In this story, Clark and Lois have always had a buffer between them, be it Clark's students or the distance between Metropolis and Smallville. So Lois isn't threatened by Clark's skill and ever-present presence. She can afford to open up to him over the phone (and when he magically appears in the newsroom) because he's not staying. She doesn't have to guard her heart against him because she has that buffer already. She can afford to dance around the does-she-or-doesn't-she-love-him quandary because there is no commitment between them yet. Oh, yes, they're writing all kinds of almost-sloppy letters and emails to each other and acting like lovesick teens on the phone, but she still has the buffer.
And that's not a bad thing at all. One of the reasons that L&C Lois was hesitant to open up to Clark was because if it went south between them, he'd be in the newsroom every day as a reminder of her latest federal disaster. But because he's not there, the pressure is off. If this relationship goes pear-shaped (Heaven forfend!) the only reminders will be ones she can eliminate. Her defenses haven't engaged because she hasn't needed them.
I'm so glad you brought this up! This was a key factor in writing this story. When I was crafting the set up of this story, I wanted a world where Lois was a little softer (thanks to professional success and mellowing with time) and where Clark was more successful and settled (thanks to years working and living in Smallville). And then I wanted their relationship to follow the same trajectory as the show -- the slow buildup of friendship turning into romance. But I realized as I began writing, the distance between them actually changed the dynamic significantly. Not only did it remove the antagonistic aspect of their relationship because Lois never sees Clark as a rival or usurper, but also -- as you pointed out -- the buffer of distance allows her to open up to him in a way that she was hesitant to do when she was worried about compromising her working relationship and her friendship with her partner. So there is still some back and forth about her nerves regarding losing his friendship if their romantic relationship goes belly up, but it's a much much different dynamic than when they were forced to see each other every day and when she knew she would be forced to see him daily if things didn't work out. It changed my timeline a good bit once I realized how much this distance would affect her. I was still able to keep things moving at a more realistic pace -- no flying off to elope after knowing each other a week -- but without her fear about ruining their partnership and without Superman there to distract her, it only takes a matter of months for her to realize how much she wants him and decide he's worth taking some risks for.
You have created two separate worlds that are each very appealing in their own way. Now that we’ve been introduced to this charming town of Smallville, Clark’s presence there seems essential. Likewise, it’s simply impossible to imagine the Daily Planet without Lois Lane.
I hope you are ready for a long ride, because this question is absolutely a major theme of this series, but it's going to be awhile before we get there.
