A/N: Ryan's thoughts will be in bold and italicized and Santana's will be italicized only.

Chapter 9-Common Ground

Ryan and Santana were sitting in his room quiet, thinking about a song they could sing. The two had been likes this for at least 15 minutes now. The Latina had arrived right at 7. Neither said a word as Ryan let the second in command in and lead her up to his room.

Santana looks around the room, once she's done with her inspection the Latina nods and sits down in Ryan's desk chair. "Alright Berry let's get this show on the road. What song did you have in mind?"

Ryan shrugs and sits on the side of his bed facing Santana. "I don't know. I haven't really much time to think about."

The Latina quirks her head having picked up the slight sarcastic tone in Ryan's words. "Are you getting snippy with me Berry."

Ryan eyes grow wide. "W-wha..NO!"

Santana smirks and shrugs her shoulders, "Too bad, I like that Berry better."

The brunette decides to change the subject. "Have you thought of any songs?"

"No I was hoping you had."

"Well you know what they say-"

"No I don't, know what they say."

Ryan just stares at Santana for a moment before continuing. "It breeds eternal misery."

The Latina squints her eyes at the boy in front of her. "Did you just quote Pretty Little Liars?"

Ryan shrugs with a small smile tugging on his lips. Santana returns the smile and shakes her head fondly.

"Gosh you are such a dork. I totally would have pegged you as a Spencer."

"Seriously, what song should we sing?"

"Amy Winehouse?"

"Uh..no. She's definitely your style but not mine." Ryan lays down his bed. His torso on the bed and his legs hanging off, feet planted on the floor.

"Alright well get to suggesting so I can shoot down your ideas too."

Ryan rolls his eyes staring up at the ceiling. "The song we choose to sing should fit us both. A little you and a little me."

"So being ridiculously awesome and sexy while also being extremely boring and dorky? Got it." Santana replied sarcastically.

"Your sarcasm is not helping the situation."

"Nor is it hindering it either."

The geeky boy sits up on his elbow and gazes at the girl across from him. "Maybe we should brainstorm quietly."

Santana smirks. "Ah there's the Berry I like and hardly get to see. If you want me to shut up just say so."

Ryan's reply is quick but surprisingly appreciated by the Latina. "Shut up."

Santana huffs jokingly a wide smile on her face. Maybe Berry wasn't too bad after all.

"Alright how about we do a song that's out of both our comfort zones. Something completely new." Ryan suggest. The brunette had moved to the floor lying flat on his back tossing up a plush star wars ball.

Santana had moved to the bed, laying across it diagonally, her head resting on a corner of the bed. "That's a good idea but we still have to find a song."

"I'm really disliking Mr. Schue right now."

"Ha! I've been disliked Mr. Schue and his sweater vests."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Santana grabs the ball out of the air and puts it on the bed with her. Ryan pouts and the Latina sticks out her tongue in response.

"Child."

"Said the person who has a star wars plush ball."

Ryan stands and stretches his bones popping slightly. "We aren't getting anywhere tonight. I don't think we're gonna find a song unless we go pass the superficial."

Santana swings her legs off the bed as she sits up right. "You want us, well more specifically me to spill my guts to you, to each other."

Ryan nods and sits down next to Santana. "There has to be something we have in common other than when I'm being sarcastic. But we're not gonna find out unless we dig deeper."

The Latina thinks over the proposition. Berry was a good person. It wasn't like he was fishing for information to make fun of me about. He was offering something that only Brittany really offered. Despite the circumstances Berry was offering to get to know more than just my outer shell. Santana rolls her eyes at her inner thoughts.

"Alright Dr. Phil." Ryan perks up not expecting Santana to agree.

"But if you tell anyone about this conversation I won't hesitate to go all Lima Heights on your scrawny ass. Understand?"

Ryan nods his head up down reminding Santana of a bobble head.

"Okay so..how do we start this sort of thing?"

"Well I guess I can go first. I'm going to tell you something that probably won't be a shock to you but I'm afraid."

Santana looks at Ryan in surprise. The boy had never shown an inkling of being afraid even after being slushied, and tossed into dumpsters. The brunette had always kept his head held high with an air confidence that Santana never understood.

"I'm afraid that I'll never find a true friend, or someone to love me that aren't my parents. There's no one at school that likes me. Sometimes it feels like the whole world is against me."

Santana listens as guilt washes over her at Ryan's words. "I'm sorry Ryan, I really feel horrible about how much I made your life hell. And as much as it pains me to say this, I'm kinda happy Quinn is your friend or whatever."

Ryan smiles, "Thank you. Wow..who would've thought The Santana Lopez had an heart."

Santana slaps Ryan's arm playfully, "Shut up Berry."

"Alright it's your turn."

The Latina releases a deep sigh. It's now or never. "Well I feel like I'm alone. No one truly knows the real me. Everyone at school just knows the Santana that I made up. The one who uses sex as a weapon and tears down everyone. But the real me, no one ever gets to see."

"Not even Brittany or your parents?"

"Well Brittany is the only person I've ever been entirely open with. M-my parents? They're not are not around to care."

The hurt in Santana's voice struck Ryan somewhere deep. The Latina was obviously hurting and seemed trapped inside the cage she built for herself. That's when it hit Ryan what the two had in common was, they were both undoubtedly lonely and afraid.

"If it makes you feel better I would like to get to know the real Santana."

Santana wipes a lone tear from her cheek and looks at the geeky boy beside her. "Yeah?"

Ryan nods. "Also I think I have the perfect song for us to sing."

Santana laughs, "Thank God. Now we can stop this pity party."

The brunette shakes his head fondly and looks around Santana to the digital clock. 8:30 huh? Just enough time to go over the song. "Come on lets get started." Ryan stands up, Santana follows suit.

Soon the two teens each have a paper with lyrics on them. The two brunettes are standing across from each other happy to finally have found a common ground.

A/N: Cue cheesy ending, I wanted to establish a budding friendship between Santana and Ryan early on since it will play a big part later on. Read and Review.