[Synopsis: In spite of all the hardships and setbacks, the celebration is continuing as planned...Things seem to have a way of turning out alright during the most wonderful time of the year.]

[Location: Polus outpost]

____________________________________________________________

When the last pine garland had been hung, all of the tablecloths had all been straightened out in preparation for the buffet and the star had been placed on top of the tree, Captain stole a glance at the clock on the wall. It read 4:58 p.m. It was just about time to start.

Captain had tweaked a few of the controls within the game's coding for the event, and he'd even gotten some tips from the members of the Cheaters' Lobby who'd been invited for what to change and how to do it. They'd informed the Innersloth god of the situation so that no one would be wrongfully banished from the normal server, since they weren't playing a normal game.

He altered the coding to fit the desired needs; no tasks, no player limit, no Impostors, and no color restrictions, which meant more than one person could be the same color, and anyone could be any color they wanted.

That would especially be important, because he'd invited nearly EVERYONE he knew.

He looked at the clock again...Just as he saw it strike 5:00, he heard a knock on the east Office door.

"Wow! Perfect timing!"

He opened the door and beheld the first two guests: a familiar black figure wearing twin top hats, a black vest and tie accompanied by a green figure wearing a miniature Christmas tree on his head, paired with an ugly Christmas sweater that said "Merry Swissmas," complete with an embroidered piece of cheese on the front of it.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite quarter hatter with cheese combo!"

"My name MrTree~!"

"MrTree, you've said that at least four times over the past ten minutes," TheGentleman remarked, giving him an unamused look. "Don't wear out your voice just yet, will you?"

"Ohh my gosh, you're right TheGentleman. I gotta save my voice for singin' later! Heh heh..."

"Bark bark!"

Captain looked down at MrTree's feet to see Cheddar standing there sporting a fancy red bow around his neck, visor bright and tail wagging.

"Hey there, Cheddar! You came too, huh?" he acknowledged. "Come on in, guys!"

The trio entered, and they immediately marveled at Captain's décor; it wasn't overly extravagant, but it was well put-together and pretty, so it was easy to say he'd done a great job.

"MrTree and I brought some homemade delectables for the buffet, along with some of the gifts we got for a few of our peers" TheGentleman told him, holding up the covered bowl he had with him, MrTree doing the same with his large covered plate. "I whipped up some savory ratatouille to add some variety to the buffet; I mean no offense, but I would imagine that a lot of people plan on bringing dessert items to the party over meat and vegetables. MrTree included. Ha!"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that, TheGentleman; Mother and Stoner are going to be bringing some savory dishes themselves," the white crewmate promised. "...MrTree! What's under the cloche?"

"My homemade peppermint bark cheesecake," the green crewmember smirked. "Crowd's gonna go WILD."

"I'm sure they will!"

Knock knock

There was another knock at the door, and Captain was swift to answer it...He now faced three crewmates standing there: Mother, MrEgg and Ria, all of whom were also carrying something for the buffet along with the wrapped gifts...Mother had her striped elf cap on, and even Timmy and Franklin were dressed in corresponding outfits, Ria had one of the new winter hats from the Polus cosmicube fitted snugly on her head, and MrEgg had a small wrapped present box on his head paired with his Christmas-colored argyle scarf.

"All three of us are PRESENT, Captain," the orange crewmate grinned. "May we come in?"

"Sure thing! Make yourselves comfortable, everyone! Oh, and put your dishes on the meeting table next to TheGentleman and MrTree's!"

They entered the meeting room and did just that, Captain watching eagerly as they arranged their items on the table...When Mother and Ria had put down their creamy mashed potatoes and orange cranberry sauce respectively, the white crewmate with a snowman on his head noticed that MrEgg had a red, insulated one gallon jug with him instead of a platter.

"What's in the jug, MrEgg?"

"Oh, it's MrPresent tonight, good sir," he corrected him lightly, putting the large container down on the table. "And that would be my spiced almond milk eggnog; I wanted to experiment a bit with ingredients, and I must say, the nice nutty flavor the almond milk gives it goes VERY nicely with the nutmeg and allspice. AND since it's dairy free, Mr. Player will be able to have some as well!"

"Wow! Good thinkin' there, MrPresent!" Captain nodded. "Oh, that reminds me. Veteran talked to me earlier today, and he said that Player was running a bit of a cold today."

"Oh dear me. Is he alright?"

"Well, he said that Player told him not to worry to much, so he might still be well enough to come tonight...If he is, then I'll have you know that I've read that it isn't good to have dairy when you're sick anyway, so that's a DOUBLE plus for him!"

"Oh, you're right! Wow...I hope he shows up. Even if he has to leave early."

"Looks like there are plenty of places to sit, though," Ria remarked, looking around at the now furnished Office...She didn't remember there being any cushy chairs strewn about the Office building. "Did you furnish this place on top of decorating?"

"Sort of, yes! I brought the extra chairs in from my own quarters; thought they'd add a nice comfy feel to the place!"

"Well, it seems you were right," MrPresent agreed, sitting down in one of the green arm chairs.

"I might consider keeping them here; I barely ever use 'em, and they could serve a weary crewmate well."

"Agreed, Captain!" TheGentleman spoke up. "And the red and green color scheme is divine."

Knock knock

Captain went to answer the door again, and this time beheld two more figures: one yellow in a pair of earmuffs and the other green wearing a matching sweater and winter hat to go with his exosuit.

"Sup, guys?" Veteran greeted as he and Stoner stepped inside. "You mind directing us to the buffet? We got the goods tonight, baby."

"Yeah, dudes," Stoner drawled. "Vetman here brought some sausage stuffing to go with my...whooaa, my bad. Almost spoiled the surprise."

"It's the meeting room table. Go on ahead, fellas!" the white crewmate smiled, motioning for them to come in.

Everyone was quick to notice just how large Stoner's platter was, and it had a white rectangular cloche over it, concealing whatever was underneath. It failed to keep the scent from escaping from underneath it, though, and whatever it was, the dish smelled amazing.

"We can go 'head and open that up once everyone gets here," Stoner told them as she and Veteran came back from the table. "But until then, NOOOOOO snoopin' under the cover, you guys got that? If I catch someone tryin' to lift the cover up to take a peek, Imma just eat the whooole thing myself, heh heeeh..."

They all agreed to leave Stoner's surprise entrée alone...Rose and BDay were the next two to show up, followed by Sheriff, Happy, Bro, Greaser, Wizard and Rookie, one by one, and both the buffet table and the space under the Office Christmas tree filled up quickly...Baggy and Blondie were the next pair to show up, though Captain wasn't sure if they were just arriving together as friends or if things were different now, so when the yellow crewmate went to put out her large bowl of minestrone, he pulled Baggy aside to ask him.

"So what's up with Blondie? Didja tell her how you feel yet?"

"Uh...N-no, I haven't," he replied meekly, "But I, uh...I have plans to tonight at some point...granted everything goes okay."

"Well, good luck compadre. If you want some advice, maybe wait until you're both alone to pop the question. Oh, and make sure you both have something hit to drink! Eases the mood."

"Huh...Not a bad idea. O-okay. I'll try that."

"Go get 'em, Bagster."

Engineer happened to be nearby when he heard Captain give his tip to Baggy, and he made a mental note to remember that when the time came for him to do what he had to do...Not long after Baggy and Blondie got settled into the party, Captain answered the door to another pair of crewmates; not a couple or couple in the making, but rather a father and his son.

"Hey, it's the ghost busting duo! Glad you two could make it!"

"We're due for a party, I believe," the black figure in the plague doctor mask nodded, straightening his red bow tie.

"I'll say," the brown crewmate in the flat cap and sweater vest agreed. "Last time I went to a 'party,' I got sucked into a hacked game and trapped inside a demonic ghost."

"Yeah, that probably wasn't very nice...But this will be, Aiden," Captain assured him. "Now both of you make yourselves at home; the buffet is on the meeting table for when you guys get hungry. Just, uh...don't touch Stoner's mystery dish. It's the big rectangular cloche."

"Noted."

"Got it, thanks!"

Minutes after Aiden and DrDoktor arrived on the scene, Goober and Hunter came, followed by a duo of recently departed Cheaters' Lobby members.

"Wow. You actually came, goat boy?"

"Yes, I did come," Hornsly smiled, deciding to forgive Captain not getting his name right. "So, after what Qwerty did that one round, I spent a bit of time in the Cheaters' lobby. Now me, I honestly did not know what Qwerty had done until I found myself there, and the only reason I did not leave was because I took a liking to some of the others. Oh, me and ClogsWorth? You should hear us play. He's as good on that harmonica as I am on my old accordion."

"Very true!" SirClogsWorth nodded in confirmation.

"Is Qwerty still in the lobby?" Captain asked, "I don't see him with you."

"Yes, yes, he is still there...Deceitful hunk of steel. I thought what we had was special, and then he sends me to a forsaken lobby?"

"Hey, like I said, you two just need some time apart," SirClogsWorth told him. "For now, let's just enjoy ourselves, alright Hornsly?"

"Yes, I do plan to have a good time," the blue crewmate smiled, holding up his own tray of food for the buffet. "I brought a goat and sheep cheese sampler with crackers and jams."

"Wow! That sounds delicious!" Captain gushed. "Come on in, guys!"

As they came in, SirClogsWorth kept up the conversation.

"So is Angel going to be showing up here?" he asked. "I haven't seen her since she first got out, and I'm sure she'd be happy to know I'm doing alright?"

"I did sent her an invitation, but I haven't heard back from her since she got it; I hope nothing came up. She'd be really psyched to know you're here...She said she missed you."

"Yeah...I missed her, too; she brought a certain tenderness to the otherwise bleak and hopeless Cheaters' Lobby."

Knock knock

"Oh, there's someone else! Make yourself comfy, guys!" Captain told them as he went to answer the door again...PoopyFarts and Ninja stood there, the former wearing ears, antlers and a clown nose, and the latter wearing a pointed blue cap with a red ribbon around it, a feather of the same color tucked into it by the quill.

"...Whoa. PoopyFarts, Ninja. Nice elf and reindeer cosplay!"

"Pfft~!"

"実は、私は歯医者ですが, あなたは十分に近いです."

"Wow, that's a nice looking cake, you two. Go ahead and put it on the meeting table with the other food, then go ahead and settle in!"

They entered and made their way to the meeting room...Before Captain could shut the door again, he heard two more sets of feet crunching through the snow towards the Office.

"Hey, wait up!"

Engineer's voice sounded off, and just a few seconds later, both he and Gnome were standing by the door, dressed up in nice formal wear.

"Wow, you guys look great!" the host remarked, smiling wide. "Come on in, guys! It's pretty cold out there."

They entered in wake of Ninja and PoopyFarts, and once he'd shut the Office doors again, Captain looked over the guest list...Everyone had arrived so far except for Angel, Dum and Player.

Hope they make it, he said to himself.

"Okay. Whenever anyone wants to eat, the buffet is open!" Captain announced to the guests. "EXCEPT for Stoner's mystery dish! Just leave that be until I get word from the last three who still aren't here!"

"Cranberry sauce, HERE I COME!!" Wizard announced, being the first to reach the buffet and start filling his plate up. MrTree, Greaser, Goober and Hornsly followed him, and the others simply continued to talk.

"I skipped dinner AND lunch for this!" the coral crewmate with the single eyeball lamp on her head proclaimed as she skipped over.

"...Wow. Guess she brought an appetite then," Captain nodded.

Knock knock

As soon as he heard the door knock again, he turned around and answered it to see who else was there.

...The figure he beheld was barely recognizable underneath the thick layers of scarves, coats, hats and earmuffs at first, but when he saw the pale yellow oxygen tank paired with the gleaming gold halo floating atop her head, he knew who he was looking at.

"Angel! You're here!"

"Hee hee...yep."

She'd barely even stepped into the doorway when she heard another familiar voice speak up.

"Angel's here?"

That was when she eyes SirClogsWorth coming around the corner to greet her, and he ran right for her, smile wide and visor bright as the stars in space.

"SirClogsWorth?"

"Angel!!"

Before she had a chance to react, the white crewmate with the plunger on his head flung his arms around her and gave her the warmest welcome he could muster.

"You're here! Aw, it's been so long since I've seen ya! How've you been, huh?"

"Very good, SirClogsWorth," she answered calmly, gently returning his embrace for a moment before pulling away. "I'm really glad I got to see you again; I've missed you."

"Somethin' the matter, Angel?" he asked her. "You don't seem your usual perky self today."

"Oh, don't worry too much," she assured him, taking her coat, hat and earmuffs off before pulling her scarf around herself a bit more. "It's just that I-"

Knock knock

"Guys, we made it!!"

As soon as Captain heard Dum's familiar voice sounding off from the other side of the door, he ran to open it...Surely enough, there stood his favorite sibling duo in the world, Dum wearing a fluffy pink sweater and Player sporting his recognizable candy cane horns.

"Dum! Player! You guys came!" he cheered, swiftly approaching them and inviting them in. "Veteran told me what was going on with you, Player, and for a while, I was worried you wouldn't be able to make it!"

"Well, I did make it," Player smiled, straightening out the candy cane horns on his head. "The medicine I took started to kick in just before we got on, so other than being a little stuffy, I feel pretty good right now."

"Think you'll be able to taste anything at the buffet?"

"Well, I could taste the soup I had for lunch pretty well, so probably."

"Awesome! Because now that you guys are here, we can finally see what Stoner brought to the party!"

"Heh heh, that's my cue," the green crewmate in question acknowledged as he headed into the meeting room, everyone following him there to watch him unveil his entree.

"First off, I'd like to thank you guys for trusting me enough to bring some grub to the party," he announced. "'Cuz y'know how I roll, heh...eh...But anyway, I can promise that not only is this for EVERYONE, including the two kiddos here tonight, but it's so delicious it'll make your heads spin."

"Ey, enough gab!" Greaser spoke up, getting impatient. "You gonna cut to the chase and open the platter up or keep bashin' ears?"

"Dude, like, chillax," Stoner replied in his usual lazy tone. "I'm gettin' to it right now...Without any further ado, let me introduce you all to Mr. Canard Rôti aux Herbes."

He lifted up the cloche, and revealed a perfectly roasted duck brimming with the scent of fresh rosemary, thyme, sage leaves and other fragrant, savory spices.

"Great Scott!" TheGentleman exclaimed. "Stoner! I never knew you were such a profound chef!"

"I do what I can, Gentledude," he replied, already carving into the meat with a knife. "Aight, this is the BIGGEST duck I could find, so there should be plenty to go around...Captain, you want a leg?"

"Boy, would I!"

Stoner served the host and himself first, treating them each to what was arguably the best part of the bird: the drumsticks. Once that was done, everyone else got in line to teat the rest of it, making sure to fill their plates and cups with the other appetizing dishes laid out across he table...Captain, Player, Dum and Veteran were the first to do so, and they broke apart from the line first and made their way into the main room.

"Man...You really went all out with the decorations, didn't you, Cap'?" Player asked him, marveling at every inch of tinsel and pine laced around the walls of the building.

"Yep. Glad it turned out the way it did."

"Especially the Christmas tree," Dum added, pointing to the corner where it stood. "I like that you didn't go too overboard; one year, Player and I decorated the tree with SO much stuff, we could barely see the pine needles underneath it anymore!"

"Really? Wow...Must've been a lot of decorations to go around that year, huh?"

Player nodded in confirmation, taking a bite out of stuffing from his loaded plate.

"Mmf...This stuff's great, Veteran. You brought the stuffing, right?"

"Sure did. Thanks, dude."

"Man...Hey Captain, you said everyone was already here, right?"

"Yep! Everyone's here!"

"That, uh...that includes Angel?"

"Ohhh, I see...She's catching up with SirClogsWorth, I think. Check the buffet line; I saw them in the back."

"Thanks, Captain. I'm gonna go hang with her for a little while, okay guys?"

"Got it, Player. Tell us how many times she kissed ya!" Dum teased as he went.

"Ha ha, very funny, sis."

He went to the back of the line and spied the banana-clad crewmate with her white-clad friend friend, barely able to make out what she was saying to him from underneath the thick scarf she had wrapped around herself.

"Angel?"

As soon as he addressed her, she turned around, and her eyes lit up.

"Oh, Player, you're here!" she smiled. "Hang on just a second, Clogsy."

"Take your time!" he nodded as she went to greet the red figure, stopping just a handful of feet away from him.

"I'm really glad I was able to come tonight," she told him. "Especially now that you're here; just seeing your face really brightens up my day."

"Mine too, Angel. But...you probably shouldn't get too close to me," Player warned her, sniffling lightly. "I've got a bit of a cold going on..."

"Really?"

He nodded disappointedly.

"Yeah...'m sorry."

"Heh heh...What a coincidence," she giggled, sniffling a bit herself. "So do I."

"You are? O-oh jeez, a-are you okay, Angel?"

"I should be fine, Player; I took some medicine earlier and got lots of rest today, so I should be fine."

"Heh...That's what I did today too," he replied. "...So I guess it doesn't really matter how close we get, does it?"

"Nope."

She opened her arms back up and invited Player in, and the two shared a soft, warm hug.

"...I feel better already," the red crewmate remarked.

"Me too, Player..."

"Did I hear that right?" SirClogsWorth chimed in, having overheard part of the conversation. "That you were both a little under the weather."

"Yeah..." Angel confirmed. "But we should be okay."

"Well ghee, I'm awful sorry to hear that, you two...Hope you both bet well real quick."

"...Thanks, SirClogsWorth," Player smiled.

"Hey guys!" Veteran called to them. "Did any of you get a piece of Ninja's Christmas cake? This stuff is fluffier than my grandma's cat!!"

"Wow...Weird analogy, Vet, heh heh..." Player remarked. "But no. I'll go try some."

"Me too," Angel agreed.

They each grabbed a slice from the buffet and added it to their plates. Player's platter was already full, but he figured he might as well grab a few more sweets while they were still available.

MrPresent and Ria were each doing the same thing, and the former took the opportunity to tell Player about the eggnog he brought.

"Oh, Mr. Player! Just so you know, I made the eggnog in the jug there with almond milk, so you can have some if you'd like?"

"Whoa, you serious? That's awesome, thanks!"

He poured himself a cup and was quick to offer some to Angel, but she quietly declined.

"That's okay, Player. I think I'll make myself a nice cup of tea instead."

"Oh. Okay...Do you want to sit down together somewhere? Captain brought in a lot of seating from his quarters, so if you wanna...y'know, cozy up for a bit, then..."

Angel giggled, smiling sweetly.

"I'd like that very much, Player."

"You would?"

She tipped her head up and kissed his forehead in response, making him turn a deep shade of crimson.

"...Heh...Thank you, Angel."

"You're welcome. Now let's go find a place to sit before someone else fills it up. Hee hee..."

They chose a large green chair up against the southern wall, adjacent from the Office Christmas tree, and they watched everyone do their own thing as they ate. Whoever wasn't also eating was doing SOMETHING of interest, that was for sure; Hornsly and SirClogsWorth were discussing, of all topics, which cheeses smelled the most like feet, Rookie and Wizard were predicting what might be in the gifts that were addressed to them under the tree, Bro and Greaser were having an arm wrestling match, and Captain, Dum and Veteran were placing their bets on who would win it, along with several other people.

"Come on, Bro, show the coward what you're made of!!" Mother cheered for him.

"Crush his bones under your own and make him writhe in pain and misery!!!" Franklin chimed in, eager to see some bloodshed.

"Pffrt! Thbbt!!"

"彼があなたをトップロールさせてはいけません!"

The battle lasted for about a full minute before Greaser ultimately gave in, and Bro emerged victorious, nearly the whole crowd cheered him on.

"はい! そこに優れた仕事!" Ninja congratulated him.

"Ow...dang, ya nearly twisted my wrist there," Greaser told the other blue crewmate.

"Ah, go home and cry about it. C'mon, Ninja. You're up next."

"何-私?" the purple crewmate asked. "あなたに対して?"

"Yeah, let's do it!"

"まぁ...それはあなたの葬式です," he accepted as the two got ready...Veteran was the only one who'd been rooting for Greaser, and he expressed his sympathy to him.

"Man, I'm sorry Bro got the upper hand there. You did real good."

"Ey, f'get about it. I'll get 'im next time, won't I?"

"I don't doubt that for a second..." he replied, whispering his next sentence. "Oh my God, he's so cool..."

"Timmy!!"

Before Bro and Ninja could start their fight, the cyan mini crewmate in question started getting into the wrapped gifts underneath the tree in the Office, and Mother had to pry him off of one of them before he could rip into it.

"Those aren't all for you!" she told him. "And besides, we need to wait until it's time for everyone else to open theirs! I'm sure there's something in there for you, hon', and Franklin too, but right now you need to be patient, alright?"

He pouted slightly, then sat down on the floor.

"What, are ya bored?" she asked her son...Timmy nodded.

"What's goin' on with him?" Aiden asked, approaching the scene.

"Timmy's acting up a bit; he's probably getting tired of all the adults not paying him much attention, so he's trying to gain some."

"Huh...Well, you have my attention, Timmy," the brown crewmate told him, kneeling down to better match the younger one's height. "Say buddy. Do you happen to know how to play Uno?"

He shook his head no.

"Well, I brought a card pack with me in case anyone wanted to play. You want me to teach ya? You might like it."

Timmy thought about it for a moment, looking at the box Aiden was holding up for him to see...It did look more interesting than the normal playing cards he was familiar with judging by all of the bright colors on the package, so he decided to give it a try, nodding in response to the college student's offer.

"Alrighty, then. I'll teach you as we go along, m'kay?"

Wit that, they sat down on the floor and started to play.

"Wow...Aiden warmed up to Timmy pretty fast, didn't he?" Player remarked, impressed by the former Novisor host's success. "Took him a long while for him to so much as look at me without pulling his knife on me."

"Yes, he's a bit of a stinker," Angel agreed, sniffling a little. "I guess they both...both are..."

She turned her head away and gave off the tiniest sneeze Player had ever heard...His heart melted on the spot at the sound of it.

"...Excuse me," she apologized.

"Is...is that how you usually sneeze?"

"Oh, um...Y-yes, it is. I-"

"Angel, that is the most precious sound I've ever heard."

"O-oh, you...you think so."

He pulled her into a side embrace and leaned his head against hers affectionately.

"Words can't describe just how happy you make me."

She turned to fully face him again, tapping her visor up against his and closing her eyes, trying to hold back the sensation of a tear starting to pool in it.

"...You make me happy too, Player."

"Love you, Angel."

They stayed like that for what felt like several minutes before they heard another voice speak up.

"Barf. You two done with your little PDA?"

They both looked up to see Veteran standing there, raising en eyebrow.

"Veteran, we were kind of having a moment," Player told him, not sound very amused.

"Yeah! I think it's cute!" Goober chimed in, in opposition to the yellow figure in earmuffs. "Isn't that right, PoopyFarts?"

"Pfft," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Come oooooon, it waaaas..."

"Tfrrrt..."

"Well anyways, I came to tell you guys that Captain said it's about time for the gift exchange," Veteran continued. "...Dum, you said you kept what we got for him in the dropship, right?"

"That's right," she nodded. "I'll go grab it after I open mine; it, uh...well, it'd have stuck out like a sore thumb if we tried to put it under the tree, so Player said it might be best to save it for last."

"Great idea. Now c'mon, let's go. Aiden and DrDoktor are already helping Captain pass them out!"

"Whoa, okay! Come on, Angel, let's go!"

Everyone crowded around the tree, and one by one, gifts were handed out, unwrapped and marveled at...TheGentleman and MrTree each got a pair of fancy-looking slippers courtesy of MrPresent, along with an elegant brass-handled cane for the former and a cheese making guide for the latter, MrPresent got a set of china egg cups and an amusing "I'm Egg-cellent" sweater from the two associates along with a nice metal back scratcher from Ria, who in turn received a fuzzy dark pink robe with an intricate rose pattern from him.

"I know we already exchanged gifts a few days ago, but I just had to get you something else for the party," the orange crewmate gushed, turning slightly pink as his fiancee kissed him on the cheek.

"Same with your gift. So glad you like it."

"Like it? Ria, do you know how much stress that thing is going to relieve me of? You're practically a life saver."

"Oh, you..." she giggled in response, waving her hand in a playfully dismissive manner.

Not far away from the couple, Veteran was handing Player a box wrapped in chrome paper with a gold bow on it.

"I believe this one is addressed to you. Not sure who it's from, though...Could be from anyone, y'know?" he said to him.

"Sure, Veteran," Player retorted playfully. "Let's see what your awesome gift to me is."

He undid the wrapping on the package...and his eyes BUGGED out at what he saw.

"A...a Logitech gaming headset?"

"And they're wireless," the yellow crewmate smirked.

"Wow, these are incredible!! Thanks so much!" Player exclaimed. "Oh, hey, I got yours right here."

"Heeeey, what about me?" Dum fake-pouted.

"Jess, I said I wanted you to wait until tomorrow to open yours," Player reminded her. "I didn't forget about you, sis."

"Hm...well, okay. But it better be awesome!" she teased.

"Trust me. It will."

He watched Veteran open his package, and he smiled when he saw his eyes go wide, too.

"DUDE! Fall Guys for the PS!? This is epic!"

"I know you said your PC was starting to get a little slow, so I figured this would be a better way for you to play it."

"Dude, you're the man! Thanks a billion!"

The exchanges continued. Mother got a new set of cooking ware with some wooden spoons and spatulas that had amusing statements on them, Stoner received a blue and green spiral tye-dye shirt and a wooden spice rack, and Rose and BDay each got matching winter hats and a pair of turtle dove ornaments for their tree at home, Sheriff got a sizeable meat and cheese box and a brass longhorn sculpture, Happy got a dark joke book and a set of Cards Against Humanity, Bro got a navy blue hoodie with flames printed on it and a mug that read "I LOVE (it when) MY PARROT (stops screaming,) with the lowercase words written much smaller than the bold ones, courtesy of Mother and Sheriff respectively...He put on his most unamused face at the tan crewmate's gift while doing his best not to chortle at the mug, knowing that it was true however he read it.

"Real nice, Sheriff..."

"I figured you'd like it," the tan crewmate nodded, knowing that he really did like it in spite of his facade.

"Oh, this one's yours, Ninja! From yours truly," MrTree told the purple crewmate as he handed him the sturdy, flat rectangular package from under the tree, wrapped in glittering blue and white striped paper with a silver bow on the front of it. "Go 'head and open it!"

Ninja peeled the back off and slowly tore the wrapping paper away from the package, and he saw the familiar face of a sauropod-esque creature on the box art beneath.

"...これは私が思うものですか?" he smirked.

"Maybe~!"

He tore away the rest of the packaging, and surely enough, it was what Ninja expected once he saw the armored face on the cover; Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond.

"I'd have gotten you Legends Arceus, but it doesn't come out till next year, heh heh...Maybe you'll have better luck with this game!"

"あの呪われたガーチョンプは?"

"Relax, Togekiss is a Fairy-type now; you can kick Champion butt way easier now."

"おや...はい、そうですね."

A smirk formed across Ninja's face, and he snickered to himself.

"シロナ...リベンジはもうすぐ私のものになります. あなたの生い茂ったトカゲはチャンスがありません."

"Already plotting your revenge, huh Ninja?"

Both of them continued to chuckle together, and the escapades continued...Wrapping paper started to build up on the floor, and some of the crewmatew who'd already opened their gifts decided to start picking it up before the entire floor was cluttered, particularly Mother, MrPresent and TheGentleman. And yet, it kept piling up even as they worked to declutter it as the rest of the crew continued to open their presents; a few toys and such for Timmy and Franklin, a book of pranks for SirClogsWorth, a fuzzy weighted blanket and stuffed sloth for Baggy, a book of pranks and a tiny bonsai tree for PoopyFarts from MrTree and Ninja respectively, an empty photo album and a pair of plaid flannel shirts for Aiden and DrDoktor, a set of small stuffed animals and squishies for Goober, the complete set of Harry Potter movies for Wizard, a cerulean blazer for Rookie, a swiss army knife and cigar box for Hunter, a robotics kit for Hornsly, and a 50s varsity and can of expensive-looking pomade...The last two gifts to be retrieved were a set of glass beakers and a bright spring green journal with a llama on the front cover, addressed to Engineer and Gnome respectively.

The only gifts that hadn't been opened yet were the ones meant to be a surprise, still being kept in less obvious locations by those who'd brought them.

One such giver was taking out his own gift to give at that very moment, pulling it out from under the scanning station...He was lucky the two things he'd wrapped were so flat; they slid right into the space between the two tables, and they easily slid right back out.

Okay... he said to himself, heading into the meeting room with the present under his invisible arm and pouring a pair of foam cups full of hot water. You can do this, Baggy. You've felt this way for years now, and she's your best friend...If she says no, she at least won't completely ditch you, right?

He mixed a packet of cocoa mix into each one and topped them both with the mini marshmallows in the bowl by the water dispenser, put the two cups in a cardboard holder from the counter and mad his way over to Blondie...She was standing idly at the table, eating one of the gingerbread cookies Rose and BDay had brought.

He cleared his throat to catch her attention, and she turned to face him.

"Oh, hey Baggy! I was wondering where you went for a second there!"

"Yeah, I, uh...I just wanted to get us each a drink," he answered her, sounding a bit more confident than he'd expected to, which was a pleasant surprise in of itself. "You want some hot chocolate?"

"Oh, sure Baggy, thanks!"

She grabbed one of the cups out of the holder and took a cautious sip.

"Mmm, wow. This is pretty good."

"Heh heh...Thanks, Blondie," he smiled, his heart fluttering slightly. "And, uh...thanks for the blanket and sloth. I think they'll do me a lot of good."

"You're welcome, Baggy."

"Hey, um...You remember how I said I was keeping your gift somewhere safe? I, uh, I have it right here if you want to open it now."

He used his now free hand to pull it out and hand it to her, and she smiled widely as she took it from him.

"Oh, um, I should probably tell you, Blondie...Th-there are two things wrapped up in there."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I, uh...I guess I just wanted to throw in a little something extra, you know?"

"Oh, thank you so much. Do you want me to open it now or later?"

"O-oh, no, g-go ahead and open it now while the cocoa's still hot!"

They both shared a laugh for a moment...Baggy savored the moment while he could; should something go horribly wrong, this might be the last one he had with her.

...I love that laugh, too, he said to himself, smiling at the sound of it alone.

"Hee hee, okay. Here I go."

Blondie put her drink back in the holder, which was then put on the table by Baggy, and she started to unwrap the gift...The first thing she recognized was the bigger, flatter of the two items inside, and she beamed as she pulled it out of its wrapping.

"You got me the ABBA album...!?"

"Yeah. I-I know you said it was your favorite band. Uh...You don't already have it, do-?"

"Baggy, this is great! Thank you so much~!"

"Oh...oh, it is? You really think so?"

"Of course I do!" Blondie gushed, pulling him into a side embrace. "Oh, Baggy, you're the best friend I've ever had...!"

He tensed up ever so slightly at her response, and he swallowed hard as he tried to conceal his nervous grimace.

"...Um...thank you, Blondie. That...that means a lot," he said to her. "Oh, uh...there's one more thing in there, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right! Let me take a look."

She pulled apart the wrapping a little more, and she quickly revealed something else...It was a recently-taken photo of the two of them, surrounded by a wooden picture frame in the shape of a heart.

"Oh...oh, wow. Baggy, this is wonderful," she marveled. "I love it...!"

"Y-you do...?"

"Of course I do," she replied softly, noticing the beads of sweat forming on the side of his head. "...Baggy, is something the matter? I know you're a little jittery most of the time, but you look really uptight."

"It's...I-I..."

"Are you okay?"

"There's a note on the back of the frame," he finally spat out, surprisingly without the slightest form of a stutter. "I...I want you to read it...please...It's kind of important."

She turned the frame over, then spied the folded up piece of paper taped to the back of it. She removed it, put the photo down, then unfolded the paper and read what it said.

"Dear Blondie,

If you're reading this, that means I've finally worked up the courage to tell you how I feel...Well, either that or you happened upon it somehow while we were hanging out at my place. But either way, it means I'm about to tell you something I've been keeping bottled up for a while.

You make me feel a certain way that no one else has ever made me feel. Every time I see your face, or hear your laugh, I get this warm, fuzzy feeling inside of me, and it just makes me so glad I got to know you...It took me a little while to figure it out, but I finally did earlier this year, and I'm just going to say it.

I'm in love with you, Blondie. And I want to be that special someone in your life.

I understand if you don't feel the same way, though; if we can't be together in that way, that's okay too. As long as I can still call you my best friend, I'm happy.

Well, that's all I have to say. I'm not really sure how to end a letter like this, but just know that no matter how things turn out, I'll always be there for you. You'll always be that special someone in my life, in one way or another.

Thanks for reading all of this.

-Baggy

P.S.: Merry Christmas."

...When she was done, she folded the paper back up and looked the writer in the eye. She could see just how scared he was by the look in his visor.

"Why, I...Baggy, I...I had no idea," she told him, raising her hand up to his cheek, which had turned red from the sheer amount of fear and embarrassment he felt.

"I...I-I-I'm s-so sorry," he squeaked. "Are...a-are you mad, Blondie?"

"No, of course not," she replied, tenderly stroking his cheek with her thumb. "Gosh, it's no wonder you've been so on edge...Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I...I d-didn't want t-to l-lose you as a f-friend..."

Tears started to bubble up in Baggy's visor, and he choked back a sob. Blondie pulled him into a soft hug, whispering to him comfortingly.

"Shhhh, it's okay, Baggy. You're not going to lose me. I promise...I'll be right here."

He took a few moments to calm back down, and he sniffled loudly as she let him go and looked him in the eye again...The yellow crewmate motioned for him to take a sip of his hot drink, which he did as best he could without spilling it with his hands shaking the way they were.

"...You're not mad at me?"

"No...Ha...T-to tell you the truth, I'm honestly flattered that you think of me the way you do. I guess I really must mean a lot to you, huh?"

"...The whole world, Blondie," Baggy replied, swallowing the lump still stuck in his throat. "But...like I said in the letter, I understand if you don't feel the same way."

"Hm..."

She looked down at the letter again, then back up at him.

"Well...If that's how you feel," she said to him. "Then I...guess we can give it a shot and see how it goes.

"Wha...R-really...?"

"Sure, if you'd like to!"

"Ha...I..."

He found himself reaching down towards her hand, and he felt her meet him the rest of the way.

"...After Christmas, what do you say we go to one of the cafes in town for lunch?"

"Oh, that...that's a good idea, Blondie," Baggy nodded. "Um, maybe afterwards, you'd, um...l-like to go for a walk in the park? You and me...Does that sound okay?"

"I like that idea very much, Baggy."

"Ah...Ha ha...Th-thank you."

"You're welcome. Now c'mere, I have one more present for you."

"What's that?"

She motioned for him to lean in closer, and as soon as he was within an inch from her face, she tilted her head towards him and gave him a peck on the cheek. His already pink cheeks ran even redder.

"...Merry Christmas, Baggy."

"Ha...Thanks, Blondie."

"Now come on, let's grab our drinks and go see what Hornsly's up to; last I saw of him, he was gushing over his new robotics kit."

He nodded as she lead him back to where she last saw the blue crewmate...He wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but for the time being, he was happy as ever that things had gone well.

...I guess things have a way of turning out okay after all, he said to himself as they approached Hornsly and a few of the others.

On the opposite end of the Office, Player was giving Angel her gift himself, eagerly watching her open the wrapping and revealing the box underneath.

"Oh my...um...I can't exactly tell what it is judging from the box alone, but it looks very nice."

"Yeah, heh...I thought the packaging seemed a little vague," Player nodded in agreement. "It's a tea sampler. I know you said you were a tea person, so that's got all kinds of different teas in there to try. Black teas, green, herbal, chai...You name it, it's in there."

She peeled the tape off of the main box to see what was inside, and surely enough, every type and flavor of tea she could think of and then some was in the box, lined up neatly inside.

"Oh. Oh, my goodness, Player, this is wonderful!" she gasped. "I-I don't know what to say. Just 'thank you' doesn't feel like enough."

"That's okay, Angel. It's enough for me, after all."

"Oh, Player..."

She tilted her head up and tapped her visor against his for a moment, kissing his cheek softly as she pulled away.

"...I got you a couple of things, too," she said to him. "Just hold on a moment."

She went to where she'd hung up her coat and reached into the pocket, pulling out a small bundle wrapped in glittering ruby red wrapping.

"Here, Player. It's not much, but...I thought you might like them."

"Them?"

"Oh yes, there's two in there. Heh...I couldn't make up my mind."

"That's okay, Angel," he smiled. "Alright, let's see..."

When he peeled away the wrapping, the first thing he saw was the neat bundle of plaid grey fleece, and he saw the tethered ends.

"Is this a scarf?"

"Yes, it is...I thought it might look good on you; red and grey together that often, but I think they look very nice together."

"I think I'll try it on then, in that case," he grinned, unfurling the soft fabric. "Thank you, Angel."

"Oh, um, the second one is inside it."

"What's that-?"

As soon as he asked the question, he saw the familiar red logo, and he unravelled the rest of the scarf to reveal what was underneath.

"Whoa, cool!! A Ridley Amiibo!? How'd you know I was experimenting with him!?"

"So THAT'S why she was askin' me so many question about what you've been up to over Discord the past few days..." Veteran said to himself. "Huh. Guess it makes sense she'd come to me to ask those things, though. If she asked you, it'd be a lot more obvious."

"Heh...yeah. Guess it would have been," Player agreed.

"'Ey, Cap. Thanks for the Steam gift card," he said to the host. "I think I'll use it to get, um...Hey, Player, what's that game called with the skeletons and the goat mom again?"

"Undertale?"

"Yeah, Undertale! That's it. Imma use it for that."

"Cool!" Captain smiled. "Oh, Player, Dum! I put the gifts I got you two in the Office cabinet just to make sure they didn't get jostled around too much during the exchange. Let me go get them for you guys!"

It didn't take him long to fetch the two small packages, and when he returned, he handed them each one.

"These are for you two," he said to them. "I hope you like them."

"Wow," Player remarked, admiring the bright silver and gold lace-patterned wrapping on the packages, which were topped with corresponding metallic red and pink bows. "...You wrapped these really well, huh Captain?"

"I like to make 'em look nice. Thank you, Player."

"I almost don't wanna rip it..." he kidded. "...Only one way to see what's inside, though."

"Let's both open them at the same time!" Dum suggested eagerly.

"Good idea, babe!" the white crewmate agreed. "On the count of three, guys. One, two, three, open 'em!"

Both siblings tore into the wrapping paper the moment he gave the signal, pulling the bow and ribbons off and ripping off the sparkling red paper...until the matching gifts underneath were completely uncovered for them to marvel at.

Immediately, their eyes widened, and they slowly looked over each of Captain's hand-crafted creations...Each snowglobe sported sculpted figures of Captain with one of the two siblings standing next to a small Christmas tree, and the decorated bases of the globes respectively read "Best Friends Forever" and "Together Forever," each written in gold glitter glue.

Player was the first to turn his over and watch the glittering snow flutter down from the top.

"Oh, wow...These are amazing...!" he marveled, his smile a mile wide. "Did you make these yourself, Captain?"

"Yes, Player, I did...Nothing seemed good enough to just buy off the shelf, so I figured I'd make it a little more personal this time."

"They're awesome, Cap'...Wow, you really paid attention to detail when sculpting the inside, didn't you? I can see some of the knitted sections on the bottom of my hat in there," he noticed. "...Thanks so much. I love it."

"You're welcome, Player. It was my pleasure."

...Both of them turned to Dum next; she hadn't said anything since she'd opened hers, and it looked like she was still looking over the scene inside the globe, eyes wide with surprise.

"Well, Dum?" Captain asked her. "What do you think? Do you like it?"

She finally looked back up at him, and he saw her visor gloss over with tears. Before he could say anything in response, the pink crewmate put the globe down on the ground to free up her hand, then swiftly flung her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.

"...It's wonderful, Cappy," she sniffled. "It's so amazing, and beautiful, and...Oh, I love you so much Captain, what did I do to deserve you...?"

"Aww, sweet pea..."

He returned the gesture tenfold and planted a tender kiss against her forehead.

"All you had to do was just be your lovable self. That's all I could've ever asked for...Merry Christmas, Dum."

"Merry Christmas, Captain."

They stayed there like that for what felt like a while...Player took the opportunity to break apart to fetch something, and it was only when he returned that Captain finally opened his closed visor back up to see who was stepping closer.

"Hey, Captain?" he addressed him. "Me...me and..."

He sneezed mid-sentence.

"Heh, 'scuse me," he apologized, sniffling slightly. "...Me, Dum AND Veteran pooled some of our money a while back to get you this. So this is something from all three of us."

Captain had no idea what was inside the white and gold-wrapped package Player was holding, but whavever it was, it was ENORMOUS compared to most of the other gifts under the tree.

"Whoa!! How'd you manage to hide something like that under the Office tree!?"

"We didn't," Veteran replied, stepping into the conversation, having noticed that it was time for Captain to open the gift. "We hid behind the Admin table in the other room so we could surprise you with it."

"Ohhh, it's your turn, Cappy!" Dum gushed, letting go of him and raising an excited pair of fists up to her visor. "Go on, take it!"

The white crewmate took the huge package and felt it a bit...It was lightweight for something so large, and it was cushy, too. A new set of blankets and pillows, maybe?

Curious as ever, Captain started tearing off the wrapping paper, the three people who'd given it to him watching wide-eyed with eager anticipation...Finally, he tore off some of the wrapping to reveal a small bit of fuzzy white faux fur.

"He's close," Veteran rasped to the others, not bothering to contain his grin.

Captain decided that was enough suspense, and he tore off the rest of the wrapping, peeling a large section off the top of it and revealing what it was in five seconds flat.

"Wh...wh-whah...!? You...!? Oh my God...!!"

There in his hands and in plain view of the entire crew was the biggest stuffed dragon any of them had EVER SEEN.

"Yep!" Player confirmed, the disbelief and awe in Captain's visor nearly rubbing off onto him himself. "You like it?"

"L-like it...!?" he echoed. "P...p-player...Dum, Veteran...I LOVE IT!!!"

Still holding the massive plush, he approached each of the people who'd contibuted to getting it for him and hugged each one tightly.

"Oh my gosh, thank you guys so much, thank you, thank you, thank you!!"

He gave Dum another couple of extra kisses on top of the exhilirant embrace, his display of affection in plain view of the whole crew...Including MrTree.

"Hmmm..."

He searched the area for anything resembling what he was looking for, and surely enough, within part of the line garland hung up along the Office wall, he eyed a sprig of rounded false leaves with white berries on them.

Perfect, he said to himself, plucking them out of the pine needles.

Without any further hesitation, he made his way back over to where TheGentleman was standing, and he held the sprig of mistletoe leaves over his head. It didn't take the charcoal crewmate long to figure out what he was attempting.

"MrTree, I absolutely refuse."

"Come oooon, y'know you wanna."

"I most certainly do NOT want to."

"Pweeeaaase?"

The green crewmate gave him the biggest puppy eyes he could muster and stared right at him...TheGentleman sighed deeply; his one weakness HAD to be exploited, of course.

"D'ohh, fine," he gave in. "But just a small one. Got that?"

"Anything's okay, TheGentleman."

The black-clad crewmate sighed again, then leaned forward and planted a soft peck against his associate's forehead. MrTree turned slightly pink and smiled at him as he pulled away.

"Thank you."

"Erm, hmm...You're welcome, I suppose."

"A'ight, my turn."

"Wait, wha-Mpf!!"

Without any warning, MrTree leaned forward and planted a long, wet-sounding smooch on TheGentleman's cheek.

"Augh, bleuch! MrTree, you got SPIT on my face!"

"Sorry, heh heh..."

The charcoal crewmate grumbled a bit as he wiped his cheek dry on the back of his hand, rolling his eyes once again.

"If you MUST do something mistletoe related, maybe hang it over Baggy and Blondie for a short spell."

"Ooh, good idea! I'll go do that!"

MrTree ran off to go locate them, deciding it would be fun to tease another pair...After all of the gifts were opened, things began to settle back down again. Mother and DrDoktor kept talking to one another, Aiden kept Timmy and Franklin entertained, MrTree and TheGentleman parked in one of the chairs and settled down into it for a few snuggles, and Player and his group headed back to the buffet, Captain still clutching the giant fluffy dragon.

"Didja pick out a name for him yet?" the red crewmate asked.

"Sure did, buddo! His name's Nimbus!"

"Ooooh, that fits him well...!" Dum nodded in approval.

With the Office a bit more quiet and there being less excitement, Engineer took the opportunity to make two cups of hot chocolate in the meeting room, returning to where Gnome was standing and giving one to her.

"Oh, thank you Engie," she smiled, taking the cup and blowing the hot drink inside before taking a small sip.

"You're welcome, Gnomey...Hey, um...Do you wanna maybe go outside for a bit? Just to get away from the crowd for a little, y'know."

"Oh sure!" she nodded. "To be honest, I was kind of thinking the same thing; it got a little hectic in here with all the present opening for a little bit. Fresh, cold air sounds REEAALLY good right now."

"Heh heh, yeah...It does."

They both left the Office and headed back out into the snow...The wind was low, and a light flurry of snow was falling down onto the already white-covered terrain of the planet.

"...Nice out here, isn't it?" Engineer remarked.

"Sure is, babe," she agreed, sipping her hot chocolate as she took in the cold winter air.

"Hey, um...Do you maybe wanna go back to the cliffside?" he asked her. "Like we did the last time we got double killed? Heh..."

"Oh, that sounds great!" Gnome replied eagerly. "Let's go!"

"Alright, then."

He took her by the hand, and the two of them walked to the spot together, looking out across the rocky purple terrain coated in a thick layer of silvery white...There was more snow coating the ground now, and the flurry currenrly upon them cast an extra layer of beauty onto the extraterrestrial landacape.

It truly was a romantic view.

...It's perfect, Engineer said to himself as they looked out towards the horizon, admiring every detail in the jagged mountains out yonder...After a couple of minutes of silence between them, the purple crewmate decided to finally pop the question.

This is it, he thought, readying himself for how she might respond. ...No turning back.

"...Gnome?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Tell me honestly," he said to her. "Are you...happy with me?"

"Aww, of course I am, Engie. I know things have been a little bit rocky over the past couple of months, but that doesn't mean I don't still love you with all my heart...I don't ever want what we have to end..."

"Like...You wouldn't want anyone else in your life but me?"

"That's absolutely right. I know you can get a little self-conscious sometimes, so just know that I think you're the perfect blend of cute, handsome and charming, and you're even better on the inside. I couldn't ask for anything more. Except that we stay together forever..."

"Y-you mean, like, for the rest of our lives is what you'd like?"

Her smile fell just a bit...Engineer sounded so serious. It was concerning.

"Is...that a problem?"

"No. No, NO, absolutely not! I-I-I want that, too!" he stammered frantically. "It's just that I...I just want to know for sure that we're both on the same page with that, y-you know?"

"Oh...Well yeah, we are!" she assured him, her worries beginning to fade again. "I don't just want us to be together for the rest of our lives, but beyond the grave and into the afterlife...Is that what you want?"

The purple crewmate felt his eyes growing moist, and blinked the tears pooling in them away as best he could.

"...Of course, Gnome," he answered. "Forever and a day, that's how long I want this to last."

She pulled him into a gentle side hug and looked back out at the view.

"...Remember when you showed me this for the first time when we were ghosts, Engie?"

"Yeah...You don't grow tired of a view like this easily."

"And at Christmas time? With you right here? I don't think anything can make tonight more special than it already is..."

Engineer tensed ever so slightly as he began reaching for his coat pocket...He'd waited for the perfect time for what felt like an eon, and now it was finally upon him.

Just do it, Engineer, he told himself. Don't waste the chance while you still have it.

"Well..." he told her. "I can think of one thing."

She turned to face him, a curious twinkle in her gaze.

"Really? What is it?"

He gently pulled her hands off of himself, turned around to fully face her and held onto one of her hands with both of his own.

"Um...Th-the present I said I was going to give you after everyone else exchanged theirs."

"Oh, that's right! I nearly forgot, to be honest," Gnome giggled. "What is it?"

"I...I'm giving myself to you. Because you're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'm so happy you see me the same way...You and I were destined to be, and I want to see that through. So..."

He let one of his knees cave in, and he knelt down before her, keeping her hand in one of his as he used the other to grab the box...At that point, her visor had grown as large as a dinner plate.

"En...Engie...!?"

"Whadaya say, Gnome? Will..."

He flipped the lid off of the tiny casket and revealed the shimmering stone inside.

"...Will you marry me?"

Gnome just stood there, eyes wide and her breathing growing faster as she stared down at him...She was absolutely speechless.

Engineer sighed...This wasn't the response he'd been hoping for.

"Uh, Gnome...Please say something," he urged lightly. "Yes? No? M-maybe later? I at least want to know if you think-"

"Yes."

"What was that?"

His head perked up as soon as he heard her response, and he started to read Gnome's face again...The biggest smile he'd ever seen had stretched across it, and her visor had tears of joy pooling in its corners.

"Yes, yes, A THOUSAND TIMES, YES!!"

Without any warning, she leapt forward and tackled Engineer into a hug, pinning both of them onto the ground as she started to laugh uncontrollably.

She...she said yes, he realized. She actually said yes!

"You...you do!?" he asked as he pushed her off of him just enough to look her in the eye. "You're not bluffing? You really, actually want to marry me!?"

Her howling, exhilirant laughter died back down just enough for her to reply to him.

"...Does this answer your question?"

Before he could reply to her himself, she dipped her head down towards Engineer and kissed him right on the lips...The violet crewmate kissed her back, and the two melted into each other's hold, each of their arms wrapped snugly around the other. When they finally let go, they looked into each other's visors again, and Engineer finally found the ability to speak again.

"Yes...I love you, Gnome," he whispered. "So, so much..."

He kissed her again, chaste and sweet.

"...I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you," Gnome smiled.

"Me neither, babe...You wanna go tell the others?"

"Maybe in a little while...I just want to spend some time with you right now."

"...That sounds good to me," Engineer replied. "Hey, um, do you wanna...heh...try your present on?"

"I'd love to."

He'd been fortunate enough to hold onto the box with the ring in it while Gnome had tackled him to the snowy ground, and he was glad it hadn't fallen out and gotten buried in the white powder. So, without any further hesitation, he pulled the ring out of its holder and slipped it onto her finger...It fit perfectly.

"...Do you like it?"

"Engie, it's wonderful," she said to him. "...You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"You too, Gnomey...You too."

He stood up straight, then took her hand and helped her back onto her feet, and together, he and his now-fiancee looked out across the mountainous landscape again...The others could wait to hear the news. Right now, they just wanted to take in the moment together.

The rest of the party went smoothly, guests still talking about their gifts and poking fun at the apparent holiday romance in the atmosphere...Eventually, things seemed to quiet down, and Aiden and DrDoktor approached Captain after a while.

"Captain, sir. We'd like to thank you for inviting us to the celebration; it was sublime."

"Thanks, Doc. Are you guys gonna be heading home now?"

"Yes, good sir. We tend to go to bed earlier than most; especially as of recently, so we apologize for having to leave so soon as well."

"Oh, no need to apologize, I understand. You two have a good night, and a merry Christmas tomorrow, okay?"

"We will. Thanks, Captain," Aiden nodded, looking a bit on the sleepy side. "Tell the others we said goodbye."

"I will. Bye, you guys!"

DrDoktor left the game.

Aiden left the game.

"Oh. Are they gone for the night?" Mother asked, having noticed them despawn.

"Yes, they said it was almost bedtime for them."

"Ah...I should probably get going myself," the cyan crewmate remarked. "Just look at the boys; they're exhausted."

Captain looked down at the tiny sleeping bundle in her hands, and then at the barely awake Timmy beside her, clutching the box of Uno cards Aiden had given him.

"Yeah. I imagine they have a big day tomorrow."

"Same. Their father comes over for Christmas dinner every year, so I've got some last minute cleaning to do also."

"That so, huh? Well, I won't keep you. Go take a long winter's nap so that you're refreshed tomorrow, okay Mother?"

"I will, Captain. And thank you for the invitation; ya threw a heck of a party, if I do say so myself."

"Thank you, Mother. Merry Christmas."

"You too, hon'. Bye, now."

Mother left the game.

From that point onward, the Office began to clear out. Hornsly and SirClogsWorth were the next two to leave, followed by Happy, Rookie, Wizard, Greaser, Bro, Sheriff, Hunter, Goober, Rose and BDay not long after...Angel made sure to say goodbye to Player before she left for the night, giving him one last visor nuzzle and forehead kiss.

"Will I see you again soon?" the red crewmate asked her."

"Of course you will...Maybe New Year's Eve?"

"Sounds good, babe," he grinned. "Tell your family I said merry Christmas."

"Tell yours I said the same," she teased him lightly."

"Hee Hee...I will, Angel. G'night."

"Sleep well, Player."

Angel left the game.

"私も今行くべきです. メリークリスマス、みんな."

PoopyFarts nodded in agreement, but held his finger up before Ninja could leave, signifying that he had one more thing to do before they left for the night.

"Something going on, PoopyFarts?" Captain asked him. The brown crewmate cleared his throat in response, then opened his mouth.

"M...merry Christmas, everyone."

All eyes fell upon the antlered crewmate, wide and unblinking...except for Ninja's, as he'd known about this several hours before anyone else had.

"...彼はそれに取り組んでいます."

Ninja left the game.

PoopyFarts96 left the game.

"We'd better go, too," MrPresent spoke up, taking Ria by the hand. "Good night, everyone. Have a merry Christmas, everybody."

"G'night, MrPresent. Thanks for the eggnog," Player said to him."

"EGGcellent, wasn't it?"

They all shared one more laugh before they logged off.

MrPresent left the game.

Ria left the game.

"Well, that's our cue to go as well, I suppose. It's getting rather late," TheGentleman spoke up. "Captain. Thank you very much for he fine evening. You were an astounding host."

"Thank you, TheGentleman. You and MrTree were amazing first guests."

"Heh heh, yeah, we were, weren't we?" the green crewmate in question spoke up. "Sleep tight, everyone! My name MrTree~!"

TheGentleman left the game.

MrTree left the game.

After they were gone, the sound of the Office doors opening up caught the remaining crewmates' attention. Gnome and Engineer were re-entering the building, a fine layer of fallen snow sprinkled over each of them like powdered sugar.

"Whoa...It's so empty in here now." the purple crewmate remarked. "Gnomey, we're we really out there for that long?"

"I guess so," she replied, looking down at her phone. "Yeah, it's going on ten o'clock. Looks like most of the others left and went home by now."

"Welp, guess you guys are gonna have to pass the news on," Engineer shrugged as they approached the others.

"Tell 'em what?" Veteran asked.

"Guys..." Gnome replied, barely able to contain her smile. "...We're engaged."

"Whoa, really!?"

The quartet congratulated the couple, thrilled by the news.

"So, uh, when's the wedding?" Veteran asked them.

"Oh, we have to figure that stuff out still," Engineer replied. "But we'll keep you guys updated. We're going to go on home for the night now, okay?"

"Alright, see you guys soon," Player bid them.

"Bye everyone!" Gnome chirped before they both despawned.

Engineer left the game.

Gnome left the game.

"Huh...what? Is the party over...?"

The voice came from the meeting room, and Dum peered inside to see Stoner lying in there on the floor, an empty plate of gingerbread cookies to his right.

"Heh...Not sure if I'm in a sugar high or if it's just me wakin' up from the food coma, but...it's one of those things, bruh."

"I, uh...think you need to head on home for the night, buddy," Captain remarked.

"Yeah, prob'ly. I feel like I'm gonna conk out all over again, heh heh... Later dudes. Happy Tree Day."

Stoner left the game.

"Oh crap, guys, I gotta get goin' now, too," Veteran spoke up. "My aunt, uncle and cousins are coming over tomorrow, and I gotta have a LOT of energy to be able to handle 'em."

"Okay, Veteran," Player nodded, bumping fists with his best friend. "See you later."

"'Night, everyone, have a great Christmas tomorrow. This is Veteran, over and out."

Veteran left the game.

And with that, it was just Captain, Player and Dum.

"Well, looks like everyone else has gone home," Captain spoke up. "Guess you two should be heading back home for the night too, huh?"

"Yeah, it is getting a little late," the pink crewmate nodded. "I had a REALLY great time though, Cappy. Can't wait for the next party you throw~!"

"Ha! Neither can I, Dum-dum."

They drew close to one another and nuzzled visors, squeezing one another close for one last warm embrace for the night...Player smiled at them, wondering for a moment why he'd been so against the idea of them being together in the first place.

...They really are perfect for each other, he said to himself.

That was when the couple parted, and Captain turned to Player.

"Player. I know you weren't feeling your best today," he said to him. "So...the fact that you decided to come anyway really means a lot to me. Thanks so much."

"Hey, it's fine," Player assured him. "I wouldn't miss something like this no matter what. Besides, I'm not that bad off; it's just a cold."

"I know, but...Still, Player. You really brightened everything up just by being here."

He opened his arms up and invited Player in.

"Cap, I don't want you to catch what I have. I can't do that to you..."

"Aw, I don't care. Come on and bring it in, bestie."

Player sighed lightly, but then cracked another smile.

"Well...okay. It is Christmas, anyway."

He met Captain the rest of the way and melted right into the hug, warmly returning the gesture.

"...Merry Christmas, Player."

"Merry Christmas to you too...Thanks for the snowglobe."

"Thanks for the giant stuffed dragon."

"Heh...No problem. We're so glad you liked it."

"Tell Veteran I said thanks one last time for me, okay?"

"I got it," Player nodded. "...Well, guess we'd better log off now and start getting ready for bed, huh sis?"

"Yeah..." she agreed, letting out a small yawn. "...G'night, Cappy. Thanks for the gifts."

"Sleep tight, Dum. Love you."

She kissed him one more time on the forehead before she and Player disappeared.

"You too, marshmallow."

"Aww."

Dum left the game.

"...You did a really great job with the party," Player said to him. "...Same thing next year?"

"Guaranteed. Except bigger and better."

"Already lookin' forward to it...G'night, Captain."

"You too, bestie. And feel better soon."

"I will...Bye, Cap."

Player left the game.

...So that was it. The party was over. The gifts had all been unwrapped and the table was cleared of all traces of food...As soon as Captain logged off, everything would be the way it'd been before, decorations put away and furniture back in his quarters for the time being.

He took one last look at the Office Christmas tree, smiling at its twinkling lights and ornaments, the star on top shining brightly.

...Thanks for making this such a great Christmas, everyone, the lone crewmate said to himself, smiling as though he were saying it aloud to everyone. ...Until next year.

Captain left the game.