"But daaaad-"

"Ruby, I said no." Marco frowned at his youngest daughter, Ruby. She had been pleading her father for a good hour to get a kitten.

And Ruby was anything but pleased by his answers.

"But I can take care of him! Oh pleaseee, pretty please with a mini me on top?" Ruby gave Marco her best look-at-me-you-know-you-can't-deny-me-when-i'm-this-cute face. Her red eyes were at the verge of tears.

Marco set his book aside and got up from the couch. He sighed and turned off the TV. "Ruby. We trusted you with a bunny once. Now that bunny's dead because you left him outside. When Carlos was going to mow the lawn. Now come on, it's late. You should be in bed."

Ruby opened her mouth to argue, but she retreated. There was no winning when it came to arguing with her dad. Instead, she ran off to her room and locked the door.

—

It was late when Tom came home. The house was dark and silent. Surely Carlos and Ruby were asleep. And Marco was probably waiting like always in their room, reading until he came home. When he walked up stairs, he heard silent sobbing coming from Ruby's room.

The door squeaked when he opened the door of her room. And there she was, hiding under the covers. She had dragged every stuff animal onto her bed. Tom was all too familiar with this. She would always hide and surround herself with her plushie friends when she was sad, and Tom would always come to comfort her.

"Hey, Rubes." Tom sat next to her, uncovering her face from her blanket. Her face was stained with tears, and her brown hair was a wreck. She must have been rolling around in her bed angrily. "What's wrong?" His voice was filled of concern. He hated seeing his kids sad.

"I'm ok." She rolled around the other way, not wanting to see his face.

"You're a bursting star of glee and imagination. You can't fool me." No response. He sighed. "You know I'm not like papa right? I hate seeing you like this. Why don't you tell me so I can make it better?"

Ruby rolled back to face him. "Papa said I can't have a kitty. Amanda at school got two and it's like papa doesn't trust me…I promised I'd be much more responsible but…" Her eyes filled with tears.

"Look," Tom rubbed her messy, chocolate colored hair back. "How about I talk to papa in the morning, ok? I'll see what I can do."

Ruby's eyes lit up. "R-really?" She stuttered.

"Really. Now go to sleep, it's late." He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, and headed for the door.

"D-dad?" Ruby called in a low voice. Tom looked back curiously. "I love you."

Tom smiled. "I love you too, my precious little rose."

—

"Tom!" Ruby walked down stairs, where she heard her papa yelling at Tom.

First she saw Carlos, rubbing one of his own horns as he stared at whatever Tom was holding. "Seriously?" He said. "She already had a bunny."

Ruby curiously walked around Carlos and Marco to see what Tom was holding. She gasped and her eyes lit up.

In Tom's hands was a black kitten, with two plush pink eyes. The colors were surprisingly bright for a cat. Ruby quickly ran to him and gave him a tight hug. "Ah, thank you, thank you!"

"Tom, you shouldn't have. I don't think she's ready for a pet. You know how it ended with the last pet she had." Marco crossed his arms, displeased.

"I know, that's why I got her a magic cat. It's from my dimension. It'd take a nuclear explosion to kill this little rascal." Tom hugged Ruby back. "And how could I say no to my crying gem?"

Ruby parted from the hug and watched as the cat crawled out of Tom's grasp. It purred against her legs, and she giggled in response.

"It is kinda cute, dad." Carlos admitted to Marco as he leaned down to pet the new creature. It's fur was soft and fluffy.

Marco sighed, but smiled as Ruby leaned down too, taking the kitten into her arms. "Fine. But if this one dies, we are not getting a new one. I'll trust you with this responsibility, ok Ruby?"

Ruby nodded happily. "Yes, papa."

Carlos rubber the back of the kitten's ear. "What are you gonna name him?"

"Her." Tom corrected as he frowned. "As if I'd ever let some male creature watch my daughter at night." Tom glanced a Marco who was clearly trying not to laugh. "That applies to cats."

Ruby giggled. "Mmm…Oh, how about Skittles?"

"Why would you name her 'Skittles'?" Carlos questioned.

"Because I really want Skittles right now. ONWARD, SKITTLES!" Ruby held Skittles up and raced to the kitchen.

—

Tom crawled into the bed next to Marco, yawning. It was late again, and Marco of course had stayed up until he got home.

Marco set his book aside and looked at Tom. "You know, maybe I was wrong. I should've trusted Ruby like you did. You really made her day today."

"I know. I can't stand seeing that kid cry." Tom brushed a kiss on Marco's cheek before he laid down. Marco followed suit.

"I really love you. I couldn't have fallen for someone better."

"Neither could I." Tom smiled as he drifted to sleep.