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 Four: Aching

A few hours after they had fallen asleep on the couch Nellie had actually woken before Sweeney had. Sighing she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked down at him, the usual ache in her heart starting to build up as she watched him in his sleep. She could feel herself rising and falling with his breath as she lay on top of him and it was an odd feeling. Not a bad one per say but one that she was not used to. After all, Sweeney had actually been the only man who bothered to hold her to him after love making and certainly the only man whom had ever wanted her to stay atop him in any manner. All Albert had ever done was simply move to the side and turn away from her with a dismal, in-affectionate 'goodnight, Nellie,' thrown in there simply because he was her husband.

Which is why it both particularly hurt Nellie that Sweeney did this even though he did not love her like all the rest of the men in her past, but also filled her with an aching warmth. It was nice to be held and even nicer still by someone she loved so dearly and had waited so long for him to even so much as touch her hand. Sighing, she moved as softly as she could from his embrace, taking his arms and moving them slowly to his side from her body. Sitting up and straddling his waist she took one last look down at him and bit her lip. Silently admonishing herself in her head she leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss and removed herself from him completely.

Nellie took the blanket from the back of a chair and wrapped it around her shoulders as she continued to watch him and the ache in her heart continued to grow. After a moment she shook her head slightly and crept back to her bedroom where she locked the door and rested her head against it, trying to suppress the sobs she knew would come. Her body shook slightly as the force of the sobs fought her will and eventually they won out and she let out a shaky breath as the tears started to run down her cheeks through her lidded eyes. Pushing away from the door she wiped at her eyes in vain and essentially gave up as she grabbed a dressing gown from a chair back and let the blanket fall.

When the blanket fell she caught her reflection in the cracked mirror of the vanity table and sighed. She hated her reflection. When she was young she had hated it too but she knew if she had the choice she would have that body again instead of what she had now. She knew that she looked well for her age, better off than a lot of people as far as her body type, but what she would not give for her breasts to be higher and her waist a bit thinner. Not to mention the fact that with age came wrinkles. Her face for the most part was still smooth but she could not deny the laugh lines forming around the corners of her lips and the hinted crows feet at the outer edge of her eyes.

Swallowing she looked away from the image and drew the gown over her head, shivering slightly at the breeze caused by the swift movement of the fabric. Nellie ignored the still flowing tears and unpinned her hair, shaking it out and letting the curls fall around her shoulders loosely. She walked to her bed and pulled the covers back and got underneath them, letting herself fall asleep as quickly as the tears would allow.

Meanwhile in the parlor Mr. Todd had awoken about forty minutes later and ignored the fact that Nellie had already left. Seeing that it was still dark out he stifled a yawn and stood, stretching his arms behind his back and relieving the stiffness from his neck. Looking at the strewn clothing on the floor he sighed and found his pants, pulling them up and lacing them loosely. After he tucked his shirt back into place he gathered all of Mrs. Lovett's garments and folded them neatly, placing them outside of her door. When he had finished straightening up he unlocked the parlor door and walked past a still sleeping Toby in the pie shop. Once upstairs in his tonsorial parlor he found his bed and lay in it for the next few hours until sunrise, not really sleeping but rather day dreaming of his past; of Lucy and Johanna.

Xx

In the morning Nellie woke and yawned a bit as she pushed herself from bed. Sighing heavily she dressed herself for the day, tying the laces a bit more tightly on her corset than was needed. After she had fixed her hair she opened her door and looked a bit sadly at the pile of clothing. Leaning down she picked it up gently and laid it on her bed before closing her door and going out into the pie shop. She nudged Toby awake gently, taking his bottle of gin and placing it on the shelf with the rest of the liquor.

Toby sat up groggily and bid his mistress a good morning. She returned it softly and set about making breakfast while Toby got to his chores. When she took Mr. Todd his breakfast he had already been dressed and setting up shop for about an hour. They did not say anything to each other and she left in silence after he took the plate from her. They both opened shop and when the day had finished he made his way downstairs and into the empty pie shop.

Nellie had not heard him and as she was wiping down the counter she sighed and put her head in her hands knowing that Toby was in the kitchen and could not see her. "I promised myself I wouldn't do it again... but I just couldn't resist, could I?" She muttered to herself in defeat. Sweeney raised his eyebrow and approached the counter, tapping it lightly to get her attention. She looked up slowly and forced a smile.

"What did you promise yourself you wouldn't do?" He asked simply thinking it was something related to a customer or one of her acquaintances. She let the smile falter for a second and sighed, pushing off of her elbows and straightening herself.

"You," Nellie stated softly not meeting his gaze and starting to clean the counters once more to keep her hands busy. He scoffed a bit and raised an eyebrow.

"Me? Am I truly so..." he paused for a moment in thought. "How was it you put it when I first arrived here? Beautiful was it?" He smirked at her for a moment before going into his pocket to retrieve one of his razors to examine it as they spoke.

"Yes. You are," Nellie answered stiffly, raising her own eyebrow at him and stopping her cleaning. She let go of the rag and and walked around the counter and attempting to pass him. As she moved by him he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"If it will put your mind at any ease, Mrs. Lovett. You are quite... beguiling yourself."

She bit her lip as he spoke and when he finished she looked up into his eyes softly. "Thank you," she spoke quietly, swallowing slightly.

"Would I be so... invested in your personal... interests had I not thought you more than the average street rat of London?"

"Yes. Oh, yes," she said absently trying not to let that aching emotion take over her in front of him as she dropped her gaze to the floor.

"That reminds me," he said as he let go of her arm and put his razor away, "let the boy take over watching the shop for tonight. We can... eat together upstairs tonight," he finished giving her a slight smirk. Even though she desperately wished she had the voice to say no, the thought of dinner alone with him gave her a small smile and she met his gaze again.

"Okay..."

"Oh, and Mrs. Lovett..."

"Mmh, what love?" Nellie answered, her smile still soft on her lips.

He smirked and pulled her against him suddenly earning a small gasp of surprise from the baker. He kissed the base of her neck and bit the flesh there softly before growling in her ear. "Don't be late."

She could not help but let a small moan escape her as he bit at her neck and the growling sensation by her ear earned a shiver down her back. Closing her eyes she breathed in his scent while he still held her. She could smell the perfume of the shaving lather in his shirt and the smell of smoke probably from a customer whom had been wise enough to bring someone with him. "Surely not..." she whispered softly against his chest, treasuring the feeling of his strong grip and the movement of his chest with each steady breath.

Sweeney pushed her away gently and tried to ignore the sudden wanting he felt in his groin as he looked at her. Nellie was in her thirties but she certainly held herself together much better than a lot of women her age and even younger. He hardly even noticed the things that she criticized herself for, in fact there was something about the way that she had aged since he had known her fifteen years ago that made her even more appealing to him than she had been then. Clearing his throat he acquired a serious tone once more. "Go on then, back to work cleaning up before the boy starts worrying that you've gone missing."

Nellie nodded, her small smile remaining despite the ache she could feel building up again once he had let go of her. She took her rag and walked back behind the counter. Despite herself she could not stop adding a bit more sway to her hips as she went. As much as this new found tryst between them was killing her, she wanted him to want her.

Xx

Going back upstairs Mr. Todd set about cleaning his own shop after the busy work day. He had to scrub the blood from the floorboards and the splatterings from the walls and windowpanes. As usual he also cleaned the chair and his counter tops, keeping up appearances for the customers he let live; after all he could not kill them all and expect a steady business. Rather he had a system of killing the last one in before his breaks and the last one in before he closed shop so that he had time to clean up in between. So he really only killed about four people every day or even less.

When he had finished cleaning he knew that it would still be quite a while before Nellie made her way upstairs for dinner since her shop had a lot more uptake than his own and undoubtedly she was spending time with Toby first. He made the decision to use the remaining hour or so to sneak quietly down to the kitchen. After listening at the door and making sure that Nellie had finished in there he went in and started rifling through the pantry for something he could make for their dinner.

Finding some uncooked pasta that Nellie had probably bought from the market he took it and stoked the fire in the oven. Filling the large kettle with water he placed it over the file and waited for it to boil before pouring the noodles in. While they cooked he set about looked for any tomatoes and spices that Nellie would have for the sauce. He set about cutting the tomatoes and heating them over the coals on the oven and adding what spices he had found. When he finished the sauce he checked the noodles and took them off of the fire with a rag. Dousing the flames he took the meal upstairs on two plates and set them on the small table he had in the corner of his shop.

Meanwhile downstairs in the parlor Mrs. Lovett had just gotten Toby to go to bed and had gone into her bedroom to prepare herself for dinner with her partner. She had changed from her usual black working dress that she wore most days into a more fashionable dress that she had bought not long ago. It was black with patterns of red throughout it and red underskirts though she knew he probably would not care if he even noticed. She fixed her hair back into place, fixing the pins where her hair had pulled loose. She took a glance at the mirror and smirked in appreciation for the fact that her breasts had grown since she was a young woman and therefore stuck out just a bit more when she wore corsets."He better find me sexy..." she muttered to herself as she pushed her chest up just a bit more before walking swiftly out of the room and up to the barber shop.

Upstairs Sweeney could hear her small footsteps as she approached the door. Not bothering to get up he called out to her instead from his seat at the table as she neared."The door is open, Mrs. Lovett." She smiled when she heard him and she could feel the excitement building in her chest as her heart raced faster. It was only a simple dinner but he had never asked to eat with her before and that thrilled her that he was interested in sharing something so normal. Taking a quick breath she exhaled and opened the door, entering slowly and closing it shut behind her.

"Have a seat, Mrs. Lovett," he said, gesturing to the chair opposite his side of the table. She nodded and walked to the table, sitting down carefully and sighing a bit her smile pulling lightly along her face. After she had taken her seat Sweeney removed the cloths he had placed over the plates to reveal the pasta. She raised her eyebrow in surprise having expected something much simpler from him. He smirked darkly at her and sat up a bit straighter in his seat. "You are not the only one who can cook, Mrs. Lovett."

"That's really sweet of you to go to so much effort, love," she said sweetly, meeting his gaze lovingly despite herself. Her heart was still fluttering at the thought that he was doing this for her. She bit her lips a bit as she tried to look less desperate and looked down at her food. He ignored her stares altogether and had already begun to eat.

"Have you told the boy that you won't be downstairs tonight?" Mr. Todd asked casually as he swirled his fork on the plate. As soon as he spoke she swallowed a bit and started to eat as well.

"Oh... y-yes, I did..." she said softly after swallowing a bite.

"Good. I'd like for you to sleep up here again tonight with me," he said, continuing to focus on his food rather than on her.

"Sleep, mmh?" She pushed her food around a bit and kept her gaze low, finding that she really did not have much of an appetite. However, wanting to please him and show him that she enjoyed the cooking, which really is was very good for someone she did not even know could cook more than an egg in a frying pan, she continued to eat.

"Among other things," he smirked and looked up at her though looked away again soon after. She felt her own smirk tug at the corners of her lips and lifted her gaze to his only to find that he already looked back at his plate.

"It tastes really good, Mr. T," she complimented him, taking the time he was looking away to examine his face and his chest as it rose it fell with each breath. She liked that he was clean shaven, it was much better than in the past when Albert had had that horrible beard. Besides, in her opinion cheekbones like that should never be hidden behind hair.

"It's not one of your meat pies, but did you honestly think that Lucy did all of the cooking back then?" After he spoke he took a drink of his ale and look at her for a moment, examining the expressions on her face. Nellie held in a sigh and stopped herself from rolling her eyes as he mentioned his former wife and took a drink from her own ale mug.

"I don't know and I don't care," she answered truthfully as she started to eat again. Glancing back at him she gave a quick faked smile and dropped her gaze again. He stared at her darkly for a moment and then stood and pushed the plate away from him. Walking over to her side of the table he grabbed her arm and forced her up from her seat. He gripped her arms tightly in his hands and kept his gaze cold on her, sending shivers of fear down her spine. She inhaled a sharp breath and bit her lip as her breathing stopped in preparation for the blow she was sure he was going to land her.

Sweeney smirked at her maliciously and pulled her against him, moving his hands to her waist and giving her a strong, forceful kiss. He bit down on her lower lip slightly harder than he usually did, drawing blood. The initial surprise and shock that had filled her melted into a confusion laced with pleasure and pain. She moaned slightly as her lip bled and when he pulled away she looked into his eyes with apprehension, frowning slightly. "Mr. T?"

He did not answer with words rather took her lower lip between his own and gently sucked on it until the bleeding had quelled. His grip on her waist had become iron tight and he allowed no space to exist between their bodies, making sure he could feel every curve of her figure that he could and that she could feel the hardness of his wanting against her hips. "You're becoming a bold one Mrs. Lovett," he said softly, examining her face once again as he spoke. She licked her lips slowly never breaking eye contact as he spoke. She could feel his erection against her hip and her own breathing was already quickening. Underneath her skirts she could already feel the wetness soaking through her bloomers and with a sudden burst of courage she leaned up and kissed him, her hands going into his hair and behind his neck as they pulled him closer.

The kiss was fierce and she was determined to show him exactly how much she loved and wanted him as her tongue fought his. She rubbed her hips against his earning a growl and as she pulled away she kept her hands in his hair, stroking it lightly. Without a word he grabbed her waist and hoisted her up and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist with a small gasp. He leaned back against the wall and kissed her again with intensity.

She moaned into the kiss and stroked his hair, pressing her hips against his stomach and hoping that he would feel the heat from her arousal through the layers of skirts and undergarments that were becoming increasing restrictive to her breath and to her comfort. As they kissed he began walking them back towards the bed, dropping her roughly onto the mattress in his haste to get her onto her back. She gasped a bit and leaned on her elbows to look up at him. Without hesitation he moved himself over her, kicking his shoes off and throwing her own to the floor.

Taking her dress in his hands he tore the skirt from the waistline without a second thought and threw it to the side. As much as she loved the dress she did not care and set about immediately untying the laces of his pants, grabbing his erection through the fabric and teasing him. He growled at her touch and pulled her underskirts and her stockings off hastily revealing her legs and her bloomers. He smirked as he noticed the small stain forming on the bit of fabric covering her entrance. As he looked she smirked and pulled his pants down to his knees, taking his erection in hand and pumping it slowly.

He closed his eyes and let out a dark groan, feeling the pleasure build from her small hands. Opening them back up he looked down at the floor and scoffed before removing her bloomers and throwing them atop the rest of her garments. "Why do you women insist upon so many layers? What do you think men can do? See through seven layers of clothing?" She laughed a bit and let go of his shaft to finish undressing herself for him. He watched for a moment before removing his shirt and throwing it to the ground as well.

As soon as the last bit of clothing left her body he leaned over her and kissed her again before biting down on her shoulder hard enough for her to bleed, marking her as his and only his. She moaned a bit in pain and pleasure before looking up at him as he moved from her shoulder.

"Does the boy know where you go when you tell him you won't be in?" He asked as he stroked the hair from her face. She sighed and kissed him again.

"Stop... asking about him... everything's fine," she managed to say between kisses before she deepened the last one and pulled him down on top of her. She moaned as his stomach pressed against her and she could feel his erection rubbing against her sex. He broke the kiss with a soft growl, supporting himself on his elbows to keep his weight off of her small frame.

"I just don't want the little brat getting where he shouldn't be is all," he said as he gave her small bites down her shoulders. The bites turned to a trail of kisses down from her collarbone and between the valley of her breasts.

"Mmh," she agreed though she honestly was not listening, her focus solely on the sound of his voice and the feel of his lips on her skin as they left a trail of tingling sensations down her chest. She gave another soft moan at the feeling and ran a hand through his hair.

He took her left breast into his mouth and suckled it softly, nibbling at the nipple and biting it lightly. "We can't afford to be caught by the lad," he said as he moved from the left to the right, his right hand taking over the place of his mouth and pinching her nipple softly. She moaned as he worked and arched her hips, rubbing them against his own and closing her eyes as his erection moved against her clit.

"I gave him some gin... it'll be alright..." she breathed out softly, stroking his hair. Moving his lips back to her own he kissed her again softly before moving himself lower over her and spreading her thighs apart just a bit more. He placed his head between her thighs and licked slowly across her entrance and over her clit, swirling his tongue over it and then biting her inner thighs softly.

She arched her back letting out a louder moan. "Mmm," she encouraged him, arching her hips. He smirked and used his thumb to rub circles over her clit as he delved his tongue into her entrance. She gasped as she felt his tongue enter her and moaned louder. "Oh, Sweeney..." she sighed, pushing against the back of his head. Not wanting her to finish just yet he gave one final bite to her inner thigh and leaned back over her to kiss her again. She reacted eagerly, her hands going into his hair once more.

Breaking the kiss he leaned back and looked at all the bite marks and bruises on her neck and shoulders from his kissing and smirked. "I believe I've pleasured you enough, Nell." She bit her lips and pulled him back down, kissing him again before whispering in his ear.

"Get inside of me..." she tried her most seductive tone, her hand grabbing his shaft and stroking it as she spoke. He groaned and moved himself between her legs. She let go of his erection with a smirk and wrapped her arms around his neck. He guided himself into her and shivered slightly at the warmth and the wetness that immediately surrounded the tension in his shaft. He began pumping into her at a rough pace, biting down on her shoulder and drawing blood again. She moaned loudly ignoring the pain and focusing on the pleasure.

Wanting to go in further he pulled out and turned her onto her stomach, lifting her hips into the air and re-entering her swiftly. She gasped and groaned as she felt him deeper in her body. He gripped her hips tightly and grunted as he thrusted harder. "Mr. T..." she moaned, gripping the bedsheets and closing her eyes in pleasure. Using one of his hands he teased her clit as he pumped and she moaned as loudly as she could, her orgasm following half a minute later. Feeling her walls pulse and tighten around him it only took only another few thrusts for him to release inside of her with a low moan.

He pulled out slowly, watching as he did so and turned her back onto her back looking down at her. "You're bleeding, Mrs. Lovett," he commented with a smirk as he assessed her shoulders and neck. "In several places."

Her eyes fluttered open and her breathing slowed as she looked up at him, her eyes clouded over from the pleasure. "Because of you..." she said slowly. Laying down next to her he put an arm over her stomach and stroked her side softly. Pressing a kiss to her cheek her nuzzled the side of her face softly.

"Because of you, Mrs. Lovett."

She smirked and turned towards him, snuggling against his chest and stroking his chest hair softly with one of her hands. He turned onto his back and she laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her. She laid her own arm over his stomach, running her hand over the hardened muscles.

"Good night, Mrs. Lovett," he whispered softly into her ear before resting his head against her own.

"Night, love," she whispered softly, kissing him lightly. "Good night..."