A/N: Hi, guys! Happy 2013! I've missed you, but between NaNo, exams, and Christmas… :'D Anyway, I'm back, and I needed to write some fluff.

I genuinely believe that Undertaker's intentions, at least towards Ciel, are nothing but good. This sort of goes with "Death", and is manga!verse. I hope you enjoy!

Summary: "Do you like stories, little master Ciel?"

Storm

He'd always been rather good with children. He'd spent time tutoring fledgling reapers at the Academy for a while, before he'd "retired". Before Emilia, and Claudia, and a life hiding from the Dispatch Society that he'd technically betrayed. Now he worked to aid the Phantomhive family in their memory; more specifically, the current Earl: Vincent Phantomhive.

Visits to the Phantomhive manor were a rare thing for him. He preferred to remain unobtrusively in his shop and let Vincent come to him, unless there was a reason to call all of the Evil Noblemen together in one place. But Rachel Phantomhive had fallen ill, and Vincent hadn't wanted to make the full day's trip out to London and leave her at home at such a time. The Undertaker figured he could do Vincent this single favor, and had come to the manor himself. A maid had shown him to the library to wait, and here he was, patiently awaiting Vincent's company.

A storm had been brewing when he left the city, and now it had developed into a full-force downpour, with rain beating at the windows and great crashes of thunder. Undertaker looked up as the library doors opened to reveal a tiny figure, no more than four or five, with big round sapphire eyes. Ciel Phantomhive, Vincent's son, a shy boy that Undertaker had met a few times. But now the child was tearful and sniffling, and Undertaker smiled kindly.

"What's the matter, little lord?" he asked.

Ciel looked up. "Mama's sick, and Papa is helping the servants make sure everything around the manor is safe from the storm, but I'm scared!" Another boom of thunder shook the house, and Ciel jumped, shaking.

Undertaker offered a long-nailed hand, beckoning him over. "The storm can't hurt you." he said. "It's just a little thunder. Just a sound." He glanced at the bookshelves. "Do you like stories, little master Ciel?"

The child nodded. "Mr. Diedrich tells funny stories when he comes to visit."

"Why don't you pick a book, and I'll read to you until your Papa gets here?"

"A-All right…" Ciel disappeared around a bookshelf for a moment, then came scurrying back, holding a book of fairy tales. He clambered up on the couch beside Undertaker, opening the book and pointing to one in particular. "That one, please…"

"Certainly." Undertaker skimmed the tale for a moment, then began to read, noting with amusement as the usually shy child snuggled up against him, clinging on when the lightning and thunder raged. Eventually he relaxed, becoming more involved in the story. Undertaker finished the one that Ciel had chosen and moved on to the next one, and the boy yawned.

It was a surprisingly comfortable scene, and when Vincent appeared half an hour later, soaked through and rubbing at his hair with a towel, he hesitated at the door for a second, taken aback by the sight of Ciel asleep with his head in Undertaker's lap, using one of the man's wide, draping sleeves as a makeshift blanket. Undertaker giggled, waving with his free hand, and Vincent laid the towel over one of the chairs before sitting down. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. I'm certain there's not a joke in the world funny enough to cover this, is there?"

"No, no, don't worry about it." Undertaker chuckled. "Your little boy has been quite amusing enough. Such a shy little thing." He pointed to the book of fairy tales. "I was reading to him, to keep his mind off the storm."

"Thank you." Vincent said gratefully. "He's quite frightened of them. But I didn't realize you were good with children."

"I haven't had a reason to be in a very long time." Undertaker replied. It was true. The last time he had looked after young reapers, Grell Sutcliffe and William Spears had been just children. But, knowing that even if Vincent was curious, he couldn't reveal any more about himself, he asked, "So, what can I help you with, Earl~?"

As Vincent explained his most recent case, Undertaker kept glancing down at Ciel, content that the child was still sleeping peacefully. Even more than ever, he knew that he was going to do his best to help this family. This little boy deserved to grow up and be just as determined and good-hearted as his father, and if Undertaker could help in any small way… Well, in Claudia's memory…

He would do what he could.