#borrower!ellen

In the four weeks that had passed since he and Ellen Reed began a relationship, Alex P. Keaton could've sworn he was in Heaven.

He admits, it's a pretty unusual relationship, a Borrower and a human. They couldn't kiss each other or hold hands the normal way, but neither of them minded. After having avoided each other for so long, he was perfectly content with her just lying on his torso for the next few hours.

Though, it wasn't like the past four weeks hadn't been entirely bump-free. One time, while he was studying for an exam and Ellen had been napping on top of his stomach, it let out a loud growl that woke her up and she just started crying. He tried to comfort her, but she recoiled at his touch.

Otherwise, the incident at the party remained mostly unmentioned... though the both of them often thought about it. Sometimes Alex couldn't help the memory of Ellen squirming down his throat, her hands against his stomach wall, and the weight of her shape within his innards. And, Ellen actually considered that, if it had been under different circumstances, she would've found the darkness and constant gurgling... a little soothing.

"Alex..."

Alex looked down at the Borrower resting, surprisingly, against his belly. "Yeah, Ellen?"

"I've been... I've been thinking about... what happened," she said. She poked at his stomach for emphasis. She felt his body tense up.

"What about it?" he asked.

"Well," she exhaled. "Just... compared to Dennis, you were a lot more gentle. And when I asked you to spit me out, you did. And... and..."

"You know, you don't have to talk about it," Alex told her.

"I know, but I want to," Ellen countered. "And... maybe if it hadn't been forced on us like that... I would've enjoyed it."

Alex was shocked.

"What about you?" Ellen asked him.

"Me?"

"Yeah. Looking back on what happened... do you think you kinda enjoyed it?"

Alex felt a wave of guilt wash over him. "Maybe?" his answer sounded more like a question.

He gave himself a moment to collect his thoughts. He didn't want to give Ellen an answer that scared her the way she had been scared that night. "I didn't like hearing you cry, or that I scared you. But... I liked feeling your weight in here..." he moved his hand to rest against his stomach, "And... I liked feeling like I could protect you from anything while you were in there."

Both the human and the Borrower were blushing bright red, though both were relieved with their confessions. Alex's cheeks turned a darker shade of red when his stomach decided to growl loudly, as if on cue.

"Alex, have you eaten today?" Ellen asked, equally teasing and concerned.

"I-- uh, I... I--" he stammered. "Not since breakfast."

"Oh, Alex," Ellen sighed.

As if to join Ellen in scolding him, his belly gave a displeased grumble.

"I know, I know," Alex said, remembering the familiar spiel she gave him about taking care of himself. He felt the tiny girl shivering against him. "You okay, Ellen?"

"Just cold," she said, snuggling closer against his rumbling stomach. Her hand slipped in between two of the buttons on his shirt, making contact with his hot skin and causing the human to shiver slightly.

With another impatient growl from Alex's middle, Ellen got an idea. "Well... maybe now would be a good time for us to try... that out... see for ourselves?"

"Are you sure?" he asked nervously, though he didn't deny the soft growls emitting from his belly.

"Very sure," Ellen answered.

Alex cupped her in his hands, slowly lifting her up to his mouth. He opened his maw enough for her to crawl in on her own. Ellen kicked her shoes off and promptly crawled in, surprisingly finding herself looking forward to this. She laid herself out on his tongue so that she'd fall into his belly feet-first. One of the things she hated about what happened the previous two times was falling in head-first.

"Just give me a minute," she told him. "I... I want to look around a bit longer."

Alex hummed affirmatively, using it as an opportunity to run his tongue over her to take in her taste. The last time it fell across his tongue, he was panicking too much to pay attention to it; he just wanted to get her in and out as soon as he could. And he was too focused on Ellen crying to be let out.

But this was different. The both of them wanted this... at least to his knowledge. He was worried that Ellen would revert back to the state she was in that night, sobbing and screaming and kicking at his insides.

Meanwhile, Ellen stopped herself from yelping at she felt Alex's tongue rubbing itself over her body. Her surprise dissolved into giggles.

"Alex, that tickles!" she laughed. His tongue then pinned her to the roof of his mouth. "You can swallow now.

Alex pressed his hand to his throat and gulped. He traced Ellen's path as she was pulled down his throat, gasping as she fell into his belly. He poked at where he felt her weight. "Ellen? Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, Alex," Ellen reassured him. Even in the darkness, it was painfully obvious how empty his stomach had been until she asked him to eat her.

"Are you sure?" he asked, sounding worried.

"Of course I am, Alex," Ellen answered. Hesitantly, she sat down in one of the folds of the stomach wall. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," Alex said, sounding surprised. "Full."

Ellen giggled. "Good to hear."

She placed both of her hands against the wall and began massaging, hearing Alex shudder.

"Oh... that... that feels... amazing..." he gasped out. He wouldn't deny that he was weak for belly rubs. Ellen had an uncanny ability to know just where to rub whenever his stomach was aching in order to get it to calm down, and feeling it from the inside was... was just incredible.

The calmness that he was beginning to feel quickly went away when his stomach gurgled loudly. "Ellen? E-- Ellen?"

"I'm okay," she promised. "You've just got a pretty talkative tummy."

Alex blushed.

"Don't worry about it, though," Ellen added. "It doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would."

Alex rubbed at his belly, laying back onto his bed. "Would it bother you if I fell asleep? I... I'll try not to roll onto my stomach, I promise and--"

"I wouldn't mind at all," Ellen answered eagerly. "I'm actually getting tired, too."

Alex opened his eyes to see his Borrower girlfriend's familiar silhouette standing on his nightstand.

"How long have you been up?" he asked, extending his hand out to her.

Ellen climbed onto the palm of his hand and let him lay her on his stomach. When they first started warming up to each other, she refused to be laid any lower than his chest. But, after their reconciliation followed what was now referred to as "the Incident" and him swallowing her became a regular thing, she was more than keen on making his stomach her regular resting place, inside or outside.

"All night," she answered, burying her face into the fabric of his pajama shirt.

"Nightmares?" Alex asked.

It wasn't uncommon for her to climb into bed with him when she had nightmares, whether they were about her mother, Dennis, or the Incident.

"Yeah," Ellen said, her answer somewhat muffled. "They always get worse on this day."

Alex was about to ask why when he remembered what the date was.

December 9th.

The day that Ellen's mother didn't return from a Borrowing trip.

"Oh, El--"

"It's okay," Ellen insisted. "It's not like I'd get any sleep if I tried. Would it be okay if I... if I just laid here?"

"Sure," Alex said. "But.. you wouldn't mind if I fell asleep?"

"No."

Alex absentmindedly traced circles on Ellen's back with his pinky finger as he dozed back off, his hand eventually draping over her little body like a blanket.

An hour and a half passed.

As Alex stayed peacefully asleep, Ellen was still wide awake. Though, like she said, she wasn't even trying to fall asleep. What was the point if she was just going to get nightmares that were worse than the ones she usually got?

Though... her eyelids did feel heavy and...

She stopped when she heard and felt a loud growl from underneath. Acting on instinct, she began rubbing Alex's stomach in clockwise circles and pressed her ear against it. How he hadn't been woken up by the noises was beyond her.

Did he even eat today? she wondered. I keep telling him that he needs to take better care of himself--

Another nose erupted from his belly, though it sounded more like a gurgly squeal. Was it weird that Ellen, a Borrower who had seen the insides of a human more than any other Borrower, kept mental notes on the exact sounds that came from her human boyfriend's belly? Well, the fact that she was a Borrower with a human boyfriend was weird enough--

Ellen's train of thought was interrupted when she felt Alex's stomach tense up from what she guessed was a hunger pang, followed by another noise -- low-pitched grumble -- that did wake Alex up.

In the months since him eating her became a regular thing, both Alex and Ellen familiarized themselves with the usual routine.

His stomach would make its emptiness known very loudly.

She would begin scolding him for neglecting himself.

"When the last time you ate?" she asked.

"Uh... I grabbed some pretzels from the vending machine at school... and I was gonna eat dinner, but I wanted to get a head start on an assignment for tomorrow--"

"That's not an excuse for skipping meals!" Ellen interrupted.

"I know," Alex said sheepishly.

A few moments of silence (save for his stomach, of course) would pass as her little hands massaged his belly.

She'd begin dropping hints.

"I don't think you'd be able to sleep with an empty belly," Ellen began to say, her cheeks flushing red. "And... I'm feeling a little chilly, so..."

"Are you sure?" Alex asked, knowing what she wanted. He just wanted to be sure, considering the contents of her nightmares.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Ellen insisted.

He would lift her up closer to his mouth and open his maw for her to crawl in. That way, she'd have more control over the situation while also situating herself to her comfort, and he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally biting her.

She would lay on his tongue for as long she wanted her as he pushed her around his mouth, taking in her taste as he waited for her to give him the go-ahead.

"I'm ready, Alex. You can swallow."

He would swallow, pulling her through his throat as he traced her path with his hand.

She would finally spill into his belly, giving the stomach wall a gentle nudge to let him know she made it down safely.

"Hi, Alex," Ellen greeted.

"Hi, Ellen," Alex greeted back, pressing where he felt her shape and weight.

They'd talk for a while as Ellen rubbed the flesh of his stomach walls. He'd keep asking if she was okay in there, despite her insistence that she was.

So, by now, Alex and Ellen have warmed up to each other enough.

His family is now aware of the Borrower living in the walls of their house, after Jennifer saw her brother talking with to this tiny girl in the kitchen.

Ellen often hides in the pocket of Alex’s jacket when he attends college classes or goes to parties.

Now, in this universe, Borrowers have become an urban legend on the level of how people in the 80s thought that there was a ghost in Three Men and a Baby, or the whole “you’ll die if you mix pop rocks and soda” bull. Only it’s obviously real.

Based on how Alex has been acting recently, a lot of the students at Leland have figured out that he has befriended a Borrower.

But they’re not stupid and they don’t say anything directly to him.

Though, they think it would be fun to use it to mess with him.

Ellen accompanies Alex to a party held by the Theta Pi Sigma sorority, hiding in his jacket pocket as usual.

Mallory even surprised her by making a new outfit for the party (even though both Ellen and Alex pointed out that no one can see her at all).

Whenever no one seems to be looking, he checks in on her.

“You doing okay?” “Just a little too loud... but I like the song.” “Yeah, me too...”

And, yes, Ellex fans... it’s THEIR song that’s playing.

They stay silent for a while, Ellen nestling as close to his chest as she can, hearing his heartbeat and swearing it’s syncing up to the song.

“Ellen...” “What?”

Alex: Nothing.

Ellen: What is it?

Alex: Nothing. I-- nothing.

Ellen: You were gonna say something.

Alex: No, no, no, no. I thought I was gonna say something, and then I realized I wasn't.

Another few seconds of silence pass. Alex takes in the feeling of Ellen’s warm, tiny body snuggling to his chest.

Alex: Ellen...

Ellen: What?

Alex: Nothing. Uh, that time it was really nothing.

A group of obnoxious frat boys notice Alex supposedly talking to himself and decide to mess with him.

“Who are ya talkin’ to, Keaton?” one of them slurred, fairly sloshed.

Alex almost jumps, but is able to keep his composure. “Ju-- Just myself.”

Afraid that he might’ve been caught, he tries to make small talk to get them to go away.

But they’ve already noticed the little lump in his jacket pocket.

“Whatcha got there, Alex?” one of the boys ask, reaching for the pocket.

“Nothing!”

Ellen curls up in a ball, trying to avoid the grasp of the drunken young men.

But she feels fingers wrap around her body and lift her up.

“C’mon, Alex, you knew you couldn’t hide her forever! Everyone knows ‘bout her!”

Ellen yelps when Alex yanks her back.

“Leave her alone!” “But th’fun’s just starting!”

Alex is about to turn to leave when his stomach growls loudly.

“Hungry, Keaton? Well... y’do got a little snack right there.”

Alex’s face pales. “No!”

“Okay, then, but I’m pretty sure that there are a few others ‘round here that would appreciate a treat like her.”

The frat boy reaches back for Ellen, but Alex slaps his hand away.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

Ellen freezes. “Alex...”

He moves her up to his face, his hand wrapped tightly around her waist. “Ellen...”

She continues to plead with him. “Alex, please, let me go.”

“Ellen, I’m sorry.”

He slowly lowers her into his maw as she continues to scream.

The lead frat boy presses his hand against Alex’s throat, as if to make sure that he goes through with it.

All of Ellen’s kicking triggers Alex into swallowing before he’s ready, as her path through his throat is tracked.

He gasps as Ellen drops into his belly, hearing her cry.

The frat boys taunt him about it, asking if she was delicious, etc.

Alex snaps and punches the lead frat boy in the face before he bolts.

He makes it back to his car, pressing his hand to his belly. “Ellen?”

Ellen looks back up, feeling her blood boil from anger.

She kicks at the stomach wall. HARD.

“What the hell is wrong with you? I should’ve known not to trust you! I should’ve known this would happen!”

“Ellen, I’m sorry--”

“I DON’T CARE! Cough me up right now, or you’re gonna get a stomachache that lasts until next week!”

At her sharp words, Alex obliges and forces her back up his throat.

Ellen begins crying again as she falls onto the palm of his hand.

“PUT ME DOWN!”

Alex lays her down on the dashboard, whispering “I’m sorry.”

Neither of them say anything else during the whole ride home, except for Alex apologizing.

But Ellen doesn’t believe him.

She doesn’t even go in with him; she uses one of the shortcuts into the house that she made when she first moved in.

In her little home, she looks at one of the pages she tore out from an old atlas that was going to be thrown away before she found it.

Lancaster, PA.

That’s where I’ll go, she thinks. No more humans to manipulate me, just me on my own. I don’t need humans, I made it well on my own before I met Alex or Dennis.

... But why do I feel so upset about leaving?

Meanwhile, up in his room, Alex is kicking himself for being so stupid.

But I was trying to help her-- but you could’ve figured something else out. You’re supposed to be the smart one in the family, right?

Either way, he knows that he has to gain back her trust.

So, both Alex and Ellen have been a mess since what happened at the party. It just hurts him to see her so scared of him, but he can’t say he doesn’t blame her.

After a few days of him and Ellen avoiding each other, Alex relays the whole story to Elyse, and also reveals that he’s in love with Ellen.

The discussion he has with his mother stays with Alex as he’s driving. He ends up driving around until 3 AM and decides to head back home. He runs into the kitchen, still dressed in his tuxedo, calling for Ellen.

Ellen peeks through her hole in the walls hesitantly. She walks out.

“Alex?”

“Ellen!”

In his excitement that she’s actually acknowledged him for the first time in days, he scoops her up into his palm. Then it hits him that he’s probably scaring her again, so he gently places her on the kitchen island. “Sorry.”

The two of them start out just talking, catching up over what both of them have done in the last few days since the incident at the party. Then silence falls over them.

“Ellen... I’m really sorry,” Alex whispers. “I should’ve just run out of there when they told me to... to...”

He can’t even say it.

“Hey,” Ellen places her tiny hand against his cheek. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“You really don’t blame me?”

“I-- I did at first,” Ellen feels so guilty admitting it. “But... I realized that you didn’t have any choice in the matter, either. I know that you were just trying to protect me.”

Another beat of silence passes before Alex speaks up again.

“Ellen,” Alex begins. “You and I are completely different. You're an artist. You write poetry. You’re a Borrower. Me... I'm an economics major. I, uh, voted for Reagan. I'm in the Young Executives Club. I wear a jacket and tie everywhere I go... except in the kitchen at 3:00 in the morning, in which case I wear a tuxedo.”

Ellen laughs. Oh, how he missed that laugh. “Anyway, the point is, Ellen, that I cannot for the life of me, figure out why... I love you.

He notices Ellen begin to freeze up.

“You love me?” she echoes.

“Yeah,” Alex confirms. “I love you. Okay? I-- I said it. I mean, after all, Ellen, if I'm gonna go this far I might as well go all the way. I love you. All right? I love you. I love you. I love you. I'm crazy about you. I'd give anything to be with you. I can't live without you. Okay?”

He stopped. He didn’t want to scare her in a different way.

“Gotta go. See ya.”

He turned to leave.

“I love you, too, Alex!”

Alex turned back around. “I mean, it's like you have a way of seeing right through me. Of seeing a part of me that I don't even...  I don't even like to admit exists, and that scares me, because if you see it, that forces me--”

He stopped again. “What did you say?”

“I love you, too,” Ellen repeated.

Alex walked back to the kitchen island and picked up Ellen back up, letting her stand in the palm of his hand.. “You do?”

“Alex, I've never met anybody like you,” Ellen began. “You-- you come on like some pompous, arrogant, obnoxious guy. And underneath that, there's this... wide-eyed child, completely innocent and naive.”

“Oh. Is that, uh, sort of a compliment?” Alex asked.

“Yeah.”

Alex gently kissed the top of her head. “Well... we love each other. Ellen, it doesn't matter what happens now. What happens now? I mean... how are we gonna...”

“We’ll figure it out,” Ellen said, sounding confident. “I know we will.”

Of course, the bruising that begins to appear on his arm from the pinching proves that this is very much reality.

“So, you’re-- you’re a--”

He knows what she is; hell, he’s heard about the legend of borrowers since he was a little kid, but it just feels a little too surreal to say it out loud.

“Yes, I’m a Borrower,” Ellen finally speaks up.

“Well, what’s your name?” he asks. He remembers that book, The Borrowers, which was the first chapter book that Jennifer read as a kid, before he jokingly asks, “Arrietty?”

Ellen is not amused. “No, it’s Ellen Reed.”

“So, how long have you been hiding here?” “Just for a few months.” “Well, what are you doing out here so late?” “It was supposed to be the only time I could borrow without drawing any attention to myself. How was I supposed to know you’d get up at three o’clock in the morning?!”

Alex is taken aback, but a little entertained with her feisty nature.

Ellen continues with her tirade. “Look, do you think I’m stupid? I’ve happened to have talked with other humans before.”

Well, maybe she added the plural to make herself seem tougher, like this isn’t the second time she’s had direct contact with a human.

Anyway--

“They always say the same thing once they discover a Borrower. And, from what I’ve seen about you these past few months, you’re gonna say the same thing.”

Then we get the iconic exchange (anyone who’s seen “The Real Thing” will know what I’m talking about)

Alex: What, just based on a few glances for a few months, you think that you got me all figured out?

Ellen: Well, let me take a shot. You’re an Economics major, you voted for Reagan. You’re in the Debating Club and the Young Executives Club, and you wear a jacket and tie everywhere you go.

(a beat)

Alex: Ha. Just shows what you know. I quit the Debating Club last spring!

Ellen: (not sounding sorry at all) I’m sorry. I misjudged you.

And from there, it goes on and on...

Alex: Why are you giving me such a hard time? We only just met.

Ellen: Maybe it’s because since I left the place I grew up, I’ve grown more aware of insecure guys like you who would ship me off to their college’s biology professor without a second thought for experiments.

Alex: I wouldn’t do that! I wouldn’t even do that to Mallory and her brain is probably smaller than yours. And insecure, huh? You’ve really got a chip on your shoulder.

Ellen: I do not have a chip on my shoulder! I am a very nice person except when I’m around... humans!

Alex: Well, I happen to like humans!

Ellen: I can tell you do. And out of all the humans in the world, you probably like you the best!

Alex: Yeah, well, let me tell you something. You are about the most unfriendly, self-righteous person I have ever met.

Ellen climbs down from the kitchen island in a huff and makes a break for one of the small holes she made in the way, forgetting what she was taking.

Morning comes and Alex, who hasn’t been able to sleep for another three hours, feels bad about it.

He finds the item on the kitchen counter and leaves it by the hole with a note.

“Hey, I think you forgot this.”