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I was sitting in my room the biggest of the servants writing out some recipes I felt my new master would like. So far I had figured out anything sweet. I felt a presence and looked up to see him standing there - I raised an eyebrow questioning why he had come here rather than summoning me.
"There’s a storm."
"Yes..." He stood there silently what did he want from me should I thank him for the weather update. "Young mast..."
"Never mind it doesn’t matter."
I wasn’t sure I believed that but I let it go - surely he’d tell me if there was a problem, it did however stick in my mind.
* * *
I'd called the young master for dinner but he hadn’t shown up. I sighed, he'd better not have been kidnapped again - I'd spent a long time on this meal! I pinched the bridge of my nose as thunder rumbled outside, if he had been taken out in this he'll almost certainly come back with a cold. I went to look for him - he wasn’t in his study, the library, the drawing room or the lounge - perhaps his room I thought. He spent very little time there, only really at night, but it was worth a shot... besides so far I'd seen no signs of an intruder.
I knocked on the door but heard nothing. Suddenly thunder crashed around us and the wind shaking the manor picked up - mixed into the loud sounds was a small whimper. I remembered the last storm. 'He’s scared of storms.' It certainly seemed so, so I decided to go to the library.
* * *
The storm had passed by the time I had any decent ideas about how to handle the situation, so it was the third storm we encountered together that I finally managed to implement them. I was serving tea in his study - the storm had been steadily building for a while and I was finding excuses to stay and watch his reaction to it. Lightning struck outside the window. I watched him jump and turn his head, turning my own away so he wouldn’t see my stares.
"You know it makes sense to be scared of natural things," The books said to validate his feelings. "It's much scarier than anything man could ever do, and thunder and lightning sound very threatening... but they can't hurt you when you’re inside."
"What on earth are you drivelling on about? Stop being so strange."
He was doing an alright job at keeping his voice steady, the rest of his body still shook though.
"My apologies young master, but I was just making an observation."
"Well, stop it."
"Of course, my lord." Thunder cracked over head and he bit down on his lip hard. The book also mentioned distraction techniques. "What about a game of chess?"
"Sebastian, I order you to tell me what it is exactly you’re trying to do." I should have expected this.
"I'm simply trying to make the storm easier for you, my lord."
"You think they’re hard for me?" I should have expected this as well, he was never going to admit to a weakness.
"Young master, you’re trembling."
"I'm cold."
"There is a fire behind you, and don’t think the last two storms have escaped my notice."
"So what! Just g...go away." I left aware, that he went straight to his room.
* * *
The next few storms went the same way. Me being told to leave while he retired to his room, but finally I had a definitive answer to the problem. He was in his room and I walked in, not bothering to knock.
"What do you want?" He asked, emerging from under a bundle of blankets. I spent several nights in his room but none when there was a storm - it was an unspoken rule that I leave him alone during storms, one I was quite obviously breaking. I climbed onto the bed, rolling him over before straddling him.
"The answer to that question is always you." I replied leaning down to kiss his neck.
"N...not right now. I...I'm not in the mood."
"Because of the storm," It wasn’t a question... not that he’d answer it anyway. I started to undo the button on his night shirt. "What if I told you I could keep the storm away?"
"What if I told you to go away?"
"Then I would." I stated quite plainly sitting up to remove my gloves. "But you won't."
"You can really keep it away?" He asked sceptically.
"Do you remember the weather from other nights we spent together?"
"I remember the heatwave." I chuckled remembering it too.
"Would you like to try it?" He nodded.
I smiled down at him, slowly removing both our clothing.
*
"Did it work?" I knew it had, but I needed confirmation.
"Uhuh, yeah and the storm's passed."
"Yes, it stopped about three hours ago."
"And you kept going?"
"You don’t have a meeting tomorrow. Besides you weren’t complaining at the time if memory serves you’re exact words were 'more Sebastian if you stop I swear I'll order you to kill yourself'"
"You called me greedy." He pouted, yawning.
"You are greedy."
"Hhmm, maybe." he curled up, going to sleep.
* * *
The rest of the storms were like that, until we ended up stuck at the town house. It was to small for us to do anything without being heard, and with Prince Soma's aversion to knocking and Agni's relaxed hold on the Prince it wouldn’t be an easy task but still doable. Ciel refused, saying we couldn’t risk getting being found out - despite me pointing out that that was exactly what was so hot about it - but he declined, going to his bed alone. Prince Soma was sulking about Ciel not playing with him while Agni and I were preparing food in the kitchen.
"I hope master Ciel gets better soon." I could trust Agni not to tell anyone and maybe he’d have some thoughts on the matter.
"He’s not sick, he doesn’t like the storms."
"Then you should be with him, if you’ll forgive my boldness."
"It's quite alright, but he prefers to be left alone."
"He’s very proud."
"Yes."
"But he still shouldn’t be alone when he’s scared. When the Prince is scared I find out what about the thing scares him and take it away."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"I'll finish the rest; you're guests, we should be serving you, and your master needs you."
I went to his rooms.
"I already said no, so if you’re planning to seduce me just know I'll order you to leave."
"I've not come to do that." I laughed, removing my shoes before sitting on the bed behind him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." I wrapped my arms around his middle and rested my head on his shoulder. "I came to ask you what scares you so much about storms."
"I'm not sc..."
"Don’t try telling me you’re not afraid of them."
"Okay fine, but since when did asking me a question involve tangling yourself in me?"
"I thought you’d feel safer in my arms - if I'm wrong I can..."
"No don’t move, I'm comfy now."
"Good, are you going to answer my question?"
"Ugh fine, they’re loud and you don’t know when they’re going to happen or when they’re going to stop, and the flashes of lighting..." he mumbled something else.
"Pardon?"
"It reminds me of my father calling me a wimp. He said only girls are afraid of storms. Phantomhive's shouldn’t be scared of anything." It was still barely a whisper. I didn’t like Ciel's father; the more I heard about him the less I liked him. I don’t think Ciel has a memory of his father where he wasn’t bullied or belittled by that prick.
"He was wrong." I'd learnt before that pointing out what a prick Vincent was doesn’t do anything but get Ciel defensive.
"Here." I said, lifting him up and turning him around. I gently guided his head to my chest; now he wouldn’t be able to see the storm, as for the noise I cover his ears with my hands. He seemed pretty soothed considering he fell to sleep shortly after, his breathing evening out making cute little noises every so often.