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A completely insane, idiotic thought popped into Joel’s mind after seeing Samy’s Instagram story.
“Could someone please buy me a dog for Christmas” was what Samy had posted.
Well, technically he could. It would be insane though. But if Samy really wanted that.. What better way was there to impress him? And he was his Secret Santa after all.. Their Blind Channel x Lost Society x Shiraz Lane + Crews&Friends Christmas party was already in two days, and Joel still didn’t have a present for Samy. He just couldn’t think of something good enough. But this would surely be good enough. And it just so happened that his neighbour had a nest of puppies waiting to be adopted. But what if Samy had only meant it as a joke? He had heard Samy talking about wanting a dog before, but there was still a difference between wanting a dog and seriously contemplating getting one. A dog was a huge responsibility.
Joel needed to find out how serious Samy was about this. And he needed to find out as soon as possible. But he couldn’t just ask him of course, that would totally spoil the surprise. Also, Joel wouldn’t be seeing Samy until the party. He hadn’t seen Samy in a while now, unfortunately. Joel loved hanging out with Samy, but lately they had both been on tour and with the little time in between shows there hadn’t been a proper excuse for him to get together with Samy. Not that they were doing much together anyway. Actually they only saw each other at parties and such, when there was a large group of people. They had quite a lot of mutual friends, so they were bound to run into each other every once in a while. But somehow, every time Joel saw Samy, he completely forgot about all the other people in the room. Joel loved to talk with him about everything that was going on right now. They were both in the same situation. Both struggling to handle it all mentally. Both using the same coping mechanisms, listening to NIN and outing their frustrations on social media. Joel felt so strongly connected to Samy, there was no one else he ever felt this with. Not like this at least. And also, Samy was just stunning to look at. Whenever they were in the same room, Joel couldn’t take his eyes off of him. People had even started to notice this. Niko had been so annoying to comment on it in front of Joonas, who now wouldn’t let go any chance to tease Joel about it. Joel didn’t really mind though. If anything, he sort of hoped Samy would find out about his feelings so he wouldn’t have to tell him himself.
So yeah, Joel would love to see Samy. He had even gathered the courage to ask him if he wanted to hang out today, but Samy said he was already doing something with his sister.
Of course! Amira! That was Joel’s way in, to find out if Samy was serious about getting a dog. Joel didn’t know Amira that well, he had met her only a few times, but he actually liked her. She seemed the kind of person who could keep a secret to surprise someone. Joel decided to send her a message to explain the situation and ask for her help. She responded almost immediately. Amira was very excited and said she loved to help Joel. She even already offered to babysit for the dog when Samy would go on tour!
Joel had no idea how Amira did it, but two hours later she messaged him that she was 100% sure that Samy was indeed quite serious, especially since she was willing to help out when needed. So now there was no way back out of this idiotic idea. Joel had to go ask his neighbour about the puppies. He didn’t have a single clue of how one would do this purchasing a dog thing though. Luckily he had another friend who would be able to help out. He called Aleksi.
“Hi Joel, what’s up?” Aleksi answered his phone cheerfully.
“Hi, I need your help with something,” Joel said.
“Okay, what can I help you with?”
“I need to buy a dog, but I don’t know how,”
“Wait, what? You need to buy what now?” Aleksi asked a little shocked.
“A dog,” Joel said annoyed. How difficult could that question be? Aleksi had one already, he should know this stuff.
“Joel, I don’t understand. Why do you need to buy a dog? You know they need to be taken care of right?” Aleksi asked worried.
“Oh, but it’s not for me! It’s a Christmas present”
“Ahh, well, that is sort of reassuring to be honest. But are you sure they even want a dog?”
“Yes, I am sure, I checked. Wait, what do you mean reassuring? You think I couldn’t take care of a dog?” Joel asked.
“Have you met yourself?” Aleksi countered his question.
“Hmpf,” Joel huffed. He knew Aleksi was right, but still it was a bit harsh to hear it.
“Well, if you’re absolutely sure, I might be able to help you,” Aleksi offered.
Joel told him about his neighbour, and Aleksi decided to come over so they could go see the puppies together if the neighbour agreed.
Joel called the neighbour, she still had a few puppies left, and Joel was welcome to come see them that same afternoon. Impatiently Joel waited for Aleksi to arrive. In the meantime, he googled for information on buying a dog. There was a lot of information about this subject. So much even that it overwhelmed Joel a bit. He started to doubt the whole plan again. Fortunately it didn’t take Aleksi long to get there. He had brought all his own info that he had gathered when he got Rilla. When Aleksi heard a bit more about Joel’s idea, and who it was for, he became more excited. Reassured by what Amira had told Joel, Aleksi was now full in on the plan. He told Joel all about adopting Rilla. About organising all the medical stuff like vaccinations and a microchip. And about what stuff was needed, like a leash and a food and water bowl. Joel started to see that this could be quite an expensive Christmas gift, but it just had to happen anyway. Seeing Aleksi glow over the memories of getting his little buddy, Joel could already imagine Samy’s reaction. If he could get Samy to smile in that beautiful way like he did, it would all be worth it. When Samy smiled, his entire face smiled. His eyes would sparkle like sunshine. It was the best thing in the world.
Eventually Joel and Aleksi went over to the neighbour. She had five puppies. Two of them had already been adopted, the other three were still available. They were a small breed, white and fluffy little things. Not what Joel would prefer, but probably best for someone living in a big city. And the longer Joel looked at them, the cuter they started to seem. Joel could just see Samy cuddle one of these tiny plushies, and the image was adorable. Aleksi asked the owner all kinds of serious sounding questions, like about the character of the parent dogs and if there were any diseases and stuff. Joel was happy that Aleksi was there to get this information, it seemed important. But Joel himself was already sold. Luckily Aleksi seemed contempt with the answers he got to his questions. The owner of the dogs told them that the puppies had already been vaccinated and chipped, and they even came with a little passport of their own. When Aleksi gave Joel his consent, all Joel had to do was choose one. And that wasn’t too hard at all. Ever since Joel approached the tiny things, there was this one puppy that caught his eye. It was the one that seemed a bit shy at first. But it was looking at Joel curiously from a distance, while it’s siblings were all over Joel. Joel liked that distance, he felt like he understood the dog. Secretly wanting the attention, but too anxious to come get it. That would be the one. After all, if everything worked out the way Joel wished, he would be seeing a lot more of this dog in the future.
Joel agreed with the owner on a price. He could already come and pick the dog up the day after tomorrow, which was perfect since that was when the party was. He and Aleksi went back to his apartment. Joel thanked Aleksi for his help. Aleksi left him a shopping list for the absolute dog essentials, and then he went home. The owner of the puppies had said she would give him two weeks worth of dog food so the dog would have some time to adjust with its own brand of kibble. So food was already covered.
The next day Joel went to the pet store to get everything he needed to complete his perfect Christmas gift. When he walked into the dog section, he was overwhelmed by the amount of stuff available. There was so much to choose from, how would he ever be able to do this? Okay, first things first. The floofball needed a collar. Joel decided to keep it simple and go with black leather. Just a thin one though, since the dog was still a baby. It came with a matching leash, so that was covered as well. Now some bowls for food and water. Joel found a set in black ceramic with blue and yellow paw prints on them. Perfect. The last thing Joel wanted to get was a carrier with a nice soft cushion. That way he would have something to transport the dog in, and at the same time it could serve as a doggy bed for now. He picked a solid looking carrier that would be big enough, and a soft white pillow to put in it. Happy that he found everything he wanted to get, Joel went home.
Back at his apartment, Joel put all of the stuff out on his dining table. It looked good, but he still felt like he was missing something. It didn’t look like a present yet. It needed some ribbons or something. And something to wrap it up in. Good thing Joonas lived next door! Joel went over to Joonas’ flat.
“Hi,” Joonas said as Joel marched in like he owned the place.
“Oh, hi, you’re here,” Joel said, preoccupied looking for ribbons.
“Eh, yeah, I live here actually,” Joonas grinned. “What are you looking for?”
“Ribbons. And wrapping paper. Or some other sort of cover. For my Christmas present. It’s big, so I’m not sure if paper is gonna work.”
“Other cabinet, the one over there. Upper left drawer,” Joonas directed.
Joel went to the drawer Joonas pointed at. There was a massive collection of ribbons and bows and gift labels and other decorations. Joel smiled at the sight of it. He had come to the right place. Of course Joonas would have all this stuff. He picked some nice thick, red and green ribbons and a glittery label. At the last second he also grabbed a little bow to attach to the dogs collar. In the meantime Joonas had found a thin blanket with a Christmas print on it.
“You think this will work to wrap your present in?” Joonas asked.
“Yeah, that is perfect actually!” Joel exclaimed.
He just remembered to yell a “Thank you” at a slightly baffled Joonas before he darted out again.
Joel barely slept that night. He was so nervous about Samy’s reaction. And maybe even more nervous about spending the time before the party alone with the dog. The thing needed to survive in his care for a few hours at least. After a quick breakfast that honestly consisted of just coffee and a muesli bar, he walked over to the neighbour to pick up the puppy. Since it was only a few doors over on the same gallery of the building, Joel decided he wouldn’t bring the carrier for now and just carry the dog in his arms. When he picked the dog up, Joel’s heart melted. The puppy was so tiny and warm and soft in his arms. Very carefully Joel brought it home with him. So far it all went great. The little plushy creature was licking his hand and sniffing him. It was adorable, even Joel had to admit.
When it was almost time to leave for the party, Joel put the collar on the dog with the little bow attached to it. It looked extremely cute. Lovingly Joel shoved the puppy in the carrier. He wrapped the carrier in the Christmas blanket which he tied close with the ribbons to cover the surprise until it was time to unwrap. He wrote Samy’s name on the label and attached it to the ribbons.
The party was held at Johnny’s apartment, since he had the biggest place of all of them. Joel arrived a little late, as usual. But this time he had actually planned it that way, so he would be the last one to add his present to the pile and it wouldn’t take too long for the little dog before it was freed from his enclosure. Sure enough, soon after Joel got there, someone mentioned they should start unwrapping gifts already. Joel hadn’t even seen Samy yet before Taz and Ana started shoving everyone into the living room. When Joel spotted Samy, his heart lighted up. Samy looked so good. Unfortunately there was only opportunity for a quick “Hi” while everyone crowded together around the presents. At once, Olli shrieked. “Uh, I think we need to unwrap this present first, it’s making noise,” Olli said pointing at Joel’s gift. Everyone looked at the scene in surprise. Joel saw Joonas look at him in shock, clearly recognising the wrapping. Tommi was calm enough to act in a sensible way and check the label to see who the gift was for. “It’s for Samy,” he noted.
Since Joel was already staring at Samy anyway, he could see Samy’s slightly scared but mostly excited reaction. Hesitatingly Samy went over to the present and started to untie the ribbons. The dog was squeaking quietly. When Samy saw it, he cried out in surprise. “Oh! Is this real? But how?” he stammered. “Amira?”
“No, it wasn’t me. I may have been in on it, but I wasn’t the one who organised all this.” Amira said secretive.
“Then who..” Samy looked a little lost, scanning the room, looking for his Secret Santa. Then his eyes found Joel, and an understanding came over him. “Joel. Was it you?” Samy asked. Joel nodded shyly. Samy’s face lit up. He walked over to Joel, grabbed his hands and without hesitation he kissed him full on his lips. Now it was Joel’s turn to be surprised. For a second he was completely shocked. But then his brain processed what was happening, and a warm, happy feeling filled his stomach. He kissed Samy back. As the kiss deepened, people around them started to cheer. Samy and Joel both started smiling into the kiss, hearing their friends go insane over them. They didn’t let go though. They finally got what they wanted, and nobody was going to hold them back anymore.