Very interesting take on the proposal and its aftermath. Your characters ring true and their interaction it both tense and realistic. I plan to follow this story to wherever you take it.
I, too, wish Clark had revealed his secret identity before proposing to Lois, but unlike some others (you know who you are), I understand why he didn't, even though I think it was a serious mistake. Clark was - and still is - an insecure man. He wants to be loved for who he is and not what he can do. He wants Lois to love the person inside the suit, not the person and the suit. He doesn't want Lois to be Mrs. Superman. He wants her to be Clark Kent's wife, because in this incarnation of the Man of Steel, that's who he really is.
In the comics, for a long time, Clark Kent was a convenient disguise for Superman when he wanted (or needed) a short break from being almost worshiped as a superhero. Superman was the real identity, not Clark. But here, in the Lois and Clark universe, it's Clark Kent who is the real person. When Tempus tried to kill an infant Kal-El and Lois discovered the truth (and was understandably perturbed), Clark said, "Clark Kent is who I am. Superman is what I do." He's not being dishonest when he says that Superman isn't a real person. He simply doesn't understand - as Lois eventually does - that Superman would not be the hero he is if Clark Kent weren't the person in side the suit. Lois understands that they're really the same person, but Clark doesn't. Witness the number of times when Clark speaks of Superman in the third person, as if he's intentionally distancing himself from the caped hero. In fact, I believe we have an unfinished story on the boards describing what it might be like if Clark suffered a psychotic break when he put on the suit and Superman became an actual separate personality in his head.
The Clark Kent we saw in the series wasn't far from that state. He tried so hard not to be absorbed by the hero, he was even envious of himself at times. In fact, if not for the stabilizing influence of Lois Lane, he might have made that mental break anyway. But because Lois understands that the two are really one, she's just as mad at Superman as she is at Clark.
I've seen a number of posters say that Lois should have been given the information earlier. I can't disagree, but I also can't buy into the position that Clark is the only one at fault. There was no way for him to tell her during season one. At first, she would have run the story and felt bad about ruining Clark's life, until she got the Pulitzer. Then there was that whole thing with Lex Luthor. Just imagine how everyone's life might have changed if she'd accidentally let Superman's secret identity slip out.
Early in season two, her life was unstable, and neither of them knew what they wanted or how to get whatever it was they thought they wanted. And making that revelation too soon would have seriously damaged their chances of trusting each other. Yes, the fact that Clark proposed before telling Lois was damaging, but once that particular genie is out of the bottle, there's no putting it back.
Remember, while Lois is basically a good person, she's not exactly a saint. One of the reasons she's so much fun to write is because she's so flawed, and it's so much easier to write something interesting about a flawed person who overcomes those flaws and grows in the telling. The fun in writing about both of them is that they're both flawed, both have room for improvement, and both need to mature before trusting their hearts to someone, even to each other.
I have heard from a few readers who think Lois from season one is a total stinker and doesn't deserve someone as high and mighty as Superman. I've heard from some who think that a man (Clark) who lies to a woman (Lois) and hides such a huge part of his life from her is a louse who doesn't rate the time of day from her. I think the truth is in the middle. They're both at fault, if we have to assign blame to anyone. Neither one is perfect, but if you have to be perfect to be loved, I'm out of luck.
And this story isn't about how to be deserving of someone's love. This story (both the one under discussion and the greater story of Lois and Clark) is about working past each other's insecurities and flaws and mistakes and selfishness and lack of consideration to find a common ground, a place where both parties can open up with confidence that their imperfections won't push the other away. And I'll bet nickels to noodles that this is what will happen in this story.
Can't wait to see how far off I am.
