Interesting question, but there are infinite ways of looking at it. A few months ago, my friend and I were discussing what key event during season 1 triggered Lex's obsession with Lois. We decided it was probably--
A) Lex seeing her at the White Orchid Ball... seeing her tenacity (and beauty) and also receiving competition when Clark cuts in on their dance.
B) Superman going to Lex's window (at the end of The Pilot) and basically threatening him... this might have brought on Lex's obsession with bringing down Superman, and since Lois loved Superman, Lex might have been pursuing her as a way of angering Superman, or at least giving himself (Lex) a feeling over superiority if he could "win" Lois.
In both of these events, Clark/Superman played a role. If he hadn't gone with her to the White Orchid ball, she may not have gone, etc.
Changing one or more events in a timeline (like *when* Clark comes to Metropolis) can change everything about the world in which the fanfic takes place... but then again, it might not change much at all. I mean, look at the setup in "Tempus Anyone"... so many things were different (Lois missing, Perry running for mayor, M&J dead) but some things were the same, too (Clark working at the Daily Planet, living in Metropolis).
I think it's entirely possible that Lex's proposal to Lois might have still occurred, even without Clark/Superman in the picture. But their relationship up to that point would be very different from what we saw on the show in season 1... but it's still possible they might have gotten to that point in their relationship anyway. Or not. I mean, if Lex's hatred toward, and rivalry with, Superman, is the *only* thing that would have *ever* prompted him to pursue Lois, then it suddenly doesn't work anymore.
So to believe this kind of fanfic, you have to tell yourself that it was something ELSE that got Lex interested... something that Clark/Superman had nothing to do with. At least in *this* universe/timeline... or maybe all along.
Now as far as him destroying the DP to get her, yes... I still think he would have done something drastic, though maybe not that. He did it for the money, partly; partly for Lois, to get her detached from her friendships. Even without Clark around, she still had Jimmy and Perry... though Lex had already sort of gotten rid of them by giving Perry a Supervising Editor-in-Chief (thus making him angry enough to want to quit) and sending Jimmy down to the printing plant.
If Superman hadn't been around, would Lois have ever considered Lex? One could argue that she only accepted Lex's proposal to begin with because she had just recently been rejected by Superman. In an alt universe, maybe she would NEVER have accepted that proposal... because her emotions wouldn't have been clouded at the time. She might have given him a solid "no" right there on the plane.
Sooo in the end, I guess I can accept this scenario as long as the author explains how Lois & Lex met in this new timeline, and how their relationship progressed. Why did Lex destroy the DP if he'd already removed Jimmy & Perry anyway? I'd need reasons, but there are plenty that could be given.
