Don't I know you? (Sweeney Todd fanfic)

I Love her (Chapter 23)

  **Sweeney POV**

I don't know why it took so long for me to realize it but I have finally realized who I truly love.

And it is sad that it almost took her dying for me to acknowledge it.

I hold her close to me; she is crying and trembling in fear.I stroke her hair gently to try and calm her down "Shh pet, I'm here. You're safe." I comfort her.

She looks at me with her big brown fear filled eyes "Thank you for saving me." She mumbles into my chest.

"You are very welcome." I reply and hold her tighter, I don't want anything bad to happen to her again.

After a while she lets go of me and stands far away from the chair, "Why did you save me?" She asks suddenly "You could have just left me to die, and I would be out of your life...no longer a nuisance to you." She adds quietly which breaks my heart.

Why would she think that? It saddens me to think that she thinks she is only a nuisance in my life.

She is a lot in my life. 

She has picked me up when I was down and beared with me when I was angry. She even went along with my crazy plans, because she loves me. And I never realized what she was feeling for me, and I never returned her love. But now I can, and I want to.

I want to admit my love to her, that she means so much to me. 

But I don't feel ready and I have Lucy still.I really don't know what to do about Lucy.

Mrs Lovett must have seen the thoughtful look on my face "You alright Mr T?" She asks.

I snap out of my thoughts "Yeah, fine." I reply then remember what she said earlier.I cup her face gently in my hands "You could never be a nuisance in my life, and I think if I let you die I would never forgive myself." I say truthfully,accidentally spilling my emotions for a moment and she smiles. I smile back, and we just stand there for awhile, looking at each other and smiling.

I then look away, blushing at her beauty. Mrs Lovett blushes too but then speaks "Sorry for using your full name." She says.

"It's alright...I kind of liked it." I admit.

"So I should call you Sweeney from now on?" She asks hesitantly and I smile,liking the idea.

"Yeah sure." I reply "Do you want me to call you Eleanor?" I ask nervously and she thinks for a moment.

"I don't really like Eleanor very much, I prefer Nellie." She says

"Okay well I'll call you Nellie then." I say with a smile.

We again just enjoy each other's company in silence. I find myself staring at her lips, I really want to kiss her but I then remember what happened last time and how badly it ended for us.
So I just hug her again, breathing in her sweet smell.

Nellie giggles "What's this for Mr...Sweeney." She says and I laugh slightly at her mistake.

"Mr Sweeney, that's a new one." I tease and she laughs.

Then I turn serious "I'm just so relieved that you're safe. And I don't want anything bad happening to you." I admit again and she blushes and smiles."Which means that I am not letting you anywhere near that bloody chair!" I exclaim which makes her laugh, I laugh too.

Then I hear the door open. 

We both look at the door to see a customer standing there.

I let go of Nellie and look at the ground, blushing slightly.

"I will leave you to your customer." Nellie says awkwardly and leaves the room.

I look at the customer "Sit." I say and gesture to the chair.

**Mrs Lovett/Nellie POV**

I walk down the steps, feeling slightly embarrassed that Sweeney's customer saw us embracing but there's nothing I can do about it.

I enter the shop whilst smiling happily to myself. I am almost certain that he loves me now, he pretty much admitted it.

But I won't know for sure until he says those three words.

I have longed for him to say those words almost all my life and hopefully he will soon.

I am about to start making pies when a customer walks through the door.
I am in such a state that I'm unsure if I can serve them; I am still a bit shaken from the near death experience and obviously having Sweeney that close to me has made my emotions go all over the place. 

I still try and serve the customer though but my mind is far gone.

**Sweeney POV**
I am having trouble concentrating on my work, when only Nellie is on my mind.

Her beautiful features are engraved in my mind and her soft laugh replaying itself in my head.

I can't think straight. I guess finally admitting my love (in my mind) has messed with my head.
I don't even feel the usual thrill of happiness when I kill the customer, in fact I almost feel the opposite. Almost like regret.

I have no idea what's happening to me but I sort of like it. Except the fact that I seem to be no longer enjoying killing, that part makes no sense to me and is irritating.

I change my shirt and am about to walk downstairs to see Nellie when my mind goes to Lucy for a minute.

I start to feel bad because I spent all this time trying to avenge her death and then I find out she isn't dead, then I start feeling things towards Mrs Lovett whilst seeing Lucy who sometimes remembers me and sometimes forgets me altogether,then I finally admit my feelings for Nellie to myself and now I don't know what to do about Lucy. 

I sigh deeply in exasperation. How did I get into this mess?

Firstly I need to know whether she remembers me and what happened when she came here a few days ago, or if she has completely forgotten me again-which I hope hasn't happened.

I am happy with my decision but I am worried what Lucy will think. Hopefully she won't remember me and it will avoid all awkwardness and she will just think that I am dead. But I don't want her living on the streets, because even if I am not talking to her anymore, I still love her.

I decide that maybe Nellie will think of something,after all she normally has an answer for everything.

So I walk downstairs with my bloody shirt, trying to think of how to ask Nellie to help me tell Lucy that I am in love with someone else.

Obviously I am not going to tell Nellie that I love her, not yet. But I am going to tell her that I am giving up on Lucy.

So I must seem sad about the fact that I am giving up, although I am slightly happy because it means that I am free to like Nellie.

I still feel like I am betraying Lucy but she is the past and I must let go of the past.