Eric reached down and cupped one of the two furry orbs below his sheath. It was really him. He looked up into the mirror as he ran his hand over his sheath, watching the red tip of his altered manhood come poking out the top, already eager to be used. "Maybe tonight." He muttered down to it as he dropped his hand.
There was a knock on his cabin door and he almost went to answer it as he was, to get more used to the thought of striding around naked. He was beginning to figure out the reindeer wore clothes more for the benefit of visiting humans and their elf coworkers than for themselves. He bet among themselves they barely wore a stitch. But he also did have the thick full fur they did that gave them some modesty, instead it was short and his sheath stuck out, full and obvious.
With a sigh he grabbed the robe off the hook and wrapped it around himself. White and fluffy it hid all the changes but his feet and antlers. "Probably just Lars being a snoop." He muttered, though he smiled thinking of the excitable fox. Maybe he had more friends up here than he realized. He tugged open the door and almost jumped when the man on the other side pulled him into a hug.
"Oh my god! Look at you!" The hug broke and the man was tugging Eric's head a bit forward and prodding the base of his antlers. Despite Eric being a bit taller than he used to be, the man was quite a bit taller. He would have fit among the other reindeer without having to look up at all. Except maybe at Bix. "Wow, that's so cool. I mean, kinda like what happened to me, but you got the cooler hardware by far."
"Tom! What are you doing here?" Eric new he sounded half shocked, half excited. It had actually ben a while since he had seen his older brother in person the way he was always travelling for his job.
"Well, I had some time off, I was in Amsterdam, and you sounded like you needed a familiar face around on the phone. So I just asked the resort to update the cabin and I can take the second bedroom." Tom trudged inside, closing the door behind him and shucking off his coat. "I mean, I'll give you all the privacy you want, I can keep myself busy, trust me. But I just wanted to be here for my little bro." He looked over Eric and hummed softly. "Less little than before. Make sure you don't do anything stupid."
"Stupid? Like staying?" Eric mumbled.
Tom shook his head. "Stupid. Like giving up on something that might be good for you. Only mistake I ever regret making, broski."
Eric loved his older brother, but was also quite jealous of him. Other than the glasses, mouse brown hair, and slender frames, there wasn't much they had in common. Tom was tall, and he had swam and run track through high school and college so his slim build was leanly muscled rather than scrawny. He had more than once overheard women swooning over his brother, though Tom always politely put them off. He had been told they looked alike, but he could never seem to reconcile his older brother's handsome features with his own.
One might think that bit of jealousy would lead him to resent Tom, but he didn't. Tom cared and looked out for Eric for as long as he could remember. So if he was here, it was exactly where he felt he needed to be.
"Wow." Tom said stepping back to give Eric another look. The robe had come a bit loose in the hug, and Eric blushed and pulled it tight again. "Is that from the change or have you been working out since I've been away?"
"Little of both I guess." Eric answered awkwardly. He looked over at one of the clocks in the room. "So, I have dinner with Clyde, Rudy, and Rudy's mate Clara in like an hour. You, um, want to come? I'm sure they'd love to meet some of my family, and if we get ready fast enough we can catch the train up there. I don't want to fly someone unauthorized across the ward lines and have Bix mad at me again."
Tom's smile softened at the whole spiel. "God, maybe you don't need me up here. You're doing well enough on your own. You can fly?" Tom laughed cheerily at Eric's nod. "I'd love to come, if I wouldn't be in the way. Rudy? Rudolph? The Rudolph?"
"A Rudolph. He's that Rudolph's grandson. Rudolph the third or something like that. He does have the nose though. Prefers Rudy." Eric blushed a little, as Eric lit up like a school kid.
"And I thought I knew important people." He looked down at his travel rumpled clothes. "Well, let me get changed. If you're sure you don't mind me tagging along?"
Eric shook his head. "Not at all." He gave Tom a hug in passing and slipped into his bedroom. He looked at his vest and shorts, which were in need of some washing and definitely not suitable for meeting Clyde's family, so he dipped into his human clothes, which also meant leaving the collar off for the evening, but he figured another mostly human at the table might make Tom feel more at home. Except Tom could probably feel at home at the bottom of the ocean dining with jellyfish.
Eric pulled on a nice pair of slacks, rolling up the bottoms a bit to leave his hooves free enough they don't catch on the hem. They were a little snug, but fit. He then pulled on a button up shirt which, simply would not button. He tugged at the front and could only get the button right below his chest to fasten and that popped off almost immediately.
He panicked for a moment, digging through his other clothes then heard a small laugh from the doorway. "Oh god, you look like you're trying to squeeze into kiddy clothes. Take those off." Eric looked up to see Tom looking at him amused, then frowned when his older brother disappeared. A moment later he came back with a pair of black trousers and a button up shirt in emerald. "A little too big might be better than too small."
Eric gratefully took the lent clothes and changed. A few minutes later they both had on their parkas and were headed for the train. Eric had to forgo the hat and settle for earmuffs, the antlers just didn't agree with hats anymore. But with the band across his head, maybe passerbys would just think them a novelty set for the holiday.
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Thirty minutes later, Eric and Tom were walking through the streets of Santa's Village. Tom was having a hard time keeping the excitement off his face, and Eric had to admit, in all his worry over what was happening, he had forgotten just how cheesily magical this place was. Eric found the right door and stepped up to knock.
It swung open almost immediately to Clyde's beaming face. "I could feel you coming." He laughed. His eyes flicked to Tom, just a little confused for a moment, but he stepped aside to let them in. The room was large and full of plush furniture, a crackling fire off to one side, and a table that was already set. Rudy was handling that and paused his chore to come over. "Clara, our.. guests are here?" He couldn't keep the question out of his voice.
"Sorry." Eric said. "I didn't know how to call you and let you know. This is Tom, my brother. He came up to.." He could see Clyde's expression falling as if the next words were 'to bring me home' so Eric rushed on. "To give me some moral support while I decide. Tom, this is Clyde and his older brother Rudy." Clyde and Rudy did not get off with just handshakes. Not from Tom, no, they got full hugs out of the man. Tom could be a little much for some, but the exuberance seemed to help ease things. Though he did feel a bit over dressed as Clyde and Rudy were both wearing just shorts.
Clara stepped out of the kitchen. She wore an apron over a long flowy dress decorated with poinsettias. She was tall and slender, and walked with an easy but graceful step. She had antlers as well, and had glittering little charms handing from some of the points. Right, Eric remembered reading somewhere all reindeer had antlers. Rudy took up introductions, from there. Clara hugged both Eric and Tom with a cheery. "Good thing I made extra. Rudy, rakas, set an extra spot." She said as she patted him on the cheek. "Dinner will be ready soon." She gave them all a smile and headed back into the kitchen.
"Wait till you try her roasted carrots, they're the best." Rudy chimed. "Beers?" He asked as he headed to the kitchen as well, waiting for Tom and Eric's nods.
"So. Clyde." Tom began, and Eric instantly picked up on the tone. It was the same one Rudy had used on him just a couple days ago. He put an arm around Clyde's shoulders and the reindeer might have just noticed with a bit of unease that Tom actually had an inch or so on him if you didn't count the antlers. "If you make my brother happy, you will be one of my favorite people in the world. If not, well.." Tom just smiled and left that unspoken.
"I wouldn't do anything to hurt him." Clyde said, sounding completely sincere, his eyes met Eric's, and Eric couldn't keep a goofy grin off his face in response. Food coming from the kitchen interrupted any further talk. Roasted veggies, creamed spinach, some sort of oat bread. It all smelled wonderful, though there was no meat in sight. And Eric felt kind of silly thinking there would be. The centerpiece instead was some sort of loaf that was like meatloaf but not. "Meatless meatloaf!" Clara exclaimed happily as Eric asked. "I found it online, figured you might want something a bit homey."
They slipped into easy conversation, starting with Tom being interested in the fact they even had internet up here. Clyde leaned in to whisper into Eric's ear. "So, he's not trying to drag you home?"
Eric leaned in to tap his antlers lightly against Clyde's. "No. If anything he might be on the stay team." Clyde nuzzled Eric lightly, going back to eating but the next topic caught Eric's ears immediately.
"We were all pretty shocked when Eric here just started changing. We can do it, change humans, even each other when we want to change tribes, but it's rare that it starts to happen on its own." Rudy was saying between bites of carrot. "I think in the last fifty years it's only happened twice. The other time was about seven years back? In the fox tribe. But I heard he left before it finished."
"Poor Lars moped for the better part of a year." Clara added in. "Still don't think he's found someone else, yet."
Tom set down his fork with a soft clink, and wore an expression Eric had almost never seen on his brother's face before. Shame. "That bad, huh?"
"Lars is a sweetheart," Clara responded, softly. "I think he understood why his human couldn't stay, and why the tribe elders stopped him from following after. He was a cute human, too, you actually remind me a lot of him, Eric. Oh what was his name."
"Tommy." Tom answered after a moment. Eric had expected this, but the three reindeer looked at him with a mix of shock and surprise. "The human's name was Tommy, but I go by Tom now. I came up to make sure Eric didn't make the same mistake I did. That he has family he can be open with and talk things through with and make the right choice." Tom picked up the beer and took a swig, looking more than a bit forlorn.
"Two brothers, both spontaneously changing? You must have some of our blood back there, it's the only reasonable explanation." Rudy started, but shut up at a swat on the shoulder from Clara and a whispered, 'Later.'
She reached out and put her hand on top of Tom's giving it a squeeze. "You should go see him. He's working down at the resort. He's actually the whole reason Eric and Clyde met."
"I doubt he wants to see me." Tom muttered, bringing his smile back, but it was soft and maybe a little forced.
"I think you might be surprised. And even if you two don't recapture what you had, closure is good for the soul." Clara gave Tom's hand a pat. Conversation moved back into easier topics after that, the three reindeer asking questions about the human world and Eric's life before coming up here.
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Eric, Tom, and Clyde stepped out of the house and into the snow after farewells. Eric looked at the house then back to Clyde with a questioning glance. "Oh! No. I don't live with them. I got my own place." He pointed off down the street at a brick red home a few doors down on the other side.
He raised his muzzle into the air as if feeling for something. "It is kind of late and you'd need to rush to make the last train. If you guys want to crash, I have a spare room Tom could have." Eric didn't even question where he would end up.
Tom grinned and squeezed Clyde's shoulder. "Sounds great." The walk was short and Clyde opened the door right away. Guess this part of Santa's Village didn't need locks.
Clyde flipped on the lights and spread his arms. "Welcome to Casa de Clyde." It wasn't as picturesque as Clara and Rudy's house, but there was a certain rustic comfort about the place. Furniture made from unfinished white birch logs, and surprisingly a few unfinished wood projects here or there, with tools laid out.
"I didn't know you did wood work." Eric said with surprise as he looked at a chair in progress.
"Well, we've only really known each other a few days, aarre. I'd be shocked if we knew everything about each other. I made almost everything in here, some of the elves taught me when I was younger and I just enjoy it." Clyde put hands on his hips, looking about proudly.
"It's beautiful." Eric said honestly. Tom cleared his throat.
"Right! Bedrooms!" He motioned for them to follow him up the stairs. He opened one door and motioned to Tom. "Bed's made. I usually have it ready if Tag stops by and decides to crash. If you need extra blankets there's some in the closet, bathroom's that door." He pointed at another. "My room's the end of the hall."
Tom gave Eric a wink and then a nod to Clyde. "Thanks. Much better than a long slog home this late at night." Tom's smile was sly as he stepped in and shut the door.
Clyde took Eric by the hand and led him to his bedroom. Like downstairs it was a lot of rustic log furniture with fat cushions, and a thick quilt adorned the bed. It felt like Clyde, and smelled like him, cozy but rough, and Eric was surprised just how much it felt like a place he could call home. "What are those?" Eric asked as he notice two sets of mounted antlers above the bed, side by side. Neither one particularly impressive. One looked like it had been there a while, the other was new, the wood still gleaming from fresh varnish.
"Antlers." Clyde said with a laugh. Though he continued after Eric gave him a 'no shit' look. "My first." He said pointing at the older set, then the newer, "And yours."
"That's what you did with them?" Eric asked, sounding more than a little surprised.
"That's what you're supposed to do with your first pair, since you're usually too young to give them as a courting gift. I was, um, actually going to give it to you as a present. Then I wanted to see how it looked where I hoped they would go. And I forgot I had them hanging there. It really shouldn't until we're mated, but.." Eric cut Clyde off with a kiss.
When the broke apart, Clyde grinned. "I'm glad you came as yourself tonight, without the collar. It's like you're more confident in yourself." He began to unbutton Eric's shirt, surprisingly deft with those thick fingers. He smiled broadly as he exposed Eric's chest, the added muscle, the bit of fur right in the center. He traced the line of fur with a finger down to Eric's pants and quickly unfastened those and let them drop.
Clyde grinned as he saw Eric's sheath, giving it a playful squeeze. Eric just shivered and leaned up against Clyde. "Sorry, I guess it's a lot." Clyde said as he wrapped arms around Eric.
"Do you mind if tonight we just.."
"Cuddle?" Clyde finished. Eric nodded. For answer Clyde slipped off his shorts and lifted the covered for Eric, sliding in after him. Eric felt the solid warmth of Clyde pressing up against his back, then sighed as he was pulled in close, the other reindeer wrapping around him almost protectively.