I don't mean to nitpick, Tom, but is this really your plan?

Poor Clark. He's the person Lex has the hardest time seeing clearly, and it affects how Lex reacts to everything else.

Thanks for the comments. Kara won me over as I was writing, and I transferred that to Lex, because you are so right about his need for a friend.

I love writing Lex because he can sustain the most operatic language!