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“Mag— what now?” Alec asked.
“Magnificakes,” his sister repeated, “it’s a pancake bar.”
“A pancake bar?”
Isabelle sighed heavily. “Yes, Alec, a pancake bar. You go in, you order pancakes, you eat pancakes, you pay for the pancakes, you leave. A pancake bar.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“I know how to make pancakes. You know how to make pancakes. Why would we go out and pay someone to make us pancakes?” Alec wondered. It’s not that he didn’t want to spend time with his little sister – he hadn’t seen her since Thanksgiving, after all – but he would’ve been fine with spending his Christmas break in front of the fireplace in the living room, playing board games and drinking hot chocolate. Going to a pancake bar, whatever even that was, hadn’t been part of his plan.
“It’s not about the pancakes, Alec,” Izzy explained, “it’s about how, apart from going to classes and the gym, you haven’t left your apartment since you moved to California.” Seeing him wanting to contradict her, she added, “Don’t lie to me, Jace told me everything.”
Damn his brother, Alec thought, always the snitch. “Your point, Isabelle?”
“My point is, now that you’re here, I’m going to make sure you make up for all that lack of fresh air. And I’m going to start by making you go the opening of this damn pancake bar.”
***
Apparently, Isabelle hadn’t been the only one excited about this place – there were already people waiting outside the door when Alec and Izzy got there.
“It seems a little small,” Alec pointed out, taking in the building, or, well, cottage he was standing in front of. “I think I’m too tall to walk through that door.”
Isabelle ignored his comments as she stood on her tiptoes and tried looking over the crowd to see if they would be getting in any time soon.
“Why didn’t you drag Jace here, as well?” Alec asked.
“He’s hanging out with Clary today. Besides, I’m sure they’ll eat here at some point. You know how much he loves sweet food.”
That much was true. When their parents first adopted Jace, neither Alec nor Isabelle liked him. It wasn’t sibling rivalry or jealousy or whatever other reason people thought it was, it was simple math – another child meant that whatever candy they got had to be shared with one more person. And when they discovered their new brother didn’t only have a sweet tooth, but thirty-two of them, well…
“But I still don’t understand why you had to have me here. I love you, Izzy, but you know this isn’t my type of thing.”
Isabelle turned to face him then, obviously pissed off. “Oh my God, will you stop being such a—such a Grinch!” she yelled loud enough to catch the attention of an elderly couple walking by.
Looking offended, Alec opened his mouth to point out that he wasn’t ruining Christmas, so couldn’t be the Grinch, but was interrupted by a booming voice coming from the door of the pancake bar.
“Welcome one and all!”
Silence feel among the gathered crowd, all heads turning to the source of the sound. The man standing in front of them, Alec noticed, was roughly around his age and close to his height, dressed in a playful-yet-elegant dark purple suit. There was a wide smile on his face as he addressed the people.
“My name is Magnus Bane, and I wish you all a warm welcome to Magnificakes! For those of you wondering, yes, I was forced to use that name.” This earned him a couple of laughs from the crowd and a hell, yeah from one of the waiters standing next to him. He shushed the guy and continued, “I’m sure you’re all freezing out here, and we’re really excited to have you, so, please, come in, take a seat, and we’ll be right with you!”
With that, he and the wait-staff took a step away from the door to let everyone enter.
***
Alec had been right. The place was small. But not uncomfortably so, no. The word for it would be cozy, he thought. The walls were painted orange, giving the area a warm feel, and motivational posters adorned them. There were a few stools at the bar and no more than a dozen tables around the room. A glass panel allowed a glimpse into the kitchen, and Isabelle chose a seat in the farthest corner, explaining how it would allow her to see everything and everyone.
And it would also allow Alec to not be seen by everyone, so he swiftly found his place next to Izzy.
“Holy shit,” Alec exclaimed as he opened the menu. “Are these all things you can get with the pancakes?”
Isabelle smirked knowingly, “You’re gonna love this place. Yes, it’s basically a sugar coma waiting to happen.”
True enough, the menu was more of a list of Christmas stocking gifts than a proper menu. The options had Alec salivating on sight: there were several available chocolate bars and cookies, different ice cream flavors and fruit options. Okay, maybe he wouldn’t hate the place after all. A quick once-over had him figuring out his order – when the waiter arrived at their table, he asked for a simple yet (hopefully) tasty chocolate pudding/Oreo/berries combination. Izzy’s was a bit tamer, with just Nutella and vanilla ice cream.
***
“…And the berries are for you,” the waiter, Simon, as his nametag declared, said as he put the plate in front of Alec.
“What’s this?” Alec asked, clearly wary of the pastry in front of him.
“It’s a pancake,” Simon replied.
“That’s not a pancake.”
The waiter chuckled. “That’s what I said the first time Magnus made them for me. But apparently, those are pancakes, everywhere apart from the US.” One of the waitresses called Simon’s name and he started moving away, adding, “The house policy is that you get a refund if you didn’t thoroughly enjoy the meal. But you will, trust me.” He smiled at them both and ducked away.
Alec slowly picked up his knife and fork and cut off a piece of the so-called pancake.
The first taste had his eyes widening in shock. “Holy shit,” he said, not for the first time since they came in. “This—This is amazing!”
Izzy, who was already almost half-way through her food, laughed, “So you don’t hate me for bringing you along?”
***
Alec had a problem. Well, actually, he will have a problem in ten days when he goes back to California and has to find a new pancake place. Because it would seem that he’s now a pancake guy.
He blamed Izzy, of course. If she hadn’t dragged him there three days ago, he wouldn’t be walking in here now, for the second time today, he might add, ready to try another combination of ingredients.
And no, he most certainly did not think of said combination in the shower earlier.
And no, he even more-than-most certainly did not end his workout at the gym early so he could get a bite to eat before catching a movie with Jace and Isabelle.
***
It was Christmas Eve. Why would anyone want to work on Christmas Eve?
To be fair, most people would probably wonder why anyone was walking around New York City alone on Christmas Eve. (Unless the person walking was Kevin McCallister, because, apparently, no one cared about a nine-year-old doing just that.)
Why was Alec walking around New York City alone on Christmas Eve? Well, long story short, Isabelle made last minute plans to spend the day with her boyfriend and Jace was with Clary and her family. With their parents being away on a Christmas cruise, Alec was left to his own devices.
So here he was, enjoying the twirling snowflakes, cold wind and the fogginess of his breath, and taking a stroll towards what was quickly becoming one of his favorite places in the city – Magnificakes.
Which brings him back to his question. Why were they open on Christmas Eve? They were, he’d checked their website. Feeling lonely? Festive? Just in the mood for something tasty? You’ve found the right place, we are open throughout the night on Christmas Eve! And surprisingly, Alec was feeling all three of those things at the same time, if that was even possible.
***
Fairy lights flickered around the front door of the pancake bar, and a bell chimed above it as Alec walked in.
“I’ll be right with you,” a warm voice called from somewhere in the back.
Alec took off his coat and put it on the hanger next to the door, along with his scarf, before moving to sit on one of the barstools. The place was empty, which shouldn’t have surprised him as it was almost 11pm, according to the clock ticking on the wall. The lights were dimmed everywhere apart from the area right above the bar.
He picked up one of the menus and was busy trying to figure out a Christmassy combination when that same voice pulled him from his thoughts.
“Good evening, welcome to Magnificakes. Do you need more time or are you ready to order?”
Alec looked up and was greeted with the ugliest Christmas sweater he had ever seen. And that was saying something, given that his siblings have made it their mission to get him ugly sweaters as presents ever since they were teenagers. (He internally shuddered at the thought of that jolly green elf one he got last year.)
The red-blue-yellow monstrosity with a giant reindeer head was staring at him so hard it took actual effort to tear his eyes away and look up at the face of the man standing in front of him. The owner, Magnus or something, was looking at him expectantly. He’d seen the guy around since the opening day, but never this up-close.
He had dark eyeshadow framing his almond-shaped eyes. (Smokey eyes, his brain supplied, that’s what Izzy calls it.) His lips were glistening like he had lip-gloss on, and a small smile was pulling at the corners of his mouth.
“Are you alright?” The guy asked.
“Oh, yes, sorry. Hi,” Alec stammered.
“What can I get you?” Magnus repeated.
Looking down at the menu once more, Alec shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”
“How about I surprise you?” The other offered. “I’ve seen you around, I think I can figure out what you like.”
“Alright,” Alec agreed and regretted it as soon as he’d said it. He didn’t like surprises. And what did it mean, he’s seen him around? Was that a jab at how often Alec actually managed to show up in less than a week that this place has been opened for?
After checking if Alec was allergic to anything on the menu, he said, “I’ll be right back. Just yell if you need anything.” Then as an afterthought, he added, “I’m Magnus, by the way.”
A hand was extended and Alec accepted it, “Alec. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Magnus said with a smile before moving to the kitchen.
***
True to his word, Magnus returned no more than five minutes later, carrying two plates in his hands.
“Okay, I haven’t eaten since this morning so I got something for myself. But this,” he set a plate in front of Alec, “is for you. Bon appétit!”
Alec looked the meal over. “What's in it?”
“You tell me,” Magnus said, and Alec did just that.
“Well, I can see the vanilla ice cream dripping out.”
The owner nodded, “One down, two to go.”
“Alright,” he said, taking a bite. He thought for a moment and licked his lips. “Peanut butter, nice!”
“And?”
“There’s some kind of chocolate in there, but I can’t quite place it. It’s really good, though,” Alec said.
Magnus seemed satisfied with his answer. “It’s Kinder chocolate.”
“Kinder chocolate? Like those Kinder Eggs things? Aren’t those illegal?” he asked worriedly. No matter how good the food was, he didn’t feel like getting arrested for eating, of all things.
Magnus smirked, “It’s the same chocolate, yes, but the Eggs are only banned for the toys which these ones don’t contain, so there’s nothing to worry about.” He winked. “I’d never let my prettiest customer get into trouble on my account.”
Alec choked on a piece of his pancake at that comment, and Magnus winked at him before going to get him a glass of water and taking a seat next to him to get on with his own dinner.
***
Soon, they were sitting in comfortable silence next to nearly-empty plates.
“Okay, so why Magnificakes?” Alec questioned suddenly.
Magnus shrugged. “I didn’t choose it.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that on opening night. Why call it that, then? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“I’m friends with the two waiters you must have seen around, Simon and Raphael?” At Alec’s confirmation, he continued, “A couple of years ago, we were having a movie night and I made us pancakes for dinner. Raphael said they were magnificent, and as I was looking for work at the time, he suggested I open a pancake bar.”
He paused for a moment and Alec realized where the story was going, “Oh, I see, Magnificent Pancakes?”
The other smiled and nodded. “Precisely. But we agreed it was too long to be catchy, and Simon came up with Magnificakes. Of course, I was against it. I found it silly.”
“What changed?” Alec wondered.
“Nothing changed, I still think it’s silly,” he replied sincerely, startling a laugh out of Alec.
“So why then?”
“I did other things for a while, but the idea stuck. I developed it further, and even found this space, but I couldn’t afford it. Raphael comes from a wealthy family and he offered to lend me the money,” he raised an eyebrow at Alec, “under one condition.”
Alec spoke around the final bite in his mouth, “You had to let him choose the name.”
“And he said, let there be Magnificakes,” Magnus finished.
“Well, at least it’s catchy,” Alec said, and the other rolled his eyes at him. “Can I ask you something?” he added.
“Of course.”
“Why are you working tonight? I mean, did you expect people to walk in on Christmas Eve?”
Magnus looked at him pointedly, “You’re here, aren’t you?”
Alec chuckled, “Well, yes, but you wouldn’t have stayed open because of one person.”
“Why not? Who gets to say how many people constitute enough of a crowd to be open for?” Magnus explained further, “Not everyone celebrates Christmas, for one thing. Myself included. So for us, this is just a normal Saturday evening. Furthermore, even those who do celebrate it don’t always have a place to be. Which I presume is why you’re here. So if by working tonight I make one person’s night a bit better, then I’d say it’s worth it.”
Seemingly surprised by the answer, Alec stayed quiet for a few moments. Finally, he admitted, “I’m glad you’re working. I was going to watch some Christmas movies and fall asleep in front of the fireplace, but this is nice.”
“I don’t have a fireplace here, but my laptop and Netflix password are at your disposal if you want,” Magnus told him.
“I couldn’t,” Alec said, “I should let you get back to work.”
Magnus gestured around them, “In case you haven’t noticed, darling, there isn’t much work tonight. Besides, I wouldn’t mind some company.”
“Alright then. Any wishes?”
***
It should be weird, shouldn’t it? It shouldn’t feel normal to be sitting in the corner booth, watching movies with a guy you only officially met that night. Yet somehow, Alec was completely at ease, and Magnus seemed to be, too.
Still, as Home Alone 4’s Kevin said ‘Snow, fall,’ Magnus moved to stand, startling Alec.
“Everything alright?” Alec asked him.
Magnus pointed at the clock. “It’s almost six am. We should probably turn in. After all, my next shift starts at ten.”
“Oh,” he exhaled. “Yeah, sure. I’m sorry, I should’ve—“
“Alec,” Magnus cut him off. “I had fun. But honestly, we both look like we might fall asleep any moment, and I’m sure you have plans for the day, so…” He let the sentence hang.
“Actually,” Alec started. “My siblings should both be back for dinner tonight, if you want to join us, maybe?”
Okay, now it should be really weird! Inviting someone you barely know to your house, to meet your family? That was a triple homicide invitation if Alec ever heard one!
The other seemed to be thinking about the offer, but ended up shaking his head. “From what I know about Christmas, it’s family time. But I wouldn’t be opposed to dinner some other time,” he offered.
“Oh? Anywhere in particular?” Alec asked as he put his scarf and coat on.
“Well,” Magnus answered, “I happen to know this great pancake place nearby. It has a stupid name, but the food is really good.”
“Hmm,” Alec replied, opening the door, “I know the one. The owner isn’t too bad, either.”
Magnus chuckled. “You’re letting the cold in,” he gestured at the door. “And you might want to move,” he added, looking above Alec’s head.
Sure enough, there was mistletoe wound around the bell above the door. “You know the tradition, Magnus,” Alec teased.
The other moved forward, leaning in close to whisper into Alec’s ear. “You’re gonna have to try harder than that, darling.” With that, he kissed Alec’s cheek and gave his chest a gentle push out the door. “At least buy me some pancakes, first.”