Ultimately, Eric knew that no matter what he decided he’d want some input from his family, so he got dressed in some warm clothes and decided to head over to the visitor center to find a phone that worked. He ran his fingers over the stubby antlers poking out from his head, feeling a little self-conscious about having them out in the open, and eventually he settled for pulling a wool hat over them to avoid any questions. Finally, he glanced at the magical collar still laying on his nightstand, and after a moment of thought he carefully tucked it into his pocket.
“Just in case…” Eric told himself, though even he wasn’t sure what exactly he meant by that. With the collar’s little bells quietly jingling in his pocket, he took a deep breath before making his way toward the visitor center.
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As always, Lars was happily waiting at the info desk with his fluffy tail wagging, but when he spotted Eric coming into the visitor center his smile faltered for the slightest moment. By now, most of the staff at the resort was aware of Eric and Clyde’s ‘situation’, so naturally Lars’ first thought was that Eric was planning on leaving early.
“H-hey there, Eric! You’re looking well this morning…” Lars said as cheerfully as he could manage. “Anything I can do for you? Get you some tickets to some resort activities? We’ve got a Christmas cookie baking competition tonight that I bet you’d-“
“Maybe later, Lars. I just need to make a call back home, if you don’t mind,” Eric responded, idly rubbing the short antlers under his hat as he glanced around the visitor center.
Lars blinked a few times. Eric had definitely said ‘maybe later’, so it didn’t seem like he was planning on leaving yet, and knowing that filled Lars back up with his usual Christmas cheer. The tips of his ears wiggled joyfully and a huge smile spread over the fox’s face.
“Of course! Follow me, my friend!”
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Lars led Eric off to a private room with some computers and phones set up for the resort visitors’ personal use, then he filled a mug with coffee and handed it to Eric.
“Thanks, Lars. I appreciate it,” Eric said, taking a sip of coffee to settle his nerves and trying to think of what he was going to say to his older brother. Lars hung around for a bit, drinking his own mug of coffee and glancing around nervously.
“So, uh… You and Clyde seem to be having fun, aren’t you? I mean, seems like he appreciated that gift you gave him,” the werefox said, testing the water a bit. “You’ve been spending plenty of time together, even outside your lessons. Or so I hear…”
“Is that all you’ve heard?” Eric asked shyly.
“No, it’s not. Sorry, but rumors get around quick around here,” Lars teased, his tail flicking playfully at the chance for some gossip. “I mean, a spontaneous transformation without an object to trigger it? That’s pretty rare! I haven’t seen one in a long time…”
“A long time? But, you have seen it before, then? What happened?” Eric asked curiously. However, as soon as he asked, Lars’ mood darkened and his smile began to fade.
“Shit. I really shouldn't have said that... it's a sore spot, Eric. Sorry, I know you’re probably desperate for answers, but… I guess I’m not ready to revisit that one,” Lars said quietly. He turned to return to his desk with his ears drooping slightly. “Umm, anyway, enjoy your call, okay? Come find me if you need anything else.”
Eric’s tail was twitching nervously at Lars’ sudden change in attitude, and he hoped he hadn’t offended the werefox somehow. He carefully sat down in an armchair with the phone, trying not to accidentally sit on his tail, and he began dialing up his older brother Tom, the one who’d got him the tickets to the resort in the first place.
After a couple rings, he heard his brother pick up the phone and say, “Uh, hello? I don’t recognize this number, so if this is a scam-“
“No, Tom, it’s me! Eric! I had to call over the landline here since I can’t get cell reception,” Eric said, trying not to sound worried over the phone.
“Eric, little bro! How’s the resort treating you? It’s a fun place, right? Meet anyone special yet?” his big brother teased.
“Uhh… Heheh… L-look, I just wanted to call to ask you something,” Eric said, brushing off his brother’s question. "I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but I was just a little curious why you got me tickets for this place?”
“Why? ‘Cause you need a break! You’ve been worried so much about getting into college and finding a job and stuff like that, I knew you needed to unwind a bit!”
“That’s not what I meant, Tom. I mean why did you get me tickets for this place, specifically?”
There was a pause, and Eric could practically hear the gears turning in his brother’s head even over the phone. After a while, Tom spoke up again, his voice sounding more somber than before.
“…I was there, Eric. I mean, not at the resort, since it wasn’t built yet, but in that area of Lappland. You remember, back when you were just starting middle school and I was starting college? I took a trip out to Norway with some friends, and we ended up in the middle of nowhere. The snow was so heavy we couldn’t even see the road, until we saw some lights in the distance…”
“Let me guess… You found Santa’s village?” Eric asked, the tone of his voice making it clear that he wasn’t joking in the least. “Why didn’t you ever tell anyone?”
“Two reasons. First, you’d probably think I was fucking insane,” Tom responded with a quiet laugh. “And second… I made a promise I wouldn’t tell anyone. The people there, they took care of me and my friends, gave us food and shelter for a couple weeks. It was one of the best Christmases I’ve every had, even though I wasn’t with my family. The locals were a little odd, but they made us feel welcome there without even asking anything in return. It’s such a magical place, you know, and when I heard a resort was opening up nearby there… I just thought you might like having as fun a time there as I did.”
“Did you… umm…” Eric began to ask, almost afraid to know the answer. “While you were here, did you ‘change’? You know, like, into something else?”
Silence. Eric’s words hung in the air for a long time, and he was almost worried that the line had been cut until he heard his brother’s voice.
“…What happened, little brother?”
Eric took a deep breath and let everything spill out, from his first flying lesson where his antlers didn't disappearing to his date with Clyde and finally ending with the tail and antlers he’d begun growing. His brother was completely silent during the explanation, taking it all in without any question.
“That’s quite a story, Eric. I believe you, naturally. I know you wouldn’t lie about that sort of thing, and besides… Yeah, something like that happened to me, too. There was a cute arctic fox there when I was staying at the village, and we hit it off,” Tom said a bit sheepishly. “Next thing I know, I’ve got a pair of fox ears poking out from under my hair, a fluffy white tail, and fox paws instead of hands and feet. And I would have kept on changing… if I hadn’t left.”
“So, why did you leave?” Eric replied. He’d had no idea that Tom had been through so much, but now that he knew he hoped that his older brother might be able to help him make a decision.
“…A lot of reasons, I guess. I mean, I’d have to stay at the north pole most of the year, so I felt like I was abandoning you and our parents. Plus, I wasn’t quite ready to come out to mom and dad, especially under those circumstances,” Tom said sadly. “Most of all… I guess I was just scared. What if I regretted it years down the line? I’d be stuck in the middle of nowhere as a werefox, and what would I have to show for it?”
That was exactly what Eric was worried Tom would say. Exactly what he was worried about. That the magic of him and Clyde’s romance would fade away, and he’d be forced to live with a decision that his dick had made for him. But then Eric heard the rest of his brother’s answer, and the quiet sniffling of Tom holding back tears.
“But, you know… In retrospect, I don’t think I would have regretted it if I’d stayed. In fact, I regret leaving more than anything. God, I miss that cute little fuzzball…” Tom whispered. “Look, I’m sure you called to ask me to help you make a decision, but I can’t do that. Follow your heart, little brother, and I’m sure it’ll work out. Sound good?”
“…Y-yeah. Sounds good. Merry Christmas, Tom.”
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Tom hung up the phone, then he slowly went over to his dresser, pulled open the top drawer and reached way into the back in search of something. Finally, he found it what he was looking for and carefully withdrew a small pendant and held it up to the light. It was a simple carved wooden disc, with a small animal claw carefully tied to it with a bit of white fur, strung on a braided leather strap. On a whim, Tom looped it around his neck for the first time in years, still feeling a bit of warmth radiating from the amulet as he read the inscription that was scratched inside a heart on the back: “L & T Forever”