At the end of S1 Clark was quite "proactive" with Lois as he tried to persuade her against marrying Lex and also when he confessed his own love for her.
I disagree. His confession is a reaction to Luthor’s proposal. And trying too find a way too make Lois see that she is marrying a criminal sociopath, is also kind of the bare minimum of a friend and he doesn’t even do that very diligently. In fact, as several fics gotten into, why doesn’t he use Superman to lay down the law? Clark knows that Lois virtually take his word as gospel.
I'm not certain Clark's behaviour there is motivated by fatalism, or a sense that he lack's free will because what happens in his life is controlled by other forces.
Well fatalism is perhaps the wrong word, Clark certainly knows that he always have a choice. I take it that his immense powers makes him hesitant to force his will upon the world in all things. It’s the fact that he has no restraints but those he chose to impose on himself that keeps him so passive. He afraid that he will lose his ties to “humanity” if he indulge himself.
Considering Lois and Scardino I can see him second-guessing things. Is it really a good idea to ask Lois to live in a lie, to share him with the rest of the world, whether if they could have family etc, on top of that he doesn’t know how she will react to the whole picture.
Perhaps it would actually be better for Lois to go with this Scardino fellow?
These are the kind of questions that goes through the mind of a nice guy.
At the very least Lois has to make it clear that she want Clark Kent, before he can tackle the other issues.
