16.) Company Party

Tuesday December 22nd, 2020

Kaya hears a soft knock at her door and bids the knocker to enter as she places the last piece of tape on the gift. "Hey, ready to go?" Kaname askes, smiling at his sister and the pile of gifts across her desk. "Yep, all finished up wrapping the employee gifts." She beamed at him, causing her elder brother to smile at her fondly. She'd been wrapping the company's gift to their employees since she was 12 years old, and it always seemed to get her into the Christmas spirit.

Kaya pushed a mail cart through the halls with her brother at her side, Kaname looking over at the CFO with her green dress and elf hat on. "I haven't seen our fearless leader today." Kaname observed. "He said he'd tried to make an appearance but I'm not sure if he will. I haven't texted him because I didn't want him to feel pressured to come." Kaya answered, causing Kaname to raise a brow.

"What, is he some kind of scrooge or something?" He inquired, uncertain as to why little miss Christmas herself wouldn't nag him to be there. Not only as the CEO seeing it as his duty to arrive with a smile on his face and Santa hat on his head, but also as her friend who she surely had a gift for that he would get outside of the party so as not to make the others feel left out. "Or something. It isn't my place. If he comes great, if not, then he doesn't come." Kaya responded.

Kaname could tell from the way she spoke and her eyes searching their surroundings as they continued towards the conference room that she was wanting him to be there. It was also obvious though that she fully understood the reasons he might not show and they were good enough that she actually accepted them and did her best not to practically beg him to join in on the yearly Christmas party.

Entering the conference room, the tables had all been put to the side, covered with plastic tablecloths, the secret Santa gifts already placed and labeled under the tree. Kaya and Kaname started to transfer the gifts from the mail cart to the table they'd always used as the spot for gifts for all the employees, none labeled with a name as everyone got the same thing.

"Kosuke still bringing Hoshi?" Kaya asked, watching her brother's face light up at the mention of his family. "Yes, we got her the cutest dress to wear and mom is doing her hair. I can't wait for everyone to meet our daughter." Kaname exclaimed, flashing a kilowatt smile. "I can't wait to take some pictures with her then." Kaya replied, her smile spreading even further on her face.

The siblings continued to set everything up for the party as time got closer, accepting the deliveries of pizza and treats for the party then setting them out for easy access by all. Kaya looked at the time and saw that it was nearly 4 so she took one last look around the room and made sure everything was set before opening the door to allow the Date Tech employees to enter the room.

Kaname embraced Kosuke when they entered, planting a kiss on top of Hoshi's head, her sift red hair giving off a watermelon scent. Kaya squealed to see her new niece in a brown jumper, reindeer antlers adorning her tiny head. "Hello Hoshi." Kaya gushed with the first genuine and full smile her brother had seen from her all day.

Kaya took pictures of Hoshi on her own, then a few with one of her dads at a time, then several of the family of three. Hoshi smiled happily for the pictures, proudly saying she was Rudolph occasionally causing Kaya and several others standing nearby to coo at how cute she was.

The yearly Date Tech Christmas party was much like every other year they'd had it, the employees smiling and having a nice time, knowing there will be no work again until after the holiday as the Moniwa family had always prioritized family time over work. However, Kaname and several other employees couldn't help but to notice that Kaya didn't seem much like her typical self.

Kaya herself was typically the life of the party, full of sunshine and happily talking with everyone about their plans for the holiday. However this year, though she was smiling, she wasn't as social as she'd normally be. Where she'd typically walk around the room and make sure to make conversation with everyone she stayed pretty stationary near the door, checking her phone often.

Some surmised that she wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit as much as her engagement had only been called off less than a month ago. Others worried she may be coming down with the flu or something as the few times they'd seen her get sick she tended to become more sedentary the day before. Kaname on the other hand cursed Toru for not coming to the party, feeling his sister would be more into the party if not for his lack of presence.

Kaname took a few pictures of his sister and sent them to Toru, along with a text explaining that Kaya wouldn't go into details, but that he knew he wasn't much of a Christmas person, then asking him to please try harder to put that aside and come to the party for a bit, for Kaya's sake. He explained how much Kaya loved Christmas and wasn't herself this year as someone very dear to her wasn't there.

When Toru received the text he was sitting alone in the living room of his apartment, a blanket wrapped around him as he lazed on the couch with his hair a mess. He looked at the broken smile on the face of the woman he loved and picked up the Santa hat sitting next to him, placing it on his head again for the 12th time and finally standing from the couch. His red shirt was no longer tucked neatly into his black pants, but his keys were still right in front of him on the coffee table ready to go.

Kaname kept an eye on his sister, making sure she was ok. A task which was made easier with her barley moving from the same spot she'd been in near the door this entire time. He sighed and checked his phone again, trying not to become annoyed that Toru hadn't at least texted him back. However, he soon found himself smiling when he saw Kaya move out of the conference room with a genuine smile on her face.

"Hey, you made it." Kaya beamed at Toru, his shirt now tucked back into his pants, though wrinkles evident where he'd laid on the couch for the last hour and a half. "Yeah, I didn't want to miss my first Date Tech Christmas party." He told her, unsure as to what to think about seeing the large smile she was giving him now, the bright light behind her grey eyes warming his heart.

In the pictures she looked to not be having a very good time at the party. Toru was uncertain as to what changed, but he was happy it had. "Come on, they are going to do gifts soon and you have one from your Secret Santa." She told him gently, with a soft smile. "I hope my secret Santa likes what I got for them." Toru told her, feeling a little more like he should have asked someone what to get for them since he still didn't really know anyone.

"Maybe if you'd have told me who you got and what you got for them I could tell you if they'd like it or not." Kaya teased, soliciting an eye roll from the tall CEO. "It's called SECRET Santa, not tell everyone Santa." Toru chided, receiving a small scowl from Kaya. "I'm not everyone. I'm your friend." Kaya pouted, leaving Toru to chuckle lightly at her.

The two walked back into the room together, several of the others noting that Kaya looked to be in a much better mood with the CEO at her side. Many had come to learn of the two's friendship and rumors around the office ranged from him being the cause of her break from the Futakuchi boy to his defending her from him when he attempted to harm her.

These rumors caused a split in those in the office of those whom thought the pair were more than they led on and those who insisted they were only friends. Among the ones who thought they may well be more than just friends were also those who felt that Toru was nothing more than a homewrecker, and those who romanticized the pair's 'relationship.' Kaname tried to do what he could to tell the others they were only friends, but he could only do so much.

Kosuke greeted Toru as he came closer and he stopped to speak with him, making funny faces at Hoshi as they spoke and giggling with her. Kaya watched the interaction and wondered if he'd been much the same with Takeru when he was little. Recalling the iwaizumi's desire to name him godfather, she figured she must have been wrong about not trusting him to look after a child.

Kaya stood at the tree with a large smile on her face, reading off the names on the gifts and handing them out to everyone as they came up to get them. Each gift only had a name on it for who it was to, and should have a card inside with the name of the one who'd gotten the gift for them. With all the gifts handed out Kaya nodded at the room and they went around in a circle opening the secret Santa gifts.

Oikawa received a voucher for two nights in a Chalet at the Dillard House in Dillard from one of the girls who worked in Marketing. She smiled at him suggestively when she told him it should be a lovely place to stay as he frowned at the Mid-January Date, knowing she'd given it in hopes of him taking her and thinking he only had Hajime to give it to, but his wife may be too far along in her pregnancy to travel.

Kaname received a monthly subscription to a coffee box from one of the guys in HR who shrugged when Kaname opened it and said he figured he might need the caffeine now that he's a dad. Kaya received a spa gift basket full of both salts, shower steamers, sugar scrubs, a reusable cooling mask, slippers, an oversized towel, and a hair wrap from the receptionist who proudly told her she'd made the bath products herself and they were the best and so relaxing.

Toru tried to keep a straight face when Kaya rolled her eyes to find he'd given the newest hire a book called "Hug your Haters." Yachi however seemed overly thankful for the gift even before Toru told her to open to the first page where she revealed a handmade guide to Athens with coupons and a few gift cards. She thanked him tearfully, happy for some info and savings on things since she'd just moved there from Macon for the job.

After everyone opened their secret Santa gifts they all sat around for a bit talking a little longer, mostly saying their goodbyes, wishing everyone a good holiday and telling them they'd see them when they returned. On their way out they all grabbed their gift off the table that Kaya had set up, some opening theirs before leaving, excited to see what they'd been given this year.

"Looks like the bottle of tequila and blankets you chose are a big hit." Toru observed as he heard the excited conversation leading away from them. "Yeah well it's usually along those lines every year, last year was company jackets and Whiskey." Kaya replied with a chuckle.

"Would you be offended if I didn't take the tequila?" Toru asked. Kaya looked up at him and gave a gentle understanding smile. "Not at all, why would I?" She soothed, placing her hand lightly on his shoulder. Toru turned to face her and pushed a curl behind her ear.

"You're the best." He whispered, before reluctantly moving his hand away. "Any chance you wanna swap secret Santa gifts?" He asks somewhat hopefully, yet partially as a joke. Kaya laughed and shook her head. "What am I gonna do with a romantic getaway for two?" She asked rhetorically.

"Maybe you know someone who might want it. I thought of Haji and his wife but she's so close to being due then." He explained, placing the tequila from his gift back on the table. "You don't want to go?" Kaya asked, her voice small.

"I'm all for solo experiences, but that's just too much to do on my own." He refuted. Kaya shook her head. "I never said you'd have to go alone. They are meant for couples but there's usually more than one place to sleep. Take a friend." She suggested.

A smirk graced Toru's lips as he leaned in closer to Kaya. "Wanna go to Dillard with your favorite person?" Toru asked, his voice teasing. He began to laugh as Kaya's face turned red. "I didn't mean me." she protested.

Toru crossed his arms and made his mouth into a straight line. "Honestly Kaya. You, Hajime, and my nephew are the only people I spend any real time with. Hajime is waiting for the birth of his first child and Takeru is busy with school. Who else am I supposed to go with?"

Kaya sighed a little and rolled her eyes at him. "Don't act all offended." She scolded. "What would people think if I actually went with you? There's rumors as it is." She told him gently. "You can't always care what everyone else thinks about you. It should be enough that we know what's what." Toru retorted.

Kaya softened her glance at him, causing Toru to give her a little smile. "I'll think about it." She told him, heart pounding in her chest at the idea of being alone with him for three days and two nights sleeping in the same building. A long step from her original promise to Kenji never to be alone with him at all.

Toru was surprised she was even willing to think about it, leaving him to stare a moment with his mouth open before catching himself and nodding approvingly at her. "Good, think it over. And if you really are worried about office whispers it can be our little secret." He offered, hoping to swing her to a yes.

"What about not caring what others think?" She asked, raising a brow at him. "Yeah well, baby steps. Besides I'm this case I can easily see where you're coming from. As your favorite person I would obviously know these things." He told her with a smirk, wondering if she'd correct him this time.

Kaya lightly shook her head with a chuckle. "Ok 'favorite person', I've got your gift in my office." She told him with a small smile, her cheeks dusted pink. Toru looked at her in surprise, he hadn't expected them to exchange gifts the day of the party.

"I thought we were doing our gifts on Christmas Eve." He told her. Kaya nodded and headed towards the door. "This is my gift to my boss, you get your friend gift on Christmas Eve. Tonight is the last time we see one another at work until the 28th, so it seemed fitting."

She informs him as they make their way to her office. "Oh, I didn't get you a work gift." He told her, guilt laced in his voice. "I didn't expect you would." Kaya dismissed easily. "It's not a big deal or anything." She told him with a knowing smile as she opened her office door.

Kaya handed him the small box and watched as he opened it. She smiled at him as he slowly chuckled then started to laugh from deep within as he pulled the box open up and held the mug inside. "It's perfect, thank you." Toru told her with a large smile as she snapped a picture, laughing.

A/N" The front says World's Second Greatest Boss