What a sweet story!
I can totally relate to Lois. Sometimes there are days or evenings, where I am just too exhausted by the day to pretend anymore.

And Clark can now, for the first time see a part of Lois, that she has never before allowed anyone to see. That's what marriage is all about.

I am so glad they have each other, to refuel, to be there when the other needs them.

Natascha (hating the fact that she is still single!)

Great! I love the dialogue towards the end, when Lois is taking a bath. Really sweet.

keep the waffy pieces comin'!

Oh, what a wonderfully sweet story! I loved it.

BJ

Very sweet fanfic. I like this side on Lois. She is just Lois at these moments. Great idea.

Oooh! Commenting as I read. (it's the best way. *giggles*)

That's amusing and sweet and... aww! (yes, be prepared, I have a feeling that most of my comments will consist of "aww!")

Yeah, and you'd better not set one off, buster. Cause you're not supposed to be "like other men". :p

mmm... can you guess what my comment is going to be? Yes... that's it... "awww!"

*giggles* Ah! that is SO cute!

*giggles* *blushes* *runs to hide under the desk before someone sees her like this*

AH! Clark Kent! You're not supposed to be like other guys! You should be sitting there and thinking about... god knows, something that has to do with tiles or... whatever! not listening to football and pretending you're there for your wife.

Don't listen to what he says, Lois -- I'm sure somewhere he was still thinking about the football game. Men!

*giggles*

Ah, darn.. that's so beautiful. *sniffles* awww!!

The end was just..hee! cute and a bit naughty and... wonderful! Great job, Lisa! I loved this.

I loved the metaphors here. Lois is baring herself to Clark, mentally and physically. She is trusting him to undress her, gently and undemandingly, and she is trusting him to see her down and depressed and being able to be there for her. At first, he doesn't understand what it is she is really showing him. He doesn't know how to deal with her weakness, because she is the light he needs to guide him:

But he is what and who she needs in order to find her light again:

So lovely. What a tribute to him and the love he gives her.

And then in a second, she turns naughty and happy, full of energy and desire:

I adore this, Lisa.

Ann

This was a very well done story. I think there are a lot of elements highlighted here, too many to just breezily compliment this as a sweet early-marriage fic. I started and ended with an "Aww", of course, but the middle hits on some fairly deep issues, and I give you credit for covering them.

My guess is that most women reading this story would be as bemused by Lois is at Clark's overreaction. *We* know that her depression isn't anything serious or long-lasting; it's just the result of some negative emotions, a headache, maybe a too heavy workload or even a certain time of the month. But for Clark, this early in their marriage, this is big and scary. She'd hidden this particular side from him before they were married (maybe not even intentionally, but just as a regular part of two busy people living separately) and now he's completely in the dark about what he's supposed to do. And it scares the hell out of him.

Lois, on the other hand, has just given Clark a gift -- the proof that she trusts him so completely, even at just a month into their marriage, to let him see her this down. And his response, in true L&C fashion, is exactly what she needs.

Well done, Lisa. I really enjoyed this.

I'm going to have to say dito Kathy here. Lois' feelings are so familiar and I really enjoyed seeing Clark's first reactions to that. It's not easy being a woman, let alone for a man to figure us out at such a time.

Thanks for the sweet story, Lisa.

Saskia

Aww what a guy! I love the line about wife code, that is so true.

So sweet and waffy!

I really like this:

There is a lot of sweetness in that gesture, but I don't feel it cloying me. The entire story was a subtle exploration of intimacy, which I think is the magic of a long term relationship, after the fireworks and the butterflies there's--

(Because after a while you take it for granted that your loved one is simply there. *sigh* You're secure in that.)

and

(Because living with someone means knowing the quirks, the embarrassing details that most people don't see--Clark makes a lot out of her admission without realizing just how much more of Lois he sees already)

Remember the aphorism, 'God is in the details'? I think love might just be in the details too.

alcyone

PS So what's else is up your sleeve?

You know I love this, Lisa

C.

Oh this story is soo sweet and I thought it was kinda erotic too! This was just what I felt like reading today! Thank you!
Please keep writing , I love your style!

Such a familiar story. None of us married Superman, and yet there are so many things that sound as if they come from the scrapbook or our own memories: wife code, hard days where you just want him to be with you (and the way his mind wanders because he doesn't want to just be there, he wants to DO SOMETHING), his fears and all of that other wonderful gooey stuff. Lovely.


Elisabeth

I...loved...this.

I'm really kinda speechless, so I'll just add a ditto to some of the other wonderful comments I read through, especially the first one. It was just the perfect representation of what happens when you're just too exhausted and you have to let go. So I'm in a slightly gooey grin of Clark being able to be there for Lois while she lets go of a side of her most people don't see.

JD

Lovely and Sweet! Especially loved the story from Clark's perspective... his panicky fear for Lois and himself .. wow!

lol I really liked this line.

I like the way Clark is learning a whole other Lois in their marriage -a Lois who watches soap operas and loved bubbles baths.

Oh, the end was so sweet -the whole conversation and everything!

Camy

Lisa, I don't really have anything new to say, but I do want to tell you how much I loved this story. So lovely! Thanks for sharing this with us.

Loved it as well!
Carol

Why Mz. Lisa, this is just lovely! What a nice little vignette to distract me at work! I am a huge fan of Season 4, so I really love married fic -- when it's done properly. It takes a good understanding of Lois and Clark as people in order to properly convey how they would be as a married couple, and you do a great job of this.

Ha. Has he looked in a mirror lately? Anyone who tells him to get away from her is certifiably crazy. That being said, I love that he worries about this; long gone are the days when the mere presence of Superman is enough to distract Lois from whatever she's thinking about.

I absolutely love this line. It shows how essential she is to his very being. That like Superman needs the sun, Clark needs Lois. I can see this story being set before "AKA Superman," where he confirms to her that she sustains him, as it shows that he is starting to really realize just how much truly he needs her.

This, plus this ...

... seriously had me wondering if she was either sick or pregnant. She seems so weak and lifeless.

This cracked me up, especially how he trails off in disbelief. And I can totally see Lois doing that, too. Not that I ever do it myself or anything.

This is a great detail about Superman as the most powerful man on earth versus Clark as Lois' husband.

I love that, too. It's sensual, but subtle. The way you write it shows both the love and the lust that he feels for her. And you play it just right because now wouldn't be the time for him to be getting all hot and bothered over taking her clothes off.

I appreciate that she acknowledges that she hasn't totally changed -- that she can still be angry and indignant; which he loves -- but that he has helped take away some of her pain.

And the ending is adorable. I love that with his super reflexes, she is still able to pull him into the bathtub before he knows what's happening.

This was just wonderful. I look forward to your next story!

Well I thought Lois was PMSing<g> It sounds like she is. But it must be the right before to let Clark undress her and get in a tub. Interesting. We never think about that time of the month in a Lois and Clark fic. This isn't by any means blatant about it but it does raise the thought. Very sweet story. Laura

Thank you all for the wonderful feedback! *hugs FoLCs*

I know, BJ, I know. I tried to get them to tell me what happened next but they refused!

Well, he's not, Lara, but sometimes he is. I know my own husband would probably be thinking about some obscure movie in that situation!

Thank you so much, Kathy! I really was trying to bring out a few very definite ideas, and I'm happy it was successful.

Alcyone, what a beautiful thought; I love it.

A couple things - an alternate pilot story that I've been working on for over a year, and after that, a certain secret agent story that you might remember...

This made me panic a little - suddenly I was worried that maybe all the talk of undressing and breasts was over the line for gfic! In any event, I'm flattered that you think so.

Elisabeth, you've noted exactly what I love about Lois and Clark - they're extraordinary people, but still they're just people with thoughts and emotions and experiences like those of so many others. I'm glad the story felt familiar to you.

Extra thanks for this, Jenn!

A couple of you wondered why Lois felt so badly, and the truth is I didn't actually pin that down. It could be the imminent arrival of trusty Aunt Flo, or it could just be a crap day. I hadn't actually thought about pregnancy, but it could be that, too. In fact, I suppose this story could take place just a few days before In the Still of the Night . Yeah... I totally planned that!

Thanks again, everybody. I'm truly appreciative of all your kind comments. Thank you for reading my story!

Sweet story.

And while I wouldn't be tuning in to a football game,(the SciFi channel is more my speed) I can relate to the lostness he felt as his wife wasn't acting like his wife...

James

I'm trying, unsuccessfully, to catch up on the boards. So, I opened this and then almost immediately closed it again when I realized it was a post-marriage fic. Generally, that's not my thing.

I'm so glad something made me stay. This was lovely. Not a hint of Superman in this, just pure Lois and Clark being Lois and Clark.

There were parts of this that were funny, like Clark tuning in to the football game, but for the most part, it was simply sweet. It captured one of my favorite parts of marriage. Not the grand gestures, but the little details of everyday that scream "I love you".

And given that this is early in their marriage, Clark's worries that he won't be able to help her seem so very real to me.

My husband is a pretty sensitive guy, and yet, he is often surprised when I will randomly mention something silly that he did months later because it meant so much to me.

Clark always seemed that way to me, too - thinking that if he just saved Lois every time her life was in danger, either as Superman or as Clark, she would see how much he loved her and love him back. And somehow never seeming to really get that when she did fall in love with him, it wasn't for these grand gestures, but for the little things.

This story does such a good job of drawing that out. Clark is doing all these little things for Lois, but is doing them while panicking that he won't be able to help. He has no idea he's already helping until Lois tells him.

Thank you for sharing such a sweet story.