No more than a second after he said it, Morty was asleep and Rick was left to stare into the darkness of the room in shock. He got to his feet and looked down at the sleeping boy. Slowly, he began to back away. Panic was quickly setting in as realization washed over him. Before he knew it, he was moving on his own accord. He took off, and out of the room, sprinting faster than he ever had before. He didn't know where he was going but he knew he couldn't stay in that room with Morty. He was too afraid of his own feelings.

After a minute or so, he came to a slow stop in the middle of nowhere. Rick panted softly as he took in his surroundings. He was somewhere near the edge of the forest where the cabin was. The city lights stretched out far away and he could almost see the curve of the planet from the hill he stood on. Satisfied with his distance from the boy, he collapsed to his knees. Only then, did he allow himself to think about what Morty had said.

Morty had said he loved him. He'd actually said it. Maybe he was just drunk, maybe he didn't really mean it but something inside Rick was screaming at him that it was the truth and it scared the shit out of him. He hadn't been expecting Morty to share his feelings. He should have been happy. He should have jumped for joy and waited for Morty to wake up so that he could tell him he felt the same but he couldn't because underneath it all it didn't matter. Rick didn't deserve him and if he allowed himself to fall into the temptation of it all, it would eventually destroy Morty. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let himself lose the only person he truly cared for.

Morty awoke to the worst headache of his entire life. He quickly lurched forward and dragged himself into the small bathroom attached to the room before he could throw up all over the cabin. He vomited into the toilet for a minute or so and then wiped the back of his hand across his mouth as he pushed away from the toilet. He leaned back against the edge of the bath tub and took in a few deep breaths. His head was still pounding and his mouth felt like it was filled with sand but at least his stomach felt better. As he took a moment to gather himself, he noticed he was wearing a new shirt and his shoulder and foot were bandaged. Suddenly, the events of the night came flooding back to him and he reached for the toilet to vomit once again.

Rick had kissed him and he had run away.

The last thing he remembered was dropping a glass tumbler of vodka. What else had he said or done? He knew he needed to talk to Rick. Slowly, he dragged himself to his feet and stumbled back into the room. That's when he noticed a glass of water and a small tablet sitting on the night stand next to his bed. He slowly stumbled over to it and saw a note sitting beside them that said, "Drink this." Morty dropped the tablet into the water and it started to fizz. He didn't wait for it to dissolve before he gulped the cup down.

It made him feel slightly better and he pulled himself together before leaving the room. He entered the living room to find it empty. His first thought was that Rick must be asleep in one of the other rooms still but after inspecting the other rooms and coming up empty handed he realized Rick was nowhere to be found. Panic started to set in. One thought kept circling around in his mind. What if Rick left?

He'd told Morty he wouldn't leave but could he really expect Rick to be telling the truth? He wanted to but as he ran around the cabin calling out the scientist's name, he found that it was getting harder and harder to believe him. The ship! He suddenly remembered and rushed outside. His heart sank when he made it to the front yard only to discover it was empty. "Fuck…" he whispered and then once again louder, "Fuck!"

"What the hell are you yelling about?" he heard a voice from behind him say and he whipped around to see Rick standing in the doorway of the cabin. He had taken his lab coat off and had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he used an old rag to wipe some grease from his hands. "I-I-I thought…" he stuttered stupidly but then shook his head. "Where were you?" He asked and Rick rose an eyebrow at him before hooking a thumb over his shoulder.

"In the back. Had to fix a part on the ship and there's a garage in the back." He explained like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Morty felt his panic slowly die and he let out a pent-up breath. "Come on we have to go." Rick said casually and Morty stared at him in confusion. "Wha-what?" he stammered and Rick sighed like it was the most frustrating question in the world. "W-we still have a mission to complete, Morty." He replied sarcastically. Morty was astonished. Was he really going to act like last night hadn't happened?

"Ri-Rick?" he stuttered but the man was already turned away and heading back into the house. Morty stood still for a moment wondering if his memories from last night were real but in his heart he knew they were. He could still feel the phantom touch of Rick's lips against his. After a second, he took off after Rick, pulling his sneakers on as he went.

"Rick!" he called out to the man who was pulling on his lab coat in front of the ship. He didn't respond and Morty found his confusion was quickly mounting into anger. He growled softly under his breath before marching forward to grab Ricks wrist and pull him forward. "Je-Jesus kid. Be carefu-." He started but Morty cut him off with an angry hiss. "We need to talk about last night?" he growled and for a moment, an unfamiliar look passed over Rick's face but it was gone in an instant. "Wh-what about-urp-it?" he replied casually and Morty's mouth nearly dropped open. "Yo-you fucking ki-kissed me Rick!" he yelled and Rick just stared at him blankly. "Oh that." He responded lamely and rage flickered behind Morty's eyes. "Wh-what can I say? Mu-must have been th- the adrenaline." He said and turned to walk away but Morty stopped him once again by grabbing the front of his shirt. "Don't do this Rick. Do-Don't fu-fucking lie to me!" he exclaimed. Suddenly, Rick's expression changed from disinterest to anger.

"Wha-what the fuck do you want from me, Morty?" he spat and Morty took a step back in shock. "Di-did you think tha-that after we- we kissed we'd have som-some fairy tale wedding?" he growled and Morty found himself back pedaling as Rick advanced on him. "I-It was a mistake okay." He said and Morty felt his heart shatter in his chest. His eye's widened in shock and he stood stone still as Rick loomed over him. After a minute with no reply, Rick spun around and headed back towards the ship. "We have a mission to c-complete and I'm not paying you for nothing." He called over his shoulder.

Morty wanted to cry. He wanted to scream at Rick that he was wrong. That it wasn't a mistake and that he had just been scared. He wanted to tell him that he loved him. Instead, he forced himself to move numbly towards the ship.

Rick saw the exact moment that Morty's heart broke and it nearly destroyed him in turn. He had been so angry a moment before but as soon as the words had left his lips-It was a mistake- his entire demeanor had changed, it was enough to make him break down and tell the truth but he couldn't. He had decided that the best way to protect Morty, was to push him away. Of all the things he'd faced in his life, this was the hardest.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Morty climbed into the ship. His face was devoid of emotion and he didn't say a word as the ship took off. Most of the trip went by without a single word spoken between them. Rick landed the ship on a small planet in front of a pawn shop. Morty didn't move as Rick exited the ship. "You coming or what?" he asked but Morty didn't reply. "Fine." He said and slammed the ship door before making his way into the front of the store. The part he was looking for was small and it took him some time to track it down. The alien behind the counter at the register had four eyes and his skin was a deep orange color. He turned his attention to Rick as he walked up. "How much for this?" He asked as he placed the part down on the counter. The alien looked at him for a moment, before glancing at the part and then back up at him. "sixty schmeckles." Rick's eyebrows rose and he gave the alien a dirty look. "That's bull shit, it's not worth twenty schmeckles." He growled and the alien simply stared at him before shrugging. "You asked." He replied and then turned his attention back out the window. "Of course…I would be willing to…make a trade." He suddenly said. Rick followed his line of sight out the window to see Morty leaned up against the ship, smoking a cigarette.

In the blink of an eye, Rick was reaching forward and gabbing the front of the alien's shirt. He tugged him forward, slamming his head into the counter top and placed the muzzle of his laser gun under the man's chin. "I've got a better idea." He growled. "How about I take that part and walk out of here, and you get to keep your life?" the alien nodded vigorously and Rick shoved him away satisfied. He grabbed the part off the counter and quickly walked away. Morty looked up at him as he exited the store but quickly looked away. He threw his cigarette to the grown and stomped on it before climbing back into the ship without a word.

Rick sighed and took out his flask to gulp a few mouthful's down before climbing into the ship. By the time they made it back the cabin, it was dark out. Morty wasted no time hopping out of the ship and making his way into the cabin. Rick watched him go and felt his chest constrict in pain. He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before following him inside.

He was prepared to spend the rest of the night alone, drinking in his room but what he got instead was far more unpredictable. As soon as he entered the cabin, he was assaulted by Morty. Rick had forgotten how strong the boy was, even though he weighed barely anything. He shoved Rick until his knees hit the back of the couch and he collapsed backward. "What the fuck Mort-." He began but was cut off by Morty startling his lap and crushing their lips together. For a moment, he was frozen to the spot. His first instinct was to kiss him back but he couldn't so he pushed him away softly, intending to ask what he was doing but anything he could have thought to say disappeared as he took in the sight of Morty. Tears were streaming down his face and they dripped from his chin. "M-Morty-." He began but was once again cut off.

"You're full of shit Rick."