Although she'd been in New York for barely a week, it felt like so much longer. On tour, time seemed to fly by in a whirlwind, she was constantly performing, rehearsing, moving from city to city each day with barely a moment to stop. When she finally did stop, her tour career coming to a screeching halt when she relocated to New York, she realized how long days could be when she really lived in the moment. More particularly, she realized how long and full days could be when she spent them with Santana.

They'd fallen into a routine quickly, Brittany coming over every morning, the two of them spending chunks of time together throughout the day with Brittany dropping her off and picking her up from class and hanging around the loft until she had to go to bed. The more they spent time together, the more physically comfortable they got, starting with the time that Santana had first undressed in front of her. Now, whenever she showered, or changed for bed or class, Brittany always ran her hands along her body lovingly, becoming more bold and comfortable touching Santana as Santana became more comfortable reaching for Brittany when she needed her, when she just wanted to feel her.

Both of them had taken to slipping hands up the others shift when the could, resting palms flat against backs, dragging fingertips over abdomens lovingly. Brittany had her hands up Santana's shirt that afternoon as they lay on the couch, Brittany on her back and Santana on her stomach, her head on her chest, Brittany's hands rubbing her bare back as they shared a blanket, watching some type of trash reality TV, Santana's favorite. "San, you keep pulling the blanket off of my feet," Brittany whined, shifting underneath her.

It used to be that each day for Santana dragged and expanded out into what felt to her like an eternity. It was painful and stunningly difficulty just to get through moment by moment, day by day. But now, with Brittany back, Brittany spending each day with her, Santana's days are smoother and bearable, and sometimes just enjoyable.

They have fallen into a routine with each other, spending morning together over coffee as Santana slowly comes awake and often thaws out from the preview night's dreams. No matter how snappy, irritable, emotional, or just plain withdrawn into herself Santana is, Brittany is patient, waiting for her and gently coaxing her to a better mental and state. Already Santana doesn't know how she was straggling through her days without her.

Santana is still having extreme difficult when it comes to eating. As much as Brittany encourages her and reassures her, and as much as she knows logically that her reasoning is correct, she can't bring herself to want to gain weight, and she doesn't really try. Occasionally she will eat a few bites at Brittany's encouragement, but she always feels anxious, stressed, and tearful after, as though she needs to run it off or otherwise get rid of it. Kurt and Rachel don't own a scale, but Santana measures herself by a measuring tape daily and makes certain that her inches are if not shrinking, not expanding.

She does feel more comfortable, more safe and almost at home in her body with Brittany, in tune with it's feelings each time Brittany touches her with love, caring, and acceptance for who she is and how she looks. She might not be officially "with" Brittany- Brittany won't go that far, as much as Santana wants the reassurance of that label- but she is being touched by her, loved and physically admired by her almost constantly, and Santana is more and more able to initiate affection and touch with Brittany without a second thought.

This afternoon is a perfect example, and kind of just perfect. Santana had just finished a class and was secretly proud of herself because she was sure she had aced her presentation, even though it had made her stress and agonize for days. She had tried to treat it like a Glee performance with far more talking and far less singing and dancing, and that had been helpful to put on the confident attitude that she needed. When Brittany asked about it and praised her, asking how she wanted to celebrate, Santana had known immediately. Get her cuddles on while watching streaming of Too Hot to Handle.

She is warm and relaxed and comfortable lying on Brittany's chest on their beat up couch in the loft, soaking up Brittany's stroking hand on her back under her shirt. Soothed by the steady beat of Brittany's heart against hers and the rise and fall of her chest, Santana snuggles into her, pulling the blanket more and more tightly around her shoulders.

Which apparently means pulling them off Brittany's feet.

Santana doesn't budge, if anything burrowing more into the blanket and Brittany. "Can't help it, you're taller than me. Your feet won't fit."

Brittany, even more than usual, had gushed about Santana's presentation and how it had gone well. Santana had let her see what she was presenting the night before, before Brittany left the loft for the hotel and it felt like they had gone back to before Brittany left and Santana had been in school - when Santana was always so passionate about what she was learning, not at all afraid to geek out in front of Brittany or get excited that she was doing a good job. Santana was ridiculously intelligent, Brittany knew, although she barely let anyone let onto that. Brittany had always tried her best to be as excited as possible about things that Santana did well and was excited about, knowing Santana didn't always have someone rooting for her, as much as it made Brittany sad to think about.

She'd offered a celebration but knew Santana probably wouldn't want to go anywhere specific or do anything, but Brittany was determined to celebrate, no matter how small. And so she was all too happy to hold her while they watched TV, her fingers working against the bare skin of Santana's waist. Brittany had been keeping a close eye on her, and while she could sometimes get Santana to eat a little bit, she could tell from how she felt that Santana hadn't put on any weight, even though Brittany wished she would.

Groaning, Brittany frowned. "Ok you love that I'm taller than you, but now it's not fair," She said, knowing she was right - Santana did love that Brittany was taller and how easily Brittany could wrap Santana in safety or carry her around. Now, however, that turned into a slight problem because as tiny as Santana was, she was also a major blanket hog, wanting to wrap the entire thing around her even though the blanket itself was way bigger than her body.

"You have to cover my toes!" Brittany whined, shifting under Santana, trying to tuck her feet in the blanket and failing. Rolling her eyes at how Santana didn't seem to care about Brittany's feet Brittany smirked, knowing Santana couldn't see her face from where her head rested on her chest. "But Santana -" Brittany continued, her voice low and very serious. "Don't you know what will happen if you don't?"

"Yep, I do love that you're taller. I'm the piggyback receiver and the forever little spoon. Fate says so, that's how it is," Santana declared, grinning. Her cheek is pressed against Brittany's chest, so the other woman likely feels this shift in expression although Santana's voice is serious in tone in spite of her playful mood.

Santana made a not very sincere effort to cover Brittany's feet- not by sharing the blanket, but by shifting her very snugly wrapped feet down to rest on Brittany's. "There, covered." Considering that the blanket is twisted around her feet, this isn't actually doing Brittany much good.

She blinks, startled by Brittany's sudden shift in serious tone, and lifts her head a little, craning her neck to look at her. "What?"

Brittany giggled at Santana's words - she was right. Brittany was always the big spoon and the one carrying Santana around and pressing her front up against Santana's back. Brittany loved it that way, she loved that Santana was small and that she couldn't protect her, but their height difference was especially obvious when they were trying to share the same blanket and Santana had a habit of cocooning herself in every blanket, no matter how large it was.

When Santana covered her feet Brittany rolled her eyes. "That doesn't count, they're still cold." She said. She knew her seriousness had gotten through to Santana because she lifted her head almost immediately, her expression bewildered. Santana's face was so close to hers and Brittany felt like she could fall into her giant brown eyes, wide and blinking at her, wanting to know what would happen.

"Well," Brittany began, as if she were about to tell a story. "If my feet get cold then I turn very, very grumpy and then," Brittany paused for extra emphasis on her last word. "Then the Blanket Monster comes out to make sure you're SHARING!"

Brittany raised her voice at the last word at the same time she grabbed one of the pillows from the couch and hit Santana on the back with it, catching her with a sneak attack. "And then" Brittany paused to laugh, "The Blanket Monster's biggest weapon is ticking, so he tickles you until you agree to share!" Brittany shrieked, tickling her hands up the side of Santana's ribs.

Santana shrugged, which caused the blanket to move further up around her shoulders and further off Brittany's feet. "It counts, I'm sharing. Plus you should be totally warm with me on top of you."

She blinked up at Brittany's serious expression, concerned at first, but then started to smile as she recognized her storytelling voice. Brittany has always enjoyed a good story, never outgrowing fairytales, and many a night Santana has snuggled up to her with Brittany telling her a goodnight tale. Not that she was ever telling anyone. She did have a badass rep to maintain.

Santana huffed in mock outrage as Brittany hit her with the pillow, caught by surprise. Starting to push herself up awkwardly, she is again caught off guard when Brittany tickles her. Brittany knows all her sensitive spots, and Santana squeaks, writhing and squealing with laughter as she tries to shove away Brittany's hands. The blanket is kicked off both of them to the floor as Santana feebly tries to tickle Brittany back, going for her neck.

"Stopppp! You made me lose my blanket burrito! I'm gonna be cold!" She giggled, still trying to fend off Brittany with one hand.

Brittany rolled her eyes at Santana's insistence that she should be warm because she was laying on her. "My body is warm but my feet are freezing!" She protested, ticking her ribs when Santana tried to push herself up, laughing as her arms collapsed at the tickle sneak attack, moving her hands out of where Santana was trying to grab them to stop her.

"Nope, you knew what happened, I warned you. Now the Blanket Monster is seeking revenge!" Brittany exclaimed, trying to tickle Santana's wriggling body.

She twisted her body when Santana went for her neck, knowing it was Brittany's most sensitive and ticklish spot. "Stop! Stop!" She gasped, trying to hunch her shoulders up so Santana couldn't get access to her neck, wriggling underneath her and trying to shift away from her tickling hands. Brittany was at a disadvantage because she was lying flat on her back but flipped Santana by the shoulders, easily, rolling them so that Santana was underneath her, her hand slipping up the hem of Santana's shirt to tickle her stomach.

With Santana under her, she easily straddled Santana's legs to keep her from kicking, an endless stream of giggles tumbling out of her mouth at their playful grabbing, shoving and ticking.

"I'm stroooonger," Brittany sing-songed, making a fake muscle with her right arm. She had to admit, Santana was putting up a fight under her and nearly knocked her off the couch on more than one opportunity and Brittany really had to ignore the way her heart beat or how she wanted to lean down and kiss her.

She yelped as Santana's hand connected with her shoulder, catching one wrist and then the other, pinning her down and leaning so their faces were parallel, the ends of Brittany's hair tickling Santana's cheeks. Brittany was out of breath from so much laughing and she could see Santana's eyes were livelier and brighter than ever.

"I'm not freeing you," Brittany gasped as Santana tried to pull free. "Not until you say, Brittany I will never let your little piggies get cold ever again." She dissolved into a fit of giggles at her own words, "Say!" She gasped, "It!."

"Your feet…can…suck it!" Santana gasped, giggling helplessly.

She tried to curl up to protect herself from her ticklish spots being open for attack, but Brittany easily pushes her onto her back and climbs over her, sitting on her hips so she cannot flip back or coil up. Santana yelps, bucking and trying to push Brittany off of her, still breathless with laughing, but Brittany is merciless when it comes to tickle fights.

Santana kicked and squealed, then tried to headbutt Brittany in the chest, but Brittany is dodging and deflecting, easily fending her off. She's not wrong, she definitely is stronger. "Not…fair! Not…fair!"

Chest heaving, eyes glowing with her exertion and enjoyment of their play, Santana tries to glare at Brittany but keeps having the expression broke up by her involuntary grin and new outbreaks of laughter. "Never….never! Your piggies will get frostbite and have to be fed to penguins!"

Brittany gasped in mock horror at Santana's words. "Don't be mean to my feet!" She said, easily reaching down to tickle Santana's ribs again, feeling tears in her eyes from their laughter, catching her balance when Santana pushes her hips tp throw her off. "You started the fight with the Tickle Monster and now you need to…face the… consequences!" She gasped.

Santana actually does succeed in yanking her wrist free and goes for Brittany's neck again, making her curl up on top of her, her hand on the arm of the couch above Santana's head.

"Ooooh, good move Lopez," She taunted, desperately trying to prevent Santana from ticking the spot where her neck sloped into her shoulder. They were both being ridiculous, both taking it way farther than they would've with anyone else because they knew they could act like complete and total idiots with each other, exactly as they always had.

When Santana said penguins, Brittany froze, cocking her head in confusion. "Penguins?" She repeated, unsure where that had come from. In her hesitation, Santana's grabbed the pillow from the floor, knocking Brittany in the head with it, causing her hair to hang in her face. "You are being," She gasped, shoving her hair off her face, "So mean to my toes!" Brittany cackled, determined to get Santana back. Brittany was stronger, but Santana was much, much better at sneak attacking her.

"Stinky…cold…feet!" Santana barely manages to say through her snickers and snorts. Her stomach is starting to ache from laughing so hard, and she elbows, not hard but not exactly lightly, at Brittany, using the leverage gained to dig her fingers into her neck again.

Santana bursts out in gleeful, proud guffaws at the confused look on Brittany's face just before she smacks her with the pillow, then laughs even harder, getting watery eyed herself and feeling close to peeing with the complete loss of control of how hilarious this is to her. She and Brittany have not interacted like this, like a bunch of silly teenagers, in far too long, and it feels deliciously fun and needed.

"You look like Cousin Itt!" She sputters, and then gives another strong buck, trying to twist beneath Brittany enough to be able to reach and tickle her toes.

It is just then that Santana can hear Rachel's overly loud voice talking a mile a minute to her about something to do with some musical coming out that she has no interest in whatsoever but has nevertheless heard the Wonder twins go on about the past week. As the door opens, and the other two take in the sight of the two women rolling around each other on the couch, disheveled and hysterical with laughter, they both freeze, jaws actually dropping. Rachel's eyes are about bulged out of her head, and Kurt stammers, "Um…Brittany? Santana? Are you…okay? Santana, are you…laughing?"

Rachel recovers first, looking very very smug as she turns to Kurt triumphantly. "I told you they would be engaging in a romantic exchange within a fortnight! Here it is, romantic exchange! Pay up!"

"Wait, you never even told me how long a fortnight is!" Kurt protested. "Or what a romantic exchange entails to count, they told hands and hug all the time, that's like me paying you for them breathing! We don't know this is a romantic exchange!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Please, this is clearly flirting. Pay."

"They always flirt! Flirting doesn't count!"

"Hold up, are you saying you two are seriously gambling over us?" Santana demanded, still too breathless to sound very intimidating, but she did give her best glare, enough that they both looked nervous.

"Um…no?"

Brittany, for a moment, tried to act like Santana had gone too far, trying to pout for half a second before she couldn't even keep her act up and cracked up all over again at the Cousin It comment, pushing her hair sloppily away from her face as she battled to recapture Santana's wrists. Santana was so small and fast every time Brittany went to reach for her, she managed to wriggle out of the way, her gleeful laughter following, warming Brittany's heart but also making her want to get her revenge by tickling Santana until she's begging for her to stop.

She was just about to grab her again before she heard their voices and heard the loft door rolling open, giving Santana a wide eyed, very amused look that Rachel and Kurt had caught them in a full wrestling match, couch pillows and blankets all over the floor. She sat up, still grasping one of Santana's wrists her hand, straddling her hips, her eyebrows crinkled at Kurt's confusion about the fact that Santana was laughing. Her eyes than traveled to Rachel, whose face had transformed from incredulous to absolutely smug. As she spoke, Brittany looked down at Santana, silently seeing if she knew anything about this. Her gaping expression told Brittany that she had no idea either, and the idea of Rachel and Kurt secretly debating their romantic exchanges made Brittany roll her eyes.

Brittany giggled when Santana spoke from where she lay on the couch, her voice trying to sound appalled but coming out watery and giggly. Brittany had thought Rachel had done a terrible job of acting like she wasn't fully invested in their relationship, so she wasn't even surprised to hear that they were better, more so completely amused.

"Wait," Brittany deadpanned, as if Santana had forgotten the most important question. "How much did you bet on us?" She quirked one eyebrow, her body silently shaking with laughter, trying to keep her expression serious. "Plus, Rachel, we're not in a fort. And, this," She gestured between Santana and herself. "This is not flirting, this is war. Do you see this position? Santana was losing bad, so it's honestly good that you guys came in when you did." Brittany nodded, chewing her lip to prevent a laugh from bursting out.

"We bet fifty dollars," Rachel informed Brittany with a sense of self importance. "Which I do hope Kurt has on hand. Cash only, I do not accept credit cards or checks."

"Fifty dollars? That's what we're worth, fifty dollars?" Santana does sound a tad genuinely offended now, fighting to keep from smiling or left about giggle out. "I'd pay both of you more than that to play decent music."

"No, Brittany, a fortnight is not a location within a fort at night, it is-" Rachel started to explain as Kurt and Rachel both talk over her.

"See, they said it isn't a romance exchange, they're just being Santana and Brittany! I am not giving you money, not for this!'

"Losing?!" Santana demanded at Brittany's declaration, her completive spirit sparking up. "I was not losing, we barely even started!"

She shoved at Brittany again, trying to dislodge her with a sudden wiggling twist if her first.

Brittany raised her eyebrows at the price they were presented with, giggling at the thought of Kurt whipping out his check book right then and there. She was about to ask what cut they got of that when Santana spoke, sounding more convincing now that she'd gotten her laughter slightly more under control. Brittany poked her in the ribs at her comment, glancing down to her before both Kurt and Rachel started babbling on about their bet and whether Brittany straddling Santana's hips counted as a romantic exchange.

"They should've seen us in the bathroom last week," Brittany thought before she could stop herself, thinking about how emotionally and physically intimate they were. Actually, if they'd seen them in the bathroom any day since then or even heard about it, Rachel would for sure win the bet, since Brittany had taken to skating her hands over Santana's naked body nearly every time she showered or changed, just wanting to revel in the touch of her.

"Kurt's right. This isn't romantic. This is brutal," Brittany said with a serious expression, "We were violently wre-" She'd planned to say wrestling, but Santana's betrayed voice cut her off, causing Brittany to look back down at her.

"Do you call this winning?" She asked, a laugh bubbling up from her throat. She caught her balance as Santana tried to shove her, shoving her back. "See? Not romantic," Brittany laughed, taking advantage of having Santana in that position to tickle her a little more before she got up, offering her her hand to help her stand. "Sorry you lost your bet Rachel," Brittany giggled.

"You want to bet, how about this. I bet one hundred dollars Rachel can't go an entire day without speaking more than one sentence at once. If she says two sentences in one breath, one hundred bucks to me," Santana declared, arching her eyebrows. "And I bet Kurt can't wear the same outfit for three days in a row. Without anything covering it up to disguise the fact."

Both started talking indignantly, completely distracted from her and Brittany. Which was the intention.

"I can't wear the same outfit three days! I literally work in fashion, how would that make me appear to the public?"

"Does singing count? Because singing is multiple sentences strung together by its very nature, and you certainly can't expect me to go a day without singing!"

"I'm gonna get that hundred bucks, easiest bet ever," Santana crowed. She pouted at Brittany, insisting as she collapsed against her hand in giggles from the tickling,"I did not lose! You cheat!"

Catching her breath, she lets Brittany pull her up, still holding her hand as she smacked her ass. Rachel and Kurt both go wide eyed and Rachel whips around to make sure Kurt noticed, but she ignores them.

"Cheat."

Brittany tried to stifle her giggle at Santana's bet behind her hand. It didn't seem like one that either of them would be able to win, but Brittany also knew they were ridiculously stubborn too so she couldn't cast them out completely. She watched them both launch into their respective tirades about why the parameters of Santana's bet were completely out of the question for their lifestyles, glancing at Santana to see if she was getting the same amusement from it.

She steadied herself on Santana as she stood up, her chest still heaving from how much they'd been laughing and rough housing with each other before Kurt and Rachel walked in. What she didn't expect was Santana to slap her ass, especially not in front of Kurt and Rachel.

"Mean," Brittany said with a shove, rolling her eyes at both of their expressions, "That doesn't count as romantic either! That wasn't a romantic thing, she's just mad I won fair and square." Brittany insisted, leaping out of the way of Santana's hands.

She liked this, how carefree they were being, even with Rachel and Kurt. It was a banter that she missed, and she was happy to see Santana bite back at them and act so much like herself around them, despite everything that had happened. "Santana did great on her presentation today," Brittany added as a quick after thought, remembering the reason they'd cuddled up on the couch in the first place, taking this as an opportunity to cut off their banter and brag about Santana.

"You did not. You cheated with your height and flexibility," Santana argued, sticking her tongue out at Brittany. It makes her look about four, but she doesn't mind with Brittany. "If you handicapped yourself it would be fair. Like, if you had to handcuff your legs. We'll do that next time."

"If I were Santana, I suppose now would be when I make sexual comments such as wanky," Rachel mused, so seriously that Santana cracked up.

"Oh Berry, I've taught you well. I'm so proud."

Kurt rolled his eyes at everyone, as though he were not just as childishly arguing about betting on his friends' sex life, but gave Santana a genuine smile when Brittany bragged on her. "That's great, Santana, congratulations."

"Oh, that is wonderful!" Rachel said with equal warmth, giving a little clap as she too smiled at Santana. "You should celebrate successes like that, that boosts endorphins and serotonin in the brain, which can fight depression, and-"

"I get it, I get it, rah rah me," Santana cut her off before she could get too far and talk too much in a way she didn't want to hear, rolling her eyes. "It's not a big deal. It's school, whatever."

But inside she was glowing, and she couldn't keep away a little smile. This was the first really good day, all day, she had had since that night in the bar, and she had to hope maybe she could have more.