Work Text:
Citadel, 2:14 pm
It was one of those days that the Morty's are exceptionally happy, graduation was just a hop away and everyone can't contain their excitement. Even their Teacher Rick was, in his own way, celebrating.
He tries to tell himself that he was celebrating because the little shits are finally out of his hair but he would be lying to himself if he said he didn't feel the tiniest amount of pride.
Just the tiniest.
So today he decided, that fuck it, let the Morty's have their fun. No more classes, not that they had any real helpful ones, and he let them talk amongst themselves a few hours before dismissal as he finished pairing up a few more Mortys and Ricks.
Pairing up was never a problem. He always quite find it amusing, or at the most times, make it amusing by creating the most ridiculous pair he could. One time, he paired a Rick and Morty who almost brought the Citadel down with their fights. Jeez, talk about match made in hell.
But of course, he isn't always an asshole- contrary to what most people think (even if said people are mostly variations of himself who are also assholes). Like right now as he paired up Lizard Morty, the poor little bastard, and Lizard Rick together. Poor kid was already suffering from too much self-esteem issues. He'd learn a hell lot about it from Lizard Rick.
Jesus Christ he was so good at this. Rick smiled as he mentally patted himself at the back. Good work deserves good beer after all and he could not wait to get his hands on his newly obtained exotic alien beer sitting in his fridge.
"R-rrr ick"
And there goes that smile on his face. He looked up from his desk and searched the room for a certain not-morty. He quickly found him on the back corner of the classroom sitting peacefully amid the. growing chaos of the Mortys.
Rick sighed as he closed his folder and pulled himself up. Slow Rick-err Tall Morty has always been quiet, especially in crowded places, and he would not have heard him without the help of his mechanically adjusted hearing especially made for Slow Rick-
No-you made it to show your greatness. He reminded himself as he made his way around the room. A frown settled its way on his face because he did NOT make the volume modifier just for the dumbass Rick.
That would be too Morty of him
When he finally reached the poor guy, he crouched down to his level and leveled him with a bored stare. The stare that he has perfected ever since he started working here. A stare so good you could barely see the masked fondness within him. "Yes, Tall Morty?"
The poor guy tilted his head to the side with pure innocence, "D-do I have- I get a R-rrrr ick now?"
His stutter is worse today, Teacher Rick noted. Its probably from the too much noise of the kids around them, he concluded. With a sigh and a barely concealed curse because God damn it he forgot about Slow Rick, He finally sighed again,
"Yea, I'm still working on it. But yes, rest assure. You will graduate" He said while taking off his noise reducing headset. He placed it on the desk in the most nonchalant manner he can.
Slow Rick barely smile but today he smiled that rare shy one he only ever make on special occasions. Something inside Teacher Rick twitched and he hoped for the life of him that it was a basteria, or a worm, or anything. As long as its not his god damned melting fucking heart. He wasn't able to stop himself from saying his next words.
"Any recommendations on who you wanna end up as a Rick buddy?" he asked softly. Too soft, he thought. His face paled for a moment and he looked around checking if anyone was listening. When he was sure no one was, he looked back to see him holding a hand to his chin in thought.
"C-can I h-h-have yo-u?"
If Teacher Rick had been drinking he would have been choking right now. Fondness crept over his entire being and he quickly stood up in panic, dusting imaginary soot from his clothes.
"Good fucking luck with that. But sure, keep dreaming kid" He hastily said with false venom as he turned to leave him. Of course, not without pushing the headset closer to Slow Rick.
He would lie about misplacing it later to himself
He went back straight to his desk, a headache already forming from all the noise, and continued on working on his pairings.
Have him as his Rick? Pffft, keep dreaming. No morty can ever want him to have one, and specially not a Rick. And a slow one at that.
He scoffed to himself and force back the tightness in his chest. He's Rick fucking Sanchez. He doesn't care about anyone
-
Citadel, 3:05 pm
The classes were finally dismissed and he watched them all filled out of the classroom with a resting frown. Soon enough, it was only him alone in the room-
"ACHOOO"
Well, him and his other self
It was this some sort of arrangement. Well, not arrangement really but more of routine. It happened months before when he was returning for his forgotten suitcase when he caught a bunch of no good Mortys bullying Slow Rick
With his pride and ego, he couldn't just leave the Rick alone and even had the Mortys expelled and thrown out the Citadel (he made sure of that) and starting from then on, he never let Slow Rick go back to his dorm room without him.
What he didn't know was that an act of unexpected kindness from him will change his feelings and resolve for the other.
The first few weeks to months was strictly business. Wait for Teacher Rick to finish what he has to do, then walk together to the dorms. Simple, straight, no strings attached.
Until there was.
They were on their walk back to the dorms when a nearby Morty dropped a vase, the sound echoing around the floor. It was too sudden, he didn't even know it was happening until Slow Rick was already clutching on his robes, knealing on the floor, crying and wheezing- unable to breathe.
His heart stopped in a second and just like instinct, something in him suddenly turned on. He was on his kneas, pulling the much shorter Rick on his lap and soothing him with gentle words and caressing rubs on the back.
He shushed and hummed at him until the breathing came back to normal and Slow Rick layed sleeping on his lap. Head to his shoulder and hands tightly grasping his robes.
The feelings he had to sort out after that was a fucking nightmare to say the least.
He carried Slow Rick all the way to his dorm room before going back to reprimand the three Mortys who watched them that if they as much as breath about what happened on that floor to other Mortys, they would never find themselves a Rick.
But their dynamic quickly changed after that. Slow Rick started being more talkative around him and started getting more touchy and always opting to hold his robes or, on some courageous moments, his hand.
A few more days after that and they stopped going straight on the dorm room and suddenly having impromptu dates-visits around the Citadel.
And boy was Teacher Rick one whipped son of a bitch. On all the times he could have said no, just one soft broken look and watch him ready to do the other Rick's every command.
An embarrassing thing to watch really
It seemed that all they had to do was for Slow Rick to open up and Teacher Rick was already down the rabbit hole, that poor motherfucker.
And now, graduation is coming and Slow Rick will finally leave.
"ACHOOO" another sneeze brought the Taller Rick out of his stupor.
Sad that the little fucker is finally out of my hands?? What a pathetic man I've become, with an eyeroll, he stood up and made his way towards Slow Rick again.
"I told you, those Morty clothes don't fit you and it's cold outside. Might as well be fucking naked if you're only going to wear that you little shit" He reprimanded as he took off his robe and gently guide the other's arm through it.
"B-but me Morty"
"No, bug. You're a Rick" He winced right after the words left his mouth. That was another uncontrollable factor in this whole thing. The fucking nicknames just suddenly came. Without no fucking warnings just slapped his tongue in a tied coil.
"But I-I shou-sh- want R-ick"
He didn't have an answer to that. He was rather busy fighting down the warmth that was spreading through his neck and threatening to enter his cheeks. He really is pathetic, he thought.
"Let's go" He nudge the other softly as he finished tying the robe around his uncharacteristic small frame. For a Rick, he really is different. Aside from his fast calculations and random science projects of course.
With a final touch to the clothes, he let the shorter clung onto him as he held his folder on one hand and guide them both out of the classroom and into the hallway. Slow Rick was already starting to say some story he was thinking in his head earlier as they walk hand in hand.
He finally let a small smile grace his face in content. God he is whipped.
-
Citadel, 12:05 (night before graduation)
He stared at the folder on his table, sipping liquor on his other hand. Just one last student to pair with and somehow he couldn't do it.
Slow fucking Rick
Of course he would be a pain in the ass even asleep. He groaned and tilt his head back to drink more wanting to let the rancid taste wash away his feelings.
Because frankly, feelings are overrated
Still, he couldn't fucking manage to write anyone for the only Rick he handles. Even a Morty would do. He already has a few good candidates as Slow Rick's Morty but he still couldn't seem to choose one.
Rather, he doesn't want to choose one.
Call Rick selfish but what Rick isn't?
He already knows why he doesn't want to choose, way before he even acknowledged the thought. Simple, he wants the guy for himself. Want him all to himself. Every small whine, every small piece of hair, even his shitty sloppy fingers. He just want Rick for himself.
Why?
The answer to that, he isn't ready to face.
With a half-hearted grunt, he forced himself to finish the alcohol in his hands. Maybe if he's too drunk, he can do it. Or maybe he gets too drunk and he won't be able to do it and therefore his- no, SLOW RICK won't be going anywhere.
That was worth a try
He was about to move onto his next bottle when a soft knock stopped him. Soft knocks aren't unusal, especially if Slow Rick had an awful nightmare or accidentally peed himself (funny enough, he knows the way to the Teacher's room by heart but not the bathroom) so Rick quickly stood up and stumbled to open the door
The student on the other side was definitely not a Rick
"Good evening sir" Slick Morty said curtly with a shy smile. Ricks thoughts were a mess but his two main ones are why the fuck is this kid still awake and who the fuck does he think he is to just waltz his way here?????
"Morty" Rick hissed, "The fuck do you want?" the slur was definitely evident in his voice. It tends to happen when you start to drink yourself to madness since 7 pm.
"I was just wo-wondering sir," Morty stammered. "Will Slow-err Tall Morty h-h-have a Rick?"
Rick suddenly sobered up. "What??" he asked in barely concealed fury. Morty silently shifted on his feet but his confidence never wavered.
"It's just that, if he is having a Rick or-or Morty, I'd like to- to-- I want to be his Morty" Morty finished with an innocence shrug. "innocent" his ass.
Rick has never quite quickly slammed a door so fast, the door almost broke all of its hinges. His body shook with anger and that blinded madness was all it took for him to gulp a bottle down in one breath before stomping on the folder and finally writing someone down for Slow Rick.
As soon as he put down the pen, he collapsed over it and fell into an alcohol coma.
--
Citadel, 8:23 am
Good God, Rick was nervous.
One by one his fellow classmates started leaving their seats and meeting their Ricks but where was his. His white pristine coat has gotten all crumpled from how mich he was holding onto it and his leg wouldn't stop bouncing.
Oh he hated it. How unfair it is. He wants his Rick, where's his Rick??? But he doesn't want any other Rick, he wants HIS Rick. Teacher Rick. The Rick who holds him close and whisper things in his ears he almost never feel like a Rick.
Where's Teacher Rick??
Just as the tears was about to fall out of his eyes, he saw his Rick sprinting up to the stage, a hand on his folders and another on his head, clearly nursing a hangover.
He was so happy to see Teacher Rick that he was just about to go stand and hug him when the Morty beside him stopped him.
"Didn't expect him to drink that much but I guess it can't be helped. Good luck, Rick. He's all yours now. " The Morty beside him, Slick Morty- he remembers, said with an amused laugh before standing up himself to meet his Rick.
And so it happened again. More and more Mortys standing up to meet their new Ricks until finally he was all that's left by the chairs and he was already unashamedly sniffing.
Teacher Rick has gone back stage as soon as he arrived and other Ricks started snickering while looking at him It sucks, he hates it. He wished he could be back safe into Teacher Rick's arms.
The ceremony finally ended and by then almost everyone has left or about to leave already and he was left on the seats, cries getting louder and heavier.
He was just about to make a scandalized scream when finally he heard his Rick. "Rick! Rick! I'm here, why are you crying? What happened?"
Relief quickly washed over him and he pounced the ever living life out of the taller one before crying into his chest.
"Geez, bug. I was only processing some signing backstage and some fucking issues with one of the Mortys," he explained, rubbing soothing circles on his back and carrying the other's whole weight in one arm. He is unsurprisingly light for his form.
Incoherent sounds came from Slow Rick that barely resembles words but somehow, Rick already knew what he was saying. With a tighter hold to him and a much much softer voice. He kissed his cheek while wiping his face.
"Don't worry, baby. I'm your Rick now. It's you and me forever, buddy. You and me for a hundred years" He promises with a light tickle that made the smaller shriek.
And it's true. Aaall day long forever. All, a hundred days Rick and Rick forever a hundred times.