fandomhigh | The Science of Sexuality, Monday

"Welcome back to class, everyone."

You didn't really need to be a genius to know that was coming from John. "We thought we'd start these lessons off in chronological order. Last week, we started out with a bit of sexual preferences, now we're moving on to communication. Which is crucial, even-- no, especially with intercourse, much like the rest of the romantic arena. You have to be able to talk freely about what you want, or even if you want it, and how."

Meanwhile Sherlock remained sitting behind the desk, typing away on his phone. This whole communication thing was really more John's area of expertise.

"A skill most people lack judging by the divorce rates," he added dryly. "Any relationship, sexual or otherwise has rules that allow it to work. For example, I am no longer allowed to perform experiments in the bath because someone was squeamish."

"I'm not squeamish," John said, rolling his eyes. He refused to look back at Sherlock. "I just don't think the tub is the right venue to use for toxicological studies of body parts."

No, seriously, Sherlock. Seriously.

"Well, where else was I supposed to put it?" Sherlock asked, still not looking up from his mobile. "The sink was being used."

"Not in the bath!"

Cough.

After that little detour. "Sorry about that," John segued. "Anyway, communication. Make sure that you and your partner are at an even keel no matter what kind of relationship you pursue. If you don't want to engage in intercourse in the forseeable future, let them know as openly as you can. If your partner won't communicate with you, it might be a good moment to reconsider."

... Shut up.

They had a perfectly healthy, codependent relationship! Really!

"Break off into pairs and come up with whatever rules for a relationship your hormone addled brains can manage." Sherlock was such a kind, caring teacher.

"Just based on your personal wants and needs," John added, hastily. "No need to reveal anything intimate you don't want to reveal, or simulate a relationship."

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"Awesome," Jason said, leaning a little closer and lowering his voice. "I can't tell if our teachers like being here or not. Or if they're trying to torture us."

"I don't think Sherlock does. He hates talking to us," Karla said, wrinkling her nose. "He's used to thinking everyone is his intellectual inferior--" and to be honest, they probably were but Karla didn't have to like it "--but not having to be consistently forced to interact with people."

"Especially when he has to talk about clearly gross things like relationships," Jason said, laughing. "I'm gonna admit, I'm not sure where to start with our assignment. I've never really thought about relationship rules before." Even though he probably should have by now, oops.

"I had a pretty major one until not too long ago," Karla said, flushing a bit. "It's, uh, kind of moot now."

"In a good way?" Jason asked. "I'm still trying to decide if I'm in a relationship. We haven't really talked about that stuff."

"In a good way," Karla said, nodding. "Things are...pretty great right now, actually." She couldn't help but glance back Warren's way and smile, before looking back at Jason. "We didn't talk about it for awhile, either," she offered. "Sometimes the definitions aren't important. On the other hand, that makes it really possible for someone to get hurt."

"Yeah, I guess you have a point. I mean, we're on the same wavelength about a lot of stuff, but I guess I shouldn't assume we feel the same way about all the important things. I, um, care a lot, and I don't want anyone to get hurt." Jason looked pretty much everywhere but Karla and just prayed he hadn't turned red.

Karla listened to the radio, but wasn't going to make any guesses or name names. "I think that if I found out that he'd been kissing other females when we were still not officially dating, I would have been upset, even though we didn't have an agreement. But technically, he would have been in his right."

Jason didn't think he had to worry about Nico making out with anyone else but, well, he did seem kind of fond of Luke sometimes. "That's a good point. I'd like to think neither one of us would do anything like that, but...relationships are really complicated."

Karla nodded a bit, tapping her pencil against her notebook while she thought. "But then, I was in a relationship when I kissed you at the booth. Do you think that should count?"

Jason gave that some honest thought before shaking his head. "No, I don't think that counts, but I'm also assuming your boyfriend didn't ask you not to go near the kissing booths," he said. "If he had, then that'd be different, just like if I'd been dating someone, and they'd asked me not to volunteer. Times when the island puts you not in your right mind should also be a point of discussion, I think." Oh, what a mental list he was making now.

"He hadn't, no," Karla said, shaking her head. "And I wouldn't have if he'd said something. But exemptions for Fandom-weird have to be considered because we're not us for half of them."

Which was scary all on its own, but not the topic of discussion.

"Of course, respecting your partner's wishes--and making sure yours are respected, too--is really important. Especially here, when something that's completely unimportant to you might mean a whole lot to them."

The Science of Sexuality, Monday

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