He couldn't help but smile as he saw her initial reaction and secondary one. That was Lois. She was ferociously protective about her work, and her stories, and would do almost anything to make sure that she got her credit. She deserved all of it completely, as hardly anyone at the Planet worked as hard as she did.
He completely understood her reasoning. She was good, she didn't need his help. She could probably get every single interview and fact on her own. But she'd grown considerably more tolerant of his offers over the years. There had been a time where she would have flared up even more at the suggestion, shouted, and even thrown something. Lois had come a long way, and he was proud of her.
"I'm glad, Lois," he said, kindly, giving her one of his proud smiles. "And hey, no shared byline. This is your story, I don't want any credit, okay?"
The smile disappeared. "Hmm. He's standoffish to a lot of people, really." Clark moved some papers around on his desk, and pushed his glasses up his nose, looking away. "Good luck?" He longed to inquire further, but knew it wasn't his place. Lois would tell him when she was ready, and he trusted her.