The next morning was absolutely blissful when you'd opened your eyes and took in your surroundings. Your dreams had been filled with romantic scenes, playing out in front of the northern lights. It was peaceful, and you were every bit as relaxed as you could possibly be.

       Lifting your head, you turned back and saw that Rick was still asleep. You'd recently come to realize he liked to sleep in as much as he could before he'd run on minimal sleep for days at a time. That was one of the many things the two of you had in common.

       The air was particularly cool as you lay, body heat emanating from the sleeping man lying beneath you. Ever so carefully, you reached down and pulled the bunched up blanket over your sleeping forms, nuzzling closer to Rick as you laid back down. He gave a light, sleepy grunt before his head rolled to the other side and he mumbled something unintelligible. His hand pulled you tighter against him for a moment before it relaxed again, the opposite appendage relaxing on your shoulder. You smiled contentedly, pulling your hands from beneath your head and pressing them beneath Rick's back, essentially hugging his sleeping form as you smiled softly.

       When he'd made your dreams a reality last night, taking you to see the lights, something awoke within you. You had yet to identify the feeling, to put a name to it, but there was definitely something there. That something had stirred when you saw the hint of pain and longing in Rick's eyes as he stared down at you, smiling crookedly. You pressed yourself against him further as you remembered all you had done after those two had left you beaten and bruised. Rick hadn't taken any sufficient damage, probably just a few light punches, but you'd taken quite the beating.

       Your brows furrowed as your eyes pressed tightly closed, remembering all that had occurred before then. You remembered what Evil Rick, as Rick and Morty so intelligently put it, had said as he reminded you that you'd yet to win a fight against him. He was so set on killing you, and that was what had scared you the most. He'd never tried that hard to hurt you before, he'd only hold you there until you lost consciousness before he would take you up to his room and use your weakened senses to his advantage. He would never kill you then, too busy enjoying the fact that you loved him too much to leave.

       But he had tried last night. It never occurred to you before now, but Rick, the same Rick you were so peacefully lying with, had called your name in a moment of panic. You'd given him quite the start with that trick, falling limp and playing dead. That furthered your belief of the fact that he did care. There was almost no doubting it now. He was working his hardest to prove that to you.

       As you smiled at the fact that Rick really did care to an extent, you felt him stir beneath you. His arms moved slightly, having been pressed back against you once the blanket was over your forms, and he let out a soft grunt. You heard a light, airy chuckle before his hands moved up and down your back slowly, in a comforting manner. You kept your eyes shut for a moment, enjoying the tranquility of the moment, before you slowly pulled them open and looked up at Rick. 

       He was staring down at you, probably having been waiting for you to wake up. "The mad scientist in his natural habitat. Crikey, let's have a closer look." You chuckled before laying your head back down. "A very tranquil man when tired, but a crazy motherfucker when drunk, awake, and on an adventure with his most favorite smol bean." You kept your arms beneath him as you pressed your face back down onto his chest. You felt it shake with his laughs. "He seems to have found himself pinned by the needy snuggle bug, a ferocious creature set on laying there forever because it's too damn comfy." Rick continued to laugh, his chest still shaking as he did so. 

       You laughed with him, now, too, "Just woke up and I can already tell it's gonna be the kind of day where I just wanna lay in my bed and not do shiiiiit." Rick soon calmed down, the laughter subsiding as he pulled his arm off you and stretched it in the air above his head with the other. He laid his arms at his sides and you whined, lifting your head and raising one of your own momentarily to grab his wrist and drop his arm back around your waist. "I wasn't finiiished." Rick could only laugh again at the display his little Igor was putting on for him. "I'm a needy bitch, dun judge." You laid your head back down, "Since I don't get paid in cash," you cleared your throat for emphasis, "I'll accept snuggles. Seems fair. I get my happy ass whumped and then I get paid in 'get better' snuggles. There we go. Good idea me." You mentally high fived yourself as Rick hummed in agreement. "Yeah, sure, kid." 

       "What day is it?" You opened your eyes and absentmindedly ran your fingers along Rick's arm. "Sunday, I believe." You watched as little goosebumps rose wherever you dragged your fingers along, smiling slightly. You looked up, your head still on his chest, as you ran your hand up higher, dragging your fingertips along his shoulder. It was just something you were used to doing, remembering when you did this the morning after your first time experiencing sex. You had been so overjoyed, so bashful, so loved when you'd done this. Now, it was just a faint memory, one of the many slowly being pushed away by the man that laid in front of you now. He was, quite literally, like your lighthouse in the storm. He was piecing you back together, whether he knew it or not. 

       You hadn't slept around as much, only a few times. But it evidently hurt Rick, something you couldn't help but pick up on every time he would look over. You knew he would focus on the bruises and bitemarks on your neck, and a little wave of pain would crash down in those crystal blue eyes before he would fall silent for the longest time.

       As you stared up at him, losing yourself in the crystal blue hue, you didn't see that pain, that regretful sorrow, or that pang of guilt that would sometimes hit when he'd glance at you, fixing you up on his desk yet again. You knew there was something he was hiding from you, something he must have done during a time you were on something that would stop you from remembering, but you didn't care. If he wasn't telling you, there was probably a reason. You knew you could trust him to tell you what he needed to, whenever he needed to. There was something to that shade of blue that made that fact ring true. 
       Instead, as you stared intently into his electrifying orbs, you saw contentment, happiness, and something you couldn't quite place. It was all there, staring back at you. There were paler flecks of blue in his iris, like little clouds in the bright sky. You'd never really paid attention to them before. The pale blue contrasted nicely with the almost royal blue shade. It was wonderful, really. 

       You didn't even have to look down to know he was smiling, the familiar glint in his eyes as you continued to study them. Those eyes were sincerely like the sea, able to pull you in with a simple glance and never let you go, pulling you further and further out and away from the land until you were almost drowning in them, yet something always kept you afloat.

       You could remember, in this moment, what it felt like to press your lips against your first's, to watch his eyes slowly roll shut as he would pull you closer against him. You could remember the surprise in his eyes as you did so before he would shut them, how he would let out a surprised grunt before letting his lips move with yours with a hunger and a fire that drove them. You could remember what it felt like when his arms drew you closer, pulling you tightly against him as he realized you really did want it, that you weren't trying to mess with him. You could remember what it felt like to lay your forearms down near his head and run your fingers lightly through his messy hair as you pressed back against him. You could remember the fervent need to never let you go as he continuously held you close, his finger tips lightly brushing along the middle of your back.

       But you weren't just remembering it.

       You had been so lost in Rick's eyes that you hadn't noticed you'd been leaning forward. You hadn't noticed the questioning look in Rick's eyes as your fingertips dragged lightly up the side of his neck, resting momentarily on the side of his face. You had failed to notice the moment of sudden realization flash in those crystal blue eyes as you slowly press your lips to his, his eyes widening in surprise before he could respond, kissing you back with fervent need. He had been so hesitant at first, but he had clearly wanted this for a long time, waiting for what must have felt like half a millennia. His arms had wrapped quickly around your shoulders as he pulled you heavily against himself in the most caring way possible.

       As soon as you realized what you'd done, your heartrate increased severely. You were embarrassed, afraid of what you might see when you pulled back and opened your eyes. You savored the moment before pulling back and hesitantly opening your eyes. To your surprise, you found a heavily blushing, wide eyed, gawking man staring back up at you, lost for words.

       You were fearful, wondering what had come over you to make you act on impulse like that. But you knew. It was the way he smiled, the way he was so careful with you. It was everything he'd ever done. You searched his eyes desperately, trying to find any hint of hatred, any disgruntled anger, something negative in response to your actions, but you found none. Rick was breathing heavily, his eyes still wide as he stared up at you slack jawed.

       Instead of hateful, stormy blue eyes glaring up at you, you found loving, adoring, surprised light blue. Instead of the angered grimace, you found a small smile appear. Instead of him pushing you away, you found him pulling you towards him, holding you tightly.

       And you knew. You just knew that this was what you needed. Ever since he had gotten upset with you risking your life acting unprofessionally with Blumi, you'd known, but you never really focused on it, never really understood. All because you'd sworn off love, because you were afraid he would hurt you. But the damn man had to go and care about you, had to take you to an arcade, to come to your aid on numerous occasions. He had to show up and wrap you in a towel when you couldn't piece yourself together again, to hold you through the night as you drifted off to a fitful sleep, thankful for the comfort he was giving you. He had to show he cared, to pull on your heartstrings, to care about you, your well being, your safety, your happiness. He had to go and care about you.

        This was the man that had pieced you back together, the man that held your very heart, the man that put up with glitter throwing and confetti bombs for the sake of being near you. The man you'd think of late at night when you were struggling to sleep, who you imagined fighting off the monsters in your closet just to ensure you could sleep soundly.

       But this moment was too perfect, and that was how you knew.

       *Author is entering a protection program after this one*