Marked By My Best Friend's Dad

044

~ Iris

Sunlight filtered through the blinds, soft and golden, waking me slowly. Ky was already up, perched on the edge of the bed, her hoodie pulled over a tank top, hair messy but effortlessly beautiful. She glanced at me, smirking slightly.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” she teased.

I groaned, stretching. “Morning,” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “You’ve been up for a while?”

Ky nodded, tossing her phone onto the bed beside her. “I couldn’t sleep. You looked… exhausted. So I stayed up.”

Something warm bloomed in my chest. I pushed myself up, swinging my legs over the bed. “You’re too good to me.”

She grinned. “I’m aware.”

I moved toward the bathroom, water running through my mind like a prelude to clarity, and she followed, stepping in just as I reached the door. I turned to face her, close enough that there was no space left between us, and let my eyes linger.

“What?” she teased, a playful smirk tugging at her lips as she leaned in slightly.

I held her gaze for a moment longer, letting the silence stretch just enough to make her raise an eyebrow.

“You’re staring,” she said, mock-offended, though her tone didn’t hide the small tremor of amusement.

“I’m… thinking,” I muttered, trying to sound casual but failing spectacularly. My heart thudded against my ribs.

“About what?” she asked, stepping even closer, her warmth brushing against me.

“About how annoying you are,” I said, though my voice wavered. “And… maybe about how distracting.”

Her smirk widened, eyes glinting. “Distracting, huh? That’s new.”

I exhaled slowly, letting some of my tension go. “Yeah, well… you know, you have a way of making everything else fade out.”

Ky tilted her head, studying me like she was figuring out a puzzle she secretly wanted to solve. Then, lightly, she reached out, resting her hand on my waist. “Hmm… I think I could get used to that,” she said softly, her thumb brushing just enough to make me shiver.

I swallowed, my voice lower now. “You’re impossible.”

She's really impossible, I have a girlfriend.

She laughed quietly, leaning just a little closer. “Maybe… but you like it.”

I wanted to argue, wanted to claim it wasn’t true.but the truth hit me in a wave too strong to fight. I didn’t want to argue. Not with her. Not now.

Ky’s smile softened,” Go shower.”

30 mins later, we moved to get ready. I pulled out a soft, oversized sweater from my drawer and paired it with black skinny jeans, slipping into my worn sneakers. Ky chose a casual but stylish outfit: fitted jeans, a loose white tee, and a cropped hoodie. Her hair she tucked behind one ear, letting a few strands fall naturally.

We shared a quick laugh as we brushed our teeth side by side, the mundane routine feeling comforting. Then came the mirror moment. Ky leaned against the wall, her hands finding my waist from behind, her chin resting lightly on my shoulder.

“You look… perfect,” she murmured, tilting my chin slightly so I could see myself in the mirror. Her eyes held warmth, admiration, something tender I hadn’t fully let myself feel in weeks.

I smiled, my cheeks warming. “You always know what to say.”

Her lips brushed my temple softly. “Not everything’s about words, Iris. Sometimes it’s just… presence.”

I rested my head against hers for a moment, letting the quiet confidence of her touch ground me. It felt like safety incarnate, steady and unshakable.

Finally, we grabbed our bags and stepped out into the crisp morning air. The dorm was quiet, most students already out. Hand in hand, we walked to the campus cafe, the world slowly waking around us. Birds chirped lazily, and the occasional student zipped by on bikes or in pairs, but it all felt distant, irrelevant to us.

Once we were seated, I pulled out my phone.

“Text Alice?” Ky asked softly.

I nodded, tapping out a message: Hey, meet us at the cafe if you can. Coffee’s waiting.

A few minutes later, Alice walked in, hair perfectly done as usual, carrying herself with that effortless grace she always had. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and before I could stand, she closed the distance, pressing her lips to mine in a quick, warm kiss.

“Morning,” she said softly, smiling.

“Morning,” I replied.

We ordered our drinks,Ky sticking with her usual black coffee, Alice with a latte, and I opted for a chai latte,and settled into a corner table.

“After we ordered, Alice leaned back, sighing lightly. “Iris… Eunice… she… she threatened me last night.” Her voice was quiet, almost brittle.

I raised an eyebrow. “Threatened you?”

“Yeah,” Alice said, fiddling with her coffee cup. “She said that if I ever try to interrupt her in the pack meeting, she's gonna tell everyone I'm a f*****g lesbian. That I'm dating you.”

I shook my head slowly, smirking a little.

“Honestly, Alice… she’s probably just jealous that I don’t get to f**k her. That’s it. She’s obsessed with attention, not with reality. Besides, she's a lesbian too.

”

Ky snorted softly beside me. “Bold,” she murmured, eyes twinkling.

I shrugged. “I’m just being honest. Eunice thrives on drama and control. I don’t give her either, so she has to lash out somehow.”

Alice laughed, a little lighter now, shaking her head. “You’re probably right. She can’t handle that we’re… normal. That we’re happy together.”

“And you don’t care,” I added, glancing at Alice.

“That’s what she hates most. We’re not playing her game.”

Alice reached across the table, taking my hand. “Exactly. We’re fine. Let her stew.”

Ky covered our joined hands with hers, warmth grounding us all. “Let her try. We’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

I smiled quietly, sipping my chai latte, letting the normalcy of the moment wash over me. Alice was here, Ky was here, and Eunice’s shadow felt… smaller somehow.

As we finished our drinks and laughed about small campus gossip, I couldn’t help but think about Ky. Even as Alice joked about our “unstoppable trio,” part of me lingered on Ky, on her steady presence, her warmth, the way she made everything feel safe.

Especially this morning..

I knew I had feelings for Ky… a little. Even though Alice thought we were the perfect team, I couldn’t ignore the tug in my chest whenever I looked at her.

I took a slow breath, letting it out quietly. For now, I kept that thought to myself. But deep down, I knew it was real.