FSE

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Jason stalked through the tall grass, listening, breathing the scents around him. His prey was nearby. Silently, he pushed forward, his stealthy movements barely rustling the grass. It could have been mistaken for a light breeze. His prey would never see him coming until it was too late.

Finally, Jason heard the sound of munching, his prey feeding on the very grass that hid him, that his prey thought hid it as well, but the grass couldn't hide it from Jason. Jason padded just a bit farther, and then he could see his prey's long white ears sticking up in the grass, swiveling to catch the slightest noise. But Jason didn't make any, and now he was within pouncing distance.

Jason crouched, and then he sprang. Flying over the grass, he stretched his claws wide to grab his prey. The rabbit's head shot up and her mouth opened in a squeal of terror, but it was too late. Jason had her. He would grab her as she tried to dash away, but then the rabbit leapt right at him! Her head collided with his belly, forcing his air out in a whoosh. Unbalanced by the blow, Jason landed hard on his side and scrambled to his feet. He saw his prey haring away through the grass and, with a growl, raced after her. The rabbit was fast, but Jason was right behind her. He could smell her fear, and the scent made his blood rise, made him push harder. She wouldn't get away! Jason saw a hole in the ground a short distance ahead; the rabbit was making for it, but he would catch her. He was almost on her heals. He could hear her gasping and sobbing.

"No, no, oh please no, oh Zeus!" she gasped breathlessly.

The rabbit dove for the hole, and Jason dove after her. She slipped through the opening, but the hole was too big. It should have only fit her, but instead it had foolishly been dug amply large to fit him. It provided no protection. Jason dove in after her. He would have to run on all fours to follow, but that's how she'd be running too. He'd catch her.

Suddenly, he tripped. A piece of string leapt up out of the floor and snagged his back right foot. Jason flopped hard onto his belly, but leapt in surprise as the tunnel rumbled behind him. He turned just in time to see a heavy stone roll into place, blocking the way he'd come and sealing out the light.

Jason pushed forward. He'd still catch the rabbit and force her to show him the way out before he ate her, but after a short distance, the tunnel narrowed sharply, forcing Jason to stop. He reached into the hole, groping, trying to see how long the narrow section was. At first, it seemed the section was long and too narrow to fit through, but then Jason realized he could actually squeeze inside. He pushed himself in and writhed forward. The tunnel widened as he went, and soon he was crawling easily again. It was dark, too dark to see, but he would still catch the rabbit. In fact, he could smell her close ahead. Perhaps she'd thought he'd been closed out behind the stone. Jason grinned; she'd be in for a big surprise!

Jason's hand slipped over a ledge, and he halted. He carefully felt around the edge of the now quite wide tunnel. He found he could even stand if he stooped slightly. He felt all along the edge but found nothing. He didn't know how high the ledge was, but it seemed the rabbit had made it down without trouble. Jason cautiously stepped up to the edge and vainly peered into the darkness. He'd have to jump and hope it wasn't far. He took a deep breath to fortify himself.

Suddenly, giant hands grabbed him pinning his arms to his sides. Jason yowled in shock as he was plucked from the ledge. Then a light flicked on. Jason blinked in the bright lights, trying to see who or what had grabbed him. His eyes adjusted, and he saw it: it was the rabbit! The somehow now enormous rabbit who was holding him easily between her gigantic hands! Jason squirmed in terror.

"Wh-what?! How?!" he yowled fearfully.

The rabbit grinned, "Got ya! Ha! The looks on you predators' faces are priceless! I wish I could sell those!"

"Wha-at?"

"'What, what, what?'" the rabbit mocked. "I got you, kitty. Or maybe I should say the shrink ray did."

She glanced up at an enormous metal ridged cone attached to the ceiling. The narrow end of the cone had a red glass bulb, and heavy black cords ran out of the room from the back.

"We're trying to figure out how to downsize. When we do, you predators are toast, but it's too big and energy intensive now. I can only zap one predator per day to give the power cell enough time to recharge," she explained.

Jason stared up at the strange machine. A shrink ray?! The prey had this technology?! What are they planning? "W-what do you mean we're toast?" he whined. "What are you going to d-do to me?"

The rabbit grinned, showing her large incisors. "Hmm, what should I do with someone who was trying to eat me?"

Jason's heart leapt into his throat, "N-no! Please don't eat me!"

The rabbit giggled, "Heeheeheehee, aww, poor kitty. Don't you want to be eaten? Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you."

"W-what are you going to do?" Jason whined again.

"Oh, this and that," she replied nonchalantly. "You're mine now. I can do what I like."

"Please don't hurt me," Jason whined. "I-I'm sorry I tried to catch you. I just-"

The rabbit lifted him to nuzzle his ear and whispered, "Hush, don't worry about that now. You won't be eating anyone ever again."

The rabbit tucked him in one arm with his head in the crook of her elbow and placed the other on top. Jason didn't try to squirm away from the looser hold. Where would he go even if he could escape? He was too small. What would he even hunt?! Maybe some other predator would have taken pity on him, but he was afraid to resist the rabbit. He'd been trying to kill her, and even if she hadn't hurt him yet, she didn't have any reason to show mercy. The rabbit carried him down a flight of stairs to a heavy oak door. She opened it to reveal a fully furnished house with wood floors, walls, and ceiling.

"Home sweet home," the rabbit quipped.

She carried him down another flight of stairs in the house and entered a room, which had a large bed with a maroon comforter. She closed the door behind her and set him on the bed before retrieving something from a black nightstand to the right. Jason watched her warily, considering jumping down and dashing under the bed, but he didn't want to make her angry when she seemed so cheerful at the moment. She dropped down beside him and scooped him onto her lap, wrapping one arm across his chest to hold him to her belly.

"What's your name, kitty?"

"J-Jason."

"My name's Ellie. I'm going to trim your claws now, Jason. Don't worry; I won't get any too short. I've done this a lot of times."

"M-my claws? B-but I need those," he whined

"Not anymore. Just hold still, and it'll only take a minute."

Jason complied as the rabbit clipped off the sharp tips of his claws. The she filed down the nubs until they was smoothed away to almost nothing. When she had done his hands and feet, she lifted his arm over his head and bend down to touch his fingers to her lips. She brushed them over his blunt claws and then kissed his furless palm.

"There you go. Thanks for being cooperative kitty. You made it really easy. I like it when my prey lets me prepare them without a fuss."

Jason's heart leapt into his throat, "W-what?" he squeaked.

The rabbit's hands gripped his arms tightly. "You're safe to eat now, kitty. I hope you like it in my belly," she crooned.

Jason looked up to see the rabbit's maw--impossibly wide--descending upon him. He tried to squirm away, but then his head was in her throat. He struggled to get loose, but the rabbit pushed him in deeper. Her esophagus opened up and wrapped tight around his head, cutting off his air supply. Jason's arms were pinned by the rabbit's mouth now, but he continued to kick desperately. However, the most of him was already inside her, and he was unable to stop himself as he quickly slipped down toward her stomach. He felt the warm, moist chamber of her mouth close around his feet, and then his head pushed through a tight point into a roomier area. Rapidly, the rest of Jason's body followed into the rabbit's stomach, sliding into the less confined space. Still, it was tight, the restricted space squeezing him into a tight ball. He began with his head at the bottom, but as his body squeezed into the space, it was pushed back around so that it was at the top. Squeezed into the fetal position and soaked with mucus and fluid, Jason gasped at the pocket of air he found at the top of her stomach.

For a moment, Jason was too stunned to know what to do, but then he began to struggle. He pushed against the walls. He tried to force his head up through the sphincter he'd entered, but the sphincter was closed tightly now, too small for him to enter. And Jason couldn't even be sure he was pushing his head in the right place. He realized he probably wasn't when he felt a hand press on the top of his head from outside.

"Seems you have a little energy after all," the rabbit's muffled voice vibrated through her body to him. "Squirm all you want, kitty. You aren't getting out."

Jason redoubled his efforts, but he couldn't keep it up. There was so little oxygen, only provided by what the rabbit swallowed with her saliva, and he was soon exhausted and limp. The rabbit's stomach muscles squeezed tightly around his weakened body, restricting his movements even more.

"Aww, did you get tired out already, kitty? Try to relax. I'll let you out eventually."

"Y-you mean after I'm digested," Jason whimpered.

"Hmm? Did you say something, kitty?"

"You mean after I'm digested!" Jason wailed.

The rabbit's hand rubbed over him from outside. "Hush, I said I wasn't going to hurt you. You're not going to digest in there. That would be too cruel. Once I've trained you to be a good belly-dweller, I'll sell you to someone else so that they can keep you in their tummy. I could have told you this, but I didn't want to give away the plot. The shrink ray isn't just a shrink ray. It makes you so you can live inside us. It's too complicated to explain, but you sort of live off of our life energy in there. You don't even need to breathe if you just stay still."

Jason was baffled by this information. It was even more absurd than the idea of the shrink ray itself, but what reason did the rabbit have to lie? He was already too weak to fight, so if she was going to digest him, she might as well say so instead of concocting such an absurd-sounding story.

"Or maybe," the rabbit added. "I could keep you as my own. How would you like that, kitty? Are you comfortable in there? Getting puked back up isn't a lot of fun really. If you'd rather stay, I could keep you. I can get someone else to help me train predators."

Jason shifted uncomfortably inside the rabbit's stomach. Of course he wasn't comfortable! He was wet and gooey and squashed. He couldn't move. It was almost completely dark. What was good about this at all? On the other hand, it could be worse. Even if another prey also wouldn't digest him--buying in for now that this wasn't a trick--they could treat him more cruelly: punch him, lay on him, eat lots of hot peppers that would get in his eyes. He didn't know much about this rabbit, but she'd been gentler than she needed to be. Maybe he was better off in here.

"C-couldn't I come out and just stay with you?" Jason called.

"Stay with me? In what capacity?"

Jason hesitated to think what he should suggest. Some predators caught prey but didn't eat them, instead keeping them as their pets. "Y-you could keep me as your pet."

"Pet? I don't know, kitty. How do I know you'd behave?"

"I-I promise I would," Jason called back. "I'd be obedient, and if I wasn't, you could eat me again."

"I might just prefer you inside me though," the rabbit argued.

"J-just give me a chance. If you're not happy with me for any reason, you can eat me again, but give me a chance to be your pet."

"I've never heard a predator beg to be a prey's pet," the rabbit stated curiously. "There are always lots of "Let me go" pleas until they accept their fate. Usually, by the time I sell them, they're very compliant, totally resigned to living in a prey's stomach. It isn't that terrible. You'd get used to it."

"Please," Jason whined. "You could have another predator in your stomach. I'll be a good pet; I'll make you happy. If you really like me in here better, then I won't protest. I'll be like the others and accept it."

"You've made me interested enough that I'm going to have to let you try it. Congratulations, kitty. You're the first predator to ever convince me to let them out. You either have a silver tongue, or you're a very unusual predator. I guess we'll find out."

The rabbit's hand shoved his head deeper in and down. Jason resisted the urge to fight being pushed out of the air pocket, and then the rabbit's stomach squeezed him, hard. His head was forced through the sphincter into her esophagus, and the rest of him followed quickly. He ejected from the rabbit's mouth and landed with a splat in a pool of juice and slime on the bed. Shakily, Jason pushed himself up into a sitting position. He stared up at the rabbit nervously.

"First, you're going to need a bath," the rabbit concluded. "I'm Ellie, again. Welcome to my house, Jason. Let's see if you're a good enough kitty to live with me instead of in me."

Jason didn't protest or struggle as the rabbit carried him to the tub. He obediently allowed her to rinse and shampoo him, grateful he wouldn't have to lick off all of her mucus and juices. He was even more grateful when she thoroughly dried him with towel and blow dryer. The rabbit stood to put the blow dryer away, and Jason crept after her. He hesitated a moment, but then he wrapped his arms around her calf and hugged her gratefully.

"Are you trying to butter me up with affection?" the rabbit asked teasingly.

Jason turned his head back to gaze up at her. "I want to be your good kitty, your little pet. Do you want me not to hug you?"

"You can hug me all you want, but just hugging me won't be enough to save you from my tummy hugs," she replied.

"Tell me what you want me to do!" Jason pleaded anxiously. He couldn't please her if he didn't know what she wanted!

The rabbit crouched down and scooped him up in one arm, holding him on his back. Jason nuzzled her chest, trying to summon all the affection that he could. The rabbit stroked his belly, and Jason rubbed his cheek against her more fervently. He managed to excite a purr and continued to nuzzle her with desperate affection as his throat vibrated.

"That's very cute," the rabbit stated. "I can see you're trying very hard. You'll need to actually convince me though, or I might rather have a cute little bulge in my belly."

Jason stopped and looked up at her worriedly, "I'll try. I'll do whatever you want. What would you want from a pet?"

"It was your idea," the rabbit returned.

"I can lay in your lap," Jason suggested. "You might like to pet me. I'll be your little toy. I'll chase string for you or a laser pointer."

"I might get bored of all of those things."

"I-I'll love you," Jason tried. "I can't love you in your stomach, or if I did, you wouldn't know. I'll show you how much I love you everyday. I'll worship you."

"That's a bit better, kitty. Let's see how good you are at it. If you're a truly adoring supplicant, then I suppose you could stay outside of me."

"I will be!"

"Good. You have a week to prove it to me. If I'm not convinced by then, you'll be keeping up the other end of our bargain and accepting your life in my stomach."

"Y-yes, Ellie."

The rabbit carried him back upstairs to the kitchen and set him on the counter. "I'll have to buy you some bugs or something," she concluded. "I'll make you some lentil soup tonight, but I know that's not enough. If you were in my belly you wouldn't need to eat."

"Th-thank you, Ellie. I appreciate that this is more difficult for you. I'll do whatever I can to make up for that."

"You will or you won't. I'll be happy either way," she replied matter-of-factly. "If you ever want to give up and accept your home inside me, just let me know."

"W-why do you want me in you?" Jason asked. If he understood, maybe he could better fulfill what she wanted.

"It feels nice for one. But knowing you have a predator in your belly and that they're all yours forever is pretty nice too. You eat us. We get to eat you, but for keeps. One day, you'll all be in our bellies. We'll breed you just for that."

Jason didn't like the sound of that at all, but he didn't want to argue. Nothing he said would change what prey as a whole did, but it might get him trapped in this prey's stomach. "I'll be yours outside of your belly. You'll still have me forever, but we can do other things."

"What kind of other things?" she asked curiously.

"A-anything you want. We can play games. We can eat together, read, or watch movies. I'll be your companion, not just a bump in your belly."

"That presumes I'll enjoy your company."

"You will! I-I already like you, Ellie. I think you're kind. You wouldn't have given me a chance if you weren't."

"That's very flattering, I'm sure," she replied dryly.

"I mean it! I understand that you're skeptical, Ellie. I was going to eat you, but I'm sorry about that! Not just because I got caught but because I didn't consider before what it was like for prey! I knew I had to eat them, and I tried to be merciful. But I didn't understand how scary it was! I know I'll technically be alive inside you, but that won't be a life! If I can hardly move and I never get to see the sunshine or taste, uh, taste fresh water or air or-"

"I get it. You really don't want to be inside me. You'd get used to it like I said."

"Would I get used to it, or would I lose all hope and resign myself to misery?"

She frowned, "I really don't think it would be that bad. It's probably cozy in there once you get used to it."

"Would you be happy in a confined space with no fresh air or light as long as you were warm?" Jason pressed.

"Maybe not, but I've never eaten anyone."

"I didn't have a choice! It was eat prey or starve. I'm glad that's over! Honestly, Ellie, I'm glad I'll never have to kill again. I understand that maybe you still think my life should be cut short, but that is what you're doing if you make me live inside you."

"Alright, I'll admit it's not very nice, but you'll still have to make it worth my while to keep you outside of me. It's not enough to convince me I'm being mean. Maybe that's what you deserve. Predators could live on bugs. It might take some doing, but the insectivores farm them. You only 'had' to eat prey because predators have never made an effort to stop."

Jason looked at his feet, ashamed by the truth of her words. He'd never really wanted an alternative, and predators hadn't tried for one. He'd felt the need to kill was regrettable, but he'd never made an effort to find another solution. "I'm sorry, Ellie. You're right. I do deserve to live inside you. It wouldn't even be wrong if you digested me. But if you could have mercy, if you could be as kind as I know you can be and give me a life I don't deserve, then I'll try to make it worth it to you."

"That's what we're doing right now," the rabbit stated matter-of-factly. "I'm glad we're on the same page now. I could let you be my pet purely out of the goodness of my heart, but I want something in return. Worship me like you said, and if I'm satisfied with your fealty, I'll let you be my pet."

Jason nodded nervously. They were right back where they'd started, but that was better than if he'd hurt his chances. He understood her perspective better now.

Ellie began to prepare dinner. She chopped carrots and turnip, boiled lentils, and threw together grass and kale in a bowl with vinaigrette. Jason watched, feeling useless.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked lamely.

"Just stay out of the way," Ellie answered.

Jason complied but he felt like a burden, and that didn't bode well for his continued existence outside of Ellie's stomach.

When dinner was ready, Ellie set him on the table with a small saucer of soup. "I don't have any utensils your size," she explained apologetically.

"Th-that's okay. Thank you for making me this in the first place."

"I'm having some too; it's not only for you," she remarked nonchalantly.

"I'm still grateful."

Jason couched by the saucer and lapped up some of the broth. He managed to get a piece of carrot in his mouth and chew. It tasted nice, but it wasn't meat. As much as he wanted to make things work with Ellie, he was going to miss eating meat. It didn't help that she still smelled like prey, even if she was the one who might ingest him now.

"It's good," he told her, still looking down at the soup. "Thank you."

"You'd rather be eating me," Ellie returned.

Jason looked up at her nervously, "I, um, I might miss eating what I was used to, but I'm glad I didn't catch you. Even if somehow I got big again, I wouldn't try to eat you, Ellie. I'd try to find another way to live."

"Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't. We'll never know," Ellie rejoined, unconvinced.

"Can I help but miss what I was raised to eat?" Jason protested. "I really am grateful you're giving me a chance and you're willing to take care of me if I can convince you! You could have let me go hungry until you bought something else, but you made something I could eat because you're kind. I think you want to be kind, but you don't want to be disappointed. I won't disappoint you, Ellie. I'll be a good pet."

"We'll see," was all she replied.

Jason wanted to cry. He knew she hadn't needed to give him a chance, but he felt like she just wanted to see him fail so that she could gloat when she swallowed him again. Why wouldn't she be more open to the possibility? This was his one chance not to spend the rest of his life in someone's gut, and he didn't feel like he was getting through to her because she simply wouldn't let him.

When they were done, Ellie put the dishes in the sink with a little water and then carried Jason out to the living room. She sat on the dark brown couch with Jason on her lap and picked up a book that lay beside her. "I'm going to read," she stated. "Feel free to curl up in my lap or do whatever pet things."

"Would you read to me?" Jason asked nervously.

Ellie looked down at him curiously, "Would you like that? I'm reading H.P. Lovecraft. Do you like that?"

"I don't know much about that author. What is it?"

"Cosmic horror. Do you like horror?"

Jason thought his life at the moment was enough of a horror, but he answered, "Sometimes. I like classics."

"It's classic horror, so maybe you will. I'll read it to you if you like. I'm just about to start a new story."

"Alright, thank you." Jason pushed himself up and sat on Ellie's left thigh with his back against her belly and his legs on either side. He wrapped his stripped tail up into his lap. "I'm ready."

"You're doing a good job being cute; I'll give you that," Ellie remarked. "Alright, here we go."

Jason listened attentively as Ellie read. He found that the sound of her voice was soothing when she wasn't threatening to swallow him or rebuffing his attempts to ingratiate himself. The story itself was very odd, but Jason thought it was interesting, if not really scary. But what made the experience nicer was the feeling of sitting on Ellie's lap, snuggled against her soft, warm fur, and feeling the rise and fall of her breaths. Her scent was all around him, but now that his belly was full, it was pleasant rather than tempting. This was cozy. Inside her was slimy and gross, but this was actually nice. Jason had mostly been desperate to avoid the one, but now he felt real appreciation for the other. Maybe he really would enjoy being her pet. Perhaps his affection would be genuine instead of self-serving.

When Ellie finished the chapter, she set the book down, "How did you like it?"

Jason caned back his neck to look up at her, "It was interesting, and listening to you read was nice. You have a pretty voice."

Ellie smiled, not a smirk or a teasing grin, but a warm smile that showed the bottoms of her large upper incisors, "That's a nice thing to say. I kind of liked reading to you too. You know, I could still read to you if you were in my belly. You wouldn't have to be bored all the time or anything. We could chat, and I could read to you. We'd be together. You wouldn't have to feel alone."

"I like it this way," Jason returned. "I like being snuggled in you fur, not your stomach mucosa. Besides, your voice is muffled inside you; it's not as pretty."

"Hmm, well, I can see at least one of your points," she teased playfully. "I'm going to take a shower now. You already had a bath so you can wait in the bathroom or in the bedroom."

"I don't care which one, but I do need to use the bathroom."

"That's another problem you wouldn't have inside me since you wouldn't have to eat," Ellie stated.

Jason thought it was meant as a joke, and he smiled nervously, "I'm glad at least I wouldn't be stewing in my poop."

"Gross, Jason! Don't talk about my insides like that!" Ellie squawked. "Although, you would have to stew in my caecotrophs. It's not really poop, but I suppose it's not pleasant."

Jason was glad he'd gotten out before he'd had to stew in any digesting anything but especially the rabbit's caecotrophs.

Ellie took him to the bathroom and let him have privacy while he used the toilet. He managed to wash his hands without her help though he couldn't flush.

"I have to use the toilet too," Ellie divulged when she came back in. "Maybe you should wait on the bed until I'm done in here. Don't try to hide, or when I find you, you know where you'll be going."

The warning made Jason a little nervous, but he had no intention of trying to escape. He went to the bedroom and climbed onto the bed and waited. After an hour or so, Ellie entered the bedroom with her fur all fluffed up in odd directions from the dryer. Jason hopped up with a happy chirp of greeting and leapt down from the bed to race across the floor to her. He stopped underneath her, embarrassedly not knowing what to do. She hadn't seemed to like it when he'd hugged her before.

"No hug?" Ellie asked amusedly.

Jason hugged her shin in response, "I wasn't sure you wanted me to."

"Did you miss me in just an hour?" she teased. "You wouldn't have to be away from me if you were in my belly."

Jason looked up at her uncertainly, "I'd rather be with you on the outside."

"We'll see," she replied cheerfully. "I don't want you to be too sad either way, kitty. I think there are ways I could make you feel more at home inside me."

"Th-there might be, but I'd rather be at home in your arms than in your stomach."

Ellie crouched and scooped him up in one arm. "Is that better?"

Jason smiled up at her amiably. "Mmhm, I like you, Ellie. I'm not just saying that. I think I could be happy here as your companion, however you wanted to think of me."

"So it's not definitely pet now, eh?" she replied amusedly.

"I'd rather be your friend," Jason answered sincerely.

Ellie smiled warmly once again, "That does sound kind of nice. Won't you be my pal if I swallow you then?"

"I'll try to be," Jason answered. "I think you're a good person, Ellie. If you decide to keep me inside you, then maybe it's for the best, but I would want to know you were aware of me out there. I'd be sad if you forgot me."

Ellie stroked his belly, "I'd never forget you of course. Even if I do swallow you again, I'm glad I got to know you better too. I don't think you're a bad person either, even if you've eaten prey."

"Can I sleep with you, Ellie?" he asked.

"Where else did you think you were going to sleep?"

Ellie set Jason on the foot of the bed and crawled under the covers herself. She pulled them back and patted the bed by her belly, "Come here, kitty."

Jason scrambled up over the blankets and curled up next to her soft, warm fur. Ellie scooted him closer against her with her hand and then pulled up the blankets. She curled her legs up around him, and her upper (right) hand stroked him from head to tail

"Goodnight, kitty. Try to dream nice dreams without chasing prey."

Jason sighed, tired but also, for the moment, content. He didn't knew what his fate would be, but he hoped he'd have more nights curled beside Ellie's belly than inside it.

* * *

Ellie awoke in the early morning to go pass her caecotrophs, but when she got back Jason was gone. Damn it! When did he sneak off?! Ellie felt foolish for trusting him, but he wouldn't get away, and she wouldn't be letting him out of her stomach again.

"Ellie?"

Ellie turned toward the mew. Jason's little silhouette was in the door way.

"I needed to use the bathroom, but you missed me when you came out," he mewed. "Can you help?"

Ellie felt a wave of guilt that she had assumed the worst. She slid back out of bed and followed Jason to the bathroom where she helped him onto the toilet. It would be weird to have to care for him like this the rest of her life. It was another argument for swallowing him, but maybe she could figure out some other solutions. Ellie wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she wanted to give him a fair chance. When he was done and had washed his hands, Ellie carried him back to bed. She lay down and watched him as he curled up between her legs and belly again. He really seemed to be happy. It was strange. He'd been captured and shrunk, and he might spend the rest of his life in a rabbit's stomach, but he seemed content curled up against her. Maybe it really would be nice to keep him like this. As Jason had said, she could eat a different predator, one who was less friendly. She wondered how he would actually feel about that.

* * *

Ellie awoke again at eight to find Jason still curled against her belly. She stroked him, and he uncurled, stretching and yawning with his little pink tongue curled. He was very cute. He blinked his pretty sea green eyes up at her.

"Good morning, Ellie."

"Good morning, kitty. Did you sleep well?"

He nodded. Ellie slid him up by her neck with one hand and tucked her head over him. He nuzzled her under the chin, and she stroked him. Soon, he was purring, but it seemed genuine now. Ellie didn't think he was trying to force it; he was genuinely happy about cuddling with her. Ellie rolled him onto his back and pushed herself up over him. She studied him curiously, and he looked back anxiously.

"What is it, Ellie?"

"Is this real? Do you really want to be with me? What if I gave you the chance to escape? Would you stay if you knew you could get away?"

Jason hesitated and then answered, "I don't know. If I thought you'd definitely eat me then I guess I would, but I don't have anywhere to go. And I like you, Ellie. I like being like this. If I knew I'd be with you like this and not inside you, I'd stay."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" she asked uncomfortably.

"I don't know, Ellie. All I can tell you is that I am. Do you think I'm lying?"

Ellie shook her head, "Not really. I just don't know how to believe that a predator would want this."

"I like you, Ellie. It shouldn't be that hard to believe. You're kind and gentle. You've been kinder than I deserve."

"I want to believe you. I'm going to try. Maybe it doesn't have to make sense to be real. I like you too, Jason. You could be angry about what I did, but you aren't. You tried to understand it instead of just reacting to your own misfortune."

"I did that too," Jason admitted.

"But you didn't only do that. It's okay for you to be upset to suddenly be small and helpless. It's okay to be afraid of living in my belly. I think you'd get used to that, but you seem happy living with me. Even though I took your freedom, you're happy living as my pet or companion or whatever you are."

"I am, Ellie. I'm happy. I want to curl up with you every night."

"What if I didn't come home someday? What if another predator got me? I don't know what would happen to you then."

Jason looked shocked for a moment, as if he hadn't even imagined such a possibility. He looked up at her in concern. "Do you think that might happen?"

"You almost caught me," she pointed out.

"I did, and you still caught me instead. So-"

"I got lucky," she admitted. "You almost got me."

Jason frowned worriedly, "I-I don't want to lose you, Ellie."

"If I eat you then you won't have to; you'd die when I did."

"I wish I could protect you!" he returned.

"You can't, Jason. You're too small," she pointed out.

"B-but if you made me big again, I could!"

Ellie frowned, "Do you think I'm stupid? What's to stop you from eating me then?"

"I wouldn't do it! I like you!"

"You'd have to eat something."

"I could eat bugs!"

"I'm not making you big again. You can be my pet and hope I come home or be inside me and die at the same time I do. Those are your two options."

"But I want to protect you," Jason whined.

Ellie eyed him probingly. If this was his attempt at a trick, she should eat him right now, but he seemed sincere. Maybe he was just worried about her. It was odd considering he'd been trying to eat her yesterday. "Maybe you do," she allowed. "Maybe one day I'll feel safe letting you. That day isn't today. You were trying to eat me yesterday."

"I'll do everything to make you trust me. I want to be able to protect you, Ellie. I want to make sure you make it home."

"We'll see. Do you want breakfast? You can have more soup, and I'll buy you bugs today."

"Okay, thank you, Ellie."

Ellie lowered herself down so that he was just lightly pressed against her chest and nuzzled him between the ears. Jason nuzzled her back.

"I want to be with you forever, Ellie," he murmured. "I take back what I said. I wouldn't run away even if I knew you'd eat me. I want to be with you even if that's in your belly. If you're happy, then I'll be happy to."

Ellie nuzzled him again. Somehow, she didn't think he'd have to worry about whether that was true.