I'm very sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter. This was a difficult one to write and I still don't really like it, but I don't think that another rewrite is going to improve it. So here it is, I hope it was worth the wait. Please note that I changed the rating; for the obvious reason, this chapter is m-rated.


November

Although she was sitting on the floor, Nellie couldn't remember any moment during which she had felt more comfortable. She was leaning back against the couch and the rug that she was sitting on was thick and soft, and a fire was blazing in the hearth only a few meters away from her. The thing that was most pleasant however was that Mr. Todd was lying next to her, his head resting in her lap as he stared at the dancing flames just like she did.

Neither of them had ever spoken of the moment they had shared on the beach a few weeks ago, when she had kissed his lips. She had been waiting for him to say something about it, anything, so she would at least know whether he was angry, shocked or disappointed, or a combination of those emotions that she didn't want to evoke. Or that he, perhaps, didn't mind her rash action as much as she thought he would. But he hadn't done such a thing.

Instead, he had been seeking her company more and more often, and spoke more to her than he used to do. A few minutes ago, when she had settled on the floor so she could be closer to the fire that chased away the winter cold, he had followed her example and, to her delight, had moved closer and closer to her. He hadn't stopped until his head was resting against her thigh and she, encouraged by this, had guided it into her lap.

She had hoped that this would cause him to act; either he would move away from her, indicating that he didn't want to be so close to her and didn't want to progress their relationship more than they already had - or he would take a next step, showing her that he wanted more, just like she did.

However, he had done neither of those things; he just remained lying like he already was. Only as she stared at the burning wood in the hearth, wondering what the silent man was thinking, she realized that he was simply just as confused and uncertain as she was.

Even though Sweeney was so close to her and wasn't watching her, she didn't dare look at him. The baker was afraid that the strange but pleasant moment would end the second that the now seemingly oblivious Mr. Todd caught her scrutinizing him. She even didn't allow herself to wonder why he wanted to be so close to her like this in the first place. But this didn't prevent her from enjoying the feeling of his head in her lap, as he was lying there like that as if it was a natural thing.

The warmth of the fire, the late hour and the closeness of the man she loved made her feel sleepy. It would be so pleasant just to fall asleep like this, only to wake to find the barber still there, perhaps with his arms around her to prevent her from moving away while he slept, as if she would even consider such a thing.

But whatever it was that made him do this, she somehow doubted that it was what she wanted it to be. But still, she could hope, like she had done for so many years. And even though she wanted to enjoy the situation the way it was, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to touch that beautiful face of his, to feel the cool and still smooth skin beneath her fingertips, to run her hands through his hear…

At first, she thought it was only her imagination, but when he lifted her hand, it was clear that it was more than a fantasy. He had taken her hand in his own and moved it upwards now, until it brushed against his cheek. She would've lowered her suddenly numb hand, which temporarily failed her in the moment of pleasant shock, if he hadn't still been holding it.

Unable to resist the temptation now, she looked down at last. The image of her fingers resting against the barber's face didn't make it easier for her to breathe now that inhaling suddenly seemed a difficult thing to do. His eyes met hers and although there was still that incomprehensible look in them that had been there since the day they had become endured the storm together and, in a way, had become part of it, there was something else, something that made it impossible for both of them to look away.

In spite of the knowledge of the things he had done, she couldn't help but think that he was beautiful. Perhaps he had changed after all now that they were living by the sea and there were nothing but storms and noisy seagulls to torment them. Whether the demon was still inside of him or not, he seemed fully at ease now that he was lying on the floor of the house that he had built for both of them, even though he was closer to her than he had ever voluntarily been. Or would he be so calm because of it?

"Eleanor," he whispered, and although he had recently often used her given name to address her, his voice had never been so soft and longing when he said it. In fact, she couldn't remember any time that he had spoken with such affection, let alone to her.

She wasn't sure what to do; she knew what she wanted to do, but she was afraid for the consequences that it would have. She didn't want to lose the barber, even if he wouldn't be more to her than a friend. She had repeated this to herself for a long time, and except for that one time on the beach, she had been able to prevent herself from doing something foolish. But now, just like during that unexpected moment weeks ago, she was losing the battle against her own desires.

However, as he covered her still unmoving hand with his own and slowly guided it over his skin, inviting her to do the same without his help, Mrs. Lovett knew that giving in to her wish to touch him wouldn't end so badly this time.

Her movements were careful and slow, savoring the feeling of his surprisingly warm skin beneath her fingertips, an experience so real that it was impossible to be a dream, no matter how unlikely it seemed.

Even when he let go off her hand, she continued her exploration of his face, holding her breath as her fingers caressed his cheekbone and familiarized themselves with the shape of his brow.

The barber's eyes were closed now and the appreciative sounds coming from his lips encouraged her to stroke his hair like she earlier had longed to do. He shifted as he did so and she was afraid that she had gone too far after all, but he only changed the angle of his head somewhat, so it was closer to her body than it had been before.

Her left hand reached for him now too, cradling his head as the fingers of her right hand found their way to his slightly parted lips. She caressed them, involuntarily holding her breath as she did so.

Mr. Todd sat up abruptly, causing her hand to fall limply at her side. Her exhilaration was once more erased by disappointment and by the strange feeling that this was too good to be true anyway.

But to her surprise and relief, he sat down on his knees before her, his dark eyes scrutinizing her as he lifted his hand. She watched it move towards her breathlessly, until his fingers brushed against her lips, mimicking her gesture.

Her eyes fluttered closed as he touched her like this, the gentle pressure of his fingertips against her lips deliciously real. He was tracing the curve of her mouth with his fingers and, as if sensing that it was difficult for her body not just to collapse when he was doing something so heavenly, he moved closer to her to support her body with his own as he continued the tender gesture.

Her mind was still having trouble believing that this was actually happening at last. But she couldn't open her eyes to make sure that she wasn't dreaming after all – she felt that she couldn't do anything as long as Sweeney was touching her.

And thus she only found out that Mr. Todd was going to kiss her when his lips already brushed against her own.

They sat very still for a moment, only their lips touching, but then he moved closer to her, wrapping one arm around her waist and caressing her hair with the other.

There was nothing reluctant and uncertain about him anymore when his lips pressed against hers more firmly, or when his mouth opened slightly and the top of his tongue darted out to meet hers.

Nellie knew very well that she should be careful and take things slowly; the barber was finally doing now what she had hoped of for a long, long time, but he was still Mr. Todd and he was someone who didn't appreciate rash things, certainly not in a situation like this one.

But as Sweeney deepened the kiss, it was impossible not to give in. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, desire welling inside of her as the barber groaned her name.

The sensations that he caused wrecked her body and made it impossible for the baker to think of trivial things such as balance. Her knees buckled and she collapsed against Mr. Todd, whose position wasn't as stable as she assumed it was. He too fell, dragging her with him, and they ended up on the soft rug in a tangle of limbs and hair.

They were hardly aware of it; if there was one thought that ran through her mind, it was that being sprawled on top of Mr. Todd was even more pleasant than she had imagined during all those lonely days.

His lips met hers once more and she kissed back with equal vigor. The urgency she felt in his kiss surprised her, for it equaled her own, and she gladly surrendered to it.

They only broke the kiss when they were dizzy with desire and the lack of air in their lungs. There was a fire in Sweeney's eyes that she had never seen before and her heart beat even faster because she knew that she had caused it.

Mr. Todd didn't speak, but it was obvious what he wanted to ask her. She sensed that he wouldn't explicitly do so however, as if he didn't have the courage to do so. And thus, she simply nodded, making it clear to him that she wanted the same thing as he did. She smiled when his eyes widened as he realized that she had given him permission.

A moment later, Sweeney had flipped her over and she found herself lying on her back. He began tugging at her clothes, tearing them out of the way as he was almost violently made his way to her bare skin. He clearly didn't have the patience to untie her dress and corset, and settled for pushing her skirts up and dragging her bloomers down.

It was impossible for her to think or be fully aware of what was happening, especially when his hands caressed her thighs for the very first time. She could only moan as desire consumed her, hoping that this would make clear to him that he'd better hurry finishing what they had started.

He moved back from her however, making her want to scream if only he hadn't left her entire being so weak and boneless. She could see him from the corners of her eyes, but even turning her head to watch him as he unbuckled his belt was too much.

But it didn't matter, for he was atop of her once more only a moment later, crashing his mouth against her own as his hands slid down her body, parting her legs. He positioned himself, looking up once more. Seeing not a single sign of hesitation or rejection in her eyes, he thrust into her.

The baker gasped as he moved inside of her for the first time, not used anymore to the intrusion of the most sensitive part of her body. She had to bite her lip to prevent herself from whimpering. She didn't want to discourage the barber, not now that he was finally doing what she had dreamed of for so long.

She hadn't expected their first time to be perfect, but she hadn't thought it would be painful either. However, even as he was anchored inside of her without moving, his eyes closed, severe discomfort made it impossible for her to enjoy the moment.

It was clear to her that Sweeney tried to be gentle and intended to move slowly, so her inner muscles could adjust to his length, but he lost the last remains of his self control within moments. He begun to move inside of her, faster and faster, until he was pounding into the petite woman, groaning with increasing volume as he did so.

Tears sprang to the baker's eyes as she clutched at his back, her nails marking his skin. There were vaguely promising jolts coming from deep within her, but the pain was stronger.

Soon, very soon, it was over. The barber's body tensed completely as he poured into her, but she was almost more grateful that his frantic movements had come to an end than the fact that he whispered her name in her ear as he found his release.

He collapsed atop her but rolled off quickly, blindly pulling her against his still clothed chest. Usually she would've given anything for being pressed against him in such a way, but this wasn't the right moment for silly fantasies. Sooner or later he would come down from his high and face her, and she had no idea how to act towards him.

A long minute later, when he had caught his breath and moved back to look at her, she still didn't know. She had forgotten however how well he knew her now, and that he didn't need words to see what was wrong. Besides, the few tears that weren't absorbed by the fabric of his shirt couldn't lie, whether they'd like to or not.

"I... I hurt you, didn't I?"

His voice was hoarse, but there was also a clear sign of shock and guilt in it as he realized what just had happened.

She nodded, not wanting him to blame himself like he was doing now, but incapable of lying to him, especially right after the moment that she had exposed herself to him in more than one way.

Their gazes locked and only when she looked in his eyes, which were even darker than usual, she realized the true significance of the moment they had shared.

"I'm sorry."

The words might mean nothing at all when others said them, but they implied very much when they came from Sweeney Todd. But they were superfluous, for in his gaze she read all that she wanted know.

"Do you need something?"

"No," she said quickly. She was moved by his concern, but she felt awkward lying there, with her skirts around her waist and her bloomers wherever he had thrown them. She wanted to get dressed before discussing her physical state, which would doubtlessly lead to a conversation about the way he had accidentally hurt her. She seriously doubted however that clothes would make it easier to talk about what just had happened, for she wasn't even sure herself how she felt about it.

He reached for her and his hand brushed against her knee, causing her to shiver.

"Don't worry," Sweeney said, "I'm only making sure that..."

But it wasn't shock or rejection that made her tremble. He simply wanted to ensure himself that he hadn't caused any bruises or perhaps even a loss of blood, but strangely enough her body was reacting to him as if he was touching her intimately.

"Eleanor," he whispered. There was an urgency in his voice and the look of shock and guilt in his eyes was replaced by one of relief and excitement as he too realized how his innocent touch influenced her. "I... there is something that you need."

Before she could even wonder what he was talking about, his left hand reached for her hiked up skirts to keep them in place, and the other moved between her still parted thighs. Without hesitation, he begun to stroke the sensitive skin.

His caresses were slow and gentle, and they didn't hurt – not at all. He was tormenting her in a very different way now, one that was infinitely more pleasant.

He took his time, exploring and pleasuring her with infinite care instead of ravishing her like he had done earlier. Her body relaxed and her eyes fluttered closed as she savored every timeless moment.

She was unaware of the relief that flooded through him as he saw how she reacted to his touch. However, as he carefully slid one, two fingers inside of her, her eyes shot open and widened at the unexpected intrusion. But he simply continued his gentle movements inside of her, touching her in a way that made her gasp and tremble with delight instead of pain.

Wave after wave of increasing pleasure overwhelmed and soon, the pain was nothing but a vague memory. She threw her head back, moaning his name as his fingers were doing miraculous things to her. The intensity of the sensations he caused was almost too much, but she had no other choice than surrender to it completely.

It took a long moment, even as her body gradually relaxed after the peak, to realize that it was over. When she managed to open her eyes at last, Sweeney's face was the first thing she saw. He was staring at her, the expression on his face one she didn't instantly recognize.

Intuitively, she looked down at the source of the bliss he had just caused. To her horror, she saw that his hand was trapped between her thighs even now, because she still pressed them together.

Dread welled inside of her when she realized that she had let herself go completely in Mr. Todd's presence. He doubtlessly was shocked to find out that she wasn't as quiet and composed, even in the throes of passion, as his modest, perfect Lucy.

It took her mind, which was still clouded with pleasure, quite a while to realize that he was looking at her with a strange combination of fascination and curiosity. Apparently, he wasn't disgusted by her own complete lack of control at all; instead, he seemed intrigued. It didn't make it any easier for her heartbeat to slow down.

Both their bodies were exhausted by exertion and the unexpected and overwhelming way their beings had connected. Not having the strength to do otherwise, they didn't bother to get dressed or retreat to one of their bedrooms. The fire and their bodies provided enough warmth and, knowing what just had happened there, she was much fonder now of the comfortable rug than she had already been before.

He moved closer to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Nellie sighed as she felt how perfectly Sweeney's body fitted against her own. And even when he was falling asleep, he didn't let go off her. He didn't say anything to her, but there was an unspoken promise in the way he held her.

She usually welcomed sleep, because it gave her dreams in which things happened that could never be in her actual life. But now she looked forward to falling asleep for a very different reason: it would bring her quickly to the following morning, the beginning of a new part of her life. Sweeney Todd had proven in a very clear way that he would be much more than a friend to her from now on. Life was going to be better than anything she had ever dreamed of.