I was prepared to defend Clark's behavior when I read Ch. 4 on the gfic boards. I think he just couldn't bear the pretense that they could have a normal conversation - they both knew why Lois left her window open, and they both knew why he entered it. I've been assuming this was in canon before the bomb dropped, so Clark was already in love with Lois when she betrayed him. Beyond that, they're soulmates - they can't escape each other even if they want to, and even if Lois' actions keep them from ever being together in this incarnation. That said, after reading the nfic version of this story I'm a bit more ambivalent. Their first time just happened. This time, Clark seems to be actively trying to punish Lois for his own inability to resist her invitation by treating her like a prostitute. I know he's bitter and angry, but really, what was he really thinking taking a job at the Daily Planet surrounded by the best investigative journalists in the country? And while I love Clark, if a flying alien really showed up and started performing super feats, I'd be with Mason in wanting him outed. I really hope you can resolve the damage they've done to themselves and each other, but other than time travel (which would feel like a cheat in this brutally angsty story), I don't see a way that they can ever be together. Thanks for a compelling story.
