The next morning, Ruby hopped out of her big girl bed that she had just gotten and waddled our of her room in hopes to find the weirdo with blue hair who she enjoyed talking to last night.
She eventually found him in the kitchen, going up to him and tugging on the bottom of his shirt.
"Oh," he said with a smile. "Hi, Ruby. What's up?"
"RuRu think of 'nother princess," she informed him.
"Really? Who?" He asked.
"THE LITTLE MERMAID."
"Ohhhh, yeah! Her name is Ariel, isn't it?"
"MHM."
"Do you like her?"
"MHM."
"What color does she wear?
"She part fish," Ruby said.
Josh laughed because that in no way answered his question, but he continued with it. "Yeah. That's kinda cool, right?"
"Mhm."
"Do you like her hair? It's really red."
"YEAH!"
"I like her hair too," Josh smiled.
"What're ya doin'?" She asked.
"I'm making pancakes for you and TyTy. Does that sound yummy?"
"Mhm."
"Cool," Josh said.
"Can you put RuRu up there?" She asked, pointing to the counter.
Josh nodded, picking her up and setting her next to him. That was the first time he'd ever held Ruby.
"You should invite daddy to sleep with you," Ruby said. "He always looks cold when he's sleepin'."
"He doesn't want to sleep with me," Josh said quietly.
"Wha?? Why not???"
"I Uh... let him tell you."
"Have you ever had smecks with TyTy?"
Josh choked on the coffee he was drinking. "W-what?"
"Smecks. Where one person's booty ge-"
Josh was quiet. He wasn't really sure what to say. Yes, he had. Before the drugs and everything, sex was the favorite thing he and Tyler did for both of them. The last time they had it was on the distaste's honeymoon, after three years of having never done it, and then everything fell apart again.
"H-he'll answer that, too."
"Are you my dad?"
"Um... technically, y-yes."
"B-but if you're my dad, where have ya been?"
"U-um... f-for a long time, I-I wasn't really being a very good person. I-I did a lot of stuff t-that I shouldn't have done, e-especially because it hurt TyTy. S-so instead of me adding stress onto his life, when you came, I-I left. I-I went and got help a-and I'm better now."
"B-but why don't you ever come to my dance classes? O-or read with me o-or take me out for ice cream?"
"I guess... I guess I didn't really think you wanted me t-to do that for you. Y-you didn't seem like you liked me all that much."
"But now I know that you're my daddy. I automatically love you if you're my daddy," Ruby said.
Josh smiled shyly.
"You should come to my dance class today."
"I-I think I will," Josh smiled.
"TyTy's gonna come too. You should take him out on a date sometime. He really likes those."
"I-I know, j-just... h-he doesn't really like being alone with me right now. S-so it's hard to go on a date."
"Ima talk to him," Ruby said. "He still really likes you. Yesterday, he kept sayin' you were all dreamy and stuff and that it was like he was 20 again."
It was true. Eight years ago, every moment was like Josh and Tyler's romantic night last night.
"Y-yeah," Josh said. "I-I'm gonna try to do more stuff like that for him."
"You should," Ruby said. "Because he likes ya a lot. He just gets really sad when you're sad."
"I-I know," Josh sighed. "I'm trying to be happier and let him do things for me. But that's not your problem. You just worry about princesses and dance and kitties. I'll worry about TyTy."
"But he's my best fren," Ruby said. "And my daddy. I've gotta worry about him."
"Well," Josh said. "Just... just don't worry about him and I, Okay? We're gonna be real good real soon."
Just then, Tyler walked out of Ruby's room with an adorably sleepy yawn.
"Daddy!!!!" Ruby yelled, Josh helping her off the counter so she could waddle up to Tyler and hug him.
"Hey, princess," he said sleepily. "Morning, Joshua."
"H-hey, Tyler," Josh smiled.
Tyler walked over to him, kissing his cheek and whispering in his ear. "You can call me 'baby,' baby."
Josh smiled widely, looking into Tyler's eyes before kissing him deeply. Tyler's eyes widened as he giggled, kissing Josh back.
And for the first time, Ruby didn't smack Josh for kissing him. She instead just hugged both boys' legs.
She had two daddies and they seemed to be getting along. Everyone's day was off to a great start.
