AN: It's a little short, but it's also a little... Fluffy. Some of you like that sort of thing, I'm sure. Me? I freaking love it. (I love the angst, too, though. So, I'm pretty easy). But, yeah, it seems I found some inspiration. I guess we'll see what comes after this chapter. Just kidding, that probably won't take TOO long (just longer than a day).

In all honesty, though. You guys might need to tell me when I'm going too far with this story. I always planned on it being just one year (which it probably will be), but I honestly feel like I could go for Andy's entire undergrad career. Plus her grad years. I mean, I won't, but I probably could if I really wanted to. Why do I love writing this stupid story so much?

Oliver's apartment was crowded, but filled with the most delicious smell. From Sam's point of view, he could clearly see Jerry and Traci cuddled up on the couch and Oliver and Celery fussing over dinner. He could hear everyone else—Andy, Gail, Chris, and Dov. Boo was running around somewhere, probably at Andy's heels like he typically was. He turned around on his stool and found them both at the ping pong table, standing across from Dov.

Boo moved from one side of Andy's body to the other while she hit the ball over and over again, racking up points while Dov suffered to keep up. When Dov missed another point, Andy threw down her paddle and put her hands over her head in triumph. Dov hung his head and Boo started jumping up her legs until she squatted to pat him and think him for the good luck. When she looked up at Sam she smiled and he returned it, holding his beer up in congratulations. She nodded graciously and turned back to Dov, no doubt asking if he wanted to try a rematch.

"You've got your hands full with those two," Jerry said, next to him all of a sudden and Sam turned toward him and shrugged.

"It's a good problem to have, right, Brother?" He asked and Jerry's shrugged his eyebrows before smiling his agreement and looking over at Traci where she was sitting with Andy and Gail now.

"Did you imagine coming back here after a year and falling for anyone?" Jerry asked, leaning on the counter across from him.

Sam looked over his shoulder at Andy talking and laughing with her girlfriends and then he looked back at Jerry. "No," he answered honestly. "I planned on getting in and out of here without… anyone."

"But it's a good problem to have, right?" Jerry asked gently and Sam nodded. "So, then, you're happy?"

"Yes," he said, stunned at how easy it was to answer that question. He swallowed and tried it again. "Yeah, I am. What about you? You're happy?"

"Oh, yeah," he smiled that Jerry smile wide and just a little bit cocky. It made Sam laugh. "It's weird, though," he said now and Sam waited with raised eyebrows for him to gather his thoughts. "When we were their age, we would never commit to anyone for more than a night."

"That's true," Sam laughed again. "But, we're guys. Apparently, according to Andy's psych class, we don't develop that desire until much later in life."

"So, then, you're both… committed?"

"This is the most committed I've ever been."

"That doesn't say much, Sammy," Jerry laughed and Sam shrugged one shoulder before taking a sip of his beer.

"Why are you making this dinner party so serious all of a sudden?" He laughed, turning the beer bottle in his hands, watching the condensation drip onto the countertop.

"I'm just trying to work it out for myself," Jerry said quietly and when Sam looked up at him, he was watching Traci again. "And you're going through the same thing as I am. You're in love with a girl you never expected to fall for. You're in a relationship you weren't planning on being in."

"I'm in love?" Sam asked, sitting up straighter and looking back to make sure Andy wasn't able to hear his conversation. "When did that happen?"

"Please, that happened the second McNally showed up late to that first class," Jerry laughed and Sam scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Time to deal with it, buddy,"

"Hey," Andy said, tossing her arm over Sam's shoulder and he shuttered beneath her and she looked at him funny. "Everything okay?" She asked, retracting her arm so she could reach for the beer she left with him.

"Perfect," Jerry said before turning around to talk to Celery and Oliver. Sam swallowed and Andy's eyes fell on him again.

"You okay?"

"Perfect," he agreed hastily—unconvincingly. She slowly sat down on the stool next to him and turned so her bony knees were pushing against his thigh.

"Okay," she said and he smiled tightly at her. Andy's hand fell on his arm and his face softened as he glanced down at it. "I forgot that I never really thanked you yesterday for dealing with my dad. So, thanks," she smiled as she squeezed him gently.

"Come on, Andy," he said waving her off. "You would have done the same thing. That's what this is all about, right?" He asked, gesturing between them and she smiled.

"We put up with each other's parents? That's what this is about?" She asked and he could see the teasing in her eyes.

"Well, part of it," he smiled and she laughed.

"So, then, when do I get to meet yours?" She asked, all business.

"You'll meet my mom eventually," he promised and she smiled again before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "And Sarah if you really want."

"I do," she said and he nodded.

While she sat next to Sam during dinner, Andy thought back to the night before—when he said he loved her and didn't even seem to realize it. She didn't say much after that, she just accepted his logic and went back to reading. She didn't need to push him. Plus, it was kind of nice that he meant it enough to not even realize he said it. He just felt it.

He had finished eating and had one of his arms thrown over her thigh so his hand hung between her knees and she kept looking down at it. He drummed mindlessly with his fingers against the inside of her thigh and it was distracting her from the conversations going on around them, but she didn't dream make him stop. He was listening intently to Oliver and Dov as they spoke about Dov's "stalker" and Gail chimed in.

"I find her walking up and down the hallways just waiting for you to come home," she said and Dov shook his head.

"She lives there, too, you know," he reminded her and Gail shrugged as if it didn't matter. "She hates her roommates."

"Dov, who is this girl?" Oliver asked and Sam looked over at Andy to smile and show is obvious amusement in the conversation.

"Her name is Chloe," Gail answered and Dov narrowed his eyes at her.

"She transferred here after a semester at some other school," Dov explained and Oliver nodded.

"And she likes you enough to stalk you?" Sam asked and Andy nudged him with her knee and he laughed to himself.

"She's not stalking me," Dov insisted again. "At least- Well, I don't think she is."

"She is," Gail said definitively. Just then, her attention turned to Andy and Sam and Andy squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't exactly to be the one under her scrutiny especially after telling her and Traci what Sam had sad the night before. "I guess he does need a girlfriend, though," she said and Andy let out a relieved breath. "I mean, everyone else here is partnered up, somewhere between falling and being in love."

Andy let her eyes fall shut, but she felt Gail's eyes on her still. She also felt Sam's fingers still against her and she moved under his arm to turn away from him just the slightest.

"He doesn't need a girlfriend," Traci said and Andy opened her eyes to look at her. "No one needs a girlfriend. Jerry, Sam, Chris, and Oliver are just lucky they found us."

"All Dov needs is to be happy," Andy agreed and she tangled her fingers through Sam's. "That's all anyone needs."

"All you need is love," Gail corrected and Andy dared to look up at Sam. He was watching Gail, waiting for her to make a point—one he could actually keep up with. "That's the saying, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Sam said as he squeezed Andy's hand. He looked at Jerry who smiled at him knowingly and Andy looked on, confused. "According to the Beatles, at least."

"Traci's right, though," Gail said, settling against Chris's side. "You guys are some lucky punks."

"That's for damn sure," Andy laughed.

Sam smiled down at her and kissed her. When he started talking to Oliver about a class he was in, Andy looked across the table at Gail and gave her a dirty look. She just smiled and looked pointedly at Sam's arm that was still in Andy's lap. "You're welcome," she mouthed and Andy couldn't help but smile at her.

Gail's tactics weren't always the most subtle way to go about things, or ever the way Andy would go about them, but they usually worked. And she thought her line of conversation—about love—meant she wanted to make sure Sam understood what he felt and how much he felt it. Again, it wasn't the way Andy would do it, but she still hoped the results were the same.

She and Sam stayed behind to help Oliver and Celery clean up. They played doubles on the ping pong table and she and Sam crushed them which had her and Boo dancing around the table.

"We should go," Sam laughed, curling his arm around her waist to bring her to him.

"Ugh, fine," she said as her hand fell to his chest. "Thanks for dinner," she said, looking over at Oliver and Celery. They were watching them amusedly and she smiled at them.

"Thanks for beating me so badly on my own ping pong table," Oliver said and her smile grew.

"Any time," she laughed and Sam let go of her so they could leave.

She put on her coat by the door and clipped Boo's leash to his collar. Sam smiled at her when he put on his jacket and zipped it up. "See you tomorrow, Brother," he said and Oliver nodded at them.

Andy kept hold of Boo's leash while Sam kept hold of her hand. They walked down the street together while Boo trotted in front of them. Oliver's apartment wasn't far from Sam's at all, so she and Sam had decided to walk over and back. She kind of regretted that decision, but just let go of Sam's hand and put her arm across his back so he would put his arm over her shoulders and they could huddle together for the rest of the walk.

When Sam woke up, he reached for his sweatpants on his floor and pulled them on over his boxers from under the covers. He was actually awake before Andy and he took his time studying her in her sleep. The blankets were raised over her entire body, leaving just her face uncovered. But, her face was so calm. It wasn't often he looked at her and she wasn't talking or laughing. He didn't find himself liking it more either one way or the other because it was Andy. He liked it all.

Loved.

He sat up quickly but carefully and got out of bed, causing Boo to wake up on the other side of the room. He gestured for him to follow him into the living room. He was actually surprised when he did, because he was getting more and more attached to Andy. But when he closed the bedroom door and leaned against it, Boo was walking to his food bowl and Sam covered his face in his hands.

He told Andy he loved her. The last time they were in bed together and she had finally stopped talking about their summer break, he'd told her that he loved her. I love you, I'm not breaking up with you over an hour and a half travel time.

"Holy shit," he said to himself. He pushed himself off the door and sank down to his couch. He did, right? Love her? He had to. He never would have said it if he didn't mean it. And it just came out. No wonder she smiled the way she did. No wonder he was so quick to answer Jerry's question about being happy. No wonder he didn't fight Gail on love being all anyone needed. Because he had it. Not only did he have it, he felt it. Now he knew it.

Sam left Boo alone in the living room and went back to his bedroom, closing the door behind him to give him and Andy some privacy. Mostly, so neither would get distracted by the dog because they both did quite easily.

He crawled into the bed on his knees and leaned over her. He wasn't sure what, exactly, woke her up, but something did and she jumped under the covers to find him looking down at her.

"Okay," she said, clutching the comforter over her chest. "Who's staring now?"

Sam settled back onto his shins and she watched him with wide, curious eyes. She pushed herself to sit up, keeping the blanket tight over her chest—tucking into her armpits. "What the hell is going on with you, Sam?" She asked, reaching out for his hand. "You're kind of freaking me out."

"Did I…" he trailed off, taking his hand from hers to rub his jaw and then the back of his neck. "I told you-"

"Sam!" She said when he trailed off again and he dragged his eyes from her hands in her lap to her eyes—worried now.

"I love you," he said quickly before letting out a deep breath. He shuffled his legs so they were crossed in front of him as he settled on his side of the bed. "There it is."

"What?" She laughed and he nodded at her. "You said that the, uh, the other night, actually."

"I just remembered that," he nodded again, moving so he was sitting next to her and she nudged his bare shoulder with her own. "And I meant it, but I didn't know it. If that makes any sense."

"I get it," she promised and he looked at her again to see her smiling at him.

"I wanted to say it again for real," he laughed. "Consciously and honestly this time."

"I love you, too," she told him and he smile before taking hold of the side of her face to kiss her. She turned so she was nearly on top of him, pushing him against the pillows.

And that's how they both missed their first classes that morning—tangled in his sheets making sure each knew just how much the other loved them.