Sweeney's Willow (Sweeney Todd)

- Chapter Eight: Tea anyone? -

"Cora," his voice is soft and gentle, capturing her attention with ease as she opens her eyes and peers over at him from where she stands in the same spot in the centre of the room. She smiles fondly and watches him as he walks to the chair with a small hand brush, his gaze falling to the rough cushion of it as he dusts it off. He lifts his head to look at her as loud footsteps echo up the creaky wooden steps outside, ascending towards them, "do you trust me?" he asks whilst looking her in the eye, hope lingering within his chocolate orbs that seem to be able to melt away any hesitance within her.

"I do," she nods almost immediately causing the ghost of a smile to pass by his lips as his heart beat quickens and his chest warms.

"Stay close to me, love." he whispers as he allows a fond smile to reach his eyes, admiring her beauty for a moment longer before he returns to dusting off the chair, leaving Cora to place her rose on to the dresser before walking to stand by the window just feet behind him, a soft hum leaving her lips.

A forceful knock on the dirtied door windows is heard only a second later before the familiar creaking of the door opening fills the air, the bell ringing loudly to signal another's presence in the room. Sweeney lifts his head just in time to watch the man he had effectively outed as a fraud the day earlier walk in, his eyes daring to glare at the ridiculously dressed man now stood in the doorway as he stares hungrily at Cora who still has yet to fully acknowledge the new presence in the room.

"Mr Todd," Pirelli greets in his thick accent as Cora finally turns to look at him with knitted brows, her hand clenching into a fist at the mere sight of the man she had witnessed beat a young boy only a day earlier. She keeps her eyes hard as he removes his top hat and bows politely to her, "we have not had the pleasure of being introduced, Miss..." he trails off whilst looking at her as she folds her arms defiantly.

She says nothing as she looks to Mr Todd from the corner of her emerald green eyes, making it perfectly clear that she has no intention of addressing the man before them in any way deemed polite by society's standards. Something Sweeney was finding rather appealing about her as he fights off a smirk when Pirelli's expression visibly drops in annoyance and confusion. "Signor Pirelli," Sweeney greets with a tight-lipped smile as he stands straighter.

"Call me Davey," Pirelli says in a clear British accent, his previous fake Italian accent falling away effortlessly as he turns and places his top hat and cane on the trunk beside the door. "Davey Collin's is the name when it's not professional." he explains simply as Cora scoffs behind Sweeney and shakes her head at the stupid man in the room. She steps forward and takes the small hand brush from Sweeney as he lifts his gaze to look at her, his brows dipping as she offers him a weak smile before brushing a hand along his shoulder whilst passing by him to place the brush on the table beside his razors. "I'd like me five quid back, if you don't mind." Pirelli says whilst pulling off his fur coat like cape to also place it atop the trunk.

"Why?" Cora asks with folded arms whilst leaning against the dressing table where Sweeneys razors and shaving cream still rest, her eyes filled with a burning hatred as she stares at the man near the door.

"Because he entered into our little wager under false pretences, my friend." he says whilst removing his gloves and throwing them carelessly on the trunk as well, his back remaining facing towards the pair who were now both wearing deep frowns. "So that he might remember to be a little more forthright in the future, I'll be taking half of his profits from herewith. Share and share alike." he says whilst smirking slightly before turning to look directly at Sweeney with a smug expression. "Mr Benjamin Barker."

Cora's heart rate quickens as her jaw clenches and her concerned gaze falls to the man just a few feet away beside the chair, watching as his expression falls into a worried one and his gaze trails down to the floor in thought. Cora's eyes soften as she watches Sweeney turn to look out of the window with his hands tucking into his trouser pockets, her heart aching to make this awful nightmare fade away for him, this was the last thing he needed right now. She sighs quietly and turns her head as Pirelli walks the room, approaching her with a lustful look in his eyes and a sickening smirk that left her feeling far more uneasy than in the presence of any other man – if you could call this pig that.