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Gepard liked to keep to himself, drawing or playing instruments, but he wasn’t one for huge crowds or interactions. Perhaps another reason he resorted to this state of loneliness and isolation was a recent breakup with a girlfriend. Most people would have considered this childish, especially for someone who turned twenty. But he believed this gal was the one. This had been going on for a few months, though. During his low, he came across a gamer named Sampo.
Sampo was currently one of the biggest game streamers. He had many sponsors and dealerships with rich and powerful companies; everyone wanted to do business with him, especially video gaming companies. The dude had many designer companies who wanted him for ads and magazines. It didn’t end just there with the fashion people, then all the sponsorships with game companies. It blew his mind when he saw how much influence this man had.
His followers were nicknamed trashcans, and people online said he was very talkative to the fans. He always acknowledged new subscribers when they followed, constantly blowing kisses and saying a few words of support. Or was it flirty talk? Gepard couldn’t figure it out, but he had a unique personality from the sounds of it.
And just like that, Gepard slowly began to break out of his shell, finally coming out of his room and doing practical stuff again in the house. Of course, Serval, his sister, had a million questions about what had caused this sudden change. Had he already found another girlfriend online? She never would have imagined that this all involved a video game streamer. So then came the day when she sat down and questioned him.
“Let me get this straight. My big brother, watching a real video game streamer? This was all it took for you to get out of your depression. I never thought this day would come, and of all the people you could have picked from- it’s Sampo? Does my brother perhaps have a crush?”
Serval couldn’t help but laugh as she poured herself a glass of water.
“Sorry, sorry- I shouldn’t have reacted like that! Sampo is cute and sweet! That’s why he has such a huge female fanbase! Indeed, he’s got a lovely girlfriend or boyfriend already. Man, I wish I was that lucky person. Since you have just started watching him, let me tell you more about him. He’s a very popular video game streamer who plays various genres!
He takes requests from the fans weekly; I swear he is so open and active with his fans. So, one week, he could be playing a super violent game, and the next, an adorable one. He just reached two million subscribers yesterday. Can you believe it! That reminds me. He’s going to be announcing a contest soon. He won’t give much details about it yet, but Sampo said it will be something everyone will love- SHIT- It’s already out. How the heck did I miss the notification? Look! It’s right here- Take a look!”
Serval handed her brother the cell phone and sat beside him, patiently waiting to look at the context page after Gepard looked at it.
The contest prize was a ticket to one of the most exclusive events in the world, the Winterland Bash. Only the wealthiest and most powerful people could go to that party. The event was always a big deal as it was live-streamed online so people could see the red carpet. Sampo was just handing out a free ticket as if it were child’s play. Not only did you get a ticket, you were Sampo’s plus one. Of course, everyone took it as a date, as the comments in the stream blew up, saying that such a thing. Within an hour, there were at least thousands and thousands of entries already.
Gepard knew he would never win the contest in a million years since everyone was entering this damn thing. If only he knew.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gepard was staring at the email in complete shock! It had been a few weeks, and the contest had officially ended. The blond had been waiting to see if an email came through. Of course, he knew there had been thousands and thousands of people that had entered, and sitting in front of him, an email saying that he had won that contest. This had to be a scam. There was no freaking way he won a competition, there was no way. He kept reading the message over and over again.
Thank You for entering! We are emailing to inform you that you have won the Winterland Bash contest! We will contact you at the phone number provided shortly, as we need information on which airport to send the private jet. There is no need to worry about packing; we will provide everything. Sampo wishes to welcome you personally to the airport when the private jet lands.
He should show this to Serval. No- that would be a mistake; he didn’t need his sister freaking out about this. He was already too late for that as Sevel entered his room and saw the screen.
“YOU WON???????? YOU WON SAMPO’s CONTEST???”
“Shhhh- I don’t need the whole apartment to hear you- Please keep it down- How you even get into my room–” Gepard sighed. He forgot she had a spare key to his bedroom. That was the least of his worries. He was still recovering from the email, real or fake. How was he supposed to handle the news he had right now? Should he be happy or not?
“Yes- I won- I mean, I think I did. The email looks legit enough! But I know plenty of scams try to get people’s information; I know what happens on the news and TV shows.” And just like that, Gepard had already received a text on his phone from someone he believed was Sampo’s agent. Boss? It was definitely whoever sent the email.
“This is insane! My big brother- going on a date with a celebrity! You realize, too, that the ball is in New York; I am a little jealous of how you will visit America before I can. You have to send me tons of pictures! You hear me. And if you bring something from there, that would be amazing!”
“Date? Who said this was a date… It’s not- I don’t even know if he’s into guys. I am just his plus one and nothing else! Got that? So please stop making things up..”
Serval was giggling. “Your cheeks are bright red, bro- Fine! I won’t call it a date! But you must be excited! Now hurry up and get ready! I saw the message about the private jet. Just for your information, I am very jealous of you, brother! Did I already say that?” She teased before leaving the room.
Gepard sighed as he finally had the room to himself again. Hmm- should he pack heavy for this party? Right- How could he have already forgotten the email they sent? That reminded him that he needed to respond to them. So he replied with a simple message back-
There is no need for private; the cheapest seating on an airplane would settle for me, but if you insist. And the airport to pick me up at would be XXXXXX
Thanks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Gepard, the airplane ride was rough. This was his first time, and he immediately learned about air sickness. But once they arrived at their destination, he was kissing the ground happily. Sampo couldn’t go to the airport because something had come up at the last second, and he was now held up at work.
That much he had honestly expected since Sampo was a freaking celebrity.
But at least when Gepard arrived at the hotel, a pile of clothes was already on the bed waiting for him; that much of not needing to unpack was true. Also, the hotel room looked like a freaking apartment; no, this didn’t even qualify as that; this place looked like a suite out of a huge ass mansion. He knew that Sampo had money, but how could a gamer be this damn rich? The blond sighed as he threw himself onto the bed and grabbed the note off the top of the clothes. Who could have possibly sent this note and clothes?
The writing was in fancy cursive, better than his sloppy writing. Looking at this fancy writing made him sick, though he was squinting to read it since Gepard sucked at reading cursive, but he was trying.
To Gepard-
Hello, my soon-to-be friend!
I am so sorry I couldn’t welcome you personally to the airport earlier today. Work had to be crazy and busy. I hope you will accept this lovely suit as an apology. I hope the clothes are to your liking!
I can’t wait to see you tonight at the Winterland Bash, and I hope you will wear this to the party.
Sampo
Was this supposed to be a serious note? Or was this a freaking love note? Sampo was flirty in this note; Gepard would give that to the guy, giving the vibes of how he would talk to his fans on streams. It was his persona he liked to use. After all this- it wasn’t a date.
Putting the note to the side, Gepard carefully unfolded the clothes on the bed. The fabric felt very lovely and silky; the quality was not something from cheap materials, which was a big give immediately. Damn it- not this again. The blond seriously didn’t need to be spoiled like this; something this expensive could feed his whole family for an entire week- Heck, even a month of rent for the apartment. He should just take the stupid clothes and leave, selling them off for money. What was he thinking? Did he forget why he was here in this fancy hotel room? He was here as Sampo’s plus-one for the Winterland ball.
The blond sighed as he continued to unfold the rest of the clothing; the suit and the dress shirt were sparkly in the light. That and they looked super skin-tight. Gepard wasn’t used to tight-fitting clothes, so this was possibly very uncomfortable for him, and just like this, another piece of paper dropped in his lap.
P.s.
I forgot to mention. My hair and makeup artist will soon stop by your hotel room to get you ready for the ball:)
A makeup and hair artist? Wasn’t that a little too much? Gepard sighed. He forgot how everyone took this ball seriously; after all, how the wealthiest and most influential people in the world were even able to attend this ball to begin with, he shouldn’t have expected anything more. The blond probably sounded ungrateful; he was very excited to be here. It was just a lot to process for him; after all, he did think Sampo was cute too. CRAP- did he actually have that thought come across his mind. He quickly shook that thought away as he heard a knock at the door. Those were probably the people Sampo had sent over to get him ready. It was time to get this over with already.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gepard wasn’t sure how to feel about being worked over. For one, he felt like a doll after they finished putting all the makeup and crap on him. Once they were done, he looked like a whole different person. First, his hair was pulled back with lots of gel; it made him look like a gentleman. The clothes were skin-tight on him, as expected, but for some reason, his overall appearance reminded him of what idols would probably wear. He would have usually felt embarrassed about looking like this or even complained about the expensive clothing.
Still, the more he wore the clothing, the more he felt comfortable, perhaps because it was from Sampo. He shook the thought off before looking at himself again in the mirror one last time before approaching the door. He needed to stop his weird obsession with Sampo. That's what you call it.
He sighed deeply as he pulled the phone out of his pocket, trying to remember the message that told him where to head for the party. Was it under his texts, or was it his text messages? His memory was a mess at the moment; that’s when he heard a soft but gentle voice in the distance. That voice sounded familiar to Gepard, but where had he heard it? There was no way that it could be Sampo. Wasn’t it too early for him to be here? When Gepard looked down at his phone, he realized it was already 5 pm. The party was only an hour away; he was running further behind than initially expected.
“Are you lost, my friend?” A gentle voice spoke beside Gepard, and it about gave the blond a heart attack. He hadn’t expected someone to come up beside him like that.
“I can help you. Just tell me where you wish to go- Wait- You’re my special guest, aren’t you-” The stranger cleared their throat before bowing.
“I am sorry for not having a better introduction- Let me restart- It’s nice to meet you, Gepard. That’s your name, correct? And I am, of course, well- Sampo.” Sampo winked before standing straight, brushing off his white suit, not wanting any dirt or junk clinging to his clothes.
“I have the honor of kissing your hand. Is that too formal? Do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend? In that case, I would feel bad doing such a thing! I always ask for permission before I do anything that may cross the line.”
Gepard wasn’t sure how to react. Sampo was an even bigger flirt than he had given off with his persona online. Was this just acting, or was this how Sampo was? His cheeks were a faint red as he began to speak.
“There’s no need for such flattery, and I am very much single! But like I said, there’s no need for it! I am running late to the ball; if you would excuse me, I should be going now.”
That’s when Gepard noticed the offered hand. That hand, of course, belonged to Sampo. Was he for real? He sighed before finally making eye contact with the other.
“What are you, Sampo? I already told you that I am late for the party-”
“Do you trust me?” Sampo asked, his tone very soft yet gentle.
“I can help you get to the party- After all, you’re my honored guest; it would be rude of me to leave you all alone, now wouldn’t it? Now, if you follow me to the car, I will ensure we get there safely.”
Gepard was again speechless by the other’s flirtatious behavior and unsure of what to say, but he accepted Sampo’s hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Landau was in utter shock. He knew people who held celebrations based on festivities here in New York were extremely intricate, but this was utterly insane to him…..he was completely baffled by the decorations and clear posh setting this ball had. He felt if he breathed the wrong way, he’d get yelled at for not having etiquette. But they didn't call this the Big Apple for nothing; things were big and extravagant. The blonde looked around, observing everything as he walked under the faux frozen arch, which had lights embedded through it.
After descending the stairs from the entrance he noticed others with designer gowns or suits following the winter-themed ball perfectly to a tee, just like his. The sides of the dance floor and the tables were draped in fabric cloth along with fake snow to mimic a real frozen effect, and various sizes and shapes of the classic silver snowed Christmas pine trees covered with lights were used as decoration around the stairs and snack tables, glass chandeliers mimicking ice were also sporadically placed for mood lighting around the venue holding the white silk looking cloth up all over the ceiling of the venue as well.
“Are you enjoying the surroundings? This is your first big event, isn’t it?” Sampo asked softly before grabbing two glasses of wine off a passing server’s tray. He offered a glass to Gepard before continuing to talk.
“I’ve been to quite a few now; I must say, most are pretty boring! However, I feel this party will differ from the others I’ve attended, don’t you agree?” Sampo's tone hinted at playfulness as the male softly tilted his head at Gepard.
Gepard had listened to Sampo’s talking and started to cough a little bit on the wine as he quickly sat the glass down on a table. He should change the subject because he didn’t want Sampo to continue with whatever he said next. But why was his heart starting to pound a little faster?
Before Gepard could even get his own word, Sampo was apologizing.
“Sorry, Gepard- Someone wishes to speak with me! I will be back quickly! Don’t worry, my friend!”
Sampo smiled and bowed respectfully before approaching a group of what looked like rich, shabby people.
Gepard stood alone. Should he go over and try to socialize with people? That wasn’t one of his strong suits, but perhaps he could try and be more open. But when he walked over to someone, they immediately went off. Okay- screw that idea- It was already going bad.
Gepard could stay by the bar and order some more drinks. That would be better than standing around like an idiot or going to the dance floor. He didn’t like dancing; there was no way you would get him to dance-
“Is someone wanting to dance?” Sampo asked as he softly tapped Gepard’s shoulder.
“I can see you staring over at the dance floor! And see what I told you- I wasn’t that long! Come on, Gepard! Why don’t we dance? Are you scared I’ll bite?” The taller male teased before offering his hand once again.
“What do you take me for? A child? Of course, I know how to dance, Sampo- I prefer not to dance!”
That was half a lie. Gepard did know how to dance; he was just a horrible dancer.
“What are we waiting for? Come on, then! We can dance on the balcony.”
Sampo took Gepard’s hand and softly pulled on it. He gracefully helped the other to the balcony and let go of their hand.
“I can hear the music out here. Hmm- it seems to be a slow dance! And I wanted to show off my skills in a fast dance. Oh well- If you’re uncomfortable or anything, just say okay. I want you to have fun.”
Sampo was very serious, as he simply put Gepard’s needs ahead of himself. It was odd to explain, but his feelings were deep down. It was probably easier to say that what he was feeling was love, which he had never felt with anyone else. Gepard also had some feelings for Sampo.
Sampo softly put his hands on Gepard’s waist, and Gepard put his hands on Sampo’s shoulders. Then, just like that, the two began to dance. It started with that dance, and after that, they danced and danced for what felt like hours underneath the moonlight.
After a while, Gepard pulled away. He was enjoying his time with Sampo, but that feeling inside him was growing even more. He had fallen—he did like Sampo—and this was crazy; there was no such thing as love at first sight. He took a deep breath before trying to let it out.
“Sampo- I don’t know how to say this- But I think I like you- I don’t mean as friends, something more… This is silly- Saying it out loud, and you are probably not even into men. Also, we’re not even from the same freaking world. I am not rich-”
Before he could finish, there was a kiss on his lips, and he was pulled into an even deeper kiss. This couldn’t be real- Gepard was in a complete panic, but oh my- he was enjoying this so damn much.
“Don’t even say another word. Geppie, I like you too.” Sampo pulled the male into another kiss before pulling away and softly whispering into the other’s ear, his breath softly hitting his ear as he spoke.
“Shall we continue this somewhere else, someplace more private, Geppie?”