Day in and day out time seemed to move slower. Santana could swear each day was now actually lasting 48 hours. That might be because she was up before the crack of day and working until well into the night each day but she believed it was because she missed home. She talked to Rachel and Emily every day but it wasn't the same. She wanted to be at home. She wanted to see their faces and annoy them in person. She wanted to spend what little time her cousin had left in New York with her. She wanted to hug Rachel.

When the day she was finally done with filming came, she cried. Everyone thought she was crying because the crew who had worked together so closely had kind of become like a little family. She did like a lot of them and would miss them but she could live without them. No, she cried because she would finally get to go home and see her real family and that was an excitement she couldn't contain no matter how hard she tried.

The flight home was grueling. There was nothing particularly bad about it except for the fact that it was necessary in order to get home. She wished she could have just nodded her head, blinked her eyes, and be in that stuffy New York loft. But life didn't work that way so Santana suffered every second of the plane ride home. She was bouncing her legs, checking her watch, and even asking the flight attendant how much longer every five minutes. It was easily the worst flight of her entire life.

Finally she stood outside the loft door and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. Never had she been so happy to see the pale, dull, cold steel that protected her and Rachel from the outside world. She reached for the handle then froze. Suddenly she was nervous. Had anything changed while she was gone? Rachel had been distant before she left and even if they had talked daily what if that distance returned once she got home? For that matter, what about her own feelings? She had definitely had more than enough alone time in Georgia to think and every time she did her feelings for Rachel only came back that much stronger.

As she stood in the hallway staring at the loft door she was no longer excited. Her mind raced with a million different possibilities. Would things be the same? Could she continue to deny her feelings for her best friend? She did still have Zoe on standby to fake date in case Rachel seemed to be catching onto her feelings. She blinked a few times and shook the thought out of her head. This was stupid. Rachel was her best friend. Nothing could have changed enough in the few weeks she had been gone to make things catastrophically different, right?

Finally gathering her nerve, Santana slid the door open and stepped inside. She glanced around and when she didn't immediately see anyone there, she frowned. "Guys?" She called out as she tugged her luggage in behind her and left it near the door before sliding it shut. "Rachel? Emily? I'm home!" Where were they? She said she would be home that day and they assured her they would be there to greet her. So where the Hell were they?

Just then Rachel came out of the bathroom in some sweats, toothbrush in her mouth, towel wrapped around her head. She jumped when she saw someone standing there, having been alone when she had went in for her shower. It took her just a blink of an eye to realize who was standing in the loft with her and she immediately screamed with joy, which caused her toothbrush to fall out of her mouth and onto the floor "Santana!"

Santana smiled wider than she could ever remember smiling before. All of her worries melted away as she caught sight of her roommate completely caught off guard by her arrival. She let out a laugh and pointed to Rachel's appearance "The magazines are right. Superstars ARE just like us!"

Rachel let out a laugh and ran over to Santana. She leaped at her in a full body hug. She had every faith in the world Santana would catch her. Which, she did. Rachel squeezed her tightly with both her arms and her legs for a few seconds before dropping to her feet and standing on her own. Her eyes lifted and she took in the way her best friend looked and her smile grew "You're home! You are actually home! I thought I was never going to see you again!" Her hand lifted and she touched at Santana's face and neck then slid her touch over her arms, squeezing every now and then.

"Hey, hey, woah" Santana let out a laugh and awkwardly wiggled her face away from Rachel's touch. She watched Rachel groping at her arms and did her best to tug away "What the Hell are you doing? I didn't think you missed me that much. Are you really that desperate for human contact?"

"Shut up" Rachel said with a laugh as her hands finally fell away from her friend. "I was making sure it was really you and not a dream! But it's you! You're home!"

"Yes it's really me" Santana chuckled softly. She gave her head a shake at her best friend's reaction then reached out to slide her arms around Rachel and pull her into another hug "I missed you."

"I missed you too" Rachel whispered as her eyes closed and she melted into Santana's embrace. She let out a happy sigh as her arms slid around Santana's waist and gave her a tight squeeze.

Santana nodded against the side of Rachel's head where it had come to rest on her shoulder. Her eyes closed and she drew in a deep breath that immediately filled her nose with the smell of Rachel's shampoo. She smiled at that. She had missed that smell. The two girls stood there tangled in a warm embrace for much longer than any normal pair of friends might. But when they finally pulled back, it wasn't awkward at all. It had felt right.

"So" Rachel said with a grin as she stared at Santana. She couldn't take her eyes off of her. It was like a dream come true. She was home. They say you never realized what you have until it's gone and boy was that ever the case. "How was it?"

Santana shrugged and waved her hand to the side "Oh, you know, it was alright."

"Just alright?" Rachel perked an eyebrow and let out a soft laugh. "No cool stories? You had plenty to say when I called you each night. Now I get nothing?"

Santana rolled her eyes and finally stepped back to put a little space between her and Rachel. They had been standing just inches apart after breaking away from their hug "You heard the stories, I had a great time. I guess I am just..." She let out a heavy sigh and smiled as her eyes looked around the loft "...glad to be home."

Rachel nodded slowly and lifted her hands to the towel on her head. She undid it and gently slid it over her wet hair "I am so glad you're home. Believe it or not, my life is pretty lame without you."

"Oh I believe it" Santana said with a laugh as she moved to her bags now. She grabbed them and started to slide them across the floor toward her room but paused near the kitchen table. Her eyes landed on a magazine and immediately she reached for it "What is this?" She squeaked out happily, lifting it to show Rachel. Looking back at Rachel was a picture of Rachel on the front cover.

Rachel blushed softly and shrugged her shoulders as her hand continued to move the towel through her hair "It's just a little feature on me and the show. Awards tend to draw attention."

Santana let out a laugh and turned it around to look at it. She eyed the cover carefully, read the little bold letters that were printed to try and sell the story, then quickly flipped the pages open "This is so fucking cool, Berry. Why didn't you tell me?"

Rachel shrugged and moved toward the bathroom now "I didn't think you'd care." She disappeared into the bathroom for just a moment and when she came back the towel was gone and she now had her brush instead.

"I wouldn't care?" Santana huffed in disbelief and looked up from the pages to her friend "Rach you are in a magazine. That is fucking amazing. Why on Earth didn't you think I'd care?"

Rachel just shrugged and looked a little guilty as she ran the brush through her hair. "You were so bummed about missing the Tonys that I didn't want to make you feel worse. I have been so busy since I won, San. I wish you would have been here."

Santana frowned a little and stared at the page she was on. She wasn't particularly interested in the perfume ad she had the magazine opened to but she didn't want to look up and see the hurt in her friend's eyes at the mention of her having not been there that night. "I wish I could have too. But I'm here now, okay?"

Rachel nodded and moved over to Santana now. She reached out and gently put a hand on her shoulder "I'm not mad you missed it. I am so proud of why you were gone. Please don't think this is something I am going to hold over your head. I would have done the same thing, you know I would have."

Santana nodded at that. It was true. Had she had some huge event to go to but Rachel had been offered the chance of a lifetime she knew Rachel would have left too. There was no real way to not feel bummed about missing the Tonys, though. She would just have to give it time to get over it. She let out a sigh then turned the page in the magazine. She smiled as she found the article on Rachel and turned it to show her friend "You look smoking in that dress."

Rachel let out a laugh and nodded a little bit "I got to keep it."

"No shit?" Santana laughed. She looked up at her friend and their eyes met for the first time since the hug they shared. They locked gazes for a few heartbeats before Santana nodded and looked back at the magazine "I'm totally keeping this."

"That's fine" Rachel said with a nod, stepping away from Santana now. She moved to scoop up the toothbrush that had dropped out of her mouth then to the bathroom to put both that and her hair brush away. Once she returned to the kitchen she grinned at her friend "I have like fifty copies of that. I was going to sign them all and send them to all the glee kids and Mr. Schue."

"Subtle" Santana said with a laugh, her eyes still focused on the magazine in her hands. She was completely enthralled by the fact that Rachel was in a major publication.

Rachel watched her friend for a moment and when it seemed that she was genuinely happy about the magazine, she took a breath and moved closer "I'm glad you are happy about the magazine because I've been asked to do a couple more."

"Really?" Santana looked up from the magazine, her eyes wide in surprise. "No shit, Berry? Like, for real?"

Rachel smiled and gave a quick nod "Um I got asked by Broadway World, Entertainment Weekly, and Coming Up which is a new one that spotlights up and coming talents in the world." She shrugged a little shyly at the last one "I do the shoot for that one next week."

"That is so fucking sick" Santana said with an honest smile on her face. She shook her head and just kind of stared at her friend for a moment with sincere admiration on her face. "I am so proud of you. You've actually done it. You made it big."

Rachel bit her lip and looked away from Santana. She couldn't handle the way her friend was looking at her. Her eyes had held such true pride for her. It was almost like a lover looking at their loved one living their dream. It creeped her out a little but only because it made her own feelings for Santana rise back into her throat. It was the first time since Santana had left that the feelings had come back that strongly and it was a little overwhelming in that moment.

Santana just smiled at her friend and looked back to the magazine. She read a few of the lines in the articles and let out a soft laugh. Rachel Berry always had a flair for giving an interesting interview. After finishing up, she closed it and tossed it onto the table. She glanced at Rachel again and suddenly remembered "Oh, hey! Can I see it?"

Rachel looked up from where she had been lost in thought and a grin came to her lips. The goofy excited look on Santana's face was enough to push away the weird anxious twist her gut was feeling and replace it with her own giddiness. She nodded quickly and motioned for Santana to follow her. She lead her the short distance to the living room area and over to the small mantel over the fireplace. There in a glass display case was the statue.

Santana drew in a quick breath and let it out in a slow sigh. "Woah" She said as her hand lifted and she touched at the glass. Her finger traced the shape of the award all the way down until it reached the engraved plaque in the front. She bit at her lip to fight a smile as she read Rachel's name. She shook her head in disbelief and slowly looked over at her friend who stood beside her "It's real, isn't it?"

Rachel let out a soft laugh, her eyes on the trophy as well "Trust me, I have spent a lot of time staring at it, reading it, and replaying that night all over again. It is most definitely not a dream."

Santana nodded and looked back at the trophy. The two girls stood there now, staring at it in silence. Santana tilted her head back and forth, looking at it from different angles. She nodded after a few minutes then nudged Rachel's shoulder with her own "So how big of a bonus did you get for winning?"

Rachel let out a soft laugh and shook her head "That is a rude thing to ask someone. Didn't anyone ever teach you proper etiquette? Discussing how much you make is not polite."

"Oh come on" Santana let out a huff of a laugh. "I know how much you make, Rachel. You know how much I make. We are best friends and, frankly, I need to know if you are too rich and famous to live with me anymore."

Rachel rolled her eyes at that but smirked in amusement "Actually, I was trying to think of a way to tell you. I got a new apartment, much smaller than this so there is no room for you at all in it. It's downtown, right in the thick of things, so I will be closer to the action. I got it on the sixty-seventh floor of this huge high rise building. I was waiting for you to come home to tell you, I mean it's the least I can do considering I am ditching you. I figured I would pay you to move all my stuff up there. You'll do the work for cheaper and that way we can have one last day together before I never see you again."

Santana nodded slowly at Rachel's words. She was fighting a smile as she stared at the trophy still. She had missed their playful banter so much "I guess that's only fair. How much you talking?"

"Like $250 or so" Rachel said with a nonchalant shrug. "I will make it an even $300 if you bring over the appliances. I really just don't want to have to buy a new fridge."

Santana shook her head and finally looked at Rachel "You can't have the fridge. That's my fridge."

"Technically it's mine, Kurt's, and yours" Rachel grinned and offered a shrug. "I am willing to buy your third of it, though."

"It's not for sale" Santana said firmly and folded her arms.

"Oh come on" Rachel pouted out her bottom lip and batted her eyes. "It's such a good fridge!"

"No" Santana stood firm, now glaring playfully.

Rachel sniffled and folded her arms across her chest too. The two girls found themselves in a stare down. Now had this been an actual fight and not them just being silly they might have held the stare down for hours and the glares would have been much more fierce. But it was luckily light-hearted banter and both girls stood there trying not to smirk.

Finally Santana broke the stare down and turned back to look at the trophy "Fine, you can have the fridge."

"Yes" Rachel fist pumped then looked back at the award as well.

"But I'm taking the doors."

"What!?" Rachel spun and looked at her friend in horror. "What good is a fridge without doors?"

Santana just smirked and gave her a shrug "That's my third of the fridge that I choose to keep. Tough shit, Berry."

Rachel looked at her in shock for a few moments before laughing and shaking her head in amusement. She slowly turned to look back at her trophy and silence fell between them again.

They stood there staring at the trophy for a few minutes before Santana lifted her arm and slid it around Rachel. She pulled her into her side and gave her a squeeze before letting out a happy sigh "It's beautiful."

Rachel let out a happy sigh and nodded as she happily leaned against Santana's side "I can't believe it's all mine."

Santana glanced over at Rachel leaning against her and smiled. This is what she had missed. She had missed just being near Rachel. She had missed their banter, whether playful or not. She had missed just having her best friend around her even if all they were doing was staring at a trophy. She hadn't felt right in weeks but in that moment nothing in the world felt more right than being just like this with Rachel.

After a few more minutes of silence, Santana let out a sigh and slowly dropped her arm away from Rachel "I'm going to go crash for a few because I was up way too early this morning. But when I wake up I am coming to your show and then we are going to celebrate like I promised, alright?"

Rachel nodded quickly and smiled up at her friend "I can't wait."

"Me either" Santana said with a smile. She moved back over to her bags and started to pull them toward her room again. She paused once and looked at Rachel, giving her a little nod "I'm so happy I'm home."

"I missed you" Rachel mumbled and bit her lip almost shyly as she watched Santana disappear into her room. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly before glancing around the now empty area of the loft. Everything was going to be alright because no matter what else happened, Santana was home. Rachel had never felt the kind of peace she was feeling at that moment and it was all because of Santana.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"How do I look?" Santana stood in front of her full length mirror in her room, fluffing her hair and adjusting the dress over her boobs. She smiled as her eyes took in her own form. She was definitely rocking this dress.

"You look incredible" Emily, who sat on Santana's bed, smiled softly. "I am so jealous I don't get to participate in this celebration."

Santana laughed softly and leaned closer to the mirror to apply her lipstick carefully. "You got to participate in the real celebration. I saw all of the pictures of you taking shots with all those Broadway babes. This is my turn." She tossed her lipstick on her dresser and straightened up. Her dress was a full length gown because even though she has banging legs, she had wanted to look classy for the Tonys. She turned from one side to the other, watching the rhinestones shine each time she shifted. She grinned and ran her hands over her ass before giving a nod "And I am killing it in this dress. I am so bummed I didn't get to show this ass off."

Emily rolled her eyes and smirked a little bit "And take attention off of Rachel?"

Santana laughed and looked at her cousin through the mirror "Please, Em, you saw what she was wearing. People would have been nuts to look at anyone but her all night."

Emily bit her lip and fought off an amused smirk. She just nodded her head and offered a smile. She wasn't going to comment on just how obvious Santana's crush on Rachel was at that moment even though she wanted to so badly just to see her cousin squirm.

Santana had leaned over into the mirror again and was now applying some mascara. She was moving carefully so she didn't poke herself in the eye. She was silent as she did so and after a few minutes of silence she finally put the top back on the tube and tossed that aside as well. She straightened up once more, ran her hands over the pale blue material of the dress, and finally nodded in approval "I look hot. This is going to be an amazing night."

As if on cue, Rachel stepped up to the sheet door of Santana's bedroom and cleared her throat lightly "Are you ready in there? I mean you realize we aren't really going to the Tonys so you don't have to get too dolled up."

Santana smiled softly and moved toward the door. Emily followed her and soon they were stepping out of the room and coming face to face with Rachel. Santana paused when her eyes caught sight of her roommate. Her eyes widened a bit and she drew in a sharp breath. She looked stunning. The dress she had worn to the actual ceremony was flawless but the dress she had worn for the night rivaled that one. It was form fitting but not in an inappropriate way. It hugged every curve but somehow still made Rachel look modest and lady like. It fell just below her knees and accented her calves and how they looked in the perfectly matched heels she wore.

"Do I-" Rachel felt shy at the way Santana looked at her and looked away, tucking some hair behind her ear "Do I look okay?"

Santana let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and nodded her head quickly. She realized she was staring and quickly looked away, smoothing her hands over herself again to wipe the sudden clamminess from her palms "You look incredible, Berry."

"Thanks" Rachel looked up slowly and offered a shy smile to her friend. Her eyes took a moment to look over Santana in her dress and her smile spread over her features a little more "Wow, San, that dress looks even more incredible than I remember."

Santana felt a blush rising but just cleared her throat and looked down at herself to avoid Rachel catching any sight of the blush "Yeah well I have always had impeccable taste."

Rachel nodded and bit at her lip. Her eyes lingered on Santana's body in the dress. She felt her heart starting to pound against her ribs and she suddenly felt nervous about their celebration.

When Santana looked up and saw Rachel still looking at her, she smiled softly. Her eyes moved over Rachel once more and her mouth felt dry. She wasn't sure this was a good idea. How was she going to be able to spend the entire night next to Rachel looking this amazing and have nothing happen? Maybe she shouldn't drink.

With the two girls lost in thought and just kind of looking at each other shyly, Emily felt the need to move the night forward. She smirked in amusement before rolling her eyes and clearing her throat "Okay, so" She clapped her hands and motioned toward the living room area "Maybe take a few steps this way so you might actually stand a chance of getting out of the loft tonight."

"Right" Santana said with a laugh and motioned for Rachel to go ahead. She watched her friend turn and she gently put her hand on her back as they moved toward the living room. Once they reached the open space between the living room and kitchen, Santana's hand dropped from Rachel's back and she offered a smile "So where's the tequila?"

Rachel let out a soft laugh at that "It's in the car. I figured we could start on the way to the club."

"Oh we get the car tonight?" Santana mused with a smirk "How fancy."

"Whatever" Rachel rolled her eyes and let out a laugh as she moved across to the fireplace now. She reached up to the display case and opened it slowly. She reached in and grabbed her trophy, pulling it out gingerly. Once she had it safely in her grasp, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and glanced at Santana with a nod "Okay, are we ready to go?"

Santana saw the way Rachel was handling her award and a frown came to her lips. She let out a sigh and motioned to the award "Are you sure about this? What if something happens?"

"It's fine" Rachel nodded, hugging the trophy to her chest. "I mean, I carried it around all night at the after party and nothing happened to it."

"You were also at an award show where, if something had happened, someone could have fixed it like immediately. I mean, we are in New York City. We are going to a club. What if we get mugged or you lose it or something?"

Rachel frowned and looked at the trophy again. She hadn't thought of it that way. She wondered if she could get it replaced if it ended up lost or stolen. Just the thought twisted her heart and a frown took over her face.

Santana nodded quickly when she saw this. She moved over to Rachel and grabbed hold of the trophy from her friend. "Look" She said softly as she took it from her grasp and put it back in it's case. Once the case was shut and locked, she turned back and looked at Rachel "We don't take it, okay? Let's go stop by like a party store and get one of those fake plastic ones and use that. I know it's not the same but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make so Tony doesn't die tonight."

"Are you sure?" Rachel pouted a little and glanced at her trophy before looking back to Santana.

"Of course" Santana laughed softly and put her hand on Rachel's back. "It's smarter this way. Who knows how drunk we are going to get. I would hate myself forever if I lost your Tony. So we get a substitute. I doubt anyone at the club is going to know what a real Tony looks like anyway. They are going to be too drunk to care."

Rachel nodded her head and let out a sigh of relief. As much as she had wanted Santana to rub her award in stranger's faces at the Tony's, the thought of her doing it outside the safety of an industry event scared the life out of her. "Good" Rachel finally mumbled with a smile and looked up at her friend "Thank you."

Santana smiled and motioned with her hand toward the door "Shall we? The night is young. Let's go get us an award, some tequila, and be as obnoxious as we can."

Rachel let out a soft giggle and moved toward the door. The girls grabbed tiny clutch purses with their keys and phones inside before stepping out of the loft and heading toward the elevator. The excitement between them was palpable. Santana was right, the night was young and the possibilities it held were endless.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"Okay" Santana nodded as she held up the tiny plastic cup that had come in the car with the bottle of tequila. She looked at the liquid in the cup then lifted her eyes to meet Rachel's with a grin "One more before we hit the club." She lifted it in a bit of a cheers motion and smiled at her friend "To you, Berry. To you achieving all your dreams and to me getting to be obnoxiously proud of you for it tonight."

Rachel let out a tiny giggle and nodded as their plastic cups touched together in a cheers. They both threw back the shots, grimaced at the taste, then found a place to set them down. They had already managed to drink half the bottle between the loft and the club, only stopping to get a fake trophy at a props store. By the time they had pulled up to the club they were both feeling a little warm and fuzzy.

Santana pushed the door open and got out. She steadied herself on the curb then reached a hand into the car to help Rachel out. Their hands slid together and as Rachel slowly emerged from the car, Santana felt her heart skip a beat. She looked even more beautiful than Santana remembered in the loft. The car had been dimly lit but now under the bright street lights it was like Santana was seeing her for the first time in that dress. When Rachel finally steadied herself on the curb and looked at her friend, Santana felt her throat go dry. She needed another drink quickly "You ready?"

Rachel nodded quickly and slid her fingers between Santana's. She didn't want to let her go just yet. She was nervous. This was the first time she had been out in public since her win, aside from going to and from the theater, and she wasn't sure if she would be recognized. She had been in a few magazines, done a few interviews for small media outlets around the area, and even been put on a billboard in Times Square. Part of her wanted to be recognized and another part of her was terrified to be.

Santana smiled very gently at the way Rachel held her hand. She wasn't going to question it. She just gave her friend's hand a light squeeze and let her lead the way into the club. They were on the VIP list so they didn't have to go through the same entrance as everyone else, which was pretty cool if you asked Santana. Once they were ushered inside and showed to their special private booth, they were left to their own devices. Santana motioned for Rachel to go ahead and take a seat on one of the plush booths and only then did Rachel's hand slide out of Santana's.

Rachel sat gingerly, careful not to let her dress slip too high. She grinned up at Santana and patted the spot next to her excitedly "Come on! Let's get comfy, let's get a drink! Do you want to dance?"

Santana was halfway between sitting and standing when the question was posed. She paused and let out a soft laugh, motioning over her shoulder toward the dance floor "Now? Or do you want to get the drink first?"

Rachel was a little surprised at the enthusiasm Santana showed at the mention of dancing and let out a soft laugh "Well I meant like in general, at one point tonight, are you going to want to dance?"

"Well that's a silly question" Santana said with a laugh as she finally settled next to Rachel. "Of course I am going to want to dance. It's like you don't know me at all." She smirked and gave her a little nudge with her elbow. She put down her clutch she had been carrying and lifted the tiny trophy they had gotten for the evening. She shifted to face Rachel better and waved it with a laugh "The question is do you think Tony is going to want to dance tonight?"

"Oh he better" Rachel said with a giggle "Because if he is hanging out with you all night I don't think he is going to have a choice."

Just then one of the cocktail waitresses came to take their drink orders. "Two shots of your finest tequila." Santana gave Rachel a smile and as the girl ran off to fill the orders, Santana looked at the trophy. "Alright, Tony, are you ready to put on your boogie shoes? You are going to have a hard time keeping up with me."

Rachel let out a delighted giggle at her friend. Sure this wasn't the night they had originally planned for the Tony's but it was still already an amazing night. Maybe it was because she had missed Santana so much. In fact, she was sure that was the reason. They could be sitting at home in their pajamas taking shots and Rachel would be happy. As long as she was with Santana, she was happy. She smiled at the thought. She wasn't sure there had ever been a person in her life, on any level, that had ever made her happy just being around them like Santana did.

"What the Hell are you grinning at?" Santana asked, glancing over her shoulder with a laugh. When she didn't see anything particularly funny behind her she looked back at Rachel and shook her head "Earth to Rachel!"

Rachel blinked and shook her head, bringing herself out of her thoughts. "Sorry" She blushed softly and just shrugged her shoulders "I was just thinking about how happy I am to have this night with you."

Santana nodded and gave her friend a warm smile. The shots of tequila were delivered just then and Santana grabbed them with a nod of thanks. She handed one over to Rachel then lifted her own in Rachel's direction "I'm happy, too." They clinked their glasses together and Santana added with a smirk "Now let's get obnoxious!" She threw back the shot then got to her feet. She offered her hand to Rachel and motioned toward the dance floor "Shall we?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

The night flew by in a blur of colors and music. Santana had lost count after their third shot of the night. All she could remember was laughing a lot at the confused looks on stranger's faces when Santana waved the trophy in their faces then pointed to Rachel. She was sure most of them could care less but a few of them thought they might have known who Rachel was and in Santana's drunken state that was good enough for her.

It was well into the early hours of the morning by the time they stumbled through the loft door. Rachel was clinging to Santana, laughing loudly as the two of them maneuvered through the door. Rachel immediately dropped her heels, which she had taken off in the car, then tossed her clutch near the kitchen table. "Did you see that kid in the drive-thru? He was so confused to why we were hanging out of the top of the car!"

Santana laughed so hard she snorted. She nodded happily as she propped herself against the kitchen table, using her free hand to unbuckle her heels "The way he squeaked in surprise when we popped outta the roof thing was hilarious! Then I showed him the trophy and convinced him you were Angelina Jolie and that was your Oscar!" She tossed her heel aside and grinned happily at Rachel.

"Oh my god" Rachel cackled and stumbled over toward the bathroom "He looked like he wanted to cry with joy when you said that."

Santana tossed her second shoe aside then straightened herself up. She ran her hands over her dress and gave Rachel a dreamy grin "You shoulda taken a picture with him that would have been awesome."

"And rude" Rachel pointed then laughed it off "But funny." She moved into the bathroom and attempted to close the door but missed and decided to just leave it. It wasn't like Santana hadn't walked in on her peeing a hundred times before.

Santana didn't even notice. She was standing in front of the fridge looking for a water bottle. When she didn't find one a frown came to her lips and she slammed the door with a huff. She moved over to the cabinet to get a glass and filled it with water from the faucet. Without hesitation she lifted it to her lips and chugged the entire thing in one try.

Once Rachel was done in the bathroom she stumbled out and gave Santana a smile when she saw her drinking water. "Smart" She pointed at her friend and moved over to her friend. "Can I have some?"

Santana nodded and filled the empty cup under the faucet again. She held it out to Rachel once it was full and gave her a little smirk "I gotta tell you something?"

"Hmmm?" Rachel hummed curiously as she lifted the cup to her mouth and started to drink.

Santana opened her mouth and drew in a deep breath. She paused and when Rachel perked an eyebrow at her curiously, Santana smirked and let out a loud burp.

"Gross!" Rachel nearly spit out the water she had in her mouth at that moment. She managed to swallow it then swat at Santana with a laugh.

"Thank you" Santana nodded and took a playful bow. When she bent over in her bow she realized how drunk she was and all of the sudden lost her balance. She stumbled forward, which happened to be exactly where Rachel was standing. Santana's head ended up jamming right into Rachel's stomach which caused her to slam back into the cabinet behind her.

Rachel let out a groan of pain as she reached behind her to grab hold of the cabinet. She gripped tightly so the two of them didn't end up falling over completely. She watched Santana manage to regain her balance and let out a soft laugh as one hand reached down and scooped under her shoulder to help pull her upright. "Are you alright there Boozy Von Drunkaton?"

"Heyyyy" Santana scowled playfully then laughed as she ran hands over herself in attempt to brush off the fact that she had almost just fallen over. Once she was steady on her own feet she grinned at Rachel and laughed "That's a good one. I'm so funny."

"I'm the one that said it" Rachel laughed, her hand moving to grip Santana's forearm, afraid Santana might tip over at any moment.

"But you got it from me" Santana nodded with a huff. "I'm the comedic genius and you're just a thief." She smirked and reached out to tap Rachel right on the nose, making a little 'boop' sound as she did so.

"Whatever" Rachel rolled her eyes and finished her water. She set the cup aside then took in a deep breath and motioned toward their bedrooms "Can we please get out of these dresses and go to bed? I feel like I am going to pass out and sleeping in this material would be irresponsible. Do you know how easily it wrinkles?"

"The fact that you can talk this much after how much you had to drink astounds me" Santana said with a laugh but nodded and offered out her hand. "But, yes, let's get the Hell outta these dresses. Mine started pinching me hours ago."

Rachel took Santana's hand and somehow the two of them managed to stumble into Rachel's room without either of them falling. Santana fell face first onto Rachel's bed and let out a groan. Rachel managed to find her closet and leaned against it with one hand while she reached around with the other to try and unzip herself. A silence fell over the room as the two of them just kind of succumbed to their drunkness.

After a few long, quiet minutes Rachel let out a grunt and her arm fell away from her back. She let out a sigh and slowly turned her head, which was now resting against her closet door, and looked for Santana. Her vision was blurred so she didn't see her right away but after she rolled over on the bed, Rachel smiled and was happy to see she hadn't left for her own room yet. "Hey, San?"

"Hmm?" Santana grunted and pulled one of Rachel's pillows under her head.

"I need help."

"I've been saying that for years" Santana mumbled and smirked at herself. She was so damn funny.

Rachel shook her head and closed her eyes. She would have rolled her eyes but that might have made her puke. "No I mean I need help with my dress. I can't reach the zipper."

Santana groaned and rolled over to look at Rachel. She opened one eye and studied her from across the room then lifted a hand and lazily waved her over "I can't really stand right now you are going to have to come to me."

Rachel opened her eyes again and stared at blurry Santana. She wasn't sure she would make it. Part of her considered giving up and just sleeping propped up against the wall. But the bigger part of her knew she couldn't do that so she finally pushed away from her closet and took a few wobbly steps toward the bed. She wasn't sure how but she managed to make it without falling over or knocking into anything. She let out a sigh of relief when she was safely sitting on the edge of the bed next to Santana "Okay."

Santana had almost drifted off to sleep. When Rachel spoke, her eyes shot open and she remembered she was supposed to be helping. She grunted as her hand lifted and she blindly patted at Rachel's back in attempt to find the zipper. After a few failed attempts, she frowned and propped herself up on one elbow to try and bring her blurry eyes more level with the zipper. "Where the Hell?"

"Stop!" Rachel squeaked and let out a laugh. Santana's absent patting had caused her fingers to land against her neck and her side, both very ticklish places. She wiggled and reached behind her to catch Santana's fumbling fingers "You are horrible at undressing a girl! How do you get laid?"

"Bite me" Santana snarled and pulled her hand away. She blinked a few times and finally her eyes focused. She found the zipper and smiled proudly at that. "How do I get laid?" She mumbled with a huff before laughing as she pulled at the zipper "That was actually really good."

"See? I can be funny too" Rachel grinned at herself for that remark. She waited patiently for Santana to finish with her zipper. When the cool air of the loft hit her hot skin, a shiver ripped through her body and goosebumps rose on her flesh.

Santana smirked at the little shiver. She saw the goosebumps on her friend's skin and gently let her fingers glide over a small patch of skin without even thinking about it.

Santana's touch sent another shiver up her spine. Tingles shot out from the point of contact all the way through her body and to her toes. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes slowly "What are you doing?"

"You cold?" Santana asked with a smile as her hand dropped away and she laid back against the bed again. "You got goosebumps everywhere."

Rachel let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when she realized Santana wasn't making a move on her. "Yeah" She mumbled and nodded at the question. "Little cold" she whispered then stood from the bed. She let the material of the dress slide off her shoulders then paused. She had nothing on underneath and was suddenly shy about Santana seeing any amount of skin. But when she glanced over her shoulder and saw Santana sprawled out, eyes closed, she smiled in relief and continued removing the dress in favor of some pajamas.

It had been quiet in the room for a few minutes as Rachel changed. Santana suddenly opened her eyes, having passed out for a moment, and turned her head to look at her friend. She gave her a smile and patted the mattress next to herself "Then come snuggle. It will warm you right up."

"What?" Rachel perked an eyebrow as she finished hanging her dress in the closet.

"You said you were cold" Santana mumbled and her eyes closed again.

Rachel let out a soft laugh and gave a little nod at that "Oh yeah."

Santana patted the bed again lazily then let out a heavy sigh. Her entire body was relaxed and all she wanted to do was sleep. Rachel moved toward her friend on her bed and watched her lying there for a few moments before a soft smile came to her lips. She shook her head in amusement before reaching down to shake Santana's leg "San? You going to change out of your dress?"

Santana shook her head. She frowned when Rachel shook her again and slowly opened her eyes. She saw her friend looking at her and smiled before sitting up and giving her a nod "Okay." She slid to the end of the bed, managed to somehow hold herself up, and looked at Rachel with a grin "Just unzip me?"

Rachel nodded and drew in a deep breath as she reached for the zipper. She pulled it down slowly and as each inch of skin was exposed she felt her heart starting to race faster. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol in that moment or the feelings she hadn't realized she had until recently but she was more nervous than she should have been. She cleared her throat and licked her lips before pulling her hand away once the zipper was down "Okay, you're good to go."

Santana shot up to her feet, dropped her hands to allow for the material to drop off her shoulders and down her arms, and gave her hips a wiggle. Without warning the dress fell off Santana completely and into a pool of material at her feet. She kicked it away, which caused her to fall off balance, and land on her back on the bed.

Rachel's eyes went so wide it was a miracle they didn't fall out of her head. Santana had not worn a bra that night under her dress, not that she could have if she wanted to. So now she was just laying there on her back in the tiniest piece of material acting as panties that Rachel had ever seen in her life. She went bright red and quickly looked away from her friend "Um, hey, do you want a shirt?"

Santana groaned and shifted on the bed. She grabbed a pillow again and pulled it under her head. She let out a happy sigh and smiled before settling against the mattress. When Rachel realized her friend had passed out again, she frowned. Now what? She chewed her bottom lip and debated whether or not to sleep in the other room while trying not to stare at Santana's bare chest.

After a moment she shook her head and started to get off the bed. She would just crash in Santana's bed. But as soon as she got to her feet, Santana whined and reached for her "Berry, don't leave me."

Rachel let out a sigh and sat back on the edge of the bed. "San, I'm going to get you a shirt."

Santana shook her head against the pillow and reached out again for Rachel. She fumbled around until finally finding her arm and gripping it lightly. She pulled a few times before mumbling "Don't leave."

Rachel sighed again but didn't make a move to leave. Instead she shifted so she could lay next to Santana. She positioned herself so her back was towards Santana's chest just in case she woke up in the middle of the night. She didn't want to get a free peep show, after all. That seemed to appease Santana because her grip on Rachel's arm loosened until finally falling away. The two girls settled into a silence as they laid together on the bed, Rachel fighting drifting off in hopes that Santana would pass out and she could get up and sleep in the other room.

That hope went out the window when Santana's arm suddenly slid around Rachel's waist. She gave a firm tug and brought Rachel's back tightly against her chest. She let out a happy sigh and faded back into sleep. Rachel, for some reason, didn't fight it. Though she was hyper aware of the fact that Santana's bare chest was against her back, she didn't fight to move away. Truth was, the warmth of alcohol and the feel of Santana's arm around her was the perfect mix of soothing and comfortable and before she knew it, Rachel was drifting off into a perfect night of sleep.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.