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Magnus Bane had spent his entire life mastering the art of cooking. 

His love for cuisine started when he was just a child, learning the ways of the kitchen from his mother.  By the time he was eight years old, he had mastered many of the techniques and recipes of his native Indonesia, and was well known around Jakarta as the best young chef.

That same year, Magnus’s life was turned upside down.

While the gory details were hidden from him as a child, he later learned his abrupt move to the states at the hands of his stepfather was the result of his mother’s suicide.  But that was ancient history, and Magnus had made peace.

Much of his solace was found in the kitchen.  Immersing himself in any cookbook he could get his hands on, asking question after question to anyone he met with a shred of ability.  It was the only way he still felt a connection to his mother.

After two years with his emotionally and physically abusive stepfather, Magnus was removed from his custody and placed into a foster home. 

Luckily, Ragnor Fell was an amazing cook. 

Ragnor lived most of his life in England before relocating to New York, which further expanded Magnus’s cultural culinary expertise.  His foster father was more than willing to pass on all the knowledge he had to Magnus.

Years of hard work and dedication to perfecting his craft led Magnus to the Culinary Institute of America’s New York campus.  He had received a generous scholarship, and Ragnor had taken care of the remaining tuition.  His restaurant was doing incredibly well, and he didn’t want Magnus struggling with debt coming out of school while trying to establish himself.

Which proved to be his saving grace.  On a stroke of good luck, mixed with the pay off of incredible dedication, Magnus was able to open his own bakery by the age of twenty-five.

He threw himself into the bakery, spending every waking minute ensuring that it was the best it could be and his work wasn’t in vain.  Always working on new recipes, blending new flavors of coffees and teas.  His favorite part, though, was the cakes.

Magnus’s passion was cake decorating.  He loved the process of baking each layer, carefully stacking the tiers, and finally, icing each with one of a kind designs. 

Cakes for Catarina was the only private–owned bakery on 5th Avenue, and was beloved by the neighborhood for the personal feel it gave that Starbucks could never compete with.  Magnus personally unlocked the doors every morning at six, once the first batch of pastries and fresh pots of coffee were ready to go.

Magnus’s also had the two cutest little bakers in all of New York, possibly the world.

Following in Ragnor’s footsteps, Magnus raised his two sons to be culinary wiz–kids.  Magnus adopted Rafael and Max when they were very young, Rafe was three years old and Max only an infant.  Many of his closest friends questioned his sanity, choosing to adopt two young children at the same time, as a single parent, but Magnus wouldn’t hear any of it.

He had fallen in love with the boys the moment he had laid eyes on them.  The only person who truly understood, unsurprisingly, was Ragnor. 

Max and Rafe grew up just as Magnus did, having to be forcibly removed from the kitchen for things like school and sleep.  The boys loved learning the art from their father, and Magnus is almost embarrassed to admit that his kids cook more for him than he does for them.  Almost.

The boys spend mornings before school helping Magnus in the bakery, which, conveniently, happens to be located directly below their apartment.  The bakery’s usual customers love seeing the boys running around the shop, always full of energy at the crack of dawn, and always pointing out which pastries they had made that morning.  On more than one occasion, Magnus has had to remind his young employee, Maia, that the boys should not be doing the work he’s paying her to do. 

It’s because his kids are so well behaved and helpful in the bakery that Magnus typically gives them whatever they want.  Okay, and maybe they’ve got him wrapped around their fingers, but the first part is definitely true too.

There are times, though, when every parent needs to draw the line.  And the boys have just made one request that Magnus can not grant in good conscious.

The bell above the door rang as Max and Rafael burst through the door.  The clock read quarter to three, which means the boys had to have run all the way from school to make it back so quickly. 

They were instantly at the counter, not even greeting the regulars sitting around getting their afternoon pick–me–up, giving Magnus matching sets of puppy eyes.

Magnus glanced up from the article he had been editing for his cooking blog to level an unimpressed look.

“What do you two want?” Magnus asked, figuring it was best to cut right to the chase since his kids clearly wanted something.

Rafael was first to speak.  “Papa,” he pleaded, “you know Maxy and I never ever ask for anything unless we really want it”.

Magnus rolled his eyes, finding himself right in the assumption that they were looking for something.

“What do you want?”  He repeated, already tapping buttons on the register to open the cash drawer.  “Is there a new game out?  Or do you want to see a movie?  There aren’t any new restaurant openings so it can’t be that.  How much do you need?”

He was already counting out bills when Max hesitantly told him what they wanted so badly.

“There’s a famous chef hosting a class for kids in a few weeks, and it’s only a half hour ride outside the city, and it’s only offered to, like, twenty kids so it’s pretty ex–exclusive,” Max rushed to get his words out. 

Magnus had never seen his kids get so worked up over seeing a chef.  He was friends with plenty of well–known chefs, many of which practically raised the boys, and they know Magnus wouldn’t hesitate to take them across the world if it meant exposing them to a culinary opportunity they were interested in.

“Slow down, baby,” Magnus said, rounding the counter and placing a hand on each of his son’s shoulders.  “Who is the chef?”

And, instantly, Magnus understood why they broke out the puppy eyes before even asking.  That was usually reserved for last ditch efforts to sway their papa, never used unless absolutely necessary to get their way.

Max dropped his gaze and mumbled something Magnus couldn’t understand.

“Beg your pardon, Blueberry?”  He used the nickname he had given Max just weeks after adopting him.  His younger son had the biggest blue eyes, and was obsessed with eating the fruit after Magnus had fed him a few once.  He had loved anything with blueberries ever since.

When it didn’t seem like Max was going to speak up, Magnus turned his gaze on his older son.

“It’s Alec Lightwood,”  He finally said, after another moment of hesitation.  Then, both sets of puppy eyes were locked on Magnus once again and waiting for his answer.

“No”.

More than a few customers turned to look at the outburst as both boys pulled away from Magnus and simultaneously cried, “But Papa!”

Magnus lifted from the crouched position he had been in to be eye level with his sons and leaned a hip against the counter.  He sent a few apologetic smiles to his patrons as he tried to quiet the boys, who continued to whine about ‘fairness’.

Truthfully, Magnus would have said yes in a heartbeat if it had been anyone else that they had wanted to see besides Alec fucking Lightwood.

Magnus was quite familiar with the cooking and teaching style of the chef.  Another New York native, Alec was a few years younger than Magnus, and had taken his career in a drastically different path. 

Alec had grown up with money, and his parents had paid for his son to have the best classical training in the culinary arts.  While Magnus had gained his skills in cultural cuisine through deep, personal experience growing up with the people, Alec had been flown around the globe with the goal of learning as many styles and techniques as possible. 

While Magnus had to admit that some of the recipes in his cookbook – okay, so he skimmed the guy’s book, sue him – were quite interesting, he couldn’t help but wonder how many were actually his, and how many Mommy and Daddy Lightwood had paid for.

But what bothered Magnus most about Alec Lightwood was the way he treated the chefs on his reality show.  Alec had taken his skills to primetime television, hosting a show where he can be seen in every episode lashing out, belittling, and publicly shaming expert chefs.  Magnus couldn’t deny that the chef was drop-dead gorgeous, but that was no excuse for such tragic manners and lack of decency.  The show was banned in the Bane house strictly for the language he used in the kitchen, and the way he treated the other chefs with unabashed disrespect. 

Alec Lightwood, no matter how pretty, was not the kind of chef Magnus wanted his children learning from.

Magnus looked down at his pouting sons, noting the tear trails running down Max’s cheeks and the shine to Rafe’s eyes from holding his own in.

He sighed, knowing he was on his way to losing this battle, but not without good reason.

“You have thirty seconds,” Magnus finally said. 

The boys perked up instantly, each trying to talk over the other which only made it harder for Magnus to understand anything they were saying.  They paused for a breather after Magnus told them to take turns.

“You know Miss Clary, our art teacher?” Max started.  Magnus nodded, he was actually quite good friends with the boys teacher, the fiery young redhead was local to the neighborhood and frequently stopped in for a chai tea and the latest gossip.

Rafe took over from this point.  “Miss Clary knows Chef Lightwood’s sister, she told us about this small class he’s hosting for kids our age since she knows we love cooking and baking and food and–”

“And she said she would try to get us in!” Max picked up when his brother started rambling.  “She said she would stop in tomorrow morning to let you know once she heard back from Izzy!”

Magnus tried to hide a snort.  Clary had told him all about the girl she had started dating a few months ago, but she hadn’t mentioned that she was the sister of the literal meanest chef on Food Network. 

Resigned to the fact that he wouldn’t be able to say no to the boys until he spoke with Clary, Magnus sent them both up to the apartment to start their homework.  Max and Rafael hugged their father, before running through the door behind the counter leading to the kitchen and stairs to their loft.

Magnus slumped against the counter as soon as he could no longer hear the sound of his kid’s footsteps.  Sending a few more smiles to his customers, he returned to the piece on frosting techniques he was working on before the boys got home, although he couldn’t shake the bad feeling the mere thought of letting Alec Lightwood near his kids brought him.

________________________________________________

A very drowsy Clary dragged herself through Cat’s the following morning just past seven.  In the few months she had been coming to the bakery, Magnus learned that she was absolutely not a morning person.  Magnus could barely get more than a groan and half–hearted glare out of the young woman before she had at least three quarters of a dark roast Americano. 

Today was different. 

Magnus could tell that she was exhausted, but the second she found Magnus moving around behind the counter, she sent him an excited grin. 

“Magnus,” She called, bouncing up to the counter.  “How is my favorite baker this adequate morning?”

Magnus rolled his eyes.

“Save it, Biscuit,”  He replied, though with no real heat.  He was already preparing a large mug of her favorite blend.  “Maia?”  He called to his barista, removing two blueberry muffins from the display and weaving around the counter.  “Watch the counter, dear, Clary and I have some business to discuss”.

Clary and Maia shared a nervous glance.  Hesitantly, Clary followed Magnus to an alcove in the front corner of the store and took her seat where he placed her breakfast.

“Can I explain?” She asked around a mouthful of warm blueberry muffin.

“You can,” Magnus replied, sipping his French Vanilla cappuccino.  He had created a swirl design in the foam at the top of his mug, hoping it would calm him down.  “However, I cannot guarantee I will like your explanation”.

Clary set her muffin down and shifted closer to Magnus.

“I know you aren’t going to believe me, but Alec is a good guy,” She said, barely finishing her sentence before Magnus interrupted with a disbelieving snort.  “I’m serious, Magnus!  You only know him from how he appears on TV, I actually know him”.

Magnus distracted himself from the reality of Clary’s words by stirring his coffee up.  Calming swirls be damned.

“Isabelle, that’s Alec’s sister, she’s my girlfriend.  She talked with Alec last night and he agreed to let Maxy and Rafe come to the class – for free – even though it’s already full.  Does that sound like something KitchenHunters Alec Lightwood would do?”

Magnus had to admit, it didn’t.  The cost of the class wasn’t the problem, Magnus would gladly pay whatever the price for something his kids loved.  But Magnus could not let his kids attend a class held by someone known for running a kitchen on the basis of fear and aggressive management.  That isn’t the way Magnus had raised his sons, and he didn’t plan on exposing them to that type of behavior now.

Still, he felt the fight leaving him as he heard the sincerity in Clary’s voice.  He has heard countless stories from Clary of the wonderful times she’s had with her girlfriend’s family, but Magnus still could not seem to reconcile these clashing views of Alec.

“Magnus,” Clary said, reaching out to place her hand over Magnus’s.  “You know I adore your sons, I would never send them to an environment that wasn’t safe for them”. 

Surprisingly, Magnus believed her.  He hadn’t known her long, but his sons had nothing but the highest praises for their school’s art teacher, and he had to believe that she had their best interest at heart, just as he did.

With one last exaggerated sigh, just for the dramatics, Magnus nodded his head.

“Fine, fine,” He conceded.  “You win, I’ll take the boys to the stupid class,”  Clary beamed at him, jumping out of her armchair and throwing her arms around Magnus’s neck.  He returned the embrace, pulling away a moment later to level Clary with a severe glare.  “But if I’m right about him, I pull the boys right away and it’s on you, Biscuit”.

She had gone back to her muffin, happily picking out bits of blueberries and tossing them in her mouth.

“Don’t worry, babes, I have a feeling Alec will surprise you”.

________________________________________________

Exactly three weeks later, Magnus found himself on his way out of the city with two very excited little boys. 

Max and Rafael sat on either side of Magnus in the backseat of an Uber.  They would normally have taken the train, but something told Magnus hopping on the subway with two small children each carrying a case full of insanely sharp knives was a bad idea. 

Magnus was internally applauding his parental instincts when he remembered where they were in route to, and promptly shut that shit down.  No matter how much Clary had talked up the infamous Lightwood, Magnus still had his doubts that the day would end on good terms.

After what felt like a century in the car, mainly due to the number of times Max had asked Papa, are we there yet?, they pulled up to the restaurant. 

Magnus had heard of the establishment before, Garroway’s is a large building not too far outside the city that is known for having an expansive menu, while maintaining a high quality dining experience.  Luke, the owner, employed various master chefs, each expert in a specific culinary variety. 

In fact, one of Magnus’s closest friends was a chef of Luke’s, specializing in Mexican cuisine.  Raphael Santiago learned to cook from his mother, Guadalupe, and still uses many of her recipes in his dishes. 

Rafael was trying to open the car door before the annoyed middle–aged woman had even fully stopped at the curb.  As promised, Raphael was waiting for the Banes outside the restaurant, casually leaning against the brick exterior with his ever–present bored expression.

Finally, the driver hit the unlock button and Rafe threw his door open, jumping out and charging at his third favorite chef (behind his Papa and Grandad, of course).

“Uncle Rapha!  Uncle Rapha!”

As if a switch had been flipped inside him, Raphael’s entire demeanor changed.  He pushed off the wall, taking long strides to reach Rafael, before squatting down as the boy threw himself into his arms.

“Hola, mi sobrino,” Raphael said, warmly.  He would never let Magnus hear the end of it after Magnus had named his older adopted son in his namesake.  As it was, Raphael had never had any children, and did no plan on ever having any, so the name was Magnus’s way of reminding Raph that he was a part of the Bane family. 

Raphael may also be the boy’s unofficial godfather, but that was another story.

After greeting each other, Raphael led them into the restaurant.  Max and Rafael ran ahead, unable to contain their excitement enough to behave properly, but Magnus didn’t want to start lecturing them just yet.

“Am I going to regret bringing them to this class?” Magnus quietly asked his friend.

Raphael gave him a quizzical look from the corner of his eye, while still appearing disinterested.  “Why would you regret this?  I thought you wanted them to learn from the best”.

“I do, Raphael, and if you’re going to tell me that I should just give Alec a chance and he’ll surprise me, you can save it”.

“I’ve never even met the guy,” Raphael stated.  “All I know is that he’s very close with Luke, the owner.  He comes by a few times a month to have dinner with him whenever he’s in the area and not busy.  But Luke has nothing but good things to say about him, if that makes any difference”.

It didn’t make a difference, Magnus thought.  A few semi–nice things said by people he is friends with wasn’t going to change Magnus’s mind.  There was no way that his off–screen personality could be that different from the way he presented himself on TV. 

“I have to get back to work,”  Raphael said.  “Have fun in your class, niños, I’ll come see how you’re doing if we have downtime in the other kitchen”.  They quickly said their goodbyes before Raph was turning and walking back the opposite way down the hall.

Taking a deep breath, Magnus followed his kids around a corner and into a large, open kitchen.

Magnus had to admit, this was one of the nicest kitchens he had seen in a long time.  Stainless steel industrial appliances lined the perimeter, with one wall made entirely of see–through refrigerators.  Metal prep stations were arranged in the center of the room, positioned around the permanent islands that were typically used by the kitchen staff.  Each station was set with the tools the kids would be using that day, Magnus could see pots and pans already laid out atop burners and various mixing bowls and cutting boards. 

The kitchen was already full of kids, moving around with matching excited looks on their faces.  They reminded Magnus of himself at that age, craving the knowledge a kitchen like this could provide him.  Parents of the other kids could be seen through a large cut out window in another wall, meant for passing prepared meals to servers. 

Rafael and Max were frozen in the doorway, both of their mouths hanging open in disbelief. 

Magnus looked up from his kids to see a young man approaching them, a huge grin on his face.  He looked to be about twenty, with light brown curls falling on his forehead just above a pair of black, wide rimmed glasses.  He didn’t look much like a chef, considering the white chef’s coat he wore was hanging open to reveal a black t–shirt advertising a band Magnus didn’t recognize.

“Hey, you guys must be here for Chef Lightwood’s class, right?” The boy asked.  Max and Rafe just nodded, still speechless.  He bent down to be at eye–level with the boys, before continuing.  “What are your names?  I’ll show you to your stations and you can meet some of the other kids before we get started”.

Magnus watched as his younger son took a slight step behind his brother, pressing into his side.

“Rafael and Max Bane,” Rafe said, putting his arm around his brother’s shoulders and pulling him back to stand next to him, rather than letting him hide.  Both of his boys had always been shy, but Rafe was always able to overcome it for his brother.

The young chef’s face seemed to light up even more, he had almost an angelic brightness to his features as he looked at Magnus’s son and exclaimed, “My name is Max, too!  It’s a pleasure to meet you, Max,” and extended his hand to shake each of theirs.

After that, both boys seemed to come back to themselves.  They both told Chef Max how excited they were to take the class and that they were huge fans of Alec Lightwood’s.  Magnus wasn’t sure exactly how his sons became ‘huge fans’, seeing as KitchenHunters was not a show they were allowed to watch, but he guessed Ragnor had something to do with it.

“That’s awesome!”  Chef Max said, standing back up to shake Magnus’s hand, “I’ll be sure to let my brother know that he’s got two great fans.  I’m Max Lightwood, nice to meet you, Mr.  Bane”. 

Magnus smiled, giving Max a firm handshake and trying to remind himself that he couldn’t take his frustrations regarding his brother’s cooking style out on him.  “Please, it’s Magnus.  The pleasure is mine,” He replied.

“Wait,” Max said, a look of recognition passing across him.  “I knew you looked familiar!  You have the blog High Chef of Brooklyn, right?”

Magnus was not expecting him to be recognized here.  He assumed most of the parents bringing their kids here wouldn’t have any knowledge of cooking blogs, and this was too far out of the city to think any would go to his small bakery.  And he had definitely not expected a freaking Lightwood to know who he was.

“He does!”  Max, his son, had happily replied before Magnus was able to.  “My dad is the best chef in the whole city!  But he prefers baking cakes and stuff, we actually own a bakery!”

Max had started walking backwards, urging them to follow him further into the kitchen as they talked.  He led them to an empty station, which had two small aprons hanging from the side, each embroidered with the boy’s names.

“Alec’s in the working kitchen with Luke and his staff right now making a few dishes for the lunch crowd, but when he gets a free minute I’ll send him your way, Magnus.  We both read your blog, I’m sure he’d love the chance to talk with you about your opinions regarding fondant,” he said, flashing Magnus a cheeky grin as he carefully helped the boys tie their aprons on.

Magnus could do little but gape and the young Lightwood.  The fact that world–renowned chef Alexander Lightwood not only knew about his blog, but actively kept up with it, was something Magnus needed time to process.  Each new piece of information he learned about Alec was challenging the way he saw the chef. 

It seemed like he had stepped into an alternative universe, where Alec wasn’t the rude, arrogant hard–ass he was in the real world.  In this world, people had nothing but good things to say about this man that Magnus knew to be superficially beautiful, but dead on the inside. 

Where the hell am I?

Once both boys had their aprons on and Max was helping them prepare their stations and unpack their knives, he turned his attention back to Magnus.  “When Alec found out you would be here, he mentioned how cool it would be with him if you were to write a piece about the class for your blog.  He’s trying really hard to get these classes up and running regularly, and with participation from other top chefs, but it has been slow to take off.  I’m sure if you were to back it, we may have better luck getting involvement in the program”.

“Alec knew I was coming?  And wants me to write an article?”  Magnus couldn’t believe how inarticulate he was being, but this inverted world kept throwing him curve balls.

Max moved slightly away from the work station his sons were setting up at, too busy prepping to focus on the conversation happening around them.  “Of course Alec knew you were coming, Clary had to ask him and Luke to make room in the class for the boys.  Didn’t you know that?”

Magnus just shook his head.

“Clary is one of their teachers at school, they asked her before I even knew about the class.  She came and had breakfast with me in my bakery the next morning and told me she spoke to Isabelle about it.  I didn’t know she had gone straight to Alec and Luke”.

Max chuckled.  “That sounds like something I would have done at their age.  I assume you don’t know Clary too well, so I will say that she is a lot more than just Izzy’s girlfriend to us,”  Max pointed across the kitchen to another younger man in a chef’s coat, his open just like Max’s.  “That’s Clary’s best friend, Simon.  He and I work with Alec behind the scenes of his show, and we help with these clinics he does as well”.

Magnus assumed that would be all, until Max kept talking.  He pointed over Magnus’s shoulder, to where three men were stepping through the door Magnus and the boys had entered through. 

Alec Lightwood caught his eye instantly.  Magnus knew the chef was tall, he towered over everyone else in the kitchen on his show, so being in a room full up four-foot-tall kids made it even more noticeable.  And he was even more beautiful in person. 

The two men he stood with were just slightly shorter than him.  On his left was an older man with dark skin and a classic white coat on buttoned up and black slacks.  The pin he wore on his coat indicated he was the head chef.  On his right, a younger man with golden hair styled to one side, showing off a buzzcut on the other.  He was dressed in a dark gray coat, but wore a pair of dark wash jeans rather than professional pants.

Alec stood out from them, his entirely black chef’s coat and pants contrasting starkly his light complexion.  His hair was styled up in a way that Magnus hadn’t seen it before.  What?  Just because his show is banned from the Bane house doesn’t mean he can’t skim an article while in line at the supermarket every once in a while. 

“The blonde is Jace,” Max said from beside him, startling Magnus out of his thoughts.  “He’s our brother, about the same age as Izzy.  He’s been dating Simon for a few years now,” As Max was speaking, Magnus watched Jace turn and catch Simon’s eye from across the kitchen, grinning as he sent him a wink.

“The other man is Luke, he’s the owner, as I’m sure you know.  What you probably don’t know is that he’s Clary’s stepfather, hence why she asked both her friend–slash–girlfriend’s–brother Alec and her stepfather–slash–restaurant–owner Luke,” Magnus turned harshly from the three men to gape at Max.  “Alec is the tall one, as I’m sure you know, and you can stop eye–fucking him at any time now, there are children present,”  If Magnus’s jaw could drop any further, it would.  Max had dropped his voice low enough for the kids not to hear, but Magnus instinctively turned to make sure they hadn’t heard anyway.

He sputtered for a few moments, trying to regain control of himself, though he hoped his expressions weren’t giving himself away too much.

“Don’t try to deny it, bro,” Max said, patting Magnus on the shoulder lightly.  Usually, Magnus would have ripped the arm clean off of anyone who touched him without permission, but he liked this young Lightwood for some reason.  And as he looked across the kitchen and found Alec’s eyes already watching him, he had the sinking feeling he was probably going to like that Lightwood, too.

Magnus tore his eyes away long enough to level Max with an unamused stare.  “Your brother may be hot, but the second he starts yelling at my kids, or any of these children for that matter, we leave,” He said in the more serious tone he could muster.  “And if he thinks I’ll be promoting him on my blog after that, he is sadly mistaken”.

Max’s face went from jovial and teasing to troubled and concerned as Magnus spoke. 

“Magnus, why would Alec yell at these kids?  He’s trying to teach them,”  Max’s voice dropped, all joking long gone.

“No offense, but I’ve seen the way he is on KitchenHunters, and while my kids say they are fans, I’m not.  To the point where his show is actually banned in my home, so I’m sure it was my father that introduced them to it,” He shrugged his shoulders dismissively, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Magnus,” Max said, matching Magnus’s serious tone.  He felt Max gently touch his elbow, urging him to open up.  Against Magnus’s better judgement, he dropped his arms and met Max’s gaze.  “Clary didn’t tell Alec this – because it would absolutely crush him – but she already told me that you don’t like him very much, so I really appreciate you taking the chance and bringing your sons here.  I’m sure you’ve heard this already, but you are wrong about Alec,” He must have seen the disbelief in Magnus’s eyes, and quickly added, “Trust me, I know you don’t know me and have no reason to trust me, but just give him one chance, that’s all I’m asking”.

Magnus thought about it, taking in the sincerity of Max’s words and the way he could somehow tell just by looking in his eyes that he was being honest.  Obviously, it crossed Magnus’s mind that he was only getting opinions from people who were in his family, people very close to Alec, and that they may see a very different side to him than outsiders.  But that may be the point, maybe Magnus just needed to let this happen, open his eyes, and let Alec’s actions speak for themselves.

“Okay,” Magnus said with a sigh.  The grin Magnus had seen on the young Lightwood’s face earlier in their conversation crept it’s way back onto his face.  “He gets one chance, but you know what happens if I’m right about him”.

Max was already backing away from him, his hands raised up in surrender, but his voice was all smugness  “Oh, don’t worry, Magnus, you won’t be right”.

Magnus returned to Max and Rafe’s station, checking to make sure they had everything set up and ready to go.  The boys smiled up at him, looking happier than Magnus thought he had ever seen them.  Magnus was quietly quizzing them on the spices arranged on their workstation when a loud, commanding voice interrupted them.

“Welcome, we’re just about to get started.  If we could have the parents wait in the next room, or feel free to stay on this side of the kitchen, and please try not to disrupt the lessons,”  Magnus looked over his shoulder to see the man, Luke, giving these instructions.

Then, a softer, but still powerful voice stole Magnus’s attention.   Alec, still standing beside Luke and his brother began making his own introductions.

“Hi, everyone, my name is Alec and I’ll be teaching you guys a few things today,” He said, as if anybody in the room didn’t know who he was.  “This is Luke Garroway, the owner of this wonderful restaurant, so make sure you thank him for letting us use his space today,” Alec gestured to Luke, being met by a few soft ‘thank you’s’ from the kids around the room.  “And this is Jace, my brother, he is my sous chef and will be helping with individual instruction today, as there are a whole lot of you and just one me”.

Magnus chuckled, the small breathe surprising himself.  He was amazed at the way Alec was communicating, how he controlled the room, but in a completely opposite way as he ever did on TV.

“You have probably met the two young guys in the white coats – if you haven’t, they’re probably not doing their job,” He said pointedly, but in a tone that showed he was joking.  He found them out in the room by their matching sounds of objection, “That one over by Station 5 is my youngest brother, Max,” he said, pointing Max out to the kids, who all turned to find him.  Pointing to Simon next, “And he is Simon, one of my closest friends.  They are both currently students at my alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America, and they will be rotating around the room helping out as well, so feel free to ask either of them for help”.

Magnus had known that Alec also attended CIA, though Magnus was long graduated and already forming his business when Alec was a student there.  He hadn’t known that the entire extended Lightwood family was culinarily inclined, so far as to be this involved in his brothers kid’s class side–project.  But none of them seemed to be there for any other reason than their love of cooking and desire to pass it on.

“A little bit about myself,” Alec started, stepping away from Luke and Jace and closer to the kids.  “I have been cooking since I was old enough to help my mom stir a bowl of brownie batter in the kitchen,” He said, a small smile tugging at his lips.  Magnus glanced at his brothers around the room and found matching grins on their faces as well.  “I fell in love with cooking, and decided to pursue it as a career, even though it was not seen as a proper occupation by my parents.  I am a New York native, and I graduated from CIA at the age of twenty.  I spent a few years jumping between restaurants and diners, even worked in a few food trucks before I was discovered by Hodge Starkweather, a Food Network executive that had a pitch for a new show he thought I would be good for”.

Magnus hadn’t known that Alec was recruited for KitchenHunters, he had just assumed it was a show of his own creation and his parent’s money.  Hearing Alec talk about the show like it was somehow separate from him, as if it was something he had participated in in another life, made Magnus continue reconsidering his judgements.

“Contrary to popular opinion, I am not how I seem on my shows.  I hope you will all have the chance to get to know me and learn that for yourselves today.  This is advertised as a five–hour class, but Luke has graciously allowed us the kitchen for as long as we need, so I will make time to work with all of you as much as possible.

“Now, if you kids would all find your stations, it’s still relatively early so I think we’ll start off with breakfast foods,”  All the kids, including Magnus’s, started bouncing up and down and nodding along with Alec.

Then, Magnus watched as tough and demanding Alec literally melted as a bunch of kids cheered for eggs and pancakes.  His eyes crinkled up at the corners and a big lopsided smile broke out across his face.  That image alone will probably stay with Magnus a lot longer than he’s willing to admit.

“Okay, kids,” Jace said, stepping around Alec and making his way over to the nearest station.  “Let’s all head over to the refrigerators and grab some ingredients, we’ll each need three eggs, four strips of bacon, some milk . . .”

Magnus zoned out as he watched his sons following after the other kids, waiting their turn to get to the fridge.  He had worried the class wouldn’t live up to their expectations and be to remedial for them, or that they would seem showboat–y as they were already quite experienced learning from Magnus.  The class had only just started, but it seemed the boys would have fun just being at a class with other kids, even if they had been making much more complex dishes for years now.

As the class seemed to be starting, Magnus watched as Alec shook Luke’s hand and pulled him into a brief hug, before the owner turned and left through the door they had entered from, closing it behind him.  Alec turned and made his way to the center prep station, the only one that wasn’t a steel cart on wheels.  The area Alec would be working from was stationary, and was equipped with a sink at each end, and multiple burners and grills in the center. 

Deciding to stay in the kitchen, rather than watching from the dining room like most of the other parents, Magnus took a seat on a folding chair toward the side of the room Alec had gestured to as okay for parents. 

He watched Max and Rafe as they made their way back to their station, each carrying an armful of ingredients.  Then, as if in slow motion, Rafe stops short.  Max, focusing all of his energy on keeping his ingredients balanced in his arms, doesn’t notice until he is literally running into his brother’s back. 

And then, both of the boy’s eggs go smashing to the floor.

Magnus is on his feet in a second.  His phone, which is more like a tablet if he’s being honest, falls abandoned on the chair next to him, and he’s taking a few steps toward the scene when he stops.

Alec Lightwood is already there, crouch next to Max and Rafael.  Both boys look completely dejected, no doubt embarrassed and uncomfortable with all the other kids looking at them from their stations.  Magnus stood frozen, halfway between his chair and the boys’ workstation, wondering how the hell Alec got there before him.  Magnus is well aware of Alec’s long legs, but the main island he had been preparing just a moment before is no where near the scene of the accident. 

It was almost as if Alec had sensed something was about to happen.  Magnus knew he hadn’t been watching his kids (since he had been watching Alec at the time). 

Magnus, still rooted firmly watching the scene before him, was more than a little surprised to see Alec speaking lowly to his kids.  He had knelt to eye level with the boys, and had a hand holding each of their arms at the elbow.  Magnus couldn’t hear what was being said, but he assumed it sounded a lot like what he would be telling the boys if he had gotten there first. 

It’s okay, no need to cry over cracked eggs. 

Every great chef has made a mess in the kitchen.

We’re here to learn, there are no mistakes being made today.

By the time Magnus had taken the few steps back to retrieve his phone, Jace had arrived with new eggs for both boys.  Alec nodded his thanks to his brother, but stayed where he was.  Jace ruffled both boys’ hair, which finally got them to crack a smile, before moving to another station to keep checking on the other kids.

Then, Magnus’s heart stopped beating.

He watched Alec say something to the boys.  He watched as Max’s icy blue, and Rafael’s deep brown eyes found him across the room.  He watched as Alec turned his head, and their eyes met. 

“Well, crap,” he muttered to himself, absentmindedly straightening his cardigan and running a finger under his eyes to catch any stray eyeliner. 

By the time Magnus’s breathing had evened out, Alec was pushing back to his full height and gesturing for the boys to return to their preparations.  Simon had made his way over to their station and was adjusting the burners on their counter.

Alec turned, the smile he wore while talking to the boys still stretched across his face, and starting weaving his way through the stations, his eyes never leaving Magnus once.

Magnus wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t for the famous chef to stop just an arms length away and let out a breathy, “Hi, I’m Alec”.

There was a few seconds pause, Alec’s smile not faltering once, before Magnus responded.

“I’m Magnus,” He stated, cautiously extending his hand.  Alec took it immediately, both his hands coming to hold Magnus’s in a firm but somehow gentle shake.  He lingered just a moment too long before releasing Magnus’s hand.  “Thank you, for helping my kids just now”.

“It’s no problem,” Alec said, his smile turning mildly confused.  “It is kind of why I’m here,” He laughed, a small chuckle but the next moment he was smiling down at Magnus again.  “Hey, I just wanted to tell you that I really like your blog,” Alec scratched at the back of his neck, a blush starting to creep to his cheeks.

Magnus felt himself smile, something he hadn’t been expecting to do around Chef Lightwood.  But really, with the way he just watched him interact with his sons so kindly, hold intense eye contact while walking toward Magnus with that lopsided grin, to now blushing while complimenting Magnus. 

“Max, mentioned that earlier,” He paused, “Max, your brother, not my son.  I really appreciate it, though I am quite surprised you have even seen it, actually”.

Alec chuckled again, his head dropping forward as his shoulders shook.  He looked so relaxed, his black chef’s jacket open just one button, enough to show off a black tattoo swirling up the side of his neck.

“According to my siblings, I’m ‘socially inept’,” He pulled his hands out of the pockets of his slacks long enough to make air quotes, before shoving them back in his pockets.  “I don’t get out much, except for filming or doing these lessons, and my siblings make up the majority of my friends.  I like watching YouTube chefs and reading food blogs, especially with Max and Madzie,” Magnus was sure he had read somewhere that Alec was not a talkative individual, but now that he started it seemed he couldn’t stop.  “I like using videos to show her techniques before we try it out in our kitchen”.

What happened next would have been a lot funnier, if it wasn’t actually happening to Magnus.

“Who?” Magnus asked, unceremoniously.

Alec’s quirked his head to the side, one eye squinting a little as he rocked no his feet.  “Who, what?”

“You said ‘Max and Madzie’,” Magnus said, even dropping his tone imitating Alec’s deeper voice.  “I have met your darling brother, who is Madzie?”

“Oh!”  Alec exclaimed, a full laugh escaping.  He turned sharply, searching the industrial kitchen for a few seconds before moving to stand beside Magnus and point to the other end of the room. 

It seemed Jace, Simon, and Max had continued Alec’s first lesson without him.  The kids were all working at their stations, with the three leaders flying back and forth to help when they were needed.

Magnus followed Alec’s pointer finger to a young girl, probably about his Max’s age.  She had glowing light brown skin, pigtails in her hair, and a little purple dress on.  She didn’t seem to have her own station, but rather was moving tentatively around the kitchen, watching all the other kids mixing their pancake batter.

Jace, leaving the kids at Station Three and running toward the opposite end of the kitchen, stopped on his way to pick the little girl up and twirl them both around a few times.  Magnus heard her giggles drift through the kitchen, her legs swinging around her one last time before Jace gently placed her back on the ground and kept moving on his way.

Magnus turned back toward Alec, finding him already watching him.

“That’s Madzie,” He said, smiling so hard his eyes crinkling in the corners.  “She’s my daughter”.

Magnus felt a fond smile growing on his own face, a warmth filling his heart that he only truly learned when he became a parent.

“She’s beautiful, Alec,” Truthfully, Madzie was perfect.  She had an angelic quality Magnus was sure she must have inherited from her father.  It was a look that he saw in Alec and his younger brothers, a look he had seen on them throughout the short time he had spent with them in the kitchen.  He had even seen it the few times Magnus had allowed himself to watch Alec’s show, although it was more of terrifyingly beautiful look then.

Alec smiled his lopsided grin, before his eyes were watching something above Magnus’s head again.  Turning, Magnus saw that Madzie had found her way to his sons’ station. 

Max and Rafael were both small for their age, so they had to use stools to work best on the tall counter.  Simon dropped a third stool on the ground for Madzie as he was making his way past, flicking one of her pigtails for good measure. 

Madzie hesitated, seemingly not wanting to encroach on their space too much, but she hopped onto the stool the moment Rafael motioned for her to join them.  A second later, the three were giggling together as Max handed Madzie a spatula so that she could flip one of their pancakes.

“She’s normally so shy,” Alec said over Magnus’s shoulder.  He turned back to face him, now standing closer than they had been before.  “I bring her to all these classes, she usually doesn’t participate too much, though,” He continued, softly, a wistful gleam in his eyes.  “I think she sometimes feels weird with kids her own age.  She loves being in the kitchen, so I have taught her a lot already and she doesn’t like to seem like she’s showing off”.

“Well, Alexander, that explains why she has taken to my boys,” Magnus replied airily.  “Rafe and Max were interested in learning from the moment they came into my life.  I basically raised them in my bakery, kids in the kitchen is great for business”.

Alec nodded along with Magnus, his face turning serious.  “I was actually surprised when Clary asked if your kids could come today.  I assumed you and your wife wouldn’t have thought they could learn anything here that they couldn’t at your home,” He spoke noncommittally, though Magnus could tell the thought was bothering him.

But, “I don’t have a wife, did Clary tell you I was married?”

Alec seemed mildly taken aback, though his face revealed nothing.  “No, I just assumed.  She’s mentioned your bakery, Cakes for Catarina, right?” Magnus nodded.  “You have kids, your bakery is named for a woman, I put two and two together,”  He finished, his hands gesturing wildly between them as he spoke.

It was Magnus’s turn to laugh, earning himself another squinty look from Alec.  Magnus was starting to learn this was the trademark Alec look, and he was not indifferent to how adorable it made him look.

“While those were some impressive deduction skills, I’m afraid you put two and two together and came up with five, Alexander,” The chef just continued to stare, so Magnus continued.  “My bakery was named after a dear friend of mine.  Catarina offered me so much support throughout the process of honing my culinary skills and starting my own business.  She claimed she would be by my side every day if it meant she could watch me frost cakes”.

Magnus watched realization spark behind Alec’s eyes.  Still, he continued.

“As for the boys, they fell in love with cooking when I adopted them,” That was the final piece of the puzzle for Alec, as his features took on a whole new look, one Magnus couldn’t yet understand.  “Rafael came first, he was left on the doorstep of the hospital Catarina works at.  He was very sick as a baby, but she knew I was desperately craving a family of my own.  They took care of Rafe, and as soon as he was well enough I adopted him.  Max’s parents were friends of friends to me, too young to foresee the toll a child would take on them.  And since I had one adopted child already, they assumed I wouldn’t mind another.  They were right, of course”.

Magnus couldn’t believe he was telling his and his children’s whole story to a man he claimed to hate not even an hour before, but something seemed to change in the way he saw Alec the moment they were standing in the same kitchen.

Alec was looking at Madzie when he finally spoke again.  “My parents told me I was insane the day I announced that I was looking into adoption,” The words caught Magnus off–guard, as he finally understood why Alec looked so fond the moment Magnus brought up adoption.  “Although, that’s the same thing they said when I told them I’m gay, so I didn’t think much of it”.

Alec laughed, but Magnus could only muster a small, shocked gasp.  Alec Lightwood was known to be quite private about his personal life, claiming his audience and the so–called chefs he worked with only needed to know who he was in the kitchen. 

“Listen,” Alec said, looking around the kitchen, at all the kids hard at work.  “I should probably get back to the class, Jace is probably having a great time pretending to be in charge, but I’m sure some of these parents might get pissed if I don’t take over pretty soon”.

Magnus chuckled.  He had to admit, he hadn’t noticed how long their conversation had gone on for.  It appeared that most of the kids were at least halfway done with the breakfast foods they had chosen to make.  Jace, Simon, and Max were still running around the kitchen helping when needed.  And he definitely noticed one or two parents eyeing them from the large window exposing the kitchen to the dining room.

“Of course, Alexander, go teach the young ones,” Magnus said, before remembering, “Your brother mentioned you might be interested in me writing a post on my blog about your class, if that true?”

Alec smiled, the goofy lopsided one Magnus had never seen him sport on TV, but hadn’t truly left his face the entire morning.  “I would love that.  I’m sure you didn’t come today planning on this request, but if you think your readers would be interested in it, I would love if you’d consider”.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” He replied, holding his phone up and waving it a little.  “I’m always keeping notes on blog topics, so if you see my nose in my phone today, it’s me writing moments I want to include in the piece”.

Before Magnus knew what was happening, Alec had snatched the phone from Magnus’s hand and quickly unlocked it.  He tapped the screen a few times, before handing it back to Magnus with a grin on his face.

“I put my number in.  It’s my personal cell, not my work number, so you can text me whenever.  If you decide to write the piece, we could meet up and talk about it more, if you’d like.  And I’m sure the kids wouldn’t mind a playdate,” he said, eyes darting back to Magnus’s kids’ station where Madzie was still cooking with the boys, a smile on her face.  “Now I’ve really gotta get back, I’ll see you in a bit?”

Magnus could only nod, smiling a little as Alec reached out and touched Magnus’s elbow as he passed him.  It was the softest gesture, Magnus’s brain still couldn’t catch up with the entire interaction.  He snuck a quick peak at his phone, the screen still on showing a new contact simply reading: alec.

He sat back down and watched as Alec made his first stop Rafe and Max’s station.  He walked right over to them, saying ‘hi’ to the kids he passed and promising he’d be around to check on them shortly. 

Alec seemed to change once again.  Right before Magnus’s eyes, a new version of Alec Lightwood was being revealed to him.  Circling Rafe and Max’s station, Alec seemed to gravitate to Madzie – his daughter.  He effortlessly lifted her off her stool, setting her on his hip as he appraised the boys’ cooking.

Magnus had the perfect view from where he sat.  The boys were at a station across the kitchen, but they were facing Magnus and no other stations were obstructing his sight line.  And what he saw made his heart stutter.

Before he could think too much about what all this new information about Alec’s character was doing to him, he quickly unlocked his phone and pulled up the camera.  He felt a flutter in his chest at how absolutely picturesque the sight of Alec with the kids – their kids (respectively, of course) – was. 

Alec stood behind the boys as they looked down at the pans they were cooking in.  Madzie’s arms wrapped loosely around Alec’s neck, one hand tracing the pattern of the tattoo on the side of his neck.  Magnus kept his camera open, waiting with it at the ready for another photo opportunity.

He waited, not a moment later rapidly snapping off a few pictures and holding his breathe in hopes that he managed to catch the ones he wanted.  Flicking back through his camera roll, there they were.  The first picture, Rafael and Max facing each other with matching grins on their faces.  Madzie was focused on her father’s tattoos still, but Alec was watching the boys from under his lashes, the corners of his lips upturned in a small smile. 

The second picture was the one that stole Magnus’s breathe.  The boys had turned their attention away from each other, and onto Alec.  Their bodies were still facing one another, but they were both looking up at Alec, and he was looking down at them.  The small smirk he had in the previous picture abandoned, a wide lopsided smile in its place. 

Magnus couldn’t quite believe how fast his previously steadfast views were shifting.  But Magnus knew when to admit when others were right, and what the others had said about Alec not being who he appears to be on television seemed to be right. 

Although, Magnus reminded himself, Alec hadn’t spent any time yet actually instructing his class.  Jace had started it off, shouldering the task of keeping an eye on  about twenty kids with just Simon and Max’s help.  Alec hadn’t taken the metaphorical reins of the class yet, and Magnus was still uncertain that he wouldn’t explode at any moment, unleashing his typical TV onslaught of curses and insults on these poor children.

Magnus settled back in his seat, keeping his notes app open on his phone and quickly typing short blurbs for the piece he may or may not decide to write for his blog. 

Alec moved seamlessly into the next dish, after giving the kids a break to eat the breakfast they just finished preparing.  Breakfast was easy, with most of the students already knowing how to cook bacon, flip a perfect pancake, and scramble light and fluffy eggs. 

Magnus found himself enthralled by the way Alec controlled the kitchen.  His voice held a tone Magnus had never heard before, he captured the kids’ attention with gentle instruction.  He first called the kids to gather around his central station.  Magnus snapped a few more pictures for his blog, even breaking the rules a little and moving around to get a better angle. 

He didn’t go unnoticed – Alec’s eyes locking on his as he lowered his phone to check the photos.  It was only a brief moment: Alec glancing up, a small smirk playing at his lips, Magnus’s own responding grin, and the not–so–subtle wink Alec sent him over the tops of the kids’ heads.

Magnus could do nothing but smile, waving his phone a little as he walked backwards to back to his chair, maintaining eye contact until Alec had to return his attention to the lesson.  In retrospect, Magnus probably shouldn’t have been distracting Alec as he showed twenty young chefs a knife technique they would be using to julienne chicken breasts for a stir fry dish. 

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, to Magnus’s surprise.  He was completely enraptured by Alec’s teaching skills.  Not once throughout the class did Alec raise his voice, not a single curse words crossed his lips.  Unlike the way the class started, Alec spent the entirety of his time working one–on–one with each of the kids, making sure none were neglected.  Between stations he joked and played around with his brothers, even orchestrating a prank with Jace (at the expense of his boyfriend, Simon, naturally).  Simon barely reacted once he figured out they were behind the small fire that broke out at Alec’s station, evidently this was not an uncommon occurrence.

And Magnus, deciding he would be writing up a blog post, took plenty of notes. 

________________________________________________

Alec wasn’t joking when he had said he would stay as long as Luke would allow working more with students who needed more instruction.  Of course, Max and Rafael had wanted to stay – begged to stay, but Magnus calmly reminded them that they were already at an advantage over the other students.  They relented, understanding that it wasn’t fair to take Alec’s time away from kids who would benefit more just because they wanted to spend more time with a famous chef that wasn’t their father.

Raphael had wandered into the kitchen as the boys were cleaning and packing their knife cases.  It was a quieter night, the restaurant not struggling at all with just one kitchen operating, so Luke had given him the rest of the night off.  Luke, Raph explained, was a strong supported of found–families.  Knowing the hours Raphael worked at his establishment, Luke didn’t bat an eye as he told him to get out and spend some time with his brother and nephews. 

Magnus followed Raph and the boys out of the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder and finding Alec working with two young girls, Madzie gripping tightly to his legs.  Magnus could tell from the small wave she directed to Max and Rafe that she was exhausted. 

He knew his sons could relate.  While they appeared just as excited and energized as they did entering the kitchen, Magnus could see the exhaustion clear on their features.  It had been a long day, after all, and Magnus knew they would likely fall asleep in Raphael’s car on the way back to the city. 

Alec, noticing Madzie waving goodbye to her new friends, turned and met Magnus’s eyes.  He smiled, clearly unhappy he wasn’t able to talk to Magnus and the boys before they left.  Magnus smiled back, hoping Alec could tell he wished they had time to finish their conversation as well.  Magnus nodded once, before lowering his eyes back to the students he was working with.

Magnus spent the next week working on the writeup for his blog.  He found the words flowing easily, he seemed to have endless things to say and moments that needed to be included.  The class was amazing.  Alec was amazing with the kids, and Magnus was happy to say he had misjudged the angry man on the Food Network. 

But, for some reason, Magnus kept pushing off posting the piece.  He had used every point noted in his smartphone during the class, each one sparking a memory of another moment from the day.  The piece turned out to be much longer than he usually wrote, much more than a simple blog post critiquing the simple recipe videos floating around Facebook or praising a new eatery opening in the area.  This post felt important, felt as though it needed to do it justice – do Alec justice.  And he wouldn’t post it until he was certain it was everything the Lightwoods and their initiative deserved it to be.

He happened to be reworking a section of the piece where he talked about Alec helping a young child who was nervous about handling a big knife as the bell above Cakes for Cat’s door chimed.  Maia was working the counter and they were in a slow patch following the morning rush, so Magnus didn’t bother checking if he was needed.  Normally, he would great his customers as they walked in the door, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was closing in on the missing piece of the article, and he didn’t want to break his concentration. 

“Magnus?”

Magnus looked up as he heard his name, spoken in a vaguely familiar New York accent.  Low, almost soft, and a bit mumbled. 

Alec Lightwood was in his bakery.

“Alexander,” He said, a smile forming on its own volition.  “What are you doing here?”

Alec chuckled, shaking his head at the use of his full name.  He moved closer at Magnus’s gesture to have a seat.  He sat, tentatively, in the armchair adjacent to Magnus. 

Magnus signaled silently to Maia a request for another coffee.  She quickly hopped off her stool and began pouring a cup of their house blend as she realized who had just strolled into their bakery.

“I, uh, I asked Clary where to find you?”  Alec said, though it sounded more like a question.  He was nervously rubbing at a spot on his left palm, Magnus noticed the discoloration of the skin there that told it was a long–healed burn scar.  “I gave you my number, but I hadn’t heard from you,” He finished with a shrug.

“Oh, of course,” Magnus said, turning the tablet in his lap to show Alec the screen, his article draft still open.  “I was planning on getting in touch with you as soon as I finished writing the piece.  It hasn’t felt quite right yet, that’s why I haven’t posted it to my blog”.

Maia delivered Alec’s coffee, the little shit even giving him Magnus’s favorite mug – white, sturdy, with one silver glittery crown on the side.  Magnus grinned as she placed a small tray on the table between them, offering Alec cream and sugar, and a few pastries the boys had made that morning.  She held a pot of the french vanilla blend Magnus had been drinking in the other hand, topping his mug off as well.  Magnus would normally get his own coffee, but he wouldn’t be complaining about his employee willingly doing her job.

Alec looked up at Maia, a smile on his face as he thanked her for the coffee and treats, before his attention returned to Magnus.  He leaned back in his armchair, crossing his long legs as he held the mug up to his face and inhaling, his eyes slowly falling shut for a moment. 

Magnus tried desperately not to think about what this stunning man was doing to his wellbeing. 

He took a sip, foregoing adding anything to the beverage.  Magnus, on the other hand, loaded his fresh cup with milk and two spoons of sugar.  Alec, respectfully, didn’t wrinkle his nose at the way Magnus takes his coffee like most people did, and Magnus restrained from commenting on Alec’s choices of drinking black.

“I wasn’t sure if you had decided to write the piece or not,” Alec said, selecting a cranberry scone from the plate Maia left between them.  Good choice, Magnus thought with a smirk.  Those were his favorite as well.  He took a bite, his eyes rolling back a bit as he chewed and swallowed before continuing.  “That actually wasn’t why I came”.

Magnus blinked, curiosity clearly written all over his face.  Magnus had assumed he was here to ask about the article, maybe to see if he could read it before it was posted to make sure Magnus hadn’t added anything he didn’t want published.

He finished his scone, taking another sip of coffee before resting the mug on his knee.  “I came to see if you would be okay with Madzie asking Rafael and Max over to play?  Obviously I understand if you say no, Madzie just hasn’t stopped talking about how much fun she had cooking with them, and she never usually takes interest in other kids like this so I figured it would be good for her, and –”

“Alexander,” Magnus said, reaching out and placing his hand on Alec’s leg to stop his rambling.  Alec cut himself off immediately, his eyes landing on Magnus’s hang and the one point of contact between them, before his gorgeous hazel eyes found Magnus’s again.  “I’m sure Max and Rafe would love to get together sometime, they had a great time at your class and they really enjoyed cooking with Madzie”.

Alec seemed to let out a breathe he had been holding.  Magnus slowly retrieved his hand and busied himself with taking a mini muffin from the tray so he wouldn’t do something stupid like grab Alec’s hand, or get down on one knee in the middle of his bakery and ask Alec to marry him. 

And where did that thought come from?

They shared a smile before Magnus couldn’t stop himself from saying what had been on his mind the whole week since the class.

“I’m glad I caved and let Clary convince me to bring the boys to your class, Alec,”  He said, airily.  “It was a great experience for the boys, and quite eye–opening”.

Alec quirked his head to the side, one eye squinting a little more than the other as he considered Magnus’s words.  “What do you mean,” He asked, waving one hand as he spoke, “convinced you?”

Magnus froze, realizing he would now have to explain more to Alec than he had meant to.  If it was up to Magnus, he would never have let Alec know what he was about to say.  He remembered the day of the class, Max Lightwood telling him that his brother would be crushed if he knew Magnus had judged him so harshly without knowing him. 

But Magnus had to believe Alec was mature and understanding enough to not take this confession to heart as Max feared he would. 

“I’m sorry, but I was not always the biggest fan of yours, Alec,” Magnus said tentatively.  A flash of hurt seemed to cross Alec’s eyes, but it was gone just as fast.  Magnus hurried to finish as Alec tried to speak.  “Unfortunately, I believed that the Alec Lightwood on KitchenHunters was the man who would show up in the kitchen last week to teach my kids, and I was not comfortable with that.  Clary vouched for your character, of course, and I’m glad I listened”.

Alec sat quietly for a moment, considering Magnus’s words before replying.  “Did you honestly think I would treat a bunch of children that way?” He asked softly. 

“I didn’t know you, that was the only indicator of your kitchen methods for me to judge off of,” Magnus replied, equally gently.  “Which is why I am working so hard on making this piece perfect, so that hopefully others will be able to see you as more than you appear to be on your show”.

Alec placed his mug on the table, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.  He seemed deep in thought, so Magnus let him be for the moment, until he was ready.

“I was young when the network pitched the KitchenHunters premise,” He said finally, not quite meeting Magnus’s eyes.  “Young, and so afraid of being outed, I took the role.  I mean, I was literally told they wanted me to be aggressive, hostile, borderline offensive.  I hid behind the persona they created for me, but it was never who I was.  I’ve never let the way I’m told to act for the cameras follow me into other aspects of my life,” He paused, making sure Magnus was paying attention.  “I’m forceful with the chefs on my show because thats what they are, chefs.  They are supposed to be professionals, supposed to know what they’re doing, so when they make mistakes and place blame on others, I don’t cut them any slack.”

Magnus was slowly unlocking the final pieces of the Alec Lightwood enigma.  He knew Alec was gay, everyone had heard when that news broke.  It didn’t change the way Magnus saw Alec – he was still some jerk on TV who seemed unnecessarily harsh and violent.  But now, now Magnus was understanding what made Alec take on those traits.

It wasn’t his choice, not really.

“With the kids,” Alec said, relaxing back in his seat as a smile spread across his face, “the kids are different.  They came to my class to learn, and I was there to teach them, not scare them into never entering a kitchen again.  Plus, I would never treat any child in a way I wouldn’t my own daughter, and I would never yell at Madzie,” He finished with a smile, one that said he was proud of his answer to Magnus’s original confession.

And, thinking over everything Alec had just said, Magnus was, too.  If there was any shred of doubt in Magnus’s mind that Alec wasn’t the person he was coming to know him as, it was officially gone.  All that remained was an amazing man, sitting across from him in his little bakery.  Complex, confusing at times, but an incredible father with a heart of gold. 

“I’m glad I was wrong about you, Alexander,” Magnus finally said, “And I’m truly sorry for my misjudgment.  The boys and I live right upstairs, our door is just around the side of the building, you and Madzie are welcome anytime”.

Alec smiled, a full–blown, unguarded smile.  “It’s a date”.

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Kids in the Kitchen

Hello, beautiful bloggers!

Today’s topic is one that’s very close to my heart.  As you all know, I have two wonderful sons that I love with all of my heart.  I have never had much luck in the love department, but I have always wanted to have children, have a family of my own.  When I was still quite young, I got tired of waiting for the stars to align and for a family to magically appear in my apartment.  And then Rafe came into my life, and he brought me so much happiness, and I finally felt I had found what had been missing from my life.  And the Max came along, and I knew he belonged in our family just as much as Rafael. 

If you’ve been following closely, you probably know my kids love to spend time in the kitchen.  Hell, It’s practically impossible to get them out of it!  They spend their mornings before school in my bakery, helping get our delicious pastries and treats ready for the day.  They beg me to teach them more, more, more, never seeming to grow tired of learning more techniques and recipes. 

So, naturally, I was a bit apprehensive when they came home from school one day, sporting matching puppy eyes, asking dear old Papa if they could sign up for a cooking class they had heard about from their favorite teacher at school.  I was inclined to say ‘yes’, as I am not too prideful to be offended by their desire to learn from a chef other than myself.

Chef Alec Lightwood, best known for his hit Food Network show KitchenHunters, where he visits struggling establishments and battles their demons.  He has dealt with it all, unimaginable health code violations, disastrous kitchen management, pompous chefs who can’t put their money where their mouths are.  Fans can’t get enough of Lightwood, finding his no–nonsense attitude and militant demeanor intoxicating, paired with a generous amount of vulgar language and brash behavior keeps them tuning in every week.

Although, I was less than thrilled at the idea of my children being subjected to this method of culinary education, I took the word of a close mutual friend of myself and Chef Lightwood, and took my boys to his children’s cooking class.

Needless to say, the boys had an amazing time, as did all twenty of the others who attended.  The class was affordable, a goal Alec shared that he intends to keep in mind when organizing more events in the future as accessibility is incredibly important to him.  Alec ran the clinic with a small team, primarily consisting of his close friends and family.  Garroway’s, a quite amazing restaurant just outside the city hosted the afternoon, providing  state–of–the–art kitchen with plenty of room and supplies for the kids.  Helping Alec keep an eye on twenty–two kids, all between six and twelve years of age, were his two younger brothers, Jace and Max, and his close friend (and Jace’s significant other) Simon Lewis, all of whom are certified chefs and incredibly knowledgeable. 

The day was full of laughs, great one–on–one instruction with the chefs, and delicious dishes.  However, I was most happy to learn I had wrongfully judged the character of Chef Lightwood.  Typically, I try to remain judgement–free, teaching my sons to never judge a book by its cover and all that.  But this was different, no? 

No, Magnus. 

Every young, aspiring chef deserves the chances to learn from Alec Lightwood.  As one may expect (if one is smart, unlike myself), Alec leads children’s workshops much differently than the manor he shows on TV.  He would kill me if he knew I was posting this (sorry, Alexander, though you did say you wanted to be surprised), but Alec is a gentle soul.  He has a natural ability with kids, they were hanging on every word he said, begging to learn more and more.  He went as far as staying three hours after the class finished working more with some of the kids, asking for nothing in return.  The kids loved his techniques, the pranks his team pulled on one another throughout the day, and the goofy Dad Jokes he told throughout the day.

Of course, he has perfected the art of the Dad Joke, since he became a father himself.  His brother told me that he finally grew into his personality when he adopted his daughter, Madzie, claiming he has always taken care of all the Lightwood children while he was still young himself. 

When I spoke to Alec regarding his style of teaching, and how vastly it differs from his methods on television to what I witnessed in the kitchen last week. 

“The kids that attended my class are just that – they’re kids,” Lightwood said, joining me for coffee and scones in my bakery.  “They came to learn, and they deserve to be taught in a way that will best help them grow and develop their culinary skills.  The chefs on my show are grown adults, classically trained culinary experts.  They should know better than to make the mistakes they make, which is why I treat them the way I do.  Most refuse to hold themselves accountable for their downfalls, and that is when harsh lessons must be learned”.

Alec has a point.

I hadn’t taken the time to think about that perspective, proving further that I changed the channel at the first toss of the F–bomb and never gave him a second chance. 

Luckily, Alec and his team are currently taking the time to further develop the class my sons attended, and creating a schedule that will be released soon to Alec’s social media sites with more information on when and where your kids can have the opportunity to learn from Chef Alec Lightwood.

Keep an eye out, you won’t want to miss this class!  And if you still aren’t convinced, take a moment to view the photo gallery below this post.  I was allowed to take a few pics throughout the lesson, and if those smiling faces don’t sway you, I doubt anything will.  If you know a child interested in the culinary arts, it is never too young to start honing their skills, and Chef Alec is here to help.