Setting: Morning. Spring, perhaps. Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium. Before the death of Turpin.
Summary: Nellie sets aside some time to have a little chat with Mr. Todd.
Part III: Tea
"Well," she breathed, rubbing the corners of her eyes with small fingers, frazzled, hastily shifting in the squeaky booth of the pie shop. "I wasn't quite expectin' ya to listen ta me, so..." she trailed off once more, something she had done four times now, and it made him clear his throat, irritated with her as they sat across from each other in the empty room.
"Do hurry it along, Mrs. Lovett, I have things to attend to," his voice was a deep scowl, hoarse from lack of speaking, yet etched with a practiced finality. He flexed his hands in his lap, precise fingers drumming dully on his trousers.
"Ya see," she began again, desperately grasping the tea cup in front of her, thumbing over the little chip on the golden rim, her brow lowering in disapproval. "I've been thinkin' about you, lately. And rightfully so--you'd surely die in the next hour if I wasn't thinkin' of ya, what with you glued to the bleedin' window like it was your second half." She huffed at this, gazing up at him momentarily, a discontented flicker in her eye. "I don't see what's so special about it, either," those lips turning downward, "there's plenty o' windows down 'ere, surely you could watch for 'im without being shut away from me."
He snorted, shaking his head as he set his eyes on her, preparing himself for what he assumed would be a long morning. "Yes, because my bloodied appearance wouldn't arise any suspicions." He then raised both eyebrows and leaned forward, placing his hands on the edge of the table. "It's settled then," he pronounced slowly, "I will move my chair down here. A little bloodshed never hurt anyone."
"Oh hush!" she shot at him lowly, smoothing out her dark skirts, lips pursed in distaste.
He shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest before slouching in his seat. "Alright," he drawled.
Despite the fact that he would probably take another handful of lives before the day ended, a breath of pink had settled on Nellie's cheeks and she looked down, shyly, into her peppermint tea. That mischevious glint of his eye always made her succumb in him in a coquettish manner.
"You know precisely what I mean," she told him, hushed, and she picked up her spoon, dipping it in the steaming liquid. Swirling it around, she let out a little sigh. "I don't see you anymore."
Tipping his head back, he suppressed a groan, closing his eyes, annoyed by the tinkling of her spoon as she stirred. "I shouldn't have agreed to talk to this woman," he whispered to himself, and said woman kicked him smartly in the ankle. He frowned.
"I'm serious," she insisted, really she was, the mess of curls framing her face making her look even more flustered. Nellie shot a stern glance at his indifference. "How could you possibly sit in silence for so long? That must be so...dreary, love. Especially with business being slow lately. Wouldn't you enjoy a pinch of company?" Her voice was soft with hope.
"No."
Nellie stopped stirring and made a noise of frustration. "Oh, you're so bloody stubborn," she mumbled hotly, placing her spoon on the saucer, brushing away one of her wild curls. "I wish you'd take a moment and realize all you're pushin' away from yeself." Little did he know of all the secret, heart-felt implication that she placed beneath those words.
"Vermin?" he questioned blandly, placing his hands behind his head, his eyes still closed.
"No," she snapped back, lightly amused, waiting for him to ask further. Yet, part of her expected no response, and she watched the yawn escape his lips. Those kissable lips. Heart fluttering, she placed her elbow on the table top and rested her cheek in her palm. Trying to hint him on like this was useless; he'd never learn to accept all the love and affection she fed to him.
So instead, she took this rare, quiet, morning alone with Mr. Todd and used it in her advantage, soaking up his presence. A long silence passed, a comfortable one, though, peaceful almost, the room filled with nothing but steady breathing and chirping birds from outside.
Fiddling with the thread on the edge of the table cloth, Nellie chuckled suddenly, smiling down at the lacy fabric. "I remember when I was a tiny thing, I hated sitting still. Always wanted to move about, energetic younger, I was. Would of hated this," she paused, giving him a small, funny look. "What were you like, Mr. T? As a kid."
He made a face and shifted a little. "Young."
She snorted this time. "Yes, I assumed so, but what were ya like? What kinda person were you?" She stared expectantly, truly curious.
Sweeney opened his eyes, studying the ceiling, frowning at faint blood stains that had soaked a little through the wood. He heaved a sigh, and after an edgy moment, he spoke:
"Quiet...polite. Innocent." He drifted his gaze over to Nellie who was gawking dreamily with those brown eyes of hers. "Foolish."
She leaned further into her palm. "Foolish?"
"Gullible," he corrected in a mumble, closing his eyes again. "I was mousy, bookish. My friends often took advantage of me."
Nellie's eyes flashed sympathetically and she traced a dainty finger around the rim of her cup. "Doesn't sound like they were friends at all, ta me," she offered gently, and he grunted, agreeing. She hesitated a moment before speaking again, very softly. "Am I your friend, Mr. Todd?"
Her question took a moment to settle into Sweeney's head, but when it did, he let out a long breath. "What would you classify as a friend, pet?"
Bashful now, she averted her gaze once more to her tea. Deciding to take this casually, she leaned off her palm to pick up the cup, raising her eyebrows and bringing it to her lips.
"Someone loyal, kind, understanding." She sipped at the tea, quietly, like a proper lady, before continuing. "Someone who shows you respect."
Face voice of expression, Sweeney looked at her, watching her smile that smile. Disgruntled and irked by her amusement, he mumbled a half-hearted, "I suppose..."
Her eyes lit up. Immediately regretting his words, he promptly stood up and strode to the kitchen area beside them. Running a hand through his black hair, he kept his mouth shut.
Delighted with her progress, Nellie giggled. "You suppose...?" she pressed further, unable to wipe the now cheeky smile from her face.
Rolling his eyes, he turned away from her, reaching up to the cupboard to pull out a porcelain cup of his own. "That's what I said," he replied quickly, growling again, but he seemed to be forcing the firm tone.
Placing her tea cup in the saucer with a satisfied clink, Nellie gave a happy sigh, content indeed.
Being able to feel the mirth radiating off the baker, he grunted disapprovingly, turning with this head bowed to the kettle on the stove. He slowly picked up the tin container and poured the dark liquid, the silence drowning them again, and Sweeney was glad that she had dropped the subject.
About to relax again, he placed the kettle down and leaned back on the wall behind him. He reluctantly found himself staring out of the front window, subconsciously taking Nellie's earlier suggestion, and sipped at his tea.
A soft, girlish titter brought him from his bleak thoughts, and he groaned, glaring daggers at her. "What now?"
Lifting herself elegantly from the booth, something he supposed she had practiced, pathetically enough, Nellie slowly walked over to him, smirking. Exasperated, he ignored her, looking back to the window.
Stopping merely inches away from him, she boldly reached out and placed a warm hand under his chin, turning his face to her.
Sweeney tentatively locked eyes with her, frowning still, unamused. He opened his mouth in protest but nothing came out, her lips being pressed tenderly to his cheek for a good moment, soft lips.
She pulled away and squeezed his bicep gently. "Thank you."
With that, Nellie retreated down to the bakehouse to make the day's pies, leaving him alone in the kitchen, very still, face pink.
A/N: This is a fine example of me, spouting out words, trying to place meaning into them, trying to sharpen my dialogue skills. It's like, I'll start off writing a sentence and will just imagine what the character would say in response. I hope you enjoyed it :) Please review!
PS:I'm taking requests for one-shots! Do check out my profile for further details :)