Warning! Scenes of sexual assault.
"I'm closed!" Sweeney growled as his door opened as yet another customer tried to come in.
At the sound of the door closing again he sighed in his barbers chair and ran his hand down his face. He was in no mood to do anything right now let alone shave, his argument with Mrs Lovett had made him crazy, she made him crazy.
Trying to keep her at arms length didn't work. Being mean didn't work. Nothing worked. Nothing!
Flinging his razor across the shop in anger he picked up his bottle of gin and swigged a few gulps before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He felt ashamed, ashamed and disloyal to his late wife. As if he had been a traitor to her memory by seeing to his own sexual needs with the baker below. Mrs Lovett was beginning to mean more to him then he had ever imagined possible and it scared him. At first it was lust, he had craved her and had her and yet it wasn't enough for him. Love was a dangerous thing and he wanted no part of it, not when he had his revenge to focus on.
However ignoring her hadn't worked, being cruel to her hadn't either because all he felt now was guilt. Guilt for hurting the woman he...
The very thought of the word had him brining the bottle back to his lips. "Bloody woman" he grumbled angry how she clouded his thoughts. God she didn't deserve to be spoken to like that, why he thought maybe if he was hard on her she would back off he didn't know. No matter what he could say or do he knew his feelings were there and weren't going away.
But Lucy...
Standing from his chair he walked out of his shop to get some fresh air and clear his mind. The evening sky was dark the only glow was from the red lanterns below as Mrs Lovetts customers laughed and chattered below. He spotted her walk out of her shop with a tray of pies handing them out to a table and joining in with the conversations.
The guilt swirled in his stomach again at the sight of her. Why did he call her a whore? Why!
He knew she wasn't like that, knew she didn't sell her body and yet he also knew because of the rumours spread about her that it would hurt her deeply to hear him say it. It was no use, pushing her away like that wasn't fair he saw that now. But neither was he ready to commit to any kind of relationship with her, her dreams of marriage and life by the sea were not something he wanted as of yet. He wasn't even sure if he ever wanted it, for that once had cost him his whole life's purpose.
Catching her eye he tilted his head to her as if to say 'come up'
She looked around and sighed before pulling up her skirts and begun climbing his staircase. She was still annoyed, still didn't want to speak to him. But at the end of the day they were business partners and for that she needed to know if he had to tell her something important. Communication was key when it came to their dangerous antics after all any slip ups could mean an end to the both of them. Meeting him at the top of his stairs she placed her gloved hands on her hips and pursed her lips. "What?"
He could tell she was still very angry at him. Could see his words had affected her and for that he could only try and approach her as softly as he could. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out one of his razors before holding it out to her.
"What's this?" She asked bluntly looking at the razor with furrowed brows.
"Protection" his words had her looking back at him the frown still apparent on her face. "While I'm not there tonight I need to know you have something on you to keep you safe" his words fell flat to her now as she took the blasted thing and shoved it down the front of her dress.
"Like you care" she mumbled to herself walking back down the stairs. She honestly couldn't stand the sight of him right now, she wouldn't be doing any of this right now to help him if it wasn't for Johanna. That poor girl needed out of that awful place and Mrs Lovett wasn't going to turn her back on her because of her stupid father.
