#{ that really awkward moment when Morty confuses the Ricks and thinks that he's holding *his* Rick's hand xD }

[advnterccs-archive]

SEND 🤝 TO HOLD MY MUSE’S HAND || accepting

@countlessrealities sent; 🤝 [[ my Rick for your Morty || Give me some family fluff 🤭 ]]

There were plenty of horrifying things that Morty encountered in his life. From near death experiences, being turned into various grotesque beings, having galactic creatures chase him, to even having parasitic things live within him. His entire life seemed to be a one giant sci-fi horror film.

Yet, it didn't stop him from being any less scared from the ones in an unrealistic, cinematic format.

Sat down in front of the couch, beside the two pairs of legs that belonged to both Ricks, he tried his hardest not to appear scared. He couldn't look afraid in front of his counterpart. That would just make him look lame and that's something he couldn't have. Not in the slightest.

Good thing for him, only his Rick knew of the secret. How very much afraid he was of anything to do with horror. All he needed to do was what they discussed prior to their counterparts coming over and he'd be good. At least, he hoped.

As the camera panned abruptly on the killer, that classic disturbing note that played in the background to indicate the presence, he jumped and shifted closer to Rick's leg.

Unknowingly cuddling up to the other Rick's leg, not realizing that it wasn't his Rick. He grabbed the other scientist's hand, holding it in between both of his hands.

At first, his fingers began to run over the callous hands. Searching for a miniature device. That's what his Rick promised him or -- well -- he thought. It still didn't occur to him that he was feeling up his counterpart's Rick's hand. And it nothing could make him realize it.

Instead, he wondered to himself. Maybe his Rick meant that if they just held hands, no one will have to know he's scared and he'd feel comforted, better. The thought brought a fuzzy warmth to light within his chest.

Damn, maybe Rick wasn't just some cold scientist that used gadgets for everything. Maybe he could be a decent grandpa when he wanted to be. That alone really made him feel special, made the dynamic and bond that they had more unique than he could ever asked for.

With a nuzzle, he leaned closer to the other Rick's knee, continuing to hold his hand. "Y-You know, Rick, you're the best grandpa in the world." He whispered, hoping that no one else could hear.

[rickssugarplum]

Ricky Doll

This one is super long, my longest fic so far so be prepared! ❤

(Rick C-137 x Female Reader) NSFW-ish, Swearing, Fluff, Missing Someone, 2300+ words

You’ve missed Rick for so long and you have a Rick Plushie to fill the void. Rick finds out.

As much as you loved Rick, you couldn’t deny his constant adventures across the galaxy had occupied a lot of his time. You could never tell him, that you secretly wished he would spend less time in different dimensions and more time with you. But you weren’t stupid, Rick wasn’t a person who would be tied down. He was not like other men. He had priorities that were beyond relationships. A man of science could not be tied down. You respected his ways, knowing that telling him otherwise would be futile. But that never changed the fact that whenever he was gone, you felt... lonely. 

Sometimes, you would feel a little hurt when you had gone days without seeing him, or falling asleep alone in your bed. Sure, he gave you a special phone to call him from space, but you didn’t think Rick would want to be bombarded with calls while he was traveling with his grandson, putting them in dire situations. Plus, you didn’t want to seem desperate. Lately though, he had been gone much longer than usual, sometimes going weeks without hearing anything from him. He would text you to let you know he was still alive, which you were thankful for. Still, you really missed him. You longed for his company, to have him hold you, to hear his gruff voice whisper sweet nothings in your ear as he would plant you with kisses, and fall asleep with his warm body beside yours. But you were also loyal. Cheating was never an option for you. You wanted Rick and Rick alone. While you knew he could never be replaced in your eyes, you recently found a temporary solution.

A few months ago, you had been dragged along to the Citadel of Ricks. While the genius had despised the idea of a citadel and thought it was basically a bunch of Ricks living as sheep, he had to make a delivery that would pay a ton of cash. You were pretty freaked out at seeing so many Ricks at once, They were all Rick, but at the same time, they were not. You had seen one Rick cleaning the streets, a few cop Ricks, a lizard Rick, and a few homeless Ricks too. It was a huge city filled with them! You kept by your own though for safety. While your Rick was talking to a client, You had been stopped by a Rick, wearing a brown suit, with some stuffed toys in his hands. “HEY, PRETTY LADY!” he startled the ever-living crap out of you. You were not used to a Rick acting so enthusiastic.“Would you be interested in buying a Rick and Morty doll?” He continued on with his little sales pitch. “Only twenty-five flurbos for you own stuffed companion!” He exclaimed. Companion. That was something you were missing lately, you had contemplated that it was a stupid idea, but it would be funny to have. You agreed to purchase the stuffed Rick doll, and exchanged with some flurbos Rick had given you from a trip to Blips and Chitz. The salesman handed the doll over and as you looked at it more closely. It was, oddly adorable.

It was near life-size. The stitching on the face captured his expression accurately. Its eyes were stitched to appear half lidded, lips in a thin line, perfectly capturing Rick’s resting expression. The spikes of his wild blue hair had were sprawling over the doll’s head. You ran your fingers through the material and it was soft to the touch, just like his hair. The skin was the same grey shade and the fabric of the clothes were cheaply made. But look wise, it looked amazing. And you had nothing to complain about. You just had to find a way to hide it from Rick. Surely, he’d make fun of you for buying a freaking stuffed toy, like a 6-year-old. Luckily, the citadel had a free service that offered to drop off anything to your chosen destination via a drop-off portal close by. You quickly entered the coordinates, and threw your new plushie through it. Not even a minute after, Rick returned by your side, 6,000 flurbos richer. You simply followed him as he shot a portal to leave the weird city. You never told him about the salesman, you never tell him about your purchase. Had no thought of telling him either. It wasn’t a big deal.

Weeks had gone by and you hadn’t seen Rick since. The loneliness you felt in your heart only intensified with each passing day without him. At night, you would take the doll out of your closet, smiling as you looked into its felt eyes. You would bring it to bed with you and hold it, wishing it was really him. Sometimes you would play with its hair as you drifted off to sleep. That had been a habit of yours when Rick stayed over. His hair was so soft, you couldn’t help running your hands through it, not that he minded.  You felt you might have gone insane by sleeping with a stuffed version of your lover. But honestly, it helped you process throughout the day, knowing you would get to fall asleep with something physically similar at least. All you had to do is think of him, and he would be in your heart.

In the dark, you were sleeping, clutching onto the plush. The silence was interrupted when a bright green portal swirled to your room, Between the loud warping sound of the transportation and the bright effect it had, you woke up almost immediately. 

“Mmph...” You hated being woken up in the middle of the night but your heart almost leaped out of your chest when you heard a familiar husky voice calling you.

“Hey, I’ve been texting you all night! What the fuck wer-” He stopped when he saw a lump beside you on the side of the bed he would usually sleep, his side of the bed. Rick’s brow furrow furiously, face becoming red; fuming. He looked ready to kill.

“MotherFUCKER!” He screamed as he launched into your bed dragging the source of his anger out of the bed.

“What the fuck, Rick!?” you shouted, now fully awake. 

Next thing you see is him on the ground, punching the stuffed toy, with no rational thought in his body.

“Rick, STOP!!” you demanded, but he would not budge. You watched, freaking out as he kept assaulting his current target.

“She’s MINE, you fucking asshole!!” He screamed out, he was so pissed off, he couldn’t see, or care to see what kind of damage he would potentially do to the victim of his rage.

You jumped off your bed, running to the light switch and turning it on, revealing all of the room, including what had Rick seething with jealousy.

“You’re fucking dead you piece o-” He paused for a second, getting a better view of what he had been pummeling to the ground. It was.....soft, much softer than a human, he looked at his victim’s face and it was like looking in a mirror. It was...him? But a softer version, he examined the damage and he noticed, bits of cotton stuffing escaped on parts of the arm and chest.

“W-w-what the hell? Rick blurted out. Standing up, he picked up the soft item and looked at you, confused at what was going on. Your eyes shamefully moved to the floor, not wanting to see his face. “What is this??” he finally asked you.

“It’s a plush.....of you.....” you muttered, embarrassed. He saw the thing that had been a temporary fill-in for him.

“Where’d you get this?” He asked, he looked slightly intrigued and curious.

“At the citadel. While you were with that client. A salesman Rick approached me selling Rick and Morty dolls” you giggled, thinking about it. “I thought it would be kinda funny to have so...I bought one.” you explained, nervously rubbing the back of your neck, eyes darting across the room. This was honestly really humiliating. He still had one more question though.

“Well, w-w-why was it in your bed?” He could see your point about having it as a funny little gift, but he still didn’t understand why you were sleeping with it.

Now you were completely in an awkward position, you had no real choice but to answer him truthfully. There was no point in lying to him. You took a deep breath before you finally answered.

“It’s just that.....you haven’t been around lately. You’re off doing all these crazy adventures and working on new inventions and I just....really missed you..” you admitted. “I had it mainly to fill the void of you not being here... I’d hug it and would think of you...Nothing and no one can ever replace you, but, it has helped me a little when I really wanted you around...” you finished.

The cat was out of the bag now. He knew the truth. You told the god’s honest truth about how you just missed him and used the doll to cope with his absence.  You mentally prepared yourself to face his ridicule, to hear him mockingly laughing at you for your sentimental, clingy, teenage mentality bullshit. To tell you to grow the hell up and get over the fact he was gone and that you look stupid sleeping with a damn doll. You looked up to see Rick’s face and see his reaction, which had surprised you.

He was looking at the plush that he just mere moments ago had been beating the shit out of. He sneaked in a slight smile. He was actually kind of touched that you missed him so much that you had a doll that resembled him to make yourself feel better about him not being there. In his expression, you saw something else; guilt. Rick knew he had been gone a little longer than he should’ve been. He never liked leaving you alone for so long, he had just had so much on his plate lately and didn’t have time to visit you or take you anywhere. After a while of silence, Rick finally looked up to you.

“Oh baby....” He said as he placed the doll on the edge of the bed. He was making his way over to you, opening his arms.

“C’mere.” Rick wrapped his arms around you in a warm embrace. Your body warmed up at his hold. It had been so long since you had seen him, heard him, felt him. A smile crept on your face as you closed your eyes and enjoyed the moment. You were listening to his soft heartbeat that always made you feel safe, let you know he was there, alive and well. That was something the doll could never replicate. Rick finally spoke up.

“I’m so sorry I haven’t been around. I nev-I never wanted to be away for so long, Shit’s just been so crazy lately. I’m sorry you’ve been so lonely.” he apologized as his hand was rubbing your back soothingly. 

“I’m here now, baby...” 

You had listened to every word he said and he sounded so sincere. You had no reason to doubt him. Sure he loved science, but he knew that it was important to let go sometimes. He was always able to do that with you.

“I missed you so much...” you told him, as you were melting in his arms.

“I know. I know, babe...” he muttered. He bent down to kiss the top of your head, rocking you gently in place. “I missed you too....” he confessed quietly. 

Looking up at him, you gave him a warm smile and leaned in closer to his face. Rick leaned down and pressed his lips to yours. It was very soft and welcoming. Then it became more passionate. You felt his tongue sneak into your mouth, making you giggle with excitement. More than happy to let him in, you wrapped your arms around his neck as you kissed back with the same amount of need. It had been too long.

To your surprise, Rick lifted you up as you yelped and wrapped your legs around his waist. He carried you over to the bed and gently laid you down. Before long, he crawled on top of you and attacked your mouth again with lustful kisses. You sighed and shivered at his touches. He stopped to breathe and looked in your eyes. You were dazed to say the least. Then, you felt Rick lightly press his lips to your jaw, leaving you gasping. “Baby....” he muttered into your ear. “I-I-I’ll make it up to you. I promise...” He started moving down to kiss your neck. No biting like he would usually do, just soft lips against your body, worshipping it. He stopped for a moment. Your heart sped up as you watched him take off his lab coat and throw it across the room. He crushed his lips back on yours. He looked in your eyes and whispered, “Mmm...I got a looot of time to make up for.” Crashing his lips again, your fingers traveled to touch his soft hair. His hair. Not some material meant to feel similar attached to a plush doll. You had Rick again at last, and relished in euphoria. You couldn’t get enough.

“Rick...I need you...” you begged as you couldn’t stop touching him.

“Don’t worry baby...” He peppered your neck with kisses again. It seemed he couldn’t get enough of you either. “I-I’m not going anywhere....I’m aallll yours, sweetheart.....” he proclaimed in a whisper. “I’m the oooonly toy you need now.”

Laughing, you caught his lips once more as you both enjoyed each other’s company.

The drought had ended. Rick was finally back by your side, giving you the love and affection you sought from him and him only. While you had no intention of getting rid of the plush toy, it would have to get used to being in your closet for awhile. Because, your Rick would always be your favorite doll.

❤

[porkchop-ao3]

RickCon’18: Part 2/3

Part one, Part three

I didn't know what else to do, so I followed the crowd. I allowed myself to get swept up in the sea of bodies, treading on toes and getting mine trodden on too. This area definitely seemed clothing-oriented, as I passed stalls selling t-shirts, accessories, and what seemed to be cosplay outfits. I managed to break off from the current to stop at one of the stalls. I browsed through a display of buttons, each one adorned with Rick or Morty based designs, some simply had their faces, some had little quotes or jokes, most of which flew right over my head. I supposed you had to be a Rick… I picked one up with Rick's face on with the words “wubba lubba dub dub”, whatever the hell that meant, and paid the Morty running the stall for it before attaching it to my t-shirt. I figured I should at least be wearing one piece of merchandise, considering I was at RickCon.

 I continued on through the convention center, being stopped once or twice by different Ricks asking if I'd like to exchange dimension codes. It took me until the third time to realise that this was a form of flirting, not just a polite question. I quickly stopped giving out the number on my wristband willy-nilly and prayed that nothing would come of it later. I figured I'd make the most of the strange day and snapped a few pictures with some of the more unique looking Ricks and Mortys; by the time I'd made it to the food area, my camera was filled with pictures. I had photos with a Rick that appeared to be half lizard, a Rick with two heads (and he'd kindly informed me that it wasn't all he had two of), a Morty holding a bunch of cats and a teenage Rick with an elderly Morty.

 I decided to grab myself a cup of tea and take a moment to sit down. I (literally) bumped into a Rick with a bowl cut and bucked teeth on my way over to the seating area. He apologised profusely, even though it was my fault. After making sure he was okay I asked if I could take a picture with him, to which he bashfully agreed, before I let him get on with his day. He was the first mild mannered Rick I'd met all day, and I wanted a photo for proof of his existence so next time Tailor Rick told me it was just in his nature to be rude, I could rub it in his face.

 Sitting alone at a table with my cup of tea gave me plenty of time to people watch. I still hadn't quite wrapped my head around the place, considering I'd only learned about this crazy multidimensional stuff a mere few days ago. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I even fully believed it, I was just going with the flow and ignoring the urge to pinch myself at every new Rick I set eyes on. One was coming right for me, with bulging muscles and a tank top.

 “Wh-what’s up, hot stuff? Saw you at that your lit- your little fashion show.” He said as he approached, taking a seat opposite me and giving me a charming smile.

 “Oh? I thought I recognised you.” I lied, though only out of politeness and because I didn't know what else to say.

 “Couldn't buy anything, of course. None of it'd fit me, you know? Too- too swole.” He said casually, leaning his elbows on the table in a way that accentuated his biceps. I stared for a while, keeping my expression neutral. “I keep telling the guys that run the con; get uh, get some stuff that runs in men's sizes.” He grinned. I laughed, again, mostly out of politeness.

 “So, you come every year?” I asked, and he nodded.

 “Yeah. I actually run a panel most years. Health related, obviously. This year's is on protein shakes, I came up with a new formula, i-i-it's vodka flavoured so I figured it'd be more popular this year.” He explained, and I raised my brows. So, alcohol abuse really wasn't just a Tailor Rick thing. “You should come along, there's gonna be free samples, special offers, and for you, I'll throw in a couple demonstrations.” He winked.

 “Demonstrations?” I questioned.

 “Exercise. I'll uh, I'll be doing pushups and shit, I gotta show that my shakes actually work. Plus, they'll be edu-educational. There'll be plenty of tips.”

 “Oh…” I chuckled and shook my head. “Do I look like I'm into exercise?” I joked, and Rick looked my body up and down, from what he could see with the table in the way.

 “You look like you've got potential.” He concluded thoughtfully, and I didn't quite know what to make of that.

 “Is this guy bothering you?” A hand came down on the table between us, I trailed my eyes up the sleeve of the lab coat the person was wearing (which I'd quickly realised was a staple piece of most Ricks’ wardrobes) to find a lady looking down at me, raising her brow.

 “Oh, no, it's-” I started.

 “Erica, baby, I didn't think you were coming this year.” Buff Rick exclaimed, gaining an eye roll from this Erica person.

 “I told you I wasn't, I-I-I was hoping I wouldn't bump into you. But uh… here we are.” She sighed.

 “Jesus, you get more and more hostile as you get older.”

 “And you get dumber and dumber, move. Gimme that seat. I need a sit down, my knees are fucked.” She grumbled, and to my surprise she got her way. “All those steroids must really be messing with you, you can barely call yourself a Rick these days.”

 “Steroids? Th-that's bullshit, Erica. I got these babies from hard work, discipline, and All Rick's Protein Juice.” He bragged, flexing his arms.

 “Sure. I'm getting a headache; don't you have a panel to prepare for?” Erica asked dryly. Rick opened his mouth, looking ready to deny it, but paused for a second.

 “Actually, yeah. I-I should probably get on that, huh? Can I count on you to be there?”

 “I don't know, I saw a thing about Mortys writing fanfiction that seemed right up my alley.” Erica replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

 “I'll keep my eye out for you, Erica.” He said regardless, pointing at her as he walked backwards away from the table. He gave me a wink before turning around and disappearing into the crowds.

 “Jesus. I-I-I've met a lot of Ricks in my day, and that guy?” She shook her head. “Total idiot.”

 I studied the woman in front of me for a while, trying to figure out who exactly she was. Was she a Rick's sister? Someone cosplaying as a Rick? I wasn't quite sure, and even less sure about how to ask. Luckily, she must've read my confusion in my expression.

 “Smile, sweet cheeks. I-I-I don't like the way you're looking at me.” She teased, pulling something out of her inside pocket. It was a flask. “Yes, I'm a Rick… of sorts. Total sausage fest in here, huh? Nice to see more of the fairer sex showing their faces here.”

 “Oh! Right, yeah, I've passed maybe two or three women since I've been here.” I agreed, once again looking out over the sea of Ricks and Mortys as I had a sip of tea. Erica had a sip of her own drink; by the smell of it, some kind of hard liquor.

 “Most Ricks only bring th-their fuck buddies. Which one are you banging?” She asked. “That bodybuilder guy?” She added, raising her brow.

 “Oh, no! Not him… not any of them.” I admitted, and she laughed.

 “Right, damn it. Thought I might have someone to talk about h-how bad he was.”

 “I'm sorry?”

 “That guy. Muscles. Total fucking Neanderthal in the sack, he-he's like a sex machine and not in a good way. It's like he only knows one rhythm and speed… h-honestly I'm surprised, Ricks are usually better-” she rambled, glancing off past my head as she got absorbed in her descriptions.

 “Alright, I get it.” I interrupted, chuckling.

 “Anyway, h-he's been clingy as hell ever since. I'd stay away, i-if I were you.” She advised, and I shook my head in amusement.

 “Noted.”

 “So, you're not boning any Ricks? That's tough. If you ever wanna taste of what we've got to offer, and uh, forget about what I just said; we don't all suck… I'm happy to pop your Sanchez cherry.” She smirked at me, and I chuckled again, a little embarrassed this time.

 “No, that's okay… Thank you. I'm perfectly happy just, ah, remaining firmly in the acquaintance zone with Ricks.” I said apologetically, offering her a little smile. “I don't know how long I'd be able to keep my sanity, you know? All of this is very overwhelming.” I gestured to the space around us, and she glanced around looking incredulous.

 “Uhh… if you don't mind me asking; you're clearly new to all this. How the fuck did you end up at RickCon if you don't really know any Ricks?” She questioned, leaning forwards on the table interestedly.

 “The Rick from my dimension needed my help with something. He runs a charity auction, selling clothes. I modelled for him.” I explained, and she nodded.

 “Oh right, yeah, the fashion show thing I kept hearing wh-whispers about. I heard Ice Cream Rick got shafted in there by the whole damn room.” She laughed, shaking her head. I frowned, and so she explained. “Ice Cream Rick? Guy in the pink shirt. Uhhh… ponytail, stupid little beard?” She gestured to her chin, and it suddenly clicked.

 “Ohh! I felt so guilty about that! He was saying something to me when it happened… how awkward.” I said, shaking my head and feeling my cheeks warm up.

 “I'm not surprised. Too- too many Rick's think with their dicks. That's golden.” She grinned, then took a peek at her wrist watch. “Anyway, I gotta head off. S-supposed to be meeting Morticia soon, she wants me to go to the humanoid robotics panel, she wants me to build her an anatomically correct android friend.” She said, using air quotes for that last word whilst rolling her eyes. I didn't question her further.

 “It was nice speaking to you, Erica. Uhh, would you mind if we got a photo together?” I asked, holding up my carera with a little smile on my face. She grinned again.

 “Of course not, doll. Bring it in.” She said, holding her arm out towards me. I stood up and she wrapped her arm around my waist as I took our photo.

 “Thank you!” I said, and she waved her hand dismissively.

 “Hey uh, what's your name?” She asked, and I answered without skipping a beat. I found it funny how names just weren't exchanged naturally here, since almost everyone had the same name anyway. “Alright, nice to meet you, (y/n). Maybe we'll bump into each other again?” She said, though looking around at the amount of people here, I doubted we would.

 “Maybe. Enjoy the con!” I replied.

 “You too, sweetie.” She nodded before heading off.

 After she'd gone I realised my tea had almost fallen to an unpleasant temperature, so I quickly drank up the last of it and disposed of my cup in the bin nearby. Again, I found myself with the daunting feeling of not quite knowing what to do with myself. Someone had left a booklet on a table close to me, which I recognised to be the day's itinerary along with a map of the convention center, so I picked it up and had a look through. I wasn't surprised when lot of it went completely over my head;

 Plumbus 101: How to get the best out of yours!

 The Flesh Curtains: Live Performance and Q and A.

 Is Jerry All That Bad? A Debate.

 Lost the Spark? An introduction to sexual cybernetic enhancements. (18+)

 Pocket Morty Battles. Bring your best! (RickCon ‘18 cannot be held liable for loss or damages resulting from Morty battles.) 

 And that wasn't even all of them, the list filled up the whole page. I stuffed the booklet in my back pocket and decided I'd simply walk through the convention until I found something interesting.

 Tbc.

[bemorecronch]

You Should Ask Him Out (Jared Kleinman X Gender Neutral Reader)

WARNINGS: Fluffy fluff. Swearing, Jared being awkward and weird. INCLUDING: Michael Mell from Be More Chill An anon asked for one where you worked in a nerdy store and he comes in to see you, so here it is! Every day at Hitchhiker’s Comic Books was the same. You thought it would be awesome working where you loved to shop, but all you got were parents who didn't know what they were looking for; kids who tried to steal shit; or neckbeards who thought they knew more than you. You didn't hate it, you got to read comics in your spare time and the people who you worked with were sweet. “just this.” You looked up. He was chubby with glasses and a nervous grin. In his hands was the new Saga. You smile back, “sure!” You take it from him. He looked shy and actually a little cute. You glance at the comic and notice some rips, “ah, crap. It's tore. Some kids that come in here are assholes- I'll get you a different one.” He nodded, “oh yeah, uh, OK.” You turn and step up the small ladder to reach for the spare comics. You can feel Michael; your co-worker, watching and smirking. You find what you're looking for and hand it to him, “$2.99.” You smile and he scrapes around his pocket for the money, giving it to you with a shaking hand, “here. Thanks.” He was blushing as he left the store, and you glanced over at Michael who was chuckling. “What?” You ask, he shakes his head and smiles, “he was kinda cute.” He moved closer and you rolled your eyes, “I guess.” He wriggled his eyebrows, “he was staring at your ass on that ladder.” He laughed in a sing-song voice. You smacked his shoulder, “no he wasn't!” Michael raised his hands up in surrender, “whatever. But you couldn't see him. I thought his eyes were going to bust out of his head.” You throw one of the d20’s at him and he bats it away. -- A week had past before you saw him again. He was buying a Rick and Morty issued comic. He looked up and smiled, “hi, just this one please.” He wasn't making eye contact with you and you scanned it, “it's a good one. This issue, I mean.” You comment, he nods “yeah- they're sort of getting me through the hiatus.” You smile at each other and hand him the comic. He stares at you for a second longer before someone in the queue coughed. He looked panicked, “alright, later.” He left the store and you served the next person. After the rush died down and you and Michael were alone you could here him chuckling. “You're so into that nerdy kid who comes in here.” “We work in a comic book shop Mell; you're gonna have to be more specific.” But you can feel yourself turning pink. He mimics your posture, batting his eyes, “it's a really good one. The issue, I mean.” His is voice is really high and he suddenly snaps back to himself, “that's you. That's what you sounded like.” Your eyes are wide, “no I don't!” He leans against the bench, “you should ask him out.” You scoff, maybe a little too theatrically, “I don’t even know his name.” Michael shrugged, “so ask.” - You were stocking up Pop! Figures when you see the guy walk through the door. He browsed the ones you were stocking and you look over at him, “oh, hi.” You smile. He smiles back, “these are so lame.” He commented. You glance at him, “I know. I have some at home.” You laugh. There's alarm in his eyes, “oh- no I mean- like they're cool! Whatever.” He coughed and you shook your head, “oh I'm super aware how dumb they are, don't worry.” “You were right. The Rick and Morty issue was really good.” He wasn't looking at you, but he seemed really nervous, “I know right? It's airing on Netflix in a week and I'm so ready.” God he really is cute. Nerdy and a little awkward. Your eyes drift to Michael; who's holding up a piece of paper with the words “GET SOME.” Written in sharpie. You're whole face heads up and you look away. “You ok? You look like you saw a ghost.” Jared turns behind him and Michael slams the paper on the desk before he can read it, “no! That's just my face, that's my- that's what I look like.” You babble and he cocks an eyebrow, “OK.” “So- uh, are you looking for something?” You try to change the subject and he looks away, “no I- I'm just looking.” He stumbles. You finish stocking and nod, “OK, come get me if you need me.” You go to walk back to the counter to smack Michael for the sign. “JARED!” You turn, “what?” The guy was blushing, “I said Jared. That's my name, so I… So I said it.” He stumbles out his words and you nod, “I'm (Y/N).” When he leaves without buying anything you feel yourself grinning. When Michael gives you a quizzical look you shrug, “his names Jared.” He rolled his eyes, “just know I'm not covering shifts so you can fuck in the stock room.” - The third time you saw him he buying the second issue of Saga, but you weren't serving him. You were looking for an issue of Monstress for a parent. Michael was serving him. He took one look at Jared, “you want me to go get her/him?” “What? No. Who? What?” He stammered, leaning against the counter and instantly losing his balance, trying to steady himself. Michael chuckled, “Jesus you're perfect for each other.” “What?” “Nothing.” He shakes his head and scans the comic, “but like… Is (Y/N)… Seeing anyone? Like…” “Totally single. Completely single.” Michael cut Jared off and they watch you stock up shelves, Jared glanced at him, “and you're not…” Michael shook his head, “my boyfriend might have an issue with it, so no.” Jared nodded, “not that I'm interested.” He backed away grabbing his comic, “oh sure.” Michael nodded. Jared left, blushing and smiling a little. After stocking you move back to the counter as Michael leans against the counter, “why do you look so smug?” You ask. He shrugged, “your boyfriend was asking about you.” You spin to look at him, “what? No. Who? What?” He's grinning and you have no idea why, “asking if you were single.” You browse nonchalantly through the pokèmon cards, “what did you say?” “I told him we were dating.” “WHAT?” “I'm kidding! I told him you were totally completely single.” Your eyes widen, “really dude? I sound desperate.” You place your head in your hands, “yeah well, you are. He's nice and interested. Ask him out.” You bit your lip, “yeah. Yeah. I will.” - Jared walked into the shop, greeted by Michael shouting his name to obviously let you know he was there. You slammed into the manga section in a panic and heard Michael laugh in the distance. You walk up, adjusting yourself, “hey Jared.” He smiled at you and you tried to buck up the courage. Michael took it as his queue to grab his phone and go to the back of the store. You feel your phone buzz with an alert: Text from Michael: GET SOME!!! You close your phone and look up, “I uh- and this isn't like an obligation. I don't know. I was just wondering if you wanted to go for a coffee?” You're trying so hard to sound casual, and his eyes are wide. You can feel heat rising to your face and your brain goes into over drive. He looks worried, “I uh… I can't.” He whispered, leaving and shutting the door. You want to die. You want the ground to swallow you up. You want every villain in every comic to jump off the pages and beat the shit out of you because it would be less painful. Goddamn it. Goddamn it! You put your head in your hands. Michael looked out from behind the comic stand, “shit. I… Fuck I'm so sorry. I thought…” You lean against the desk, “no it's, it's fine. I thought so too.” You looked up, “like- shit. I really… Really thought he liked me… Am I stupid?” You ask, Michael shakes his head and squeezes your arm. - Three sulky days had passed as you were over-corrected by guys in duster jackets and yellow sunglasses. Michael had cheered you up as much as he could, but you couldn't help but feel cheated. “Hi.” You look up at who had addressed you to see Jared. He doesn't have anything in his hands and he's not making eye contact. You lean back in your heels, “hi.” There's a moment of silence and you watched him take in a deep breath, “look,” he started and you held up a hand to interrupt, “it's fine. Don't- don't speak. You don't have to make it awkward. I thought there was some sort of thing between us and I was wrong. It's ok, no hard…” You were cut off when he kissed you. Leaning over the counter to get closer. His lips were a little chapped but he smelt amazing. You pulled away, “I'm so confused.” He looked down, “I am a wreck. I can't communicate and I substitute actual emotional progress for sarcasm.” He rambled off, “the only reason I can even say this is because I've been standing outside that door for 40 minutes trying to psych myself up. Nobody hot ever really looks at me… Saying no was a panic move and… And I'm sorry.” “Oh.” He looked around, “sorry for kissing you.” You smile lightly, “it's ok… So, coffee?” You ask. He's turned pink, “even after that neurotic breakdown?” You nod, “no ones perfect. Plus I can't just go around kissing customers. I think you owe me a coffee now.” You smiled and he rested on his elbows, “cool. Good. Ok. Whatever. Sure.” You lean forward, “you're being neurotic again.” “Sorry.” “I won't tell anyone. I finish at 5 if you want?” You ask, he stands up straight, “yeah. 5 sounds good.” He walked directly into a stack of comics, adjusted his glasses and walked out. After a second Michael scooted next to you, “you like a boy.” You feel like your cheeks are on fire, “shut up.” You chuckle and he nudges you, “you kissed a boy too.” You hit his shoulder, “stop.” He starts laughing, “you want to fuck the b…” “MICHAEL.” - Bonus: Michael was right, you did end up in the stock room. Michael was scarred for life.