Ruby ~Joshler~

1.6

"Welcome home." Josh smiled as he unlocked the front door and everyone stepped inside. 

Ruby giggled loudly. "Dada, it's dark." Their plane had landed at 10:30 and it was a thirty minute ride home, so it was pretty late now. Josh couldn't believe Ruby was still wide awake. 

"Yep," Josh was the last to walk in and switch on the lights. Tyler flinched as his eyes tried to adjust. "And it is your bedtime missy." 

Ruby's face fell. "But I don't wanna!" 

"Sorry baby, but you need your rest." Josh approached his daughter and scooped her into his arms. 

Tyler smiled and walked beside them. "Yeah, don't you want to grow big and strong?" 

"I wanna be princess!" Ruby declared, throwing her hands into the air. It was the cutest thing Tyler had ever seen. 

"Well, even princess's need their sleep." Tyler added, following Josh into her room. 

"Are you sure? Are you lyin to me Tyla?" She put her hands on her hips after Josh put her into her crib. Tyler shook his head. 

"Maybe this weekend, we'll go and get you a big kid bed." 

Ruby's eyes lit up. "Rweally!?" Tyler couldn't hold back his face-splitting grin as he stood in the doorway. 

Josh nodded, tucking her into her blankets and placing her favorite stuffed animal beside her. "You're getting too big for your crib." 

"Yay!" 

"But you need to go to sleep now and be good tomorrow, okay?" Ruby nodded with a smile. "No more crying?" Hearing that broke Tyler's heart for the girl. She had really been through so much for her age. 

"Yep. No more crying." 

"Good." Josh leaned down and kissed the small girl on her forehead. "You're my brave girl." Ruby hummed and opened her mouth wide to let out a big yawn, her small fists rubbed her eyes slowly. "Goodnight Ruby." 

"Night night dada." She rolled onto her side. "Night night Tyla." 

Tyler chuckled quietly. "Goodnight Ruby." He whispered. 

Josh switched her light off and exited her room with Tyler, quietly and carefully shutting her door behind him. They both walked out into the living room. There was an awkward silence that fell between the two. Neither really knew how to break it. 

Josh cleared his throat. "So." 

Tyler smiled. "So?" 

"I, uh-do you wanna, um so, er- I mean, are gonna, or do you wanna call it a night?" 

Tyler had to stifle back a laugh. "I mean, yeah. Unless you wanna do something?" 

Josh's cheeks turned pink as he swallowed a lump in his throat. "Uh, do something?" 

The smaller male fell backwards onto the couch. "Yeah, like watch TV or something." Tyler gestured to the TV on the other side of the room. 

"Oh." Josh laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, no, I'm kinda tired from all the traveling, so I was thinking about getting some rest." 

Tyler's face fell, but only for a second. "Yeah, of course, I should do the same." He stood and shoved his hands into pockets. 

"Rain check though." Josh smiled. 

Tyler response was rolling his eyes. "It's just watching TV Josh." 

The taller male raised his eyebrows as a sign of warning. "Rain check." Tyler shook his head and they both laughed quietly. "Good night Tyler." 

"Night Josh." He watched as the curly-haired man disappeared into the darkness of his room and sighed. He stood for a few moments in the dark before going into the bathroom. He winced as he turned the light on. 

Tyler bent down and turned on the cold water, dipping his hands in and splashing his face. He gasped lightly, then stood up to look at himself in the mirror. 

As he looked, he didn't see himself. He saw a man with a wet face, with no job, or anywhere to live. He was living off Josh. He was a husk of a man. 

xoxo