Scales and Hooves (BxB) (Unicorn X Dragon)

Ch. 19 Drastic Measures (pt. 1)

Molten stepped off the treadmill in the Askal castle's gym. Large dark patches of sweat covered his grey sports vest. He wiped his face as best as he could with his vest, though it was already dripping with sweat. His chest heaved as he walked over to his phone, which lay by the floor-to-ceiling window, linked up to the loud but small speakers on the walls. He picked up his phone and checked some messages as the music continued to play. As he scrolled through them, the door to the gym opened and a set of hoofbeats followed. He looked up from his phone as a set of arms wrapped around him. He knew the hold, though they'd only been dating a month.

"Morning," he smirked, turning around and placed his hands on his side, facing Zion. He wore a shirt and trousers—a common outfit he wore.

"Why didn't you call me?" Zion asked. "I wanted to see you work out."

Molten gave him a sceptical look. He opened his mouth, only to close it again. He took Zion's hand and led him off towards the mirrored side of the gym. He held Zion close and pulled him into a kiss. As he did so, he took a picture of their reflection in the mirror.

He separated from Zion and showed him the picture. "Do you want me to post this?" He asked.

Zion looked down for a moment. "Yeah," he said, turning around and walking off. "But Insta only, ok?"

Molten nodded. "Sure... Insta," he said, embarrassed that Zion called it Insta.

*-*-*-*

He'll kill me if he knows I posted this

Was the caption on the Instagram post of his and Zion's announcement picture, the one they had posted over a year ago. Molten looked up from his phone. He was parked in the middle of a late evening traffic jam, stuck at the inner Askal City traffic lights. He had just finished his last year of college, and he was happy to have those goddamn exams out of the way. He tucked his phone away as the lights turned green. He made a right, driving towards the North Side of Askal. After several more minutes of stopping and starting at lights, Molten finally saw the back entrance to the castle, driving down the wide road lined with tall oak trees either side.

The guards sat in their stations as he slowed down in front of the electric gates. One of them looked to his car and nodded to his partner. A few moments later, the gate opened. Molten had been back and forth between Askal and Shovania—as had Zion—for the past year, so by this stage, he knew most of the guards pretty well.

He drove onto the gravel, noticing the sound change when he left the tarmac road. He trundled up the drive and parked his Audi near the door, but not directly in front of it. He parking it beside the family's silver Rolls Royce Ghost, which was their primary mode of transport. He reached back for his bag and lifted it onto his lap, digging around for the gift he had got Zion. Then he got out of the car, closing the door with a quiet bang. He strolled toward the steps at the entrance of the castle and jogged up to them before knocking three times and having the door opened by the doorman.

After granting him a good evening, Molten started on the stairs, up to the second floor, lined with bedrooms on either side. He stopped about halfway down the hall and faced the door on the left; Zion's room. He knocked twice, as not to give away it was him.

"Hmm," he heard from the other side of the door. He kept his hand holding the gift behind his back and opened the door, strolling smoothly in as he heard the unmistakable soundtrack of Love, Victor, one of his new favourite shows. He saw a flat-screen TV on the wall, opposite the bed, where Zion sat, sucking in mint Aero Bubbles. He leaned against Zion's built-in wardrobe, his short-sleeve shirt lifting a bit as he lifted his elbow above his head.