AN: Short, but kind of fun. A lot of McSwarek teasing. I don't know where it came from, but it's there and it's also kind of fun. I really wanted to get this fillery/fluffy chapter up to acclimate the characters into a new semester with their friends. So, it's not too content heavy. Those chapters will be coming...

From the hallway outside his apartment, Sam could hear Andy and Oliver laughing. He'd left them there an hour before when he had to go to the bookstore and get a book he thought he could do without when the semester started. He was wrong.

When he pushed open his door, his best friend was sitting on the couch while his girlfriend sat on the floor in front of it. They were both still laughing an d both watching Boo walk across the floor. He tossed his bag on the table and the three of them turned to look at him.

"What the hell did you do to my dog?" He asked, looking at Boo's feet.

"I forgot to tell you that I bought him boots," Andy said, standing up. She walked over to him and pulled him into the living room by the hand. "He hates the cold and the snow and I thought it would make walks easier. But, he doesn't know how to walk in them," she was laughing again by the end of her sentence and Sam shook his head and kissed her temple lightly.

"Oh, man," Oliver laughed, pushing himself off of the couch. He crouched down and Boo walked awkwardly—lifting his legs too high and slowly—over to him. Oliver peeled off each of the boots until Boo was freed and ran into Sam's room. "McNally, that was the best part of my week."

"Yeah," Sam laughed. "But it looks like you wasted your money. He's never going to let you put those on him again."

"I know," she laughed. "But it was fun while it lasted. I do feel a little bad."

"You thought you were doing something nice," Sam reminded her. "He'll be fine."

"I'm going to Celery's," Oliver announced and both Sam and Andy turned toward him. "See you guys later."

"Bye," they called after him.

Sam took Andy by the hand and pulled her down to the couch with him. She curled against his side and rest her head on his shoulder while his arm snaked around her. "He found a place," he said, burying his face in her hair. "He'll be gone next weekend."

"That's sad," Andy said as she folded her legs onto the couch so her knees were in his lap. "You'll be so lonely. Just you and Boo."

"I know," he said sarcastically. "With Oliver gone, I'll sit in here with my dog and no one else all weekend. It's going to be rough."

"Too bad you don't have anyone willing to keep you company," Andy laughed. She started reclining on the couch, pulling him down with her. "No one to share a bed with," she continued as Sam settled between her legs with a smirk. "Or a couch for that matter."

"I know. It's a sad life," he laughed. He lowered himself against her some more and kissed her bottom lip. When he felt her hands gripping at his back, he stopped holding himself up at all and cradled her head against his and kissed her harder.

"It's freezing out there."

Andy's legs fell from around Sam's hips and he sprang back as soon as he heard Oliver's voice. He wiped his hand over his mouth and then his jaw and eyed his best friend. "Forget something?" He asked. From the corner of his eye he could see Andy covering her face with her hands—trying to keep from laughing out loud.

"Sorry, sorry," Oliver said, picking his gloves up from the counter in the kitchen. "I'm good now," he promised holding them up as proof. "As you were."

Sam waited for him to leave before even looking down at Andy. She finally burst out laughing and pulled him back down to her. "Okay," she said, her arms going around his neck. "Maybe it is a good thing you'll get your apartment back."

"Thank you," he said with a smile and kissed her. "Plus, he expects us to help him move. Think you're up for it?" He asked, squeezing her bicep and she kicked him in the back of his knee and he fell further against her with a laugh.

"What about you, old man?" She asked. "Can your back handle it?"

"If I can lift you up and over my shoulder, my back can handle anything," he joked, unable to keep his smile from growing into a laugh. She feigned shock and dropped her arms from around him and he laughed harder.

Having her back from winter break—for good—was proving to be very beneficial to their relationship. She moved back into her dorm exactly a week before, but five of her six nights back were spent with him in his bed. And she seemed truly happy to be there with him, like she fully accepted what he had to say on New Year's Eve. Which made falling for her all the more simple and all the more enjoyable.

"You're going to pay for that," she promised and he nodded with narrow, sarcastic eyes and she shook her head with a laugh.

Andy turned and waved at Sam in his truck before letting the dorm's door fall behind her. She took the stairs two at a time to her floor and walked to her room. The door was propped open and all four of her friends were scattered around the room, waiting for her.

"Sorry," she said, taking off her jacket. She tossed it off to the side and looked around the small room. "Are you guys ready?"

Chris rolled up the sleeves of his henley and Gail threw her hair into a ponytail. Andy did the same and looked at her bed. "How should we start?" Dov asked, crossing his arms.

Traci pulled off her sweatshirt and started giving orders. It wasn't long until everyone fell in line and the five of them worked to move the furniture to redecorate the girls' room. Both Andy and Gail were sick of sleeping midair and Traci agreed to switch bunks with Gail. For Andy, they had to rearrange enough to unloft her bed while also having enough room for everyone's dressers and desks. It was a task, for sure, but it was one that they knew they could handle it together.

By the end of it, all three dressers were against the back wall, Andy's bed was on the left side still with her desk pushed against the foot, and the bunk was moved as far back as it could go to fit the other two desks. It was tight—even more so than before—but everyone was happy. Plus, it was rare that the three of them would be in it all at once now that they were coupled up.

When they pushed the last piece of furniture into its final spot, the five of them collapsed against the beds. Andy pulled her knees to her chest and sat against the wall with Traci and Dov while Gail and Chris did the same on the other side of the room. Her head fell on Traci's shoulder and she left it there while they caught their breath.

"So, it's Saturday night," Gail said suddenly and Andy looked across at her, waiting for her point. "Are we going out?" Her smile seemed innocent, but there was a mischievous gleam in her eye. It made both Andy and Traci laugh.

"What do you have in mind?" Andy asked, picking her head up again.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "The Penny?"

"What's that look on your face mean?" Traci asked and Chris turned to look at her with a nervously raised brow.

"Nothing," she insisted. "I just want to go out, get drunk, have fun."

"Drunk enough that I'll have to carry you up the stairs again?" Chris asked, understanding the look in her eye. This time, Traci, Andy, and Dov laughed.

"Hey, maybe," she shrugged again. Then she used her toes to push against his thigh. "Go away. We need to get ready."

"Fine," he sighed, sliding off the bed. "Dov?"

"Coming," he laughed. When they left, Andy sighed and stretched her legs out in front of her.

"I need to take a shower if we're going out," she told her friends and they both nodded in agreement.

Together, the three of them headed for the showers across the hall. Andy put on some music, hoping the other two showers wouldn't be used while they three of them sang their hearts out, but not really caring if they were. When they finished up, they got dressed, did their makeup, and their hair together. The boys' door was open and they could hear them playing a videogame, waiting on them, so they hurried to get ready.

Andy put on a pair of Uggs to keep her feet warm. Gail and Traci both opted for leather riding boots and, together, they put on their coats and called for Chris and Dov to meet them in the hall. The five of them walked out of the dorm and across the street to the Penny. Thanks to the falling snow and the below freezing temps, it wasn't too busy.

Both of the pool tables were empty, so she claimed one with Traci while Chris and Dov paired up and Gail bought a pitcher of beer for the group. Andy, unlike Tanner and, apparently, Sam was not a pool player. In fact, she sucked, but she always had fun sucking. That's all that mattered really.

When she finally sank one of her balls, she tossed the stick to Dov lightly and held her hands above her head triumphantly. Traci—a pool shark in her own right—just shook her head and took the stick from Dov to remind her she had another shot to take. "Oh, right," she said, taking it quickly. She shook her shoulders to get loose and leaned over the table with the stick.

"Your form is terrible."

She stopped breathing when she felt the hand on her shoulder and shuttered out a laugh when she heard Sam's voice in her ear. He backed off when she turned toward him and raised an eyebrow before following Oliver, Celery, and Jerry to the bar. She shook her head and took her shot, missing it completely.

She then watched as the boys finished the game on their final turn and she sighed, throwing her hands up in defense. "Not my game," she said, backing away from the table. "Find me when the ping pong table is free."

Sam wasn't surprised when Andy sat next to him at the bar, he wasn't surprised when she crossed her legs and ran her toe up his shin, and he wasn't surprised when she claimed his beer as her own. He smiled throughout the whole ordeal, watching her closely, until she put the glass down in front of him again and her own slow smile spread over her features.

"How's your room look?" He asked, glancing over quickly when Traci sat at the other end of the group next to Jerry.

"It's okay," she shrugged. "It's crowded."

"Well, then, it's a good thing you've got an awesome boyfriend with a pretty awesome apartment," he smirked and she laughed, rolling her eyes playfully.

"The apartment's pretty awesome," she agreed with a laugh and he made a face. "The boyfriend's really awesome," she finished seriously, her head leaning closer to his at every word.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He closed the gap between them with a kiss and pulled back, licking his lips. "Boo won't go near the boots that you left on the coffee table," he told her and her face fell dramatically. "Don't worry, McNally, I hid them in my closet."

"I broke your dog," she said sadly and he smiled softly. "You know, he didn't come near me after I put those on him!"

"Andy, calm down," he said, reaching for her hand. "He's fine. He likes you more than he likes me. He's a dog. He will forgive you."

"You think?" She asked and he nodded. "I hope so."

"So, I didn't think you'd be here tonight," he admitted and she shrugged.

"It was Gail's idea," she told him, pointing across the bar to where Gail, Dov, and a small brunette were taking shots. "First real Saturday night back at school, she's celebrating."

"Smart girl," he laughed and she nodded. "How are your classes by the way?"

"Well, you're not in any of them so they all suck," she smiled and he shook his head and his hand curled around her knee."But, actually, they're pretty good. Boring," she shrugged. "Yours?"

"It's going to be a rough semester," he told her and she ran a comforting hand down the back of his head.

"I'll be there when you need a distraction," she promised. "Probably even when you need some peace and quiet. You'll never get rid of me."

"Good," he laughed and his hand traveled higher up her leg. "That's the way I like it."

She swallowed and turned toward him a little causing his hand to rise further up her leg again. She leaned over and kissed him on the corner of his lip, tanglign her fingers in his hand for just a second before her thumb brushed over his cheekbone. "Want to get out of here?" She asked.

He pretended to think about it and she took his hand off her leg before standing up. "I mean, you don't have to come with me," she laughed, pulling on her jacket. "I'll find another way home."

"Okay, McNally," he laughed, standing up quickly as he finished off his beer. "There's no other way home. I'm it."

"Prove it," she said, holding her hand out and he took it and pulled her into his side as they walked out of the bar together.