Without the weight of the practice sled, Eric bounded into the air with a surprising ease before he realized that Clyde hadn't followed him. Bemused, he looked down to see Clyde grinning up at him. "The gym's right there, Söpö," the reindeer chuckled and pointed just down the street.
"...Oh" Eric shrugged and returned to the ground, kicking up more snow than he intended. He was getting better at landing, but it didn't quite feel natural yet. It was getting there. He trotted a few paces before falling into step beside Clyde, his ears burning slightly.
Without missing a beat, Clyde took his hooved hand into his own with a grin. "You're still focusing too hard on the transition to the ground. Don't think too much about it. Like you're running to the bottom of a hill." Eric simply nodded as he felt his face flush, though he enjoyed the way their hooves intertwined. He could absolutely get used to this.
The gym, it turns out, was just at the end of the block, which Eric realized made sense due to its proximity to the training yard they'd just come from. The outside matched the cheery Christmas aesthetic, with pine and holly-berry wreaths, and twinkling lights. The doorways seemed taller here, Eric realized as he prepared to duck inside--probably to accommodate the reindeer that likely frequented this place.
Inside, Eric noted the various familiar equipment, though most of it seemed to be tailored to accommodate a variety of sizes and hand...hoof, or paw shape. There were free weights and several large machines he didn't recognize with tracks and chains, likely to simulate sleds or the like. As they looked around, however, Tag had not yet arrived.
"He's probably still asleep at the cabin," Eric suggested, blinking as he struggled to recall the previous night. Clyde nodded and headed towards the door, Eric in tow.
Moments later, as they flew back to the resort, Clyde called back "Remember. Like running down a hill!" Again, this seemed to help, and his landing was a bit less awkward, though he still found himself brushing the snow off of his fur as Clyde nodded in approval. "Better. Better every time," he smiled proudly.
Tag was clearly still sleeping, as his loud snoring greeted them as they entered. Clyde gestured to Eric to stay still as he crept up on the sleeping reindeer with a surprising stealth before he patted Tag on the chest and shouted "LAISKA!" as he woke with a cry of surprise and a bellow of laughter from Clyde. Tag quickly recovered and joined in with the laughter before jumping to his hooved feet and clapping Clyde on the back.
"Ah, Kaveri! Talk about a wake up call! Are you done with your lesson already? You'll come with us to the gym, joo?"
Clyde shook his head, sheepishly. "Unfortunately I cannot. I have another student. It seems someone's been putting on quite the show lately around here, and there's some more interest in flying reindeer!" He winked at Eric, who felt himself turning as bright as Rudy's nose under his fur. "Don't worry though, I'm sure my second student won't be nearly as attractive as my first."
Eric started to respond but of course Tag was quicker and louder. "Not a problem! I will be able to push him harder without his Kosija fretting," he laughed. "Come!" He strode out of the cabin as Clyde walked up to Eric with a coy expression.
"I'm sorry I didn't mention it before, but I'm trying to give you some space. Enjoy yourself with Tag, but don't let him push you too hard. He struggles with limits, as you know. But now I must find out if I'm a great teacher or you're just a great student!" He looked slightly nervous.
Eric simply walked up and pushed his forehead to Clyde's, their antlers briefly bumping. "You're a fantastic teacher. Will I see you afterwards?"
"Of course! Clara and Rudy are expecting us. Make sure to work up an appetite!" He grinned again and hugged Eric tightly before pushing him out the door. "Go! I'll see you afterwards. I have to go to the office to get the details for my lesson."
Tag was waiting excitedly. "Hey, how about a race? We're going to be rivals, after all. Do you remember where the training yard is?" Eric looked unsure, but Tag patted him on the shoulder, "I'll even give you a head start, ystäväni!"
Eric sighed and nodded with a smirk. "OK. Ready? Go!" With a laugh he shot up into the air and rocketed towards the gym.
It was a close race as Tag whooped and shot after him, managing just barely to arrive first. He guffawed as Eric landed successfully but couldn't stop in time before careening into a snowbank. "You're fast!" He helped Eric to his feet and helped to brush out the snowballs in Eric's fur. "You almost beat me! I'm impressed. Your landing though? No contest. The snow won that one."
Eric couldn't help but laugh as he shook the snow out of his antlers. "Maybe I went a little faster than I could control. Just you wait, I'll beat you someday. I just need to--"
"Haha! Ihana! Let's get you nice and strong as well." Tag strode into the gym, beckoning for Eric to follow, before he quickly stripped out of the shorts and vest he was wearing, tossing them to the side. "Come! Come! I will show you how real reindeer train!"
Eric followed, but stopped in his tracks as he was met with a suddenly naked Tag. He swallowed, suddenly embarrassed, as he eyed Tag's muscled body, thick sheath, and large package.
"What are you waiting for? You don't want those getting in the way. They're wet and wrinkled anyway. Is nothing I have not seen before. Plus you're gay so enjoy the view, ei?" He walked to the nearest machine and started to adjust the weights before turning back to Eric. "Off!"
With a sigh and certain he must be glowing red, Eric tentatively pulled off of his clothes, feeling self conscious being naked around another male reindeer that wasn't Clyde. With the way that Tag had gone on and on about human women the night prior, he figured that Tag wasn't trying to pull anything. "When in Rome...or The North Pole," he muttered and set his clothes to the side before taking a deep breath and heading over to Tag and his machine.
---
Over the next several hours, Tag worked Eric harder than he'd ever been worked before, though he found with a satisfaction that his reindeer form took to the exercise very well. No wonder there were so many buff reindeer in the North Pole! Tag put him through his paces, adjusting his posture and form on the free weights, and demonstrating how each machine worked (there was a lot of pulling involved, as well as leg exercises). Despite his devil-may-care attitude, Tag was clearly very dedicated to fitness, and demonstrated a knowledge that impressed Eric, who found himself growing to quite like his new friend. Eric likewise evidently impressed Tag, who was as loud in his praise as everything else in his personality.
"You've done quite well. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're even looking less hoikka, ei?" Tag looked slightly puzzled at this, taking a step back to observe Eric. "You ARE looking bigger, actually. Hmmm, even if only slightly, ei?"
Eric looked down at himself curiously, as he flexed a bit, feeling his sore muscles. They did, in fact, look more filled out. "I wonder if it has to do with my change? The magic?" He asked, though Tag merely shrugged.
"You're the first human reindeer I have trained. I do not know. You needed some more bulk. Keep training with me and maybe you'll be looking like a proper buck in no time, ei?" He joked with one of his trademark shoulder pats. "We have a deal then!" he confirmed as Eric shook his head and nodded with a smile. "Now, shall we go and get some more drinks?"
Eric held his ground, feeling more confident around the reindeer. "I actually need to head back to my cabin and get ready for Dinner. Rudy invited me to dinner to meet his mate." He winced, half expecting Tag to protest.
"Ah! You are in for a treat, ystäväni! Clara's cooking is quite good." He winked. "We will get drinks another time. And we will work out again tomorrow, yes?" He didn't really give Eric an option, so he just nodded and turned to retrieve his clothes once more.
"Thanks again, Tag. Have a good night."
---
A quick flight and a slightly clunky landing later, Eric ducked through the door of his cabin, once again bumping his antlers against the door frame. Had they grown bigger again? He sighed and stretched as he walked to the bedroom, his hooves clomping on the floor. Throughout his workout, he had been surprised to find that he didn't sweat, but he still felt gross, and still felt the dregs of a slight hangover. And he was starving!
He checked the clock on the wall and figured he might as well try taking a shower or something to clean up before dinner. Trying to figure out the logistics in his head, he pulled off his shorts and vest before reaching up to undo his collar, surprised at finding himself having mixed feelings about returning to his human form. Still, he removed it and allowed the waves of the transformation to wash over him as he flexed his hands--once again with 5 fingers--and yawned as the muzzle shrank back into his human face. However, while the transformation continued, he began to notice that his arms and chest were visibly more full, as though he had been working out for a good month. And he definitely had more hair on his chest and stomach and...he traced along the skin on his torso down to where his fur had previously manifested itself before wearing the collar. There it was, still reddish brown and fluffy, but now it lead into a lighter cream color on the inside of his legs and lower stomach.
Eric blinked as he ran his hands over his sheath--still very much present now as part of his true form.