FDK goes here.

Thanks!

Not sure when I'll start BIII: HoL but soon. I've got 11.5 done of it but would like to get through the next little bit plot wise before I start posting. Need to have a better idea where it's going. I know where it's supposed to end but getting there... Still way up for grabs...

And plot bunnies floating around as I just finished watching S/L dance at the end of the [ew!] first Mayson ep. Silly show sparking more bunnies!

Thanks again!

Carol

Great story, Carol.

I loved Lois's clarity in how Clark has to deal with the pressures of being Superman. Clearly, she is exactly what he needs

Looking forward to Backwards III.

Corrina.

Very sweet story about them getting to know each other COMPLETELY from the beginning and reasons why that's possible.

Still don't think it was a good idea for them to sleep in the same bed, though.

Now, all Clark WANTED was for comfort, and he told Lois as much.
But, like I said, sometimes when your vulerable and especially when you first wake up, your will power isn't as high as it should be. It can work much like alochal, from what I understand. (Depending on how tired you are.)
Something COULD happen tommorrow morning or in the middle of the night, even though they're both saying "it's just sleep."

Of course, maybe nothing will happen. That's a possiblity as well. But I still say they should have thought about it more throughly and made plans to AVOID that possiblity - by getting an extra mattress or something.

Sara K M wrote:
I find this fascinating from a discussion standpoint. Essentially what you're saying here is that two mature adults -- self-supporting, mid-twenty-something professionals, both already successfully running their own lives -- cannot be trusted to decide how much sexual activity they want to engage in, and then to stick with it. I wholeheartedly disagree.

Despite what romance novels or even fanfic (maybe especially fanfic) imply, most mature people have no problem making this decision for themselves and are able to adjust their behavior accordingly, without constantly being in danger of "losing control". So if Lois didn't want to go beyond kissing and her boyfriend constantly pressured her to do more and didn't like taking no for an answer (like Dan did in this story), then she would be foolish to agree to spend the night in his bed, absolutely. But in this story, Clark has consistently proven in both word and deed that he is willing to respect the boundaries they've drawn.

Saying that Lois shouldn't trust any man, just because something COULD happen is, IMO, the same as saying that Lois should never get into an elevator with another person, just because that person COULD be an axe murderer. Obviously good judgement goes a long way in this situation.

Kathy

Great story, cant wait for no 3. Please dont leave it too long before you post the next one

Just had to say, Aww.....

It was sweet.

Now write more.

Love your stories, Carol. (-;

Awww, good ending!

All of BII sort of felt like an interlude...one giant setup for the drama to come. Clearly, your ability to write WAFFs without angst has been demonstrated. Now I'm just wondering how long it will last.

I'm sorry to inform you that you have officially gotten me addicted to daily posts. So you better get on the ball.

Amber

To put my 2 cents in this discussion about sleeping in the same bed: you've both got good points. I agree with Kathy that a mature adult has enough contol over their sexual behavior that they are perfectly capable of drawing the "this is only for sleep" line and sticking to it. Married couples do that all the time when, for medical or other reasons, they can't or don't want to have intercourse but do want to have the intimacy of sleeping together in the literal and not metaphorical sense.

However, I do think that an unmarried couple who chooses to step that close to the line is playing with fire. If I were a young woman who didn't intend to have sex with a man I would not sleep in the same bed with him, nor indeed in the same room. It implies a level of intimacy that is naturally designed to lead to further intimacies. It puts both the man and woman in a tempting situation.

That said, what L & C are doing here is very typical behavior in a romantic relationship. It is very common for romantic couples to, either consciously or not, 'play at' being at the next level of their relationship. It's a way of testing the waters. In other words, a girl who is out with her guy friend will pretend to herself that they are on a date. A guy who is on a date will pretend to himself that they are a committed couple, etc. In this case, L & C are a couple, and they are pretending that they are married, whether they realize it or not. Because, really, at this point they both are craving that level of intimacy.

Given what Clark needs in this situation, which is Lois's physical touch and comfort, a mattress on the floor is not going to cut it. He needs physical, but not sexual, comfort. The danger is that one often leads to the other not in an out-of-control-we-can't-help-ourselves kind of way but in a this-is-the-next-step-and-I-don't-remember-why-we-said-we-weren't-ready kind of way. Anybody who puts themselves in that situation has to be willing to either put effort into holding that line or step over it with both eyes open.

That one often leads to the other is the very reason why Carol loves to get these two in bed together in the first place. It doesn't have to lead that way immediately, but it is a definite step in that direction.

Ooh, interesting discussion. I don't really have the time to tie this next bit to the story, but draw what parallels you wish:

My sister got engaged to her (now) husband last summer. They had made the decision to wait for sex until they were married, but also often spent the night at each other's houses, in the same bed.

They weren't "playing at" being married, though. My sister is an insomniac. She literally cannot sleep a lot of the time. She and Tim (my brother-in-law) discovered during their engagement that having Tim hold her (or even just in the same bed) at night helps her to get to sleep and stay that way.

So, even though they definitely planned to save the sex for after the wedding (and they DID stick to that plan), they slept in the same bed so that both of them could get the sleep they needed. Draw what parallels to this story you may.

Just my $0.02.

Thanks guys!

Corinna - I keep meaning to FDK on Questions and haven't but I am reading and enjoying! And isn't Lois almost always exactly what Clark needs?

Sara - I've got to go with Kathy and a couple of the other posters below. They're adults. What Clark needs tonight is for Lois to be there. And I don't think either of them are 'tired drunk'.

Kathy - have I said thank you for betaing yet?! I tend to agree with you that the whole [non-alcohol etc aided] 'losing control' thing is largely a work of fiction. Clark has told her that the only time he's ever *wanted* to lost control was with her, but he's not pushed her at all, in fact, being the one to pull back more than once. [though Lois has too]

CC - it won't be long. Knowing me, it'll probably be today anyway :p .

Iolan - LOL! I love that! 'Sweet. Now write more.' More has been written. I'm on... 14 I think of BIII.

rkn - thank you! Did I mention that I love SS/LS? And that the inspiration for another WIP comes from those? [Inspiration sort of - as in, hmmm... that's interesting... and then the muse runs off in a whole other direction...]

Amber - I guess it might seem that way. And I'm going to frame your post - my ability to write WAFFs without angst - and pull it out whenever you guys are waiting for a shoe to drop or whatever... Hey - would you mind hitting reply to one of those emails I sent you just to make sure I've got your filter set up right on my email? I get tons of spam there and don't want it to end up in the wrong spot...

HG - I tend to agree with you. DH and I often *slept* together before we got married [but like DS mentioned waited for 'not sleeping'] but it wasn't always an easy decision to make but we did. I agree that Clark needs her close to him this time.

DS - glad you are reading .

Michael - why must you insist that Zara is coming?

Ah stink. I know me. I'd bet BIII will be posted later today . Just don't want to run out of buffer but I think I'll be okay...

Thanks again everyone!
Carol

Great story Carol!

I began to read Backwards and BII yesterday and I couldn't stop until I read every part of them

Wow, Carol, so beautifully written. I love that Clark never has to worry about finances in your stories, so he can give Lois the world, literally! This was such a fabulous story with such a nice pause (ending), as it will somewhat take a new twist in part III. Loved it.

~Sheila

Whew. Like I said on IRC, I've been a bit busy, but I finally got time to sit and read this today, and I love it. It's really interesting how you turn things on their heads with just a few simple switches. Brava!