me. The more I looked the weirder it seemed, but then again Magnus isn't the most usual person out there. At the feet of the cat portrait was a set of dark wood doors that I approached slowly while the slitted eyes followed me.

I was about to go right inside the office when I remembered how much I hate it when others barge into my room, and Magnus is known for loving his privacy. So instead I knocked twice, but there was no reply. I entered the office with nervous butterflies in fluttering in my stomach.

"Wow." I said under my breath as the door silently swung shut.

The room was huge with floor to ceiling windows that had a perfect view of the Brooklyn Bridge, marble floors scattered with expensive looking throw-rugs, and beautiful bronze light fixtures hanging from the ceiling in the shape of -what else- cats. There were long table filled with rolls upon rolls of fabric, and piles of crinkled papers were gathering around the floor. Easels were propped against the back wall and held half-finished sketches of outrageous outfits that I would expect no less of Magnus. But none of those things mattered as I made my way across the messy but spacious office towards a ridiculous looking desk made of blue glass the shade of a fresh blooming violet flower.

The desk was a cluttered mess of pencils, pens, marks, paper, pads, and empty coffee cups. Laying amongst the mess was a head of tangled gelled hair the color of an oil slick. As I moved closer I could see the head was pillowed atop of slim carmel skinned arms, and his back and shoulders rose and fell steadily. I moved around the desk and leaned over the sleeping designer to get a better look at his face. It was a striking sight, seeing Magnus Bane without a smirk or any kind of humor on his face. He looked peaceful and tired. Underneath the thick kohl around his eyes I could see the darkening half moons under them. Working 24/7 and attending school, it was a wonder he even had time to eat and sleep.

I leaned in closer, my hand reaching out to brush away a fallen spike, but I stopped and clenched it into a fist. It wasn't my place to act like a boyfriend or a friend. I wanted, I still want to, but I can't. Oh how do I want to, but I have to make Magnus notice me first. Notice me for me, not the ridiculously stupid first impression I gave him. retrieving my hand I knelt next to Magnus' chair and gently shook his shoulder.

"Magnus. Magnus wake up." I said softly like my mom use to do when she woke me up for school back when I was Max's age.

He groaned scrunching up his nose in protest. It was so cute I almost gave up and let him keep sleeping.

"Come on Magnus, Scott's waiting." I shook with a little more force.

He turned his head on top of his arms then turned back like her was shaking his head 'no'. "Magnus." I huffed dropping my hand. Then his lids fluttered and his green eyes were looking at me. My heart froze at his still sleeping expression, it made him look even sexier.

"Alexander," He muttered groggily. "As I live and breathe." And his signature smirk was back in place even though he was still in the process of waking up.

He sat up slowly covering his face with his large hands while he yawned. There was a small squeak in his throat at the end of his yawn that I couldn't help but find it adorable.

"I am alive right? This isn't a dream?" He asked from behind his hands.

Was he being serious? Or rhetorical? No way would he dream about boring, dull, laughable Alec Lightwood.

"Of course you're alive. Now come on it's late and Scott's waiting." I said getting to my feet.

Magnus dropped his hands with a long groan. His makeup was severely smudge giving him racoon eyes. He looked up at me with tired green eyes and fading smirk. "So Woolsey sent you up? What a meddlesome old man." He muttered running a hand through his hair, brushing the lock out of his face that I had wanted to.

"Magnus are you okay?" I asked with a furrowed brows.

He pushed out of his high backed sliver rolling chair hands pressed to the top of his messy desk. "I've been asking myself that for over a month now, and I gotta say I have no answer." He replied and I began to worry. What was wrong with Magnus? What was bugging him? Was it just the fashions show?

I couldn't find anything to say as Magnus gathered his things from around his office. As we left through the doors and waited for the elevator to arrive I finally managed to think of a topic that would hopefully lighten his mood. He was gloomy and quiet, and that's not the Magnus I know. It's just not Magnus, he's a smirking laughing sarcastic kind of person.

"Is there a reason you have Catzilla guarding your office?" O asked pointing my thumb over my shoulder towards to the portrait.

Magnus looked behind us to the cat then snickered with his usual smirk. His reaction put me at ease for the moment. That was the Magnus I know and love.

"Catzilla? Don't you have a pet?" He asked as the elevator arrived.

"Yeah, a fat Persian named Church." I replied. We stepped inside the lift.

"Well gaze upon my beloved kitty." Magnus said with a flamboyant gesture of his arms at the giant painting as the elevator doors closed sealing us inside.

"Do I dare ask his name?" I raised a brow.

"Oh Alexander," He fluttered his lashes dramatically. "The Chairman would be hurt to hear that."

I hit the button for the lobby as I asked, "Chairman? I thought you ran this company?"

He laughed again, "I'm not the Chairman."

"You've lost me." I admitted lamely.

"Chairman Meow, he's my cat." He chuckled. "You're so cute sometimes Alexander." He added ruffling my hair and I could feel my cheeks flame with a blush.

I stared down at my feet embarrassed. Was I only cute? I wanted to be more than that, more to him.

"You can call me Alec." I said still hiding my face behind my hair, but I could see him. He looked down at me with surprised eyes, and no smile. He turned away with the opening of the doors.

"We should hurry. The Chairman is probably lonely." Was all he said as he left the elevator. My heart dropped into my stomach as I followed after him.

Maybe I did screw up too much to be his friend. Maybe I'm too late.

I'm sorry about this, I was planning on posting a new chapter every day until Friday when I announce the winner. But I got severely distracted with an anime called Amnesia, and I had to rewatch episodes to understand what the hell was going on, but . . . I'm still confused. ANYWAY so here's yesterdays and later tonight I will post another chapter to make it up to you guys. Enjoy. Keep guessing I love the reasons some people put behind their choices ^^ so please leave reviews, make comments or just fangirl about Malec (I do it alllllll the time)

Thank you again :)