History Main / LetsWaitAWhile

-->--JanetJackson, "Let's Wait Awhile"

A SisterTrope to CelibateHero, where the character (more often male than female) declares that they have no intention to just have sex for the sake of having sex. Either they're waiting for "The One", or they think they've found them, but the timing isn't right (that they want TheirFirstTime to be special).

** Victoria and Ted planned to wait a month, but got to impatient after the first two weeks.

* The TropeNamer is Janet Jackson's song "Let's Wait A While". In the the song's video, Janet's boyfriend is played by Taimak, the star of ''Berry Gordy's TheLastDragon.''

* Brought up in the film adaptation of ''LikeWaterForChocolate'' by Pedro to his new bride Rosaura. However, the marriage is not of love but simply to delay an uncomfortable marriage obligation (Pedro married Rosaura to be close to her sister Tita, his true love). Pedro throws in one successful excuse to why they should wait but eventually the deed is done (to produce a son).

* In ''[[DragonAge Dragon Age: Origins]]'', the romance option with Alistair plays out like this. [[spoiler: You ''can'' convince him to go to bed instead of waiting for him to feel ready and approach you, but the love scene doesn't play and he seems unhappy about it.]]

* Lady Antebellum's ''Just a Kiss'' goes, "So baby I'm alright, oh, let's do this right, with just a kiss goodnight."

* In ''NineChickweedLane'', Edda and Amos appear to be going the "abstinence until marriage" route. We find out about this after they apparently immediately broke that vow and Edda comically tries to convince Amos that [[AllJustADream he dreamed it.]]

* There never seems to be any question that Cory and Topanga in ''BoyMeetsWorld'' are going to wait until they are married, although Cory [[MenAreAlwaysEager has a harder time waiting]] than Topanga does. At one point during the engagement, she shows him her butt as a compromise to placate him.

* There never seems to be any question that Cory and Topanga in ''BoyMeetsWorld'' are going to wait until they are married, although Cory [[AllMenArePerverts has a harder time waiting]] than Topanga does. At one point during the engagement, she shows him her butt as a compromise to placate him.

* ''The40YearOldVirgin'': The protagonist and his love interest decide to wait until they've had a certain number of dates before they...do it.

** In the case of Scrubs, it lasted less than an entire episode, by the time Turk comes around to the idea as being romantic, Carla has had such a rough day that she needs some loving affection and changes her mind. Turk is happy to oblige.

* {{Batman}}'s Timothy Drake, [[LegacyCharacter the third Robin]], is the definition of this trope. He's one of the few persons in the entire Bat-Family (Heck, the entire {{DCU}} superhero community) who hasn't done it. The dude's had at least 5 girlfriends, and has been propositioned for sex ''thrice.'' Gotta love that guy.

* Provides lots of humor in {{Girlfriends}} when GoodBadGirl Lynn starts dating a celibate man. He initially refuses to date her due to her...reputation, but she convinces him that she can wait. She's...not very good at it.

A common thing in many religions, which declare that sex is a very special thing to save for after wedding. In fact, pre-marital sex used to be pretty much a taboo topic, but nowadays it seems to be an unquestionable standard.

Compare GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex. Contrast NatureAbhorsAVirgin, EverybodyHasLotsOfSex.

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* ''{{The 40 Year Old Virgin}}'': The protagonist and his love interest decide to wait until they've had a certain number of dates before they...do it.
* Brought up in the film adaptation of ''{{Like Water for Chocolate}}'' by Pedro to his new bride Rosaura. However, the marriage is not of love but simply to delay an uncomfortable marriage obligation (Pedro married Rosaura to be close to her sister Tita, his true love). Pedro throws in one successful excuse to why they should wait but eventually the deed is done (to produce a son).


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* The "engaged couple agreeing to wait until their wedding day before they do it again" happened on both ''{{Scrubs}}'' and ''{{Friends}}'', with Turk and Carla, and Monica and Chandler, respectively.

* ''Series/{{Arrested Development}}'':

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''{{How I Met Your Mother}}'', where in a flashback, Marshall and Lily decide to wait to have sex... and then do it ten minutes later.

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* Kate, the true love interest of ''Videogame/GrandTheftAutoIV'', no matter how many times Niko dates her, she will not sleep with him.

* Brought up in the film adaptation of ''Like Water for Chocolate" by Pedro to his new bride Rosaura. However, the marriage is not of love but simply to delay an uncomfortable marriage obligation (Pedro married Rosaura to be close to her sister Tita, his true love). Pedro throws in one successful excuse to why they should wait but eventually the deed is done (to produce a son).

* In ''Manga/GirlFriends'', due to both sides mistakenly assuming that their still virgin partner already had sex with somebody else, [[LipstickLesbian Mari and Akko]] had a very awkward first attempt that ended with this.

* In ''GreysAnatomy'' Erica and Callie agree to wait before having sex because they both think they aren't ready to have sex with another women. A few dates later, they consummate their relationship.

->Ann: And then that first time, after waiting and waiting, it’s gonna be so awesome! Because it’s not just going to be my love and George Michael’s, but God’s love, as well. God, it’s gonna be incredible!

* In ''{{GreysAnatomy}}'' Erica and Callie agree to wait before having sex because they both think they aren't ready to have sex with another women. A few dates later, they consummate their relationship.

* "{{Arrested Development}}":

* {{Batman}}'s Timothy Drake, [[LegacyCharacter the third Robin]], is the definition of this trope. He's one of the few persons in the entire Bat-Family (Heck, the entire {{DCU}} superhero community) who hasn't [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean done it]]. The dude's had at least 5 girlfriends, and has been propositioned for sex ''thrice.'' Gotta love that guy.
* In ''NewWarriors'': Firestar, Nova and Namorita break Justice out of the convoy taking him to prison[[hottip:*:He'd been convicted of manslaughter in the death of his father]]. After Vance [[SelfRestraint convinces them to let him face the music]], Nova, Namorita and the guards look the other way while he and Firestar [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean "have a private goodbye."]] Angelica wants to, but Vance convinces her that their first time should be more special than a quick rut in the woods.

* Cate, the true love interest of ''Videogame/GrandTheftAutoIV'', no matter how many times Niko dates her, she will not sleep with him.

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