This year’s Christmas party was better than expected! So many Ricks and Mortys came to one dimension’s nicely decorated house. And even a few other Beths, Summers and Jerrys came to chat with alternate versions of their own families. A Jessica showed up too and some Mortys flocked to her—
The super-Rick-fan Morty couldn't care less. He rolled his eyes at the little huddle of Mortys in the entryway of the house while shoving past them. Jessica was nice to him in his own dimension too and she was pretty, of course. But she wasn't his idol! She wasn’t an awesome, cool, science genius soaring through stars and galaxies! She was just some kid compared to the cosmos’ ultimate rock star. And as Morty made his way into the house he noticed this party had tons of them! A wide smile was locked in place to see six Ricks in the living room and knowing there were more throughout the house; mingling, drinking, laughing, making fun of Jerry. They were amazing!
SRF-Morty gripped the present in his hands. It replaced his stuffed Rick-doll for today --which he missed hugging right now-- but it was for a good cause! Because, as much as he adored all of these Ricks, SRFM was here for one in particular. Not too many parties ago (as Ricks seemed to constantly have parties) Morty had found a gloomy sort of Rick alone in his own corner of the room. Naturally Morty needed to know every Rick in existence so he talked to the guy. The kid didn’t expect much but to be shooed away and closed out; the usual go-to for Ricks. But this darker man --one who called himself Zero-- surprised Morty that day. It was one of the first times a Rick was so open with his feelings. Morty still smiled to remember it. And okay, maybe those feelings were a little depressing at times, but they were honest! And they were downright poetic. Zero was a Rick that refused to hide himself no matter how it made others feel. Since then SRFM always found himself scanning parties to look for him, to see him and talk to him, even for a few minutes. Because anything that dark man said was like talking directly to the heart of hearts among all Ricks.
Thankfully it didn’t take long. It was a short wander around the house and Morty spotted the thick black stripes of his favorite Rick’s shirt. They stood out well among the crowd of blues and yellows and Christmas sweaters. Zero was in the kitchen helping himself to a red solo-cup of spiked eggnog. Morty slipped past a few others until he reached the man. He took a quiet moment to retain his confidence then carefully placed himself inside the edge of Zero’s personal bubble, standing beside him against the kitchens back wall.
“Hey,” Morty said, trying to keep cool. Zero’s eyes moved to him for a moment, then back to the little crowd in the room. He lifted his cup for another drink.
“…Hey,” he said past it. Morty’s smile was hurting. He looked to the floor and took a breath. He had to take inventory on his actions so far. Okay, so! They had three conversations before this, each one at a different party and each one really nice, obviously! Morty had been playing it pretty cool and with a little encouragement Zero would open up like a book. It was so amazing! But! Zero almost never started the conversation. It was like the man believed he was wasting perfectly good oxygen by talking to someone who, for all he knew, hated him and didn’t care. Morty had broken through that part. He already established that he liked what Zero had to say. A few offered urging words like “that’s so cool” and “tell me more” rolled through the kid’s memory. It felt like Zero needed to be reminded of this every time but that was fine by SRFM. In fact, it was downright delightful to continuously be the cause of Zero’s shared inner thoughts and feelings.
The man was silent at Morty’s side, but at least he wasn’t acting skittish with Morty in his personal space like last time. Morty was in! The friendship was building! They’d be traveling through space and the multiverse as eternal partners in no time!
“I like that you come out to parties,” Morty commented.
“Free booze,” Zero answered. He stared into his cup, as if suddenly questioning if that was really a good enough reason to leave the house.
“Well, I mean,” the kid continued. “Y-your personality made me think I wouldn’t see you so often, like you-you’d rather be holed up at home.” Morty glanced at him. Zero frowned. Was he insulted? “Uh! I-I’m sorry.”
“…You’re not wrong,” Zero said. His eyes followed the other versions of himself in the kitchen, knowing them too well and feeling tired for them. And Morty just watched him. He appreciated that sad expression somehow, what emotions might be tied to it. “Out here I’m surrounded by people I-I don’t like. But--but when I’m alone I’m trapped with…someone I don’t like. In that case, i-it doesn’t really matter. Inside, outside…”
Morty moved a bit closer. “What made you choose ‘outside’?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“Outside. Parties. Y-you said it doesn’t matter so, so why do you keep choosing the parties? You’ve been to every one since the Citadel’s dance party.” Morty tilted his head. Zero moved to walk away from him but still gave an answer.
“You’re here.” The man tossed his empty cup in a bin and headed for the living room.
A wave of feelings practically crippled Morty. His heart was in his throat, his stomach was a twisting knot, his mind was racing but he choked on any possibility to form words. His idol, his rock star, his “80s Terminator meets Justin Roiland meets Taylor Swift” just said that Morty was the reason he comes to these parties…! And he was walking away!
The thought of losing sight of Zero at such a powerful moment in their epic tale of ever-lasting friendship pulled Morty from his spot. He nearly tripped over himself while willing his legs to move. “R-Rick..!” Too many Ricks looked his way. “Uh..nn..Zero! Wait!” The boy shoved past the others again. A Summer shouted “watch it” and a Jerry gave a “where’s the fire?” but both were easily ignored. Just past the couch Zero had turned around, showing his stripes to be easily seen. He was in the archway near the front door. Was he about to leave? “Don’t go!” Morty rushed to him. He wanted to grab the man and never ever let go! But that might ruin everything he worked for up to this point. Zero might shove him off and call him too clingy. No way Morty would mess this up now when things just got so real! SRFM stopped in front of the man, already feeling out of breath while shining a worried, questioning expression.
“I wasn’t leaving,” Zero raised one side of his brow. “It’s too crowded in there.”
“Oh…Y-yeah. O-of course.” Morty laughed a little while secretly basking in his relief. “Um…so…y-y-you said,” he swallowed. “Y-you said you’re here because I’M here...?” He chanced a glance at Zero. The taller man shrugged and nodded. He wasn’t denying it. That was the same as shouting it from a roof top when it came to Ricks! Ah, Morty’s little heart couldn’t take this! He squeezed the gift in his hands like it was his doll, the thing that kept him from squeezing Ricks left and right. That’s right! “Oh! I, um, I got you this—th-this is for you!” The flat, square thing was shoved forward. Zero eyed it before accepting the present. It was torn open, the paper tossed to the side and Zero looked it over. A book covered in stickers with Rick sayings, happy cute things, and Zero’s name in glitter letters. He opened the book. “All About You” was the title and it was filled, cover to cover, with questions by the book and answers by Morty. All things that made Morty think of Zero: ‘A memory that reminds me of you. A song that was surely written about you. Something I saw today that made me think of you.’ There were so many things and there was writing everywhere, as if one answer wasn’t enough for any of them.
Zero carefully flipped through the obsessive scrawling that surely took hours on end, along with deep thought and obscene dedication. His eyes looked past it to stare at the kid. Morty kept on a smile, wondering if it would be seen for the warm gesture it was in his eyes, instead of an almost-scary catalog of intense fixations. Zero didn’t say which he found it to be. He simply stared at Morty a moment, closed the book and held it at his side. “Thanks…” he said. “I, uh…didn’t get you anything . Um…” Zero patted himself down, then pulled out a pocket knife. His name was etched into the handle. “Here.”
Morty took it like a precious prize, delicately handling the magnificent tool. It looked so sleek and sharp. It was well taken care of but well used too. He could cry! Such a personal and meaningful thing, even if it was just a second thought… it was cherished forever! Morty started to form a gracious thank you but was interrupted by lips touching his own. Zero’s face was against his, dark eyes closed and a soft mouth warming his in a kiss. Morty was frozen. The gentle pressure soon moved away. Zero opened his eyes and looked at the stone boy who was…bewildered. SRFM hadn’t actually thought about…romance from his star. His heart couldn’t ever picture a universe where such a thing was possible. Because really, how may little boys imagined The Rock or Ironman kissing them? But it…it happened just like that. There was still a lingering warmth and Zero’s breath was on his cheek. Morty’s eyes locked onto the man’s. He didn’t understand.
--Okay, hang on. I’m having trouble here. I see what’s happening, I know the feelings, but how do I write it? The confusion here makes everything almost quiet between them, despite the loud room. Odd, even. And Zero pulls back more, fully standing and his brow furrows. “You…didn’t mean it that way, did you.” It was a realization more than a question. Morty isn’t sure what to say. He -didn’t- mean it that way but not as a cognitive decision. He didn’t even consider such a thing. It wasn’t in his realm of thought. Now he’s so confused and…scared. He idolizes Zero. He didn’t hate the closeness, he never could. But this is… weird, right? Isn’t it weird for a teenage boy to kiss his super hero? Is it…?
Tears start to form in his eyes and Zero feels like a total jerk. The man pats his shoulder. “H-hey..i-it’s cool. Just… uh, just the rules. See?” Zero points up above them. In the archway was a hastily pinned up mistletoe, probably the remnant attempt of a Jerry to be romantic for his Beth. Zero honestly hates mistletoe, though. Kisses are a choice and a gift. Mistletoes take that gift away, pushing people into forced kisses whether they like it or not because if they don’t they’re ruining “the Christmas spirit”. Disgusting. Right now, though, it’s helpful. If Morty thinks it’s just a rule, maybe he won’t stress about it. Maybe this….friendship.. won’t be completely ruined. Zero hopes not. He’s never had someone genuinely want to be his friend, someone who wasn’t looking to get something out of it. He wouldn’t have minded a few cute kisses but that’s apparently not what the kid meant.
Morty wipes his tears away while staring at the plant on the ceiling. “Oh…y-yeah..” His usual smile is gone for now, replaced by the common-Morty expression of struggling-to-think and a bit of worry. He looks down at the folded knife in his hand and runs a thumb over the etched-in name. Then his glance moves to Zero’s hands. Or rather, to his wrist. Morty grabs it and pulls the sleeve up quickly. Little raised lines in the skin show where small cuts have been made. “You cut yourself!?”
“Du-uuugh--uumb,” remarks a passing Rick. “Use alcohol like a normal Rick, damn.”
Zero pulls the sleeve down. “H-hey, that’s my business,” he complains. He can’t tell Morty it’s not what he thinks. Zero just made things weird by kissing him, how awful would it be to add “Cutting myself turns me on, just in case you wanted to know what got me hard while I’m here ruining your childhood”
“I don’t care!” Morty whines. “Y-y-you can’t do it anymore!” His arms move to wrap around Zero’s waist tightly, his face pressing against Zero just above his stomach. Their first hug. And Morty’s heart is thumping so hard in his chest. Not just from the closeness with his super star or his deep concern for a friend, but something…more and new. Another passing Rick teases that they should get a room and both pull away awkwardly with hot faces.
Zero frowns. He’s not good at being flustered or having people worry over him. It’s not comfortable. He slouches with his sigh. “You have my knife so…i-if I get cut, it’s because of you.”
“I would never hurt you, Zero.” Morty tries to look sure of himself. Zero shakes his head.
“E-everyone hurts everyone, whether they mean to or—or not. It’s called mistakes a-and we all make them. There’s no avoiding it. You’re—Y-you’re going to hurt me and I’m going to hurt you.” Zero watches his little fan and the sad expression Morty held. Dammit, he knew he’d drag even the happy, upbeat tike down into the dirt. He’s always pulling life and light into darkness to decay at his side. And on Christmas, no less... But for once Zero actually wants to salvage it. He actually wants to make someone else happy… “But,” he continues. “Mistakes, they’re how we learn. They--they’re how we become better people. For ourselves a-and for each other.” Zero takes a breath. There’s more to it than that but it doesn’t make his words less true. Besides, Morty smiles again. The short, starry-eyed teen is red and happy. It’s all back to normal. Maybe…
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