Paradox - Innocence Deserves No Mercy

By: Kayani Neko

Chapter Three

The bed really was too small for the boy, but he didn't know enough to realize this. He was curled around himself, scissors hanging off the bed and snipping lightly in his sleep, as though he was dreaming something pleasant, like a puppy running in his sleep.

Edward wasn't dreaming something pleasant though. He dreamed he was seeing her face once more, seeing her turn, her bloody shirttail that last of her he would ever see. Don't go…

Edward had begun to slowly slip back into the conscious world, images slipping from both mind and memory. He stirred a bit, opening his eyes.

Mister Todd was here.

Edward blinked, unsure he was seeing properly. "Mister Todd…?" Edward's sleepy soft voice called out his name. He rolled out of his bed, landing neatly on his feet, having practiced this move countless times.

Sweeney hadn't heard Edward wake up, and the thump of feet behind him made him jump. He rose to his feet rather quickly, turning around to see Edward standing. "Yes, what is it?" He gave a little shake of his head, trying to calm his racing heart. Todd hated being startled, because in his work, that meant a cut on someone's face, and out of it, it generally meant death for the perpetrator.

Edward yawned a bit, sleep still lingering. He turned to look at Mister Todd again, to see that, yes, he was there. "Good morning." Edward smiled a bit, shyly. He had hoped to be awake at least before the man had gotten there.

As a force of habit, Edward hobbled over to the window to over look his garden. The snow had melted, so now he could see the wildly overgrown hedges and poorly kept flowers. Edward looked longingly at them, his scissors snipping emptily. A small clink signified his usual tapping at the glass.

Sweeney gave a nod and a quick "Morning," he stepped over to the window as well, following his gaze. "Would you like to go out there today?" If he had never been in the kitchen, then he had probably never been outside, either.

Edward's eyes widened. He turned to look at Mister Todd, awe on his face. "R-really….?" His stomach was in his throat and his heart was beating a million miles a minute. Even some color found its way to the boy's face. He could go there?!

He looked out over the unkempt shrubs and flowers, his gaze drawn to the daisies for some reason. The entire garden was overgrown, of course, as no one in the mansion really wanted to tend to it as far as he could tell.

"Why don't we go now?" Might as well get into the warmth for a moment to keep his fingertips from falling off. Sweeney stepped away from the window and took quick strides to the door, the scene much like it was last time. "There's plenty of daylight left." Time was odd here, and night sometimes fell extremely quickly. With nothing to do besides sharpen his razors, Sweeney had noticed all the signs.

Edward was at Sweeney's side before he so much as knew it. Had he had a tail… It would have been wagging. He would finally get to trim them! After all these year! Edward was so excited, his breathing was high in his chest, and his small smile made his eyes look positively sparkly.

"Okay, I can go now." Edward tried to keep his voice stable. His scissors were snipping like mad, he was so excited.

Edward had no problem clearing the stairs, having practiced some last night. He met with Sweeney and eyed the wide double doors before him. He couldn't so much as speak he was so excited.

The barber heard the excited hands snipping behind him, and opened the doors with a bit more of a wait than he probably should have. It was just the kind of person he was, and he liked seeing those twinkling eyes dim just a bit as he pretended to think about it.

So with a sigh, Sweeney opened the doors, and stepped out of the way. After all, it was Edward's first time, and he would probably be so excited that he'd run right out there. The taller man, on the other hand, was not as impressed with the outdoors.

Edward stood in a bit of shock at the sight before him. What from his window looked like small brush was towering hedges, a field of flowers… It was the most absolutely beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Edward shuffled slowly, having to forced his legs to move, and his mouth hung open loosely. He walked around in circles, wanting to take everything in.

After a bit, he stopped and looked back at Mister Todd. "Thank you, sir, thank you so much…" He looked back out to the plants, to pick out his first project.

Leaning against the doorway, the man watched as Edward tottered around the overrun garden, the wonder on his face a bit too much to handle. Sweeney, on the other hand, was duly unimpressed, and took a moment to close the doors, making sure they weren't locked and they couldn't get back in.

Honestly, it looked as though Edward wouldn't mind at all if he got locked outside. The gratitude and awe flowed from him, and the barber was determined not to be affected by it. It was hard, but he managed, waving a hand from where he was at those heartfelt thanks. Really, all he wanted was for Edward to turn around so he could let the twitch that was threatening to infect his face and turn it into a full-blown smile.

And he did. Sweeney let a small grin onto his face, watching him try to decide what to inspect first. All would be well as long as Edward didn't feel the need to hug him or something equally ridiculous.

Sweeney was not prepared for Edward to disappear behind a bush, and with a small amount of alarm, followed him until he was in sight again. There, the pale man began to work, slicing at the bush and transforming into something Sweeney hadn't thought possible. Not being an artistic man, he saw a bush as a, well, bush. He didn't have the imagination to transform it into something else. He made sure he was well out of the way of clippings, and watched until it was done, before stepped up and nearly blinding himself on the brightness of Edward's smile.

"You've got bits in your hair," he remarked, and as someone who groomed people's faces and hair for a living, it bothered him immensely. With a soft sigh, he trained his dark eyes on the mess and began to pick out the green that littered Edward's hair. The leaves went to join their cut fellows on the ground, and he concentrated as he worked, uncomfortable next to such a happy person.

Sweeney was concentrating, pulling them out without yanking out the hair that they had landed themselves in. "Thank you." He could feel Edward look at him, the unintentionally heavy gaze weighing down on him. It was almost nice to use less force than usual, and dare he say it, be gentle with another person. His arms relaxed just a bit once Edward started to look around at the other hedges, relieved to be without such scrutiny.

He pulled out the last few bits and stepped back, surveying his work. Edward looked like he did when he first come to get him, without green in his hair like a ridiculous imitation of a wreath. "Go on," he permitted, stepping aside and observing the hand-bush.

Sweeney had barely began to see the lines in the palm when he heard the furious snipping of Edward's blades on shrubbery once more. He turned around, watching him work, a bit offended that all the work he had just done to pull the leaves out was wasted as the man kept at it, slicing up the leaves as though he had an agenda against them.

This time, he resolved to wait until Edward was completely finished with his little trimming spree until he began to clean up his hair. He watched, impressed (silently) at the speed that Edward worked, and it wasn't long until all the hedges were transformed into something other than just leaves.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked Edward's back, noting that his... clothing was also covered in the greenery.

Edward turned and nodded, smiling contently. He bowed and shook out his hair, several leaved falling out. When he lifted his head, some of his hair was now in his face, wavy locks that spun down from the mass that was his hair. He looked over to where Sweeney stood, looking indignant and impatient.

Edward shuffled over to Mister Todd, stopping at a bush of flowers. He snipped a daisy, and then held it out to the older man without a word, only a smile.

Sweeney frowned, ultimately tired of being outside as Edward shook himself, and then turned in the opposite direction of the double doors. He just wanted to get where it was warmer, having suffered too many cold winters in London for being outside to be a nice experience. He watched and he knelt, and then stood again, before turning around and holding out a flower.

It was a daisy. I been thinking flowers, pretty daisies, to brighten up the room...The phrase popped into his head at the realization of the type of flower before it was gone, like an errant breeze. The man felt the temperature of his cheeks go up a tad at the innocent gesture being offered to him, and he took the flower from Edward's hand, his voice not as strong as he would have liked.

"Th-thank you." He kept his eyes off the other man, remembering a market full of flowers, and a woman carrying a baby. He stood awkwardly, averting his gaze and feeling the need to brush away those infernal leaves once more, but he could wait, couldn't he?

No. Sweeney reached out and brushed away a few of the leaves, before stopping abruptly, the stem of the daisy heavy in his palm. Turning on his heel, the barber made his way to the doors and opened them, calling, "Come, let's go inside," over his shoulder so he wouldn't have to look at that face again.

As expected, Edward followed after him like a little puppy, and Sweeney was glad for that, at least. "Okay. Where are we going next?" Edward wondered aloud, knowing they probably weren't heading back to his room just yet.

He held open the door and left Edward pass through before stepping in himself, shutting it behind them and wondered idly which odd figures would be angry if he had left it open.

"We'll go to my room. You need to get those things out of your hair." And it went without saying that it would really be Sweeney pulling leaves out of his hair. He frowned and brushed a few times on Edward's collar and shoulders, taking of leaves and littering the floor with them, before he was satisfied with the results. He turned to get to the stairs, the daisy clutched in his hand, not in his pocket like some might have placed it.

"Didn't you say you live near me?" Sweeney began to take the stairs, listening to the soft and interested voice behind him. It made him slow down a bit, to make sure he wasn't losing Edward, and responded easily, not completely forgetting the flower in his hand, but something close to it.

"Yes, I believe I live on the floor above you," he said, his British accent making him drawl a bit on the words. They were climbing easily, and not for the first time did Sweeney wish there was a way to get from level to level of the mansion without actually climbing stairs. They passed Edward's room and went higher, until they were at Sweeney's room, and he opened the door to reveal it.

It was small, to say the least. There was a large window in the triangular roof, and the light fell on a brown-red leather chair. Behind it stood a sort of vanity, with three small mirrors, and a bed in corner.

"Take your seat," he said, gesturing to the chair, indicating that he wanted to start getting the leaves out of Edward's hair.

Sweeney nearly told Edward that he meant the chair and not the floor, but the man headed to the correct destination, and sat in his barbering chair. He was looking around, and after a moment of this, the man reached out and held his head still. "Keep still," he ordered, before beginning to work.

Grooming someone was oddly therapeutic, and the barber began to think for a moment that he should get a comb and go at it. However, after a second, that thought seemed to be a bad idea when he spied the irreversible knots in Edward's hair. So he placed one hand on the side of the man's head, to make sure he didn't flinch too hard, while the other one worked.

Odd. For once, there was someone in his chair whom he didn't want to cut their throat.

Edward most certainly did have a lot of leaves in his hair. Sweeney picked away, and the amount of green on black was beginning to diminish somewhat. The other man had gone rigid at his command, but he still felt the need to keep his hand on the side of his face. Some people were more jumpy than others, and he still wasn't quite sure if Edward was going to spring up for some reason or another.

Inspecting the other man's hair, Sweeney ran his fingers through it as best he could a couple times, making sure that there weren't any leaves hiding beneath the knots, tilting the other man's chin this way and that, brushing the leaves off his shoulders, running his finger down the back of Edward's neck to dislodge a few stray leaves.

There it was- the jerk that he was certain would happen once he put a metaphorical toe over the line. Sweeney felt fortunate that he was touching the side of Edward's head and holding him in place, otherwise the start might have been a lot bigger.

"You have leaves back here," he lied, only giving Edward half the truth. In fact, the odd man had only a few, which he had managed to dislodge with a sweep of his thumb the first time. He drew it over again, feeling the softness of the man's skin, not unlike a woman's, unmarred by scars or other blemishes. As it was, he was finished there, and it took him a moment to step around.

Edward was sitting much like he slept, with his scissors up to his chin. The blades were dyed green from their earlier work, and the frown that he had placed on his face upon stepping out from behind the chair deepened. The barber reached to his side and pulled his handkerchief from its clasp, and bending down on one knee, began to wipe away the plant juice all over Edward's blades in long, clean strokes.

"O-okay." Sweeney glanced up at the little stutter he heard, thinking that it was not only a little odd, but unlike Edward. He seemed to have gotten used to his company pretty quickly, and only stuttered when he was frightened or startled. So far. Following that line of thought, he realized that Edward must have no idea what he was doing, or why.

"You need to keep your blades clean," he explained quietly, the frown while not falling from his face softening a bit. He tilted his head as he worked, wiping from the top of the blade all the way down, repeating the action a couple times. "If they cut with dirt on them, they can infect the cut, and the entire face if left alone."

"Oh…" Sweeney handled the blades with great care, making sure he didn't cut himself on them. He moved from the right hand to the left, making sure that he eradicated every bit on green on the cold metal before he stood up.

"Alright, I'm done." he announced, indicating that Edward should get up now. Those blades were quivering just a little bit, clinking against each other from time to time. He went over to his vanity behind the chair and placed the now-stained cloth on the wood surface.

Edward stood up, following after the man, looking at his now clean blades. That's when Edward saw it. A picture of a rather odd looking figure standing beside Mister Todd. Edward blinked, confused. He shuffled closer, only to see the picture move.

Edward reached out and poked at it. It made a clink, similar to the type of clink that his blades made against his window. Edward started a bit, confused. The picture was mimicking his every move. Edward reached to himself now, and the picture did just that. Closer… "Ah…!" Edward had cut his face yet again. And… So did the man in the picture. Oh. This man… Was him. A reflection?

Sweeney frowned, quite confused at Edward's reaction. Had he never seen a mirror before? With the way that he moved around it, it seemed that was the case. He let him discover what it was, one eyebrow lifting just a bit as he cut himself. Good thing I cleaned those blades first.

Edward gave up on the reflection, and moved onto the wide, wall-window next. You could see the whole sky, and Edward lost himself in it. Though it was cloudy and murky looking, it was still… Awe inspiring.

Sweeney, on the other hand, was not as enamored with the clouds. He glanced up at them once, saying, "It's going to rain soon." That was the thing about spring- with all the flowers and sun, the sky poured its heart out onto the earth during the night.

As it was, with Edward in his room, the barber was strangely uncomfortable, wanting to fidget now that he had nothing to work on. Uneasily, his fingers traced over his friend once more, wanting to do something, something other than tear open the man's throat. He simply didn't know what to do with himself.

"Could I… Have get another apple?" Edward spoke hopefully, his eyes glistening, remembering how delicious it had been yesterday.

Sweeney wanted more than anything to get out of the small space, and gave a curt nod, quite ready to leave. For a moment, he stopped at his vanity and pulled a fresh handkerchief from a drawer, and clipped it by his belt.

"We can go now, if you like," he informed the other man, pulling open his door, the sound a lot less like a springs crying out in pain, and more like a well-oiled swing. Without checking to see if Edward was following him (he knew he would, his little experience of the man telling him so), he began to make his way down the stairs, trailing one hand on the railing.

It was a quiet trip to the kitchen, to be sure. Sweeney was not a very talkative person, and as long as Edward didn't stumble on his heels, he didn't say anything. As they reached the kitchen, the barber noticed an odd, familiar smell, and opened the door with caution. After all, odd creatures came out of the woodwork when night fell, and it seemed one was currently occupying the space.

Stepping in, Sweeney found that it was only Mrs. Lovett, making those horrific pies in the oven. "Good evening, Mrs. Lovett," he said cordially, listening to Edward shuffle in behind him. With a quick, "Wait here," he stepped over to the fruit bowl, pulling out an apple, shining it with the sleeve of his shirt before waving at Edward to sit down.

"Oh, Mister T! Been such a long time, it 'as." She smiled, and then caught Edward in her sight. "Hold on now. Who's this?" She hiked up her dress and made her way until she was just in front of Edward.

Edward found this woman very intimidating, but… she seemed friendly at least. "E-Edward…" He spoke softly, his nerves getting the better of him.

"Well, aren't you a sweet'art!" She beamed and put her hands to her chest, as though to steady her beating heart. "'Ow would you like a pie, love?"

Sweeney had been getting the apple when Mrs. Lovett took it upon herself to get acquainted with Edward. He reached the pair as she suggested pie, and he couldn't stop his eyes from widening just a fraction. He remembered the horror of her pies, be they her regular ones, or ones with that 'special' ingredient.

"He would like an apple, Mrs. Lovett," Sweeney answered for Edward, because even with how cruel he was, he wasn't going to subject Edward to that on his third taste of food. With a look that told her he wasn't up for her shenanigans, the man held up the piece of fruit to Edward's lips, prompting him to agree.

"Wouldn't you, Edward?"

The woman had raised both an eyebrow and the corner of her lips. "Um… Yes." Edward reached forward and took a bite, nervously. The woman was staring him down as though he was a mouse and she was a cat.

Sweeney grinned in triumph on the inside as Edward took a bite, pleased that he was being listened to instead of Mrs. Lovett. However, the woman had that devious smirk on her face, like she knew something he didn't, and in the company of Edward, he found it quite unnerving.

"Well, that's all very nice, but…" She could sense just how this situation was, and found it fun. "'Ow 'bout we get you some clothes, darling? Can' 'ave you run around in yer skivvies all day, can we?" She turned and made her way to the back room of the kitchen, giving Mister Todd a mischievous look as she went. Oh, this is too fun. She thought to herself.

The barber nearly dropped the apple from the other man's lips, fingers tightening around the fruit. "He has clothing on!" It came out indignant instead of furious as he had intended, speaking hotly as she sauntered off in that knowing way of hers. Really, the very idea.

Edward was confused by all of this. "Um… What are "skivvies"?" Edward asked Mister Todd, very confused by this point. He reached forward and took another bite though… He liked apples.

Mrs. Lovett returned, a few articles of clothing in her hand, she dropped them on her floury counter, lifting up a pair of pants to Edward, to see if they fit. "Right, I think these'll work just fine." She smiled at Edward, who seemed very intimidated. Snip. Snip. Snip.

Sweeney couldn't help the quickening of his breathing, the thought of someone running around half-naked extremely embarrassing, even if it wasn't himself. He glared viciously at Mrs. Lovett's back as she rummaged around, and would have gripped his razor if he wasn't holding onto the apple.

"She means underwear," he breathed, lifting one hand to massage at his temples. Why was he the one to explain these things? The woman returned and plopped clothing onto the counter, and Sweeney huffed and averted his eyes. That directed his gaze onto Edward's hands, snipping slowly. With a reinforced glare, he whipped his head up to look at her, desperately wanting to leave.

"You're frightening him." As if it wasn't obvious.

"Oh, please! Let me at least give 'im some clothes, will you? The boys needs something besides that bit." She turned back to Edward. "Don't mean to scare you, sweetie," She handed him the clothes. "Well, you get dressed and I'll get you some cookies. Made 'em this morning. Good thing too, didn't know I'd meet such a cute lil thing like yourself." She smiled and ruffled his hair before turning and heading back into the other room.

The barber nearly smacked his forehead in disbelief as Edward inspected his own clothing, after he had said that he was dressed. Mrs. Lovett most certainly knew how to get on his nerves, and it seemed that it was now her single objective in life. With a growl, the man snatched the clothing out of Edward's hands after placing the apple on the counter.

"That woman is an abomination," he announced, but the look in Edward's eye at the word 'cookie' he couldn't just leave. The man looked so curious about the treat that he sighed and told him that he may have one, and then they were leaving. He wanted nothing more than to keep out of the company of Mrs. Lovett.

"Is she really bad…?" Edward looked to where the woman had left. "She seems nice." Just as Mister Todd seemed kind. Edward simply was not capable of noticing her obviously ulterior motives.

"Yes, she is," Sweeney replied vehemently, wanting to leave. He wished that he could, but his chances of escape were ultimately ruined by the look in Edward's eyes.

Mrs. Lovett made her way back into the room, plate full of cookies in hand. "What's this? Didn't get dressed yet?" Then she noticed the clothes in Mister Todd's arms. "Oh, I see 'ow it is." She sent a very mischievous look to Mister Todd, as though she knew more about what he was up to then he did.

The smell of fresh baked cookies wafted through the air, and he watched the scene unfold before him. "He is already dressed," he informed her once more, wanting to grind his teeth together.

"Are those… Um… C-cookies?" Edward was still unnerved by the woman, but she was so nice, he tried to get over it.

"Yes, love, they are. 'Ave you never 'ad a cookie?" She smiled sadly before setting the plate down and grabbing a cookie. She offered it to him as Mister Todd had offered the apple, sending him a look like; Ha, see, you aren't the only one who can 'elp 'im now are you?

Seeing Mrs. Lovett do what he normally did, bending over and poking the cookie against Edward's lips made him more than a little angry. How dare she? Sweeney fumed silently, glaring at them both, the look not softening as Edward's face lit up. After all, the expression was not directed towards him.

Edward took the bite, chewing and enjoying the flavor. This was unlike anything he'd eaten up until this point. It was sweet, warm and… Almost fluffy. He smiled as he chewed, humming his approval.

"Well, aren't you a doll? Now love, you can't 'ave cookies without milk, now can you?" She smiled and made her way to the icebox, pulled out a pitcher before heading to get a glass. She poured it, ignoring the look from Sweeney she was getting.

Edward wasn't so good at ignoring Mister Todd. He bowed his head once he saw the look he was getting, the cookie beginning to taste sour in his mouth. Had he done something wrong…? Why was Mister Todd angry…?

Mrs. Lovett on the other hand was singing to herself as she worked, something about foul tasting pies and poor business.

Sweeney tried his hardest to not let his glare drop as Edward turned hurt and confused eyes on him, but it was to no avail. He let it fall a little but not enough for Edward to lose that look. Once Mrs. Lovett had poured the glass of milk, the barber reached out and snatched it out of her hand, ready to take control of the situation once more.

"Drink this," he murmured, his expression softening to something a far cry from a smile, but most definitely not a frown. He knew Edward wouldn't be able to do it himself, and placed one hand softly on the back of his head, before tilting the glass to his lips, making sure he understood what to do with it.

Oh, he could just feel the infernal woman's eyes on him, but instead he concentrated on Edward, making sure he didn't choke.

Sweeney watched as Edward drank, making sure that he wasn't choking and dribbling the milk all over himself. He caught the rather triumphant and dreamy look Mrs. Lovett was giving him, and whipped a glare in her direction. She should know with just a glance at the state of Edward's hands that he couldn't do it himself, and he didn't really trust her with any sort of food, cookie notwithstanding.

"There you go," the barber murmured softly, watching as Edward slurped down the last of the milk. He seemed to be enjoying it, even if he couldn't breathe as well- his face was turning a shade pinker with lack of oxygen, or at least as how Sweeney saw it. He pulled the glass away from his lips, removing his hand a bit too slowly, placing it on the counter.

"Are you ready to leave?"

"Oh, come now! We've only just met, let me at least send the boy with some cookies." She held out the entire plate to Edward, smiling like mad. "Alright, 'bout time I headed off for bed as well I suppose." She leaned forward and on her tippy-toes to kiss Edward's head. "Night love, night Mister T." She giggled her whole way back to her room.

Edward was beside himself. He had no idea how to react. So… He just snipped nervously, before turning his wide and surprised eyes on Mister Todd.

For some reason, watching Mrs. Lovett affectionately smack her lips on Edward's forehead made Sweeney's hands curl into angry fists. He gave her his most angry glare, and she just brushed it off with a giggle, which made him even more angry. Without a word of farewell, he turned on his heel and pushed open the kitchen door, moving quickly through the hallways, the clothing ready to rip with the tension he had put on them.

How dare she? Better yet, why would he let her do that, especially after Sweeney's obvious dislike for her in general? Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew it wasn't Edward's fault, but still! He could have leaned back or done, well, something to avoid that!

"Um… Mister Todd, sir…?" Edward nervously called after him, having to practically run to keep up with the infuriated barber.

Sweeney stopped in his tracks, whipping around with an angry "What?" before catching sight of the expression on Edward's face. That caused the angry glare to melt off his face into something that was reminiscent of when he had given him milk. His gaze slid away, but that didn't mean it wasn't burned into his mind.

"I'm sorry. I-I lost my temper." To say the least. "I'm not angry with you." Kind of. As they began to move again, Sweeney breathing a bit more normally, he felt like he could say this without sounding like a prat.

"Just don't let her do that to you again." Not only did he not trust Mrs. Lovett, but she would corrupt Edward and turn him into something like her if left alone. Sweeney shuddered to think of it.

Edward nodded his head sadly, feeling as though he'd really done something horrible. "I'm sorry..." He spoke in a sad, soft voice, not having meant to anger the barber. "But... What did she do wrong...?" Edward didn't even know what she did do, aside from startle him. "I mean... What is that?" He was very confused by it all.

Sweeney nearly smacked his palm to his forehead at Edward's question. Why him, of all people? Why was he the one who had to explain this?

As it was, however, it seemed he had no choice. "It was a kiss. She kissed you. And while proper kisses are on the lips, she kissed you like a friend." Oh, the intricacies. Oh, the embarrassment. "That woman is not your friend, and she won't be." The word woman was spit out vehemently, and the man resisted putting his foot down on the staircase harder. "Next time she does it, try to avoid her." As though her kisses were poisonous.

Edward listened intently. A kiss. Something that friends did? Edward felt his heart beat a bit faster at the thought. He took note of the "avoid her" bit, not wanting to upset Mister Todd again, but…

He couldn't think well past a kiss. He kept his gaze on the floor, thinking to himself quietly. He had to ask. "Would you… kiss me?" Edward eyed him curiously. Did Mister Todd consider them friends?

Sweeney almost stopped in his tracks at that. In London, that sort of question would have gotten you shot, but he had to remind himself that this wasn't London, and Edward had no idea what he was asking. The very thought of it made color rise to his cheeks, mostly because Edward was a grown man, like himself.

"Well, you see, men generally don't... do that sort of thing." There, that should do. Perhaps Edward would just accept it for what it was and drop it, but for some reason, it felt like impending doom to let those words explain it away.

"Oh…" Edward bowed his head, saddened. "I see…" So only women could kiss? How sad… He hoped he'd be able to see if Mister Todd liked him, how foolish of him. Edward was at this point staring at his feet, deep in thought and in sadness. "I'm sorry…" He really was a fool, wasn't he?

They had climbed the stairs far enough to reach Edward's room, and it only took one look at the disappointed face for Sweeney to want to reverse his decision. That resolution lasted him a good three seconds after the other man spoke, and he opened his door, a bit uneasy with a speaking of rusty springs.

"It's alright." A nervous clearing of the throat followed, and they were on the landing. Time to make nice... "Some men do." Sweeney reached up one hand to push Edward's hair out of the way, before placing his lips over the spot Mrs. Lovett had earlier. The kiss only lasted a fraction of a second, but it was enough to make him embarrassed. "W-well, good night," he said and practically fled up the stairs to his own room, not wanting to think about it any more.

As they reached the landing in front of Edward's room, Mister Todd opened the door for Edward and then did something that left Edward speechless. He pushed some of Edward's hair out of the way and kissed him, right where Mrs. Lovett had earlier. This kiss lasted a fraction of the time hers had, but…

It left Edward with not only color in his face, but a good deal of it. Breathless, he turned and went into his room. As soon as the door closed, he let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Somehow… This felt much less prevalent then Mister Todd had led him to believe… In fact, to Edward at least… It was the closest his heart had ever gotten to stopping. And once it beat again, there was something different about the pulse. Wide eyed and actually blushing now, he was frozen where he stood.