They were in the sauna. Sadik was just about to pour more water on the stones when Nikola groaned.

“No more. I feel like I am in Hell,” Sadik grinned. He didn’t feel the heat as severely as Nikola. To him, it was pleasantly warm. But the point of a sauna was to sweat. And, he wasn’t.

“Just a bit more,” and he poured the water. Steam rose and Nikola groaned again.

“Not a single bucket more,” begged Nikola with a tired voice. Sadik inched closer to him and kissed his lips. Nikola’s eyes opened slowly, and he let out a breath.

He looked delectable. But, Sadik had to remind himself that they were in a public place. It just wouldn’t do to press Nikola’s face against the tiles and take him.

Perhaps he would commission a sauna in their new house? Then, he could act out his fantasy. However, would Nikola agree to share a single house with Sadik? Was their relationship mended enough for it?

“I was thinking, we can’t stay in the cottage. It is too small,” Nikola looked down at his hands.

“Sorry about that, it was meant for a vacation place,” Sadik placed two fingers under Nikola’s chin and raised it up.

“It is lovely, but, we need our space. I can get us a new house, and we can stay in this hotel for another week,” suggested Sadik. Nikola looked like he was about to eat a lemon.

“Stay in Vegas? For an entire week? Do you know how many hours of dish washing that is?” Sadik sighed. Of course, Nikola was not going to keep it to himself.

“Ok, maybe we can go back to the cottage. Stay a week while I buy the new house. Would you move in with me?” Nikola looked thoughtful and Sadik was quick to add. “We can buy tainted windows. We can commission them to have crosses and half-moons, and we can have a prayer room. Your side will have a chair and a cross, and mine a prayer mat.”

Nikola smiled wistfully.

“The windows are a bit much. It is one thing to have them in the middle of nowhere. Another in a town. But the prayer room sounds nice,” Sadik was happy that Nikola had shot down the window ideas.

“We can have other things painted on the windows, then. What is your favorite thing?” Nikola smiled and spoke.

“Mountains and lakes. That is the reason I moved to this town. It had a lake. I grew up in Blagoevgrad. We had seven lakes up in the mountains. All named after body parts,” Sadik found that a bit morbid, but shrugged.

“Mountains and lakes it is, just on two of the windows. We can make the place a work of art, and you can ward it. Then, when we move out, it can remain, so we can go back in a hundred or two hundred years or so. I will make sure it is well-kept. Just think of the nostalgia it will bring,” Sadik grinned, but Nikola shook his head.

“Nephilim don’t live for two hundred years, Sadik. I will age and die, similar to how God decreed,” Sadik, when he wanted, could be stubborn. It seems, so could Nikola.

“Yes, but vampires can live for thousands of years. I am nearly 900 years old,” Nikola’s eyes widened, and he chuckled.

“Cradle robber,” Sadik considered the words, and he smiled in a way that made Nikola’s knees go weak. It was a smile that Nikola had never seen before. Carefree and full of adoration.

“That may be so, but, you won’t leave this old man, would you?” Nikola’s eyes widened.

“You are not old. You look about thirty,” Sadik was touched that Nikola was considering his feelings on the matter, but he quirked an eyebrow.

“Of course, I won’t leave you,” said Nikola, catching up on what Sadik wanted to hear.

“Then, why do you want for death to do us part?” Nikola worried his bottom lip.

“It has been decreed that everything should age and die,” Sadik resisted the urge to ask decreed by whom? He knew the answer that Nikola was going to sprout. But, he also knew what to ask.

“So, are vampires, not Allah’s or your God’s children, lamb?” Sadik spoke softly, fearing rejection. More than one imam, or Christian priest, had told him a negative answer to that question. He had laughed at their faces and kept up with his faith. But, if Nikola thought him the spawn of Satan too, then he didn’t know what to do.

“If you weren’t, neither Allah nor God would have suffered you, I think,” Sadik smiled, relief washing over him. “But I have a choice. You didn’t. I’d like to have one pleasant lifetime, with you, than a thousand. I think I would cherish my time with you more.”

Sadik considered the words. Sure, he knew he would move on, eventually. But Nikola’s death would hurt him on a level none of his past break-ups had. Because Nikola would marry him, they would live together. And then, Sadik would have to watch him slowly age and then die.

 He would be left alone again, with only the memories as company. He had heard vampires starving themselves and then spending a day on their lover’s graves. Letting the sun kill them just as slowly as time had killed their loves.

“And I want eternity,” said Sadik selfishly. “And if you love me, you will give it to me.”

Nikola’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting for Sadik to play this dirty. He opened his mouth to protest, but Sadik kissed him.

“Times changed from when I was first turned,” whispered Sadik after the soft kiss ended. “We no longer need to hunt. Vampires need only to move from place to place in forty years. We will be happy. Think about it.”

Nikola nodded slowly and Sadik smiled, thinking he had gotten him to agree with his ultimatum. But then, Nikola dampen his hopes.

“I’ll think about it. You will have your answer when we move in the new house,” still, this was something. Sadik kissed each of Nikola’s eyes and then his nose. Then, he went back to his spot. Satisfied that he was going to get a chance.