Different Kinds of Borrowers, Ch.2
~A crossover of the various 'Borrowers' incarnations, taking place in the setting of the book, with some characterizations of the BBC miniseries and character designs of the Japanese animated film.~
The following weeks trudged along – every chance meeting with Arrietty in the garden was like thorn in Peagreen's side, and every evening meal with the Clocks a drawn out, painful stinging in his heart.
At first Homily had asked why the two seemed so down, but had eventually dropped the subject when she received no answers and only melancholy glances from both parties.
One night during dinner the first week she had made the mistake of wondering aloud when Spiller might return, after which Peagreen nearly broke a cup and stormed out of the Clock's dining room while Arrietty dissolved into tears beside her.
She did not mention him again around the two.
It turned out she didn't need to, as he finally arrived on the night of a full moon, almost three weeks later, bringing a bag full of borrowings and a very surprising visitor.
"Eggletina!" Arrietty cried as she came into view, following Spiller cautiously around a cluster of grass.
Her cousin's drawn and guarded face lit up with a smile, and the usually quiet girl ran forward to embrace Arrietty, both girls laughing happily at the highly unexpected reunion.
As Homily rushed forward to guide the tired-looking girl inside and out of the cold night air, Arrietty turned to Spiller with a smile and leapt on him in a tight hug, weaving her arms in his hair and drinking in the smell of the woods that always surrounded him.
No soap could ever compare.
Spiller dropped his borrowing bag and for a moment his arms hung in the air, before he stiffly placed his hands on her back, not quite returning the hug but not pushing her away either.
She smiled softly, recognizing the gesture as all the affection Spiller could bear to show in public, and slowly she withdrew her arms from his neck, gazing at him warmly as she stayed standing before him.
"I've missed you." She whispered, and he smiled slightly, dipping his head in a nod of agreement, and she knew that meant he had missed her too.
…
The evening meal was the liveliest it had been in months. They had plenty to eat and even Peagreen's spirits were lifted at the addition of Eggletina to the party.
Spiller, as usual, had declined to eat with the group and had gone back out to tend to his boat and the rest of his borrowings.
Arrietty hoped he would not stay away all night.
Her worrying went unnoticed though, as the rest of the table was caught up in their curiosity over how Eggletina had come to be there, and she seemed quite happy to share the tale.
It seemed Spiller had gone very far in his last venture: back to the old Badger Set where Uncle Hendreary and his family had once lived, and where Ditchley and Elrich now resided. Eggletina had kept house for them for quite some time, but after Spiller had come to visit the group (meaning he had come to reclaim the borrowings the two older boys had stolen from his stores) Eggletina finally put her foot down and told her brothers loud and clear that she would no longer be their maid or the doormat to their childish behaviors.
Without much prompting Spiller had agreed to take her back to her mother and father, and after finally gleaning a bit of conversation from the wild borrower and learning that Arrietty and her family were neighbors to her parents, lonely Eggletina insisted on seeing her cousin first once they arrived.
Arrietty smiled wide as she listened, laughing at the thought of these two very shy borrowers having to journey together for days, and of Eggletina trying to force conversation out of Spiller, who would as soon be seen as answer such a slew of questions.
She looked across the table to see Peagreen also smiling; the first smile she had seen from him since their very unfortunate meeting weeks before when he had professed love to her and asked her to consider him for marriage.
Peagreen, being the artist that he was, did not hide his emotions and had made it very clear to Arrietty during that time that he took no joy in her presence; now however, he seemed to have forgotten she was there at all.
He watched Eggletina with open interest as she relayed the journey she and Spiller had taken there, cringing as she mentioned their many near escapes and gasping in shock and awe when she brought up her past with being chased and caught by a cat and being lost in the woods. She shivered in fear as she retold the tale, and Peagreen patted her arm very comfortingly and consolingly with an appropriately concerned face.
As he watched Eggletina, Arrietty watched him, and her guilt at having crushed his heart so thoroughly ebbed a little at the appreciative smile her cousin bestowed on her thoughtful friend.
She still wanted him to be happy; perhaps he would have another chance.
….
After the meal the group sat on thread-spool chairs around a smoldering coal on the grating of the old boarded-up fireplace, and told Eggletina all about her new home and the wonderful times she was sure to have.
It was too late in the evening to try and get her to her parents, so Homily pulled out a handmade mattress filled with down and a blanket of wool made from scraps found by Spiller, and set up a cozy little bed in Arrietty's room.
After seeing off Peagreen at their entry by the grating, the two girls headed back to Arrietty's room. Just as they reached the door though, Arrietty suddenly paused in her steps.
Eggletina looked at her cousin curiously and saw the other girls face scrunched up, as if she were trying to make a decision in her head.
"Are you alright Arrietty?"
Arrietty jumped and stared at Eggletina, but she didn't respond right away. She stood, staring, until finally her face calmed in a look of determination.
"Go ahead and go inside Eggletina… I'll be right back."
Her companion looked at her in confusion, asking softly "Is something wrong? Are you feeling alright?"
"Y-yes, I just… need some fresh air is all. You go on and get some sleep."
Before her cousin could say another word, Arrietty had rushed off down the passage, back to where the grating opened up to the untrimmed lawn outside.
Eggletina watched her cousin run off, and something inside her panicked. She knew her cousin spent a lot of time outdoors, but she also knew the dangers that were present at this time of night, and a sudden panic seized her and had her following Arrietty's path.
She found the grating open wide, and silently chided her cousin for leaving the backdoor unattended.
But before she could take a step outside, she heard her cousin calling softly into the night.
"Spiller! Spiller, are you still here?"
Eggletina peered around the corner, and saw Arrietty standing not far off by the edge of the grass, leaning to and fro as she searched for her friend.
The older girl wondered what could be so important that Arrietty had to talk to Spiller now, at this time of night.
After a few minutes Arrietty became still, seeming to have given up hope that he would show, and started to turn back, but suddenly Spiller was beside her, almost materializing out of thin air with how quiet he was.
Arrietty jumped, but when she saw who it was her arms wrapped around him and she whispered his name with more care than Eggletina had ever heard anyone direct at him.
And what was more, he hugged her back, letting loose some emotion as he thought no one was watching.
Had it been anyone other than Eggletina he might have been aware, but years of paranoia had taught the girl how to be absolutely still and silent when the situation called for it.
The embrace did not last long, but as Arrietty pulled away she grasped Spiller's hands, saying "I'm so glad you haven't left yet… I was afraid you would, since you've been gone so long."
"I just got here." He stated simply, looking at her as if she should have known better.
But instead she looked confused, asking "Well then what were you doing outside for so long?"
"Grabbing supplies from the boat."
"But that doesn't take long."
He looked slightly uncomfortable, averting his gaze from hers and scratching at the back of his head.
She watched him curiously, wondering what his reason could be and why he didn't want to share.
'I know he doesn't like to eat with us, but is it more than that? Maybe he really doesn't care for us all that much, so he doesn't want to waste his time keeping us company… then again, maybe he just wanted some solitude after having to travel with another borrower for so long….'
With a somewhat pleading smile she tugged his hand a bit, saying shyly "It's alright… I just wish I got to see you more often. I wasn't lying when I said I missed you."
"Didn't think you were."
Arrietty lowered her head in thought; she had been so happy to see him, but there were new emotions warring with that in her heart. She could hear Peagreen's hurt tones telling her that Spiller didn't really care; that he didn't care about anything or anyone. And despite her better judgment and usual faith in Spiller, she was starting to think that perhaps he was right.
'I can't think like that. He's my friend! We've been friends for years! I can't just assume the worst because Peagreen's mad at me. I – I can just ask him!'
There was silence for a moment, but Spiller seemed unfazed by it. He kept his eyes on her and waited patiently for her to speak, and speak she did.
"Spiller, I know how you hate questions and all, but I need some answers. Really." She spoke the word so emphatically and stared into his eyes so intensely that he seemed caught off guard, and could manage no more than a nod in compliance.
"Why did you talk to Miss Menzies?"
The tension seemed to fall from Spiller as he took in the question, apparently finding it one he was comfortable answering.
"You wanted me to."
"But I never asked you to!"
He shrugged, nonplussed by her response.
"I could tell you wanted it done."
"But you didn't have to do it!"
Now Spiller looked confused.
"Didn't you want me to? You got angry about it."
Arrietty turned her head, embarrassed, remembering how she had once hounded Spiller about being too afraid to take her news to the Human Woman and how he had stormed off in… had it been anger or hurt? It had been almost a month later that he had returned and told her he had completed the task.
But Peagreen's words still rang in her ear, and now she wondered whether he had really done it to make her happy, or if he had simply been 'following orders' from one of his beneficiaries.
"… Did you do it because I was angry?"
"Yes," he said plainly, and her hurt eyes glanced up to his, "I mean, 'cause it seemed you wanted it done quick. I couldn't quite get it done right off though… had to wait around Little Fordham for the right moment. Once I found it, I came home."
Arrietty's breath caught in her throat. Home. He had said the word home. Meaning here, in this house. Spiller never had a home. She had always thought his home was the world, in ditches and tree hollows and under roots and in bushes and anywhere he could fit for a night's sleep.
But maybe there was a reason that this place was something different… something special.
She needed to know.
"Please Spiller, please tell me… did you really do all of that… for me?"
He nodded without missing a beat.
"But weren't you scared?"
He nodded again, though with a bit of hesitation.
"Didn't you hate it?"
This nod was more emphatic.
"But you did it… to make me happy?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Spiller looked confused, so Arrietty added "Why do you care if I'm happy or not? It doesn't affect you… does it?"
He stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, and her heart raced as he stared into her eyes.
"It does."
She leaned forward, basking in every response and dreading that any moment he would stop answering and close up again, and she would be back to wondering if their connection was all in her head.
"Spiller… am I different from other Borrowers you visit? Am I special to you?"
For a moment he didn't answer – he didn't even move.
His shining dark eyes bored into hers, and her cheeks flared up at the intensity of his gaze.
Suddenly he twitched forward, almost quicker than she could notice, and then he was close to her – closer than he had ever been before, and then his mouth was on hers and he was kissing her, stiffly. But she hardly noticed. Her mind was whirling; she couldn't form a thought. All she could see was his dark skin and black lashes, and then suddenly he was back where he had been before, staring at her, and only then did she realize that the warmth on her lips had gone.
From her place at the edge of the grating, Eggletina watched, clamping her hands over her mouth to keep from gasping as Spiller kissed her cousin. It didn't last long, and she watched Arrietty intently after he had pulled away, waiting to see how her cousin would react.
For the longest time Arrietty did nothing.
She was staring at Spiller, but past him, not really seeing him.
Her hands rose slowly to her mouth as if in a trance, but they never quite made it there.
Her own movement seemed to snap her out of her dazed state, and her eyes flicked up to Spiller's.
The wild borrower was still watching her with his intense eyes, betraying nothing.
Arrietty stared into those eyes, trying to decipher from them the meaning of what had just happened.
It seemed as though they would keep staring at each other for eternity.
But then Arrietty's eyes widened as she realized something: Spiller was a man of action: He had never been one for conversation, and avoided talking altogether if he could. And perhaps part of the reason for this was… he didn't always know what to say, and sometimes when he said things they came out wrong. But his instincts… well, that was a different story entirely. You could always trust his instincts.
Actions were how he communicated.
And actions were also the best response.
Not wanting to waste any more precious time in their 'conversation', Arrietty quickly grabbed Spiller's shoulders and yanked him down, smashing her lips against his in another, albeit more fiery, kiss.
He responded with all of the enthusiasm that Arrietty had hoped he would and more.
His arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her firmly in place, and her arms reached to wrap around his neck, feeling his coarse hair brushing her skin. He'd grown taller since they had first met and it seemed to Arrietty that he was now the perfect height for kissing.
Just as she was starting to get comfortable, Spiller's hands moved against her back. He brought a hand up to her hair, tangling his fingers in its waves, and pushed her head in even closer to his, deepening their kiss. His other hand moved to and fro across her back, subconsciously molding her against him.
Arrietty shivered in nervous excitement, loving the feelings he awoke in her and wondering when he had become so ardent.
In truth, Spiller was hardly aware of the affect he was having on her; he was being driven by pure instinct. He'd never been taught about etiquette or courtship, and he had absolutely no reference as to what was appropriate for a first kiss and what was not.
And with how long he had been waiting to get this close to her, he wouldn't have cared if he did know.
All he could focus on was a fierce and growing desire to keep kissing her and never let her go.
The heat from his body was almost unbearable as he held her now, and their kiss clumsy and awkward as neither had done anything like it before, but no force above or below, from Borrower or Bean, could have parted her from him in that moment.
Once again, she knew why she had chosen him – why she would always choose him.
No one had ever, could ever, make her feel so alive and so free.
She could never, would never, get such a passionate kiss from Peagreen.
Their kiss was becoming more fevered, Spiller's hands pressing into her harder, and she sighed heavily, almost moaning, before she could stop herself. The sound echoed in the stillness of the night around them, and Arrietty's face burned with embarrassment.
She didn't bother to stop their kiss though, and thought she felt Spiller smiling against her lips.
His hand came down to rest on her hip, and she could feel herself shiver all over again at the warmth of his hand radiating through her nightgown.
She wondered how much more she could handle before she burst.
Distantly she wondered if such a thing could actually happen.
She felt the hand on her hip inch downward along the outside of her thigh, hesitantly, and as her brain caught up to the rest of her senses she pulled away, her face beet red but her hands still on Spiller's shoulders.
Somehow she knew it was time to stop.
Her eyes were downcast, not quite sure if she was ready to see his face, but she shyly brought her eyes up to his and saw him smiling almost imperceptibly.
She had worried she might have hurt his feelings by pulling away, but there was no negativity in his eyes; only a slight hint of bemusement.
Arrietty wondered if he would have stopped if she hadn't, and with daring curiosity she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't bothered.
But it was late, and she would just have to find out some other time.
"I… I should get some sleep." Her throat felt strained, and her voice came out huskier than she had expected. Her hands withdrew and linked behind her back as she tried in vain to compose herself.
"G-goodnight, Spiller."
Spiller grinned, nodding with a slight grunt, and the sound sent an unexpected thrill through her body.
Before she could even think to say anymore he took off, disappearing silently into the night and high grass.
Arrietty stood where he had left her, a rattling sigh working its way out of her body as she shivered in the cold night air.
She turned and wandered back through the grating, closing it carefully behind her, unaware that her actions had been seen by not only her cousin, but another silent observer, who now walked slowly, limping, back to his home in the birdhouses with his paintings.
Not even his beloved paints could help Peagreen's crushed heart now.
…..
Eggletina sat with her back against the cardboard wall of Arrietty's bedroom.
She had all but run when Spiller had finally left, terrified of the prospect of her cousin discovering she had been snooping.
Her cheeks were as red as cherries and she clapped her hands to her face to try and calm herself down.
She could hardly believe her cousin! Eggletina knew that Arrietty had a wild streak, but she had always pegged her with more… sense than that. To go off in the middle of the night with a boy, and of all boys, Spiller… and then to be so, so… intimate with him… it was almost too much for Eggletina to bear!
She knew her own mother would probably die of a heart attack if Eggletina ever did such a thing, and she guessed that Homily would probably not fare much better, though she wasn't really sure of what the woman thought of Spiller….
Still, she had to do something: Eggletina was brought up to know the very best manners a borrower should have, and just how borrowers were supposed to behave with other borrowers, especially ones they fancied.
Her mother had always dreamed of marrying Eggletina off to a gentlemanly, well-to-do borrower, and had made sure to prepare her in advance.
So naturally Eggletina knew that Spiller and her cousin had gone far beyond any interactions allowed borrowers who were simply courting, and that such actions had to be addressed at once.
She would just have to talk to Arrietty tomorrow and let her know that she had seen her.
Eggletina was sure the other girl would understand.
After all, it was out of concern for her cousin's future and happiness that she worried; she only wanted to help.
She heard footsteps padding down the hall to the door, and she quickly collapsed onto her bed, pulling the wool up over her face, hoping her cousin wouldn't notice her labored breathing.
But as Arrietty entered the room, it was clear she wasn't going to notice anything.
Her gaze was unfocused, staring into space with a wistful look, and she swayed slightly as she walked, shuffling into the room and almost bumping into her small dresser and stool.
If Eggletina hadn't known better she would have thought the girl drunk.
She plopped down onto her bed and lay on her back, staring at her ceiling with the same dreamy smile, and sighing contentedly as she closed her eyes and grabbed her pillow, hugging it tightly against her and giggling softly.
Yes, Eggletina would definitely have to talk to her tomorrow.
*Author's Note:
Ummm… I couldn't resist?
This is going to be a 'romantic' fic, but don't worry – it won't ever go above the 'T' rating. And, if you actually wanted it to… too bad. :P
Really though, with how wild Spiller is and how adventurous (and somewhat rebellious) Arrietty is… I just can't imagine them being sweet and gentle, or even slow in their relationship. Which is why I wrote them getting carried away… it just seemed natural for them. :3
Anyways, next chapter will be up soon! This may not be finished anytime in the near future, but I have at least one more chapter to post before the break in updates! Thanks for reading!
