He kept her confined, bound, imprisoned naked in his attic until Christmas Eve. Exactly as he’d promised. He’d also attended to her needs throughout the three days she was tied to the bed - exactly as he’d promised - although his methods for “attending to her needs” were bizarre, disgusting, humiliating, and constantly left her wondering why he wouldn’t just let her go downstairs and take care of herself for two to five minutes.

The morning of Christmas Eve, he was in a great mood. The happiest she thought she’d ever seen the man before. He was alarmingly handsome when he was legitimately happy. Thankfully, it was a rare mood for him.

He unbound her arms first. It took everything she had not to slap him across the face as her arms and hands were let free. Instead, she immediately cupped her breasts under her hands. Her nipples ached painfully from how cold she had been the past 3 days. Her hands were freezing, her fingertips purple, she wondered if she had hypothermia.

Reading her mind, the dean said, kindly, “There’s an extra warm blanket and cup of hot cocoa waiting for you down by the fireside in my living room, Catherine.” She didn’t even feel her foot release it was so cold.

“Go to hell,” she muttered under her breath as he unbound her last limb. He didn’t say another word to her as he rounded the bed and disappeared into the trap door in the floor. She supposed she was intended to follow him, but as she sat up, she immediately felt lightheaded and dizzy. Her body didn’t feel right underneath her. Her limbs were freezing cold, tingly, she was pretty sure she couldn’t feel a single finger or toe.

She stumbled upwards and caught the corner of the metal bed frame to steady herself on her feet. The room spun around her. She squeaked out a faint, “Sir?” And passed out on the floor.

::::

Oh god, she felt so warm. She melted into the heavy presence behind her. Surrendered to the great big bear hug she was being enveloped in. Fell down, down, down… A tickle at her ear, a stroke across her temple, August’s impossibly blue eyes taking her in as he leaned in for that kiss…

She startled awake and nearly leapt to her feet. Would have leapt to her feet if she’d had the energy to do it. Why was the dean…HOLDING her?! She was wrapped head to toe in the softest, warmest, downy blanket she’d ever felt. She was sitting in front of a picturesque wood burning fire in the stately living room apartment of the dean’s. And he was holding her. Pressed up to her body from behind her. She was pretty sure he had an arm around her. She shuddered and he began to rub at her back and shoulders.

“Sir, what are you doing?” She asked plainly. He’d kept her confined to his literal attic for three days and now…this?!?

”Catherine, I can’t send you back to your dorm in your current condition,” he explained. She thought he was probably right, she’d barely made it down the stairs from the attic. “Warm up, recombobulate, have something warm to eat and drink. I’m sure Maxine is waiting to celebrate Christmas with you.”

She was speechless. Completely speechless. He was just going to be nice and act like nothing from the past three days had happened?! And she still didn’t entirely understand why she had been confined to the attic for three whole days. For kissing a boy?!

“Do you… do this every time?” She asked instead. Max had never mentioned a freezing cold attic. She’d never mentioned cocoa and cuddles by a fire afterwards. Why should she get some sort of special treatment from the dean? Was he just in the Christmas spirit?

”No.” No further explanation, end of story.

“Oh.” She turned back towards the fire and picked up the mug of cocoa. Took a sip. She actually moaned. It was incredible. Deep, rich chocolate filled her mouth, warmed her from tongue to belly. It was extra sweet. She wanted to dump the entire contents of the mug over her face. Bathe in it.

“I’ve been thinking, Catherine,” the dean said as he extricated himself from where he sat behind Cat. Stood up, “I don’t suppose you were ever allowed to attend sex ed growing up, am I correct in my assumption?”

Her heart hammered in alarm as she recalled snippets from the overheard conversation the previous day.

“Sir, no, sir,” she said as she stared blankly into the flickering fire.

“I think it may be time for you to learn, Catherine,” he crossed the room to a cabinet. Opened it. Looked through some things inside. Withdrew an envelope and walked back over to where Cat sat dumb in front of the fire.

“Sir?” She asked as he handed the envelope to her.

”Your course schedule for the winter semester, you may open it.” She opened the envelope and slid out the course list. Everything was exactly the same as it had been for her first semester, except for instead of physical education on Fridays, she would be taking sexual education. With the dean. Fuck.