Sometimes, on the rare occasion that Rick and Morty would have the house to themselves overnight, Morty would sneak downstairs to Rick's bedroom, where he would awkwardly knock on the door and play with the hem of his shirt while he waited for the grunt of recognition. Grumpy, but almost always awake, Rick would let Morty in - typically without so much as a word - to spend the night. Rick had never said no, and in return Morty would refrain from pestering him with questions until he was finished working on his current project to join Morty in bed.
The reward of Rick's soft and warm bed was always worth the stress of sneaking around the rest of the family, and the strong smell of alcohol and musk relaxed Morty in ways he could never describe. He'd wait patiently, usually curled up and under the covers while Rick worked tirelessly on something beyond Morty's comprehension. Sometimes it would be hours before Rick would join Morty in bed, and by then he would often have drifted off peacefully. Morty rarely interrupted Rick while he worked at these times - he never wanted to risk being shooed out to sleep on his own.
Rick never slept more than a few hours, but Morty always woke up with him. After a night of cuddling, Rick would need to detangle his limbs from Morty's, and after Rick would habitually sit for a time at the edge of his bed as he gathered his sleepy thoughts. Each morning, Morty would reach over to catch Rick by the arm; he knew that he could coax Rick back into bed for some early-morning cuddles if he caught him before he was completely awake. While Rick would never admit it, Morty knew he had a weak spot for cuddling - it seemed to be one of the few times Rick would truly relax.
As sweet as these mornings could be, however, they were always a risk. It wasn't unusual for someone to arrive home during the night, and Beth would often knock on everyone's bedroom door to offer breakfast. While she would never open the door of Rick's bedroom uninvited, she would invite herself into Morty's without a second thought. The two knew how suspicious it would appear if they emerged from Rick's room together, and therefore as an extra precaution, Rick would send Morty back to his own room at the first sign of anyone's arrival back home. Without warning, Rick would open a portal underneath Morty while he slept, and he would wake up as he tumbled onto his bed in his own bedroom.
Somehow, despite all of this, Morty was beginning to adjust to this hectic and confusing way of life. This was the life he had chosen for himself, chaos and all.