Beyond the game

The room was warm, bathed in the soft glow of candlelight. The laughter from earlier in the evening had faded into a more comfortable silence. Yuzarsif and Azra sat on opposite ends of the room, exchanging knowing glances. They had been holding onto this secret for long enough, and it was time to finally acknowledge what everyone already suspected.

Yuzarsif turned to Azra, offering her a reassuring smile. "There's something we should tell you all," he said, breaking the quiet.

Azra's heart fluttered, but she steadied herself. She had no doubt about their friends' reactions, but still, saying the words aloud felt monumental.

Yuzarsif stood up, gathering everyone's attention. His voice was calm but firm as he addressed Malik, Jafar, and Rahma, who were sitting around the room, listening closely.

"We've been seeing each other for a while now," Yuzarsif began, his gaze meeting Azra's for a brief moment. "Azra and I... we're together."

Malik, Jafar, and Rahma exchanged glances, but there was no shock, no surprise in their expressions. Instead, there was a quiet understanding, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Rahma smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. "We already knew," she said with a laugh, leaning back in her chair. "You two don't exactly have the best poker faces. It was pretty obvious."

Jafar grinned, giving Yuzarsif a small nod. "Yeah, we figured it out a while ago. We were just waiting for you to admit it."

Malik chuckled, shaking his head. "You two have been walking around like everyone didn't already see it coming. It was about time you came clean."

Azra's cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and relief. "So, you all knew?" she asked, half-amused.

"Of course," Rahma replied. "You're my best friend, Azra. I know you better than anyone. I've seen the way you look at him. And Yuzarsif, you've had that 'love-struck' look for weeks."

Yuzarsif laughed, his face turning slightly pink. "I guess we weren't as subtle as we thought."

"You weren't," Malik said, grinning. "But hey, if you're happy, then that's all that matters."

Azra glanced at Yuzarsif, her heart warming. "We didn't want to make it awkward," she said quietly. "But it felt like it was time to share it with all of you."

"We're happy for you both," Jafar said, his tone genuine. "It's clear that you care about each other. We just wanted you to say it for yourselves."

"Thank you," Yuzarsif said, his voice soft but filled with gratitude. "We appreciate that you've been so patient with us."

Rahma gave Azra a playful wink. "Now that it's out in the open, you two can stop pretending you're just friends."

Azra laughed, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. "I guess it's time for that," she said, glancing at Yuzarsif, who gave her a smile in return.

"So," Malik said, leaning forward with interest, "what's next for you two? Are we expecting some big announcement, or should we just expect you to show up to dinner together like it's no big deal?"

Yuzarsif and Azra exchanged a look, both of them clearly at ease now. "No big announcement," Azra said with a small laugh. "We're just... taking things one step at a time."

Jafar nodded. "That's the way to go. No need to rush anything."

Azra smiled gratefully at her friends. "We're lucky to have people who support us, even when we don't have everything figured out yet."

Malik raised his glass in a toast. "To you both. May you have many happy moments ahead."

The group clinked their glasses together, the mood lighter than it had been at the start of the evening. The weight of the unspoken truth had been lifted, and now, with their friends' approval, Yuzarsif and Azra could move forward with their relationship openly.

As the evening wore on and the group shared more laughter and conversation, Azra and Yuzarsif found themselves side by side, a quiet understanding between them. The bond they had always shared had now grown stronger, no longer hidden, but out in the open for all to see.

And, as they sat there, surrounded by their closest friends, they both knew that this was just the beginning of something beautiful.

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