Smythe.

“When it comes to French, I don’t doubt that,” Hunter said sincerely. He would never ask just anyone for help in any subject unless he truly needed it and the person he was asking was smarter than he was, which rarely ever happened. When it came to most subjects, Hunter always found himself to be the most knowledge in his classes, but French was the exception. Hopefully by the time Sebastian was done helping him, after however many sessions it took, Hunter would be completely fluent. “Well, if you ever do, let me know.” Hunter never jumped on the chance to help someone, as it took it up far too much of his own time, but he supposed it was the least he could do for Sebastian in repayment.

“There’s no leash,” Hunter replied with his eyebrows slightly raised. He cared for and also respected his boyfriend deeply, but no one would ever put a leash on Hunter Clarington. “If there was, I would not be here,” he added, wanting to make it obvious to Sebastian that he was his own person who made his own decisions. Carter was someone Hunter was incredibly fond of, but just because he was in a relationship, he didn’t suddenly become someone else, or a combination of two people. He enjoyed his freedom, and Carter respected that. Of course, he did, or Hunter wouldn’t be with him. He could never see himself with someone who was clingy or didn’t understand that Hunter needed his alone time without taking it personally. Hunter was very lucky to find someone like Carter.

He let out a soft huff of a chuckle at Sebastian complimenting him in French, especially considering the fact that they were just talking about Hunter’s boyfriend. Sebastian clearly had no shame, but at least he was upfront about it. That gave Hunter the chance to prepare himself for any comment his classmate may make. “Je comprends la langue. Mais souvent, je ne comprends pas le genre grammatical de certains mots,” Hunter said as he turned back a few pages in his notebook to find his notes on the gender aspects of the French language. “What are the exact differences between masculine and feminine nouns? I understand the basis of it, but I’m sure you can explain it better than my notes can.”

Sebastian really didn’t need help when it came to any of his classes, so he wasn’t likely to need someone to help him, though that sadly might be the only way to get some of Hunter’s time. When he actually put forth the slightest bit of effort, he typically did quite well in his classes. School had always come fairly easy to him, which was a true blessing if he were to believe in such a thing, because otherwise, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. It only took a small amount of studying for him to grow bored, so he wasn’t sure how he’d do if he was studying something a little more challenging like Hunter was. Not that history had ever been difficult for Sebastian, but the idea of memorizing all of those dates was almost enough to make his eyes roll back into his head. At least his classes held some sort of interest for him, even if school was hardly his top priority. He knew a college degree was important, but he also wasn’t about to spend the best years of his life with his nose in a book.

“I’ll be sure to do just that,” he replied, though Sebastian wondered how likely it would be for the other man to help him out at the gym rather than in a coffee shop studying. Sebastian had no complaints about his own body, but he could definitely use wanting to be bigger as an excuse to have some one-on-one training, especially when it came to lacrosse season. Hunter in a tank top and covered in sweat definitely sounded more appealing than them both sitting across a table with a number of books opened between them. “I’ll let you know if I ever need some workout tips or a protein shake recipe too,” he tossed in with a wink, just wanting to see how Hunter responded.

“And does he know you’re here?” Sebastian couldn’t help but ask, genuinely curious to hear Hunter’s answer. Despite the number of men he’d been with in his life, Sebastian had never once been in a romantic relationship. There were too many gorgeous men in the city for him to tie himself down to just one man. Along with that, he just didn’t see the appeal in a relationship. Sure, it meant that people always had someone who was consistently down to hook up, but Sebastian had that already. His phone was filled with numbers of guys who would be over in a heartbeat if he texted them that he was awake and horny, and none of them kept tabs on where he was or who he was with outside of the hour or so they spent together. He couldn’t ask for more than that, even if he knew he could have dozens of men lining up to date him if he did.

He held back from letting out a bored sigh as Hunter turned the conversation to French. There had to be a better way to spend time outside of class with Hunter that wouldn’t nearly put him to sleep, but if he wanted to get closer to Hunter, he knew he’d have to get through helping him prepare for their test. “Let me see what you have so far,” he answered, gently taking Hunter’s notebook from him to look it over, not wanting to repeat what he already had written. He quickly skimmed over the page, unable to not be impressed with how organized and thorough the notes were before handing the book back to Hunter. He realized that he probably wasn’t the best person to help Hunter with his French. Considering he’d grown up speaking the language, Sebastian really had no idea how to explain it to someone else or do anything more than play translator. The language came so easily to him that he didn’t even think about half of the questions nonspeakers might have. 

Despite wanting to be helpful, Sebastian found himself shrugging his shoulders as he leaned back in his chair. “There’s not really a definite difference outside of the article and there’s no simple rule to determine which is which,” he offered unhelpfully. Even the list Hunter had of noun endings had exceptions to it. He paused for a moment before taking Hunter’s notebook back, looking at Hunter’s endings he had written down before adding in a few notes and passing the book back again. “If you don’t have time to memorize all of those, I starred the most common feminine endings and underlined the masculine ones.” He reached into his bag and pulled out some copies of French magazines he’d found lying around his apartment, handing those over to Hunter, as well. “You should read these. They’re more interesting than the textbook and it’ll help you see and get used to the different nouns and adjectives.”

“It only made sense to agree, considering how fluent you are.” Hunter wasn’t sure if Sebastian was joking, or had little self-awareness because he didn’t know many people who hit on guy’s who had a boyfriend and said they made good choices, but he wasn’t going to pry. He honestly had no idea how them studying turned into a regular conversation, and one that could lead into dangerous territory, but Sebastian seemed to have that effect on him. Hunter supposed it was because his classmate was charming and seemed to know what to say a lot of the time, and it threw Hunter off. Usually with strangers, he didn’t give them the time of day, but he wasn’t going to look into it, no good would come of that.

Hunter couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh as he gently shook his head when he heard Sebastian’s reply because it was incredibly difficult to take him seriously. “Unless your idea of fun is entirely innocent I’m going to have to say no to that,” Hunter said in reply with his eyebrows raised, still unsure what Sebastian’s intentions were. He knew his classmate found him attractive, but other than saying that, he didn’t give Hunter any hints as to what he wanted with Hunter, and it was bugging him like no other. A part of him wanted to ask, but a bigger part, the one that kept thinking about Carter, was telling him to let it go. “We should really get to the French lesson, now.”

“You couldn’t find a better tutor on campus,” Sebastian agreed, knowing that he could at least use Hunter’s need for good grades in his favor. The man clearly wasn’t going to jump into bed with him after a few conversations, but Sebastian liked having to work for what he wanted, so he was okay with taking his time with Hunter. He only had to take one look at him to know that he would be more than worth the wait if it meant ending up in bed with him. “And I hope you’ll repay the favor if I ever find myself in an Econ or history class,” Sebastian added, not planning on boring himself with either of those classes anytime soon. He’d already taken care of his electives, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to show off that he actually remembered things about Hunter that weren’t the shape of his ass. His lips curved into a smirk at Hunter’s laugh. He’d never been good at being subtle, and apparently his new friend had picked up on that. No, Sebastian wasn’t looking for some innocent fun with Hunter, but he could suffer through a game of mini golf or a trip to the park or whatever it was people did when they weren’t fucking. “You’re welcome to bring your boyfriend along if the leash is that short,” Sebastian offered, though he really didn’t like the idea of spending any time with Carter. The guy was hot, but he was also going to be Sebastian’s number one obstacle in getting what he wanted from Hunter, so the man was no friend of his. “Or does he not like games either?” Sebastian chuckled as Hunter suggested they get to work, though he was honestly surprised he’d made it this far without doing any actual studying. Maybe Hunter would be easier than he thought. “Intelligent et beau,” he teased, his eyes meeting Hunter’s as he let the words roll of his tongue, trying his best to keep his compliments as innocent as possible. “Où devrions-nous commencer? Que trouves-tu le plus difficile?”

“Chocolate covered fruit is always a good choice,” Hunter said with a small nod in agreement. If their meeting kept going the way it was going now, Hunter was almost sure they were never going to study, and it suddenly dawned on him that maybe Sebastian didn’t have any plans to begin with to do any at all. That didn’t really sit well with Hunter because he wasn’t one to waste his time, but he was, admittedly, also curious as to what Sebastian wanted from him. The other male was incredibly mysterious, even when he was flirting, and he has yet to say he wanted Hunter at all. Hunter’s ego wanted answers, despite the fact that Sebastian was never, ever going to get anything from him. A compliment here and there, maybe, but that was it. He respected his boyfriend enough to not do anything even resembling cheating, and it has never crossed Hunter’s mind before, and it wasn’t going to now, no matter how attractive Sebastian was.

“That implies that you do want to play at least a few with me,” he replied, taking a sip of his coffee and looking over at his classmate as he did so. If they weren’t going to study, he might as well try and wrap his head around Sebastian and his intentions. Hunter didn’t play games, but Sebastian clearly did.

“I make a lot of good choices,” Sebastian agreed, not missing the fact that the other man was giving him very little to work with as far as conversation went. He knew that Hunter was probably just there to study rather than actually get to know Sebastian, but they would study when Sebastian was ready to, which would be in quite some time. It really wasn’t like he needed to study. He’d always excelled in his French classes, so he really wasn’t worried. “So do you, considering you agreed to meet me here today.” Though considering his overprotective boyfriend, Hunter wasn’t always the king of making the best decisions. “You don’t want to play with me?” Sebastian questioned innocently, a playful smirk crossing his lips as he leaned back in his chair. “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, but you look like you could use some more games. I think you and I could have a lot of fun together.”

Hunter let out a soft huff of a chuckle at Sebastian’s comment, because he did have a point. Though, considering how Hunter ate, which was quite a lot, but always food that had value and quality, a spoonful of sugar was definitely a big treat for him. Too much of it made him feel sick, but just a little bit was perfect. “Cheesecake, usually,” Hunter said after a brief pause. “The original kind, with a few strawberries on top is what I like to indulge in, from time to time,” he added, wishing he didn’t answer because now he was craving it. Maybe later, once they were done studying, he would pick up a slice. When he had his head or heart set on something, it was hard to just let it go.

“I think you’re someone who always gets what he wants,” Hunter said in reply with his eyebrows slightly raised before lifting his cup to his lips and taking a sip of the hot coffee inside. No one had the confidence Sebastian had if they rarely got what they wanted, and him flirting with Hunter despite knowing fully well that he had a boyfriend, which he has met, just goes to show that no matter what, he got what he wanted in the end. But, there was a first for everything, unfortunately for Sebastian.

Sebastian raised his eyebrows in surprise at Hunter’s answer. Honestly, he didn’t know what to expect, but cheesecake was definitely an indulgence. He figured when someone looked like Hunter, they deserved to really treat themselves whenever they had a cheat day, even if it looked like Hunter had a cheat day about once every ten years. Sebastian had never been a fan of it himself, but he did smile as Hunter describes the specifics of his favorite dessert. It made sense. If he was only going to have it on the rare occasion, it made sense for him to have his cheesecake exactly the way he liked. “Very nice,” Sebastian responded with a small nod as he took a sip of his coffee. “I’m not a big cheesecake fan, but I do love chocolate covered strawberries for my birthday every year.” Fortunately for him, they were easy to get, considering what holiday his birthday landed on. It was one of the very few perks of sharing a birthday with the year’s worst holiday. He couldn’t refrain from smirking as Hunter agreed that he looked like he always got what he wanted. And how could he not? “Well, I guess that answers that question, doesn’t it? I do like the occasional game, but I promise I’ll try not to play too many with you,” he teased, winking across the table as he took another sip. Their entire relationship was already a game to Sebastian, and by the time Hunter figured that out, Sebastian was sure he’d have already gotten exactly what he wanted out of him.

“Apparently so,” Hunter said, wondering how they got along, for the most part, while being so different from one another. Despite both of them being intelligent and good looking, they barely had anything else in common. Sebastian was incredibly charming and much more laid-back than Hunter ever hoped to be, and when it came to their interested they couldn’t be more different. Sebastian liked to party and flirt, while Hunter liked reading and going to museums; they were like night and day and yet Hunter actually liked his company enough to agree to have a study session with him. That wasn’t something he would agree to with just anyone, far from it.

Hunter let out a soft scoff of a chuckle at Sebastian’s teasing, but he could definitely see how someone would be surprised by Hunter’s drink of choice. Well, more surprised if he got one of those drinks with the whipped cream on top. “I’m not normally a fan of sweets, but every once in a little it’s nice,” Hunter admitted, which was the honest truth. The rare slice of cheesecake was like a treat to him and with the body he had, one of them every so often wouldn’t make a difference in the slightest.

Hunter’s lips pulled up into a genuine smile as Sebastian reassured Hunter that his comment was nothing but positive, easing any worry he had about it. He could really get used to Sebastian complimenting him, even though he knew he shouldn’t. “I’m definitely someone who knows what he wants. I’m not interested in playing games or not speaking my mind,” he replied, unsure if that was how Sebastian worked too, and unsure if that would be a good or bad thing. Though, he really didn’t seem to be someone who held back. At all. “Is that how you are, as well?”

“I don’t know if one lump of sugar in black coffee is the same as having sweets every once in a while,” Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. As much as he loved making sure his body looked good, he still had the rare occasion where he treated himself to tiramisu or chocolate covered strawberries. Fortunately, he had never been a big fan of baked goods like cake or cookies, but tiramisu was a little harder to say no to when he was in the mood. Even if Hunter’s body was significantly bigger and better than his own, there had to be something he had when he wasn’t busy slicing up carrots and adding kale to everything. “What do you have when you really want to treat yourself?” Sebastian’s smile was unwavering, even as Hunter admitted to not being interested in games. He really was unlike Sebastian in more ways than they could ever be similar, but that was what drew Sebastian to him to begin with. Well, that and the fact that his body looked like it was carved by Greek gods. They did both share the ability to speak their mind, though. It was something that had gotten Sebastian into trouble in the past, but he wasn’t one to sugarcoat anything or lie to someone just to make them feel better. If he was going to lie, it was to benefit himself; otherwise, he told people exactly what he was thinking, whether they wanted to hear it or not. He raised his eyebrows at Hunter’s question, surprised that his new friend even had to ask. “Do I look like someone who ever doesn’t get what he wants?” he asked in response, his lips pulling into a smirk.

Hunter raised his eyebrows in disbelief as Sebastian practically guessed his coffee order right. Hunter knew he was someone who was a man of his word and could be predictable at times because he liked what he liked and didn’t budge on most subjects, but he didn’t think that was a bad thing, nor did he think he was that obvious. He supposed Sebastian knew he didn’t enjoy parties and that he was very involved with his school work, so maybe he just picked up on the rest. Hunter was ready to be on the defense if Sebastian considered it an insult, though. He didn’t think he did, if that playful smirk of his was anything to go off of; Sebastian just seemed to be the type of person to not take things too seriously. That was the opposite of how Hunter was, but it wasn’t entirely bad.

“I think any time before four pm is too early for any type of alcohol,” Hunter replied, hoping for Sebastian’s sake, and his liver’s, that he didn’t add a shot of anything to his coffee on a daily basis, no matter what time it was. But they weren’t close enough, or at all, for him to make a comment like that. “Black with one sugar, actually,” Hunter said in reply before taking a sip of the same drink they were talking about. Which was delicious, thank you. “What made you make that guess?” Hunter asked, curious to hear Sebastian’s explanation.

“Agree to disagree,” Sebastian replied teasingly, raising his glass to Hunter before taking a small sip of his coffee, needing it to cool down just a little more before he could really enjoy it. He tried to eat healthy for the most part, but when it came to drinking, he knew he wasn’t doing himself any favors; coffee and alcohol were his weaknesses, but he figured he would worry about the toll they might take on his body later, after he was done having his fun. For now he needed alcohol to help him have a good time and relax and the coffee helped him wake up the morning after. He liked to think it was a nice balance between the two. “Oh, one sugar. Wow,” he grinned, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise as he laughed lightly at the correction. “Good for you,” he teased, glad that Hunter hadn’t insisted they get right to opening up their books, though it looked like he’d already done some studying before Sebastian had even arrived. “You just strike me as the type of guy who keeps things simple, so black coffee suits you. And your body tells me that you don’t put much into it that doesn’t come straight from the ground,” he explained, leaving out the comment about Carter being an exception to what Hunter put into his body; he could behave when he wanted to. “It’s not a bad thing. You’re a man who knows what he likes. I can definitely appreciate that.”

Hunter honestly had no idea what he was doing, agreeing to study with someone who was clearly interested in him in some capacity, but he boiled it down to him wanting just a little bit of help with his French. Which was true. Sebastian clearly knew the language as well as he knew English, and Hunter still had trouble with some aspects of it so this morning would only benefit him. Coffee and studying as completely harmless.

Considering Hunter liked to be on time for everything that he did, and then some, he couldn’t help but arrive at the coffee shop at 8:30am. It was about a 35-minute walk from his apartment, but Hunter happily took it because he didn’t have the patience to wait for either a subway or a cab to arrive. He breathed in the aroma of coffee the second he stepped into his destination, a small smile pulling up his lips as he did so. Hunter ordered himself a black coffee with just one spoonful of sugar before finding a table near a side window so he had something to look at while he waited for Sebastian to arrive.

After sipping his coffee for a few moments, Hunter opened up his textbook and started to go over some of things he needed to study more, looking up every so often to see if the person who came through the door was Sebastian, Eventually, it was. Hunter gave him a small smile and a nod once they locked eyes and once he knew Sebastian couldn’t tell where Hunter’s gaze was landing on, Hunter looked him over for a quick moment, taking in how good he looked in that green shirt. He quickly looked away a moment later and focused back onto his book.

“Bonjour,” Hunter replied, despite not having a French accent at all and sounding somewhat ridiculous next to Sebastian’s perfect pronunciation. “Merci. Tu as l'air agréable, aussi,” Hunter added, realizing it was much easier to compliment Sebastian in a different language other than English. It was obvious Sebastian was attractive, but ‘nice’ was all Hunter was going to give him, because he didn’t want to give his classmate any reason to think that Hunter was interested; he didn’t want to lead him on in any way. Sebastian already flirted with him, so he could only imagine what he would say or do if Hunter told him how beautiful he thought he was. “What kind of coffee did you get?”

Sebastian only smiled to himself at Hunter’s compliment, holding back a laugh or remark on how sad of a compliment it was. He wasn’t used to guys who weren’t falling all over him or trying to win his approval, and as frustrating as it was, Sebastian knew it would all pay off later. He would make sure of that, otherwise he was just wasting his time trying to get to know Hunter at all. Friendships weren’t all that important to Sebastian, though if he remembered correctly, he and Hunter were simply ‘contacts,’ not friends. “An Americano. Sometimes I’ll add a shot of Courvoisier, but it’s a little early for that,” he answered, his eyes shifting over to Hunter’s drink. “Let me guess: black coffee, no cream, no sugar?” he mused, a playful smile tugging at his lips. Not only did the image of Hunter ordering anything fancier than that bring him amusement, but his body also didn’t look like Hunter ever wasted his time with giving himself anything other than exactly what his body needed. That was part of the reason he’d lied about how he liked his coffee. While Sebastian wasn’t one to let people judge him or care when they did, it was a little early in his relationship with Hunter to let him know that he wasn’t against drinking before noon. For some reason, people tended to have issues with his drinking habits, as if it was any of their business.

“No, walking is definitely not all I do.” Hunter couldn’t help but let out a soft scoff of a chuckle at Sebastian’s statement. “I normally do some weight lifting and specific workouts for my abs, thighs, and arms.” He thought it was pretty obvious that he worked out, and often, with much more than just walking, so he was glad Sebastian noticed. Well, not glad in the sense that he was hoping Sebastian was checking him out, nevertheless he was always happy to know people appreciated the work he put into his body. He was sort of curious how Sebastian would react upon seeing Hunter’s abs, but Hunter had no plans on lifting up his shirt randomly nor did he think they would ever be in a situation together where Hunter had his shirt off. Unless they happened to be at the same club at the same time, because Hunter’s shirt always found its way off Hunter’s body at them.

It wasn’t that big of a surprise when Sebastian told him they should meet at nine am, because Sebastian did say he liked to get his classes done early so he could have the night to himself so it made sense he would want to meet semi-early. As someone who wakes up every day either at five or six am, nine wasn’t early for Hunter, but at least it was still considered the morning. Coffee would be perfect for him at that time, when he finished all his workouts and needed a little pick-me-up. “Nine sounds perfect,” Hunter said truthfully, pausing once they made their way outside, not entirely sure which way Sebastian was going to walk. “So, Saturday at the coffee shop, nine am?”

Sebastian couldn’t keep his eyes from looking down Hunter’s body, curious as to what Hunter’s workouts had done for his thighs and abs. Hunter was gorgeous just as he was, and Sebastian could only imagine how good he looked in little to no clothing. Maybe they could forget the studying together in the future and Sebastian could insist that he needed a friend to help him work out. Now that was a show he’d be interested in. It would definitely beat highlighting and discussing the correct way to use a French phrase or saying. “Well, good for you,” Sebastian complimented, bringing his eyes back up to Hunter’s. “It certainly shows. Carter’s a lucky guy.” He stopped as Hunter did, figuring this was the end of their conversation. As into their conversation Hunter had seemed at the party, it was almost like pulling teeth to try to get him to stay and talk after class. Maybe Carter was waiting for him so they could talk about their days together or whatever boyfriends did, but either way Sebastian would try not to take it too personally. He was a great conversationalist and most people would love to have a moment of his attention. “I’ll see you Saturday at nine. Enjoy your week, Tiger,” he grinned, winking as he touched his hand to Hunter’s arm before leaving for the subway, almost feeling sorry for Hunter because he knew the other man wouldn’t take advantage of the view as he walked away.

“Yes, longer. Maybe not an hour, but anything less than that would be nice,” Hunter said, letting out a soft chuckle at Sebastian’s disbelief, because that was usual response when he talked about any sort of exercising and wanting to do more of it. Of course, he had his limits too but if he ever had the choice to walk somewhere or talk a cab or subway, he would always choose walk. That was one of the many plus sides of living in New York. Sure, sometimes he got tired of seeing so many people on the daily and wouldn’t mind living somewhere quieter, but he would definitely miss everything the city had to offer. Everything he needed or wanted was right outside his apartment door.

Hunter didn’t necessarily mean to compliment Sebastian, but inadvertently, he absolutely did. It wasn’t like Hunter to be nice to people, and especially not to compliment them, but he supposed there was no harm to it. It wasn’t every day that he met someone like Sebastian, someone who held their head so high and deserved to based on their intelligence and attitude, so that was his excuse. “Good, you should,” Hunter replied with a nod. “What time on Saturday would you like to meet?”

“I’m assuming walking isn’t your main method of working out,” Sebastian replied, giving Hunter’s biceps a pointed look. Just because he had a boyfriend didn’t mean that Sebastian couldn’t comment on the obvious. Hunter looked like he had about 2% body fat and he probably weighed more in muscle than most people Sebastian knew. But mostly Sebastian just wanted an excuse an excuse to talk about his classmate’s body. There was a lot to talk about and the way Hunter worked out to get such a body was probably the most appropriate comment Sebastian could make. He took a moment to think over Hunter’s question, doubting that someone with a boyfriend would be willing to have an evening study session. God, he really hoped they didn’t spend the entire time studying. Considering he wasn’t at all concerned for this test, he really didn’t need to spend his weekend looking at books, but he did see the appeal in speaking to Hunter in French for an hour or so. “How’s nine sound? My weekends are pretty open all month, so I’m down with anything, Tiger. Your call,” he grinned, refraining from winking again since there was a very real chance that this weekend would actually be nothing more than a study session.

There were definitely pros and cons to living so close to campus, but the good usually always outweighed the bad and, honestly, he was just glad he didn’t have to live in a dorm and have roommates. Living with his parents for 18 years was enough for him to never want to live with someone again, until he was ready to settle down, of course. Even then he wasn’t sure if he would enjoy it or not, though. Hunter really liked his space so the man he ended up definitely had to understand that sometimes he just needed to be alone. Carter was good at understanding that and could normally sense it without Hunter saying anything.

“The walk to most of my class is quite quick, but I honestly wouldn’t mind if they were a little longer,” Hunter admitted. He was almost positive he would walk to his classes even if it were a forty-minute walk. It was easy exercise and he didn’t get cold like most people did, which was a blessing during the cooler months.

Hunter raised his eyebrows at Sebastian’s description of the UES, and he couldn’t say he would disagree with him, but Hunter would say it in more of a positive tone. Hunter enjoyed the class and the atmosphere of the East side, but knowing just a little bit of Sebastian’s personality made him understand why he wouldn’t like it. He seemed much more laid-back than Hunter could ever be. “Just the way you present yourself. And your wardrobe,” Hunter said in reply, hoping it didn’t sound like he paid too much attention to the other male, but he honestly didn’t, it just didn’t take an idiot to glance at Sebastian every so often and see the clothes he wore. Not to mention that he wore real Rolex watches.

Sebastian was well aware of just how privileged he was. His parents had offered to pay for his apartment and tuition as long as he got exceptional grades, and he knew that when he graduated, he’d be able to afford it on his own once he got his trust fund money. Fortunately his classes were fairly interesting, otherwise he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his GPA up to where he needed it to be in order for him to earn his money. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to get into politics, but he knew there were other job opportunities for him if he chose another path. No matter what he ended up doing, he would be set for life as far as money went. “Longer?” Sebastian asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. He wasn’t against walking; he went on daily runs to keep in shape for lacrosse season, but if he were to try to walk from his apartment, that would be at least an hour each way. Two hours of his day that could be spent doing literally anything else. “I’m really not a fan of the subway, but it beats spending half my day walking,” he joked, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m not too far from some decent parks and running trails, so I spend more of my time on those than I would walking to and from school.” He all but glowed at Hunter’s compliments, glad that there were people who appreciated how he presented and dressed himself. He wasn’t big on fashion, but he did like to look good and he prided himself on his collection of watches he’d been collecting every since he turned 13. They hadn’t spent all that much time together, but Hunter was more observant than Sebastian had given him credit for. “Well, thank you. I’ll take all of that as a compliment.”

Hunter was actually glad Sebastian wanted to go to the coffee shop a little bit further away because being around their school and their classmates and seeing them almost wherever he went was getting incredibly old. “I do, yes. My apartment is about a ten-minute walk to most of the campus’ buildings,” Hunter said with a small nod.

His parents initially wanted Hunter to live in a dorm, but Hunter talked them out of it by giving them a pros and cons list that he made up when he was eighteen. They wouldn’t ever have to worry about him partying and losing focus of his schoolwork if he lived alone, but by staying close to the school, he had easy access to the library and everything else he needed. He was incredibly glad they agreed to pay for an apartment rather than a dorm because him having to have a roommate would not be an ideal situation for anyone involved. Sure, the place he lived in was a little small but it fit his needs, so he was happy with his living conditions.

“How about you? May I guess the Upper East Side?” Hunter asked, making a very educated guess that Sebastian had money, based on his attitude and what he wore. You could have money and live in any part of the city, but typically if you came from money, the UES was where you, or at least your parents, lived. That’s where Hunter’s were, at least.

Well, Hunter didn’t live in a dorm so that was definitely a plus. Sebastian hoped that he’d be able to get Hunter back to his own place sometime, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about them hanging out in a dorm room together. It still didn’t answer the question of whether or not Hunter lived with Carter, but he wasn’t going to push the topic and make it seemed like he cared that much. “Smart move. Some days I wish I lived a little closer to campus,” Sebastian admitted, though if he really thought about it, he wouldn’t give up his apartment for anything. It was far from the campus action, but it didn’t take him that long if he really wanted to go to any of the parties. It was just rare that he ever brought anyone back to his own place to hook up; the subway ride in itself was enough of a turnoff for him. He laughed at Hunter’s question, trying his best to not be insulted because hopefully Hunter meant it as a compliment. It certainly didn’t sound like one, but if Hunter knew how Sebastian had grown up, he probably wouldn’t have said it. Sebastian did want to know what prompted Hunter to make such a close assumption, though. He dressed better than most of the people in their class, and his watches cost more than what most of their classmates made in a paycheck over at Starbucks wherever it was they worked to try to pay for their textbooks. “The West, actually. The East is a little too stiff and uptight for my taste. What gave me away?”

Hunter wasn’t looking forward to seeing, and hearing, Carter’s reaction when he was told him and Sebastian were going to study together, but he honestly had nothing to worry about, especially since they were going to go to a very public place to do it. He also knew he could be overacting and not giving Carter the benefit of the doubt, but if the roles were reversed, Hunter would want to know if Carter was going out with someone, on any sort of circumstance, because he had a hard time trusting people. His boyfriend was incredibly attractive and anyone would be lucky to have his attention.

“I can do this weekend,” Hunter said in reply as they made their way downstairs, not worrying if he was leading them the wrong way since he remembered Sebastian saying their French class was his last class for the day too. “The one on 400 Lafayette?” Hunter asked, knowing that was the best one in terms of atmosphere, that was also closet to NYU. “Unless you live further up and want to meet half way? I know there’s one in Bryant Park, as well.”

“Perfect,” Sebastian grinned, pleased with how well this was going. He was definitely a confident man, but he wasn’t cocky enough to think that coffee and studying would end with Hunter in his bed, but it was a start. It would give him time to really talk to the guy and figure out what it was going to take to get what he wanted. There was the small chance that Carter would join them for studying and if that was the case, Sebastian would probably have to spike his coffee more than he usually did just to get through the morning. “That’s the one.” Even though they hardly spoke, Sebastian was still surprised when he realized he had no concept at all of where Hunter lived. He was tempted to ask, but he also had to prepare himself to not let his eyes roll back into his head in case Hunter told him that he lived with that boyfriend of his. “Bryant Park would be perfect, actually. Do you live near the school?”

The idea of the two of them studying together, when it would just be the two of them, didn’t sound like the best idea ever, but in terms of the actual act of it and them helping one another sounded reasonable enough. Hunter liked to think his French was incredibly good, and improving, but he wasn’t even close to being as fluent as Sebastian was so he knew he should take Sebastian up on his offer if he wanted to ace their first test. He had no doubt in his mind that he would all on his own, but that extra cushion wouldn’t hurt at all. There was honestly no one better than Sebastian when it came to a French study partner, considering he was the only guy Hunter knew that was fluent in the language, and has even visited and lived in France before.

“Alright,” Hunter said, after thinking about the question for a few moments, a small smile pulling up his lips. There was no doubt in his mind that he would tell Carter about this because not only was there a chance of him finding out on his own, he knew he owed it to him, as his boyfriend. They have always trusted one another, but Hunter would want Carter to tell him if he was going to study with someone, one on one. It was just the right thing to do. “As much as I don’t wish to admit it, you would be of great help,” Hunter added as they turned the corner. “And I would be happy to help you, as well. I’m sure I can give you some study tips that will help you, for any subject.”

Sebastian’s grin widened as Hunter agreed. It wasn’t much, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. He doubted he could convince Hunter to come over to his apartment for their first study session, but they could work their way to that. He still had to feel Hunter out and see where the line was so that he didn’t cross it, at least not yet. Sebastian really didn’t want to befriend Hunter before they hooked up, but it seemed as though he might not have a choice. “Awesome,” he replied, barely registering that Hunter was offering studying tips. That’s the last thing he was looking for, but he’d take whatever he could get for now. It had taken compliments on Hunter’s intelligence to get on his good side, so it would probably take being into his study tips and more to one day get into his bed. As long as they didn’t have to go to the library to study, Sebastian wouldn’t complain. This time. “How’s this weekend sound? I usually study back at my apartment, but we could meet up for coffee at La Colombe and study there.”

Hunter was actually surprised he didn’t receive a text from Sebastian after they spoke a week ago, and that wasn’t just his ego talking. He still didn’t know Sebastian well, or at all, but he definitely seemed like the laid-back type. All he gave Hunter over the last week was a small nod of acknowledgment, and all Hunter gave him with a small smile in return. He supposed he should be grateful that Sebastian didn’t text him right away because that did help ease Hunter’s concerns about Sebastian’s intentions. Maybe he really was just trying to be Hunter’s friend, or at least respecting that Hunter had a boyfriend.

Hunter was smart enough to not tell Carter that he now had Sebastian’s number because there was really no point to it. If Sebastian had texted him, especially something inappropriate, he would let Carter know, or at least delete his number. While he enjoyed the attention from Sebastian, he wasn’t going to deny that, well, except maybe to Carter and Sebastian, he wasn’t actively looking to hurt his boyfriend in any way and the moment Sebastian did something to cross the line, their friendship would be over. As long as things stayed innocent, everything would be just fine.

But, he couldn’t help but feel pleased about the fact that Sebastian was trying to talk to him after class again and at least this time he realized it was Sebastian and he didn’t glare at him. “Hello, Sebastian,” Hunter greeted him, gazing over at him before looking forward, careful not to bump into anyone. These hallways were far too crowded. “I’ve been very well. Nothing to complain about. And you?”

Sebastian would have loved to see Hunter as a child, just to see if he was as formal then as he seemed to be now. Maybe it was because they didn’t know each other very well, but Hunter seemed like the political major with the overly proper response, almost boring answer he gave Sebastian. He hadn’t been kidding about not planning on going to any more parties. Sebastian didn’t want to say it out loud and admit that he may have looked for Hunter at the last couple that he’d attended, but he hadn’t seen Hunter ever since their first conversation at the welcome back party, and that already felt like ages ago. It was a shame, but Sebastian didn’t think he’d want to run into Hunter at anymore parties, not if Carter was going to be there eyeing them the entire time. A study session would be much more private and had the possibility of being a lot more fun, as long as Hunter didn’t insist on them spending too much of their time actually studying. “Not bad at all,” Sebastian replied, a wide grin on his lips. “I wanted to see if you’d be down to study together for that test. I can make sure you know all your stuff and you can make sure I behave and actually get some studying done,” he teased, winking. He wasn’t sure Hunter actually needed his help, so he figured lying and saying that he needed Hunter’s wouldn’t hurt his case. “I tend to give up two minutes into studying once I get bored, so I could use someone like you to help me out.”