Archive of Our Own ^beta

Morty was pushed out the door, his palms scraped against the sidewalk. He heard the small thud of his bag landing on the pavement next to him. He breathed heavily, trying to ignore the pain radiating from the dots of blood appearing on his palms, he needed to resolve the situation before–

“Don’t–Don’t bother coming back!” Another Morty’s shrill voice rang through the street. Loud enough to attract a few bystanders to look in his direction. His face started to turn red from embarrassment. The subsequent slam of the front door had sealed his fate. 

He was officially homeless.

This situation had always been a possibility in the back of Morty L–93’s mind. Nothing was really stable in Mortytown. One misstep and you’re back on the streets, although he hadn’t expected it to happen so fast. One minute, he had a somewhat cushy office job and the next he was getting fired for basically no reason. Without an income, Morty was unable to make ends meet leading to his roommate inevitably kicking him out. 

Morty sighed as he turned himself over, examining the damage on his palms. Maybe this one was on him. He had been such a pushover, not bothering to fight or question his dismissal. He had been too quick to accept the demands of others instead of focusing on himself.

But then again, wasn’t being a pushover what made him a Morty? Wasn’t being malleable and easily influenced what made Mortys so appealing? Why was he being punished?

Trying to keep his strong face on, he picked up his bag and made his way down the street.

Morty wrapped his arms around his knees. The counterfeit sky started to dim as the day approached its end. Unable to find another place to stay, Morty had landed himself in a shady alleyway, right in between a dumpster and well—another dumpster. Despite the obvious stench that would undeniably stick to his clothes, being trapped in between dumpsters in the alleyway almost made him feel safe. They resembled walls, hiding him away from the outside world just as well as his old room had. He quietly chuckled, it was almost like he had already found a new place to live. 

The last few days had Morty knocking from door to door, asking other Mortys if they would be able to house him, just for a few days. However, each attempt was met with denial, their faces were filled with a mix of disdain and pity. Even the Mortys he thought he was closer to had the gall to shut the door in his face. It was times like these he wished his counterparts would just disappear.

When he was younger, he had dumbly wished for the opposite.

Years ago, trapped between the walls of the bathroom stall, he had wished to meet another Morty. He was just so lonely. His classmates often felt like vile shadows creeping around him, whispering and following him around like an ineluctable curse. Trying to talk to them was like a nightmare, he often stumbled over his words and his anxiety spiked so hard it made him disorientated.

The boy just wanted to meet somebody who understood him. Somebody who already knew him inside and out. 

If only he could be friends with himself. Another Morty. One that could enjoy riding on roller coasters as much as he did. One that could understand his weird particular interest in porn. One that could sit with him when he was sad..

Once he found out about the multiverse, he begged his Rick to let him meet another Morty. Enough times to get the drunk elder ranting in his face about how annoying he was.

His wish was finally granted when his Rick dumped him in Mortytown. Except, it wasn’t. Turns out, Mortys could be just as cruel as his classmates. His office job was tiring, Morty’s quiet demeanor had his coworkers pushing him around just like his old classmates. He was lost in a sea of inescapable reflections of himself who all treated him like he was an outcast. It was like a never-ending nightmare trip through a house of mirrors. 

He couldn’t believe he traded his family to live here.

Morty’s resolve finally broke and fat wet tears started to roll down his cheeks. He didn’t deserve to be an outcast, after all, he was quite literally the same as everybody else. As his breathing became more and more erratic, he tried to muffle his sobs into his hoodie but to no avail. His hair had the same brown cocoa shade, his eyes were wide as any Morty’s, his nose, his ears, everything! He was a carbon copy of every other Morty so why—

His breath hitched as he heard the tiniest rustle of plastic. 

Morty’s heart rate increased and his palms started to sweat. Did somebody hear his crying? He really didn’t want to be kicked out of an alleyway. Morty had already lost his first home. The boy hugged his knees into an impossibly tighter hug as footsteps came closer. Maybe if he became small enough nobody would be able to see him anymore.

To his surprise, neither a Rick nor a Morty came down the alleyway, instead, a cat proudly strutted its way towards him. Its thick fluffy fur was a familiar shade of light blue.

“Rick?!” Morty shrieked out before shutting up again. He couldn’t risk anybody else finding him.

The cat’s only answer was to nudge its way under Morty’s arm and settle itself right in the boy’s lap. It seemed to be seeking the teenager's warmth in the cold alleyway. Morty couldn’t help but feel his heart swell. He couldn’t help himself from stroking the cat’s soft coat of fur, which caused it to let out some deep purrs. Cat Rick was a longhaired cat, the fur spiked out in all directions akin to a regular Rick’s hair. Morty couldn’t stop himself from giggling, all of his previous woes forgotten. 

Gentle licks from a sandpaper tongue acted as the boy’s alarm clock. Morty blinked several times, clearing his vision. Cat Rick was still in his lap.

“Good Morning.” Morty yawned, his neck ached from the position he slept in. 

Cat Rick let out a meow in response, rubbing himself against Morty. The boy smiled while giving some rough pets. Cat Rick had elevated his mood for the night, although, as the saying goes, what goes up must come down. Morty’s mood soured as he considered his situation. He couldn’t stick around to take care of the fluffy cat, as much as he wanted to. The boy couldn’t even provide for himself, forget about keeping a cat.

The teenager knew he looked bad, with dark eye bags underneath his eyes combined with garbage-smelling clothing that probably now had cat fur all over it. He combed a hand through his oily hair while racking his brain for possible ideas of where to go. Cat Rick was quickly forgotten as Morty made his way into the street, merging with the other Mortys. 

There were a lot more Mortys on the street than usual. It must have been some sort of holiday on the Citadel, although Morty couldn’t remember what. He didn’t even remember what date it was. He struggled as he moved through the masses of Mortys. The boy felt as though he was a fish swimming upstream, pushing his weak body to go forward. When was the last time he ate?

The boy could only last so long on the pitiful amount of money he had. His only option would be to beg his old roommate to let him back in. Maybe, with the state he was in, the other Morty would take pity on him. It was pathetic, but at this point, he had no other options.

His old roommate was none other than Morty A-993, otherwise known as Apple. In Morty’s opinion, Apple was the ideal roommate. Apple had worked the night shift, meaning Morty barely ever saw them. They would convene during the evenings for some small talk but it was quite rare, although it was often enough for Morty to know that Apple was an altruistic Morty. The boy sighed, he really couldn’t blame Apple for kicking him out, he hadn’t been able to pay for rent for at least three months.

After losing his first job, sadness seemed to gloom over the boy. He missed his family. He missed going to school and having adventures with Rick. He missed sitting down for dinner. He felt so stupid for taking such simple things for granted.

Every job interview he managed to get afterward seemed to go awry. 

He paused as he arrived in front of his old house. The crumbly gray walls never seemed so alluring. It was strange how Mortytown seemed to have a totally different atmosphere than the rest of the Citadel. The building was so thin, only taking a small slice of the line of buildings.

Just as he was about to step inside, another Morty bumped into him. 

“Ah! I’m–I’m so sorry!” The other Morty fumbled out.

Morty gave him a once over. He seemed bubbly, excited for something. He had a box in his hand. Was he the mailman?

“Do you live here?” The Morty asked enthusiastically.

Morty paused before choosing his next words carefully, “No, I live next door, I–um– just had to give something back.” He didn’t want to take a package meant for Apple.

“Oh Great! We’ll be neighbors then! Nice to meet you!” The Morty said with eyes shining before marching his way inside.

Morty dumbly stared at the door as it swung shut in his face. 

Apple had replaced him. 

It hadn’t even been a week.

Emptily he turned around, his legs seeming to get weaker as he went down the front door steps. 

Being a Morty was the worst. There was an infinite supply of them. A snap of the finger and he was already replaced. He looked through the happy marching parade of Mortys on the street, each an almost exact copy of himself. Brown and yellow smeared together to create some sort of awful canvas, a dot of blue right in the middle.

Morty squinted his eyes. In between the gaps of the Morty parade, the boy could see an unconcerned Cat Rick perched on the stairs of the buildings across the street.

Had the cat followed him all the way here?

Morty pushed his way through the crowd, earning him a few indignant complaints in his direction. He crouched on the steps and reached his arm out to give a few pets.

Cat Rick circled around his legs, rubbing himself against Morty’s jeans. A smug expression was on the cat’s face, undoubtedly because he now had Morty’s attention. The cat took a few steps down the sidewalk before looking back at Morty as if beckoning the boy to follow him.

Ah fuck, it wasn’t like Morty had anything else to do today.

After an hour of walking, Morty couldn’t take it anymore. They had basically walked across the whole Mortyburg sector of the Citadel. The edge of the Citadel was now visible, the glass dome being a constant reminder of how he was confined to the floating society. His whole body felt fatigued and his head was heavy.

Before Morty could start protesting, Cat Rick suddenly took a sharp turn into an alleyway, leading them away from the open street. The boy pushed himself to follow the cat, afraid he would lose sight of his new companion. 

Cat Rick took another turn and entered a door that led inside one of the tall gray apartment buildings. By the time Morty could catch up, he was completely out of breath.

“Rick, er, Cat Rick, we can’t be in here,” the boy huffed out. The apartment building was poorly illuminated on the inside and quite empty giving it the impression that it was unused, but Morty knew better. Space was limited on the citadel. Both Ricks and Mortys would pay top dollar just to own land here, even a place as scummy as the edge of Mortyburg. 

Morty bent down in an attempt to grab the cat, but Cat Rick simply hopped out of the boy’s grasp and continued his way up the stairs of the apartment building. The dreary staircase seemed to beg Morty not to continue his chase. The boy just sighed while ascending the steps, Cat Rick better not be leading him to some trap.

As he arrived on the third floor, he saw the tail end (quite literally) of Cat Rick enter into one of the rooms at the end of the hallway. Intending to catch the cat, he bust the door open, only to find a semi-neat apartment room. Light shone through two windows, giving the apartment a cozy atmosphere. Although, the light was probably stimulated rather than real. But, still a major upgrade from anything Morty has lived in. Gadgets and machinery lay on the desolate floor, indicating Rick must’ve lived here. It was rare for a Rick to live in the Mortyburg sector, but not impossible.

As far as Morty could tell, there were three rooms. The one he was in now acted as a kitchen and living room, although where the living room was supposed to be, there was a crappy mattress laying on the ground. Morty tutted, he would have to fix that—

—If he lived here.

But he didn’t. 

Cat Rick came out from behind the kitchen counter, completely unperturbed that he had just broken into somebody’s apartment.

Morty lunged at the cat, “Come here! You–you– criminal! We basically just committed unlawful entry together!”

Cat Rick evaded him once again, jumping out of his arms. His cat reflexes and small body seemed to give him the edge against Morty each time. Morty could feel his lungs struggling to breathe. Hot quick breaths exited his mouth as he could feel tears start to well up in his eyes. 

The day just kept getting worse. He was hungry, dirt and crime covered him, his roommate had replaced him, and now on top of all of that, he just committed a crime! 

Some Rick was going to come home and throw Morty in jail. He would be reduced to just another average Morty criminal.

His breathing became more ragged. The world seemed to spin around him as if he was a dreidel and somebody decided to give him a go. Sweat perspired on his skin. He felt gross, not even because he hadn’t taken a shower in at least four days. All he could hear was a shrill ring–

And then,

Darkness.

The first thing Morty felt was pain twisting throughout his abdomen. A signal that he had to feed his body something. 

He curled up, wrapping his arms around him in an attempt to ignore the pain. It would pass, just as everything did. 

Something furry nudged against his shoulder, causing Morty to open his eyes weakly. The apartment was dark, although simulated moonlight poured in through the windows. Morty’s eyes followed the lithe movement of the cat as it trailed toward another source of light, opposite of the windows.

The fridge.

Cat Rick sat himself right in front of the open fridge doors. His eyes beckoned Morty to follow as always.

The teenager let out a low moan as another pang hit him. He wanted, no, needed to eat something. 

After pushing himself off of the floor slowly, he staggered his way to the fridge. Each step was filled with uncertainty and fatigue. Once Morty had arrived at the fridge, he used the door to stabilize himself. There was less in the fridge than expected. Anything that wasn’t beer was mostly spoiled.

The boy scanned the fridge once again, before settling on a package of sliced ham hiding in the back of the fridge. It was unopened at least, so probably not spoiled right?

The minute the ravenous boy got his hands on the tub of ham he immediately sank in front of the fridge, no longer having the strength to stand. His numb hands struggled with the packaging before he finally bit into the dry ham. Hastily wolfing down his meal as if it was his last. The cat simply watched, amused.

Before Morty even finished eating he could feel a mix of fear and guilt crawl up his spine. He was still hungry, but now that he wasn’t deliriously famished, he seemed to realize where he was.

He had broken into some Rick’s apartment. And now he was stealing food like some cheap burglar. Although, to his knowledge, nobody had caught him yet, meaning that he still had a chance to escape.

Morty scampered his way out of the apartment, taking the tub of ham with him. He prayed that the Rick who lived there wouldn’t notice its absence. 

This time, Cat Rick didn’t bother following him.

Morty needed a shower. Desperately.

It wasn’t abnormal for him to miss out on bathing, especially during adventures, but this was a little excessive. His hair was oily and matted. He always had stains and dirt marks on his clothes, no matter what outfit he switched into. 

Other Mortys started to give him judgy looks because of the stench he emitted when he passed by. He began traveling through alleyways instead of the open street to avoid their gazes.

He decided that he would need to find a place to shower. He tried to list places that he could go, but only one of them seemed to have a modicum of possibility. 

The cozy apartment that he had broken into last week.

The first few days after he had fled the apartment had been filled with anxiety. He was afraid that the Rick would come home and report him to the police, or worse, hunt Morty down himself and torture him or something awful. You never knew with Ricks.

Every time a Rick came nearby, his heart rate spiked rapidly. His face would become red from nervousness and his stutter increased tenfold. But, to his surprise, nobody ever confronted him. His successful getaway had raised his confidence.

His inflated ego combined with his desperation eventually let to the production of an egregious plan.

Theoretically, the Rick who lived there wasn’t home because he was at work. Meaning, that if Morty came back at the same time this week, the Rick wouldn’t be there. Hopefully.

It was just one measly little shower. 10 Minutes. In and out. Nobody would notice.

Plus, it wasn’t even like Morty was stealing anything this time. Just one shower.

By the time Morty had arrived at the front door of the apartment, trepidation started to settle in his gut. He made two feeble knocks before pushing the door open. Morty peeked his head in and scanned the room. The room was empty. The only movement coming from the curtains swishing due to the wind. The boy breathed out in relief as he entered and quietly shut the door behind him. In and out.

Each drop of water that hit his body felt like heaven. He could feel the hot water untensing his muscles. But, nonetheless, this wasn’t the time to relax. He washed hurriedly and thoroughly. Morty didn’t know the next time he would be able to shower, so he had to make sure to get every bit of grime off of him. He even took his time to clean the dirt that had built up underneath his fingernails.

Once he had dried himself sufficiently, he dressed himself. His clothes were still quite filthy, but at least he was clean. Afterward, he cracked open the bathroom door to see if the coast was clear to book it. But, before he could even look outside, a paw at the bottom of the door wedged itself into the bathroom.

Morty couldn’t stop himself from jumping back in surprise. Without Morty holding the door shut, the blue cat pushed its way inside.

“You–you’re still here?!” Morty squawked, his eye twitching. The cat, once again, meowed in response. It seemed happy that Morty was back, circling around Morty and brushing its body against the boy’s legs.

“What–whatever, I need to leave anyway,” The boy said in a quieter tone, he couldn’t let anybody know he was here. Getting caught in the act was the last thing he wanted right now, even though he wanted to stay with Cat Rick, he needed to leave. He tossed his items in his bag and shuffled his way out of the apartment. The last thing he saw before he shut the door gently was Cat Rick’s big eyes staring up at him.

Morty came back the next week. And the week after that.

Cat Rick was always there, waiting for him.

The more times he came back, the more confident he got. He started visiting twice a week instead of once, for longer periods of time.

It became increasingly evident that whoever had lived in that apartment hadn’t come back in a long time. All the food in the fridge was mostly spoiled and dust seemed to cover most of the surfaces, except the mattress, which Cat Rick slept on. 

Despite nobody living there, the electricity was always running. It was a mystery how Cat Rick managed to find an inhabited apartment with full electricity, but Morty just shrugged it off. If Rick was the smartest man in the universe, why couldn’t Cat Rick be the smartest cat in the universe?

Other than the mattress, Cat Rick seemed to spend a lot of time in the third room in the apartment. The third room was ominously dark, filled with computers and all sorts of doohickeys. Basically, a normal Rick’s garage packed into a small stuffy room. If Morty ever needed confirmation that this apartment was owned by a Rick, that was it. 

The boy guessed that the room was originally meant to be a bedroom, which explained why the mattress was in the living room. Morty never really understood why Cat Rick enjoyed the room so much though, it wasn’t like he could do much with his cute little paws. Maybe Ricks just like to be near that type of stuff.

Over the weeks, the bags under Morty’s eyes gradually disappeared. His appearance became more like an average Morty and he even found a job. He had applied to work at the local supermarket, with overwhelming success. It was more tiring than his last job but at this point, Morty was just happy he could earn money.

Each night he came home to eat dinner with Cat Rick. He mostly fed the cat small portions of plain chicken, although it apparently didn’t matter. After trailing behind Cat Rick one day, he figured out that the cat was a popular attraction with other Mortys. Midday, the cat would stroll its way over to the more well-off Mortys to receive scraps of food, pets, and affection.

He told himself that the feeling that bubbled up inside of him wasn’t jealousy, although the strength of the grip he held on the wall he peered over said differently.

It wasn’t fair. Morty should be the one who took care of Cat Rick. After all, he was the one who literally lived with the cat.

Morty increased his hours after that. He worked overtime when his body allowed it, determined to earn enough money to take care of both of them.

Morty was as happy as a clam. He practically started spinning when he clocked out. Today was payday, which was always a good thing in his book, but today was extra special. The last few weeks’ money had gone to buying the absolute necessities, clothes, food, hygiene products, etcetera, but this week, he had extra money to spend. It was only a few schmeckles worth but that was more than enough for Morty to get a certain gift he had wanted to buy for some time now. 

Instead of going home, he took the train that headed to the center of the Citadel. “The Center” was known for its shopping districts and booming businesses, it was the perfect spot for both Ricks and Mortys to come mingle. 

Morty hoped Cat Rick wouldn’t mind if he came home late. Before he left for work, he had told the cat the news. Although, the boy wasn’t certain if Cat Rick actually understood English. He seemed to nod along whenever Morty blabbed about his day-to-day life, but there was no surefire way to know if the cat could comprehend.

It was actually quite embarrassing how the cat had taken up so much of his schedule. All the way from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to bed, Cat Rick was next to him, listening to him talk. When he went to sleep, the cat would soak in the boy’s warmth by curling up next to him on the old mattress on the floor. There were even some rare times when the cat would follow him to work and watch him through the supermarket’s windows, much to his boss’s chagrin. 

The train zoomed through the Citadel. Its speed was unmatched. The gloomy atmosphere of Mortytown slowly transformed into something brighter and prosperous. The Center was crowded with tall buildings that towered higher than any Earth building could. It gave off the false glamorous impression that had every Rick begging to live on the Citadel. Morty had only been to the Center a few times, it was reserved for special occasions. The train doors opened, leaving Morty to walk to his next location.

The real reason why he wanted to come to the Center was “ Rick’s Pet Emporium ”. A pretty cheesy name, if Morty said so himself, but honestly he was just thankful it was there at all. Pets weren’t popular on the Citadel, most Ricks preferred to have companions that spoke while Mortys had too much on their plates to even think of managing an animal. 

However, Morty has heard through the grapevine that some Ricks with decent jobs bring Snuffles to the Citadel to please their housewife Mortys. Oh, to find love on the Citadel…

But, that was just a rumor. The real reason why “ Rick’s Pet Emporium '' existed was for Ricks and Mortys who had anthropomorphic parts. It was a place where bird, lizard, dog, shrimp, and unicorn Ricks and Mortys alike could meet their needs, at least, according to the website.

After thirty minutes of walking or so, he had finally arrived. The building itself was smaller than the boy expected, but the fact that it was located in a hotspot for businesses told Morty that it was popular. Notably, it had a green theme, which was uncommon for any establishment in the Citadel. He breathed in and gathered his courage before pushing the door open. The first thing Morty noticed was the immediate scent of dog food and cat litter permeating through the air.

“Haven’t seen your face around here before,” the Rick at the counter remarked. His voice was gruff enough to startle Morty. He wore a green apron and cute flower sunglasses, which completely contrasted his greeting. Sunglasses inside, really?

“That–That doesn’t make any sense,” Morty replied hesitantly, “most Mortys have the same face.” His body seemed to shrink away automatically, despite his attempts at keeping a cool face.

“Relax, I just meant the customers that come here usually have wings or fins or some shit like that,” the Rick said apologetically, eyes peeking through the top of his sunglasses. Morty could feel his muscles physically untense, jeez, he must’ve looked really frightened.

“What can I do for you today, Morty?” The Rick asked, placing the newspaper he was reading down, Upon further inspection, the nametag on the Rick’s chest read “J-47”. 

Morty nervously struggled to pull out a folded photo of Cat Rick out of his pocket. “I, um, I have a cat Rick at home, I’d like to buy a– a cat toy,” god, his stutter really came out at the worst times.

A cat toy had been a purchase he had been thinking about buying for a while. Cat Rick usually spent most of the day taking naps in the sunlight, but in the occasional moments he was awake, he looked so awfully bored. Morty had seen the poor cat idly swiping at his own tail for entertainment more than enough times.

“Does he talk?” J-47 questioned, to which Morty shook his head, “Hm, it’s pretty rare for a full-fledged cat Rick to make it so far from home. I wonder how he even got to the Citadel,” the man brought the photo closer to inspect it.

Frankly, Morty had wondered the same thing. Cat Rick’s origins were a complete mystery to the boy. Even though he listened to Morty all day, the feline would never be offered the same courtesy to share its thoughts. Sometimes he wished Cat Rick could speak to him.

J-47 instructed Morty to follow him as they walked towards the aisle with cat toys. His initial fear started to dissipate the longer he spent inside the shop. While a bit forward, the Rick was very helpful. He offered genuine bits of advice while also recounting old stories that eased the mood into something more lighthearted. 

It had been a while since Morty had been able to have a conversation with somebody who bore some semblance of a friend. It wasn’t until he started making some playful quips at J-47 that he realized how much he missed this.

By the time they had finished their conversation, Morty was more than eager to buy several toys, but unfortunately, his wallet didn’t agree with him. He couldn’t even afford one of the toys with the number of schmeckles he had. A twist of dread and panic started to rise in his body. There must’ve been some sort of miscalculation here.. He closed his wallet and opened it again—nope still the same amount of money.

Had he really come all the way down here just to not be able to afford anything? Morty was going to come home empty-handed, despite all the planning he did. Not to mention the small chunk of his savings that was spent on transportation..

Before he could say anything, J-47 ruffled his hair. “I give discounts to first-time customers.” Despite the rough tone of his face was soft, an expression Morty’s original Rick had never worn.

“Really?” Morty’s voice went high-pitched, as if he had swallowed helium.

“Mhm, now go and pick out whichever one you want, I’ll be by the register.”

By the time Morty came back to the register, J-47 had picked up his newspaper again. He placed his item on the counter, it was a mouse wand toy that contained catnip on the inside. It had the ability to attach to the ground and swing the mouse sporadically by itself, for the moments when Cat Rick wanted to play but Morty was at work.

“Simple cat wand toy huh?” the Rick questioned rhetorically while scanning the toy. Morty seriously had to wonder how J-47 thought a transforming cat toy was “simple”.

“What’s your dimension number, Morty?” J-47 asked suddenly.

“A-ah, um, L-93.”

“Well, L-93, next time you come back, bring your cat Rick along with you,” the Rick handed Morty his bagged purchase, “I’m interested in seeing a real cat Rick.”

“You–you bet!” Morty waved goodbye before exiting. Once he had enough money he would have to visit J-47 again. He had a pep in his step as he made his way back to the train station, this was probably the first human friend he had made in well.. Forever. 

Morty knew to some degree, the amiability in J-47’s demeanor was probably due to the work environment—increasing sales and all that. But the boy couldn’t help but hope bloom through his chest. Maybe things were finally starting to look up for him.

By the time he got home, the dome around Mortyburg was starting to dim. He was overexcited, partly because he was finally home, but mostly because of the gift he had for Cat Rick. 

The sound of the door unlocking alerted the cat of his returning presence. He was unable to hold back the smile that bore his face as he heard Cat Rick trail his way out of (what was supposed to be) the bedroom. His tail was raised up high, excited to see Morty—and also probably to receive food too. It was nearing dinner time for them.

The sound of metal peeling back had Cat Rick rubbing all over him. The first time he had bought cat food at the grocery store, he was a bit apprehensive. There were really only a few brands, but there was no telling if the cat would like any of them. Like yeah, he was a cat, but he was also a Rick. There was probably a universe where Cat Rick was somehow above canned cat food and Morty would be stuck spending a ridiculous amount of time meal prepping home cooked cat food, Morty just had to hope that wasn’t his universe.

Thankfully, it wasn’t. Cat Rick didn’t seem to be very picky about what he put in his body, as long as he had some sort of sustenance. Somehow, Morty also found that very Rick-like.

Cat Rick quickly gobbled down half of his meal before pausing to just simply lay down on the hardwood floor, Morty figured that was most likely the amount of food the cat could fit in his small stomach if he didn’t want to throw up immediately. Anywho, it presented the boy with a key opportunity to show Cat Rick his new toy.

Morty carefully freed the cat wand from its plastic packaging. The smell of catnip wafted through the air, while practically undetectable for Morty, the scent was probably quite powerful for Cat Rick. However, the cat refused to acknowledge the toy. 

Cat Rick just looked away and started grooming himself, feigning disinterest, as if he was too poised to stoop so low to indulge in small cat games. But Morty knew better, he could see the cat’s nose twitching from the aroma. The boy just kept swinging the cat toy in front of Cat Rick, as if trying to hypnotize him. Cat Rick would come play eventually, he was sure of it.

By the tenth swing, the cat suddenly batted the mouse. Morty was barely able to pull the toy away before Cat Rick lunged towards it, finally letting his guard down and simply retreating back to basic cat instincts. Morty giggled as the cat was now filled with an insurmountable amount of energy that sent him flying across the room like a torpedo. The harsh sounds of footfall from Cat Rick’s zoomies couldn’t have made Morty happier, and then, the apartment was suddenly filled with silence.

Morty stood up, scanning the room to see where the cat had gone. When he couldn’t see him, he started walking across the apartment, the mouse of the cat toy trailing next to him. Maybe Cat Rick had run his way right into the bathroom?

Before he could open the bathroom door, Cat Rick pounced. He dived for the toy, rolling on his back and wildly batting his paw. His eyes were wide enough to consume the universe, searching for the toy. It turns out, the cat was simply hiding behind the mattress waiting for his moment to strike. Morty felt his hard practically explode with glee.

He’d really have to visit J-47 again.

Sleep was sometimes hard when you had a pet. It really shouldn’t be a surprise to Morty, after all their sleep schedules were very different. Cat Rick would sleep through most of the day and night, only waking during dawn and dusk. Waking up at dusk was normal, it was when the boy would come home from work and when they would share dinner together—but dusk was a whole different thing. 

In the early hours of the day, Cat Rick would situate himself right on Morty’s chest, meowing and pawing at the teenager’s face. Cat Rick was certainly lighter than a regular Rick but that didn’t mean he wasn't heavy!

Today was one of those days. Morty tried his usual methods of escaping, namely, pulling the blanket over his head and hoping the cat would just disappear, but Cat Rick seemed extra determined to rouse him from his peaceful sleep. Instead of giving up, the cat wiggled his way under the blanket, shoving his wet nose right in Morty’s face.

After fifteen minutes or so, the boy gave up, sitting up on the mattress. At this point, he would get more sleep if he just solved Cat Rick’s problem and went back to sleep afterward.

He sleepily rubbed his eyes, Morty was still halfway in dream land at this point. The darkness of the apartment was calling for him to just lay down and go back to sleep, nonetheless, Morty got up. Cat Rick sat in front of the third room in the apartment—the supposed “bedroom”. Despite the lack of light, Morty could see the cat’s eyes quite well. They pierced through him, beckoning him to follow. Honestly, it was quite creepy if anything.

Morty trailed behind, entering the “bedroom”. There was a lack of windows in this room, making it utterly pitched back. The only thing that was heard was the quiet purr of machinery. His foot knocked against something small, likely made of plastic. That’s strange, Morty didn’t remember leaving anything on the floor. 

Two orbs of light sat a few feet in front of him, glaring at him, no longer trying to lead him anywhere.

Okay.. this was starting to get weird.

Morty blindly hit the wall behind him a few times, searching for the light switch. He finally heard the click! of the switch flipping, triggering the dim lights to flicker on, revealing the room. 

And then he saw it—a hundred, if not more, buttons sitting on the floor. Cat Rick was sitting between them, licking his paw as if this was completely normal. Morty backed up, completely at a loss for words. Not all the buttons were the same, mismatched and thrown together. How in the world had these all gotten here?

Morty pointed a shaking finger at the small perpetrator, “Y–you–”.

Before the boy could finish his sentence, the cat pushed one of the buttons in front of him. A high-pitched boy’s voice came out, more specifically a Morty’s voice.

“Morty.”

What The Fuck.

Cat Rick moved around, pushing an array of buttons to create a sentence. They were awkward, with different intonations and pauses in between the words.

“ Fix. My. Im. Plants. Turn. Me. Back. Into. Human ”

The word “implants” was split into two syllables, obviously because whichever Morty’s voice Cat Rick had decided to record had never decided to say the word “implants” before. 

And then it dawned on him,

That wasn’t just any Morty’s voice. That was his voice!

His face scrunched, the reason why Cat Rick had led him to this apartment—had stuck next to him this whole time—was because he was secretly recording his voice? It wasn’t that he wanted to help Morty or found the poor Morty endearing, it was because somehow, he had trapped himself in the body of a cat and now was betting on Morty being compliant enough to dig him out of his own hole!

“I–I don’t have to help you!” Morty declared, his eyes swirling. Cat Rick had basically tricked him! 

The cat paused before heading to the buttons he wanted to press.

“You. Ate. My. Food. Used. My. Shower. ”

The boy’s expression became exasperated. Technically those things were true, but—!

“ Slept. In. My. Bed. ”

Morty couldn’t find it in his heart to deny.

The next few days, Morty spent most of his time in the supposed “bedroom”. Although, now he just calls it the garage room, despite the fact it isn’t a garage. It just had such a deep resemblance to a regular Rick’s garage, it would be strange to not call it the garage room. When he wasn’t at work, he was tiredly mixing all sorts of weird colored solutions together with Cat Rick pressing buttons behind him.

The hardest part was probably memorizing all the tools he had to use. Honestly, Morty still didn’t know the difference between an Erlenmeyer and a volumetric flask, or when to use a burette versus a pipette. It wasn’t helping that all the words were chopped up because Morty never considered using the word “graduated cylinder” before or the fact Cat Rick just kept pressing the “ Stop! ” button over and over again instead of actually telling him what to do.

By the end of the first month, Morty was exhausted. Unlike Cat Rick, he didn’t have the luxury of sleeping in the morning. Standing on your feet for your entire shift was already tiring enough, the last thing the boy wanted to do was come home to basically work another job. His mealtimes were short and his sleep was lacking. Day and night started to blend together into a mess.

While he had never truly enjoyed his job, it now had just become plain miserable. He didn’t have the energy to talk to anybody, let alone customers. His boss started complaining about his performance more often, even going as far as yelling right in his face. Morty was so drowsy he didn’t even bother picking up half the tirade. 

It had all culminated the night after, Cat Rick was being particularly picky because they were using a corrosive acid. It was heavily diluted already, but still, it could cause burns if dropped onto skin. 

Morty was transferring the acid into several different test tubes with a pipette. Unlike most of the other glassware he had used, the test tubes didn’t have measurements along the side, making it difficult to know exactly how much he had added. 

Every few seconds, Cat Rick would repeatedly press the “Stop!” button with enough fervor to enlighten Morty that if he was human he would be yelling at the boy.

Morty was starting to get frustrated enough to tremble. It wasn’t like he wanted to be doing this. His life was starting to revert back to how it was before he had arrived at the comfy apartment. He was no longer in control, simply pushed around with orders, doomed to lose himself in the sea of work. All of his muscles were sore from working and he’s pretty sure he hasn’t gotten a full night’s rest in at least two weeks. He just wanted to eat dinner and watch TV. 

Another “ Stop! ”.

His grip on the test tube had gotten so intense he was sure it would break. Morty took a breath in, not keen on causing an acid-related accident. He placed the test tube in its respectful holder and stomped his way out of the room, still fully dressed in lab gear.

At times like these, having a smaller apartment was unfavorable. The furthest he really could go was simply the next room over. Morty sat at the edge of the mattress, fatigued beyond belief. The boy fell backwards onto the bed using his palms to wipe the edge of his eyes. He managed to stop the flow of tears, but his breath still remained unsteady.

Thirty minutes later, the teenager could hear the slow movements of Cat Rick coming out of the garage room, accompanied by the sound of plastic scraping against the floor. 

Morty didn’t bother looking up, not ready to forgive. He wanted to sulk alone.

The small click of a button being pushed broke the silence of the room, followed by a “ Sorry. ”

By the time the second month was over, things had started to turn back to normal. Cat Rick only made Morty do science on the weekends, instead of every night, which he was immensely grateful for. It would probably make the procedure take at least three times as long, but if that meant Morty could rest after he came back from work he didn’t care. Although, sometimes he saw the cat moodily staring out the window at the time loss.

Cat Rick had also developed a labeling system with shapes and colors so Morty could understand what piece of equipment he was referring to. Finding the cup with a purple star on it was one thousand percent easier than finding a 500mL beaker.

They resumed their previous schedule. Morty would come home and turn on the TV for them to enjoy until it was dinner time. Cat Rick would eat his cat food while Morty would try to find anything that wasn’t instant noodles. After Morty would take a shower and they’d snuggle until sleep came. A cycle that repeated often, but nonetheless, satisfactory. 

One thing had changed though, Now that Cat Rick could speak, Morty could now ask for his opinion on matters. Sometimes they would head to the garage room to simply hold a conversation. 

It was kind of awkward at first, but over time Cat Rick upgraded the buttons to become easier to handle and less janky. At times, Morty would complain about his coworkers, and Cat Rick would respond appropriately by hitting the “ That Bitch! ” button over and over, and other times Morty would ask what the cat wanted to eat, (the response was always “ chicken ”).

By the end of the fourth month, they had finished. A small vial of green liquid was produced. It was hard to imagine all of Morty’s hard work had gone to making something so small. 

Cat Rick had instructed him to fill a syringe with the liquid, and hopped up on the table, ready for Morty to inject him with whatever serum they had created.

This was it. After this, Cat Rick would just become Rick, without the cat part. Morty should be happy that the person he had been living with for several months was finally getting freed from his cat body he had been stuck in for who knows how long, but the corners of his mouth wouldn’t comply. Instead of turning upwards like they were supposed to, they went in the opposite direction, a frown. 

Morty wasn’t entirely sure he even wanted Rick to turn back. It felt like a weird development that he wasn’t ready for. Morty knew what Cat Rick was like, what he liked to eat, when he slept, where he enjoyed pets, etcetera, but he knew nothing about the Rick behind the cat. What if somehow they didn’t get along?

He couldn’t stop his lip from trembling while he filled the syringe, slowly, prolonging the inevitable. Tired of waiting, Cat Rick started to give him strange quizzical looks.

That was when Morty burst into tears, unable to hold back his emotion.

“You–You’re not gonna kick me out after this, are you?” Morty almost felt like a little kid again, begging his mom not to leave him in the grocery store line. But his fear was real, there was always a possibility Rick would kick him to the curb once he no longer found Morty useful. Meaning, that Morty would be back to sleeping on the street.

That was what his original Rick had done. Fortunately, he was able to find housing quickly, but this time he might not be so lucky.

Cat Rick tilted his head before nudging his way under Morty’s arm, making light licks against his skin to comfort the boy.

Morty wiped his tears once again. He couldn’t keep Rick trapped in a cat body forever, as much as he wanted to. It would be an ass move. Plus, he did just spend four months making the serum. 

Morty carefully injected Rick with the serum, hugging Cat Rick close to him and burying his face in his fur, it was as soft as ever. God, he was really going to miss this.

Meeting Cat Rick in his human form for the first time was awkward, to say the least. He was naked, first of all. Second, he just kept drinking beer. It had only been several minutes since Rick became human and he was already chugging his third can as if he was gonna die. Third, he kept wobbling everywhere. Morty guessed it was because he wasn’t used to being bipedal again.

Rick didn’t seem too keen on talking to him just yet, so Morty stayed away. Morty would sit on the mattress while Rick would wobble his way between the fridge and garage room. He couldn’t stop himself from glancing in Rick’s direction nervously, unsure of what to do. Morty cursed the fact the apartment was so small.

The only thing that comforted him was the fact that Rick hadn’t kicked him out just yet.

Morty eventually left his post on the mattress to take a quick shower. The small bathroom gave him the small amount of privacy he had been begging for the entire day. Truthfully, he wanted to leave the apartment to escape the uneasy atmosphere, but he was too afraid once he left Rick would lock the door and never let him in again. 

He had expected Rick to initiate some conversation, but so far the only sentence he’s said was “I need a beer”, which didn’t help anything at all! 

A somber expression took over his face. He was already beginning to miss Cat Rick, which didn’t make any sense because technically, they were the same being. If Cat Rick were here, he would be lying outside the bathroom door waiting for Morty to come out. From anybody else’s perspective, it would look as if the cat was some sort of guardian, preventing anybody from entering the bathroom.

The boy signed, letting hot water pelt him in the face. Morty decided that after his shower, he would go to sleep. Hopefully, as time passed, they would get more comfortable with each other. 

He exited the bathroom to find Rick languidly lying on the mattress, the blanket haphazardly thrown on top of him. The man turned his head once he heard the sound of the bathroom door shutting and they locked eyes. Rick was now dressed, thankfully, although the haze in his eyes told Morty he was more than drunk.

When Cat Rick was still around, bedtime usually meant that they would cuddle next to each other. The cat enjoyed warmth, whether it was from the sunlight or from Morty. The boy didn’t know if Rick would be the same. His frown deepened.

After several seconds of agonizing staring, Rick just sighed and lifted the blanket to invite Morty in.

“C’mere, get in.” His voice was rough, like he hadn’t used it for a while.

“Really?”

“Yeah, hurry up.” 

Morty’s hair wet the sheets as he crawled in, attaching himself to Rick just like every other night. The first thing he noticed was the warmth Rick emitted. The man wrapped his arms around Morty, trapping him in a cocoon of affection. The boy nuzzled his face into Rick’s chest, attempting to get infinitely closer. If Morty listened closely he could swear the man was purring. The touch so different than when J-47 would ruffle his hair occasionally, the hug was endearing, a symbol of love. He could finally understand why Cat Rick enjoyed sleeping next to him so often, the warmth of another person felt like comfort. It felt like home.

To Morty’s surprise, Rick’s mannerisms didn’t change that much from when he was a cat. He frequently enjoyed naps in the sunlight and always had a hankering for chicken, which Morty would always scold him for. Once he had gathered enough confidence he had told Rick that he couldn’t get away with napping and eating all day now that he was human, he had to fulfill his responsibilities just like everybody else!

After a few weeks of grumbling, Rick finally assented and resumed his job. Apparently, before his implants malfunctioned and trapped him in a cat body, he did freelance work. He created commissioned weapons and gadgets for other Ricks on the citadel, which explained why his bedroom looked more like a garage. The job didn’t pay that well, but Rick swore it was better than under somebody else.

Over the next weeks, they form a routine. Their schedules intertwine and revolve around one another. After Morty comes home from work, he pokes his head into the garage room to see what Rick is up to and they chat until it’s time for dinner. Rick would continue to work until Morty called him to eat. They would then individually shower and watch TV until sleep overcame them. Every time, Rick would inch closer and closer to the boy, as if trying to consume him whole.

The cycle continued until one day, Morty came home to the smell of beef permeating through the apartment. It was unusual for Rick to cook anything, in fact, Morty had only seen him cook plain chicken for himself. Morty nudged Rick on the side. He watched as a few patties sizzled in the pan.

“Are you cooking dinner today?” Morty asked, still in his work uniform.

“I thought I’d return the favor once and a while,” Rick replied, shrugging. 

Thirty minutes later, the sound of a plate being placed on the kitchen island called Morty for dinner. Rick sat next to him, placing down a plate of his own. The boy ate with quick hungry bites, work had left him hungry and tired. The burger lacked some basic seasoning but he didn’t care, Rick had made it which was all that mattered. The teenager smiled at the man eating beside him, earning him a raise of the eyebrow. Morty couldn’t help but feel like this was what he had wanted from the very beginning.