I was thinking about this while I was in bed:
I have to say that I wasn't fond of his proposal or of her having told him she figured out. It sounded too much like he was saying, "If you've got to marry someone..." Of course, she has that third option of remaining single. I'm a big believer in marriage, but I don't feel like it should be entered into rashly. This sounded like a Magic 8 Ball approach to it.
It's not exactly like that, really. It's more like him "making her a better offer" - you know? Like he does in the episode, when he tells her he's in love with her. Giving her another option...
She's just said she hasn't gotten anyone left, other than Luthor. That's kind of a plea to not be alone - I don't mean she needs to be married to achieve this, but she wants to know she's not alone.
And from his answer just before "I do care for you" it's like he's saying, "well I don't really love you but..." -- which isn't the case, actually. Which, considering she hardly sees Superman except when she's in danger, usually - or so he thinks, because he doesn't know that she knows - and that Clark would likely move away to somewhere else he'd find word, that puts Lois in the same position that she doesn't wanna be in: alone.
So this is like him saying the first thing that makes sense at the time in order to make absolutely certain she doesn't marry Luthor... And being he's Superman at the time, and that she hasn't rejected Clark, he probably thinks this has a chance of working.
And, um, if that doesn't work for you, well, I offer this explanation instead: ...since when are men logical, anyway?
*lol*
