Still alive! I also noticed that there seems to be an adoption au circling around and decided to try my hand at it - reminder, horror is more my cup of tea than fluffy cuteness. Still, I absolutely love the idea, especially when I can slam adorable ships into it and throw silly modern au ideas about.

And I am taking requests guys, and I'll do as many as I can get to. On top of that...what would you guys think if I made an m rated version of my story collections?

Anyway, enjoy this guys. I'll do a second part later, one with a little more of the ships I've sailed.

I do not have a beta reader btw. Forgive mistakes.

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There were many things that Ciel knew. Things he shouldn't know but did.

He was Ciel Phantomhive and his daddy was very, very important. His mother loved him lots, as did his aunt and his cousin and...He also knew that his parents weren't loved. He knew they'd been killed, burnt up in that awful fire that destroyed his home and crippled him for life.

He knew what pain was, what loneliness was, why foster parents and those looking to adopt didn't want him.

Ciel Phantomhive was damaged goods, and no one wanted damaged goods. This was why he didn't perk up every time someone walked through the doors of the little orphanage, why he didn't bother speaking with those hopeful fools looking for cute kids to take home. He felt like he was at a pound, and he was the dog missing an eye - ugly, unwanted, all those things he knew he was.

This was why the ten year old only felt numb as he was told to "come meet a nice fellow". A single blue eye drifted over the tiny office, peering at the lonely degree on the wall and at the mountainous file cabinets and the forbidding dark oak desk.

In front of the desk, a man with black hair sat stiffly in a wooden chair. When Ciel and the attendant (warden, he thought) came in, the man turned and fixed the little boy with a piercing, nearly unnatural red gaze. For a moment, he smiled at the two, but then his expression smoothed into a blank slate.

"So, Ciel, this is Sebastian Michaelis, he worked with your father and knew him well. He has some good news for you, he's going to adopt you! Isn't that wonderful? Ciel?" Ciel didn't like Sebastian. He sat too stiffly, he had a sinister intensity to his eyes, and even his smile seemed too stiff and unnatural, so no, Ciel didn't think that it was wonderful. He made this clear by glaring at the man, who only stared blankly back.

And then he winked. This startled Ciel, who looked away and crossed his arms over his chest. The attendant got out files and paperwork, no doubt happy to be rid of the sullen little boy, who stood there in numb silence. Sebastian was quick to sign the papers and have all of the boy's meager belongings gathered and given to him.

Soon (far too soon) they were walking out of the building and into the cold air of London. Sebastian didn't try to take Ciel's hand, help him into the sleek black car with cat stickers littering the bumper, or ask him any questions besides "are you hungry?" And "are you allergic to anything?".

He sank down into the leather of the backseat, leaning his head against the window. He answered none of the man's questions, except to say that, yes, he was hungry, and soon the inside of the car was quiet. Outside, the world went by in a colorful blur, all greys and blues and reds, right up until they went over a bridge. The car rattled over the wooden planks, making Ciel grip the seat tight and grit his teeth in annoyance. Red eyes flickered in the review mirror, as if checking on him, though nothing but curiosity lingered in those dark depths.

The boy scowled, but this only made the man smirk (though this disappeared as soon as they were off the bridge). Gone were the buildings of London, and in its place was the green and brown of countryside - or so he thought. The car was pulling into the driveway of an apartment complex, surrounded by a beautiful garden. A boy older than Ciel stood in said garden, tossing a ball for a big white dog. The boy paused, ball in hand, and watched the car slow to a halt in the driveway, the big dog by his side.

"This isn't where we'll be permanently, don't worry, but I can't afford a bigger house right now. You'll have to deal with living in an apartment for now, and I can homeschool you if you don't want to go to school, but my job can pull me to different places quite suddenly..." Sebastian quietly explained as he turned the car off and picked up his bag and the vanilla folder of the boy's files.

"Who is that?" Ciel stared out the window, waiting for Sebastian to open his door and let him out. The black haired man glanced over, a soft smile playing over his lips.

"That would be Finnian and his dog, Pluto. He graduated from high school last year, so he's too old for you to play games with, ok? I don't mind you talking to him, but avoid the dog if possible. Pluto could hurt you without even realizing it." Ciel nodded, though his one good eye stayed glued to the dog. Sebastian seemed amused, but said no more until after he opened the backseat door, where he mentioned something for dinner, but the ten year old wasn't listening.

He darted away from the car, towards the other boy and his dog. Immediately, Finnian snatched a hold of Pluto's collar, grounding the dog in place. Though his short sleeve shirt let Ciel see how he strained to keep the dog there, his face was serene in the way he smiled down at the younger male.

"Hi! Bard mentioned that Mr Sebastian was getting a kid but I didn't think you'd be this cute!" The teen had a loud voice, but he used a friendly, warm tone, and he seemed genuinely kind...

"I'm Ciel Phantomhive." He wished his voice was stronger, deeper, like his dad's had been, but no, the words came out shaky and high pitched because of his age. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, startling him out of the staring contest he'd been unintentionally having with Finnian.

"Pardon me Finny, but I really must get Ciel inside. I'd like to get him more...settled before he starts making friends. You understand, right? Say hello to Bard for me." As quick as that, Sebastian led him away with a tight grip on his shoulder, leading him into the apartments and up the stairs. The boy peered down the hallways, catching sight of a red head with glasses disappearing into an apartment.

On the third floor they stopped, reaching a door with a plaque that read "30C" in big block letters. Sebastian unlocked this door, and Ciel was hit by the smell of vanilla candles and cinnamon and wildflowers. The achingly familiar scent made his eyes water, though he hid this by walking ahead of his new guardian.

The apartment had white walls, wispy black curtains, black furniture (except for a love seat that matched Sebastian's eyes in color) and dark wooden floors. Paintings had been hung on the walls, each one portraying a colorful, pretty landscape.

Ciel had already decided that his favorite among the paintings would be the one of a meadow caught just at dawn.

The boy turned on his heel, shoes squeaking over the pristine floors, and got a look at the kitchen. There was an oven, a dishwasher, and a huge fridge, wrapped up in white granite countertops and white tile backsplash. Beyond that, he could see the pantry door and laundry door (both firmly shut) as well as what looked to be dog or cat dishes laying on a little blue mat.

On the other end of the room, a towering cat tree was home to one sleek black feline with wide green eyes. Ciel paused, watching as the animal bolted from the room and down the hallway.

"Hah, I apologize. Charlotte isn't fond of strangers. She'll warm up to you sooner or later. Now, how about shrimp pasta for dinner, with tea to drink?"

"...don't grown ups drink wine?"

"Hey, I'm allowed to drink tea, aren't I?"

"Hmm..." Ciel pretended to think about it, tapping his chin with a finger. "Ok...I think it's ok. But only of its good tea. Not something nasty ok?"

Sebastian smiled like he was trying to hide his urge to laugh, but he nodded anyway. Might as well please his new...housemate. Yeah, Ciel was just a small child sharing this fancy apartment with its monochrome hues and colorful paintings. He would not get attached, he refused. He wouldn't get hurt again.

"Wanna help me make dinner?" Ok, maybe he'd get a little bit attached. But only to the cooking part. Not...not to anyone. Not again.

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The bedroom Ciel had been given was...well, the walls were a powder blue, the floor was the same dark wood, the bed had white everything, though the frame itself was black and, paired with a black nightstand, chest, and a black dresser shoved into the corner, the room was more or less balanced in the color section. He unpacked his tiny suitcase, setting his teddy bear and lion plushie on the bed, his elephant lamp on the nightstand, and his few outfits into the drawers of the dresser.

After that, his small collection of books were placed onto the lowered shelf of his closet, and his second pair of shoes (a pair of ratty sneakers he barely ever wore but kept out of sentimentality) went underneath those. A picture of his parents went on the nightstand, right by his rather childish lamp.

And then he was done. That was all his little suitcase held. He only had one eyepatch, and he would rather go with bandages around his head than wear the scratchy brown leather.

Ciel sat down on the corner of the white bed, little hands fisting the soft comforter. He wondered what Sebastian did in his job to be able to afford all of this. He'd known what his dad had done, he knew that was what had gotten him killed but...

Sue him, the ten year old was curious about this man and his strange eyes and secretive smiles. He didn't have any pictures anywhere either, and had talked to Finny like one would an employee, not a neighbor. He was a strange man, but if he worked for his dad once...He couldn't be all that bad, right?

"Hey, you already unpacked?" Speak of the devil...Ciel huffed, glaring at Sebastian as the tall man stepped inside the child's room. He carried a small stack of boxes, the kind one would put folded clothes in and wrap for dismal presents.

"I wasn't sure how much you had...these are just pajamas and a few shirts and the like. We can go shopping for more tomorrow." Sebastian set the boxes down on the dresser, now standing there with his arms at his sides. He'd changed since Ciel had gone to his room. Gone were the stuff collared clothes of a lawyer, and now he wore a red sweater and black sweats. His feet were bare, and Ciel could see that his toenails were painted black.

"Thanks. I'm tired so..." Sebastian sighed, crossing the room to kneel in front of the boy.

"I know you might hate this change, and I'm sorry if it all seems forced...nothing has been explained to you, and I know your aunt didn't say anything about what happened. We can talk about it in the morning. You just rest for now, get used to the place. I...have a few phone calls to make."

Sebastian stood up and went to the door, pausing as he stepped back out into the dimly lit hallway.

"Good night Ciel." The door shut behind him, and Ciel sat there, staring with that single blue eye.

"...good night Sebastian." He whispered to the closed door, getting up to turn off the lights. He hesitated, then opened the door a few inches. He could barely hear the tone of the black haired man's voice, though he couldn't hear any of the words. This suited him fine, and he returned to the bed and crawled underneath the heavy comforter and the cool sheets.

Just as his eye drifted shut, the bed shifted and a weight jumped onto the space next to his legs. Looking down, he could see two green eyes staring at him from the foot of the bed. Ciel moved, creating room by his head. The moment he closed his eye the cat had curled up against his chest, sniffing at his nose and forehead and softly purring when he started petting her.

"Night Charlotte..." the child fell asleep, fingers curled in the warm, sleek fur of the black cat, Sebastian's slightly deep, near growly voice in his ears, and the feeble light of his elephant lamp shining on the blue walls and the dark floors.

Maybe he would end up liking it here...even if he was mildly allergic to cats...

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Just to clarify...

Finny and Bard live together and are roommates, Meyrin lives alone (she was the one Ciel spotted) and whenever I get the second part up we'll get to see the reapers and others~. Only William lives in the same apartment complex as Sebastian, but we'll see Grell with him a lot. ;)

Anyway. Send in requests and let me know what you think about a mature rated story collection.