het_reccers | Shipper's manifesto: Lois Lane/Clark Kent

Fandom: Superman
Pairing: Lois Lane / Clark Kent (A.K.A. Clois)

When I signed up to write the Clois manifest I did it because I checked this community and noticed it could use more Clois loving. The fact that I’m in the middle of a stressful month (year?) didn’t stop me from wanting to spread my love for this pairing, but then reality back slapped me and, for a while, I thought I wasn’t going to make it. But a couple of days ago DC announced that they were going to hook Superman with and Wonder Woman. It was like a wakeup call: my desire to write why I love these two characters so much came back with a force, and here I am.

Everybody knows Superman’s story, and just a few details have changed in the last 70 years: Kal-El arrived to Earth as a baby after his home planet, Krypton exploded. His ship was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, farmers from Smallville, who adopted him and named him Clark (Martha’s maiden name). In contrast, Lois Lane’s backstory is the one that has changed the most through the years: she’s the oldest daughter of General Sam Lane and Ella Lane. The General always wanted to have boys who’d follow his military career, but he got Lois and Lucy, Lois’ only sibling. Lois was always the independent one, who was raised like a soldier by her father and got hardened by the military life while trying to protect her sister from the same fate. She started working at the Daily Planet when she was a teenager, lying to Perry White about her age. She’s the best investigative reporter the paper has, always doing what needs to be done to get the scoop and never taking crap from anyone. Lois and Clark meet (traditionally) after he moves to Metropolis and starts working at the paper. She’s annoyed by him at first because he’s a competition, and feels very much attracted to Superman because he’s a mystery, Clark falls for her right away. Eventually they become friends, and Lois starts to see Clark for the man he is, not the man he pretends to be and falls for him as well. They start a relationship and soon he confesses that he’s also Superman. That’s the general backstory for these two. How this is portrayed and how many turns it takes changes from Universe to Universe, but the main idea is always the same.

In the comics: Lois Lane is the oldest supportive character in the Superman mythology. She’s even older than the red boots and Lex Luthor. She first appeared in the Action Comics #1 (1938) also known as the first Superman comic book ever. She has never been the traditional “woman” as a character: even back in the 30’s she was a working woman, a determined and strong willed journalist, very good at her job and even better than most men. I’ve always found curious that this was the woman Siegel and Shuster chose to be Superman’s love interest. Of course she suffered some personality changes back in the 60, and sometimes she’s been a damsel in distress, although that’s not the way I would described her at all.

Just like Lois has changed, her relationship with Clark has suffered from some changes too (it’s been 74 years after all). She’s gone from being his rival, to plotting all the possible ways to have him confess that he is Superman and marrying him, to his equal - both in the work place, and in the hero world (WHAT? you might be asking, but give me a couple of lines and I’ll explain it to you).

Whereas I know history is important, my love for comic books started in the early 90’s. I read the old comic books much later in life and mostly out of curiosity, so hear me out.

After the reboot in the 80’s Clark Kent became the man and Superman the secret identity, which shifted the dynamic, allowing the romance between Lois and Clark to be born. He was no longer the bumbling reporter, he was strong, confident, caring and talented, which made Lois fall for him. I guess back then the writers realised the triangle for two was old and boring; this new Clark was much more attractive for the readers and for Lois. They started dating, he proposed, revealed to her that he was Superman (one of the best Superman covers ever btw) and after coming back from the death, they got married.

What I love about the pre-new 52 Clois is that they are partners in every sense of the word. Clark saved Lois a lot, that’s true, but she saved him a lot as well. Her “take no prisoners” attitude worked for Clark, he knew his woman could take care of herself and she knew he would be there no matter what. It’s true that their relationship was not perfect, there were conflicts (like when Lois got mad at him for saving Diana’s mother and not her father) and they even almost split up once (although that was Parasite), but in spite of it all they could always overcome it.

They were married for 15 years before the new reboot, and during that time she became Clark’s link to humanity. He wanted to save the world not just because he had to or because he could, but because she was in it. She made him feel connected to humanity, which made him a better hero. She grounded him and gave him the strength to be a Superman, not just physically but emotionally as well, because he knew there was someone at home who loved him no matter what.

In “For tomorrow”, Clark describes her as “the only arms strong enough to hold me”. Lois Lane sees Clark as a man, not as a Superman. For her, he’s just this man who has an amazing gift and does the best he can with what he has; she often wishes the world could see him through her eyes, see the wonderful man behind the S. She doesn’t put him in a pedestal, she tells on him when he’s wrong and has no problems to let him know she’s better than him at some stuff, and he relies on her to be just Clark, the guy from Kansas, her Smallville. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t admire him, because she does, but my guess is that he admires her even more than she does him. She’s this incredible, mortal, vulnerable woman, who’s not afraid to look at the big bad guys in the eyes, those who bully the weak ones, and say “I’m not taking your crap”, and she does it without superpowers and without a costume to hide her identity. She’s all heart, just like he is all heart, and that’s what connects them. They are two faces of the same coin, a hero and a superhero working for the greater good, and that makes them as super couple.

I could go on and on about why Clark Kent and Lois Lane are great together, but the bottom line is that Superman is a better and greater hero when he’s with her.

Comic Quotes:

Nothing could ever keep me from you, Lois. Not even death. — Clark Kent. Superman v2 #714

I’m home in the only arms strong enough to hold me. — Clark Kent. Superman, For Tomorrow

You look at Superman, and you wonder, what can he possibly have to worry about? What could possibly ever hurt him? But just because his skin is invulnerable, that doesn't mean his heart is. And that's how you hurt Superman. You break his heart. – Lois Lane. Adventures of Superman Vol 1 640

You said your vision powers weren't back yet. But your hearing is -- you heard something all the way across town. Wave your right hand if you can hear me.
Good. Because I guess I've got a few more than three words. I want you to know something, something important.
Was I happy when your powers were gone? Happy to have my husband all to myself? Yes, yes I was. But it's... it's like a fireman's wife is happy when he doesn't have to go and risk his life in burning buildings. He's still a fireman, and she knows that. And I knew who you were when I married you. It's what you are, it's part of why I love you. You're a fireman. And... when there's a fire go do what you have to do, Clark. In Bakerline, wherever. Then find Intergang and hurt them. Go get 'em I'm behind you all the way. - Lois Lane. Up up and away

The world can only see a stainless man of steel wrapped in the stars and stripes, but the truth is that he’s as insecure as the rest of us underneath that thick, impenetrable skin. Most significant of all is his fear of being alone…
Biology suggest that I’ll die long before he does and, in his quietest moments, he admits this chills him to the marrow. Occasionally, when I’m stressed or eating too much junk, I think I feel the mild tingle of his x-ray as he scans my arteries or checks my cholesterol, although I know better.
Right now he’s got me on some kind of macrobiotic diet utilising plants and minerals only found in the pacific rim. Personally, I don’t care what I eat as long as someone else does the cooking which, I’m delighted to say, he relishes as much as he enjoys the rest of the housework.
He barely needs to sleep at all, but holds me in his arms every night until the dawn breaks anyway. Not a single day begins where he doesn’t tell me how much he loves me. Not a single night draws to a close where he doesn’t say how lucky he was to find Lois Joanne Lane.
If I’m honest with myself I’ll admit I wasn’t a very nice person before he came along and proved it was possible to be infatuated with something outside my career. I’d always dated rich, powerful men, but even the rest of them seemed more like rivals and all I was really interested was proving I was smarter than they were, anyway. Superman never provoked that kind of tomboy behavior. This was my first genuinely adult relationship, based on the altogether alien concept of mutual respect.
You may think a childhood squared in army bases and a mostly absent dad might mean I was looking for an all protecting father figure, but you couldn’t be more wrong. I didn’t see a superhero as a patriarchal answer to all my problems, as some feminist authors might suggest. I just finally found a man who could keep up with me.
His playfulness, his clubhouse in the snow and all the little curiosities he keeps locked up inside indicate to me that here is someone who has never lost his enthusiasm for life. He combines the best thing about being a child with the essential qualities of a man and this, in my opinion, are the ingredients of a Superman.
I just wish that, as a writer, I could find the words to make them trust him again, deal the little things that made me fall in love with him without endangering the secret. Like his favorite books or food, the utterly bizarre things that make him laugh. The fact that a tough pulitzer-winning reporter with a pushy, volatile personality is so proud of what he does that she actually insist on ironing his uniforms. He's always too busy thinking about the rest of us to care what people are saying about him, but I care. He taught me how. - Lois Lane, Superman 80 page giant #2 (1999)

One of the things that keeps me most connected to this planet—most connected to the experience of being human—is waking up next to you. I love you, Lois Lane. And I need you. -Clark Kent

Superman may be a symbol of hope to the world — but my symbol of hope is my wife. She’s everything to me. More important than Smallville or Metropolis. Earth or Krypton. - Superman: Where is Thy Sting?

Movies: The first time I ever saw Superman was in the Christopher Reeve’s movies. I was 4 and fell in love with him because he could fly and wore a red and blue costume (my favorite color combination at the time), both very important points for me at that age. I don’t think I was interested in romance back then, but as I grew up I rediscovered these pieces of gold (I’m talking about Superman I and II by the way, everything after that doesn’t count). Here’s a different version of the characters I love, where Superman was the person and Clark the mask. Lois falls for Superman and becomes good friends with Clark (I even think she feels sorry for him, for his clumsiness and nerdiness). Clark also falls for Lois but he has a job to do, and after breaking all the laws of physics to save her, he decides not to act on it.

After putting two and two together she tries to prove that he and Superman are one and the same but fails. Clark finally reveals himself as Superman in a very confusing incident involving a pink bear and fire, and the relationship begins. While they are in Clois heaven - flying to the Fortress in the cutest fly ever *points to gif*- the world is taken over by General Zod and his minions.

Lois tells him it’s hard for her to believe that he is Clark, because the two are so different, and he answers that Clark is a part of him. After spending the night with her at the Fortress (wasn’t she cold?) Jor-El - the AI version of Kal-El’s father, who runs the Fortress - tells him he can’t be with Lois because he has a job to do, protecting Earth, so he can’t be bound to just one human. He then decides to GIVE UP HIS POWERS!! (Because what’s the point about being Superman if you can’t be with Lois Lane… right?). He gets beaten up and she loves him just the same, until he sees what his actions are costing to the world, which has been taking over by evil Kryptonians while he was having the time of his life with Lois. He goes back and begs the big J for his powers, but he must renounce to his life with Lois, and she cries (and I cry, and my heart hurts) and then he kisses her and she forgets about their shared moments (some great fanfiction has been written about this, but the recommendations come later).

What I love about this version of Clois is that Lois understands: she’s willing to give him up for the greater good, just like he’s willing to do it, and that shows me how much she loves him and understands him. It’s killing her, but she knows he has a job to do and she can’t be in the way (this has been a recurring theme in the mythos, where Lois feels that she’s not important or big enough to be a part of his destiny, and he proves her wrong), so she lets him go. Then he goes and erases her memories (because nobody has ever said he’s intelligent, just that he’s a very good guy) just so she doesn’t suffer and he carries on his life knowing everything they could have been, but are not.

MY HEART BREAKS, MY BABIES.

After that came Superman III, Superman IV (LOL) and Superman Returns, but I’m not a big fan of those 3. Right now I’m here, in my corner of the world, waiting for “Man of Steel”.

Movie Quotes:

Can you read my mind? Do you know what it is that you do to me? I don't know who you are. Just a friend from another star. Here I am, like a kid out of school. Holding hands with a god. I'm a fool. Will you look at me? Quivering. Like a little girl, shivering. You can see right through me. Can you read my mind? Can you picture the things I'm thinking of? Wondering why you are... all the wonderful things you are. You can fly. You belong in the sky. You and I... could belong to each other. If you need a friend... I'm the one to fly to. If you need to be loved... here I am. Read my mind. - Lois Lane. Superman I

I didn't sleep a wink last night. Do you know what it's like to hear birds singing at dawn, after you've just spend the whole night crying...? don't toy know this is KILLING me? Have you any idea what it's like... to have you come in here every day, and not be able to talk normally to you, or show how I feel about you, or speak to anybody else about you... Hell, I don't even know what to call you! - Lois Lane. Superman II

No, I cannot... any more than I can deny the other, which is stronger in me, Father. So much stronger. Is there no way then, Father? Must I finally be denied the one thing in life which I truly desire?... Father, I love her - Kal-El/Superman. Superman II Donner's Cut

Superman: Look, Lois -
Lois: No regrets, okay? I did it, I got the man I loved to love me. Didn't I?
Superman: Oh, yeah
Lois: Well, okay then. Those people need you. Do you think I don't understand that?
- Superman II. Donner's Cut

Superman: See you at work in the morning
Lois: Bright and early, huh? The same old Clark and the same old Lois
Superman: yep
Lois: Except, maybe I won't be quite so mean to you from now on. You don't have to worry. Your secret's safe with me
Superman: I know. I know that Lois.
Lois: Well, there he goes kid. Up, up and away
- Superman II. Donner's Cut

TV: The story of Superman has been portrayed in several tv shows through the years, but for me the most important two have been Lois and Clark: the new adventures of Superman and Smallville (I also love Superman: the animated series, but for now I’m going to talk about the other two shows or I’ll never finish).

My love and devotion for all things Clois (and Lois) started with Lois and Clark. Here I was, on my pre-teens days, and this show was awesome. This version of Clark was a lot like the Clark in the comics: strong, confident, and SO DAMN HOT (hello Dean Cain from the 90s!), and Lois was fun, strong, obsessive, perfectionist, and with no regards for her personal safety. They just… worked. Dean and Teri’s chemistry was the biggest pull this show had, they were on screen and everything just clicked. But what I enjoyed most about their dynamic was the fact that they were equals: Clark was a good reporter and Lois was incredible, they were great partners, they worked together, trusted each other, they were in sync. Clark loved her from the start and she fell for Superman the second she saw him. That made Clark so frustrated because he wanted a relationship with Lois, but he wanted her to want him, not Superman (which is a very important thing for me as a fan). Lois was attracted to Superman, but knew a relationship between the two of them would never work, and it was easier to love Superman than to let herself fall for Clark, who was real and very capable of breaking her heart. This Lois was wounded and real and insecure, and that made her wonderful, because while she risked her life every day to uncover the truth and to write prize-winning articles, she was afraid of risking her heart.

I will always love that scene when Superman flies into Lois apartment and she tells him she’s in love with Clark. Their relationship was not perfect either - at first they hit a bumpy road because he wouldn’t tell her he was Superman, so he had to run out on her without explanation. So they fought, and she was not willing to give up because she needed to know, she needed him to be there because her father had not being there and - even though she loved him - she needed to protect her heart. And Clark, as wonderful as he was, couldn’t see that, because deep down he’s always been afraid to be rejected. When he told her (when she found out, to be exact) she got mad at him for not trusting her, and she was hurt… and I still think that’s the most real reaction to “the secret” I’ve ever seen. Then it came this wonderful scene between Martha and Lois where his mother confesses that she had never been able to talk to another woman about her boy, and you can see she loves him so damn much.

I often think that the moment Lois knows the secret, the story gets much better: they work much better, they fall in love even deeper, and they truly become partners. Here she loses her memories and he has to marry a Kryptonian princess, but even after all that they remain strong as ever and that’s always refreshing to see, because deep down this are two people who love each other deeply, but were born in different worlds, so what is wrong with that, right?

Lois and Clark Quotes:

Clark: Lois, I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait for you as long as you need.
Lois: I want you to know that I love you. And you’re not alone anymore.
3.01 We Have A Lot To Talk About

Clark: Lois, I have loved you from the moment I saw you. I love your humor, your passion, the way you just . . . dive right in--even when you shouldn't. Because you refuse to just watch the world. You demand that it be a better place, and because of you--it is. And today, I want to give you as much of the world as I can.
Lois: Clark, you're my best friend. Before I met you, I never had a best friend. And falling in love with you has been so easy, I don't know why I fought it so long! You have such gentle grace, such quiet strength. I don't know anyone with as pure a heart. And so today, I give you my love, my honour, and our life--together.
4.03 Swear to God, this time we are not kidding

And then… Smallville came.

How can I describe Smallville? I remember the first time I saw a promo for the show: It was on the latin american WB channel, during one of the TnaoS (The New Adventures of Superman) reruns, and I thought “wherever there’s a Clark Kent, there’s a Lois Lane: I am watching this show”. So I waited. For 3 years I waited for a Lois Lane mention or anything that would indicate me there was a Lois Lane somewhere in this universe.

And boy, it was worth the wait (BEST.LOIS.LANE.EVER!)

Smallville is not the best tv show ever, most of the times it wasn’t even a good show. Too much Lana, too much teenage angst, too many heroes much cooler than Superman, not enough Lois Lane… those things blew up on my face many times, and after 7 years I lost my hope. We had an awesome Lois Lane, we had a Clark Kent, we had some banter and some flirting, we had chemistry, but everything was too corrupted by Lana and her angst. So I gave up.

BUT THEN season 8^th came, which wasn’t perfect either (just remembering the Arc of Suck makes me shudder), but it was FINALLY a start. One that I was wishing and waiting for 8 years, and it was good. We found out that Lois was already in love with Clark (Commited), while Clark had no clue he had - or could have - feelings for her. That was a new turn for their epic story: Lois Lane had never fallen in love with Clark Kent first - she had never met Clark Kent and established a relationship with him before Superman either – and that made this version of Clois something fresh and different. Clark was an idiot and it took him losing Lois, thinking she had disappeared forever, for him to realize how much he truly loved her. Thankfully he opened his eyes and finally one of the most wonderful versions of Clois was born.

Smallville’s version of Clois has all the good things the other versions of the couple had: they were equals, partners, soulmates, and above all, Lois Lane creates Superman. He was a faceless hero, saving the world from the shadows before she came along. She believed in him, as a man and as a hero, she was always supportive and loving, and seeing that side of her made him trust himself and fall deeper. He saw how passionate she was when it came to stand up for something she believed in, and she believed in him. This Lois Lane never loved the Blur, at least not in that way. Her heart was always with Clark, but she felt she had a duty to the Blur; she was his voice to the public, she understood nowadays society was too cynic to believe in a man who only wanted to help, and she told him to stay in the shadows, to protect himself so he could protect others. She wanted to know who he was, but she was able to put his safety and his destiny over her desires, and he saw how selfless she could be. I think this version of Clois is the one who shows us how much alike this two truly are, how selfless and self sacrificing they could be for the greater good, but also how much they understand each other.

This Clark had many people in his life who knew his secret, he wasn't as alone as his previous incarnations, yet he was just as lonely. All of these people wanted things from him and he always tried to act accordingly. All of them saw his powers, the hero, the destiny, but only Lois Lane saw the man. She saw Clark Kent for who he was, and she never cut him any slack. I like that on my OTPs: no matter how big the destiny of one of them is, the other is always there for the reality check. She saw him as the same geeky guy she teased when he was in high school, the same guy whose bed she took over when she first moved to Smallville, the guy she liked to tease and call names. He was Clark, and Lois loved Clark. His powers were an "endearing quirk", a part of the whole. And she made him feel normal.

When Clark told Lois he was the Blur she already knew. She found out and never pushed him to reveal it to her: she just understood, and that was something beautiful to watch. Clark had always been lonely, he had always been afraid that he people he loved would leave him or would see him differently just because of who he was, but Lois never changed her ways with him. She loved him even more because she saw this wonderful man who did everything he could to help people, and didn't want to be recognised for that.

This wonderful dynamic thankfully continues in the Smallville Season 11 comics, since they are my bubble of fresh air in the middle of the nothingness the Superman comics are nowadays.

Smallville Quotes:

Clark: There are times when I think you don't know me at all. And others when I think you know me better than anyone...
Lois: Well that's what I'm here for, Smallville. One save at a time." -
5.21 Oracle

Clark: It's too late Lois. My whole life I've seemed different.
Lois: Some people spend their ENTIRE lives looking for a way to stand out, to be a person that ANYBODY would call special. When you first told me who you were, my thought was anyone but Clark. And not because of the alien thing, I have known enough guys to know that you can be born on terra firma and be lightyears from normal...
Clark: Lois you don't have to explain, I get it.
Lois: No... you don't. How can someone with x-ray vision be so blind?... I've been down the Hero road before, and every time I've made a giant U-turn, but this, this was different.
Clark: And this time it will be different Lois. When I do this no one's going to remember who I am.
Lois: And when you hit your reset button, you're not going to tell me your secret, are you?
Clark: I'm sorry.
Lois: It's okay... Why should I think I'm special? Clark. I understand.
Clark: Lois you don't understand. It's because you ARE special...
8.15 Infamous

Lois: (to the Blur) You're here. I--I can't know who you are. I'd give anything to see your face... to know your name. But you can't protect us if we know who you are. I understand that now.
9.19 Charade

"My whole life has been full of relationships that have ended to soon. And then when I went away last fall, I... Lois, I felt so lost. When I came back to the bullpen... you were there waiting for me. You jumped out of your seat, you threw your arms around me, and the way that your eyes sparkled when you smiled, I just... I knew. I just knew that you were the one that I've always needed." - Clark Kent. 9x22 Salvation

"All my life I've been afraid, Lois. Afraid of people knowing the truth about me. Afraid of them rejecting me, and even if they didn't, still losing them. I've been afraid of everything I can't control. But when I was faced with the idea of losing you forever, it made me realize there's something I'd regret more than anything else, and that's not telling you the truth about me. 'Cause that's the only way we could share a life together. I know the odds are stacked against us and we'd be risking everything, but if you're ready to take that leap, there's no one else that I'd want to take that leap with. Lois, you've had a lot of questions about The Blur, it's me. I'm The Blur." - Clark Kent. 10x05 Isis

Clark: It's just sometime I forget you never saw what it was like. Growing up, being different, feeling like an outsider, a freak. Like you were all alone.
Lois: You turned out pretty normal.
Clark: Lois, you don't understand. It never goes away. It's always in there. The only thing that's ever made me feel... normal is you.
10x16 Scion

"You’re not—in my way, Lois. You’re by my side.'" - Clark. Finale, Part 1

“I, Clark Kent, take you, Lois Lane, to be my companion, forever. With you by my side, I will never be alone. Though the world sees a strong independent woman, I’ve never known someone with such gentle grace and more pure heart. When I’ve been lost you’ve always been there to bring me back, so on this day, at this moment, I pledge the rest of my life to you. You’ve always believed in me, and I believe in you. When you believe in someone it’s not for a minute, or just for now, it’s forever.”
- Clark Kent. Finale, Part 1

“I wanted these vows to be perfect, but perfection is a hard thing to get your hands on. But life is meant to be a little messy, and when it comes to love I think it’s like my dad always said about the army : You only sign up if it’s the only thing you could ever imagine doing. Clark, I can not imagine spending a moment of my life without you. I promise that I will always have your back, as you will always have mine. You’re my best friend, you’re my home, and you are my true love, and I am yours and will be forever.” - Lois Lane. Finale, Part 1

Somebody accused me the other day of wanting to turn the Clois relationship into a fairytale love story, and I guess he wasn't wrong. A love story is a love story and a long time ago I chose to see Superman and Lois Lane story as that. This is the story of a guy and a girl, perfect for each other, but born far away, who found each other and supported each other, and became better people because of it.

Lois told Clark once they live in hope, and Clark said everything he did was because of love, and that his love for Lois was bigger than his destiny, Earth or Krypton, and that's what sets Superman apart from other heroes: love and hope.

Some people think Superman is a great hero for his powers; some others admire him for his moral values. I love him because he's in love with an incredible woman, who's very normal in a physical way, but amazing in every aspect a person can be amazing, and more heroic than Superman can be in many ways.

Fic Rec #1: How you touch me (Smallville)
Author: Briee a.k.a Kaeleigh
Link: http://loisclark.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=one&action=display&thread=6023
Rating/Warning(s): need an account on "Divine Intervention" board

Why This Must Be Read: Everything Briee writes is wonderful. This is a one shot that starts with Clark dreaming that the one who put on the kryptonite suit was Lois.

Fic Rec #2: Little Secrets (movie-verse)
Author: Kala Lane Kent
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3034192/1/Little_Secrets
Rating/Warning(s): Superman Returns AU; kids!fic, kind of angsty

Why This Must Be Read: An original take on Superman Returns as a sequel of Superman II. Lois had twins instead of just Jason, and she slowly starts remembering what happened. Reading this fic made me think of all the chances Superman Returns had of being a non sucktastic movie. This writer has several fics inside this universe, following this one, and every single one of them are worth reading. Plus the kids are adorable.

Fic Rec #3: Franz Kafka's girlfriend
Author: AmeliaFaulks
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3775541/1/Franz_Kafkas_Girlfriend
Rating/Warning(s): Post- Superman II

Why This Must Be Read:This fic is a gem. Every fic written by this writer is worth checking out, but this particular one is wonderful. Clark never ereased Lois'memories after the events of Superman II and they struggle with their feelings for each other.

Fic Rec #4: En Tempus Veritas (Smallville)
Author: Briee a.k.a Kaeleigh
Link: http://loisclark.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=serial&action=display&thread=3285
Rating/Warning(s): need an account on "Divine Intervention" board

Why This Must Be Read: It's hard to say anything about this fic without giving away the plot. It's a reinvention of the 6th season of Smallville. A meteor freak gives Clark the chance to see what his life would have been like if he changed one event in his life, in order to keep Lana alive (her car exploded at the end of season 6) and everything works much better than anticipated. As I said, every Briee fic is worth reading.

Fic Rec #5: Past Imperfect (Smallville)
Author: EllaBlue
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5024923/1/Past_Imperfect
Rating/Warning(s): A couple of M chapters.

Why This Must Be Read: Set somewhere during the 8th season (after the Arc of Suck) and the future. Clark and Lois' kid is sent to 2009 after an attack, and the younger version of her parents. The action and the plot in this fic is amazing (probably my favorite Clois fic to this date) and the kid (Cira) so adorable she should be written into the comics somehow. She has another fic of Cira running into Lana a couple of years after this fic happens and it's amazing, that one's worth reading too

Fic Rec #6: Selective Memory (Smallville)
Author: VisionGirl and Sunrei
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3263682/1/Selective_Memory
Rating/Warning(s):

Why This Must Be Read: An AU take to the episode from the 4th season, "Blank". Makes you think of all the ways the show could have been better if DC had let the writers add a little Clois romance right from the start.

Fic Rec #7: Vers (Smallville)
Author: extrasolar
Link: http://extrasolar.livejournal.com/32721.html
Rating/Warning(s): Beautifully written. Lois and Clark finding their way through the eyes of the other characters.

Why This Must Be Read: [Be as brief or as detailed as you like.]

Fic Rec #8: It comes and goes in waves (Smallville)
Author: abvj
Link: http://abvj.livejournal.com/89905.html
Rating/Warning(s):

Why This Must Be Read: The only good think that came out of the Arc of Suck back in 2009 was the amount of wonderful and insightful fics that people wrote afterwards. This was one of them. Lois tries to move on from her "crush" on Clark, only to realise it's not that easy.

Fic Rec #9: Recurve (Smallville)
Author: Dude-El
Link: http://www.ksitetv.com/forums/showthread.php?71022-Recurve
Rating/Warning(s):

Why This Must Be Read: I love those stories where the characters are forced to live the same day over and over again. This is the Clois version of that. Fun, sexy and with a good plot.

Fic Rec #10: Capacity for Good trilogy
Author: Dude-El
Link: http://summerofclois.livejournal.com/10979.html
Rating/Warning(s):

Why This Must Be Read: Written before season 8. Dude-El creates the birth and fall of Superman inside the Smallville Universe.

Fic Rec #11: Meet me in Smallville
Author: extrasolar
Link: http://extrasolar.livejournal.com/22206.html
Rating/Warning(s): Angst

Why This Must Be Read: I don't read angst, and I'm not a fan of the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but this just works beautifully.

Fic Rec #12: Season 9 Drabbles
Author: sanalayla
Link: http://loisclark.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=one&action=display&thread=4706
Rating/Warning(s): need an account on "Divine Intervention" board

Why This Must Be Read: 50 drabbles set during the 9th season of Smallville. Some are AU some are within canon. Every single one of them is very very good. Different ratings and lenghts. Sana had the proyect of writting 50 drabbles more, but it didn't work. She did manage to write 30 or so more.