Rick Sanchez|| Scientist Rivals to Lovers..?

The portal gun sputtered in your hand. You barely had enough strength left to keep standing. The heist had gone horribly wrong. What was supposed to be a quick job had turned into a firefight, leaving you injured and scrambling for an escape route. Your own portal gun had been damaged, its coordinates flickering wildly across the screen.

You had only one option.

You entered the last coordinates you remembered.

Rick's.

The portal opened.

You stumbled through.

And immediately collapsed onto the floor of Rick Sanchez's garage.

Rick froze.

For once, the usually loud, sarcastic scientist had absolutely nothing to say.

His eyes widened as he stared down at you.

“...No.”

You tried to push yourself upright. “Hey, Sanchez.”

Rick's expression hardened.

“You.”

Despite the pain, you managed a weak smirk. “Miss me?”

Rick rushed toward you before he could stop himself.

“Holy crap—what happened to you?”

You laughed quietly. “Nice to see you too.”

“Don't move.”

“I wasn't planning on—”

“Don't. Move.”

His hands hovered uncertainly, as if he couldn't decide whether to examine your injuries or simply make sure you were actually real.

The two of you had always been complicated.

Scientists.

Rivals.

The kind of rivals who constantly tried to outsmart each other, steal each other's inventions, and argue over who was the better scientist.

And somehow, somewhere along the way, the rivalry had become something neither of you wanted to name.

Rick finally looked at the portal gun lying beside you.

“You used your portal gun to come here?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

You looked away.

“Because I knew you'd be here.”

Rick went silent.

His usual smug grin disappeared.

“You could've gone anywhere.”

“I know.”

“Anywhere in the infinite multiverse.”

“I know, Rick.”

“And you picked me.”

You looked back at him.

“Obviously.”

Rick stared at you for several seconds before muttering, “You're an idiot.”

You smiled faintly.

“Missed you too.”

Rick carefully helped you onto the examination table, his usual sarcasm noticeably absent.

“You disappear for months,” he grumbled. “No messages. No portal traces. Nothing. And then you just show up in my garage looking like you've been through a blender.”

“Were you worried?”

“No.”

“Rick.”

“...Maybe.”

You smiled.

He immediately looked away.

“Don't get sentimental on me.”

“You're the sentimental one.”

“I'm literally not.”

“You're literally shaking.”

Rick glanced down at his hands.

They were.

“Shut up.”

You laughed softly.

For the first time in a long while, Rick allowed himself to relax.

You were here.

Alive.

And despite every argument, every competition, every insult, and every universe separating you—

you had still chosen his portal.

Rick looked at you again.

“Next time you get yourself into trouble,” he muttered, “call me.”

You raised an eyebrow.

“Since when do you care?”

Rick gave you a tired smirk.

“Since you became the only scientist in the multiverse who's actually worth arguing with.”

You smiled.

“That's almost sweet.”

“Don't ruin it.”

And for once, neither of you argued.