A/N: This started out as a curious attempt to do a more realistic and less romanticized version of Sweenett. What happened was...this...dark and demented thing. Sorry not sorry for the death of any feels that may be caused!

Nellie Lovett stood in the doorway to the barber shop above her restaurant, leaning against the frame with her arms folded. As per usual, the barber's sleeves were speckled with red. This wasn't what had her worried, however. That had been her idea in the first place. "How I've lived without you all these years I'll never know!" he had said when she suggested it. His words were still crystal clear in her memory, but now he seemed to be ignoring her even more than usual. He went from "I can't live without you." to "You don't exist anymore." in a matter of a few short weeks. She watched him as he cleaned off his razors, restoring their original shine as the crimson liquid was slowly washed away. "Hey Mr. T, could I talk to you for a moment?"

At first he said nothing.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" Nellie entered the room and walked over behind him. "I said can I talk to you?"

"If you must." he finally grumbled.

"Whatever happened to us, love? I mean, we didn't have anything great going, but you've been treating me like I don't bloody well exist anymore."

The barber remained silent and did not reply to her.

"See? You won't even answer me. Why?"

"You want to know why?"

"Yes!"

Sweeney set down the cloth he had been using, but kept the razor firmly within his grasp. He turned around and faced the pie maker, his eyes glistening with something Nellie couldn't quite make out. "Because you're driving me mad."

"What am I doing that's doing that?"

Sweeney sat silent for a few more moments, weighing his options on how to answer. The truth was, he had been recently becoming overcome by certain urges, urges that he was a bit ashamed to admit. He wanted the woman. He wanted her so much he had begun to occasionally dream about it. But he did not love her. He had fallen deeply in lust, not love.

"What? Not going to answer me again?"

Finally, he decided what to do. Words were useless and would just waste time. He would simply show her. She made it overwhelmingly clear that she wanted him, so he highly doubted that she would argue. Within seconds, his lips were pushed against hers for a passionate kiss.

Nellie was wide-eyed from the surprise and pulled away for a moment, her cheeks practically glowing a dark pink. "Did you really just do that? I'm not dreaming?"

"It was real."

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"No change. This is what it's been the whole time."

The woman's cheeks turned from pink to red and she looked up at him, still rather confused but definitely not complaining. "Do you...?"

"No, my dear, I'm afraid I do not."

Her confusion increased tenfold as her heart sunk into her stomach. He just kissed her, but he didn't love her? Then why else would he do it? "You don't? Then why did you...?" Tears began to swell in her big, brown eyes.

The barber raised his free hand and tucked some stray hair behind her ear. "Because you're beautiful."

Nellie's cheeks blushed again at the compliment, though she was no less confused. "Are you being honest?"

"Of course. After seeing your intelligence show through and then the look in your eyes while we danced, my own eyes were finally opened."

A single tear trickled from her eye, falling onto the barber's hand that was still cupping her cheek. "But you don't...love me?"

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I do not."

Nellie looked down at the ground, his words shattering her heart into a million pieces.

As Sweeney gazed into her brown orbs, glistening with beautiful sorrow, she only seemed all the more enchanting to him. He decided to just do what he wanted and see what happened. She may never look quite this lovely again. After making this decision, he shoved the razor in his pocket without her noticing, kissed her again, and wrapped his arms around her to pull her in close.

Though her better judgment told her to pull away, Nellie simply couldn't. She had been waiting for this for far too long. She had dreamed about it more than she cared to admit, though admittedly in her dreams he actually loved her back. Besides, she had always been an optimist and retained a little glimmer of hope. Maybe if she indulged him for long enough he would grow to love her. Even if he didn't, she'd do it purely because it would make him happy. As much as she may have to suffer knowing her feelings still weren't returned, it would be worth it if she ever got to see a smile grace his handsome face even one more time because of it.

While Sweeney kissed her blood red lips, he could taste not only her, but also the salty flavor of freshly cried tears. It made the kiss bitter, but he still didn't want to pull away. When she lifted her own arms up and wrapped them around his neck, pulling herself in even closer, he definitely didn't want to. Instead he moved his kisses to her neck and let his hands trace the outline of her figure, following each curve. Reluctantly, he pulled away for just a moment.

Nellie was slightly confused, but didn't even have time to utter the first word of a question before he knocked her off her feet and into his arms. He was actually carrying her like a husband would carry his wife to their honeymoon. She felt her cheeks going pink again and wrapped her arms around his neck again for support. For a man who didn't love her, he sure was romantic.

He looked down at her and the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly into a hint of a smile. Having waited so long for even that much, she returned his smile and kissed him again as he carried her to her room then gently laid her on the bed. He looked down at her again. The slight smile had morphed into a smirk.

As she looked up at him, her heart dropped into her stomach. The wild look in his eyes terrified her instantly. She didn't know what he had planned, only that whatever it was couldn't possibly be good on her end.

Sweeney gazed down at the weak and defenseless woman that lay trembling before him. Her obvious fear only made her even more desirable. It was beautiful...and he wanted more of it. She was his now and he had a sneaky suspicion that she would do whatever he wanted her to, no matter what it was.

Unable to move aside from the involuntary bit of shaking, the baker began to panic internally when she noticed him pull his razor out of his pocket. In all her dreams and fantasies nothing like this had ever happened. No, this was far more akin to a horrible nightmare that she couldn't escape from. There was no waking up from this one, no relief from knowing it was all in her head. This was completely and undeniably real.

The man slithered onto the bed and on top of Nellie, immediately planting a forceful (and slightly painful) kiss on her lips. This time the bitterness of her tears was gone as they fell to the side instead of straight down, so it was even better than before.

Still the wretched woman couldn't bring herself to oppose him. She could have fought and he might have let her go, but she didn't fully want to. As painful as it was, she still loved him and would do anything for him. If that meant suffering through a few nights of his sadistic idea of sex, then she would bite her tongue and endure it. Maybe showing her devotion this deeply would finally earn his love. When he pulled away a little and she felt the sting of the razor across the bit of one of her breasts already exposed by her dress, she bit down hard on her bottom lip and her fingers gripped the sheets beneath them tightly. A small price to pay to make him happy and possibly get him to love her back. She could feel the blood running down from the slit and wondered for a moment how deep it had truly been.

Sweeney was almost disappointed with her reaction, or rather, her lack thereof. He wanted to hear her scream, but she kept almost completely silent. He wanted to see her eyes glisten with pain, but she closed them. He'd simply have to try harder. Before their time was done, he would get what he wanted.