I wake up with the sound of Olivia's voice, too loud to be ignored.
"Daddy? I'm hungry!" She shakes me from the shoulders with some struggle, falling right on my chest and waking Ben as well; he looks at me with a confused, sleepy face.
"Liv, go wait downstairs. I'll be there in a minute." I mumble, with my eyes still closed.
She runs downstairs, giggling loudly.
I check my phone with a yawn.
How can she be so energic? It's just... 11 am???
"Shit! Fuck." I get up quickly, grabbing the same clothes as yesterday and my work bag, as i put on my shoes.
"Why did we sleep so much??? I set an alarm for 8 am, why didn't I hear it?? Oh my god they're gonna fire me."
"Joe-"
"No! I'm gonna get fired and we're gonna have to live in the streets, and-"
"Joe!!"
"What???"
"Please... calm down. You have the afternoon shift today." He rubs his head slowly, looking like he's about to explode.
I look at him with a hysterical expression and I sigh, letting myself fall back on the bed.
"I'm sorry if I yelled at you... Let's have breakfast." I tend my hand in his direction and he takes it gladly, intertwining our fingers with a sweet smile on his face.
I smile back and we go together in the kitchen.
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"Daddy, i dropped some juice... Sorry." says Olivia as soon as we get there, looking down at her hands with guilt.
"Don't worry dear it's okay, sit down with Ben."
I ruffle her ginger hair, cleaning up the juice stain from the floor, then grabbing her favourite cereal box and two eggs for me and Ben, heating some coffee as well.
"What is that brown thing?"
"It's coffee, I'm sure you don't like it sweetie."
"I wanna try it!" She says, coming near to me. I take a small spoon, filling it with coffee and giving it to her.
As she tastes it, she makes a grimace, shaking her head repeadetly and squinting her eyes.
"Bitter, huh?"
She nods and I give her some juice, laughing.
"You're adorable, little frog."
I kiss her forehead, putting all the things I made on the table and sitting down. Ben looks at me with a wide smile, biting his lip as I blush, looking away.
Olivia looks at us in confusion, eating silently.
"Dad?"
"Yes, Liv?"
"Are you and daddy in love?"
I look at her, raising my eyebrows, then realizing she's talking to Ben.
He starts choking on his coffee and I pat his back gently, blushing harder and harder.
"We- We're uh... good friends, that's it." I say, stuttering a lot and biting my lip, as Ben keeps coughing and I rub his back.
"My mommy told me that some dads can have a boyfriend, just like some moms can have a girlfriend." She looks at us with a curious expression, smiling innocently.
"It's true, but... uh, we're not... I mean, we're friends."
I say, looking down the whole time, only realizing in that moment that Ben is holding my hand from under the table.
"Okay!" She finishes her cereals and juice, quietly playing with one of her dolls.
We look at each other and I suddenly feel shivers in my whole body, while I stare at his deep, green irises, noticing every single shade and sprinkle they have.
He's surely more than a friend to me.