A/N: well I've been trying to find a way to come back into the Sweeney Todd fandom and this little one shot is my way of doing it. That said I might be a little rusty with the Sweeney Todd world so if it is not up to my old standards I apologize. Please read and review it will help. I do not own Sweeney Todd or Romeo and Juliet all rights belong to their rightful owners!
Nellie and Her Romeo.
The normally dreary weather that often cursed London had broken for the day leaving the city with, mostly, blue skies, sunshine and a soft summer breeze. Thanks to the pleasant day Eleanor Lovett had opened most of the windows in her shop letting in the cool breeze as she stood behind the counter kneading a ball of pastry. It was Sunday and the pie shop was closed but she was taking advantage of the warm weather to make a few rare treats, after all with the money her shop normally made she could afford the fruits she needed, apple tarts, blackberry jam, blueberry pie and now she was working on the crust for one of her favorites apple raspberry pie.
Of course her full attention wasn't on the pie dough but partly on the book propped up on the counter before her, a little worn copy of Romeo and Juliet. She took her hand away from the ball of dough and flipped the page smiling as she found one of her favorite parts, she knew these lines like they were permanently etched into her brain. She took out her rolling pin and began rolling out the dough as she read the words out loud.
"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love
And I'll no longer be a Capulet."
Outside the shop on the stairs that led to Sweeney Todd's Tonsorial Parlor the barber himself froze mid step in descending the old wooden stairs when he'd heard Mrs. Lovett speak thinking she had addressed him. He peeked through the window and found her placing dough into a pie pan pushing an auburn curl from her face annoyed now and then while a little leather books pages fluttered in the breeze. Looking closer he could see the emerald green letters spell out Romeo and Juliet and it clicked in his head, she had been reading the first part of Juliet's speech.
"all I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"
He whispered under his breath, Romeo and Juliet had once been one of his favorite plays as a boy, he found it interesting and rather tragic it was a wonder he still remembered the minimal lines Romeo spoke at all. Finally Mrs. Lovett got the dough into the pan and filled it with filling then laid out strips of dough over the top in a sort of pattern looking back at the book.
"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,
Nor arm nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
and for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself!"
As the last of the words left her mouth she put the pie into the oven and closed it before sighing and leaning on her elbows on the counter her brown eyes on the ceiling.
"Awful quite up there 'e is. Not pacin'."
She sighed blowing the stubborn curl back out of her face before standing up and grabbing the book and looking at it close gently running her fingers over the page.
"I take thee at thy word.
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized.
Henceforth I never will be Romeo."
Sweeney quietly recited finding it hard to keep from doing so as he watched her as the sunlight gently shone through the windows making her auburn hair look brighter, her ivory skin seemed to glow, the new emerald green dress she wore hugged her figure in all the right ways.
"What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night,
So stumblest on my counsel?"
Nellie read from the pages still caressing the paper with her fingertips as a dreamy look filled her eyes. Sweeney only realized she was talking to him when she turned to look at him with a small smile that made his flush as he stood straight and walked to the door and into the shop.
"By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am.
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself
Because it is an enemy to thee.
Had I it written, I would tear the word."
Sweeney found himself unable to keep from still reciting the words of the play that were running through his head as he stepped up to stand before her on the other side of the counter from her. Nellie smiled again peeking away at the book in her hand not having memorized past the speech.
"My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?"
Sweeney reached out and grabbed the book from her hands and set it on the counter before walking around to stand before her taking her hands in his leaning close to her.
"Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike."
She smiled without her book to tell her what to say she closed her eyes and lightly kissed him smiling when he released her hands to place one behind her head to tangle in her curls deepening the kiss while his other moved to her hip pulling her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck feeling like she was on cloud nine with the kiss until he broke it looking into her eyes.
"Never was there a story of more woe than that of Juliet and her Romeo."
Nellie said softly bringing her hand down to gently cup his cheek making her smile as he turned his head and kissed her palm before his hand moved from her hip to the small bump her stomach had become as he placed his forehead to hers.