What I consider to be a deathfic -
1) A story in which a main character dies.
2) AND that death must be a major plot point in the story/most of the story's focus.
So, I would say that a story in which Lois dies in the beginning but is mostly focused on Clark picking up the pieces of his life is NOT a deathfic to me. But, a story which focuses on Lois, say, getting cancer, going through treatment, and ultimately passing away IS a deathfic.
