Kota woke up to his phone buzzing so many times it nearly vibrated itself off the nightstand. He groaned, rolling over in his still fully clothed body from last night, the wrinkled black button up twisted around his torso and the torn gray slacks bunched uncomfortably at his knees.
The morning light filtered through the cheap blinds in thin golden stripes, painting the posters of old football stars in warm, dusty hues. His head throbbed faintly, his nose still tender from Davion's punch, and every muscle in his body felt like it had been through a meat grinder.
He grabbed his phone and squinted at the screen. Ten unread messages. All from Sebastian.
Kota blinked. Sebastian. The pretentious English teacher with the Oxford degree and the desperate need for validation. The same Sebastian who had begged Kota to teach him the secret to a perfect 4.0 GPA and then got pawned off on Theo. Why the hell was Sebastian texting him at seven in the morning on a Sunday?
He opened the messages.
[6:47 AM] Sebastian: Good morning, fellow academic prodigy. I trust this message finds you in a state of intellectual readiness. Theodore, your charming boyfriend, was gracious enough to provide me with your contact information, a gesture I assume you anticipated given our previous discourse on the matter of scholastic mentorship.
[6:48 AM] Sebastian: As a fellow 3.9 genius, I'm certain you understand the weight of expectation that comes with such a distinction. The burden of perfection. The endless pursuit of knowledge. The hunger for more.
[6:49 AM] Sebastian: It is with this understanding that I reach out to you today. I was hoping, dare I say yearning, for a more direct arrangement. A one on one tutoring session. Student to teacher. Mind to mind. A meeting of equals in the sacred pursuit of academic excellence.
[6:50 AM] Sebastian: I simply must know your secret, Kota. How do you maintain such flawless grades with such apparent effortlessness? Do you use a specific mnemonic system? Spaced repetition algorithms? Do you meditate before examinations? Are there supplements involved? I must know.
[6:51 AM] Sebastian: I am aware that you previously directed me to learn from Theodore, and I have indeed been observing him from afar. He is remarkable. Truly. A genius in his own right. But I find myself drawn to the source. To the origin. To you.
[6:52 AM] Sebastian: Please do not mistake my enthusiasm for desperation. I am simply a man who recognizes greatness and wishes to bask in its reflected glow. If you could find it in your heart to spare even an hour of your time, I would be eternally grateful. Eternally.
[6:53 AM] Sebastian: I have prepared a list of questions. Only forty seven items. Very concise. Very focused. We could begin at your earliest convenience. Today, perhaps? This afternoon? I can bring tea. I have a very rare oolong that I've been saving for a special occasion.
[6:54 AM] Sebastian: I realize these messages may seem excessive. Eight messages is perhaps too many. But I wanted to convey the depth of my sincerity. The breadth of my commitment. The sheer magnitude of my desire to learn from the best.
[6:55 AM] Sebastian: I will await your response with bated breath. Yours in the pursuit of knowledge, Sebastian Rupert, BA Oxford, Summa Cum Laude.
Kota stared at the screen for a long moment. He had to read the messages twice just to absorb the sheer volume of pretentiousness Sebastian had managed to pack into ten back to back texts. The guy typed exactly like he talked, all posh and desperate and painfully self important.
[7:12 AM] Kota: Didn't I already tell you that Theo would be teaching you? He's the actual genius. I'm just along for the ride.
The response came almost instantly, as if Sebastian had been sitting there staring at his phone waiting for the reply.
[7:12 AM] Sebastian: Of course, of course. You are absolutely correct. Theodore is indeed a remarkable mind. A prodigy. A visionary. I will, of course, continue to seek his guidance as instructed. I apologize profusely for overstepping. Please forgive my enthusiasm. It is merely the passion of a fellow scholar recognizing a kindred spirit. I will find a way to learn from him instead. Thank you for your time. Sorry again. Truly.
Kota sighed and tossed his phone onto the bed. Sebastian was exhausting even through text messages. He peeled himself out of his rumpled clothes and headed for the bathroom, drawing a hot bath because his muscles were screaming for it. The soak helped. The heat loosened the knots in his shoulders and thighs, eased the lingering ache from the carry fuck with Gideon, and gave him time to just breathe.
The day passed simply after that. Khalil was already gone for another shift, a note on the counter saying he'd be back late again. Kota ate leftover rice and beans straight from the container, watched some mindless TV, and responded to the occasional text from Theo. His boyfriend kept him updated throughout the day, little snippets about his father's return from Germany, the tense atmosphere in the mansion, the way the staff was scurrying around preparing for some big announcement. Kota sent back emojis and reassurances, content to let the day drift by without any more chaos.
Then around five in the afternoon, his phone buzzed again.
[5:03 PM] Theo: Darling, random question. Have you decided what college you want to go to yet?
Kota frowned at the screen. College had always been this vague, distant thing, a goal his dad pushed but Kota had never really focused on. With everything that had happened in the last few days, the changes to his body, the hyperspermia diagnosis, the endless parade of femboys, college applications had slipped even further down the priority list.
[5:04 PM] Kota: No. Haven't really thought about it. Why?
[5:04 PM] Theo: Perfect. Because my father has a major stake in Rice University. And somehow, he knows we're dating.
[5:05 PM] Kota: Ok?
Kota stared at the message, waiting for more. Rice University was one of the best schools in Texas. Private. Expensive. The kind of place that produced senators and CEOs, not sons of construction workers who barely passed English before Theo started fudging his grades.
[5:05 PM] Theo: Well. My father says he would rather not have his son date a common student. But if I want to make appearances, he's going to have to send you to a good college.
[5:06 PM] Kota: I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be happy about that or offended.
[5:06 PM] Theo: (´・ω・｀) A little of both, probably. He's very old fashioned. Very concerned with status and appearances. But here's the thing. Since I'm going to be taking over his lobbying company as well as his major investments, he's offering you a free ride to any university of your choice. Full tuition. Books. Room and board. Everything.
[5:07 PM] Theo: But there are conditions. You have to meet with him sometime this weekend. And you have to work for him. In some capacity. He didn't specify exactly what kind of work.
Kota's stomach tightened. The offer was incredible. Life changing. The kind of opportunity that his dad had been killing himself with overtime trying to scrape together. But the strings attached made his skin prickle. Meeting Theo's father. The same man who had turned Theo into a nervous, approval seeking mess. The same man who ruled the Hawthorne household like a corporate dictator. And now he was supposed to work for him?
[5:08 PM] Kota: What happens if I say no?
[5:08 PM] Theo: (´;ω;｀) I would strongly suggest against it. My father is not an attached man. He is not above disownment if his son's partner does not follow orders. He barely tolerates me as it is. If I bring home a boyfriend who refuses his generous offer, he will see it as a personal insult.
[5:09 PM] Theo: I know this is a lot. I know it's unfair. But if you want to be with me, this is part of it. The Hawthorne name comes with expectations. I hate it. I've always hated it. But I can't escape it. And I don't want to escape you.
Kota swallowed hard. His throat felt dry. He thought about Theo, about the way his boyfriend's face lit up when they were together, about the soft kisses and the cuddling and the way Theo whispered "I love you" like it was the most precious secret in the world. He thought about his dad, who had been working double shifts and graveyard hours for years trying to save up for a college fund that would never be enough. He thought about the alternative, saying no, losing Theo, losing everything they had built together.
[5:10 PM] Kota: Fine. Ask him if next Sunday is alright for the meeting.
[5:10 PM] Theo: (´;ω;｀) Thank you, Kota. Thank you thank you thank you. I know this is scary. I know my father is intimidating. But I'll be there with you the whole time. I won't let him bully you. And whatever work he wants you to do, I'll make sure it's not too awful.
[5:11 PM] Kota: It's fine. I've dealt with worse. Pretty sure Davion punching me in the nose was scarier than your dad will be.
[5:11 PM] Theo: (´⊙ω⊙`) Did you just make a joke about getting punched in the face?
[5:12 PM] Kota: Maybe.
[5:12 PM] Theo: You're incredible. I love you. I'll text my father right now and confirm Sunday. Thank you for doing this, darling. Really.
[5:13 PM] Kota: Love you too. Now go deal with your scary dad. I'm gonna eat more rice and beans.
[5:13 PM] Theo: (♡´ω｀♡) Enjoy your peasant food, my love. Soon you'll be dining on fine cuisine with the Hawthornes. Sunday can't come fast enough.
Kota set his phone down and stared at the ceiling. Rice University. A free ride. A meeting with Theodore Hawthorne Senior. And a job he knew nothing about. His life had officially become unrecognizable from the quiet, boring existence he had lived just a month ago. He wasn't sure if he should be excited or terrified.
Probably both.