I'm tickled to death that you decided to write this bunny--especially because what you did with it is so much richer and more poignant than the concept I first offered you. I didn't expect it to be Ken who draws Youji with him out of the dark: just as you bring out Ken's caretaking personality in your other fics, even when he's hurt and ill himself, it's very much in evidence here.

What's most moving, for me, is that you don't give them a tidy resolution with all the loose ends tucked up and Ken and Youji happily established in a relationship together. Youji will call Kanami back--or there'll be another girl like her--and sooner or later he'll probably end up drinking in the dark by himself. There will be other days when Ken feels lost and condemned to the outer dark--and I love the way even his faith, even his hope seems to spring out of resignation here: he has faith because what else is there?

But for now--for just this day, for just another day--they're there to hold each other up, and by the end of the story Ken has communicated to Youji his faith that that's enough. And in their circumstances, yes--that's positive and life-affirming.

And as always, your writing is richly atmospheric and sensitively observed.

I absolutely LOVE this story. It totally got me in the mood for the holiday season (not that I wasn't already). I really like the great imagery you use: the bitter cold, the rain, the perfect picture Ken makes, uselessly standing in front of the church. I can see the rain coming down on him and his coat, a spotlight highlighting him and the rain as it falls, viewing it from Yohji's angle.

I really love their exchanged of dialog, but also all of Ken's unsaid dialog that Yohji "picks up on" or just knows he's saying. It's sort of unrealistic that Yohji would know all that Ken's thinking, but that's the magic of it. It's all the things they want to say out loud but can't; though, that's okay because they understand it implicitly.

I had "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" running through my head the whole time I read this - it fits the story so well. Absolutely wonderful telling of a quiet Christmas eve. And Merry Christmas to you!

I liked it. It's a nice change to read about the realistic Weiss Christmas.

... less-than-three. This was unbearably bittersweet~ in the entirely wonderful way.

Hee hee, "Aya: The Sequel" and all subsequent made me laugh.

They are such messed up guys... This was just so, well, appropriate. I loved reading it.

Goddamn. I wish I wrote that.

God, that was beautiful. It was just what I needed tonight.