Chapter 256 - Vows

With all that out of country business, I realised, amongst all others, one important thing. All that time my store had to close… Panda alone wasn't enough to run it. But I knew I would have to travel more in the future. The city I was born in was too small for someone like me!

I had to hire someone to run my store. And, I thought, find another place to live while I was at it, so the upper floor could be renovated into a continuation of the shop. Everything involved would cost me a sum that I couldn't have dreamt to have just lying on my hands only about a year ago. Now it hefty, but nothing I couldn't spare.

But I couldn't make that decision without consulting the other person who also lived in the same apartment. To think about it… How strange it was, in a way, that we first began to live together, and only then began dating. That cohabitation was just a matter of convenience and vampire law at first, but then… well, many things changed since then, while some didn't. Me and my vampire boyfriend will never share a dinner with how different our diets were, but now we shared a bed.

And because it was JJ's bed now, too, if only unofficially, I had to ask him if he wanted it moved..

"Ma chèrie, this is a marvellous idea, and one that I was going to suggest it myself in a short while. The business is blooming, and like a growing flower, it should be moved into a bigger pot. It's necessary for its wellbeing in a long run. But it's also unrelated to our living situation, and about that, I'm glad that you asked." JJ smiled softly at me. "I will admit to you I would've felt better living in a place with more space between the walls. This apartment is a cosy place to live with all the necessities you might need, but…" JJ trailed off, looking at the ceiling with a hint of unease.

I took his hand between mine to assure the both of us. "We can look for apartments nearby together. Or even for a cottage. Hmm… We will have to check the prices. Would it be cheaper or more expensive to build one from the scratch?"

JJ looked at me and smiled again. "Considering that, wherever we move, it will most probably be on Avarice's territory, we might start with consulting her."

"Oh, riiiight…" I rolled my eyes. "We will have to count the prices on the right to keep vampires in, too. Is it too much to hope for a discount, JJ?"

He pretended to think hard about the answer. Then he shook his head with exaggerated sadness. "There are more things in heaven and earth, ma chèrie, than are dreamt of, but this one would be beyond both dreams and reality."

I chuckled and shrugged. "Oh well then, I guess I would have to pay." I paused and, following an impulse, leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on JJ's cheek. "Thank you for staying around instead of doing something stupid, like running away for good."

In return, JJ lifted one of my palms to his lips to press a kiss to my fingers—a gesture that never failed in making me feel a little like a princess. "Running away never solved anything, but with only a little courage a man could open their soul to the most wondrous thing in the world." JJ dropped my hand to look into my eyes with an intensity that made my heart beat faster, and a smile that made me blush. "It's also the most terrifying one, but I am steadily building up tolerance to it."

I leaned closer again. "I hope you won't build up tolerance to the wonder, too." From this distance, I could see every speckle of green and red in JJ's eyes. Wondrous, these eyes certainly were. "I wouldn't know what to do then."

"No sooner than Avarice starts giving things for free," JJ said with utmost seriousness. "No sooner than Hell freezes and Heaven burns. No sooner than you decide you are tired of me, Diana."

"How could I ever tire of you, Jean-Jacques? You are everyone's dream for a good reason. Any girl would've been lucky to have you, but I'm the luckiest because I got to keep you." I beamed. "And look at us. Sitting together, exchanging promises of eternal love, while most other people would raise brows at just a mention of a relation between a witch and a vampire… And that's in the best case—there are plenty of those who think we both should be burned on a stake."

"Since when you cared so much about what these people think?"

I shrugged. "It's just a little ironic, if you think of it. It also made me think… it would be impossible for us to marry officially, not in the foreseeable future."

JJ looked a little taken aback for a moment, before a bright smile lit his face. "Would you have offered if we could, my dearest witch?"

I suddenly felt a severe case of stage fright, except there was no stage, just JJ's eyes, full of excitement and some hope. "Well, it's… Yes, I would've." I scratched my cheek awkwardly, unable to look at him. "Really, marriage is a little pointless if you think about it, especially since we are already living together and stuff, but…"

"But it's a vow we make," JJ said, and I paused because he took the words out of my mouth. "And now to think of it, I just decently did mine."

"You did." I smiled again and took a deep breath. "Jean-Jacques, I vow to be with you and love you for as long as you will love me, in good and bath or how it goes. Now I wish I had more of your eloquence."

JJ grinned. "Like that we are a man and wife in the eyes of God if he even exists, and I can kiss my bride."