Eric gave an exasperated kick at the blankets on his bed as he collapsed back into his pillow with a groan. He immediately winced--the flailing action pulled on his stitches with a sharp pain. He'd fucked up, and all he could see in his mind was the hurt look in Clyde's beautiful eyes as he left.
They had argued that morning. It wasn't the first time--they'd had small disagreements over the last month or so that they knew each other, but they'd always immediately made up. This was different, as Clyde had needed to get to Practice before they could work things out. And he felt terrible about it.
The whole thing had started with a small, innocuous comment as Eric lamented his recovery process, hoping he'd be able to get back to Practice again soon. But things had quickly spiraled out of control, and Eric felt blindsided.
"You need to rest, Söpö. I don't want you trying to fly again until I'm confident you'll be safe." Clyde looked over him with worry.
"That's not up to you, though. Otso said I'd be good to go soon." He was getting restless being stuck in bed all day.
"Yes, but I should have a say as your mate." The protective gaze felt smothering in the moment.
"If it were up to you, I'd miss the Flight on Christmas Eve."
"If you weren't ready, yes. If Eino needs to handle it--" That had been the wrong thing to say.
"Eino?! Are you serious? That's MY spot on the Team."
Eric felt guilty. He knew Clyde was just worried about him and he wished he could go apologize, but after the argument if he showed up at the training facility? Well, that'd be a massive mistake. Not to mention the fact that Clyde could be anywhere within 100 miles of his current location at this point in the day. He'd have wait to make it right.
----
Eric, Tess, and Michael sat in Bix's living room each lost in their own thoughts. Feeling bad for laughing, and perhaps a little scared of Theresa after his reaction to her decision to jump into the fray, Michael had offered the bed in the extra room he'd been using. He slept on the couch and was pleased to find that his back still didn't bother him. Honestly, aside from the logistics of the whole thing, the change had been a net positive for him thus far.
After a time Eric broke the silence, his voice low and measured. "When did you know that your marriage was over?"
This was a strange question to come seemingly out of the nowhere, as both adults looked in his direction. "What?" "Why?"
Eric dragged his hoof along the ground as he felt tears starting to form at the corners of his eyes. "Clyde and I fought this morning and I'm afraid he's going to break up with me." Verbalizing his fear made it real to the eighteen-year-old.
"Oh, honey." Theresa clomped over to sit next to him as she she wrapped her arm around his shoulder "Clyde loves you. I'm sure you two can work through whatever happened."
"Didn't you two love each other though?" The question was a sucker punch to them both.
It was Michael's turn to join them on the couch as he padded over, his tail swaying behind him. "We did, once." The exes shared a look, feeling guilty.
"Then why didn't you work through it?" His sentences were short and monotone. He'd clearly mulled over this for years, and it tainted his worries. "If you loved each other, why did you stop?"
"Well, I guess we just stopped trying. Relationships, even when you're in love, can be complicated and take a lot of work. And we didn't put in the work." Michael had a hard time meeting Theresa's eyes, though she looked at him with a surprising empathy.
Eric sighed and didn't respond as he fidgeted with his hooved fingers.
"Eric, the truth is that your father and I separated because we weren't compatible. And we didn't want to be together. Subconscious or not, we made the decision. Do you still want to be with Clyde?"
Eric nodded.
"And are you willing to put in the work?"
Eric nodded again.
"Then I have no doubt in the world that you two will work through this together." They hugged awkwardly on the couch as they sat there--a broken family reformed for the moment, though the circumstances were unique.
After a time, Michael took a deep breath and admitted something he'd been afraid to. "I told Otso I loved him today. I know it's fast, but it just came out and it felt natural. And he said it back." His tail wagged a little, caught between his and Eric's furry legs.
Eric looked like he had a million questions but held his tongue, likely resolving to ask them later. He smiled excitedly.
Theresa was relieved to find herself also smiling at her ex-husband, who looked back at her guiltily. She reached over to pat his shoulder. "I'm very happy for you, Michael." She watched his eyes glitter, full of emotion, as the muddy brown irises burned a bright yellow and his eyes shifted. She wondered how much longer it would take before he didn't even resemble the man she'd met all of those years ago.
The three of them turned curiously to look as the door opened behind them. Clyde entered with Otso close behind.
----
Clyde stood behind Eric, his arms around his waist as he leaned to whisper into his ear, "Just remember, don't flinch, you can literally walk on air, just be confident you can." He brushed his muzzle against Eric's before repositioning himself. "Are you ready? On three."
-
Eric couldn't help but smile over at Clyde as Otso ran his paws down his back, giving his healing injuries a close inspection. His reindeer had basically dragged the wolf over after Practice. He was determined to help Eric get back on the team as quickly as possible, and he hoped they could make an attempt at flying tonight. "Yes, but only if I'm there just in case something happens."
Otso signed off, giving Eric positive marks. He was healing well, and would make a full recovery. He was one of Santa's Reindeer, after all.
-
"One...Two...Three!" The two reindeer pushed off of the ground as bright sparks drifted from their hooves. They hovered about a foot off of the snow-covered ground. "I'm going to let you go now. Are you good?" Eric nodded and Clyde inched away, his arms out ready just in case the injured reindeer dropped suddenly. Satisfied, he drifted around to the front as their small audience looked on.
"Clyde, I'm so sorry--" Eric stopped as the reindeer held out a hoof.
"You were right. I need to trust you." He pulled Eric's in-tact antler to rest against his own as they breathed each other's air, the vapor visible in the crisp night air. They spun together in a slow circle as they danced in each other's arms, floating above the ground.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."