Hahaha... The electricity went out in the building where my classes are held, so all my classes were cancelled today!! I did NOTHING productive...except for this...
Mr. Todd elegantly put the finishing touches on his customer's shave; a prominent politician, he was not a good candidate for a pie. Splashing around the last of the water in his basin, Todd cleaned off his hands and swept the protective white shroud off the man. Todd wiped the politician's face dry and clean, and then expertly dabbed on some aftershave. Coins changed hands, cursory thanks you's were exchanged, and then Todd glared hungrily at the politician's retreating back as he exited the parlour.
He hadn't killed a customer in a long time now; it had been days and his fingers and razors were itching for hot, steaming blood to flow across them, pulsing, sensuous, metallic. He enjoyed the messiness of it, relished the feeling of being drenched in the warm liquid; although it just meant more work for Lovett, who could always manage to get the stains out.
He had watched her one day, scrubbing his shirt relentlessly, fiercely, up and down against the rack, her slender form bent over the side of the tub; she hadn't been facing him when he'd walked in and...
Oh, dear.
He remembered the sight of her, covered in faded ruby-coloured blood mixed with water, her brow and bosom sweaty, the lacings of her corset cinched at her slender waist, her body moving so rhythmically, her bum proffered in the air like that... It had had quite an effect on Mr. Todd.
Evidently, so did the simple memory of it. Todd could suddenly feel himself swell in excitement, quick and unbidden, until it was uncomfortable for him to make the dash across the room and hastily flip his sign to "Closed." He was certainly in no fit state to receive customers!
Just a quick, cold bath to calm himself down, he figured, and then he would reopen the shop.
Grabbing his towel and holding it as casually as possible in front of him, he exited the shop, furtively dodging his way across the porch at the top of the stairs, and into the second portion of his living quarters, the portion he hardly ever entered, because of the painful memories it stirred up...
But he had no time to think of those memories now--he really needed to make this inconvenience disappear fast. Bloody woman, the infuriating effect she had on him...
He didn't want to risk running down into the bathroom he usually shared with Mrs. Lovett: one, he couldn't move very well or far in his present condition, and two, he didn't want Lovett, Toby, or any of her customers to see what was plaguing him at the moment.
He slipped into the shadowy rooms of his past, ducking into the small bathroom directly to the right and drawing some bath water as quickly as he could, making sure it poured out nice and cold as he began to strip.
Todd kicked off his shoes, removed his socks, and slipped his suspenders from his broad shoulders; he then peeled off his loose, white shirt and tossed it to the floor. With care, he unbuttoned his trousers and discarded them along with his shirt. Slipping off his undergarments, he shut off the water and sank into the tub, doing anything to get those treacherous thoughts of Lovett out of his head...
Mrs. Lovett prepared her Mr. Todd a light but nourishing breakfast and arranged it carefully on a tray to take up to him.
"Toby," she instructed," you know what to do if customers come in! I'll be right back."
Making sure her cleavage was arranged to its most advantageous, she made her way out of her shop, up the stairs, and to the barber shop. She noticed his sign read "Closed," and wondered what was going on. Probably just ran to the market to pick something up, she reasoned, and went ahead inside to leave his breakfast to wait for him. As she set down the tray on the trunk next to the door, she accidentally stepped on the hem of her long skirts and stumbled forward, for the most part saving the breakfast, but hot tea with honey and lemon spilled all over her right hand and arm.
"Shite!" she exclaimed, sucking in her breath and holding her soaked arm out away from her--the tea was hot!
She glanced around quickly for a towel, some water, anything! This was a barber shop, surely there was something to be had?! But she couldn't find anything, and so she resolved to run across into the other half of his quarters, which he hardly ever touched, so there should be something she could use to clean off with, and Todd need never know...
Besides, it was entirely possible that she had pilfered from there before... Just a dead woman's things, she rationalized. Dead for all intents and purposes, at least.
Anyhow, a mere towel and splash of water were the least of her crimes in his now-uninhabited living space, and she needed to be presentable by the time she got downstairs, in case some customers had come in.
She left the barber shop and crossed to the other door, easing it open, always feeling the need to be quiet up there, as though trying not to disturb the memories. Or the rats.
She thought she heard a sound, but again, probably just a rat, or perhaps a pigeon, even, or--
"Mrs. Lovett," came, Todd's voice from her immediate right, enveloping her in fear; it was more growl than speech, and sent chills down her spine. She froze, rooted to the spot, sticky, tea-covered arm still hanging at an awkward angle, eyes huge. She didn't even breathe.
She knew she was in big trouble. She swallowed. Then the stammering began.
"Mr. T, I--I can ex--explain meself--I-I-I jus'--I--really, if you--I mean, I--"
"Bloody woman," he hissed, rising from the bath.
For the first time, Mrs. Lovett actually turned to face him with her huge, frightened eyes. Her jaw literally dropped.
"Mr. T--"
He was stepping out of the bath--not a stitch of clothing on!--and stalking towards her, menacing, somehow, even in the nude. His body was taught with anger, but also anticipation, glistening from the cool water that dripped in rivulets over his broad chest, his lean, hard stomach, as if following a trail toward...
"I'm truly sorry, I--"
Mrs. Lovett gulped as her eyes followed the water's path.
"I--"
It bears mentioning that the cold bathwater had failed to make his bulging problem go away.
"I really didn' mean ta disturb yeh--I swear, if I'd a--"
She backed up rapidly as he approached, but she was standing in a narrow hallway, and her back quickly met the other side of the wall. She reached for the door with a tea-covered hand, but in one quick step, Todd had lunged and slammed it shut, leaving her trapped and at his mercy.
"If I'd a known you was--"
She was already against the wall, but he slammed his hands onto her shoulders, flattening her against the wall, and planted a bruising kiss on her lips; the damned woman would not shut up, and that bloody accent of hers only got worse when she was nervous.
Breathless, he finally broke away to suck in an angry breath.
"I know why you did tha', Mr. T," Mrs. Lovett ventured, sounding winded. She didn't get it, did she? She was still making noise! And not the good kind!
"Do what, Lovett?" he growled, shoving her into the wall as he hissed her name.
"Kiss me like tha'. It's to make me shut up; you do it like I won' figure it out."
She had a thin veneer of impudence on her face, but it was only bravado. She was trying to get leverage, to regain some power; but it was power she never had to begin with. She was losing. Badly, and they both knew it. It excited at least one of them. Todd could see straight through her insolence to the frightened little girl underneath.
"It doesn't, work, does it?" he demanded, ripping her suddenly away from the wall and slamming her into the opposite wall; that's what he'd really been wanting to do all along.
And now that that was out of his system, he could move on to more pressing matters...
"Did yeh think it wasn' incentive ta only talk more--"
He only shut her up again with another forceful kiss, ramming his tongue into her mouth and greedily tangling with hers. Lips still locked, he forced her dress off her shoulders, then ripped off her delicate lace gloves, throwing them carelessly onto the floor. He was losing patience--as much as she drove him physically wild, he could only put up with so much interaction of other kinds.
He pressed the length of his gorgeous body against hers, pinning her so she wouldn't move as he tore enough hairpins out of her hair to make it cascade down in messy waves and curls, past her shoulders, past her waist.
He had her too scared and stuck to move, and he was grateful that she was being still; he manipulated her like a doll, moving her how he wanted, pulling her forward so he had access to the lacings at her back, which he clawed at until they loosened enough for him to shove the bodice down to her waist, over her hips. He yanked her up, barely giving her time to step out of the dress before he pushed her roughly through the bathroom door, throwing her on the floor, flat onto her back, with a thud. She looked shocked, but the beginnings of wary excitement were glittering in her eyes as he sprang on top of her and began working on her chemise and undergarments. Ordinarily, he didn't bother with half the layers of her ridiculously complicated clothing, but today he wanted her naked, hot, and wet against his own slick, bare body that was aching for hers.
She was beginning to help with her clothing, her boots in the corner, her garters and stockings tossed half way across the room in their impatience and excitement. Todd practically shredded her knickers as he jerked them off of her and yanked to her feet roughly by gripping her arms.
The problem between his legs was even more swollen, becoming angry, impatient, and throbbing harder as he grabbed her in his arms and dragged her over to the tub. About to toss her in, he suddenly changed his mind, plunging himself in first, on his back, and then pulling a squealing Mrs. Lovett in after him, displaced water spilling in shining droplets to the floor.
As her flesh hit the cold water, she gasped, but Mr. Todd's lips were already covering hers, cancelling any protests she might have made.
"Now ride me," he snarled, his lips still pressed against hers. He saw the look that flashed in those deep brown eyes. She got to be on top for once?
"Yes, sir," she murmured, positioning herself properly, eagerly straddling him and aligning their bodies. Todd lightly ran his fingers up her goose bump covered arms and down her shivering torso, then roughly gripped her waist, pulling her down on top of him, sinking, drowning himself inside her warmth, a delicious contrast to the chill water swirling around them.
Mrs. Lovett gripped the porcelain lip of the tub, arching her back and moaning deeply as his warm flesh entered hers. She got to be on top for once!
She began to rock back and forth along his shaft, the friction between their bodies beginning to warm the churning water between them. He slid his hands from her waist to cup her bum, digging his fingers into her tender flesh, leaving marks, but guiding her at the rapid pace he yearned for. He let a moan escape his lips as he relaxed his neck, lowering his head onto the edge of the tub. His fingers snaked up her torso to fondle her generous bosom, kneading her soft skin, rubbing his thumbs across the rosy tips of her breasts, then pinching them, feeling them grow small and firm in his hands. Her gasps were punctuated with short, fierce moans, spurring him on to do more, to go faster...
Dampened strands of her hair clung to his chest, filling his nostrils with its fragrant, flowery aroma. Her flesh, her sultry moaning, her seductive smell, overwhelmed his senses and he clutched at her hard, pulling her closer to him, crushing her to him, burying his face in her flushed, ample chest, taking her nipples in between his teeth and nipping them lightly, causing her to gasp with surprise and pleasure.
He opened his eyes and a haze of blue clouded his peripheral vision; it was the blue striped wall paper. Wall paper Lucy had picked out. It was a good thing Lovett was on top doing all the work, because Todd momentarily disengaged as the memories of his wife took over. Lucy would never have made love in a cold bath; Lucy would never have been on top; Lucy would never let him leave bruising marks on her hips, or bite her nipples; she was a real lady, she knew it was not proper for a woman to behave like that or enjoy things like this; Lovett was just a common slut, shamelessly delighting in carnal deeds with him.
Suddenly, he made to flip Lovett over; he wanted to be on top, to dominate her, to scare her, to thrust deeper and harder, to be in control, to vent and release his anger and resentment into her body.
But she resisted.
She braced herself against the sides of the tub and gripped him with her thighs; evidently going up and down stairs all day made her legs quite strong, Todd had to admit. That fact, combined with how slippery with water and sweat their bodies had become, he actually found that, though he could shift her around a bit, it was impossible for him to completely force her onto her back. A smug smile tugged at her lips, releasing a moan that sounded more like a purr as she continued to stimulate the two of them, the throbbing, pulsing warmth between their legs making them forget the coolness of the bathwater. Lucy would never have resisted him, overcome him. Lovett was anything but a lady--he should hate her, be disgusted by her.
He should, but he wasn't.
She bewitched him, though he was loathe to admit it, but her extreme sexual impropriety excited and enticed him. What would he want with a passive lump of flesh beneath him? Lovett interacted with him, to say the least; she experienced every emotion and sensation he gave her to the fullest, struggled against him, clutched, kissed, bit, clawed him, and he loved it. He wanted more of it, always more, he couldn't get enough of it, of her, even as he hated her, grew angry at her for what she did to him. She thrilled him, stimulated him, electrified him; he felt most alive when he was in her arms, hearing her squeal, moan, gasp, scream, all because of his touch.
He moaned loudly into the soft flesh between her breasts, inhaling her powerful, enchanting scent, succumbing to her. He seized at her waist again, prompting her to go faster, and she obliged... He dipped a finger between her legs, above her opening, deftly locating the slick, swollen bud there, and placed his finger on it, rubbing it, teasing it lightly--she moaned louder than ever, and he knew with satisfaction that he was right on. He was also about to burst from the hot, mounting pressure building up between his legs.
His other hand trailed up her back, across her shoulder blade, to tangle itself in her half-soaked curls. He grabbed a handful and pulled her head down so he could draw his lips across her throat, nibbling a little, then putting his mouth next to her ear and whispering gruffly, "I want you to make me come so hard..."
His words melted her--she would do anything for him... She was so incredibly aroused, she was about to come herself... She planted her hands on his shoulders, bracing herself against him, moving her hips over him as he thrust into her. It felt perfect, he felt perfect inside her, and even thoughts of Lucy eluded Todd's mind as wave after wave of searing, white-hot pleasure washed over him, claimed him, conquered him, as he finished explosively, and she was finishing with him, her once goose bump covered skin flushed a shade of scarlet he found incredibly erotic...
She went lax against him, exhausted, and settled down with her back against his chest, her head on his shoulder. He didn't move her, even though he thought about it. He was too tired. Too tired to move, too tired to resist.
She inhaled deeply and sighed slowly, contentedly. She was drowsy.
Todd looked around, growing sleepy too. The blue striped wallpaper was the same; the dark, tiled flooring, the tacky framed pictures of the flowers, the little table, the China basin were all the same. Only the woman was different.
Todd had never particularly liked this bathroom.
Until now.
Author's Note: There really is another room at the top of the stairs, which I hadn't really noticed before, and I think it makes sense that that's where their main living quarters would have been back in the day. My room mate and I discussed this!
Also, women did grow their hair really long in Victorian England, so it is historically accurate to say Lovett has long hair--I'm not just making her me!! : P
While on an historical note, it has been called to my attention that the indoor plumbing is an issue. Well, it depends on when during the Victorian Era you picture Sweeney taking place. I did some research and have discovered that during the Victorian Era, even the middle class eventually got indoor plumbing and stuff. So I figured, Lovett used to be middle class when she had a respectable bakery, and then plummetted into a much lower social standing after her husband died and she quite caring about the bugs in her pies. But the point is, she used to be middle class and she lived in a building with indoor plumbing. This would be late nineteenth century, which is when I pictured it anyway. Here's where I got my information:
/Victorian Life.pdf ; ph.answers./question/index?qid20080225213522AACfI7A
I'd also like to point out now that the notion of a white wedding dress was pretty new, since Victoria was the one that set the trend. But I digress.
I thought this was going to be funny, but it actually turned out kind of moody (and did anybody notice how much I detest Lucy?!)
What did you guys think?