Legal Stuff: This story is intended to express one fan's genuine appreciation of Weiss Kreuz and its characters. It was written for fun and not at all for profit. If you have any rights in the anime described here and find the posting of this fanfiction offensive or harmful, please contact me, and I will be happy to remove it.

The "Lighter Leash(R)" is likewise not mine, but the property of the individuals of Barproducts (dot) com. Should the use of this product in my story be found offensive or harmful in any way, please contact me, and I will remove it. (Though it does make a most perfect gift for our favorite chain-smoking Weiss member, I must say.)

A/N: Wow... it's been such a long time. I'm sorry! *apologizes many, many, many times* This story has been kicking around in my brain for about the past two years or so. I suppose it's kind of fitting that this would be the first thing I post after my too-long hiatus. It's also another foray into first person pov with Yohji. Hope you all don't mind. ^.^'

On the "Lighter Leash(R)": I didn't know these things even existed until I looked up "lighters" on Google. A happy accident that made for a fun little addition to the story (I think). Look it up and you'll see what I mean.

Many thanks to Tex-chan for the continued use of her legal disclaimer, and to Freeflow and Prendisfacil for encouraging me to post this ficlet at all. Hugs for the lot of you! :)

Little Things

I'm a particular kind of guy. Most people don't think that, looking at me. I guess I just seem like the laid back, surfer boy type. But, believe me, I like my comforts and my routine. Don't get me wrong, spontaneity is fine. Hell, with half the girls I go after it's encouraged. Makes for some interesting situations, let me tell you. But, at the end of the day, I like to come home to the same place, the same people. I've been smoking the same brand of cigs since I was barely sixteen, and my ipod never goes on shuffle. And I do mean never.

Maybe it's some kind of psychosomatic reaction to my line of work. I control things at home because I can't control what happens when we head out for the night. Or, I could just be neurotic. I'd say it's pretty damn possible. Whatever the case, there's just something comforting about the predictability of certain things. Like what you're coming home to, for example. Or what the next song on your play list is. Little things, sure, but still… they mean something, y'know? And when life happens to mess with too many of those things too many times and too often, I get a little…

Well, like today. Manx called. It's never a good sign when she calls out of the blue like that. She wanted the whole team for a mission, like, yesterday. Except when I say "the whole team" I mean the guys, not the guys plus me. I get to sit this one out. I get to run the shop for some number of days while the guys are gone. Of course they say that maintaining cover is an important part of the job, too. It's gonna be a daytime hit, so the danger's more than doubled. One of the reasons we're night hunters, primarily. (No pun intended.)

And then there's the season. Tail end of February. Valentine's day means it's busy time at the shop. It would look weird if the place wasn't open. Even so… it doesn't sit well with me. Something's coiling around in my gut and it's nothing to do with the coffee I had this morning. But an assignment's and assignment, right? They say they need me here, to hold down the fort, keep shop. Ken says I should enjoy myself, that's it's almost like a vacation after hours. I wish I could feel so optimistic, but that's never been me. You wouldn't think so, but I'm a worrywart. Right up there with Omi and Aya.

Aya…

He knows what's up with me. He won't let on, of course, but I can tell. He knows I don't like this operation one bit. But is he going to do something to put a stop to it? Heck no. That isn't Aya's way. He's gonna go, do his thing, then come back and rub my nose in it for worrying.

Okay, so he won't actually do or say anything, but the intention'll be there. I know that little prick. Trust me.

Maybe I'm wrong, though. Maybe it won't be so bad. I mean, sure, I have to tend the shop all alone. But that also means I get all the phone numbers with no competition. Not that I ever don't, but, silver lining, whatever. Can't diffuse my own pep-talks before they're even done, right? So, house to myself, more numbers to add to my little black books.

Yeah, I have those, just like Casanova's in the movies. Only unlike Casanova, I've got volumes. Yep. I am just that good. And I hate to spend the night alone. Anyway. House to myself, plenty of time for extracurricular activities, um… I won't have to fight Ken for the remote? It's sounding better already. I'm almost convinced enough to give my team a good natured send off. My mood's even such that I indulge in a little fan service for the kiddies out front. I give Aya a big 'ol bear hug goodbye, say how much I'm gonna miss him and all that warm, fuzzy shit. Call it… pre V-day advertising. The girls go nuts. Like I said, I'm just that good.

"You have two seconds to get the fuck off me, Yohji, or I swear…"

Yep, that's my Aya. Drive safe, princess. I'll see you-

"- by the 4th."

What? That's… a bad joke, right? I must have a stupid look on my face, because he's repeating himself.

"I said, we should be back by the 4th. Try not burn the place down in the meantime."

"Yeah, I heard you. The 4th. Got it. See ya then."

"That okay?"

He looks worried. Anyone else would think he's still irritated over the hug thing. Even the guys would, but I know Aya better. He gets this little crease between his eyebrows and wrinkles his nose just so… hey, I used to be a PI, alright. I notice things. Time for that charming Kudou smile.

"S'fine, man. Better bring me something nice. None of that cheap keychain shit."

He's off in a huff before I can blink. Did I say something wrong? He looked almost hurt.

Whatever. Time for work.

I. hate. this. fucking. job.

Whoever thought this up as a cover should be our next target. Seriously, I'm gonna suggest it to the guys the minute they get back. That jerk-off deserves to die. I've got blisters on my blisters and cuts galore. The freaking pruning shears are not my friends right now. And who the hell left the goddamn garden hose out the other day? I about broke my ankle on the damn thing. Oh, and to top it all off, most of my customers this week… male. I thought it was girls who were all ga-ga over this holiday. Did I miss something, or what? Actually, I did get one phone number today. Yeah, one; forced on me by a lady with far too much stamina for her age if she's making eyes at me.

What. a. day. After day. After day.

I check the answering machine, but there're no messages. Last update I got was from Omi a couple days ago saying that everything was fine, running smoothly. Not that I need to keep tabs on them or anything, they're grown men for crying out loud. I know they can take care of themselves. But, I just thought, maybe… I mean, today of all days. Then again it's still only the 2nd. Yeah, only.

I need to relax. That I have yet to do all this friggin' week. I vote beer and TV. How 'bout you, Yohji? Sounds good. Great. Yeah. Except there's no beer.

We're still okay though. Don't have to fight anybody for the TV, right? That's always a plus. I've got the couch all to myself; nobody to tell me to keep my feet off the table, complete control over the remote, and… no cable.

All right. This is getting annoying, but, fine. I can listen to music. That's it, music always helps me unwind. I left my ipod on the charger unit Omi brought home a while ago. Neat little thing, it even works as a speaker so you don't have to carry around ear phones and whatever. I think I remember how it works. I was right around P last time I checked, so the next song should be…

What? No, that isn't right. I was at P, not H. Back up. Wait, now I'm on Q? What hell is this thing… damnit, it's on freaking shuffle. I hate shuffle. FINE, I'll use my ear phones, psycho device. I'll just scroll to… the next… oh, come the fuck on! You cannot be stuck that way!

So this means no girls, no booze, no TV, no music. I'd head out but there's no place I feel like going. And going out would only mean coming home to an empty place again. I have a feeling that would bother me most after everything else that's gone wrong so far.

Some vacation this has been.

Three in the am, and I'm still on the couch, my legs stretched out and propped up on the table. I'm almost wishing there was somebody here to kick at my shoes, get pissy with me for having them on in the house, let alone on the table; but nobody's here. They won't get in until sometime tomorrow. The job went off without a hitch though, that's good news. And nobody got hurt. Well, except for the beast they were hunting, that is.

Still… the place'll be empty until tomorrow. And I'm supposed to open the shop again in the morning. I should be sleeping, but after the ipod thing I planted my ass on the couch and grew roots, haven't moved since. Florist humor; great. Of course, I know what's wrong with me. The guys would laugh. Anybody would, really. I'd laugh at how pathetic I am. You know, if I wasn't me.

Today's my birthday.

Yup. Happy birthday to me. In, like, five minutes officially. Usually I spend tonight with someone. In another life I used to spend these days with Asuka. She'd stay up late with me, even if there was work to be done in the morning. All to be the first person to wish me a happy birthday right at the time I was born. Kind of corny, I guess. But… it meant something, you know? Just knowing that somebody cared enough to be there with me right at that moment, to hell with anything else. That one thought meant the world and then some.

Great, now look at me… sulking on the couch like a baby; and crying like one, too. Way to go, Kudou. If the guys could see you now, they'd…

Stare. Or, at least, that's what Aya's doing. I want to say "-the fuck are you doing here?" but the words won't come, so I swipe at my face like I've got something in my eye. He pretends not to notice. How'd he get in anyway, without me hearing him? Am I losing my edge? That isn't good. Something to think about later. Right now he's dangling something over the back of the couch, right above my nose. Looks like a… present; bow and all.

"Happy Birthday," he says, dropping the wrapped something so I have to snatch it out of the air to keep it from hitting my face. I guess that answers the question about my reflexes. I'm not losing my edge… yet. Aya's just that good. Damn him.

"Uh… what's this?" I ask stupidly.

He cocks an eyebrow like I'm an idiot. It's a gift, right? Duh. So I get to the unwrapping and pull out this… um… I'm not really sure what the hell it is. It looks like those things you see on the counter at the side of cash registers. The little pull string devices that keep customers from walking off with your pen after they sign the credit slips. Know which things I mean?

"It's… nothing special," he says. "But, I thought you could use it. It's to keep you from losing your lighter like you do all the time…"

Oh… shit. It says it right on there, "Lighter Leash." Looks like you stick the lighter in the one end and yank the string whenever you wanna use it. And it's even got a belt clip. That's freaking genius. I never knew these things existed.

"Look, I'll… owe you something better. Okay?"

The look on his face, it's worse than drinking the last of the coffee, or dropping one of his books into the sink. He thinks I hate it. I grab his wrist before he can turn around and go upstairs.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. 'Cause I've gotta know. "Where're the other guys?"

"They're at a hotel, getting some sleep. I took a red eye to get back."

That's got me dumbfounded. "Uh… what?"

"I wanted to get here on time," he mumbles, looking away, embarrassed. "You know… for your…"

"Birthday?"

"Yeah."

Wow. He rushed all the way back here, hauled ass by the look of it, just for me.

"Sit down," I tell him, and to my great surprise, he does. "Thanks, man. This is just…"

"Cheap?"

"Fuck no! It's great! You have any idea how much I could use one of these things?"

Again that eyebrow raised look.

"Well, yeah, I guess you do, since you went and got it for me."

"It's nothing big…"

Nothing big. Yeah. But he got himself here with this one little thing. He made sure he was here, at the right time, to give it to me; to be here with me. And I'd say that's pretty damn big.

"So, um… what do you want to do? It's your birthday, and all."

"We can watch TV, but I've gotta warn you, there's no cable. Ken forgot to pay the bill again."

"Figures. I'll pay it tomorrow, first thing."

"That's cool. I'll be watching the shop and all… hey, what's that look for, man?"

"We're not opening today."

That's right, tomorrow is already today. The not sleeping, it screws with your schedule. But, say what?"

"It's your fucking birthday. We are not opening."

"For real…?"

"I'll call you an idiot tomorrow." He's already on his feet and hauling me off the sofa. "Anyway, get some sleep, and figure out something you want to do later."

We head upstairs to our own rooms, parting ways in the hall. But I can't just leave it at that.

"Hey, um… you think tomorrow, well, uh, later, you could fix my ipod for me?"

He stops, turns, narrows his eyes at me.

"Wha'd you do to it?"

"I put it on Omi's charger thing, and it got stuck on shuffle."

He nods gravely like he gets it. And, this being Aya, I know he really does. I glance down at the little clip on my belt loop and smile.

"Maybe we can pick up a new lighter, too. I lost the last one."

Aya shakes his head and mumbles a good night. I hear another "happy birthday" before he shuts his door. And that makes me smile, too.

A bunch of silly, stupid, little things. But Aya gets it. It's not the big shit that matters. It's the little things. A bunch of little things that, added up, make a whole lot of something. A bunch of little things that can take a world turned upside down and make it all okay again. And those… those are the things that really matter.

"Thanks, Aya."

-End-

A/N: I know this was a short one after so much time away. *apologizes some more* I am happy to have finished it though; trying to think of it as a jumping off point, of sorts. Hopefully now I can get to finishing up the other stories that've been floating around in my brain, and start a couple of new ones as well. Here's hoping, right? ^.^'

As always, comments, questions and constructive criticism are not only welcome, but so very appreciated. Thank you so much for reading. I hope this one was worth the wait! :)