One of the many things I love about the show is that they do wait until marriage, and that Clark has remained a virgin up until then. I like it for two reasons, one general and one show-specific:

1) It is refreshing to have a relatively recently made show depicting abstinence before marriage both as something doable and something positive. I could count on one hand with fingers left over the number of programs I have seen that have been made recently in which a likable, physically attractive, popular character makes the choice to remain celibate in order to first enjoy intimacy with his/her new spouse. In fact, the only other such character that I can recall to have waited is Marcus Cole from Babylon 5. Of course, he dies a virgin in that show.

2) It does seem in character for Clark to have waited for marriage, for the following reasons (in no particular order):
- Because of having to keep his secret, Clark has become very guarded about letting people get to know him very well. "Crossing the intimacy threshold" requires a level of letting one's guard down that Clark would be reluctant to do with anyone he didn't plan to spend the rest of his life with.
- Clark would probably be afraid that, because of his super-strength, he might hurt his partner if he were to lose control enough to let himself fully enjoy the moment. I couldn't see him having sex with anyone until he could at least tell her his secret and talk through the possible dangers so that she could give informed consent, as it were, and could help him overcome his concerns.
- Clark grew up in a time and place where abstinence before marriage would have been promoted. Clark is, for the most part, a "follow the rules" kind of guy, and might therefore try to abstain until marriage for that reason alone. (Admittedly, his Mom probably had more liberal ideas, so this isn't as strong a reason as the other two.)

I avoid reading nfic altogether, so I would choose not to read graphic depictions regardless of the participants. However, I would read stories that allude to sexual relationships between Lois or Clark and someone else who was his/her spouse.

I'll throw out another hypothetical for this thread: Is it OK to have Lois having sex with someone else in order to save Clark's life, or vice versa? I would say that this is OK at least sometimes; as, for example, in the case of Lady Loisette.

cheers,
Lynn