STEEL MY HEART -- ONESHOT

STEEL MY HEART

"pull them out." 

"suggestive today, are we, andrew?" 

"eat a dick." 

"if it's yours."

"okay!" carnegie's chuckle broke his stoicism. 

he flicked his eyes upwards to meet rockefeller's. his dazzling eyes, accompanied by a cocky yet empathetic smirk, whittled a name into carnegie's heart and buried itself into the steel manufacturer's mind. carnegie loved to let this name, one so plainly magnificent, take tumbles through his tongue before releasing it into a world where such smog-filled air dares to pollute its glorious sound. he savored its resonance. 

"john," a beckon so sweet it flattered rockefeller's ears, "take me seriously for just one day. john, that's all i ask." 

carnegie's fluctuating tone intrigued rockefeller. oscillating so rapidly between sobriety and comedy, rockefeller struggled to read carnegie. maybe that's his intention, rockefeller thought to himself. 

"do you think i don't?" inquired rockefeller. 

"i think"—carnegie struggled to find the right words—"you try... but you can't." 

rockefeller stirred. "you know who i don't take seriously? the companies i eat, swallow, shit out, and turn into sludge. you, andrew, i care—nay—obsess over. you occupy my nights, my days. you and your blasted steel!" 

"my steel?" 

"your steel, your money. i see it. i crave it." 

"that's all i ever was? just... just some green to you?" carnegie's eyes stung, his tears the perfect mixture of anger and despair.

rockefeller scoffed, frustrated at his own passion and carnegie's density. "just how fucking slow are you?" he snapped. his muscles relaxed when he noticed his dear carnegie's pursed lips. "there would be no money without you. only a fool cares about the gold without caring for the man behind it. and, even moreso, you've given me something i've learned to treasure beyond riches." 

"sex?" 

"rockin' rockefeller sex!" 

carnegie paused. "what are you getting at?"

"of course i'll pull out of the deposits," assuaged rockefeller. 

"just like that?" 

a glint in rockefeller's eyes. "an eye for an eye, andrew." 

"oh, john—" 

"fuck me or give me some money." rockefeller thrusted his arms into the air with a confident shrug. "it's a negotiation we know well." 

"i, i know. but not this time, i can't do it this time." carnegie couldn't stand to look at rockefeller any longer. he hoped it wouldn't come to this. 

rockefeller studied carnegie's expression. he shifted his weight, putting himself in a more delicate position. in a whisper, he asked, "for what reason?" 

carnegie took a minute. 

"john, he doesn't think this is right... for me." 

a stillness in the air was tampered by rockefeller leaning in from his seat. "who is he?" rockefeller asked—demanded—even though he already knew the answer. 

"jp."

"jp!" rockefeller stood from his seat, igniting an explosive ruckus of noise. "he... he was our one time fling! i thought he was just that. have you actually been considering sustaining that... relationship?" 

"i didn't know how to tell you." carnegie flushed red. 

"better than trying to approach me through some fucking deal!" 

"it's the only way i know how to approach you! jp, he, he encourages me to care. to truly, deeply care about who i am. who i come from! who i can help... i'm sure you felt it too." 

rockefeller approached carnegie with careful steps. carnegie shut his eyes, quivering. the robber baron extended his hand to carnegie's face, caressing his cheek, slowing his shakiness. 

"i felt it. i did. but... it's not me." 

"it can be," carnegie wheezed out through his tears, a streak of water hitting rockefeller's hands.rockefeller stepped away and walked to the locked door. he took one last look at carnegie. 

"call him over some time. convince me, and i... i will see." 

rockefeller exited the room, slamming the door shut.

THE END.