It was a hot summer day. Morty was currently laying against his sister's bed, sitting and staring into the middle distance. His sister was close by, laying in the middle of the bed with her feet up and doing something on her phone.
It was hot, so hot as to block out Morty's mind entirely. This was the type of day when crime rose, when passions flared, when people took leave of their senses completely.
Morty didn't know why but he had a slight feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know why but he just had the feeling something was going to happen.
"I'm soooo bored." Summer said.
"Huh?" Morty said, startled by the suddenness of what she said.
"I said I'm bored Morty. We should do something." Summer said.
"Li-like what?" Morty said.
"Something fun. Something cool." Summer said.
"Uh...I mean Rick isn't here." Morty said. He was sweating and not entirely from the heat.
"I'm not talking about something with Grandpa Rick. Just you and me and some brother and sister bonding time. " Summer said.
"Bon-bonding time?" Morty said.
"Yeah! I mean we have gotten a lot closer recently since time got frozen. So I dunno. I just want to spend more time with you." Summer said. Morty turned around and looked at his sister. Sweat ran down her face, her shirt was damp, and she gave off a pleasing flushed look.
"Uhhhh...Y-yeah sure. We can do wh-whatever you want Summer." Morty said. God he shouldn't be thinking about this...he shouldn't be feeling this.
"Nice! Thanks. Um...I know. Why don't we go swimming!" Summer said.
"Sw-swimming?" Morty replied.
"Yeah swimming. It is such a hot day outside so why not right?" She said with a smile on her face. Morty hadn't noticed how beautiful her smile was until recently. It made his heart throb and his mind race and he could just barely string words together.
"S-sure. Th-that sounds g-great." Morty said nervously. What the hell was he saying! He couldn't go swimming with his sister! She would be wearing a bathing suit and he would see so much of her perfect body and-no! Why did he have to be thinking about that!
Summer giggled. A beautiful, musical sound. "Your so awkward. Relax Morty, it'll be fun."
"O-ok." Morty said. He felt absolutely terrified. What if she figured out...what exactly? That he was some sort of weird pervert?
"Well you should probably get out." Summer said standing up.
"H-huh?" Morty said.
"I got to get dressed silly. Your so spacey today." Summer said moving towards her mirror. Morty found his eyes straying downward. Summer was barefoot and she had absolutely beautiful feet. Her butt was perfect and round too...
"Y-yes! I'll get out!" Morty said quickly and ran out. He was losing his fucking mind. None of this was right. Looking at his own sister like that. He shouldn't have agreed to going swimming.
He really, really shouldn't have. But he did so now he had to put on trunks. And just the thought of Summer in a bikini was making him so fucking aroused...
Morty knew he should fucking feign illness or something. But he couldn't. It was like the heat was controlling him and he moved in intense discomfort to his room where he stripped and put on some swimming trunks.
He put a few things in a bag, including his cell phone, and wasted some time staring at his mirror and trying to calm himself. Then he slowly walked back to Summer's room.
It was only a minute or two more before Summer came out with a bikini top and a towel around her waist. Morty couldn't help but gulp nervously when he saw her. Man she was so beautiful.
"Don't be so nervous Morty. You look good. " Summer said with a smile.
"I- I do?" Morty said.
"Sure you do! Cmon Morty let's go." Summer said and Morty felt himself being dragged along by her momentum.
The public pool was pretty much empty which Morty found as a great surprise. Usually aren't places like these flooded with people in the summer. As it was there was only a couple of lifeguards and some teens here and there.
Summer took off her towel exposing her bikini-clad rear to Morty. Morty wanted to avert his eyes but all he could do was stare at her amazing backside. Eventually, he was able to pull his eyes away just as Summer turned her head to look back at him.
"Hey Morty we going in or what?" Summer said with a smile.
"U-uh yeah sure." Morty said.
The two spent some time leisurely swimming around in the pool. Once Morty was able to take his mind off his gorgeous sister he actually felt himself calm down. The water was pretty relaxing and as long as he didn't look too long at Summer, he could hold up some simple small talk well enough.
"Hey so...have you noticed Grandpa Rick acting weird. I mean uh...weirder then usual." Summer said.
"U-uh I don't think so. Sa-same old Rick to me." Morty said. Bitter, angry old Rick.
"I dunno...I think he seems sadder then usual. Like more depressed." Summer said.
"I-I don't know..ma-maybe. It's hard to tell what Rick's thinking." Morty said. That's what made him so difficult to live with. Well, part of what made him so difficult to live with.
"Yeah. Still..I think I can understand him a bit. I...I think he's had a sad life." Summer said.
"Y-you do?" Morty asked. Morty had often wondered about that. On several occasions Rick had stumbled, drunk and ranting or drunk and weeping, into his room. And a couple times it was actually Rick and not a doppelganger or a robot or something.
"I really do. I don't think he is an easily understood person and that has it's troubles too you know?" Summer said.
"Uh huh." Morty said. He felt that flutter of dread in his stomach again. Just a bit.
"I mean it doesn't excuse everything he's done or make up for everything but...it makes things more understandable you know? Like why he is the way he is." Summer said.
"Uh huh." Morty said. That feeling of dread was getting worse. Why? He was just having a fairly normal conversation with his sister.
"You're a good listener Morty. You've let me babble on and on about nonsense." Summer said.
"No! I-it's not nonsense. I-I think it's r-really smart. And li-like insightful and junk." Morty said.
"Really? I mean I haven't heard many people call me smart before." Summer said. She seemed oddly vulnerable.
"Your super smart Summer! I-I mean I am just k-kinda dumb I think. Y-you take more after grandpa Rick i-in terms of intelligence." Morty said. Summer looked stunned. She kissed Morty on the cheek, the first time Morty ever remembered her doing such, and he nearly passed out from the blazing heat this generated.
"Thanks Morty. I-I really mean that. It means a lot to hear you say that." Summer said.
"Uh huh...your w-welcome." Morty said dreamily. Summer giggled musically.
"Your funny Morty. I think we should get back though. The lifeguard is giving us weird looks. I think they want to close down early for the day." Summer said.
"O-ok." Morty said. The two gathered what little they had brought and headed back home. Morty and Summer had enough time to change before dinner.
"So kids how was your day?" Jerry said, in his incredibly generic "father" voice.
"It was great." Summer beamed
"Ca-can't complain." Morty said blushing. He felt so good...but that dread was still with him.
"That's great. So what did you-" Jerry started. Almost certainly about to ask them about their daily activities. A question Morty was not sure he would be able to maintain composure if asked.
"Dad. You've been out for a while. I haven't seen you since this morning." Beth said.
"Yeah. It was a real pain in the ass. Some kind of virus was going around town. Made the usual commute for "Earth" supplies a *hic* hassle. Had to restrain myself from *hic* tearing the cashier a new asshole." Rick said, carrying several bags in and setting down a backpack.
"V-virus?" Rick said. That feeling of dread.
"Did I *hic* stutter? A virus went around town. Some kind of mental memetic one. Makes people under the age of thirty realize their true feelings about something they have hidden. Lot of couples tearing each other's clothes off. Or each other's faces. You know the *hic* deal." Rick said.
Morty felt the entire world close in on him. Those were his true feelings? He had been feeling this all along he just didn't know?
"True feelings huh?" Summer said. For some reason, her voice felt far away.
"Yeah, true feelings. Makes you idiot monkeys develop some self-awareness for a change. Anyway, I distributed the cure for it through the water supply. People will still know about these *hic* feelings but not develop a large sentient tumor in their brains. You *hic* kids should drink a glass of tap water tonight and you'll be cured if you got it. What are we eating anyway *hic* meatloaf and mashed potatoes again? Could we maybe have a fucking steak sometime or would that kill you?" Rick said.
"Rick maybe you should just fu-" Jerry said, his voice clearly agitated.
"Dad. That was a very nice story. Glad you could help out all those people and we will put steak on the menu." Beth said.
"Incredible." Rick said, his tone flat as he took a huge gulp from his flask before picking up his knife and fork.
Morty and Summer drank three glasses of water before bed that night.