Ch. 02 - Human Sexuality

Shannon fidgeted with one of her short, low, blond ponytails as she fought the urge to take notes while her professor described the ten foot tall vulva on the projection screen. It was an illustration, but it was realistic. This vulva had wrinkly inner lips, like Shannon's, and stubbly pubic hair, not like the smooth, tight pussies in her grandpa's old Playboy magazine stash.

That's my "urethral opening", Shannon noted. Above my... main opening, let's call it... below my clit. And my clitoral hood?

She glanced around cautiously. Everyone was pretty quiet, but only a couple students were typing notes. She didn't want to seem too eager to jot all of this down.

Shannon's sex ed in high school had been from a nervous nun who stuttered when talking about the names of genitals. Not at all like the relaxed, kind, bearded young professor who kept cracking actually funny jokes while describing the process of penises getting engorged with blood or how some guys didn't know if pads attached to underwear or vulvas.

What the hell was a clitoral hood? She couldn't picture where her urine came out, let alone some complex "bundle of nerves" above it.

"In general," the professor stressed, "people of all genders are much less familiar with the anatomy of ovary-bodied people than testicle-bodied people."

That got a few nervous chuckles and some nods.

"There may be a variety of sociological reasons for that, but the outcomes aren't positive. Outside of gynecology, there are some knowledge gaps around ovary-bodied people's genitals and reproductive systems in general with physicians, leading to experiences of, say, ovary pain, or a urinary tract infection, being misunderstood by those doctors."

"And--perhaps of more concern to you in the short-run--there is a significant drop in sexual pleasure for folks with vulvas, compared to folks with penises--both with partners and when flying solo."

That got a chorus of anxious laughter, coupled with a brave girl's applause.

Mr. Lawrence smiled along with the laughter, but had a thoughtful tone as expanded on this idea.

"The orgasm gap when folks with clitorises are partnered with folks with penises is dramatic. And unnecessary. And making sure that everyone has a clear understanding of their body, and how to pleasure it, is an equity issue."

"For folks who are sexual--no pressure for those of us who are more ace--masturbation is often a space for establishing knowledge of--and agency over--your own body. Which impacts sexual connections with partners, as well."

Shannon felt herself jump at a tap on her shoulder. A sincerely apologetic guy's voice followed as she turned around.

"Sorry, this is dumb, but do you have a charging cable? My roommate borrowed mine and my laptop is almost dead."

"Sure," She whispered, unplugging her own cord. She was at full power. "Here."

His fingers brushed hers as he accepted her cord.

"I'm Ryan," he offered while he fumbled for an outlet.

"Shannon," she whispered, studying him for a moment. He was on the smaller size, probably her height, with a rather middle of the road outfit choice for their first day of class. But his dark brown hair falling over his light skin and freckles had an endearing effect as he pushed it back behind his ears.

"Ovary-bodied people?" one of the girls sitting near me asked with an eyebrow raised once class was dismissed. A few people chuckled.

"But nonbinary and trans people," someone pushed back.

"I know," the original speaker smiled, "it's just going to take some getting used to."

"Yeah," added a third girl, "'Gynophilic,' and 'androphilic.'" she pronounced the unfamiliar words.

"It kind of sounds like we're all sort of pan or bi anyway," Shannon added to the conversation. Several girls turned in her direction. One raised her eyebrows and shrugged.

"I mean, I'm pretty much only into guys," she laughed.

"I know, but even only dating guys, girls are more pretty to, like, look at," She added.

The quiet from the others felt awkward.

"I mean, I'm only into femme people, so I agree with the last part at least," an androgynous classmate smiled, mercifully breaking the awkward silence. The conversation wrapped up as students got up to head in different directions.

Okay... note to self, not everyone finds girls pretty, Shannon chided herself as she left class. Thank God I didn't chime in about how hard it is to find my clitoris.

"Glad you made it today," Mr. Lawrence was playfully fist-bumping willing students as they left the room. His short beard, well-fitted jeans, and cute glasses worked really well for him. She felt a little thrill at eye contact and the back of his knuckles bumping hers.

Okay, definitely not only attracted to girls. Or gynephilia or whatever, Shannon noted as she headed to lunch.

Shannon's fingers hovered tentatively over her laptop keyboard, her eyes studying the detailed chart of a vulva on the screen. She tried to commit each part to memory, feeling a flush of embarrassment as she realized how little she knew about her own body. Maya--her gorgeous Black roommate--lounged on her top bunk bed, scrolling through her phone, engaging in their light-hearted conversation about their classes.

When Maya climbed down to head to their bathroom Shannon quickly scrolled down, feeling exposed with the explicit chart on display.

"Anyone fun in any of your classes?" Maya asked.

"Uhm.. A cute guy in my Human Sexuality class borrowed my charger today?" Shannon offered, unsure if it qualified.

Maya had only pulled the door partway closed, and Shannon could hear the gentle hiss of Maya urinating, painting a vivid picture in her mind of her roommate's nightly routine. Her cheeks heated involuntarily while she scolded herself internally for being so prudish.

"Nice." Maya's voice floated through the gap in the doorway. "I met this really cute girl in my art class today with these amazing tattoos."

She tried to focus on Maya's words, picturing the mysterious girl instead of the intimate scene unfolding through the cracked bathroom door. "Cool. What kind of tattoos did she have?" she asked as Maya flushed.

Maya began to explain, emerging from the bathroom wearing only her underwear and a clingy t-shirt. Toothbrush in hand, she continued to chat animatedly while foam gathered at the corners of her mouth. Shannon's eyes ran over Maya's body involuntarily, taking in the smooth curve of her underwear, the way her breasts seemed to defy gravity beneath her shirt.

"And they wrap all the way up her arm," Maya explained, wandering back into the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth.

Shannon realized that she had entirely missed the description of the tattoo.

When Maya climbed up the ladder to her top bunk, Shannon's eyes were unavoidably drawn to the way Maya's underwear hugged her body, clearly outlining intimate curves. Shannon felt a warmth spreading through her chest. She bit her lip, forcing herself to look away.

"Okay if my alarm goes off at eight?" Maya asked as she settled into her cozy nest of blankets and pillows, her fingers dancing across her phone screen, setting an alarm for the morning.

"Of course," Shannon murmured, hoping her voice didn't betray the whirlwind of thoughts racing through her mind. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. It was only natural to appreciate beauty, she reasoned. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was bigger than that.

"Goodnight, Shannon," Maya said softly, dimming the light around her bed so she could lose herself in the pages of her novel before sleep claimed her.

"Goodnight, Maya," Shannon whispered back, illuminated by the floating, golden fairy lights from the wall near her bed.

Once she had changed into her pajama shorts and brushed her teeth behind the admittedly closed bathroom door, Shannon crawled into her own bed. Lying there, she listened to the rustling of pages, the gentle rise and fall of Maya's breathing, blending with the steady rhythm of her own heartbeat.

Late that night, Shannon found herself awake again in the darkness of her room. She could feel a dull throbbing sensation between her legs.

For a moment she was afraid she had wet herself. Her underwear was damp with sweat and... moisture. Shannon slid her hand under her pajama shorts to check her cotton underwear. The light brush of her fingers across her vulva jolted through her.

She flung the sheets off, taking a deep breath. Her whole body was hot and tingling.

The cool air felt nice. Shannon tugged her tank top up, exposing her belly to the dark.

After a moment, the urge to pull it up over her breasts was intense.

What the fuck?

It was dark. Shannon could hear Maya softly breathing in the bed above her. Shewas basically alone. The damp sweat evaporating off her chest when she exposed it felt tantalizing.

Oh. Shit.

Her nipples were rock hard to the touch. Her absent minded tracing had felt almost as intense as brushing her vulva had.

What is wrong with you? Shannon felt dumb for a moment.

But only a moment.

Fuck it.

Shannon pulled her shorts down to her knees. Moisture was literally trickling down her inner thighs. She wiped at it, bumping her mound again. Then she cautiously slid her cotton panties down, just enough to expose the close trimmed pubic hair and let the moisture cool off of it. Shannon slowly let her knees part wide, opening up more intimate places to the cooling darkness.

What if Maya wakes up?

The idea of getting caught only intensified the already electrifying sensation pulsing from her groin.

Great, now I'm an exhibitionist.

Shannon slid her forefinger down past the hair, under her panties' cozy waistband, and between the top of her engorged lips. It was immediately wet to the touch. A pool of viscous slick puddled along the entire length of her slit.

Do it.

She pushed her panties down to her ankles, keeping them tangled over her socks to bind her feet together, giving her something to resist against as she spread her thighs open even further, fully exposing herself to the shadows of the room.

She was twice as slippery as she had ever been before. Just the feeling of running her finger along such a lubricated surface was intoxicating, but the pulses of heat from her crotch soon were eclipsing it.

Holy shit the top part was sensitive.

Clit, Shannon noted to herself.

Things only got slicker the further down she went from her clitoris. Shannon paused her finger before it could slip in. She wasn't sure she really wanted to feel inside herself. Shannon hesitantly brought her other hand down to pull the two lips apart. The cool dark pouring inside her soaked, sensitive vulva felt like electric ice.

She curled up and into herself, pulling her knees against her chest and raising her ankles just above her waist. Her white panties hung in the air over her heated, wet entrance. The muscles in her legs tensed to keep them elevated, adding to the overall tension in her body.

Shannon faintly noted she could feel liquid trickling down between her cheeks as she began rubbing on the warm bump at the top more and more thoughtfully.

Holy Jesus.

Shannon pulled her pillow over her face to quiet her heavy breathing.

Sometimes her finger would tug a band of skin up and away from the tight aching pea that was her newly introduced clitoris. The shock was almost painful when Shannon made direct contact. She focused instead on rubbing the fold of skin over it--clitoral hood, she noted--causing multiple slick layers of slipping and sliding between her fingers, her clitoral hood, and the clitoris itself.

Every time the pleasure felt too much, it would spill past that to a whole new level.

The slick wet noises of her finger grinding faster on her pussy was starting to feel too loud. Shannon searched for ways to quiet her movements as she continued to pleasure herself, being oh so careful not to rock her bunk bed with her movements.

Quiet! Quiet! she begged her throat as her hips rose off the mattress, panties lost, her toes buried into the mattress, her body rigid. The furious rubbing was bringing waves of pleasure stronger and closer and closer until they crescendoed in a wave of clenching and adrenaline and release that was like nothing Shannon had ever felt before...

Ho. Ly.

Fuck.

Blood rushed through her ears, her heartbeat pounding wildly in her chest. Her ragged breath felt so loud that it seemed that it alone would certainly wake Maya. A fresh round of sweat glistened on her skin in the dark, helping her cool down for a second time as Shannon gulped in the cool dorm room air.

She laid there for a long time with one hand cupping her pussy and the other cupping one of her small breasts, feeling her pulse synchronized in both. Finally the anxiety of getting caught naked overcame the drunk sense of ecstasy, and Shannon pulled her sheets back up over her nude body, feeling around in the dark for lost underwear and shorts.

So. That's what all the fuss is about, her mind murmured as Shannon slipped back into the numb bliss, her hand still cupping herself, drifting into sleep.