AN: This fanfiction is the rewriting of a roleplay between myself, C, and my friend E on Tumblr. Our roleplay blogs are: TheBarberTodd (me) and IamMrsLovett (E). We wanted to do this so that any future followers that did not know all the drama that goes on between our characters would have a reference to look at without having to dig through our archives to do so! (Especially since we tend to have very long roleplay threads that go on for a long time XD)

Chapter Two: The Second Encounter

A few days later things were going as if that night had never happened. Mrs. Lovett had woken alone in her bed, wondering if it had only been a dream, Toby never knew what had happened only feet away from him in his mistress' room, and Mr. Todd treated Mrs. Lovett just as he always had prior to that evening. Though he had tried to ignore the urge to go to her in that state again, he could not push back the feeling he had gotten that night. It had almost felt as if he was with Lucy again, though he knew he wasn't. Still... his yellow-haired wife was not too dissimilar is size as the baker. He had easily been able to imagine that her curly locks of auburn hair were Lucy's blond waves and her small body his wife's.

He sighed as he set down his razor, once again at the end of a long day. He was sitting in his barber's chair but feeling the growing boredom and desire to have another encounter with his landlord, he stood.

"Mrs. Lovett," he called harshly for her as he went into the pie shop below him. "Are you occupied tonight?" He asked as she hurried into the now closed shop from her parlor. She turned her head slowly to the side as she looked at him, trying to ignore her heart beating quickly as she tried to guess his intentions. Swallowing down her fear she spoke quietly.

"No... 'm not." He stared at her himself for a moment after she spoke before speaking.

"There'll be a draft tonight, Mrs. Lovett. I don't want you to be cold..."

She bit her bottom lip after he spoke, looking down from his gaze. "Oh..." she said, swallowing once more as her anxiety boosted. "You know what, I think I'll be alright." Her voice was high-pitched and on edge as she continued to stare at the floor boards. Looking up she flashed him a quick smile before looking down once more.

A momentary frown appeared on his face before it returned to it's usual cold, stoney countenance. "Are you quite sure, Mrs. Lovett?" He asked carefully. "I wouldn't want you to change your mind halfway through the night. I won't tolerate being disturbed past midnight."

She sighed, her gaze not rising to his. "Well... I suppose..." her voice was quiet and slightly broken though she tried to settle it. "You know, I don't want to be cold either." With her last words she managed to lift her eyes to meet his own with a sad smile on her porcelain face.

He stared at her for a moment, taking in the expression on her face. "You know..." he began slowly, "it's not very late, I suppose. There should be light for another hour at most... What was it you were squabbling on about the other night? Dancing was it?" She nodded slowly, her expression clouded momentarily with a smile and a romantic gleam as she thought about dancing with him.

"Well then," he said as he stepped towards her. "Get dressed into whatever contraption you women wear for dancing. There's a dance hall a few streets down." His voice was still a bit gruff but he was trying to soften it. Turning on his heels he began to walk away before a thought crossed his mind and he faced her again. "Do you need help changing, Mrs. Lovett? The laces can be... work."

Her hope-filled eyes turned a more flirtatious gleam as she looked at him and smirked. "Oh, yes, darling. I think I'll need help." His own smirk returned to his gaunt face as he looked at her and he gestured with a wave of his arm for her to lead on through the parlor and into the bedroom.

"After you, Mrs. Lovett," he said with a slight bow of his head. Raising an eyebrow at him and grinning softly she walked slowly into the parlor, adding as much swing to her hips as she could without appearing to try. Following her through and into the bedroom he shut the door quietly and promptly shut the curtains on the window.

"Come here, Mrs. Lovett. You have nothing to fear," Mr. Todd assured her as he faced her again in the darkened room. Turning to look at him she took a deep breath in preparation, still not entirely trustful of his intentions, and walked to him slowly. Her eyes never left his as she went. When she was close enough she turned around so that her back faced him and pulled the sleeves of her dress down off of her shoulders slowly and silently.

Placing a cold pale hand on her shoulder he leaned in towards her ear and spoke in a slightly softened voice. "I mean it, Mrs. Lovett. On nights such as tonight... you have no reason to fear me." Moving his hand from her shoulder he began to silently work on the laces of her dress, his hands much more quick and deft since their last encounter; the muscle memory having taken over. She nodded slowly but kept her mouth shut as her eyes closed and she sighed softly as he worked.

Once the laces of her dress were undone Mr. Todd pulled the dress gradually from her body until it fell in a pool of cloth around her feet. When the fabric hit the floor he stepped closer and encircled her thin waist in his strong arms, his grip tight and unyielding though not so menacing. He rested his head against the side of her own, his breath slow and steady as it tingled against her skin lightly. Softly his lips found the crook between her neck and her shoulder and Mr. Todd placed a small bite there only to replace it with a cold kiss.

Mrs. Lovett inhaled a sharp breath at the contact and sighed shakily in his embrace. "Mr. Todd..." she whispered to herself more than to him. Pulling his lips away from her skin lightly he kept his grip around her waist for a few moments longer.

"I suggest you find your dancing dress before you lose your corset and your underskirts first..." His voice was quiet but he relinquished his grip on her and stepped back to lean against the wall. She nodded and moved to her wardrobe. His eyes hardened as he watched her, what little emotion he had shown sliding back into him. Mrs. Lovett may not have had yellow hair nor was she Lucy, but she was at least something. "Try the dark purple one, Mrs. Lovett," he called gruffly as she began to sort through her small collection of dresses. His voice had been hard but not threatening though she still jumped a bit. "With your auburn hair... it would look nice."

She frowned and looked back at him with a quizzical stare. "Alright..." she said as she turned back and took the dress he had mentioned from the wardrobe. Mrs. Lovett was surprised he ever noticed what she even wore nonetheless what looked better on her. She walked to the bed with the dress in hand and laid it out out silently. Pushing away from the wall, Mr. Todd approached her and walked behind her.

"Allow me... Eleanor," he said softly as he took the dress and held it out for her to step into. She froze hearing him say her real name and looked at him with softened and hopeful eyes, not moving from her place by the bed. Shaking the dress a little he sighed in annoyance. "Well, come on. I'm not going to hold this dress all night. I'm a busy man." She swallowed and shook her head a bit.

"S-Sorry," she stammered in her nervous state as she stepped forward and into the dress. Mr. Todd pulled the dress up over her hips and held out the sleeves for her to push her arms through.

"Turn around once you've got your arms in, I'll lace you up," he said stiffly and once she had pushed her arms through and turned for him he began to tie the laces tightly. She stayed quiet while he worked still reflecting on how he had said her name as he had. With one final tug of the laces he stepped back only to move towards her a moment later. Reaching into her hair he began to remove every pin that he could find, letting her curls fall loosely around her shoulders.

"What... what are you doing?" Her voice quivered as she spoke, the uneasiness within her piercing her further as she felt his hands move through her hair. When he had finished finding all of the pins he guided her over to the mirror and placed a hand on the small of her back.

"Change can be a good thing, Mrs. Lovett," he said softly. "I... like it this way."

She looked at herself in the mirror and swallowed silently. "Well then... if you like it." Absentmindedly she tucked the curls behind her ears and moved her gaze to match his own in the reflection.

"Here," he said thoughtfully as he took a piece of black ribbon from her vanity table and tied a careful bow in the mess of curls on the back of her head. She looked at her reflection frowning a bit.

"I look... app- er, proper," she mused, not too thrilled with the look.

"You look... beautiful," he managed to say without any cruelty in his tone though it still held a tinge of it's usual hard edge. Stepping back from her he cleared his throat. "We should go now. Tell that boy of yours that we're leaving or he'll go out searching all of London for you."

Turning to face him she tilted her head to the side and bit her lower lip. "You think... I'm beautiful?" A small smile spread itself delicately on her face as she spoke. He let no emotion show on his own as he answered her.

"I do not repeat past words, Mrs. Lovett. We should go."

She sighed and nodded, walking out of the room to where Toby was sleeping in the parlor. She shook him awake gently and he opened his eyes with a wide yawn.

"Yes, ma'am?" He muttered tiredly, looking up at her. She smiled softly and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I'm going out for just a bit with Mr. T, but don't you go worrying, love. We'll be back before you know it." He looked worried but didn't argue with her.

"Okay, ma'am," he said as he nodded his head. "Should I wait up?"

"No, darling," she said with a sigh. "You can go right back to sleep and I'll see you in the morning as always," she promised with another kiss to his forehead. Standing she smoothed her skirts and went back to the bedroom. "Let's go," she said quietly.

He nodded and walked over to her, placing a hand on her waist as he guided her from the shop and into the streets of London. They walked the few streets to the dance hall in silence, his hand ever present on the small of her back as they walked. Once they were inside of the dance hall he grimaced at the noise of the people and the music as she lit up at the thought that she would soon be amongst them.

Guiding her to a small secluded table he took his jacket off and set it on the back of his chair after holding hers out for her to sit down. "Do you need refreshment, Mrs. Lovett?" Mr. Todd asked as he glanced towards the bar. "I can go get us a bottle of gin."

"Oh, mhm. Yeah, please, love," she said absentmindedly as she sat down in her chair and moved it closer to the table. Walking over to the bar he bought a bottle of gin and took two glasses with him back to the table as well. Setting them down he sat next to Mrs. Lovett and moved their chairs closer together.

"Here," he said gruffly as he poured the alcohol into the two glasses.

"Thank you, love," she said as she took her glass and drained it. He raised an eyebrow at her but she merely shrugged. "Want some?" Taking his own glass he took a slow sip and watched her intently, surprised at her brashness with drinking in public. He smirked however as he got a certain thought in mind and set his glass down slowly. Returning his face to stone he slipped a hand underneath the table and slowly drew her skirts high enough for his hand to go underneath them and into her bloomers.

She was pouring more gin into her glass when she felt her skirts moving and nearly spit the alcohol out as she felt his hand going beneath the fabric of her undergarments. "Mr. T!" She whispered in astonishment as she looked at him with widened eyes. "Everyone can see us!"

Placing a finger to his lips with his free hand he whispered back, "not if you stay quiet. We're in the back in the shadows. I want to see just how much self control you have over yourself before we begin our dancing..." He moved his chair even closer to hers and pushed his hands further down her bloomers. She swallowed and bit her lips, suppressing a moan that she knew was coming soon.

He leaned in towards her and whispered softly into her ear. "Don't look so tense... you'll draw attention." He brushed his fingers lightly over her sex and smirked against her ear before moving back from her. Looking down she let out a quiet moan. Mr. Todd continued to smirk as he slid one finger into her entrance and pumped it softly and gradually. Using his free hand he filled their glasses to the brim with gin and took a sip of his own before sliding her glass over to her on the table. "Don't spill it, now," he warned gently before leaning into to her ear once more. His tone acquired a harsh and yet husky ring to it. "As far as these idiots of London know, we're simply a man and his wife enjoying a glass of gin in the corner."

She moaned a bit louder at his ministrations but kept her tone as quiet as she could. Her eyes widened as she took the gin glass and tried to quell the shaking in her hands. She took a sip and sighed in pleasure as he worked before looking in his eyes. "You know love," she managed to say softly despite the circumstances, "you're really naughty." Another small moan escaped her as he slid another finger into her and moved his digits a bit faster.

"Shhh..." he whispered as he spied someone looking their way. He pressed a kiss to her cheek with a smirk. "You're drawing attention to us, Nellie." She squirmed a bit but did not moan, biting her lip to keep it back as she tried to contain herself. "Talk to me..." He demanded as he continued, stroking his thumb across her clit and adding a third finger.

She could not stop the moan as he stroked her clit but she managed to keep it as soft as the others. Looking over at him she swallowed and prepared herself to try to talk. "D-Do you enjoy..." she paused to bite her lip as he hit one of her spots and closed her eyes before swallowing again and continuing, "the night, Mr. T?" He smirked at her suppressed moaning and took a sip of his gin before answering.

"Tonight is a nice night, Eleanor. Perhaps we should go out more often like this," he mused as he moved his fingers faster and leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. She kissed him back and bit her lips as he moved away again, her breath quickening.

"Y-yes... mhm," she hummed in agreement and pleasure.

"The end is getting closer, try not to scream out," he said as he downed the rest of his gin and poured another glass. He began to run his thumb in relentless circles over her clit and moved his fingers as quickly as he could without making it obvious that he was in her skirts. She threw her head back slightly and closed her eyes again. "Ah, God..." she moaned quietly before sighing in relief as she came. He smirked a bit as he drew his hands out and pulled her skirts back into place.

"Don't go off to clean yourself up, we still need to dance," he said as he stood and put his jacket back on. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, still breathing a bit quickly.

"I don't know if my legs can support myself, love..." she said breathlessly. "They feel like jelly."

"Come now, darling. Just try." He said as he held a hand out to her to help her stand. She took a deep breath and pulled herself up by his hand. Mr. Todd lead her out to the dance floor and placed a hand on her waist, his other slightly higher on her back. A small smile graced her lips at their closeness and she put her hands on his shoulders softly, gazing up into his eyes. He began to move her through the steps slowly, allowing her to lean onto him for support.

"You look... in love, Mrs. Lovett," he mused softly, watching her eyes. She looked down immediately but kept dancing despite her heart beat quickening.

"Oh... really?" She asked as she swallowed a bit and kept her gaze away from his own.

"You're not very adept at hiding yourself. A woman in love will do many foolish things for the object of her desires..."

She looked up smiling a bit though the sadness in her gaze was not missed and shrugged slightly. "Probably." She admitted before biting her lips and looking down again.

"I'm a man but I'm not an idiot, Mrs. Lovett. My wife... Lucy... is dead. You are alive. If you love me, you can say so and it will not destroy something that is already dead."

"I won't ever be Lucy. I hope you know that," she said softly as she met his gaze again.

"No one will ever be Lucy," he said gruffly, tightening his grip on the small baker. His eyes hardened as he kept his gaze on hers, noting the slight fear in her eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed before continuing. "Lucy is... dead though. I do not love anyone else, but she is no longer here to stop others from loving me." She raised an eyebrow, not breaking the gaze and swallowing her fear.

"So you want to be loved but you give nothing back?" Her voice was cold and hard for once as she spoke.

"I said that I do not love anyone else, not that it isn't capable for me to love anyone else. Be careful, Mrs. Lovett. Remember where we are, who you're with."

Pulling away from him she stepped away from the dance floor. "I'm tired of being careful," she warned before turning and leaving the dance hall. Mr. Todd sighed and followed her out into the night. When he found her standing outside he grabbed her forcefully by the arm.

"Mrs. Lovett, do not risk everything by causing a scene." He warned bitterly. She struggled against his grip in vain and huffed.

"Let me go!" She demanded looking at him sternly. He pulled her closer to him and covered her mouth with a strong, forced kiss, pinning her arms down tightly as people passed them by. She struggled more for a moment before giving up and kissing him back passionately. Once the people had passed them by he pulled away but kept his grip on her.

"Come now, Mrs. Lovett. Let's go home," he muttered, beginning to guide her down the street by her arm. She bit her lip and pulled out of his grip walking ahead of him towards their shops. Once they got home he grabbed her arm again and forced her to face him in the empty storefront of her pie shop. She gasped a bit but he ignored her. "I may not love you as you have loved me, but that does not mean that I do not care for you at all. If I didn't, you wouldn't be here and you very well know it. Now, you may be angry with me, but I'm making the offer. Sleep up in my barber shop with me tonight. We don't have to do anything else."

"Oh, cause you actually want me to stay, Mr. T?" She said sarcastically, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Don't push things, Nellie," he said sternly though his eyes softened a bit.

"Alright," she conceded coldly, pulling from his grip again. He ignored that and took her hand in his own and guided her up the stairs and into his tonsorial parlor. Once there he lit a lamp and set it on the nightstand before stripping his jacket, shirt, and boots. The scars on his back glimmered in the lamplight and his skin was given a yellow glow despite it's lack of coloring. Despite her anger and disappointment she still searched his body and took in each new detail that she could with interest.

"I'm not going to force you into anything. Undress yourself if you like, sleep fully clothed if you want to. Sleep in the chair even if you find that you might sleep more soundly there," he said as he stretched a bit before laying down in bed. She watched him still and sighed before taking her dress off slowly and laying it over the back of the barber's chair. She moved to the bed and laid down next to him.

"I hate you as much as I love you," she muttered as she turned onto her side, showing him her back. He smirked a bit and turned towards her, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her to his chest so closely that he could feel her every curve against his torso and she could feel the muscles of his back and stomach against her back.

"You love me more than you hate me," he whispered definitively. She rolled her eyes but didn't move away from him.

"Of course I do," she muttered again before closing her eyes and allowing sleep to take her.