Thanks to Darkgenius3, wavingthroughawindow, and you-could-in-new-hampshire for reviewing!

Darkgenius3: I miss Matthias too. . . He deserved better than what he got. Thanks for reviewing!

wavingthroughawindow: Thank you! I love Matthias, but he isn't my favourite of the Crows, and I do find him slightly harder to write, so I'm glad you hink he's in character! Thank you for your kind reviews :)

you-could-in-new-hampshire: I'm glad you like it! . . . even if you hate it. I know what you mean; I was trying not to cry when i wrote it. Thank you!

This was from a prompt sent in by a Saltynonbinary (Guest) a while ago, and I hope you enjoy it :)

Disclaimer: I don't own SOC.

Prompt: Modern AU, Jordie raising Kaz

From: Saltynonbinary

Setting: See prompt

Word Count: 615

Kaz's shoelaces trailed across the floor behind him, and he scowled when Jordie huffed and told him to sit down and do them up again.

"It doesn't matter!" Kaz insisted, because at thirteen he knew that certain things were more important than others, and that he needed to focus his attention on those things. And right now, what was important was apparently that his brother keep to his promise of taking him to The Barrel.

Jordie sighed. He'd known when he made the promise to take Kaz wherever he wanted for his birthday meal (neither of them were great at cooking) that he would probably regret it, but he never thought that his little brother would be so invested in visiting a restaurant neither of them had ever been to before.

Jordie's dire predictions came true when Kaz took a step and tripped over his dangling laces. He sprawled out on the floor, and while years ago, when Jordie had fewer things to worry about, he would have burst out laughing, terror was the main thing on the man's mind as he eyed his teenage brother.

"Are you alright?!"

"Fine," Kaz grunted, although he gave a minute wince as he shifted onto his bottom. He made to stand, and hissed as he hobbled to his feet.

"Your leg?"

"I said I'm fine."

Jordie sighed. "Maybe we should have brought your cane."

Kaz glared. "I don't need it to walk all the time. I'll be fine. It was nothing."

Jordie crossed his arms. "Alright. But you really need to tie your shoelaces."

His brother's glower could have lit all of Ketterdam on fire.

When they finally got to the restaurant, though, Kaz didn't seem to want to eat anything. Jordie had looked at the menu and cringed at the array of unhealthy meals available (not to mention he vaguely remembered various scandals covering the integrity and sustainability of the meat they sourced) but Kaz was so excited, and he had promised, so. . . "What do you want to eat?"

Kaz surveyed the menu dispassionately, then ordered one from the kids' menu, which was surprising in itself considering the teen had an all-consuming appetite at the best of times.

But what was even more surprising was that when it came, Kaz showed unusual vigour in unwrapping the plastic toy that came as a part of the meal, and ignored his plate of pizza and chips entirely.

The strangeness of the evening came to a head when Kaz willingly approached another boy his own age in the restaurant, and had what looked like an attempt at an amiable conversation with him. Jordie had never seen him act so friendly towards someone else. Except maybe Inej, because only the most heartless of beings could be mean to Inej.

Kaz returned to their table around the time when Jordie paid the bill, and he left the restaurant with two toys, rather than the one he'd been given.

"Jesper gave it to me," Kaz said innocently when he asked.

Jordie's curiosity finally got the better of him. "Why do you want these toys? Why would you ask to go to the restaurant if you weren't going to eat your food?"

Kaz raised an eyebrow, the way Jordie had seen him do at his fellow classmates when he wanted to intimidate them into shutting up. But Jordie was his brother, and it wouldn't work on him.

Finally, Kaz capitulated. "Wylan Van Eck's dad won't let him go there," he muttered. "He really wants a toy. I agreed to sell some to him at-"

"Astronomical prices." Jordie huffed. "Quite the businessman, aren't you?"

Kaz, in a rare moment of cheer, grinned. "Yup."