Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 37
Chapter 37: I've Always Wanted to Touch That Tail
On her way home that night, Banxia was on her best behavior.
She engaged Xiao Lian in a serious discussion about music, talking about Bach, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky.
"Xiao Lian, have you heard the story of Tchaikovsky and Nadezhda von Meck?" she asked. "They knew each other for over a decade, exchanged thousands of letters, were the closest of friends, but they never actually met in person."
"See? Platonic relationships do exist!" she declared, a little too earnestly. "I have so much respect for Madame von Meck. She's an inspiration!"
This is even more awkward than before, she thought, her cheeks still burning from the previous night's… mishap.
Thankfully, Xiao Lian, ever perceptive, seemed oblivious to her embarrassment. He listened patiently, his little head raised, then replied, "Who's your favorite composer?"
"Me?" Banxia, easily distracted, brightened. "Beethoven! His music isn't as complex or profound as some others, but it's… grounding. It gives me strength and joy."
There was no moon tonight, the night hazy and indistinct. The wind, tugging at her hair, reminded her of the great composer she admired, a man who, despite his hardships, had brought joy to the world.
"What about you, Xiao Lian? Who's your favorite?"
Xiao Lian's voice came from her pocket. "Mahler."
"Ah, him," Banxia remembered the composer Xiao Lian had mentioned before. "I like him too. His Symphony No. 1, 'Titan,' is incredible. The primeval forest, the magical creatures, the fantastical world… especially the third movement, 'Funeral March'…"
She suddenly stopped, a thought striking her.
In the "Funeral March," Mahler had incorporated a well-known children's song, "Frère Jacques," transforming it into a macabre, unsettling melody.
Banxia frowned. She had heard something similar recently.
The cheerful chiming of clocks, a fairy tale forest, the descending scythe… fragmented images flashed through her mind.
Where have I heard that kind of music before? It was like… a melody from a dream.
"Mahler's music is filled with… existential struggle. To me, all his works explore the meaning of life and death. He was searching for… redemption," Xiao Lian said.
His words snapped Banxia out of her reverie.
She quickly regained control of her bicycle, narrowly avoiding a ditch.
"So you like Mahler," she said, stopping her bike and holding Xiao Lian in her hand. "Now that you mention it, the music I sometimes hear from next door has a similar… quality."
She suddenly realized something. "I've always thought Senior Ling Dong's music was unique, but I couldn't place it. Now I think… he must be a Mahler fan, like you."
Xiao Lian's mouth twitched slightly. "Perhaps."
He's happy, Banxia thought. He's happy when I mention Senior Ling Dong. He must like him too.
She started cycling again. "You must hear his music all the time too, living next door. It's strange, you're never home when he's playing. I was hoping we could listen together sometime."
Back at her apartment, Banxia, determined to act like a proper young lady, went to bed early, lying stiffly under the covers, her hands folded neatly on her stomach.
She wanted to erase the… embarrassing impression she had made on Xiao Lian.
She heard a faint sound from the bathroom.
She sat up, listening intently. She had just filled the small ceramic dish on the bathroom floor with warm water for Xiao Lian's bath.
The faint clinking of ceramic against tile echoed from the bathroom. After a while, Xiao Lian emerged, damp and glistening, and meticulously dried himself on the stack of paper towels by the door.
Banxia's heart pounded. Is something going to happen tonight? she wondered, a mixture of anticipation and nervousness churning within her.
Xiao Lian crawled across the floor and into his terrarium.
Banxia's heart sank. Disappointed, she pulled the covers over her head.
Even in this tiny room, they maintained their separate spaces, his terrarium his domain, her bed hers.
The sound of the curtains closing plunged the room into darkness.
A faint, sweet fragrance suddenly filled the air, like a lotus flower blooming in a hidden spring, a cool, ethereal scent with a hint of sweetness.
"What's that smell?" Banxia peeked out from under the covers and saw him standing by the window.
A sliver of moonlight illuminated his silhouette, his skin pale as snow.
He stood there, facing her, his form clearly visible in the dim light.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, the smooth lines of his muscles, his long, straight legs…
His dark gold eyes met hers.
Banxia's heart skipped a beat.
He's so beautiful, she thought. I wish it wasn't so dark. I want to see him clearly.
The breeze stirred the curtains, and a faint light touched the foot of her bed.
He took two long strides and was beside her, invading her space.
One hand on the edge of the bed, his other hand, pale as moonlight, reached out to her.
He looked like he was made of ice and snow, but his touch was like fire, his fingers brushing her cheek, sending shivers down her spine.
She couldn't see his face clearly, only the dark gold of his eyes, drawing closer, like a predator in the night.
The sweet fragrance intensified, making her heart pound.
It's his scent, she realized. He smells so good.
The scent was intoxicating, stirring something wild within her.
She took a deep breath, calming the restless beast in her heart, forcing it to sheathe its claws and fangs.
He's shy, she reminded herself. Be gentle. Don't scare him away.
She closed her eyes, a silent invitation.
Gentle fingers cupped her face, and his lips touched hers.
His kiss was hesitant, almost tentative, like the trembling touch in her dream, a kiss both reverent and desperate.
Banxia closed her eyes, feeling like she was adrift on a small boat, lost in a sea of darkness, the world fading away, the only reality the warmth of his embrace, the gentle rocking of the waves, the sweet taste of his lips, her breath catching in her throat.
In the darkness, her senses heightened.
His breath, hot and rapid against her ear, the frantic beating of his heart against hers…
He's even more nervous than I am, she realized, opening her eyes to meet his gaze.
His dark gold eyes, usually cold and distant, now shimmered with a warmth that made her heart flutter.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kiss.
She kissed him deeply, savoring his taste, her lips tracing the curve of his jaw, his eyelids, his throat, her tongue teasing his ear.
The sweet fragrance intensified. Dark scales appeared on his neck, his long tail swaying restlessly by the side of the bed. Even his fingers began to change.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his breath coming in ragged gasps, then, with a frustrated groan, he pulled away and tried to get up.
But she grabbed his wrist, her eyes shining with desire, her own hand, covered in black scales, holding him captive.
"I'm sorry, I can't… control it," his voice was low and hoarse, his eyes now completely inhuman. "I can't… be a normal man…"
Before he could finish, she pulled him back down, pinning his arm above his head, her lips finding the sensitive skin of his neck, her teeth gently grazing his flesh.
Her grip wasn't particularly strong, but he felt his strength draining away, his resistance fading.
"Too late to run now," she whispered in his ear, her tongue tracing the cold scales on his neck. "Do you remember what you promised me?"
His struggles ceased, his face buried in the pillow.
The sweet fragrance was intoxicating, stirring her desires, unleashing the wild beast within her.
And his tail, hanging over the edge of the bed, twitched and swayed.
When a gecko is aroused, it wags its tail, releasing pheromones to attract a mate, she remembered, reaching out to grasp the twitching tip.
She had been wanting to do this for so long, every time she saw his tail swaying before her.
His back arched, a low groan escaping his lips, his voice thick and husky, laced with the sweet fragrance.
Banxia had never heard him make such a sound before.
She wanted to hear it again, so she tightened her grip on his tail, teasing him playfully.
The sound, a mixture of pleasure and pain, escaped him again, a low, guttural moan.
His fingers clenched, his body trembling, caught between ecstasy and agony.
Banxia bent her head and kissed him, her touch gentle, her lips exploring his face, his neck, his hands, kissing his soft human skin, then the cold, smooth scales.
His trembling body, the shifting scales, gradually calmed under her gentle touch.
"You don't have to hide, Xiao Lian. I like you, every part of you," she whispered in his ear. "I like you as a little gecko, I like you in your apron, and I like you… like this. Show me all your forms. Don't be afraid."
He stopped struggling, his face still buried in the pillow.
Banxia gently turned his face towards her. He raised his hand to cover his eyes.
A single teardrop glistened on his pale cheek.
He's so sensitive, she thought. Crying just because I touched his tail…
But it makes me want to tease him even more.
She had discovered a new world, a world of hidden pleasures, and she wanted to explore it further, to see what other secrets he held within him.
"It's okay, it's okay, don't cry," she said, releasing his tail. "We have plenty of time. We can take things slowly."
He turned and pulled her into a warm embrace, his arms around her, his face buried in her neck.
"Plenty of time?" he murmured against her skin.
"Yes, of course," she replied, her voice drowsy in his embrace. She thought she heard him whisper something else, something about struggling, about accepting his fate, about preparing to leave this world.
"Don't give up," she mumbled sleepily. "You have to… try."
A gentle kiss landed on her head, a silent promise.
I'll try, he thought. I'll try my best to stay, to stay with you.
A smile touched Banxia's lips.
Xiao Lian is so sweet, so gentle, she thought. Even after I teased him like that, he still wants to be with me.
Sweet ❤️
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