History Main / SexEqualsLove

* In the ''Series/{{Glee}}'' fic ''FanFic/HuntingTheUnicorn'' [[spoiler: Blaine]] tried to invoke this out of loneliness and naivete. [[BreakTheCutie Not only did that fail hard,]] he was pretty clearly unprepared for his siblings [[BewareTheNiceOnes going crazy]] and is now carrying lots of emotional baggage.

* ''{{Friends}}'': Chandler and Monica started a sexual relationship in London that they initially intended to limit to London. That fell apart after only one episode. The casual nature of their relationship fell apart after only three, and they eventually ended up HappilyMarried. Somewhat subverted in that several episodes throughout the first four seasons (when they were just friends and nothing more) had made it clear that they did love each other very much, just not in a sexual way. Apparently, introducing the sex was the only nudge needed for them to cross what was clearly (for them) a blurred line between platonic and romantic love.

This cultural shift in the morality of sexuality was a reaction to the technological invention of the birth control pill, which gave women substantially more control over pregnancy than [[ButWeUsedACondom men armed]] with condoms were previously offering them. Secure from the possibility of being saddled with a kid born out of wedlock for the rest of their lives (which culturally back then was considered way worse than it is today) from the events of one brief coupling, women could afford to be freer with sex. Which meant [[TheSixties a lot of love for everyone!]] In media, this is presented as every man's greatest dream, going before even getting rid of that pesky Franchise/FantasticFour.

* A JustifiedTrope in the manga version of [[FireEmblemJugdral Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu]], with [[spoiler: Princess Rackesis and Fin]]. They had gone through [[BreakTheCutie horrifyingly hard times]] that left them emotionally drained and barely able to return from the DespairEventHorizon, and also [[spoiler: they were going to be separated, as Fin was about to return to Lester with Quan and Ethlyn so [[MustNotDieAVirgin they didn't know if they'd ever see each other again]].]] Even more so, it's kind of a plot point later: [[spoiler: the night where Raquesis and Fin "deflowered" each other... was the one where Raquesis's eldest son Delmud was conceived.]]
* Flay Allster from GundamSeed (in)famously fooled Kira into this trope, by seducing him when he was weak. [[spoiler: Ironically, ''she'' [[BecomingtheMask fell in love with him for real]] in the end.]]

* Inverted and (possibly) played straight in Emi's path in KatawaShoujo. Emi is [[spoiler: afraid to get emotionally close to her boyfriend Hisao, even after they've started having sex, because she's afraid of being hurt like [[DisappearedDad before]].]]

* To a degree this could apply to Guts and Casca from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. After helping each other, they begin treat each other more nicely and have a few nice conversations where they're not biting each other's head off. Guts and Casca are separated for a year and when he returns, not 24 hours later they have sex. Guts treats Casca as his TrueLove from that point on. {{Justified}} in that he has serious issues with intimacy such that it's believable that he would bond very strongly to someone who was able to get past his barriers; also, [[spoiler: it's not as though they had much time to work out what an actual relationship between the two of them would be like]].

* To a degree we could apply this to Guts and Casca from ''{{Berserk}}''. After helping each other, they begin treat each other nicer and have a few nice conversations where they're not biting each other's head off. Guts and Casca are separated for a year and then when he returns, not 24 hours later they have sex. Course they're not all lovey dovey about it and spout off 'true love' - it is somewhat believeable that can consummate. They're not in their relationship for a very long time so they could have broken it off.

Even more truthfully, until the 19th/20th century, marriage was for considerations of status, wealth or power, and progeny (for anyone you're likely to read about, anyway. This may be one of those cases in history where it may be better to be poor- ordinary people were more usually in love at least at the start of their marriage; they may also have been less likely to be virgins, though records of their lives are so sketchy it's quite hard to gage what were the norms). For love or sex-for-the-fun-of-it one could have a mistress, only the Church vociferously frowned upon extra-marital sex. Love within the marriage was considered a lucky bonus, if it grew there (and it probably didn't)

Even more truthfully, until the 19th/20th century, marriage was for considerations of status, wealth or power, and progeny (for anyone you're likely to read about, anyway. This may be one of those cases in history where it may be better to be poor- ordinary people were more usually in love at least at the start of their marriage; they may also have been less likely to be virgins, though records their lives are so sketchy it's quite hard to gage what were the norms). For love or sex-for-the-fun-of-it one could have a mistress, only the Church vociferously frowned upon extra-marital sex. Love within the marriage was considered a lucky bonus, if it grew there (and it probably didn't)

* A JustifiedTrope in the manga version of [[FireEmblemJugdral Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu]], with [[spoiler: Rackesis and Fin]]: they had gone through [[BreakTheCutie horrifyingly hard times]] that left them emotionally drained, and also [[spoiler: they were going to be separated, as Fin was about to return to Lester with Cuan and Ethlin, thus [[MustNotDieAVirgin they didn't know if they'd ever see each other again]].]] Even more so: [[spoiler: that's the night where Rackesis's eldest son Delmud is conceived.]]
* Flay Allster from GundamSeed (in)famously fooled Kira into this trope, by seducing him when he was weak.

Even more truthfully, until the 19th/20th century, marriage was for considerations of status, wealth or power, and progeny. For love or sex-for-the-fun-of-it one could have a mistress, only the Church vociferously frowned upon extra-marital sex. Love within the marriage was considered a lucky bonus, if it grew there (and it probably didn't)

* Averted in {{Canvas 2}} twice in Hagino's route. [[spoiler:First, they start to have sex at the end of a date before really loving the other, then stopping. Later, there's an optional sex encounter with the woman Hiroki used to hate and still doesn't really like.]]

* This is one of the issues behind [[spoiler: Yasu]] in UminekoNoNakuKoroNi. [[spoiler: Because of Yasu's mutilated sexual organs he/she is unable to have sex and is afraid that the persons his/her alternative selves/personas (Shannon, Kanon, Beatrice) love will leave him/her if (s)he reveales the truth.]] The series never comments upon whether [[spoiler: Yasu]] is right or not but that's not the point, the important part is that those feelings exist and is a big part of [[spoiler: Yasu's]] problems.

* Subverted in [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/106068/1/relax/intimacy Relax]] by [[http://www.fimfiction.net/user/kalash93 Kalash93.]] While the relationship between the prostitute and her recurring client is primarily sexual and professional, their genuine warmth and affection for each other are built on real connection and understanding. This is make particularly visible in a very heartwarming way near the end, where the protagonist talks about making the prostitute his bride and taking her home with him when the war is over. Also, she won't kiss clients while on the job, but kisses him when their session is over.

* The novel ''Literature/YouthInSexualEcstasy'' deconstructs and subverts this in its main message.

In reality the correlation between sex and romance can be anything from strict fidelity between exclusive lovers, to casual sex between friends, to dating, experimenting and anything in-between[[hottip:*:because despite how people like their strict boundaries and categories, things rarely turn out so neatly]]. Emotions sometimes get the jump on us, and even though people tend to date each other with prospect towards a potential helpmeet, sometimes dating can become casual sex, and sometimes the reverse can be true. So yes, in RealLife people in a casual sexual relationship ''can'' find that after a while physical intimacy with another person fosters a romantic inclination, '''however''', ''this trope'' is when having a sexual relationship with another person ''will'' result in a romantic relationship, no arguing.

Even more truthfully, until the 19th/20th century, marriage was for considerations of status, wealth or power, and progeny. For love or sex-for-the-fun-of-it one could have a mistress, only the Church vociferously frowned upon extra-marital sex. Love within the marriage was considered a lucky bonus, if it grew there ([[BureaucraticallyArrangedMarriage and]] [[TrophyWife it]] [[DomesticAbuse probably]] [[OldManMarryingAChild didn't]])

Even more truthfully, until the 19th/20th century, marriage was for considerations of status, wealth or power, and progeny. For love or sex-for-the-fun-of-it one could have a mistress, only the Church vociferously frowned upon extra-marital sex. Love within the marriage was considered a lucky bonus, if it grew there ([[AwfulWeddedLife and it probably didn't]])

Even more truthfully, until the 19th/20th century, marriage was for considerations of status, wealth or power, and progeny. For love or sex-for-the-fun-of-it one could have a mistress, only the Church vociferously frowned upon extra-marital sex. Love within the marriage was considered a lucky bonus, if it grew there.

* In the recent ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'' movie, ''Degrassi Takes Manhattan,'' Spinner and Emma decide they are meant to be together after a couple days of friendship, an AccidentalMarriage, and one night of sex. The really crazy thing? Both of them were too drunk to actually remember said sex.

* Recent GirlsWithSlingshots arc had Thea discovering Angel was sleeping with another woman. When Thea calls Angel out on this, Angel states that Thea was never her girlfriend. Thea is hurt by this because she assumed that the pair of them having sex in the back room of the bar all the time meant they were a couple, honestly baffled when Hazel asked.