A/N: I know I should really be working on The Scars of Our Hearts but the plot bunnies don't stop so to get you through the wait I bring you this cute bit of Sweenett fluff!
Wishing on Stars.
A chilled, salty breeze blew in the window creeping over the exposed skin of Sweeney Todd's back, he groaned against the change in temperature and moved to pull his wife closer to him but only felt the empty bed beside him. His eyes flew open looking into the darkness hoping to see her standing at the window but found the room empty apart from himself, he groaned again sitting up listening to the night around him. The waves gently lapped at the shore outside, crickets chirped, the wind whispered through the open window and with it brought the odd pattern of splashes and singing from the beach.
"Damn that woman…"
He trailed off as he stood from the bed and pulled on his trousers before exiting the ouse and following the path down to the dock that extended out into the sea. The singing grew clearer as he reached the doc finding a pair of shoes at his feet. He shook his head walking along the doc finding his wife's nighty and robe as he neared the end until finally he saw her treading the water not far from the doc, her hair was down and fell over her shoulders and into the water as she looked up at the moon. He watched her as she began to move as the moonlight washed over her acting like a spotlight as she moved about the water as if she were dancing, her eyes were closed as she moved the stars reflecting on the water surface moved with her as though it were a flowing ball gown.
Nellie Todd felt the salty water caress her skin as she looked up at the sky before letting her eyes close and her body move with the current below her feet as though dancing upon it. The world around her vanished as she moved smiling when the water wrapped around her, holding her, and the chirping crickets became the music she danced to, the black water was her dance floor, the moon her spotlight, and the stars were the audience silently watching her, cloaking her with their reflections as she moved. She didn't hear someone slip into the water behind her as she listened to the water and the crickets, she yelped when arms wrapped around her middle pulling her close to their owner's chest.
"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night pet?"
Nellie relaxed hearing her husband's voice in her ear making her lean back into him letting him keep her from slipping under the water.
"I fancied a swim, what about you love, surely you're not just out 'ere cause you want to be."
Sweeney held her close being sure to keep her head above the water as the sandy floor grazed the tips of his toes as he kissed her damp auburn tresses.
"I came out looking for you, you really should be inside sleeping pet."
She gave a small whine but it was countered by a smile that danced on her lips.
"A few more minutes? The water feels nice."
He rolled his eyes kissing her jaw slowly pulling her back to shallow water until her feet could touch the sandy floor, he turned her to face him before he placed his hand on her hip and took one of her's in the other smirking at her confusion. he leaned close to her so his lips tickled her ear drawing a shudder from her.
"Only if you dance with me Mrs. Todd."
She smiled giggling as they began to dance across the sand, the shallow water ticked her torso as they moved and her eyes fluttered closed as he kissed her jaw line.
"Your dress looks stunning this evening Nellie."
She looked up at him confused but followed his eyes to see her hair had fallen over her shoulders enough to cover her chest and the water ripping around them was filled with shimmering reflections of stars acting like a skirt as they swayed. She laughed throwing her head back to look at the sky as their dance slowed until they were standing still his eyes drinking in the sight of her bathed in the moonlight, droplets of water clinging to her milky skin, her chest rising and falling steadily as she watched the sky. Suddenly she straightened turning in his hold and pointing at the sky smiling like a child.
"Oh look Sweeney a shooting star! Quick close your eyes and make a wish!"
He chuckled as she closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again looking back at him seeing him looking at her rather than the stars.
"What did you wish for pet?"
His eyes stayed on her as she smiled shaking her head before looking down the beach at their cozy cottage.
"To always be this 'appy, that I wont wake up and everything turns out to be some kind of dream or wonderful nightmare, my poor 'eart couldn't take it if it were a dream...what about you? What'd you wish love?"
Sweeney held her close kissing her head as he finally looked up at the stars, it was so clear here unlike London, a person could see so many stars without the harsh glow of street lamps and overhang of grimy haze.
"I didn't wish for anything…"
She looked at him confused making him smile and kiss her as he swept her off her feet carrying her out of the water and back to the cottage looking into her eyes as they danced with laughter and a smile played on her lips.
"I have everything I could ever wish for right here in my reach."
They now stood inside the cottage in one of the bedrooms this one had soft sea blue wall paper, white lace curtains, soft sandy colored carpet that was strewn with toys, a rocking chair and a crib. Nellie smiled kissing him before he set her down and let her walk to the side of the crib looking down at the sleeping infant inside it, she smiled softer as she ran her fingers lightly over the baby's little cheek brushing back an already curling strand of auburn hair. Giving a small whine the baby opened its dark eyes looking up at her and cooing happily as it's tiny hand wrapped around her finger.
"Now you've woken her up, meaning it's your turn to put her back to sleep."
Nellie rolled her eyes leaning back into his chest as he wrapped one arm around her waist and reached into the crib with the other letting his fingers brush over the babbling girl's cheek drawing out a sort of garbled giggle that made him smile.
"Oh well she'll need feeding soon, that just means when she cries in the mornin' it's your turn to get up and change 'er."
She smirked feeling him make a face into her hair but he said nothing just held her closer to him watching as the baby girl yawned her eyes fluttering closed.
"There see, she's gone back to sleep on 'er own meaning we 'ave about ten minutes before she wakes up wanting feeding."
He looked down at his wife seeing the smirk in her eyes as she carefully moved her hand away from the sleeping baby's hold and walked to the door waiting for him to follow. He soon fell in step with her walking back to their bedroom with her hand held in his own, when they reached the bedroom she turned to him pressing her lips to his before he could react making him chuckle and lean into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck pressing herself to him laughing when they tumbled onto the bed so she was on top of him her hands on his shoulders. He chuckled against her neck holding her close as his laughs became kisses making her purr and move to straddle his hip her hair making a dark curtain shielding them from anything around them and filling the air with a mix of her perfume and sea water.
The quite night was broken then by shrill cries from the baby's room making Nellie groan and laugh resting her head against his shoulder as he laughed with her watching her sand and pull on her robe.
"She's got a good set of lungs on 'er and good bloody timing."
She rolled her eyes going back to the bed and kissing him a final time lingering for a moment.
"I'll be back in a little while love."
With that she left him laying there listening as her barefeet padded along the floor and the crying from their daughter's room stopped and was replaced with the nightly sounds of the sea side cottage. After a few moments he got to his feet and silently walked down the hall leaning on the door frame of his daughter's room looking in to find Nellie sitting in the rocking chair feeding their beautiful little girl as she hummed softly. He smiled thinking back to his answer when she'd asked what he'd wished for on the shooting star, it was true every word, he hadn't wished for anything because everything that could make him happy was already in front of him. His amazing, beautiful wife Nellie, Toby who he had begun to see as his own adopted son as much as his wife did, a house by the sea, and finally the tiny addition to the family, their beautiful daughter Jane Elizabeth Todd. Yes he had his new family and like Nellie had said once before it wasn't like he remembered or exactly like he dreamed but they were getting by just fine and he couldn't ask for anything else in the world.