SRAM X5 and APEX Road lever?

I’m doing a cx bike for my lad on the cheap and reusing old stuff etc. I’ve got a 10 speed x5 rear mech and am trying to pair it with a 10 speed APEX lever.

Everything is going ok but does it lack indexing! No barrel on mech and I can’t see anything on the lever!

Have I dropped a clanger?

It does shift Ok’ish but needs indexing.

Help … just tell me if I’m being thick and missing something.

Yes you’ve dropped a clanger. You can get intra cable barrel adjusters but they’re not great and have a habit of seizing IME. yes in theory it should work but that lack of tensioning is a PITA. I know this from experience with the same shifter and a gx rear mech with Exact Actuation and no barrel adjuster. It’s never quite right. Sacked it off and bought a Sram Apex 1 rear mech, which works absolutely fine.

Ah, as I thought. I’ll pick an inline adjuster up from my lbs and give it a go first.