Work Text:
In a small apartment in Mortytown, 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton has been playing on repeat for the last ten minutes. Morty reaches over Morty’s sleeping body and silences the alarm.
“Hey.” He shakes him. “Hey.”
Sleeping Morty snuggles his hand. “F-five mo minumf.” His hair is ruffled, and his face is a little puffy with sleep. He looks just like Morty does in the morning.
“Fine. I’ll start breakfast.” Awake Morty leans over and kisses Sleeping Morty on the forehead before heading downstairs.
The Citadel is waking up, too. Light shines through the front window– almost sunlight, but not quite. He hears schoolboy Morties chase each other down the block as he cracks eggs into a pan. Newsboy Morty shoves a paper under the door. He picks it up and glances at the headline, then at the clock. “Morty! Time to get up!” Through the wall, his neighbor asks for ten more minutes.
Morty’s Morty rushes into the kitchen, still buttoning up his shirt. “Aw, geez, honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how late it was. I don’t think I can sit for breakfast.”
“Oh, that’s alright. I can come by the office and bring you lunch.” Domestic Morty ties Working Morty’s tie.
“Oh… No… that’s okay…”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed.” Oops. Did he pull the tie too tight?
“I-I’m not embarrassed, but you know what they’re like… they’re small minded.”
“So open their minds. Show them we don’t need a Rick to be happy.”
“I know, I know. Just… not today, okay?”
“Okay.” Sorry Morty kisses Scared Morty on the cheek. “Your presentation will be great.”
“I love you.”
“I love you.”
Morty leans against the window and watches Morty rushing down the sidewalk to the train station. He waves, even though Morty doesn’t turn back to look at him. When Morty’s out of sight, Morty turns back to the kitchen. He throws the eggs into the trash and rinses the pan. He hangs his apron in its place. And he pulls on his eye patch.
Evil Morty portals just outside the Smith’s house. He watches Morty wake up, splash water on his puffy face, and pull his wet fingers through his messy hair. He watches Beth slide a box of cereal to Morty, who pours it into his bowl. He watches Morty and Summer bicker. He watches Rick sleep. He watches Morty watch Rick sleep. He watches Morty walk to school.
Evil Morty is fascinated by this Morty, who chose to stay in the life he abandoned a long time ago. Who still lives with his mom and dad. Still goes to school. Still loves Rick.
He sits at his desk at school, bored. He watches Jessica and doodles in his notebook. He doesn’t know anything, and he doesn’t care to know.
Morty comes home from work to the smell of meatloaf. “That smells delicious.”
Aproned Morty looks up at him. “It’ll be out of the oven soon. How did the presentation go?”
Morty runs a hand through his hair. “It—it was hard to tell. They said they’d think about it.”
Morty pulls Morty in close. He smells like sweat and cologne and cigarettes. He pushes him away. “Go change.”
Morty laughs. “What, my suit isn’t doing it for you?”
Evil Morty smiles. “What can I say? I like you in yellow.”