(Suggested by @smallsdechokabo )

"You can't tell me what I can and can't do!" Ruby yelled.

"R-Ruby," Tyler said softly. "I-I'm not doing this to mean, I'm doing this to keep you safe. You aren't going to go to that party. T-there are kids there who drink and smoke and do all kinds of stuff that you have no business being part of."

"I'm 16!" Ruby yelled. "I can do whatever the fuck I want!"

"P-please don't use that language," Tyler said quietly, looking down at his feet.

"What language?! Fuck?! Well, dad, here's one for you: fuck you," she said before turning and going to her room.

Tyler sighed, burying his face in his hands.

He hated being yelled at and he hated yelling. So he just kind of stood there and took it from Ruby.

He felt something in his gut tell him to go look through her car. So he did, and he found several joints in it.

He knocked on the door to her room. "Ruby? W-we need to talk."

No answer.

"Ruby Lane Dun, I-I need to speak to you."

Quiet.

"Ruby, either you open the door or I'm taking your keys for a week," Tyler said.

Ruby opened the door, taking the joint from her mouth and blowing the smoke in Tyler's face.

"Where are you getting the joints?" Tyler asked.

"Why? You want some?"

"Ruby, listen to me. Where are you getting the joints? Who are you getting them from?"

"I'm not a fucking snitch like you were in high school."

"Please watch your language," Tyler said softly.

"I'll say whatever the fuck I want whenever the fuck I want."

"Ruby..."

"What the fuck do you want?" Ruby asked. "If I tell you where I'm getting the joints will you let me skip your usual shitty parenting talk?"

"I-I think they're helpful," Tyler said quietly. "T-they can be really helpful."

Ruby laughed. "You don't get it. You really don't fucking get it. You're completely unaware that you're single handedly the worst fucking parent to ever be put on this earth. You'd be better off if you just left."

"I-I t-try my best," Tyler said, tears in his eyes. "I-I try really hard to be a good parent."

Ruby rolled her eyes, slamming the door in his face and locking it.

Tyler went to the living room and called Josh.

"J-Josh?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"I-i need to stay in a hotel."

"What? Baby, why? Are you hurt? Are you in danger?"

"N-no," Tyler said. "J-just... just Ruby said I-I'm the worst parent of all time a-and said I'd be a better parent i-if I just left."

"What?!"

"I-I just thought I'd let you know s-so you wouldn't get worried when you got home and I wasn't here."

"You're not staying in a hotel, Tyler. You and me and Ruby are going to have a serious talk when I get home. She's out of control now."

"I-I need to stay in a hotel, Josh," Tyler sniffled. "I-I can't take being yelled at again."

Josh sighed. "Okay, baby," he said softly. "You find a hotel and I'm going to figure this whole Ruby thing out."

"O-ok."

"I love you," Josh said.

"I-I Love you too."

***

"Ruby!" Josh yelled as he walked in the house. "Ruby Lane Dun, get down here now!"

Ruby always listened to Josh more than Tyler. She actually came downstairs eventually.

"What makes you think you can talk to Tyler that way?" He asked.

Tyler had told him everything Ruby had said, and he was furious about it.

"Not my fault he's a shitty parent," Ruby shrugged. "He deserves it."

"He stays up all night every night worrying about you! He buys you shit you sure as hell don't deserve! You tell him you hate him, he says he still loves you! And what do you do?! You blow weed in his face! You tell him to go fuck himself! You tell him he's the worst parent you could have ever gotten!" Josh yelled. "Guess what, Ruby! You're the reason he cries every night! You're the reason he's having to go to therapy twice a week! You're the reason he fucking hates himself! You're the reason he and I's relationship is falling apart!"

Ruby was quiet.

"All damn day long, you say you're an adult," Josh said quietly. "It's time you clean up your act and act like one."

"Y-you guys aren't getting along because of me?" She asked quietly.

"We haven't gotten to talk about ourselves in MONTHS! It's always 'I got a call from Ruby's school because she did this' and 'I got a call from Ruby's school because she did that.' Talking about each other is important to us, and you're taking it away from us! Maybe if you'd put the joint down and start not telling your father who CRIES over what you tell him every night to go fuck himself, we'd all be just a bit happier."

***

Two days later, Tyler came home.

He immediately went to his and Josh's room, sitting in bed and thinking.

There was a knock, and Ruby came in.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hi," Tyler mumbled.

"Do you wanna maybe go out for dinner?" She asked. "Just you and me?"

Tyler didn't want to. He figured Ruby would make a scene at the restaurant for some reason, but he nodded.

"Okay," he said quietly.

Ruby nodded. "I threw out the joints," she mumbled as she picked at the nail polish on her nails. "And deleted my dealer's number."

Tyler looked up. "T-that's good. I-I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks," Ruby said.

"R-really," Tyler said. "I'm very proud of you."

Ruby nodded.

"I'm gonna go get ready," she said.

"Okay," Tyler said. "Bye."

"Bye."

***

Tyler and Ruby went to dinner together, eating as they talked.

"I-I um... dad said I upset you," she said softly.

"Your actions and words upset me sometimes," Tyler said. "I-it makes me sad."

"I'm sorry," Ruby said.

Tyler nodded.

"I-I really am," she said. "I didn't know it was effecting you that much. A-and even if it wasn't, I-I still don't have any business talking to you like that."

Tyler was shocked Ruby was saying this.

"I-I appreciate your apology," Tyler said.

Ruby nodded.

"Do you still love me?" She asked a few minutes later.

"How could I ever not love you?"

"I-I've said so many mean things to you," Ruby said. "A-and have done so many bad things."

"There hasn't been a moment, since the day we got you when you were 2, that I haven't loved you," Tyler said.

Ruby nodded. "Okay."

"So yes," Tyler said with a soft, shy smile. "I do love you."

"I-I Love you too," Ruby said. "B-but I don't think dad loves me."

"He loves you," Tyler assured her. "He just... h-he gets really defensive over me a-and my emotions because o-" Tyler stopped himself. "Because of something."

"Because of what?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing," Tyler replied.

"You can tell me, dad."

"I-I... I don't know how to tell you, Ruby."

"Just tell me," Ruby said. "I won't judge. I promise."

Tyler shook his head, running his fingers over the scars on his wrist. "I-I'll Tell you some other day."

Ruby nodded, not pushing Tyler to talk about it.

But Joshua was protective over Tyler because of his past battles with depression. He did everything he could to keep Tyler from spiraling downwards again.

"D-Do you want dessert?" Tyler asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Sure," Ruby said.

They split dessert then headed back home.

"Thanks for dinner," Ruby said as they walked inside.

"Thanks for inviting me," Tyler said. "I-I'm gonna go to bed. Goodnight. I love you."

He turned to go to his bedroom before ruby hugged him tightly.

He and Ruby hadn't hugged in weeks.

Tyler quickly hugged her back.

"I love you too," she promised.

And she meant it.