Stroke of Genius - Doofus Rick / Rick J19Zeta7 x Reader Oneshots

Welcome Home

Summary: You and Rick have been living together as roomies for awhile now. It's starting to feel like you're married...you sometimes wish you were. But you haven't told him how you feel yet.

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Each morning is different, but there's always a hint of your roommate's presence. Whether that be the coffee mug left by the sink, his watering can perched on the window sill, a vibration coming from the garage, or even the man himself. He was always there, his little quirks and routines kept you company. You felt at ease knowing he was around or his presence had just been.

You had been living with Rick J19Zeta7 for about a year now. You originally got lost in the Citadel of Ricks, where you found yourself approaching a portal with an exit you never expected. Copies of the same man from infinite different universes paired with an equal amount of grandsons. Mortys. They all looked the same too, with their greying blue hair, silver touches of age. It was wisped back and stuck out like a sore thumb, but that was Rick. Included were the heavy eyebags, unibrow, and wrinkles near their frowns of annoyance. To call a Rick nice was a rarity and usually a nice Rick still meant they were probably going to be an ass. But that was a Rick.

That's why when you saw Rick J19Zeta7, known by the militia men as "Doofus Rick," you felt different. He didn't have wrinkles showing years of frowns and furrowed brows, but smile lines showing an equal amount of joy. He was a happier Rick. A nice Rick, oddly enough. His eyes were always the color of the cerulean sky and glittered in joy when he talked about science. To him, it was a blessing to see the world and all the moving parts, from an atom to a universe. It always fascinated him. But to other Ricks it was a curse or chore. Another thing to worry about.

Rick heard you were lost and in need of a place to stay. Other Ricks were poking fun at him, saying he "wouldn't know what to do with a woman like you" and maybe "you should join them instead." But you didn't. After being lost for hours, no one cared. No one asked if you were alright. But this Rick did. You took him on his offer, leaving the other Ricks less than satisfied. But J19Zeta7 was a militia man and he did have the authority to take care of you. Even if he was low ranked.

So a month passed, then two, then five, now twelve. You did find your original dimension, but it was missing something. Rick. You did have a Rick technically, but he wasn't your Rick. Not like this one. So you stayed and worked in a bakery down the street in the early mornings. Rick told you the Citadel paid for his things since he was a worker, but you refused. You needed to do something to show you cared and you weren't going to be a freeloader. This meant endless baked goods you got to show him every week and every month new flavors to be presented. It was exciting bringing a box of goodies home to taste test. As an avid baker and cook as well, he could taste the ingredients. He could probably recreate them in his sleep.

Your first favorite part of the day was leaving, because it meant you saw Rick with his cup of coffee on the porch. He would be reading anything from a car manual in an alien language to a collection of Arthur Conan Doyle. It didn't matter, because he loved knowledge. He always stood up from his bench to see you off as you walked to the bakery, even just to say goodbye. Those words of goodbyes soon became hugs, then embraces. It felt good to see him before work, because you started the day off seeing a person you enjoyed.

Your second favorite part of the day was coming home. You would open the door, a sheet of warmth and spices would hit you. He was making dinner, per usual. He found out how much you liked pasta and so that was a common thing he'd make, but some days he made things from around the world or even universe. Some were not to your taste, but even his cooking made most of them decent, if not enjoyable. You would set your bag down on the table and greet him. At first you'd just tell him about your day, then you started hugging him. Then he started waiting at the door for you. Then embraces. Starting and ending your days the same way. That was the routine.