Work Text:
From: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
To: [New York Office - All Teams]
Subject: Holiday Party
Hi all,
It’s that time of year again! Our office’s annual Non-Denominational Winter Holiday Party will be taking place on Thursday, December 21 from 7-10 PM at Fox & Jackal. The dress code is cocktail. Small bites will be present.
To add to the fun, we’ll be hosting a (compulsory) Secret Santa Exchange! Please fill out this spreadsheet with any gifts you’d like to receive. Note that there is a $25 limit this year, and giftees will be assigned in the lounge Today (12/15) at 3:00 PM. Gifts will be exchanged at the party.
Lastly, the party will have an open bar. Don’t make me regret this.
Tetsurou Kuroo
Director of Human Resources
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Morisuke Yaku <[email protected]>
To: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Holiday Party
if it’s a “non-denominational” party, why are we doing secret santa? sounds denominational to me
also — Small bites? Is that another microaggression?
Morisuke Yaku
Director of Talent Acquisition
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Hajime Iwaizumi <[email protected]>
To: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Holiday Party
Hi Kuroo,
Is there a reason that we have to wear cocktail attire to a work party?
Best regards,
Hajime Iwaizumi
Sales Manager
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
To: Hajime Iwaizumi <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: RE: Holiday Party
Hi Iwaizumi,
Who doesn’t like an excuse to dress up?
Happy Hump Day!
Tetsurou Kuroo
Director of Human Resources
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
To: Morisuke Yaku <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: RE: Holiday Party
Dear Morisuke Yaku,
Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the office holiday party. Rest assured that Human Resources takes your concerns seriously. The issue will be reviewed, and you should receive a response within 166 business days.
Sincerely,
The Bouncing Ball, Inc. Human Resources Team
Tetsurou Kuroo
Director of Human Resources
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
夜久 (Yaku), 黒尾 (Kuroo)
夜久
Bastard
黒 尾
Small bites is what New Yorkers call snacks, Yakkun
Interesting that you thought I was referring to you, though
夜久
That’s not a real thing
Also fuck you
I’m 167 NOT 166
黒 尾
?
夜久
凸ಠ益ಠ)凸
Btw my photographer friend agreed to do the thing
黒 尾
Oh sweet
You’re the man
Proposal: D-07
Sawamura Daichi leaned back in his swivel chair, only for the bleak white lights lining the tiled ceiling to sear his retinas. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he closed his eyes against the fluorescence and took a breath.
“That was your fifth sigh in, like, five minutes.” Daichi's desk neighbor Sugawara remarked. “What’s going on?”
Returning his attention to his computer, Daichi typed ‘Fox & Jackal’ into the search bar. “Would it be crazy,” he began, scrolling through pictures of a small upscale venue in Hudson Yards, “to use the holiday party as an opportunity?”
“To propose?!”
Daichi aimed a kick at Sugawara’s shin, which his friend neatly dodged. “Can you not?!” he hissed. “What if someone hears?”
But it was too late.
“You’re proposing to Kuroo at the holiday party?” Azumane Asahi poked his head out from behind his monitor, on the other side of the cluster of desks shared by the trio and their friend Shimizu Kiyoko.
Shimizu, for her part, didn’t say a word, but the steady clacking of her mechanical keyboard abruptly ceased.
“Maybe,” Daichi admitted, after an awkwardly prolonged silence. “Tetsurou and I agreed that we were ready to be engaged, and I want to beat him to it.”
Sugawara nodded along, tapping his chin with his index finger. “So you think he’s going to be too busy planning the party to plan a counter-proposal, and that this will be an excuse to get him all dressed up.”
“Pretty much,” Daichi admitted, closing the tab and pulling up a BigQuery window containing freshly exported Google Analytics data. “It’s just a thought. I’ll figure it out after work. In the meantime, can somebody find the Q3 report for me?”
“Forwarding it to you now,” intoned Shimizu, just as Azumane blurted, “but do you know if Kuroo likes public proposals?”
Exhaling once more, Daichi gave up on work and pushed his chair backwards, away from his desk. It was Wednesday, and really, everyone was allowed to be a little lazy on a Wednesday—even with the end of Q4 looming in the distance. “Tetsurou is a bit of a private person but he also wants to celebrate with his loved ones,” he mused aloud.
“True,” Sugawara agreed. “And we literally work for his best friend’s company. This entire workforce is a product of nepotism. He’s got so many friends here, like Bokuto, Yaku, Kai, Daishou… Actually, no. Not Daishou.”
“Kuroo-senpai does like surprises,” Hinata added.
Wait.
“Hinata?” Daichi whirled around to find the marketing assistant leaning against the front entryway of the communal kitchen, clutching a familiar blue bento set to his chest. “Wait. Isn’t that Oikawa’s lunch?”
“Pf-pffft. What?” Hinata stammered, beefy biceps tightening around the stolen goods. “No way. This is my lunch. Er, Oikawa-senpai and I have the same bento box.” Before anyone could say anything, he hightailed it down the hall towards the elevators.
“Well,” Sugawara began, after a pause. “I was going to leave for lunch now but maybe I’ll order in and stick around so I can watch Oikawa discover that his food is missing in real-time. Anybody else want in?”
Shimizu shrugged. “I’m going to head across the street to the halal cart.”
Sugawara was out of his seat and shrugging on a coat before she finished her sentence. “On second thought, I’m craving chicken over rice.”
“Me too!” piped up Azumane, oblivious to the daggers shooting out of Sugawara’s eyes when he tentatively raised a hand. “Should we all go?”
Withdrawing his key card from his computer, Daichi stood up and reached for his jacket. He wasn’t getting anything done, so it was as good a time as any to break for lunch. “I’m in,” he agreed, smiling apologetically at a miffed Sugawara.
As they made their way towards the elevators, Azumane offered him a friendly nudge. “Proposals are so romantic,” he whispered, brown eyes sparkling. “Have you got any ideas?”
Daichi grinned. “I think I might have one.”
Squad (5)
Dumber
Did you get it?
Dumb
I did
But
Absolute Piece of Shit
What did you do
How'd you fuck it up?
Dumb
Not my fault!
It’s just that I ran into the senior associates and the director on my way out of the kitchen
Shithead
You didn’t check if the coast was clear?
Dude
Heavenly Angel
Did they see?
Dumber
Hinata you dumbass
You better not have fucked it up
Absolute Piece of Shit
Ok but are we really surprised he screwed up
It’s Hinata
Dumb
Fuck you guys
Anyway it's fine
I told them it was my lunch
Shithead
Right…
Well, are we ready for the…plan?
Absolute Piece of Shit
I still can’t believe we’re trying to help the king get laid
Heavenly Angel
He’s not trying to get laid! He’s trying to CONFESS his LOVE
Absolute Piece of Shit
Fine
Well, the plan is ass
But carry on
From: Tooru Oikawa <[email protected]>
To: [New York Office - All Teams]
Subject: My Lunch
Where’s my lunch? I just want to have a little chat with whoever took it. I promise I’m not mad.
Cheers,
Tooru Oikawa
Director of Sales
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
Ushijima Wakatoshi idled in the communal kitchen, watching his hayashi rice rotate inside the microwave. A pleasant aroma wafted through the glass. His stomach gurgled in response. There was a minute left on the microwave timer, but after a long morning, each second that ticked by felt slower than the preceding one. Wakatoshi regretted skipping his usual nourishing breakfast in favor of squeezing in a call with a supplier in another time zone.
The sound of footsteps interrupted his staring contest with the microwave clock.
“Oikawa-buchou?” Kageyama Tobio from Marketing sprang to his feet from where he’d been idling on a stool by the kitchen island. “Um, I—”
Oikawa Tooru stepped through the front entrance to the communal kitchen. “Tobio-chan. Ushiwaka. Hello.”
“My name is Ushijima,” Wakatoshi corrected. (Oikawa never remembered his name despite their simultaneous transfer from the Bouncing Ball’s Sendai branch to the New York office, but Wakatoshi tried not to hold that against him.)
Wakatoshi had learned over the years that Oikawa didn’t have a great sense of hearing, so he didn’t take it personally when the Sales Director replied to Kageyama instead: “Hey, Tobio-chan. You don’t happen to know who stole my lunch, do you?” A deep furrow between Oikawa’s shapely eyebrows betrayed his easy smile.
Kageyama made an odd gulping noise. “Um. No.” His adam’s apple bobbed. “But I saw your email and was wondering if you wanted to get lunch outside the office?”
The wrinkles of Oikawa’s forehead smoothed for a moment before his brows shot upwards. “Lunch outside the office?” he repeated. A rosy flush crawled up his neck to stain his cheeks.
While Wakatoshi was no stranger to Oikawa’s pink face, the irritation he was accustomed to was nowhere to be found. Rather, Oikawa looked…pleased.
“Where were you thinking?” Oikawa spoke slowly, like a penguin testing the safety of the water before a dive.
Under the lights of the kitchen, Kageyama's eyes seemed to shine. “Er, well, what about the pizza place down the street?”
For a brief moment, something like disappointment flashed across Oikawa’s features; it disappeared before Wakatoshi could comprehend it in full.
“I’m lactose intolerant,” Oikawa replied. (Wakatoshi knew this to be true because he’d been accused of trying to “poison” Oikawa when he brought an ice cream cake to an office potluck.) “Thanks for the offer, but I can’t eat cheese.”
The blue of Kageyama’s eyes dimmed, crestfallen in contrast with his awkward scowl. Out of respect for his privacy, Wakatoshi directed his gaze away from the conversation. When he turned away, however, he caught the other marketing assistant Hinata shuffling in through the kitchen’s back entrance. Hinata clutched a blue lunch set to his chest he tip-toed sideways towards the fridge, his front facing the wall.
Wakatoshi regarded his coworker with intrigue until the microwave beeped politely, indicating that his hayashi rice was ready. Mouth watering, he reached for the handle of the machine, Hinata’s strange antics all but forgotten.
A delicate cough interrupted him as he pried open the microwave door. When Wakatoshi glanced over his shoulder, he found the marketing department’s brand strategists, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, standing behind Oikawa at the front entrance.
“Oikawa-buchou,” Tsukishima began, mouth twisted into an unpleasant smirk, “isn’t that your lunch?”
The moment the words left Tsukishima’s mouth, Hinata flung himself at Wakatoshi and shoved the bento set into his arms. Wakatoshi blinked, frozen in place, as the marketing assistant fled out the back entrance and disappeared around the corner. He stared at the bento in his hands in confusion.
When he looked up, he locked eyes with a furious Oikawa.
“So it was you,” Oikawa hissed, storming towards Wakatoshi with thunder clouding his features. “You motherfucker!”
From: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
To: [New York Office - All Teams]
Subject: Secret Santa
Hi all,
After this afternoon’s drawing, you should all have your secret santa assignment! Remember to keep it a secret. Don’t forget to fill out the sheet with your gift preferences by COB today!
Best,
Tetsurou Kuroo
Director of Human Resources
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Koutarou Bokuto <[email protected]>
To: (Reply All) Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>, [New York Office - All Teams]
Subject: RE: Secret Santa
Hey Kuroo,
You’re friends with Lev, right? Do you know if he likes funko pops?
Koutarou Bokuto
Senior Engineer, Product Development
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
To: Koutarou Bokuto <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: RE: Secret Santa
Bokuto, my dude…you hit reply all…
Tetsurou Kuroo
Director of Human Resources
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Tsutomu Goshiki <[email protected]>
To: (Reply All) Koutarou Bokuto <[email protected]>, [New York Office - All Teams]
Subject: RE: RE: Secret Santa
Wait. I got Lev too?
Tsutomu Goshiki
Supply Chain Analyst
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Morisuke Yaku <[email protected]>
To: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Secret Santa
THAT LITTLE SHIT!! I fucking knew we shouldn’t have let him organize it!! the fool only put his own name in the hat!! I’m going to kick the shit out of him I swear to fucking god!!!
Morisuke Yaku
Director of Talent Acquisition
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Lev Haiba <[email protected]>
To: [New York Office - All Teams]
CC: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
Subject: New Secret Santa Assignments
Hi team,
Please fill out this link by COB Monday for a new Secret Santa assignment. The HR department apologizes for the error with the first round assignments.
Best,
Lev Haiba
Human Resources Assistant
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Kenma Kozume <[email protected]>
To: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: New Secret Santa Assignments
So do you want me to rig it so that you get Daichi? Or are you doing it after the exchange is over
Kenma Kozume
President & Chief Executive officer
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
To: Kenma Kozume <[email protected]>
CC: Nobuyuki Kai <[email protected]>, Morisuke Yaku <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: RE: New Secret Santa Assignments
Yes please! I’m going to have him go last. Planning is almost all ready.
Looping in everyone else who’s in on the plan because I want to confirm some last min details:
@Yaku: Did the vendor OK the florals and your photographer friend’s equipment?
@Kai: Did you check with Daichi’s coworkers about keeping him out of the loop?
Tetsurou Kuroo
Director of Human Resources
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Nobuyuki Kai <[email protected]>
To: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: RE: RE: New Secret Santa Assignments
Checked in with two of the brand managers in the marketing department. They said they had a perfect distraction planned for the day-of!
Nobuyuki Kai
Human Resources Manager
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Morisuke Yaku <[email protected]>
To: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: RE: RE: New Secret Santa Assignments
Fox & Jackal gave the OK
Send a text next time. Work email should be for work only
Morisuke Yaku
Director of Talent Acquisition
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
Proposal: D-04
From: Tetsurou Kuroo <[email protected]>
To: (Reply All) Lev Haiba <[email protected]>, [New York Office - All Teams]
Subject: RE: New Secret Santa Assignments
Hi team,
Thank you for your patience. New assignments are now out!! Please check your emails and plan accordingly.
Friendly reminder that our office’s annual Non-Denominational Winter Holiday Party is Thursday, December 21 from 7-10 PM at Fox & Jackal. Dress code is cocktail attire. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Best,
Tetsurou Kuroo
Director of Human Resources
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
Squad (5)
Dumb
Who did yall get for Secret Santa?!
Dumber
I didn’t get Oikawa
Absolute Piece of Shit
Were you banking on that?
Why would you bank on that?
Heavenly Angel
I’m sorry to hear that Kageyama. Who did you get?
(I got Tanaka!)
Dumber
How am I supposed to give Oikawa his christmas present if he isn’t my secret santa
It’s weird now
Dumb
HA! I got Oikawa as my secret santa!
That’s a point for me!
Dumber
Fuck you Hinata dumbass
Wait
No
Can you trade with me
Dumb
Trade??
Doesn’t that defeat the point of secret santa
Shithead
You guys defeated the ‘point’ when you confessed who you got for secret santa
Speaking of which, I got Tendou from Ops… He scares the shit out of me
Dumber
Hinata
I’ll do anything if you’ll trade with me
Dumb
Anything?
Hmmmm
Dumber
Anything under $50
Dumb
Wow stingy-yama
JK! I have an even better idea
Absolute Piece of Shit
Doubt
Shithead
^
Dumb
Fuck you guys fr
But no
I’m going to get Oikawa a date with Kageyama for Christmas!
Win-win. Bakayama gets his date; I don't have to pay for Oikawa's gift
Heavenly Angel
Is that too forward?
What if… nevermind
Shithead
I think it could work!
Good job Hinata. I didn’t expect you’d have a decent idea
Dumb
Thanks…?
Dumber
Okay
So I still have to get Lev a present?
Absolute Piece of Shit
Did you not see the email chain
Lev isn’t your secret santa
Dumber
No no
I got him the second time too
Proposal: D-00
Daichi flipped open the velvet box. A gold band embedded with a single diamond winked back at him.
“This is the eleventh time you’ve opened that thing in the past hour,” Sugawara remarked. “Relax. Nobody’s going to steal it.”
Daichi snapped the box shut and placed it back into his desk drawer. “You never know.” He shot a testy glance around the marketing department office. Kinoshita and Narita were having a free throw contest using crumpled paper and the trash can. By the printer, Kageyama and Hinata cheered on Nishinoya as he placed his head inside the scanner. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were nowhere to be found, their desks empty.
“This department is filled with degenerates,” Daichi muttered. As much as he appreciated his team, he didn’t trust a single member not to screw up his plans for the day.
It wasn’t that the proposal had to be perfect. Daichi knew that he and Tetsurou would get married, regardless. Their love had flourished with every passing year, and they were both certain about the decision. Heck, their joint transfer to Bouncing Ball’s New York office was a decision they’d made with the intent to eventually get married. Yet Daichi knew that Tetsurou was a romantic: he’d always clung to concepts like marriage and forever—especially given his parents’ tumultuous relationship and divorce. Tetsurou deserved a proposal that affirmed his desire for the appreciation and security that he’d never seen in his childhood home. A proposal that was swoonworthy and traditional.
Daichi had done his best to plan such a proposal. Kenma would pull Tetsurou aside after the gift exchange and lead him up to the venue’s second floor. Daichi would be waiting on the balcony, which overlooked the Hudson River, with the ring and an abundance of rose petals. But what if the balcony was too cold? What if it rained? What if wailing sirens or honking car horns or beeping garbage trucks ruined the mood?
Daichi stewed in his thoughts until the team’s graphic designer, Yachi Hitoka, tapped his shoulder. “Director, can you come review the final draft for the New Year’s promotional campaign?”
Kiyoko Lovers United (5)
No Shit
What the fuck are you doing
One-Man-Army
Nooooothinggg
Bald Eagle
Shhhh
Top secret business
No Shit
You’re looting the director’s desk
I’m not going to help you when he kills you
One-Man-Army
Never fear, 縁の下の力持ち
He’ll never know
No Shit
mmk
When Daichi and Yachi left the conference room, they encountered a peculiar sight.
Tanaka and Nishinoya were at their desks, typing up a storm on what Daichi recognized to be the annual Brand Strategy report. Daichi narrowed his eyes. This was the kind of task that the two brand managers typically delegated to the brand strategists. Daichi hadn’t seen Nishinoya and Tanaka in such a crunch since they’d been promoted.
Then again—the brand strategists were missing. Maybe Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had gotten sick and left Noya and Tanaka with a backload of extra work before the end of the quarter. Dismissing his suspicions, he returned to his desk and resumed his tasking.
Not ten minutes later, he slid open his desk drawer.
Daichi stood. He breathed in. He breathed out. He attempted several anger management techniques, courtesy of his therapist. He marched straight across the room and bellowed, “WHERE IS IT?”
Noya and Tanaka screeched in terror, reeling from the force of his roar.
“W-where is what?” Noya stammered, pupils trembling.
“You damn well know what I’m talking about.” Daichi clenched his fists to prevent his arms from shaking with suppressed rage. A tiny voice in the back of his mind warned him to be aware of potential HR violations, but surely theft was an HR violation in its own right? His status as director be damned, Daichi couldn’t be held liable for his actions when the ring he’d so painstakingly chosen and engraved for Tetsurou was missing on the day of his proposal. “Where’s my fucking ring?!”
Azumane poked his head in from the communal kitchen. “Sawamura, did you lose the ring?”
“I didn’t lose the ring,” Daichi protested. “They took it!”
Azumane frowned. “Did anyone see? If that’s the case, can’t they just give it back?”
Daichi faltered for a brief moment until Ennoshita let out a snort that told him everything he needed to know. “I didn’t see it but I know they took it,” he insisted.
“Maybe it’s lost?” Azumane suggested. “We could look for it. What does it look like?”
“It was securely in my desk drawer,” Daichi reminded him. “But it’s gold with a single diamond. The interior is engraved.”
Sugawara rolled over on his spinny chair. “What’s it engraved with?”
“Our initials. T and D.”
“T and Deez Nuts,” Sugawara replied before pushing off the ground and rolling back to his desk.
Five, six, seven, eight… Daichi exhaled slowly, trying to keep a level head. His priority was relocating the ring before the holiday party at seven.
“I’m sorry you lost it.” Azumane placed a hand on Daichi’s shoulder. “But I know we can find it. It can’t have gone far.” He glanced meaningfully at the brand managers.
“Well, 'tis better to have lost than never to have lost,” Tanaka intoned, raising his index finger.
“That’s not how the saying goes.” Daichi slapped a hand to his forehead. “Whatever. There’s only one way to handle this.”
Squad (5)
Dumb
Where are you guys
Daichi’s conducting one-on-one interrogations of the whole team
Absolute Piece of Shit
?
We’re at the lego store
Tadashi procrastinated on his secret santa gift
Shithead
It wasn’t procrastination
Tendou put ‘live goldfish’ and ‘Swarovski chewbacca’ as his gift requests
That shit gave me decision paralysis
I settled on a star wars lego set
Dumber
I got Lev a gun gun yogurt and a protein bar
Dumb
Isn’t that your usual midday snack
Dumber
It tastes good idk
I spent all my disposal income for the month on Oikawa’s present
Shithead
Damn
Tetsurou arrived at Fox & Jackal thirty minutes early. Upon entering the establishment, however, he noticed something odd.
Very odd.
Tetsurou flagged down the bartender—a man with fried yellow-bleached hair and a douchey undercut—and pointed to the display at the back of the room. “Is there something going on before our event?”
“That’s for your party,” the bartender replied, not looking up from his phone.
“It says ‘Prom’ in red roses,” Tetsurou pointed out. “This is a corporate holiday party.”
The bartender shrugged. “I dunno. ‘Samu!” An identical man (sans bad dye job) poked his head out from the kitchen in the back. “Didn’t the florists who set this up say that this was for the Bouncing Ball event? Something about a Promposal?”
Tetsurou felt the blood drain from his face.
夜久 (Yaku), 黒尾 (Kuroo), 海 (Kai), 孤爪 (Kozume) (4)
黒 尾
What did you put on the florist’s order?!
海
? I put red roses for a proposal
Is something up
黒 尾
Well the flowers are here
But they say ‘Prom?’
夜久
Oof
海
Oh fuck
Well
There might have been a typo in the request form
I could have sworn I wrote ‘Proposal Flowers’
But the invoice says ‘Promposal flowers’
黒 尾
Kai
Kai why
孤爪
Well is there a way you can repurpose it
Take it down and turn it into something else
黒 尾
It’s all zip tied together
But maybe I can try
Fuckity fuck
At seven o’clock, the first guests began to trickle in through the doors of Fox & Jackal while Tetsurou put the finishing touches on the new floral installation. After cutting the zip ties, he’d arranged the flowers along the wire frame in a haphazard arch. It was no masterpiece but it would have to do. Not a minute later, a large group of marketing employees all arrived together. Tetsurou spotted Kageyama, Hinata, Yachi, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Ennoshita, Tanaka, Nishinoya, Sugawara, Shimizu, Azumane...
But when he scanned the entrance to the venue for any sign of Daichi, his boyfriend was nowhere to be seen.
"OPEN BAR!!" bellowed Nishinoya, gripping Tanaka's shoulder with force. "We need to get all our drinking done before the director ends our lives!"
Tetsurou frowned, watching the brand manager beat his chest before sprinting across the room, Tanaka on his tail. He was well aware of the chaos the two caused on a near-daily basis. Withdrawing his phone, he shot Daichi a quick message: Did something happen today at work? Where are you? Minutes trickled by. Seven became seven fifteen, became seven thirty…and then suddenly it was eight o’clock, and Daichi was still not there, with not so much as a text to explain his absence.
“Let’s start Secret Santa!” Lev announced, putting a halt to the chatter of small talk in the cozy space. Tetsurou’s blood ran cold.
Kenma, Kuro (2)
Kuro
Kenma help
Daichi isn’t here
Kenma
He’s going last so you have some time
Did you text him?
Kuro
I did
He hasnt seen my message yet
What if something bad happened to him?
Tetsurou opened the weather app to check the conditions on local roads (slight winds, no ice). He scrolled through the social media accounts of the local traffic reporting service, but there were no accidents on any block between their office and Hudson Yards. When nothing of interest surfaced from his internet investigations, he began to tap his nail against his screen, prompting a glare from a disgruntled-looking Iwaizumi, who was perched on a bar stool to Tetsurou's right side and incessantly tugging at his necktie. What was his deal?
As Yamaguchi from marketing trembled in Tendou from Operations's too-tight embrace, Lev emcee-ing the entire exchange with gusto, Tetsurou switched to peruse his email. He had several auto-forwarded human resources complaints piled up in his work email from as long as a week ago, and though a quick skim had told him that they could probably wait for the new quarter, it wouldn't hurt to check. At this point, it was as good an idea as any to sort through them—anything to take his mind off a worst-case scenario.
From: Tooru Oikawa <[email protected]>
To: Bouncing Ball Human Resources <[email protected]>
Subject: STOLEN LUNCH
Ushijima Wakatoshi from Supply Chain and Operations STOLE my lunch, and I have proof. I caught him red-handed in the staff kitchen with my bento. I request that HR take action to prevent further theft and impose disciplinary measures accordingly.
Tooru Oikawa
Director of Sales
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
From: Tooru Oikawa <[email protected]>
To: Bouncing Ball Human Resources <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: STOLEN LUNCH
Just following up on my last email. That fiend Ushiwaka spirited my lunch away from the staff kitchen, and I have good grounds to believe he may have poisoned it. The lunch was intact, for one, and it wouldn't be the first time he tried to poison me. He's out to get me! A mandatory training wouldn't be enough of a consequence - I want to see real action on this issue.
Tooru Oikawa
Director of Sales
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
Tetsurou had just finished sorting the stream of emails into his Unimportant folder when a new message popped up in his inbox. When he read the byline, his mouth dropped open in alarm. "Daichi?" he mumbled.
From: Daichi Sawamura <[email protected]>
To: Bouncing Ball Human Resources <[email protected]>
CC: Yuu Nishinoya <[email protected]>, Ryuunosuke Tanaka <[email protected]>
Subject: Theft at the office
To whom it may concern,
I'd like to bring up an issue that occurred at the office today. Two employees in my department, Nishinoya Yuu and Tanaka Ryuunosuke, stole (and subsequently lost) an item of great value from my desk drawer. The item has been relocated after several hours of searching, but I'd still like to set up a meeting with HR with all three of us sometime in early January.
Best,
Daichi Sawamura
Director of Marketing
Bouncing Ball, Inc.
Across the room, Nishinoya and Tanaka slowly looked up from their phones and made eye contact with Tetsurou. Their faces paled. They both downed their drinks.
Tetsurou had a not-so-good feeling about this.
Kozume, Sawamura (2)
Kozume
Wya
Daichi
Finally omw
There was a holdup
Then I had to go home and change
Kozume
Ok well hurry
Also text Kuro
Daichi
Oh shoot I forgot
Will do that now
Thx
Kenma, Kuro (2)
Kuro
he’s on his way
Kenma
Ok then chill
Kuro
You are not helpful
Kageyama Tobio gripped a wrapped box with sweaty hands. When would he have a chance to give Oikawa his gift? Would Oikawa like the gift? Tobio was so lost in his thoughts that he missed Lev announcing his turn.
“You got called, Bakayama!” Hinata nudged him in the side with a pointy elbow.
In all honesty, Tobio had forgotten that he was getting a gift, too. When he stumbled to the front, box still tucked under his arm, Lev handed him a slim envelope labeled with his name. Tobio tore open the envelope with clipped fingernails and withdrew a slim sheet of paper.
His breath hitched. Somebody had gotten him tickets to a friendly match between the men’s National Volleyball Teams of the U.S.A. and Japan—a gift that far exceeded the $25 limit.
“Who..?” Tobio trailed off, unable to form proper words. Who here would do something like this for him?
“Do you like it?”
It couldn’t be. Tobio’s mouth dropped open as Oikawa stepped forward, his perfect smile wreaking havoc on Tobio’s poor heart.
“I…I have a gift for you, too.” With a burst of courage, Tobio thrust the box into Oikawa’s arms. “It’s a signed Matías Sánchez jersey.”
Before he could comprehend what was happening, Tobio was pulled into a tight hug. “Thank you,” Oikawa whispered, holding him close with strong arms. All of a sudden, Tobio felt very small. As the crowd broke into cheers, he buried his face in Oikawa’s chest shyly.
This is the true meaning of bliss, Tobio decided, tucked into the warmth of Oikawa’s embrace.
"Don't forget my present!" Hinata chimed in, interrupting the moment with a hearty slap on Tobio's back. "Oikawa-san! I got you a date with Kageyama!"
Oikawa loosened his hold on Tobio, though he kept his arms secure around his waist. "Really? Where at?"
Hinata scratched the back of his head. "Um, well. It's more like I was giving you Kageyama, you see. He's going to go on a date with you. And...he's going to pay!"
Tobio opened his mouth to retort but then thought the better of it. What was money in the face of love?
Any remnants of a protest died in his throat when Oikawa opened his mouth. "I...I'd love to go on a date with you, Tobio."
Tobio's cheeks ached from the irrepressible smile that stretched across his face. Lost in contentment, he didn’t even hear Lev complain, “Kageyama got Oikawa a signed jersey? He gave me yogurt and a protein bar, and he was MY secret santa!”
The knowledge that Daichi would arrive soon did nothing to ease Tetsurou’s nerves. On top of that, he was having no luck wrangling any useful information out of Tanaka or Nishinoya. The two had gotten so deliberately shitfaced that their every response to any question he posed was to poorly mimic him in a funny voice. At one point, Tanaka complained, "We did it because Kai-san told us to!", which only confused Tetsurou more. He was so distracted, in fact, that he couldn’t get properly annoyed when he received stale cookies from Daishou from IT, who pretended to not have seen the expiration date until Tetsurou pointed it out.
Time passed like molasses, seeping along at a syrupy slow pace. Yet the Secret Santa Exchange came to an end all too quickly. Lev concluded the event with a final announcement when the latest text on Tetsurou’s phone read: 5 more minutes. Uber stuck in traffic.
“Kuro, come upstairs.” Kenma poked him in the ribs with his index finger.
“I’m waiting for Daichi,” Tetsurou replied, eyes still trained on the door to the venue.
Kenma huffed. “Just come upstairs for like five seconds.”
“Wait—”
“—Five seconds,” Kenma insisted, pushing Tetsurou towards the stairs.
Tetsurou allowed himself to be shepherded up to the venue’s second floor. (Kenma rarely acted without reason and besides, he was technically Tetsurou’s boss.) When they reached the landing, his jaw dropped.
The glass windows to a beautiful balustrade were propped wide open, a circle of rose petals spread out across the floor. And there, clinging to the balcony from the outside, was Daichi.
“Dai?” Tetsurou gasped, rushing outside. “What are you doing?”
“The ladder fell!” Daichi panted, scrabbling for purchase on the metal railing. “I was climbing up, and the ladder fell!”
Wasting no time, Tetsurou grabbed his boyfriend and hauled him to safety. “What the fuck is going on?” he demanded, knees buckling as they collapsed together in the middle of a sea of red petals. “Why were you climbing a ladder to the second floor of the building?! That’s dangerous and probably illegal!”
Daichi blushed. “I wanted to surprise you,” he admitted. “You deserve all the romance in the world. And I had to think of a special way to give you this.” He rose to one knee, and Tetsurou’s heart stopped.
There in Daichi’s palm lay a simple blue box.
“Dai?” he breathed, clambering to his feet. “Is that—?”
“—Yeah.” Daichi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I’m sorry I messed this up. I just need you to know that you’re it for me. You’re the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. So will you do me that honor?" He popped open the box. "Will you marry me?”
Tetsurou swallowed, blinking back tears. “I…I was proposing today,” he protested weakly, drawing his own ring box out from his back pocket. “You’re supposed to agree to marry me.”
Daichi beamed up at him. “I asked first… So?”
Tetsurou tried to frown but couldn’t hold back his enormous smile. He launched himself at Daichi and squeezed him tight. “Yes,” he sobbed, letting his tears flow freely. When Daichi pulled him in for a kiss, he couldn't help but smile into it. This was happening. They were going to be married and spend a lifetime officially bonded in the eyes of the law. Tetsurou knew that marriage was a legal contract above all but he couldn't help but sob with joy for the boundless potential of their future: all the possibilities for building a life together seemed so much wider than they'd ever been before. And he felt more ready than ever with Daichi by his side.
"I've got a ring for you, too," he confessed as Daichi slid the beautiful gold band onto his ring finger. Tetsurou marveled at its unfamiliar weight before reaching into his own pocket and pulling out a small box. The two-toned band inside glinted under the dark night's city lights.
"It's a perfect fit," Daichi murmured as the metal slipped over his knuckle and settled in place.
Click.
Tetsurou and Daichi jumped, surprised, by the sudden sound. Behind them, it seemed like the entire company had gathered at the edge of the stairs. A photographer stood in the corner, shooting enthusiastically as the assembled crowd let out a great cheer.
Daichi tilted his chin. "I didn't hire a photographer?"
"I did," Tetsurou replied, slipping an arm around his shoulder and beaming as the photographer snapped away.
Eventually, the rest of their friends and coworkers crowded onto the balcony for a big group photo. "At least there was a reason to get dressed up," Iwaizumi grumbled, but his tone was fond. Tetsurou grinned at him, squished between Kenma and Daichi, unable to be fazed by anything. That smile never faded from his face: not when they went back downstairs, not when their friends popped champagne and toasted to their engagement, not even when Nishinoya and Tanaka knocked over the flower display. And when Tetsurou's head hit the pillow that night, left hand intertwined with Daichi's on the bed between them as he watched his love's eyes flutter shut above cheeks rosy from happiness, he knew: all I'll ever want for every holiday is you.
the end