The fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm, flickering glow that danced along the walls of the cozy room. Mira and Zephyr sat by the fire, her hands fidgeting in her lap. 

A bundle of nerves had formed deep in the pit of her stomach, which surprised her.

She had fought against Demonic Beasts and skirted death more times than she cared to remember, but this—confessing her feelings—made her heart pound more fiercely than any fight ever had.

She almost worried that Zephyr could hear it, and from the concerned look on his face, he potentially could.

"Are you feeling alright, Mira?" he asked, his voice laced with worry. "Your face appears flushed." He reached out to check her forehead for a fever.

Mira blushed harder, grabbing his hand and pulling it away. She let his hand rest in hers on her lap, absentmindedly tracing the lines on his palm in an attempt to calm her mind and her racing heart for what she was about to say. 

Zephyr smiled gently at the touch, his heart swelling with hope. He had been craving this affection, and while he knew it might be too soon for her to feel as deeply as he did, he hoped she would give him a chance to prove his love.

Gathering her courage, Mira looked up at him, staring deeply into his eyes. 

"I've thought about this a lot," she began, her voice wavering. "Our relationship, our….feelings for one another." She paused, looking away briefly to calm herself.

"What did you decide, Mira?" Zephyr asked, his grin widening slightly. He gently grasped her chin, turning her head to face him once more.

Mira's eyes widened in surprise at his boldness. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

"Um," she stammered, swallowing hard. "I…want to give us a try. I can't explain it, but you make me feel a certain way no one else ever has."

As she finished speaking, Zephyr pulled her into a tight hug, his joy overflowing. They tumbled to the floor, laughing as he landed on top of her. Mira hugged him back, savoring the moment of bliss between them.

"You have no idea how happy that made me, Mira," he said, kissing the top of her head as he rolled to the side, nestled beside her. 

Mira buried her face in his chest, her cheeks burning with embarrassment at the affectionate gesture.

"Does this mean we're officially bonded now?" she asked, looking up at him with sudden curiosity.

Zephyr smiled, "No, that won't happen until we've physically bonded as well," he said with a wink.

Mira gasped aloud, her face turning as red as a cherry. The sudden thought of his hands on her was overwhelming. She cleared her throat, struggling to maintain her composure.

"On that note, shall we head to bed now?" she chuckled dryly, avoiding his gaze as she stood up.

Zephyr laughed, a deep, rumbling sound. "You don't have to be so nervous, Mira. I promise to take this relationship at your pace, my beloved," he said, gently kissing her hand as he stood to join her.

"Thank you, Zephyr," she whispered, her heart melting at his words. Zephyr was a gorgeous man in his human form, and the intensity in his golden eyes made her feel weak as she stared deeply into them.

She was finding it increasingly difficult not to act like a fool in front of him. She wondered to herself if this was how he had felt when he realized his feelings for her. 

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she exhaled softly to center herself.

"You can use my parents' room; I doubt my brother's room would be very hospitable," Mira said with an exasperated huff.

"What do you mean?" Zephyr asked.

She led him to Alastair's room at the end of the 2nd floor hall. The door barely opened, and Mira let Zephyr peer into the room through the crack. 

Inside, piles upon piles of books littered the room, the bed barely visible.

"How did he even get in there when the door only opens this much?" Zephyr asked, genuinely curious.

"I think through the window above his bed," Mira said, holding her chin in thought. 

After a moment, they both burst into laughter at the thought of Alastair squeezing through his bedroom window just to enter his own room.

Wiping away tears of laughter, Mira walked with Zephyr to her parents' door, hesitating to open it after her grief attack earlier that night. 

Zephyr put his hand over hers, looking her straight in the eyes.

"We can do it together, if you prefer," he said.

With him by her side, Mira felt ready to take the step she needed to begin healing from her grief and look to the future.

"Let's do it. I'm ready," she said, turning the door knob with him.

This time, she didn't collapse in a sobbing mess. She looked around the room slowly, taking in every detail as she squeezed Zephyr's hand in reassurance.

"I'm okay," she whispered, mostly to herself.

Zephyr released her hand and sat on the bed, testing its firmness. "I'm not sure if I have anything to give you to wear to bed. I apologize," Mira said, looking down glumly, disappointed that she wasn't ready to host her guest.

Zephyr chuckled, "I'll be alright." To prove it, he transformed into a mini version of his dragon form. His tiny golden body curled up in the middle of the bed, one eye open to gauge Mira's reaction at this new form.

She quickly put a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp of surprise. This version of him was completely different from his impressive and imposing true form. It was just too…cute. "I just wanna squeeze him," she thought, "he's just too adorable."

Zephyr chuckled, easily reading her thoughts from her expression. "Goodnight, Mirella," he said, closing his eyes with a small smile.

"Oh, yeah, good night, Zephyr," Mira said with an embarrassed chuckle. “Sweet dreams," she concluded, closing the door behind her.

As she walked to her bedroom and shut the door, she practically jumped into bed, stuffing her face into her pillow to stifle her screams of delight at the memories of her interactions with Zephyr during the day. 

Clutching the pillow to her chest, she wore a bright, happy smile. She was looking forward to the following day immensely as she drifted off to sleep.