Chapter 7: House of the Dragon (Part 2)

Entering his humble abode, Gosha never felt so nervous aside from pouring buckets of disinfectant onto his guests to protect them from his venom. Setting their shoes on the shoe rack, he gave her a small tour of his home while minding his venom from spilling out from excitement. But Balqis' preparation with her scented body lotions and lip balm made him relaxed. He was still cautious around her, but there was something about the woman that radiates calmness as she asked him about some of the photos and knick-knacks.

"Aww, who is this?" Balqis asked, picking up a handheld photo of Legosi and his best friend, Jack the Labrador when they were little pups. He smiled, seeing how innocent and sweet he was. "That's my grandson, Legosi," he told her proudly.

"He visits you?"

Gosha flickered his tongue out. The sweet scent of cinnamon and mango tickled his senses when she removes her covering on her head and gloves. Her wavy black hair tumbled down and the Komodo dragon was tempted to curl those strands between his fingers and play with them. Her curiosity and interest in everything was welcoming. "Yeah, he does and sometimes he would bring his wife, who's a dwarf rabbit by the way. I never thought my own grandson would be so much like me, as much as I'm worried for him."

Balqis glanced at him and then back at the photo with a soft smile. "Well, you must be proud that he's become a gentle-wolf. I'd love to meet him and his rabbit wife. And..." she picked up another photo that made his heart lurched. "I believe this beautiful she-wolf is your wife?"

He nodded and then blinked. She thought of Toki as beautiful? "Toki. She was my wife before she died, leaving me and Leano alone. Afterwards, she came back with Legosi, my one and only grandson. Funny how things worked out, first she and I got married at a young age, then Leano..."

Gosha paused, realising his venom sac was going to burst and a lump formed in his throat. He loved his daughter and the thought of losing her still haunts him to this day despite keeping his head high for Legosi's sake.

"I'm sorry, Gosha." Her words were sincere, almost making him want to draw her body near. Instead, he patted on a cushion that was neatly placed on the floor. "Nevermind that, Balqis! Make yourself at home while I cook us some dinner."

"Okay. Will it be okay for me to look at these?" she took out a few family albums and scrapbooks he had made over the years. He smiled, nodding his head at her direction as he began cooking. When Leano was alive, he would cook for her and Legosi before his daughter started having scales due to her status of being a hybrid. Legosi on the other hand, had most of the wolf features except for his eyes and size.

It made Gosha wonder if Balqis has a family of her own. If so, who was the lucky beast that swept her off her feet and does she have children?

When he was done cooking, he was pleasantly surprised to find the table laid with the dining mats for two, a pair of plates and glasses. Balqis was rummaging through his kitchen drawer. "Gosha, are we eating with spoons and forks or this...this..."

"Chopsticks," he answered with a toothed smile. "Have you used them before?"

Balqis shook her head, her face flushed with shame. "No...I've seen how everyone use them but I never got a chance to try them. Can you teach me?"

Of course he will! When he ladened their plates with the freshly cooked yakisoba with friend egg on top, Gosha demonstrated how to hold them and then encouraged her to do the same. Balqis managed but with shaky fingers. To help her, the old dragon guided her by letting her sit on his lap as they shared their meals.

"I think I'm getting the hang of it," she admitted, spearing another strand of noodle before slurping rather loudly. Glancing back, thinking she had offended him, Gosha gave her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. "I know. Come on, let's eat before the noodles get cold."

Whenever Balqis eats, he noted the smile that lined her round face whenever she took a bite. "Mmm, Gosha, this is delicious! It feels warm and comforting just like you."

He blinked, feeling his blood slightly shift from cold to warm-blooded for a second. There wasn't mockery in her tone, just sincerity. He never left from his position, with her on his lap and it was a rather comfortable position. Just then, she turned around with a strand of noodle between her chopsticks. "Here, have some."

Gosha gulped. "Oh no, Balqis. I can't exactly share food with you because of my venom. If I eat off of your chopstick, you might die." It was harsh, but it was the truth. He still could not forgive himself of what happened to Toki despite moving on. But Balqis had another idea.

She plucked the noodles with her hand and brought it close to him. Her green eyes showed concern yet there's some sympathy. It made the old dragon feel guilty since she was a friend and yet...

A part of him wanted something more than that.

"Before I left the undergrounds," she explained. "We do eat meals with our hands besides what you called 'finger foods'. From rice, noodles, whatever rations they gave us. You can eat the strands without coming into contact with my hand."

This simple gesture was a dance between them. How long until one of them makes first move? Slowly, Gosha does his best to eat the yakisoba off her hand while being mindful of not brushing against her hand. Satisfied, he decided to abandon the chopsticks to feed her in the same manner as well.

It was the most intimate moment Gosha had ever experienced. Sure, he does have dinner with Toki, but they have their own separate cutleries due to his venom. But here, they were sitting together with her shifting on his lap as they were hand-feeding each other yakisoba.

With her scent, body pressed close to him and how her heart opens up, Gosha was tempted to press his maw against those soft lips. But he restrained himself because any species that mingle with Komodo dragons don't end well. Instead, he used his clean claw to run them through her hair. The curls were soft and silky the more he played with them. He heard the human let out a small 'hmm' of pleasure.

"That feels nice..." She leans into his chest, causing him to inhale her scent. How was it that a human could make him feel all sorts of emotions in a span of 6-7 months? There was desire, but not in a sense that he would devour her while.

After dinner, Balqis got up from his lap to gather their empty plates. He protested, because a guest shouldn't be cleaning after him, but she insisted. "I owe you a dessert, after all," she whispered into his earhole. Suddenly, he felt something soft pressed to his scaly temple with a small smooched sound.

She kissed him! She kissed him!

...

Balqis' heart was pounding at her gesture. Never had she stepped out of her comfort zone to perform such action to the old reptile. But, she doesn't regret it because she wanted to show him how she felt without words. At the same time, Gosha's kindness, his patience and smoky voice were the things that made her attracted to him.

It's been a so long since she had company and she wanted to return the favour.

After washing the dishes, she began to make her dessert of what she bought before heading to his house: coconut yogurt, mango, papaya and an interesting fruit that had smooth green spikes and a pink outer layer while the inside was dark pink. There wasn't a description about the fruit, but she loved the taste and look of it.

"Balqis," Gosha called from where he was. "Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Sure. What is it?"

"When I found you at the beach, I couldn't help but wonder if you know how to swim? Just curious."

She smiled a sad smile. The sea will always be a reminder of both the good and bad of her past. But it does not mean she shouldn't move on now that she has nothing left to lose. "Yes, Gosha. I do know how to swim. My late husband used to teach me before he died."

It just dawned on her that she had not told him about the intimate part of her past. She sets down both of the fruit-yogurt bowl down for the both of them. Gosha tilted his head as she sat beside him, hands on her lap. Eating their dessert in silence, Balqis felt Gosha's scaly clawed hand squeezing her thigh to comfort her.

"What happened to him?"

Balqis couldn't tear her eyes from his. She didn't really feel like bringing up her past problems to him. He had enough on his shoulder than to listen to her woes. She shook her head, "You don't want to hear about it trust me... It is not a happy tale."

"What if I don't want to be happy right now? What I want is to know more about you," his piercing eyes bore into hers. Searching for something she didn't know.

Sighing, she nodded before going back to stroke his head, "I was married not long ago. He was the love of my life. A black jaguar who was an assistant professor who taught me how to read and swim. At least I thought so. He died shortly before our... shortly before our daughter was born."

His brow furrowed, "You have a daughter?"

"Had a daughter," Balqis emphasised, taking a sip of her tea. What she doesn't know was that she drank from Gosha's cup instead of her own, much to his horror. "She was dead when she arrived. I buried her under a spiralled tree at the beach, where you found me. We were on the run from some carnivores that wanted to eat me. H-he sacrificed himself to save me, but I couldn't save our daughter. I am no stranger to death."

Gosha did something that surprised them both. He drew her body into his large arms and hugged her. His head buried in her midsection as he began to let out the pent up emotions he had that day. He felt comfortable enough knowing she would not judge him for this. Letting his guard down around her felt easy for him because she had no secret motive in letting him do so. She was a stranger and that helped.

"I know what is it like to lose a daughter. I know what's it like to fail as parent. His voice grew higher-pitched. His grip tightened, causing Balqis to lean back to accommodate the both of them. "Why didn't I get her help? Why did I let her waste away in that room all those years? Why didn't I–" He stopped and brought his fingers to his nostrils, pinching them. Balqis felt his body shudder from holding on to his emotions.

His tears soaked through her shift as he clung to her like a he was begging for his life. Balqis stroked his head, allowing the Komodo dragon to rest upon her bosoms. It caused her to let out a few tears to. No words were needed to know that the both of them have lost part of their families in the past. That pain still exists no matter the passage of time.

...

She felt his breathing slowing down, his forked tongue began to flicker out. It tickled her skin and made her realised something. "Gosha?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I drank from your cup," she admitted, causing the Komodo's eyes to widen with worry. She held his wrist before he could get up. "But, I don't feel anything funny. Has my face changed in anyway?"

His scales flashed before her eyes. It was like staring in a mirror where she saw her own round face with messy black hair and green eyes filled with emotions she couldn't tell. Pushing back a few strands behind her ear, she assured, "I'm okay? Did anything happen?"

Gosha's breathing became rapid as venom began to spill out. "You're okay...you're okay..." he repeated those words like a mantra. His intense stare and the way he held her in his arms made her look away. It feels wrong and yet...

"Look at me, Balqis."

Her eyes shot to his and he waited for her to speak an answer. "I-I," she bit her lip. His thumb came to her lip and ran over it causing her to release it from its confines. With nothing left to lose, she confessed: "I want more than friendship with you, but I know you don't want that. I mean...I-"

He searched her face to see any signs of falsehood. Finding none, he leaned in and placed his lips over hers. She gasped into the gentle kiss and soon he found her returning it. Her lips were soft like rose petals with a hint of the lip balm and he tasted a bit of the mixed fruits. Pulling back, it was his turn to freak out. "I shouldn't have done that," said Gosha, keeping her close to him, "but I am glad I did."

Something about the kiss snapped something primal between the both of them. Balqis has heard of relationships between herbivores and carnivores having a struggle to let go of their instincts in order to make their love work.

Here, Gosha began to press his snout close to her. "Balqis, can I try something just to confirm something?"

She nodded wordlessly, her body was feeling the heat while she felt a throbbing pulse between her legs from the kiss. Slowly, Gosha began to expose a part of her neck and his purplish venom began to drip. It was cool and a bit thick against her smooth skin. The human lets of a soft gasp when he licked the area and then nipped her skin.

Nothing happened.

"You're okay..." he repeated those words, this time it was more for himself rather than at her. Nonetheless, both Balqis and Gosha began to kiss again, this time with such passion that caused them to feel each other's tongues in their mouths. Gosha hissed with pleasure while Balqis lets out a pleasure 'mmm'.

She noted how incredible his cool scales felt against his skin, once they began to remove each other's clothes. Like a predator pinning down his prey, Balqis gave him a small chase to stimulate both of their desires. When Gosha pinned her underneath him, the human's heart was thumping hard.

Pushing her hair back with his claw, Gosha breathed in a husky tone, "Beautiful...something about you...I can't describe it but I want you, Balqis. But, tell me if you want to stop right now. I don't want to force you into anything you are not ready for."

Touched by his consideration, Balqis placed a hand against his cheek as he began to kissed it ever so gently. "Don't worry, my dragon. I want this, too."

He emits a low hiss before bringing her back to be kissed again while his claws explored her naked body. All the curves he caressed, her breasts he began to squeeze and finally descend below that made her wet with desire. She almost covered herself when he touched the small scar across her stomach, but Gosha caressed it with care before lowering his hand in-between her legs. With care, he parted her legs and eyed the sweet spot with a low hiss. Involuntarily, she arched her back when his forked tongue began to lick the slick wet cave that made Balqis call out his name.

That was causing him to nip her lightly. "Patience, sweetheart." Gosha traced her body and then moved his head towards her breast to capture a dusky nipple and sucked hard, making her cry out.

"Gosha, please..."

One scaly hand hiked a leg onto his hip and he groaned, sliding into her slowly. Her head fell back with a breathless sound. "Oh...yes!"

"You are...my prey...I am consumed by this need...this want for you, for your body under mine. For the sounds I can coax from your beautiful throat."

"Yes," she breathed, kissing under his jaw that made the old Komodo dragon flicker his tongue. He hooked her other leg over his hip and slammed into her roughly and she squeaked at the angle. "Every time I want to go slow, you make sounds like that and I cannot control myself," he grunted in-between thrusts.

Her mind was blank for a minute before they entangled themselves in each other's embrace. Scales against skin. Warm-blooded against cold-blooded. Gosha leaned over and kissed the flesh between her breasts and his voice caressed her, "Stay with me. Just for tonight..."

"Yesssss..." It was her turn to hiss. "Go..sha..."

"Yes, little butterfly...let go." He set a brutal pace now, the wet sounds of their coupling and her muffled screams urging him on and then she screamed long and loud into her hand, arching up as she tipped over the edge, her orgasm gripping her body like a seizure. She clenched around him and he moaned loudly, his hips jerking wildly as he came, flooding her walls full with his release.

His arms were weak and shaking, so he tipped to the side, laying down beside her. She snuggled into his side, breathing heavily, her leg and arm hooked over him.

Gosha smiled down at her, before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You are amazing, Balqis."

Balqis' long hair was almost like a blanket that covered his scaly chest while her green eyes gazed up with amusement. "You are a beast in bed. Almost as good as those dragons in the stories."

Chuckling, he bumped her nose with his affectionately. "Careful now, darling. Don't want to devour you completely."

Taking his large hand to close around her small one, she held them close. "And I'll gladly let you."

Poor Legosi. Imagine if he finds out about what his grandpa's up to!