Disclaimer: I do now own anything Sweeney Todd, nor do i make any profit in writing this
Please read and review, tell me what you think, and if i should write a chapter 2, or more
lol and I know the title is lame, but its all I could think of at the moment
Can Dreams Come True?
She pulled her hand away from the doorknob once more during this battle within herself. Perhaps it was too late to give him his supper. He said he didn't want some anyways, but still, Mrs. Lovett, as practical as always, insisted that he still have his daily bread. But she definitely didn't want to disturb him, especially if he was actually sleeping for once. But then again, he did come home later than ever, and he looked absolutely famished, so Mrs. Lovett decided it was only for the best that he did eat supper, better later than never.
Her pale, slender hand reached up for the distinct, chestnut coloured doorknob that had been left untouched for over fifteen years before he came back. She remembered back to the time when he did come back, when she eagerly ran up the stairs to the barbershop door, swiftly and excitedly rushed open this very same doorknob to show him his dear friends…dearer to him than she was, and ever would be.
Mrs. Lovett's expression on her face changed as she reminisced on these memories and realities, her large, brown eyes became quickly saddened, and her small, gentle lips slowly turned into a frown. She pulled her fingers back once more from the doorknob, and towards her mouth, where she nibbled intently on her fingernails, a habit she had been cursed with since she was a child. He never even listened to her when she talks; he's always looking out that window, always mumbling some profanity under his breath or cursing over the Judge. The more she thought about it, the less and less she wanted to go through that door.
She pulled up on the tray of food that was being supported by her left hand and her hip. She must go to him. He needed her; she had to give him his supper, and some kind of friendly human interaction. She finally removed her hand from her mouth and pursed her lips. It wasn't healthy for a man to be alone so much, anyways. She braced herself one more time and slowly turned the doorknob and opened the dreaded door.
The bell above the door gave a little ring as she opened it; and almost made her jump as it broke the silence. Nothing moved. Her eyes darted from up at the bell, to the room around her. It was dimly lit, with only one small lamp on top of the tiny end table near the cracked mirror. There was a layer of dust upon the table, and almost everything else in the dingy little room. It bothered Mrs. Lovett to see the place in such conditions, but whenever she tried to clean up a little, she was quickly ushered out by a distressed Mr. Todd. Her eyes moved from the dim lantern over to the only other source of light upon the scene. The moonlight's rays beamed through the large window now facing a sleeping Fleet Street. It shone brightly upon the large, scarlet coloured barber's chair in the middle of the scope; almost like a spotlight. The chair once belonged to her dear old Albert; he sat on it all day long when half his leg gave out with gout. But now someone else was slumped upon its tattered cushions.
Mrs. Lovett cautiously moved forward toward the chair, and whoever inhabited it. It was deathly quiet, and Mrs. Lovett had a forewarning that she knew who the man was slumped in his barber's chair.
"Oh, Mr. T" she voiced rather quietly. "I thought you'd be up and pacing about like always" she added more cheerfully.
There was no response. As she got closer to Mr. Todd, she started to hear the sound of deep, laboured breathing. Curious, Mrs. Lovett laid a hand on Mr. Todd's shoulder.
"You alright, love?" She whispered.
When she heard no response, she removed her hand from his rigid shoulder and onto her hip. She bit her lip and walked around the arm of the chair and headed for the front of it.
What she saw made her gasp, and she put a hand to her mouth to smother the sound that seemed too loud to be permitted.
A weary, motionless Mr. Todd was slumped in his barber chair; hands laying idle over the armrests. His chest was heaving in tune with his deep breaths. His mouth was slightly open, his beautiful lips curled into an almost half smile. His grizzled hair was in turmoil, but his eyes were calm and closed. She had never seen him at peace like this, it was truly beautiful.
She couldn't budge her body nor avert her eyes from his face. She found her hands moving on their own, towards his face as if she had no control over them. The food tray lay forgotten on the floor beside her. Her hands grazed his cheeks and gracefully moved along his hairline. He didn't even move a muscle as her pale porcelain skin touched his. She knew she would never again have another chance at exploring Mr. Todd in such tranquility. Mrs. Lovett pulled her hands back and placed them in her lap and bit her lip again. He was so beautiful, so close to her, and undisturbed by the demons of his past. She yearned for him, but yet she felt guilty for touching him, as if he was going to snap back into reality and shove her off.
"Don't leave me" She heard a soft, mutter coming from the slumbering Mr. Todd. His index finger quivered as he said this, and Mrs. Lovett's heart skipped a beat and her eyes frantically stirred with excitement.
She slowly and carefully placed her hand on his and held it there. His hand felt warm against hers, and she never wanted to let go of him.
"Come closer, dear" He said in a barely audible whisper. "I want to feel again"
Mrs. Lovett swallowed hard and moved her face closer, propping her elbows up on the armrests of the chair. She couldn't resist looking at his face, being so close, but yet so far. She filtered her hands through his hair and closed her eyes as she inhaled his sweet aroma. She was soon stirred back into reality as she felt his head gently leaning against her chest. Her lips formed a smile as she stroked his hair with her hand once more.
"I'm right here, love" She said softly. "And I'm not going anywhere"
His hands were now moving slowly and tenderly down her back. Mrs. Lovett returned the favour by pulling her hands back over his shoulders and up his arms. His mouth was against her neck, not pressing or implying anything, but just resting there.
Mrs. Lovett held still in time and space, hoping to never have to leave this moment. Mr. Todd broke the stillness by gradually moving his head back against the headrest and muttering something about "not her, can't be…"
"No, love it's me" Mrs. Lovett quickly retorted quietly, for fear he would wake. "I said I'll never leave you" Her eyes darted up to his face.
"No, no don't leave me again" he exhaled.
Mrs. Lovett paused and looked at him intently. Her arms still propped up on the chair's armrests. She didn't want to go, but staying here was very unsafe, for he could wake at any moment. She stared at him, her beautiful barber, her lusted accomplice… She couldn't resist anymore, and she pushed an auburn curl out of her eyes and pressed her lips smoothly against his cold and chapped ones. To her utter amazement, her advancement was quickly returned and he passionately kissed her back.
Mrs. Lovett's placed her hands at the back of Mr. Todd's neck and leisurely massaged his skin.
She gave a slight and unexpected "Ohh" as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer to him. It was pure bliss; heaven on earth, Mrs. Lovett was hoping to be stuck in this moment forever, this moment that she yearned for in her dreams. She closed her eyes and entered this fervent atmosphere again, hoping to be lost in his arms forever.
"Lucy, at last" uttered the barber.
Mrs. Lovett stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart missed a beat, her stomach churned. She knew it would come to this. Lucy. That damned blonde haired, blue eyed wonder would always win. Tears began to form in her eyes, she would be rejected again by a man she so desperately clinged to at a moment which just refused to last. She couldn't pretend to be the wife he seemed to be visiting in his dreams, even though all of her inmost self wanted to be that wife. She had to get out of this room, forget what happened, and forget this waking nightmare.
As she pulled herself away from her Mr. T, she found her arms glued to the armrests of the barber's chair. Mr. Todd's eyes seemed to be stirring ever so slightly. Mrs. Lovett knew this was no time to dwindle. She painfully ripped her arms from the sticky substance that seemed to be all over the armrests. She barely had time to look at her captor when Mr. Todd's eyes blinked open.
"L..Lucy is that you love?" he spoke softly.
Mrs. Lovett flushed violently and anxiously looked down at his curious and still sleepy face. She backed up slowly at first, then turned and ran towards the doorknob just as his hands reached out into the air where she was just standing. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before he snapped back into reality and realized that she wasn't his darling Lucy. As she turned the doorknob, she paused and listened to see if he was awake, but after hearing nothing she decided it was safe to retreat.
Upon leaving the room, Mrs. Lovett raced down the hallway, out the door, and down the stairs. The moon's rays shone down on her like a spotlight, silhouetting her figure against the bricked walls of the shop, and marking her as a felon. She didn't stop running until she was in her bedroom and the door shut. She didn't do anything wrong, he would never know, and even if he had seen her, he would have just brushed it off as a dream. She finally looked down at her arms which were cemented to the armrests of the barber's chair just moments ago. She gasped as dried, sticky, crimson coloured blood stained her soft skin. It must have gotten on there when she placed her elbows into some unlucky man's leftovers.
Panting, she rushed out of her room and into the bathroom, turned on the tap and ran the warm water over her elbows. She felt like a murderer, stricken from her last crime. Tears began to form in her eyes once more, as she blinked them away from obstructing her view of the task at hand. The wretched stains just refused to come off of her, branding her… like he always was.
And she left the food tray on the barbershop floor.
The next morning, Mrs. Lovett was already in the kitchens working on her next batch of pies when Toby walked into the room, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"Morning Toby" said Mrs. Lovett cheerfully
"G'morning mum" replied the boy.
"Nice to finally see you, dearie, you look like you barely slept last night" Inquired Mrs. Lovett. "What ever seems to be the problem?"
"You were right when you said too much gin can go straight to your head…" said Toby while rubbing his head. "…And I thought I heard someone running down the stairs, and turning on the bathroom tap in the middle of the night, or something like that…"
"Well, that gin defiantly did go straight to your head because no one was up last night" She reassuringly said to him while placing an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close for a hug. "And I would know"
Just during that moment, the door to the stairwell swung open and the figure of Mr. Todd appeared in the doorway.
"Just wondering if you would be needing your food tray, Mrs. Lovett" He muttered, and suddenly seemed interested in his boots.
Mrs. Lovett paused, and released Toby from her embrace, and turned to Mr. Todd. She desperately hoped that the shade of her face wasn't giving anything away.
"Thank you" She said softly as she approached him.
As she reached out her hand to grab the food tray from him, Mr. Todd suddenly seized her wrist with his firm hands and pulled her into the stairwell.
Mrs. Lovett gasped as he vigorously put a hand around her quivering throat, clenched his teeth and said:
"Next time stay out of my room if no one answers the door"
"Y..yes of course" She stammered back.
He then released her and trudged back upstairs, leaving Mrs. Lovett alone in the stairwell.
She opened the door leading back into the kitchens, blinked back the tears, sucked in her lip, and embraced the day.
So that's it, please read and review!!!
