Kryptonite

Emotions

Ivan exhaled as he knocked on X's office door.

God, what does he want from me now, Ivan thought to himself.

"Come in," X called out.

Ivan reluctantly turned the doorknob.

He seldom went to visit X alone. He usually at least had Lauren and James with him, but this time, X requested that he comes alone.

As their eyes met, X gave him a grin before bringing his cigar to his mouth and inhaling more of the tobacco.

Ivan closed the door behind him and took a seat across from him.

"Wow, it's been a while since it's just been you and me. How have things been, Ivan?" asked X. He grabbed an empty glass and filled it with wine and pushed it towards Ivan's direction, offering it to him.

Ivan pushed it back. "No thanks."

"It's not poison, I promise," X joked. "Come on, it's quality wine. Worth 500 US Dollars."

"I don't want to get drunk during the day," Ivan replied. "Anyways, why did you call me in?" 

"Must there always be a reason why someone must call another? Can't it be because of boredom? To catch up? Go back to the old days, before James and Lauren existed in your life?" X said with a smile.

Ivan swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Don't tell me you forgot already," X said with a chuckle. "You may not have become the assassin they are, but you hold a special place in my heart, being the first one I encountered."

"I didn't join then," Ivan reminded. 

"But we still met first," X added. "If someone had told me that James and Lauren would be the ones with the most kills while you prefer to stay in the background, I would've called them crazy," he said with a laugh as he brought his wine up to his mouth to take a sip.

"I'm just better with technology," Ivan reasoned, faking a smile as he reluctantly brought his own cup to his lips.

"Because you hold it in," X remarked as he pointed towards Ivan's chest. "If you cage a jaguar, he'll stay in place. But if you let him go, he'd run free."

Ivan placed his glass down on the table as he gave X another false smile. "You really love your metaphors, X."

"I just wonder sometimes how things would've been if the jaguar was never caged," X said, bringing his hand to his face as he tapped his fingers. "Though infairness, it made due with what it's had."

"But James was always going to be the heir to JustX anyways, so there's no point thinking about it," Ivan reminded. 

X smiled. "Had things gone differently with you, I might've changed my mind because of everyone, it's you've who always reminded me the most of myself."

Ivan felt his body stiffen at the remark.

"When it comes to controlling your emotions, you're number one. That type of restraint creates some of the most brilliant and terrifying people," X commented. "Because when it comes out, it comes out in a fury. Like that day I first saw you."

Ivan's barely flinched as he maintained his composure on the outside, allowing only another smile to come out.

"You're drunk," he joked as he brought his cup up to clank against X's.

Ivan took a moment to look into his cup. "This wine is pretty good, what's it called?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Sangue," X replied. "Italian for blood."