AN: I love when I plan to write, like, a filler chapter just to give you guys something to chew on and it turns into one with real substance. IT just makes writing much more fun when there's an actual story to tell (not that I don't love fluffy filler chapters).
"You're not thinking out of the box enough, Diaz," Sam said for the fifth time. He looked across the desk in the TA office he was assigned to and watched as Chris flipped through his notebook again. "Boyko is going to want something more original than that."
"Boyko's the worst," Chris sighed and Sam nodded silently before pulling out his book and flipping it open. "Nothing is original when you've been teaching for ninety years."
"I know," Sam said, rolling his eyes and he pushed the book across the desk to Chris. "Here, chapter 15. Focus there. In fact, focus here," he said, turning one more page. "Remember how excited he was when he was teaching that? The more excited he seems, the more willing he is to read a paper on that subject. If you can't think of anything else, there's that."
"Thanks," Chris said, writing the page number on the back of his hand. Sam smiled tightly and glanced up just in time to see Andy leaning her shoulder against his door.
"You need anything else, you know where to find me," he said quickly, hinting that it was time for him to leave.
"Yeah, thanks man," Chris said, standing up looking much more relaxed than when he first walked in. "Hey, Andy," he said when he turned around and Sam stood up, waiting for him to leave.
"Hi, Chris," she smiled, pushing herself off of the door. "See you later."
Chris smiled, turned and waved at Sam, and left. Sam walked around his desk and closed the door before reaching for Andy and kissing her hard. She laughed before kissing him back, pushing him against the wall to settle between his feet.
"How are those midterms coming?" She asked before pushing her lips against his again and his hands slid up her back until he was cradling her head.
"Almost done," he said before tilting her head back so he could kiss her neck. "Have you thought about what I asked you the other day?"
She sighed and stepped away from him and he licked his lips and stood taller. "I can't stay the entire spring break," she told him and he nodded. When he took a step toward her she laughed, shaking her head, and stepped back. "My dad wants to go to more meetings. I think he's more comfortable with me going with him."
"Good," he smiled, walking around her so he could perch himself on the surface of his desk. "So, when should I drop you off?"
Andy rolled her eyes playfully and stepped between his knees, running her hands up his thighs. Sam gently kicked her in the calf and she fell forward against him and he smirked happily when her arms circled his shoulders.
"What if I stay with you the first weekend and you bring me home on Wednesday night?" She asked as a couple of her fingers moved through his hair at the base of his neck. He leaned back into her touch and she stood on her toes to kiss his nose. "Does that sound fair?"
"Yeah," he answered. "More than fair," he smiled before capturing her lips with his.
She melted against him and his arms circled her waist, keeping her close. When he felt her hands on his face he nipped her bottom lip and she gasped just enough for his tongue to slip into her mouth and her grasp tightened. He scooted closer to the edge of the desk while his hands traveled below her shirt, causing it to rise in the process. His fingers trailed down her back and she shivered against him as her arms encircled his neck and head.
Her arms dropped and she stepped away suddenly, pulling her shirt down and shaking her head. "Okay," she laughed turning away from him while she ran her hands over her mussed up hair. "I just came to say hi."
"Hi," he said, settling his feet on the floor and she turned to look at him again.
"You can't go around kissing me like that at school," she told him and he nodded, biting his lip to keep from laughing. "I have no self-control when I haven't seen you in four days."
"Right, sorry," he said, laughing now and her eyes narrowed at him until his face fell serious again. "Will you be at the Penny tonight?" He asked as his hands slid into his pockets and she leaned against his closed door and crossed her arms—keeping her distance.
"I have a study group until 8," she told him and he nodded until a small smile started spreading across her face. "But, I guess I'll see you there after."
"You guess?"
"Well, yes, I'm going to the Penny tonight. So, you better be willing to buy me a beer," she warned and he tentatively reached for her hand. She hesitated before unfolding her arms to place one of her hands in his.
He used it to pull her against him so they were chest to chest. "I'll buy you a beer," he promised quietly and her hands found his and she laced all ten of her fingers with his. "I'll even let you buy me one after that."
"You're lucky you're so good looking," she teased and he kissed her quickly. "I should go."
"I should open my door," he laughed and she nodded, untangling her hands from his. He sighed and let her back away from him. "See you tonight, McNally."
After a particularly useless study group, Andy walked into her dorm and immediately changed into an oversized sweater and a pair of leggings. As she was pulling her boots on again, Gail and Dov entered the room quickly and closed the door even faster.
"What's going on?" Andy asked, nearly tripping over her own foot as she tried zipping up her boot.
"Chloe," Gail explained, opening the door a crack to check and see if she was around.
"I thought you were done hooking up with her?" Andy asked Dov and he shrugged. "What does that mean, Dov?"
"I told her I was done," he said quickly and quietly. "But I think she thought I was kidding."
"Last week you liked her, this week you're afraid of her? Which is it?" Andy asked, suddenly exhausted just trying to work out his feelings for Chloe.
"I don't know," he said, bending his knees and clenching his fists. "What do you think of her?"
"She's… nice," Andy shrugged, sitting on her bed. "She talks a lot. Like, more than me, but she's a nice girl. And she clearly likes you. And- No, you know what? It doesn't matter what I think," she reminded him. "It matters what you think."
"He doesn't know," Gail sighed, closing the door again. "But now I'm hiding him in our room because he's locked out of his and we heard her on the phone as she was walking up the stairs."
"Maybe I should just, I don't know, take her out on an actual date," he said and Andy nodded. "Yeah, maybe I should."
"Yeah," Gail said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe you should just make up your mind and keep everyone else out of it. Where are you going?" She asked Andy.
"Penny," she said, standing again. "Interested?"
"Yup, Chris is already there with Traci," she said and then turned to Dov. "Think you can make it out of here without freaking out?"
"I can manage," he promised, rolling his eyes.
The three of them left the dorm together and walked across the street. It was finally starting to warm up. It wasn't warm, but it hadn't snowed for a consecutive fifteen days, so everyone was happy about that. When Andy got inside, her eyes scanned the stools at the bar and she saw Sam nodding and smiling while talking to a blond.
"Who's that?" Gail asked, stepping up next to her while Dov landed on the other side. She looked between them and then back at Sam.
"No idea," she answered, looking for her friends. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't think she should interrupt Sam. She found Traci standing with Chris and Oliver on the other side of the bar and she headed that way while Gail and Dov shared a look before following her.
"Hey," Traci said, moving over so Gail could sit between her and Chris. Andy and Dov sat in the empty stools on the other side and Andy stopped herself from asking Oliver who Sam was talking to. "How was that study group?"
"He had no idea what he was doing," Andy told her as the bartender came up. She ordered a drink and her eyes fell on Sam again before she looked back at her best friend. "It was dumb. I'll be better off just doing my own study guide. How was your meeting with Noelle?"
"Good," Traci smiled, sitting up straighter like she did when she got excited and Andy smiled at her. "She said that if I want to be an RA next year, I should definitely apply. So, I think I'm going to. I need something to do that doesn't involve the Penny or Jerry."
"It could be fun," Andy agreed and Traci nodded. "But we'll never be roommates again."
"My door will always be open for you," Traci said sarcastically and Andy laughed, shoving her shoulder. "Who is that?" Traci asked, just noticing Sam and his friend.
Andy looked across the bar even though she knew exactly what she'd see. "I have no idea, I was hoping you'd know," she laughed and Traci shrugged, turning to ask Oliver. "Don't," Andy pled, pulling on her wrist. "I don't want to seem jealous or… Naggy."
"Okay," Traci said, rubbing her shoulder.
"Crap," Dov said and they both turned to look at him watching the door as Chloe walked in.
"Go," Andy said, nudging him off of his barstool. "Man up."
"Shut up," he said under his breath and she laughed as he walked over to ask her out on a proper date.
"What's that all about?" Traci asked. Andy filled her in and she rested her chin in her palm as she listened, throwing her head back in laughter by the end. "Poor Dov," she said, calming down. "Aw, I like Chloe. She'll be good for him."
"I know!" Just then, her phone rang in her pocket and she leveraged herself off her stool so she could reach into her back pocket to pick it up. "Hello?" She answered without looking at the caller ID.
"Where are you?" Sam asked on the other line and she looked across the bar at him. His friend—or whoever she was—was gone and he was looking down at his glass of scotch.
"Look up," she said and, slowly, his head rose and their eyes met across the bar. She held her drink up and he smiled before hanging up and making his move across the room, sitting in Dov's empty stool.
"How'd you get in here without me seeing you?" He asked, turning so his knees bumped hers underneath the bar.
"You were… Busy," she smiled and he narrowed his eyes.
"Oh," he said, realization hitting him and he looked around the bar before his eyes landed on hers. "That was Monica."
"Monica?" She asked, crossing her legs and he nodded, taking a sip of his drink. "Your ex-girlfriend?"
She didn't know much about Monica or Sam's relationship with her, but she knew there was one. She knew that they dated for about a year and she broke up with him. She didn't know why that was, but she knew it happened. Sam had not shared any details about their relationship—just that she didn't hang around on Sundays like he preferred Andy to do.
"Yes," he nodded slowly, his head cocked to the side. She knew he was trying to see what was running through her mind and, for once, she didn't want him to figure it out. "She's in town to visit some of her friends."
"You?" She asked and his eyes narrowed. She squeezed her eyes shut—not sure why she felt jealous all of a sudden. He was there with her. His hand was on her arm.
"Nope," he promised, popping on the P and she nodded. "Coincidence."
"Oh," Andy said, pulling his arm out from under his hand so she could take a long sip of her drink. "Well, it must have been nice to see her."
"Nicer to see you," he said easily and she smiled. "You okay, McNally?"
"Yeah, of course," she said, leaning over to kiss him. "You're here."
"So, how many ex-girlfriends do you have?" Andy asked suddenly while they laid in his bed the next morning.
Sam ran his hand over his face and turned to look at her. "What?" He asked.
He knew the topic would come up at some point and it made sense that Andy seeing him with Monica the night before would probably speed up that conversation, but he wasn't exactly expecting it to be the first thing out of her mouth after she kissed him when he woke up.
"I'm just wondering," she said quickly. "I mean, you know about mine. Tanner. And, well, Matt, I guess. But I didn't actually date him, I just sle-"
"See, I don't want to know that," he said, pushing himself to sit up against his headboard. "We're here now together. I don't care about Tanner or Matt. The thought of you with anyone else is just… Not a thought I like to have running around in my head."
"Well, me either," she agreed, pushing herself to mirror his position. "But, it is running through my head. Have you seen your ex-girlfriend? She's gorgeous. And the two of you are running through my head like some old-timey film reel. And I hate it."
"Then why do you want to know about the other girls I've been with? Won't that make it worse?" He asked as his face fell into his hands.
"No," she answered and he turned his head to watch her doubtfully. "Maybe. But, maybe it will make the face I'm seeing less specific and it will just be you and a blurry face."
"Or you could just picture you and me," he reminded her and she rolled her eyes. "Because that's what I tend to do whenever you bring up Tanner. It helps."
"Tanner's my friend, it's different," she said and he laughed. "What's so funny?"
"That makes it worse," he told her, getting out of bed. He walked out of his room and listened as her feet followed behind him. "You talk about him way more than I've ever talked about Monica."
"You don't like Tanner?" She asked, cutting him off from the refrigerator and his hands fell to his sides.
"I don't mind him," he answered honestly. "And I don't care if you're friends with him, but if you're going to be friends with him, you can't be upset when I talk to my ex-girlfriend once in, like, two years."
"I'm not upset," she said, folding her arms in front of his chest and he raised his eyebrows. "I'm not. And I'm not jealous."
"Neither am I," he countered and she widened her stance a little and rocked back onto her heels. "We lived entire lives before we met, Andy. There are parts of that life I don't want you to worry about it. That includes any girl I've ever been with before you. They don't matter. You matter."
"What about your dad?" She asked and his face fell before he looked down at his feet.
"What about my dad?" He asked quietly. He felt her hand on his cheek and she used it to make him look at her again.
"I don't care about the girls," she told him and he nodded. "I don't even really care about your dad. He doesn't matter, not really. I just- I'm curious. You've never talked about him."
"He's not a part of my life anymore," he said without hesitation. "I don't even know how we got on the topic. Honestly, I'd rather go back to talking about my girlfriends."
She smiled and took her hand back, tangling both of hers behind her back. "There's one personal picture in your entire apartment," she said and he turned his head to see it on his fridge. "And you have no problem talking about your mom or Sarah, and I really just want to know what goes through your head."
"You do," he insisted. "More than anyone, but he is not something that I think about. He's not something I worry about or let bother me."
"Okay," she said, putting her hands up in defense. "Then, we don't need to talk about it."
"Thank you," he said and she surprised him with a kiss.
"I'll make breakfast," she said and he nodded, moving around her to settle in on his couch. Boo joined him once Andy started making noises in the kitchen.
Sam rested back into the deepest spot of his couch and Boo rested nearly his entire body on his lap, burying his face between Sam's hip and the arm of the couch. He hated the sound of metal clinking and Andy was searching for a particular pan in the kitchen. Sam ran his hand soothingly over Boo's head over and over again until the noise stopped and his head turned to face the rest of the living room.
He lied to Andy about not thinking about his dad—every time he talked to his sister or his mother, he thought about him. Every time he read or taught a case study resembling his father's case, he thought about him. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Andy where his father was or why he was there, but he didn't think she'd understand. Her dad was a cop and his was in prison for the rest of his life.
Eventually, Andy fed Boo and he ran when he heard the food hitting his bowl. Right after that, she was sitting next to him and handing him a plate with bacon and pancakes. After he took his plate from her, she ran her hand down the back of his head and he turned into her palm until it was against his cheek.
"I'm sorry," she said, tilting his head so his eyes met hers. "It wasn't my place to ask about him."
He put down his plate and took hers out of her hand to place it on the table before cupping her cheek in his palm. She blinked in surprise and he kissed her—long and all lips.
"What was that for?" She asked when his hand and lips detached from her.
"He's the reason why I doubt everything," he admitted quietly, swallowing. She shuffled closer to him and put her arm around his shoulders. "Everything we went through before you left for winter break can probably be traced right back to him. I never saw or understood real, romantic love. Not until… You. He didn't love my mother, not the way he was supposed to. He didn't love any of us. He's not capable of it."
"So you thought you weren't," she said and he shrugged under the weight of her arm. She rested her forehead against his temple and kissed his jaw. "I'm glad you realized that you are," she whispered against him and he let out a sigh of relief.
"He's not someone you'll ever have to meet," he promised her and her free hand squeezed his knee. "He may as well be dead. He is to me."
"Well, if you ever do want to talk about him," she said, running her hand down the back of his head again. "I'm not just good at talking. I'm pretty good at the listening thing, too."
"I know," he said, turning to smile at him. She smiled back and he kissed her. "Thanks. For breakfast. And understanding."
"Sorry I got a little jealous," she laughed, moving back to her side of the couch. He chuckled and squeezed her hand quickly. "And about butting into your family business. It's none of mine."
"Don't worry about it, Andy," he promised and she looked at him with careful, questioning eyes like she thought he might just be saying that. He smiled to let her know he meant it and she relaxed before his eyes.
