Chapter Text
"Out," Rick ordered as he heard the garage door open. There was no reply for a moment's time, but he still knew whoever came in didn't exit.
"It's just m-me, Rick." It was Morty. That squeaky, pubescent voice was indistinguishable. His grandfather didn't make eye contact, he just continued working on whatever he happened to be working on. Morty swallowed uncomfortably, trying to swallow past the painful lump in his throat. He could hardly get his words out. He was scared to say such a simple thing to Rick, yet it really wasn't all that simple in his mind.
"U-uh, Mum told me that y-y-you might w-wanna hear something? Like, I know y-y-you probably don't care, that's what I told her. But... U-uh, I wanted y-you to meet someone. They're very special t-t-to me..." Morty was talking fast, obviously anxious about something. He was stuttering more than usual, almost falling at every syllable.
Rick sighed, dropping his 'alien' screwdriver to the side. "It better not be some low-life girl you found on the stre-EEUGh-ets, Morty." He spun around in his seat before his face fell from what could only be described as shock as his eyes met with the person next to his grandson.
It's been awhile since something has actually surprised him. Everything was so predictable. He had basically already seen everything the universe had to offer, but this was different. Not only did it shock him, it also pulled at his heartstrings, a thing that he found very surprising that he even had after all the death he'd witnessed. It was a wake-up call, in a way. It especially woke him up about Morty, though.
Next to Morty stood a boy. He looked the same age as Morty and around the same height. He had lightly tanned skin, amber eyes and curly, short, dark brown hair. Sitting on the bridge of his nose was a pair of glasses; hipster glasses. There was a single streak of blonde hair just near the center of his scalp. Honestly, he was pretty as fuck. But there was something about him that was nostalgic and making Rick's old heart ache.
He stared at the boy, speechless. Then he realised how the two boy's hands were intertwined.
"Grandpa Rick, this is D-Dante. My... B-boyfriend."
Rick felt like crying, it was the most foreign feeling he'd felt in his entire life.
"Rick? Oh, G-God. I-I-I knew this would h-happen..." Morty sounded distressed; upset. He put his free hand to his face, pulling at his hair in a random anger spurt. He had a feeling his grandfather would be unsupportive of his relationship, he fucking knew it. He really just wanted to know why his mother was so insistent that he had to tell Rick in the first place. "Let's just go, Dante--"
"Morty!"
Morty stopped, looking back at his grandfather, his hand still in Dante's.
Rick was out of his chair, tears just starting to form in his weary eyes.
"He looks..." Rick smiled, giving a half-suppressed laugh. "He looks almost ex-aa-ctly like my first b-boyfriend." A single tear ran down his cheek, happy memories filling his mind, finally something other than the hell of a life he's had to live. He felt like breaking down and sobbing because he hadn't thought about him in ages. It felt like he had recovered a missing piece of a puzzle; said puzzle being his mind.
Morty was frozen in place, confusion swooping him. "Y-y-your boyfriend?"
Rick, strange as it is, chuckled under his breath. He had completely lost his facade. "Yeah. Y-y-you know, I used to be a teenager, too. Su-rrr-prising, I know." He gave Dante another look over, smiling again. "His name was Orion. He was from Cuba. I loved him. We were going to be t-t-ogether forever, but... His father b-eee-at him to death only hours after we came out to him."
Morty was stumbling for words, stuttering like a madman. "Oo-ooh I'm s-ssorry R-Rick, oh, jeez."
Rick took a step back and hopped back on his chair. "D-d-don't you worry about your grandpa, just enjoy Dante."
The young boy smiled and nodded, about to leave the garage.
"One m-mmore thing, Morty."
"Y-yeah?"
"I'm proud of you, kid."
Morty felt his heart skip a beat. "T-thanks, Rick."