forbidden lovers

chapter five.

over the next few weeks, their study sessions became a regular thing. nehan found himself looking forward to them, despite erfan's grumpy demeanor. and erfan, though he'd never admit it, started to appreciate nehan's patience and dedication.

one evening, as they were wrapping up another session, erfan looked over at nehan. "you know, you're not as bad as i thought."

nehan raised an eyebrow. "thanks, i guess? you're not exactly a ray of sunshine yourself."

erfan laughed, a sound nehan realized he'd never heard before. "yeah, i guess i've been kind of a jerk."

"kind of?" nehan teased.

"okay, a lot. but you're still here, helping me. why?"

nehan paused, considering his answer. "maybe because i believe you're more than just the bully everyone thinks you are. you just need someone to see that."

a silence fell between them, heavy with unspoken thoughts. erfan looked down at his hands, then back up at nehan. "thanks, nehan. seriously."

as the weeks turned into months, their sessions continued, but they started to talk about more than just history. they talked about music, movies, their hopes and dreams. slowly, the walls erfan had built up began to crumble.

one night, after another successful session, nehan was getting ready to leave. "same time tomorrow?"

erfan nodded. "yeah, definitely." there was something different in his eyes, a softness that hadn't been there before. "hey, nehan?"

"yeah?"

"thanks for seeing me, not just the tough guy or the bully. it means a lot."

nehan smiled. "anytime, erfan. anytime."

as nehan turned to leave, erfan reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him back. without thinking, he leaned in and pressed a quick, tentative kiss to nehan's lips.

nehan's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, neither of them moved. then, slowly, nehan smiled. "what was that for?"

"just... thank you. for everything," erfan said, his voice barely a whisper.

"you're welcome," nehan replied, his smile growing wider. "you're really not as bad as everyone thinks, erfan."

"neither are you, nehan. neither are you."

and maybe, just maybe, that was the start of something more for both of them. something that went beyond history lessons and high school reputations, something that felt a lot like love.

after the awkward silence settled, nehan couldn't shake off the strange tension that had enveloped the room. erfan was sprawled on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, while nehan nervously fiddled with his notebook, unsure of how to proceed.

"so, uh, back to world war one," nehan began, trying to steer the conversation back to their original purpose. "the causes were pretty complex, involving a lot of alliances and conflicts."

erfan shifted slightly, glancing over at nehan. "yeah, yeah, alliances. like germany and austria-hungary, right?"

nehan nodded, a small smile of relief crossing his face. "exactly. the assassination of archduke franz ferdinand was the spark that ignited the war. after that, it was a domino effect of countries declaring war on each other."

"it's crazy how one event can cause so much chaos," erfan muttered, more to himself than to nehan.

"yeah, it really is," nehan agreed. "the world was a different place back then. everything was so interconnected, and yet, no one realized how fragile peace really was."

erfan's eyes softened as he looked at nehan. "you really know your stuff, don't you?"

nehan blushed, looking down at his notes. "i just find history fascinating. it's like a puzzle, figuring out how all the pieces fit together."

"i never thought of it that way," erfan admitted. "i always saw it as just dates and names to memorize."

"it's more than that," nehan said, looking up at erfan with a spark of excitement in his eyes. "it's about understanding how we got here, how every little decision and action shaped the world we live in today."

erfan was silent for a moment, contemplating nehan's words. "i guess that makes sense. maybe that's why i've been struggling. i never thought about it like that."

"well, maybe we can change that," nehan said with a hopeful smile. "let's start by looking at the causes of the war from a different perspective. think about the motivations behind each country's actions."

they spent the next hour diving deep into the intricacies of world war one, with nehan patiently explaining each concept and erfan starting to see history in a new light. as they worked through the material, nehan found himself relaxing, the earlier tension melting away.

after they finished, erfan leaned back, a satisfied look on his face. "that actually makes sense now. thanks, nehan. you're really good at this."

"glad i could help," nehan replied, feeling a warmth spread through him at erfan's words.

as nehan gathered his things to leave, erfan got up and walked him to the door. there was a moment of hesitation, a flicker of something unspoken hanging between them.

"hey, nehan," erfan said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "do you maybe want to stay for dinner? my mom's making pasta, and she always makes too much."

nehan's eyes widened in surprise. "oh, uh, i don't want to impose..."

"you're not imposing," erfan insisted, a hopeful glint in his eyes. "i mean, we've been working hard, and it's the least i can do to say thanks."

nehan hesitated, but the sincerity in erfan's eyes was hard to resist. "okay, sure. i'd like that."

erfan's face broke into a rare, genuine smile. "great. let me just tell my mom."

as nehan followed erfan into the kitchen, he couldn't help but feel that this was more than just a simple invitation to dinner. it was a step towards something new, something that went beyond tutoring sessions and history lessons. and maybe, just maybe, it was the start of a friendship – or something even deeper – that neither of them had seen coming.