"I think that means that we're dating now," Santana admits to Brittany who was staring at her with some shock on her features. She shifts uncomfortably, she had just spent forty minutes explaining her relationship to her best friend and she wasn't any closer to fully understanding anything. "Look, Charlie's wolf really only wants one thing from me and that's tummy scratches, when she's finished eating. Well that and my absolute attention. She likes to sit on me as well. Like it's perfectly safe."
"You're mates with a wolf?" Brittany asks in awe before frowning. "That doesn't happen." There was not one documented case of a wolf mating with a human, there were other cases of other types of animal people falling for humans but never wolves.
Santana groaned, she should have known that Brittany would focus on that, everyone seemed to focus on the oddity of the relationship. "I know, I've been told by everyone. But I can't help it, I feel something. Maybe it's the pheromones, but I feel safe with her, I feel at home with her and I missed her something fierce. I don't know maybe at the time we both needed each other, and it just happened. I took care of her, well my father did but I took care of her. I walked her, I played with her, I know she could have run anytime she wanted and gone back home but she stayed. I don't know why she's different, I don't know why I'm different, but we're different."
"So, when are you going to do the change?" Brittany asks after a moment, the surprise passing. Whatever they had clearly wasn't complete, which meant that Santana would make the change and that would be the end of their friendship. "We won't be able to be roommates anymore. We probably won't be friends anymore."
"We're always going to be friends Britt. Nothing is going to change that. I'm also not going to go through the change. I like being human and I am aware of how dangerous it is. We talked about it." When Brittany shoots her an incredulous look she immediately shifts uncomfortably and swallows. "What? We did and she agreed."
"Okay," Brittany nods and pushes a smile onto her lips and goes back to her anatomy textbook.
"Say it," Santana insists.
Brittany sighs and looks at Santana, fiddling with her highlighter. "Did you? Talk about it."
Santana nods and looks up from her own textbook, "We did. I mean I told her I didn't want to be a wolf and she was okay with trying our relationship again," Santana insists. "I want to be human and she understands and respects that."
"Are you sure?" Brittany asks, biting her lip. "Because according to you she ran away to Alaska because you basically refused to be her mate. Which was the right decision, you were sixteen. But that type of rejection—I'm honestly surprised that her wolf hasn't become possessive. It's probably a good thing you haven't had sex in months and she can't smell it anymore."
Santana flushes, "We weren't together—"
"She's a wolf, you're apparently her mate she'll be territorial and pee on everything. She might also tear someone's throat out. Wolves are territorial, and they're special. Out of all the animal people they are the only ones that can turn humans into animal people. I mean it's difficult and no one quite understands it, or why it's a thing. But from what I understand their mate bonds are different than mine, more intense more personal something about pack magic or something unscientific. Not like they are open about sharing their secrets or studying their abilities," Brittany hummed for a moment before smiling. "Since she's your mate and you're my best friend—"
"You can ask her yourself," Santana responds chewing on the inside of her cheek. Brittany had brought up some good points. "She's coming over for dinner after she's done with work, which is why we need to head to fucking Aldi or some shit, to stock up." When Brittany wrinkles her nose in displeasure, Santana sighs. "I'll make sure she doesn't get into your things Brittany, and that she'll be nice. I just—she's my girlfriend—I mean I think she is. You're my best friend and I need you two to get along."
Brittany nodded at that, it would be weird at first but she was nice to everyone, but there was something in the way that Santana made the suggestion that makes her question her motives. "Santana, this isn't because you want to make some extra cash by having some viral cat and dog videos, is it?" Brittany asked. "Because we've talked about this, the answer is no."
"No. Of course not." Santana says defensively raising her hands up in protest. "But I mean if you want to dress up as the fourth doctor, and Charlie wants to dress up as the eleventh and you know run around with toy sonic screwdrivers in your mouth and I happen to have my phone on me—"
"Santana."
"I won't post it on the internet, it'll just be for me. I swear." Santana grins when Brittany rolls her eyes, she hadn't said no which meant that she just needed to get the costumes for them later.
Brittany rolled her eyes, Santana was weird, she didn't want to dress up like the Doctor, she wanted to be a unicorn or a princess but Santana only dressed her up in geeky clothes. "I still think it's dangerous, and she better not transform here. I really don't need to feel the urge to start marking my territory again."
~O~
Charlie ran a hand through her hair and attempted to pat it down, she could practically feel her wolf just scratching underneath the surface to get out. Maybe it was the smell of a cat person nearby, or maybe her inner wolf just wanted to collect on the stomach scratches that Santana had promised her.
Taking a deep breath, she finally moves getting ready to knock on the door only to have it swing open at the last possible second leading her to stare at the taller blonde in front of her, she had been with Santana at the party that they had left the other night. "Uh—"
"Santana's currently on amazon looking for clothes for us to wear for her amusement." Brittany informed Charlie bluntly.
Charlie's lip twitched, "So you're saying I should leave and never return?"
Brittany shook her head, "I'm saying that we don't transform for her, she can't get us to wear animal clothes when we're in this form. If we run she'll just find us and then make us wear the silly outfits." Brittany explains and sticks out her hand for Charlie. "I'm Brittany by the way, Santana's best friend."
The sensation of her wolf just underneath the surface came back, "Charlie, her—"
"Mate. I know," Brittany said flashing her a smile. She could feel the change in the air and she needed to defuse the situation quickly. The words seem to have the positive effect.
"Yeah, I'm her mate," Charlie said after a moment, the confidence returning slightly. It was strange having someone outside of her family acknowledge it. "Uh where is she?"
"Kitchen, she's making dinner."
"I brought a pie from work," Charlie informed her holding it up.
Brittany nods, "I'm sure she'll love that, now go say hello to your mate before she decides to put us in alien outfits and then chase after us as the doctor."
Charlie snorted, it did sound like something Santana would do. She shifts uncomfortable for a moment before stepping inside and looking around the small two-bedroom apartment. "It's a nice place you've got here," she says after a moment remembering her manners.
Brittany shakes her head, it was small and cramped and it could certainly do with a fresh coat of paint, "So, what do you do?" She asked as they headed to the kitchen.
"Oh, I work at a restaurant, dad's trying to get me back into school but until my shifting stabilizes, I can't." Charlie shrugs. She glances up when they enter the kitchen and waves at Santana, "I brought pie."
Santana grinned, "Good, the chicken is almost done, well the chicken for you is almost done, how do you even afford to feed yourself."
"Sale meat, just as good as fresh meat, or good enough. And if it smells off, I go home and my mother feeds me, and packs me meals for the next few days. Also, there are farms nearby that cater to our needs, cheap fresh meat if you're willing to make the drive."
Brittany blinked, "Really?"
"It's a two-hour drive," Charlie points out. "But they have everything—"
"Fish?"
"Well no, but fresh chicken, beef, pork, lamb, rabbit, venison—basically everything else," Charlie shifts a bit slightly uncomfortable. "I can take you next time I'm heading down there."
Santana rolled her eyes at Brittany's excitement, watching as her friend basically latched onto Charlie. She had been worried that they wouldn't get along and yet here they were. "Please tell me that they have fresh veggies?" She's met with a strange look from both Charlie and Brittany and she sighs. "What about fruit?"
"I don't know, I only go there to buy meat, I mean probably, they do sell to normal people as well, they just pay more. You'll probably get a discount if you mention you're vet students they need more of them on the farm," Charlie points out putting the pie down and moving towards the stove.
"Santana, we've got to go. We'll make a day out of it," Brittany says with a huge grin on her face. It would be so worth it. "Come on Charlie, we're going to be best friends."
Charlie blinked for a moment before nodding, that did sound nice.
