A/N: Hello again, my readers! I apologize for such a slow update! It's just that I've been busy with my other stories and school work, but now that I'm on a small school break, I have time to write both of my stories! ^^ And thanks so much my fantastic reviewers and readers! And a huge THANKS to all my faithful readers who had faith in my story and had faith in me to not give up on this story. And I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!
Anne managed to get Toby to leave the shop with her to go to the St. Dunstan's Market. She was afraid to go back to the shop alone to see that mad barber throw another one of his childish tantrums. Well, she wasn't exactly afraid of him; she just disliked his angry mood. She tried so hard to make him understand what he was doing was wrong, but the message wasn't getting through his thick obstinate skull. Why was it that hard?
"Ma'am." Toby held out a bouquet of yellow flowers in her face, grinning from ear to ear, breaking her out of her pesky thoughts. "I thought you might like these."
"Why, they're pretty." Anne laughed cheerfully, taking the bouquet in her hands and examining each of the flowers. "My favorites are the daisies… Thank you." She smiled gleefully at him and linked arms with him, walking back to the shop. It had been at least an hour since they left the shop and maybe Sweeney would have cooled down by the time she returned back.
"No problem." Toby replied happily, glancing at Anne's shop coming into view. His brown eyes traveled upward to the second floor, the barbershop, where the ghost had to be. No matter how many times Anne denied that there was a ghost up there, there was nothing that would change his mind to believe that there wasn't a ghost residing upstairs. He had to prove it to make sure that he wasn't just seeing things. "Are you opening the shop today?"
"Just for dinner. I have some errands to run and you can rest downstairs. I've got to clean the bathroom out and…" Anne trailed off, frowning at the thought that popped into her head. 'And post those 'in need of apprentice' flyers around to have many men come for their funeral…' a small voice in the back of her head quipped cynically. Her parched lips curled downwards distastefully and she tightened her arm against Toby's arm, pulling him closer.
She pulled out her key from her dress pocket and shoved it into the lock of her shop door, twisting it before pulling it out. Opening the door, she unlinked arms with Toby and walked inside, waltzing to the living room with the flowers in her hands, trying to forget about Sweeney. She found a light blue flower vase in a corner and gently placed the beautiful flowers inside while she carried it to the kitchen.
"Toby, would you mind filling up this vase with water?" She asked politely, smiling warmly at the young man who eagerly nodded his head.
"Of course." He took the vase out of her hands and went to fill up the vase with water, leaving her in the kitchen by herself.
She felt a chilly shiver go down her spine and at that moment, she sensed that she was about to have a visit from Sweeney, the pernicious man she wished to avoid. She was still upset from his immature tantrum earlier and she decided that she wasn't going to help him until he apologized. Like they both said, they expected each other to act somewhat respectable if they were going to work together, and Sweeney wasn't acting respectable at all.
" I'm not working with you until you apologize." Anne spoke calmly, smiling inwardly at the mental image of him trying to apologize. She could envisage him, sputtering with nervousness unlike his usual self, trying to act like a gentleman, nothing similar to the gruff reclusive man he was. Though, that image didn't last for long because she heard the grumpy old voice from the impassive man.
"I won't." Sweeney growled lowly, his voice rasp and husky. He stiffly stood right behind her, staring down at the top of her head. He didn't owe her anything; she was supposed to work for him.
She turned around with abruptness and stumbled back, bewildered at their closeness. Somehow, he kept invading her personal space, giving her no space to breathe. "You said it yourself. 'If we are going to work together, I expect you to act somewhat respectable'. Is that not what you said?" She retorted hotly, arching a brow at him triumphantly.
Sweeney stared blankly at her, grimacing when he recalled that moment, that terrible moment that made him regret his words. "Yes." He grudgingly admitted with defeat, though his voice was laced with heat, covering the defeat in his tone. He irately gritted his teeth together and his right hand twitched, hovering over his sheathed razor. Deciding that it wasn't a good idea to express his anger at this moment, he withdrew his hand to his chest, away from his precious dagger.
"So… are you apologizing, or do you wish for me to stop working with you?" She said mockingly, a victorious grin creeping up to her face. At last, she proved to him that he wasn't going to boss her around anymore. There was a weird silence that filled the room and not even the sharpest knife could sever the thick humid atmosphere. She slowly leaned closer to him, enthusiastically waiting for him to say those words.
He was about to viciously bare his teeth at her, but he didn't… How was it that he ended up in this predicament? He dangerously stepped closer to her, his ominous black eyes glowering at her innocent brown eyes that nonchalantly stared back. He opened his mouth slightly and then, he closed his mouth quickly, his stubbornness not allowing him to say those words. He bent closer to her, his head less than an inch away, his icy lips so close to hers.
She felt his cold breath caressing her lips that began to tremble; yet, she felt compelled to stay standing where she was. He was so cold… his lips were cold… she could feel the frostiness radiating from his body, his lips, from his hands, from him…
His lips lightly brushed against hers for a moment and he felt a jolt of warmth surge through his cold body. The warmth was indescribable, so unfathomable, and so… alive. It was like feeling alive again; for once in his ghostly years, he felt strangely animate… like a living human being!
"Here you go!" Toby blurted loudly, arriving in the room with the water-filled vase of flowers in his hands.
Anne immediately sprung away from Sweeney, blushing with nervousness as she met the gaze of Sweeney. "Th-thanks, Toby," she stammered apprehensively, turning her head to look at Toby with a plastered on smile. Did she just kiss Sweeney? No… he kissed her! Who would kiss him in the first place? She wouldn't… would she?
Toby nodded his head absentmindedly, a strange tingly feeling creeping through his body, the feeling he would get when he was upstairs, yet right now, he was downstairs. He inquisitively narrowed his eyes, searching the room for signs of that beastly ghost man. There was not a single trace of Sweeney Todd, but he couldn't tell because Anne was the only one who knew of Sweeney and could see him. "Do you feel something… in this room?" Toby questioned, his eyes darting about the room.
"What?" Anne's gaze flickered between the frozen Sweeney and the jumpy Toby. "Feel what?" she repeated quietly, her gaze finally settling between the two men, her eyes set on Sweeney. His diaphanous face was immovable and distantly aloof. She noted how pale he looked and how his eyes had a dark rim around them, probably from stress and the lack of sleep. He was handsome in his own way, though he could use some color to his face.
"A strange tingly feeling." Toby replied softly, taking a few steps toward her before he began to examine the room again. Maybe she did feel it too but she was hiding it to save that evil barber. He felt awkwardly hurt that she would protect that callous man than side with him, unless he was just imagining things…No, it wasn't possible for him to be imagining things…
"No." She stated, her eyes locking with Sweeney's eyes, feeling that her eyes were glued in their position, incapable of moving. She couldn't draw herself to look away from his captivating stare, and she solely forgot her true purpose—to receive an apology.
"Never mind." Toby whispered, though he was far from ignoring the presence of the ghost. "I'll just… relax for the night shift." He slinked away to the living room, throwing her one last glance while he left the room. He had to find a way to creep up the stairs without her knowing… perhaps, he would give it a try in an hour or two.
"Well?" Anne tapped her foot impatiently on the ground, remembering her intent. "Apologize or not?" She watched him suppress a sneer that quivered on his pale lips.
"I…" Sweeney trailed off, wordless for a moment, anger swelling through his veins. He had to apologize otherwise she wouldn't work with him… "I'm sorry," he whispered quietly, almost too quiet. He avoided her gaze and stood tautly in his spot, deciding whether to float back upstairs or wait for Anne to reply.
She knew it was difficult for him to apologize so she didn't make him say it again, though he mumbled the apology in a manner that wasn't very proper. But she had to conclude that she tortured him enough. "Good. I'll post the flyers around right now; is that fine with you?"
"Yes," said Sweeney before he floated through the ceiling, reminiscing how their lips met so abruptly. Why did he kiss her in the first place? Now, he looked like a slobbery mangy mutt, and it wasn't as if he fancied her. Lucy was the only one in his heart. Lucy… Lucy. Lucy. Lucy… Anne… Anne-Marie?
A/N: Please leave a review! I'm not so sure about the next update but again, I will try not to give up on this story!
