A few hours had passed, and the crew had just finished putting the final touches on the first home, Mira's home. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, golden glow over the scene. 

Mira and Zephyr walked over to join the construction crew, who were admiring their hard work.

“What do you think, boss?” Kyro asked with a cheeky grin, acting as if he had done all the work himself.

Mira's eyes began to well up with tears as she looked closely at the house. It was an exact replica of her childhood home, the one she had lost in the invasion 200 years prior. 

Overcome with emotion, she practically ran inside, exploring the living area, the kitchen, upstairs into the rooms, etc. 

Everything was exactly as she remembered it.

As she turned the knob to her parents' room and opened the door, she collapsed, tears falling freely. Sobbing uncontrollably, she jumped when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist in a gentle embrace. 

Zephyr, worried after seeing her intense reaction, had hurried after her out of concern.

“It’s okay,” he said softly, pulling her into him, offering the comfort she desperately needed as he ran his fingers through her hair. Mira turned to face him, clinging to him as she cried into his shoulder. 

Zephyr held her silently, hoping that time would heal her wounds quickly so she wouldn't be in this much pain anymore.

After a few moments, her tears dried up, leaving her with swollen eyes and puffy cheeks. She groaned at herself, feeling pathetic for crying over the mere sight of her parents' bedroom. 

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” she apologized, wiping her eyes.

Zephyr shook his head, gently wiping the remaining tears from her face.

“I told you, didn’t I? I’ll always be here for you whenever you need me,” he said with a soft smile, helping her stand up.

A commotion could be heard downstairs just then, indicating a party was about to start without them. They both chuckled as shouts of joy over a good day's work echoed up the stairs.

“Shall we join them then?” Mira asked, smiling at Zephyr. Boldly, she grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers, leading him down the staircase before he could even answer.

The crew had gathered together at the bottom of the stairs, slightly concerned looks on their faces. “You doing alright, boss?” Isaac asked, a cup of ale in hand.

Mira glanced briefly at Zephyr before answering, “I will be, with time. Anyway, thank you all for the wonderful job you did, but I have to ask, how did you perfectly replicate my childhood home?”

The dwarves all looked to Yvette, who smiled shyly at the credit, scratching her cheek. 

“Well, elves are in tune with nature, as you know, Princess Mirella, so each of us receives a special gift from nature when we turn ten. Mine happens to help me perfectly recreate structures that existed in nature at one point,” Yvette explained, her eyes wandering in thought.

“I used to hate this power of mine. I thought it was useless…until I met these knuckleheads,” she continued with a grin, glancing at each of her companions.

Everyone laughed, and the party truly began then. They all sat together in the dining room, slightly squashed but comfortable, as they chowed down on the simple meal Teddy had cooked up. 

Mira and Zephyr were surprised at how delicious it was and each thanked the chef, who chuckled sheepishly at the compliment.

“Who wants wine?” Yvette asked excitedly.

For some reason, the idea of wine gave Mira a bad feeling as she watched Yvette gather her cup. “NO!” the boys, excluding Zephyr, shouted, each trying to grab the bottle from her. Mira laughed.

“She's a bad drunk, isn’t she?” Mira asked, but no one heard her over the shouting and grunting. Kyro, however, answered her question regardless.

“She likes to make a mess, throws things, and sometimes, she can’t keep her hands to herself.”

Mira held her hand to her mouth to hide her surprise but found it hard to hold back her giggles. “I see,” she said. “So, it really wouldn’t be a good idea to get her drunk.”

Magically, the bottle appeared in Mira's hands, as if it had teleported there. Everyone looked at her in surprise, especially Yvette, who had a dangerous look in her eye.

“Apologies, princess, but…I may have to fight you for that bottle,” Yvette said, practically pouncing toward Mira like a wild animal about to claim its prey. 

The girls ran around the house like children, Mira laughing as Yvette chased her eagerly. 

The boys tried to jump in and stop Yvette before she went full psycho on Mirella, but Zephyr stopped them.

“Look at Mira,” he said, and they all did. A bright, genuine smile was plastered on her face for everyone to see.

“I say we let it go for a little longer then, for boss's sake,” Creed said with a deep chuckle.

In the end, Yvette collapsed to the floor, huffing and puffing in defeat. As a consolation prize, since Mira had so much fun, she handed Yvette a half-filled glass of wine.

“One for the road, but no more,” she said to Yvette, whose eyes sparkled as she grabbed the glass.

Yvette held the glass as if it was a national treasure, thanking Mira as she took the first generous sip, practically beaming with joy. 

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the party began to wrap up. 

Zephyr and Mira sat on a couch on the porch outside, sitting close together, almost snuggling, as the others gathered their things to leave. 

This gave Mira the opportunity to really consider her relationship with Zephyr and whether something could blossom between them. 

Considering how comfortable and safe she felt with him, but also incredibly loved, maybe there could be a fruitful future between them. 

She gently squeezed his hand, absentmindedly thinking about discussing this with him later.

The others gathered at the front of the house, the moon rising to lighten the road for them. 

They each said their goodbyes to Mira, and also to Zephyr, promising to arrive early the next morning to start working on the next batch of homes. 

And so, they were off, leaving Zephyr and Mira alone.

“Shall we head inside then?” Mira asked.

“Of course, ‘Boss,’” Zephyr said, chuckling softly. She chuckled as well, leading the way inside.

“Before we go to bed, can we talk?” Mira asked as they settled by the lit fireplace in the living room.

It was the beginning of a long and heavy night, indeed.