Being close friends with a professor is not common in the university, and was mostly looked down upon. Not that it stops Arthur from hanging out with Professor Bonnefoy whenever the history professor invites him to go out drinking with friends.
Not many knows about Arthur's intense love for literature once he moved in to university, despite seeing him most of the time on his own, leaning on walls in the hallways with eyes glued to his phone and ears plugged with music that's set to the highest volume.
But he is.
It just so happened that his classes demands so much of his time that he can no longer invest himself in books as much as he did back when he was in secondary or primary school. Porn is easier and faster to read, since one does not need to pay much attention to details. It will always end up with person A's cock up any of person B's orifices, depends on what the reader came for to read. Same goes for films, really. Unless you watch an actual movie. That lasts for about two hours heavy with plot and tears. Arthur hate tear-jerkers. It's annoying too when gays always end up with AIDS or gets killed by homophobes in the end. That's just sick. So yes, he prefers his regular porn.
Arthur had Professor Bonnefoy in his lecture class once when he was taking world history. He doesn't remember much about how out of 200 people in the room, the professor had seen and took notice of him.
But he did.
At first it was the submitted essays, that the professor never forgot to mention to the entire class that Arthur got the highest mark, then the next thing Arthur knows, Professor Bonnefoy asks him to talk to him during his consultation hours.
Arthur was never a fan of consulting professors. Even if he did not understand a topic, he never approached them during consultation hours because well, it embarrassing. So when Professor Bonnefoy asked him to, he was confused.
He was pretty sure he was doing well in class. Like, very well. This was probably the highest mark he got since he got into university, even. His love for history has probably helped.
When he reached the door to Professor Bonnefoy's office, he holds his breath, then gives the door three firm knocks.
He enters when he hears Professor Bonnefoy's voice, muffled, say "enter".
He sees him in his desk, a laptop open in front of him, and he seems to be busy working on a document. He stops when he sees who it was who entered his office.
"Ah, Mr. Kirkland," he says, smiling. He seemed excited to see him, Arthur notes with relief. Maybe he was called not to talk about failing grades.
He motions for the vacant seat by his desk and Arthur nods in thanks and sits on it. He's still wondering why he was called.
The professor pulls a sheet of paper and a pen, then motioning at Arthur, he asks, "So, do you write?"
This causes Arthur to blink and stare at him blankly. Professor Bonnefoy laughs. "Like stories. A novel, perhaps?"
Oh. Arthur feels his face redden, mind running towards images of him reading erotica and sometimes crying over them when the story and characters were so well-written. "Er," was all he managed to say, which the professor waves off.
"I just noticed the way you narrate your essays and I think you have the potential."
"…Er."
Professor Bonnefoy has an a hand swaying in the air, pen held out like a conductor in an orchestra. He was biting at his lower lip, that strange smile still on his lips and Arthur notices that there was a certain glint in his eyes now as he looks at his bewildered expression. It appears that Arthur's reactions are amusing the professor, and it somehow made Arthur feel uncomfortable. He's not really fond of people laughing at him.
Then those thin lips slightly quirks up and he waves his hand again. "Do you want to try working as a part-time playwright for me?"
Well that was unexpected.
"Huh?" was the only sound he managed to squeak out, eyebrows raised and eyes blinking. In confusion or surprise or maybe excitement, he does not know.
Maybe it was a mix of both.
Professor Bonnefoy continues, "I know being a playwright would be…hard on you, considering your degree but I really can't bear to see that talent go without even getting recognised."
Professor Bonnefoy's words made his face grow hot. "Professor, that's…"
"No really, I mean it. Come back to my office in a week with a draft. Any genre, I don't care. I'll give it a review and then we'll see from there if I can change your mind."
Thoughts. They swam in his head in circles. Round and round they go, like multicoloured clothes in a washing machine. So intertwined in each other its hard to decipher which was which. Parts of Arthur's mind warred and argued, some are agreeing, some are ecstatic meanwhile some are angry and afraid. He felt himself step back, hands raised and voice trembling. He had to look away from the professor's expectant face. "No, really, Professor-"
"Please."
Arthur stops and turns to look at him again. The pleading look in the professor's eyes were hard to ignore and no matter what it was, this man was still a teacher. An authority. It's hard for Arthur to disobey, even though it would seem like the professor wouldn't mind if Arthur did say no, which Arthur finds strange really. Why would you be okay when someone whose status is lower than yours says no to your requests?
So he tries to steady his breath and quietly nods. "Okay. I'll…try."
Professor Bonnefoy brightens up. "Next week, same time here at my office." He reminds him.
Arthur nods.
Needless to say, the professor loved his little script, and asked if he was willing to write something longer. "Something that would last at about 2 hours." He told him and since Arthur was excited to write something, although was still in-denial that he likes what he was told to do for once, Arthur agreed. "Give me two weeks, if that's okay?"
Professor Bonnefoy smiles at that, rather excited. He playfully slaps his arm. "That was great, mon cher." He squeals-Athur doesn't know that the professor was capable of such thing, but he is-and Arthur notices that his French was slipping. That doesn't happen in class, Arthur remembers.
When he submits the script, he got paid on the spot. The professor says that it was the right thing to do. Arthur doesn't really mind whether or not the professor pays him though, but accepts it anyway because he supposes he's an actual writer now (maybe) and money comes with that.
He spends the money on feeding Alfred.
