A/N: Thanks so much to those who have reviewed. Reviews make my day

Spotlight Diner is assumed to be the same as the one in Glee Season 5, except of course, that it's in L.A.

Santana was just coming in from her morning run when she heard her phone ringing.

"Britt!" Santana was excited to answer her cell.

"Santana, hey."

It was so nice just to hear her voice. To feel she wasn't really so far away.

"How was movie mash up week?" Santana asked. They were talking every four days or so, so she was pretty up to speed with everything.

"It was good," Britt sounded far away, "the boys did this Top Gun underwear thing."

I'm not touching that one!

"The girls did Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend with Material Girl" Britt reported, "Mercedes killed it. I don't understand why she's repeating senior year though," Britt sounded far away, "I was sure she graduated."

Santana decided to let that one slide. "Who won?"

"I don't know, no one ever seems to win those," Britt considered for a moment, as if that was inexplicable. "How's L.A.?"

"It's looking up," She admitted, unsure of how much she should say.

"Yeah?" Britt sounded happy for her, "What changed?"

"You know how you told me… I could find a girlfriend, but not a best friend best you already have that job?"

"Yeah, of course," Britt said.

"As my best friend," Santana felt nervous, "do you want to hear about it, if I meet someone?"

Britt was silent for a few moments, deep in thought, "Of course, that's a huge part of your life, I want you to be able to tell me anything."

"Are you sure? Because I'm not sure how much you and Sam I can take," Santana admitted honestly.

"I want you to be happy with someone who is as awesome as you are, who you really like," Britt explained, "So, if you've met someone, I'm happy for you, so tell me about her."

Santana took a deep breath and braced herself, "It's a he actually."

Britt didn't miss a beat, "I'm happy for you, so long as he's as awesome as you, or you really like him or whatever."

"I'm not sure yet," Santana was hesitant, "We've only had one date."

"Does he excite your lady loins?" Britt asked innocently.

"Yeah, it's weird, I think he does," She said, not really understanding it herself, "I honestly don't know why though."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't like any guys, except for him," Santana tried to explain.

"Is he different?" Britt asked, "To other guys?"

"Maybe?" Santana didn't know what to say. She couldn't make sense of it. Santana didn't even consider Finn hot, the way she could acknowledge Puck was hot. Or how Sam, because he kind of looked like the boy version of Britt with botox, kind of got her motor running. She wanted to tell Britt it was Finn, but it was so new, and she didn't want Britt to laugh at her. Britt wouldn't do that.

"It's Finn," She finally said, feeling the panic rise within her, awaiting a response.

"What's Finn?" Brittany asked.

"The guy I went on the date with."

"Finn Hudson?" Britt asked.

"Yeah, Britt, how many other Finn's do you know?" She tried not to get annoyed.

She waited.

"Finn's a good guy," Britt agreed, "But, he's a terrible dancer, and you repeatedly said he's bad in bed, and you think he's fat and dumb…"

Santana couldn't help but laugh, because she had said all of those things.

"I know I said that," Santana admitted.

"So, what changed?" Britt asked, "Or do you not mind that he is uncoordinated and chubby now? Or did he get better at dancing and lose weight?"

"What!?" Santana honestly struggled to keep up with Britt's thought processes sometimes.

"Ah, um, I… didn't really mean all those insults."

"Oh, which ones?"

"All of them…" Santana admitted.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Britt," Santana braced herself.

"Who asked who out?"

What was the honest answer to that?

Santana felt awkward, "I guess I made the first move at the… reception, but I wasn't thinking about it being anything, then."

"Okay," Britt accepted it, "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," And she really meant it, "I wasn't sure how the… being friends thing was gonna work when we both… were seeing other people."

"No problem," Britt really did sound fine with it, she was no bullshit, no animosity, "now you can be happy for me too."

"I'll try," She admitted. More like, I'll try to try. "Umm, one thing, I'm not really telling people yet."

"Oh, why?"

"Well, I'm not sure if Berry knows," Santana couldn't keep the discomfort out of her voice, "you know after the whole knock down, drag out fight we had."

Santana hadn't told Britt the context of the fight, just that Rachel had called her a slut, and Santana had given her a piece of her mind. But that was a good week later, because she'd had bigger problems at the time, like her shit not getting stolen from the back packers hostel she was forced to endure until she could regroup.

"Wouldn't Finn have told her?" Brit seemed dumbfounded by that, but sometimes it was hard to tell with her.

Santana knew he hadn't though, because Berry hadn't shown up in L.A. "I'm not sure he has."

"Because he's not sure about you?"

Santana didn't want to consider the implications of that. She had been pretty sure it was about protecting their relationship.

"So, don't tell anyone yet, not even Sam, okay."

"Okay," Britt agreed, "if that's what you want."

"You're a really good friend, Britt."

"Your best friend," Britt corrected her, "Feel the love all the way from Lima."

"I do," Santana smiled, "love you, Britt."

"Love you, too."

((((((((((((((((((((((((((Mercedes POV))))))))))))))))))))

"Kurt?" Mercedes was trying on outfits when her friend called.

He launched right into a diatribe, "Rachel is being insufferable since she found out about 'that which cannot be named'."

That was the code name for 'Finntana', as Mercedes had dubbed them.

"Tell me," Mercedes listened.

"It's like she's forgotten other people live here, she uses all the hot water, hogs the bathroom for hours, and she's nit picking Brody now, like every little thing he does," Kurt's voice conveyed how painful it all was, "but what she's really saying with every breath is 'you're not Finn'."

"That sounds bad," She agreed. Just wait until Rachel finds out Finn and Santana are actually dating!

Kurt clearly needed to blow off steam, "telling you, 'Cedes, it's hard to watch."

Mercedes had details of her own to report, "They had their first date last night."

"No way, like they are actually, actually like… doing this?" Kurt still couldn't believe it.

"Yep," Mercedes enjoyed that she had the juicy dish, "They went to a karaoke bar."

"Horrifying!" Kurt was somewhere between cackling and just stunned.

Mercedes kept filling him in, "They came home around 10 pm, not talking to each other."

"So, that's it, then, the universe has realigned itself," Kurt couldn't hide his relief, "and they've realized what we all know, that they aren't right for each other?"
Mercedes told her friend all she knew, "Santana's starting a her new job tonight, she's a singing waitress, anyway, Finn's gonna go with her, because he's also hoping to get a job there too."

"Wait, so they are still…"

"I don't know, it's hard to judge, but Finn seems in really good spirits," Mercedes did her best to put her observations to words, "Santana seems… I don't know, like nervous or something, but I can't tell if that's because she likes him or she's uncomfortable."

"What does Puck think?"

"What isn't Puck doing," Mercedes laughed, "He's hitting on Santana with no abandon, because he seems to think this suddenly makes her straight."

"No!"

"Yes! It's painful," She laughed. Mercedes continued her narrative, "Santana's been coming up with some fantastic one liners, I'll tell you, I have got to start writing that Grade A material down, that girl's gonna help me finish my album, there are so many burns!"

"So, any more… kissy kissy, bump in the night?" Kurt even made slurping noises just to make it more grosse.

"Not sure, I didn't hear anything last night," Mercedes explained, "Finn appeared to sleep on the couch."

"Okay, so nothing to report."

Mercedes asked the important question, "What are you going to tell Rachel?"

"Nothing yet," Kurt sighed, "if it fizzles, there's no point in making her think they even tried to date."

"But, she knows he's moved to L.A. right?"

Kurt was evasive, "Not exactly, they're not speaking since the fallout from 'that which cannot be named'."

Mercedes was calm, but insistent, "You need to let her know, sooner rather than later."

"I'll have to wait for her to come to terms with… them not talking," It suddenly dawned on Kurt, "Merciful Barbara! She's going be even worse once she finds out. She'll go running to L.A., I can see it now!"

"Still," Mercedes warned.

"Rachel loves Finn and Finn loves Rachel," Kurt broke it all down, "he's just chasing after the first girl who touched his privates since having his heart broken."

Mercedes was silent for a little longer than normal, "I got to tell you, Kurt, it doesn't look like nothing, they're both acting different… I don't know exactly what it is right now, but it's something."

"Thanks for the update, I gotta go, Vogue awaits," Kurt sounded distracted now.

"No problem, love you," She replied.

"Speak later tonight?" Kurt asked as he wound up their chat.

"Sure, but after eight, I got studio stuff."

"Done!"

"Bye!"

"Kisses."

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) FINN POV))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Finn found his way to the Spotlight Diner, it was only four blocks from Mercedes' house, Santana planned to walk home every evening, but she was knocking off at midnight six days a week, so without being all controlling about it, Finn wanted to work there and finish at the same time to so he could walk her home, because L.A. wasn't Lima and he didn't think it was safe.

It was 9 pm, so she'd be having her dinner break soon. Finn sat in a booth near the shopfront windows. Santana came out in a sleeveless red dress that buttoned up on one side. It was as short as her Cheerios skirt, accompanied by red leather thigh high boots, with a little white apron.

Finn did a double take when he saw her, "That's what you have to wear?"

Santana rolled her eyes, "It's like wearing a sign that says 'yes, please feel me up, I don't mind!'"

"That sucks."

"The tips are really good so far," She admitted, "new rule though, you grab my ass, I spit in your food!"

Finn chuckled at her moxie. Finn enquired, "What do the guys wear?"

"Black loose pants and a bowling shirt, such a double standard!" She fumed, not realizing Finn wanted to know for himself.

"So, which one's the manager?" Finn asked, "I've got my resume right here."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, it's close, I get to sing, I get to see you," And make sure no one murders you on the way home.

Santana pointed to a balding, overweight middle-aged man who appeared to be living up to the stereotype, "That's Bill, the evening manager."

"What song did he make you sing?" Finn tried to prepare himself. He was thinking a retro place like this he'd sing 'You're the one that I want'.

Santana shook her head, "Are you kidding, he took one look at me in this and hired me on the spot."

"I'm not surprised."

Finn found Bill, shook his hand, gave in his resume and sort of did the interview all in one hit. Bill walked over to the juke box and asked the nearest customer, whether she thought Finn was cute. She was about sixty and looked like a librarian, but she looked him up and down and said, "Very handsome!"

Finn felt like a piece of meat.

"And what would you like to hear him sing?" Bill asked.

"Oh, I'm partial to The King! Do you know any Elvis, young man?"

Finn was not expecting that. He nodded.

Bill put 'Burning Love' on the juke box and pointed to the floor, "Your audition, Sir."

Thanks to Mr Schue Finn actually did know this song. It was his dancing and theatrics he didn't feel confident of.

He took a deep breath, and tried to lower his natural voice,

"Lord Almighty,
I feel my temperature rising
Higher higher
It's burning through to my soul

Girl, girl, girl
You gonna set me on fire
My brain is flaming
I don't know which way to go"

Santana came over to him, to help with the dancing, to make Finn look better. And lend her voice to harmonizing on the chorus.

"Your kisses lift me higher
Like the sweet song of a choir
You light my morning sky
With burning love"

Santana took his hand, Finn lifted their hands up to make a bridge and she twirled around under his arm and back again, and shook her hips.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh,
I feel my temperature rising
Help me, I'm flaming
I must be a hundred and nine
Burning, burning, burning
And nothing can cool me
I just might turn into smoke
But I feel fine"

The librarian was clapping, so Finn came closer to her, and rolled his hips. She was very impressed, and actually reached out to touch his chest with her hand. Finn was quite taken aback by that, but he tried to keep going with the song. He made it seem natural, but he danced his way back to the open floor.

"'Cause your kisses lift me higher
Like a sweet song of a choir
And you light my morning sky
With burning love"

Bill stopped him there, "I've seen enough, Finn Hudson, you start tomorrow."

"I was hoping for the evening shift, finishing at midnight."

"You actually want those shifts?" Bill was amused.

"Aspiring actor," Finn explained, "I've got classes and auditions during the day."

"Done! You and Santana can be on lock up together," Bill clapped his hands in satisfaction, "I expect you to work every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night."

"I will," Finn vowed.

"Monday is you're night off."

"Perfect," Finn smiled.

Yes, he'd gotten the exact same shifts as Santana, 6 pm -12, six nights a week.

Santana put another order into the kitchen, and came back over.

"Did you see!" Finn beamed, "I got it!"

"I had no doubt," She was being really nice, "Congrats!"

He beamed. He wanted to kiss her cheek, but refrained.

"I've got 15 minutes now for my break."

She disappeared and came back a little later, Santana opened up her bag and pulled out a cardboard envelope, "Check this out, I got these headshots done last week."

The photos were stunning, amazing resolution. And they made Santana look like a sexy good girl with a secret in her eyes.

"There's open auditions on the soap opera, 'The Bold and the Beautiful next Monday."

"Okay," Finn said, assuming there was a role Santana was going out for, "never seen it."

"I'm still trying to get an agent," Santana outlined her plan, "They are looking for someone to play a 22 year-old Puerto Rican maid, who is fluent in Spanish, who will have an affair with the millionaire country club owner and his son."

"Well, that sounds like a good fit for you," Finn agreed.

"And, you should audition for the millionaire's son, he's supposed to be 19, and home from some Ivy league college for the summer break, and he plays guitar."

"I don't play guitar"

"Pay Puck to give you lessons," Santana suggested, "you just need enough to do 'Smoke on the water'."

Finn couldn't help but smile, "You're really good at this."

Santana opened the planner on her phone, "I booked you for headshots on Wednesday, same guy who did mine, he's really good, and we can work on your resume on Thursday."

'We'.

"So, I can sit on the couch tomorrow and Monday," He smiled.

"No way!" Santana stated, "Waxing Monday morning, here" She gave him a pamphlet.

"I need to be waxed?" Finn was amazed, "Not my eyebrows!"

"Maybe just neaten," She said, holding his face and inspecting them herself, "Your chest and back definitely."

"I don't have a hairy back!"

She ignored that, "Then, spray tan Tuesday afternoon, you're going for a pratty college boy, you need to look like… like you didn't just step off a bus from Ohio country boy!" She cupped both sides of his face with her palms, "He's meant to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he's a gentle soul, who sees something in my character, so he doesn't think he's better than 'the help'."

"It does not say that in the casting call," Finn pointed out, looking at the paperwork.

"Well, it's not going to say that," Santana shook her head at his lack of feel for this stuff, "you have to learn how to extrapolate what they want from the words they use."

"How do you know all of this?" Finn was in awe of her skills.

"My Mom, she wanted to be a jazz singer, she tried her hand at acting too."

"Wow, really?" Finn didn't know that, "what happened?"

"She got married at 22 and started having babies," Santana sort of dropped her defensive shield at brief moments, and you were never quite ready for it, and before you knew it, it was back up again. "We'll go shopping for audition clothes on Friday."

She showed him a photo of the actor playing the millionaire club owner, "You really look like you could be his son, Finn."

Finn had to admit that was true.

"That's a huge advantage," She told him, "Now you just need to grow some self-entitlement, ooze charm, and you need to work on your 'big city boy' vibe"

Finn didn't feel that optimistic, "I sound all wrong for this."

Santana disagreed, "You know lots of acting jobs are won on looking the way the casting director wants."

Finn was still taking it all in.

"I've got the scene, we can run lines together," Santana told him.

"Sounds good."

"We should probably jog every morning too," Santana seemed to be think out loud now.

"You don't need to lose weight," Finn stated, as if it were just a fact.

Santana shrugged, not agreeing with him, "Cameras make you look bigger than you are."

He'd noticed she was funny about her weight, so he said no more.

"You're a really good girlfriend," The second Finn said it he froze, they hadn't made anything official yet. He tried to recover, "What I meant was, I'm glad you're looking out for me, now," He smiled at her, and put his hand over hers, just for a moment.

Santana also did an uncomfortable pause, but decided to let it slide, "We'll see if you are still saying that next week!"

))))))

He walked home, then came back around midnight. It was just Santana and one kitchen guy closing the place up, he was showing her what needed to be done.

"You're back!" Santana didn't know of his intention, "We've cleaned everything, you can't order food after 11:30."

"I'm not hungry," Finn said, "Just wanted to walk you home."

"Seriously?" Santana seemed amazed more than angry, "we spent all day together."

"I know," Finn held his tongue rather than say, 'I missed you' he was still worried Santana was a flight risk.

Santana wasn't pissed, "I'll be another 10 or so, if you're happy to wait."

"I'll wait."

When she finally came out she gave him a baggy with some cake from the display that was now considered too old to sell, and some cold fries.

Santana was full of pithy banter, "You totally waited up for a shag." She had a wily look on her face.

"We're taking things slow, "He reminded her.

"Yeah, right," Santana scoffed, "How slow is slow? 'Cause a girl's got needs. Just because you seem fine with not getting laid, doesn't mean I am."

What am I going to do with you?

She showered and then changed into her tank top and pajama pants.

Mercedes was in her room, but the light was still on, and Puck was nowhere to be found.

Finn sat on the couch and waited, he wasn't quite sure where they stood with stuff.

Santana invited him into her room, which very quickly turned into a make out session, with her lying on top of him on her bed.

She not so subtly let her hands disappear under his shirt. And then she unbuttoned his jeans.

"Stop!" He said.

Santana rolled her eyes, "We already know each other.

"I told you I want to wait."

She was frustrated, "We're not 14 anymore!"

"Santana!"

Finn sat up, she was still in his lap.

"Wait for what?" Santana expressed her frustration, "Some arbitrary line in the sand, 'No sex before X number of dates', so you don't feel ashamed? Why?"

She crossed her arms.

"It's not about that," Finn knew he needed to make her see, "I want it to be really special."

Santana decoded what she thought he was saying, "So basically, you're going to starve me, so when you finally toss me a rice cracker, I'll think it's the best damn meal I ever ate?!" Santana sounded really unimpressed.

"No," He corrected her assertion, "I want to wait until… it feels right, because I know you, and I … really care about you," Finn did his best to make her see.

"I thought this was us agreeing to whatever until we get over our ex's?" Santana pointed out.

Then Finn knew what he needed to do, "Tell you what, you want something, I want something, we'll bargain."

Santana's face showed annoyance and confusion, "What?!"

"I want to know stuff about you, and every time you answer one of my questions honestly, you can make a request of me."

"Like we're 12 and playing truth or dare?" Santana concluded, "I know what you're doing! You think forcing me to be all open and shit is going to make me all gooey inside."

"I want to know you," Finn reiterated, "take it as a complement."

He saw it in her face, a brief flash, she was flattered.

Santana acted more put out than she actually was now, "What kind of request?" Then she cocked an eyebrow, "A sexy request?"

"Anything you want," Finn was smirking as if imagining all the dirty things she'd come up with. "Call it the intimacy game, the more you give me what I want, the more I'll give you, what you want."

"Are you sure you're a teenage boy and not a nun?" Santana snapped.

Finn waited.

She threw up her hands in surrender, "Okay, fine."

Finn smiled, he was getting somewhere with her, he knew he was, "What's your relationship like with your dad?"

"PASS!"

"You can't pass," Finn couldn't hide his disappointment.

"That's a particularly bad question for me," Santana wouldn't look at him, and her voice shook a little, "I have to get the option to pass sometimes."

"That's not how it works."

"I am definitely not going to want to fuck you once I've talked about my dad," She warned.

Finn waited.

"Fine!" She was clearly still shitty though, "What's the minimum number of words that can be considered a sufficient answer?"

Finn had to think on that as he was making up the rules as he went, "Three complete sentences."

Santana thought for a moment, put up a finger to signify each new sentence, "My father is an asshole. He doesn't care about me. And I hate his guts."

Finn hadn't quite expected that.

"My go," She smiled, "Go down on me!"

"15 words does not equal sex," Finn shook his head at her attempt to subvert the game, "I'll take my shirt off."

"Don't bother," Santana had straddled him and she was writhing up against his groin.

It was making him so hot. And then her hands were under his shirt again and she was playing with his nipples. It was weird just how sensitive he felt from that, he'd never really thought that could feel that good for guys.

"Santana!" He said, but Finn's heart wasn't in the resistance any more.

Her mouth swallowed the rest of his hesitation, and he found his own hands tracing her breasts. She started to grind up against his crotch with her groin. He was hard, and it was obvious. Santana didn't try and take his pants off, she just kept raking her mound up against his bulge.

How does this feel so good?

It got hot and heavy pretty quickly, and even her breath was catching again.

I'm gonna cum in my pants.

Before he could, he felt her change the thrusting, she started to stop and hold her position as if trying to get the contact just right. He kept rubbing against her. She started jerking rhythmically, an involuntary shaking, and she let go of a breathy sigh.

"Did you just?"

Santana rolled off him, "I used to love dry humping more that sex," she confessed, "Before Britt."

She laid next to him for a moment, to relax. Finn was still not there yet. She snaked her hand down his pants to finish him off.

"No," He started to say.

"Oh, come on," She couldn't help but make fun of him, "This doesn't count."

She was so good at touching him, she did it fast enough, but not too hard, she got some oil or cream or something, and slid her hand up and down without the friction, bringing the heat. It's hard for anyone else to touch you as well as you touched yourself, I mean you're an expert at knowing what you want, right?

But, Santana was something else, it's like she just knew. Her other hand pulled his shirt up, and her lips closed around one of his nipples.

Wow!

Then she would breathe her hot breath on his nipple after she released it, letting him feel a sting of cold, then her tongue would make delicate circles over it again.

Hot!

Finn started to shake and he became all stiff and tense, and Santana lifted her top up and let him cum on her stomach. Which he did, in messy wads staring at her beautiful tits.

Awesome!

"Seriously!" She was grossed out by the sheer volume.

So embarrassing!

"See, this is what happens when you starve yourself!" She patted his cheek condescendingly.

"I haven't felt like it until recently," Finn admitted.

He would never have a conversation like this with anyone, not Rachel. But Santana was just so… unashamed.

Santana just found him astonishing, "You actually must have a vagina, maybe that's why I'm in to you!"

She was insulting him, and somehow still complementing him. You're in to me!

Santana let him sleep in her bed that night, but she refused to let him cuddle her. She turned away from him, so Finn laid looking up at the ceiling. Finn wasn't sure what this was at this point, but whatever it was, he wanted more of it. She was the only one that made him feel anything right now. Now that he lived in a world without Rachel.