COMPLETED Nellie Lovett (The Virgin Widow of Fleet Street) #Wattys2016 Sweenett

All of Me

"Sweet wife...!"he shouted as she walked out from the scene and went back inside the house. She can hear them giggling outside which only made her more pissed off. Those two were obviously teasing her.

She started making lunch to divert her attention to something else. She started making the hot tomato pasta sauce with peeled shrimp and red peppers. And boiled the pasta to al dente. She doesn't even know what exactly she was cooking, she was merely following her cravings for spicy foods which she never really liked before. She then made another sauce which was spice-free for Toby. Feeling satisfied with the outcome of her new recipe, she came out again to call on the two boys.

Nellie witnessed them preparing something near where they hanged the washed blankets.
Toby immediately put down whatever it was that he was holding when he saw her. Nellie followed the glistening metal on the table; a razor!
Sweeney immediately ran to her when he noticed she began trembling at the sight of the blade.
"Elle... Elle it's ok..." He held her pale face and made her look at him.

He can still feel her trembling, so he embraced her tightly.
"It's ok... I won't hurt you Elle." He hushed her. That's the reason why he didn't want to shave, not when she can possibly see him. He cursed himself, there are still wounds left in her that would take long to heal.
"Relax, love..." He let her go and held her face again, his sad eyes pinned on her shocked ones.
"I was only planning to shave as you told me. I won't touch it ever again... If it makes you uncomfortable." He kissed her forehead.
Nellie just stared at him and closed her eyes tightly as she breathed hard; trying to relax herself.
"J-just... Just go on..." She uttered in almost a whisper.
That was then Sweeney pulled her and handed her a bottle of elexir.

"Shave me..." He said softly making her eyes grew wider.
"You're mad!" She screamed in his face.
"Well, there isn't any other way. You tremble seeing someone else holding a razor... You hold it then, and conquer your fear, Elle. I won't touch it ever again, but you'll have to be the one to shave me... You hate 'em..." He touched his beard and continued. "Then get rid of them."

He pulled her to sit down in front of him and handed her the elexir. Looking in her eyes, he lifted his chin to her, inviting her to start putting cream on his face which she did. Using the brush, she began putting on the cream like she was painting.
"Now grab the razor, love." He looked at the straight razor on the table and swiftly tilted his head to encourage her. Nellie's hand was shaking, the other one holding the warm face towel wrapped aroung his neck clutched onto it tightly as she tensed.
"It's ok, you're the one holding it Elle. You're the one in control." He lightly pressed her hand.
"That's right." He said when she finally touched and raised the razor.
"Hold it with your index, middle and ring fingers on the blade, your pinkie on the blade's tang, and your thumb on the side of the blade near the middle... That's it. Perfect." He smiled, Nellie breathed through her mouth.

Why on Earth does she had to do this for him? She closed her eyes tightly. No, he's doing this for me. She told herself realizing what he's making her do to overcome her trauma.
The devil smiled at her.
"Relax Elle... Now, begin with slow even strokes, following the direction of my beard growth." Slowly she raised her hand holding the razor and did what he said.
Her eyes were so focused on what she was doing so that she won't cut him. That gave him more time to just stare at how beautiful she is. Her luscious lips a bit parted as she concentrated on shaving the right side of his face, then the left...under the jaw as he tilted his face a little. How nice it feels that she's actually shaving his beard for him. That she's actually gently stroking the razor against his skin, with little fear in her eyes each time the blade glides on his skin.
Sweeney held Nellie's hand and put it in between his collar bones.
"Pull it downward honey." He smiled and raised his chin to give her access to his neck. Nellie swallowed hard and looked at his eyes again.
"Go on. It's ok." Again he pressed her hand telling her that it was fine.
Nellie moved the blade gently on his neck until she got the hang of it and finished shaving him.
She let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding. Instinctively, she reached for the basin of fresh cold water and rubbed off the residues of the lather left on his face.