do you plan on doing any more hendrix + ryder stories like one shots, spin-offs?
G/t July day 9 - Warmth
I'm back!!! Finally it's school holidays in Aus and I can get back to answering Asks and writing stories now that my life has settled down for a little while anyway!
Also, a welcome back to Hendrix and Ryder, please note, this story is a continuation of my four-part story Lightning Ridge, it is highly recommended that you read that story first though I suppose not absolutely necessary.
Thank you anon for the ask, I love these boys dearly and have been dying to write this short for them, there will be more to come! Their story is far from over!
TW: swearing, minor adult themes
Approx 2.2k words
Meeting The Family
“You ready for this?” Ryder asked gently, observing that his friend was growing more and more anxious with each step they took toward Rassau.
It was hard for Hendrix to hide any of his emotions from Ryder, not only because they had gotten to know each other very well over the last few months but also because it’s damned near impossible to hide anything when you’re over sixty feet tall.
“Yeah, what’s the worst that could happen?” Hendrix sighed, in truth his mind was in a spiral of all the awful things that could happen. The worst being that even after all this time away and now being able to prove to his family that he could control his shifting, they may still slam the door in his face.
Ryder who was currently perched on Hendrix’s shoulder, gave his friends neck a gentle pat.
“People change, Hendrix, there’s not much I can do to reassure you, but I can promise I’ll be there with you, every step of the way.” Ryder offered gently.
The village of Rassau was fast approaching and when they could see the village getting closer above the trees, Hendrix stopped. Lifting a hand to his passenger, Ryder stepped on with zero hesitance and a practiced display of balance as he was lowered to the forest floor.
Hendrix whilst still crouched on the ground, closed his eyes and concentrated on urging his body to shift to his human size. Anxiety pulsed in his heart, he swallowed nervously but continued to focus. Shifting when he was stressed in any way was difficult.
When he opened his eyes once more he found himself staring at Ryder’s knees as he was still crouched down, quickly he stood and smiled, something about seeing his friend when they were at the same scale made Hendrix’s heart soar.
Ryder only raised an eyebrow at him before ruffling up his dirty blonde hair and laughing. “Alright squirt, let’s go.” Ryder said heading in the direction of Rassau.
“I’m still taller than you.” Hendrix argued before using his fingers to try and tame his now messy hair.
“That may be, but I’m older than you, kid.” Ryder laughed, a deep sound that Hendrix decided he loved to hear.
“By six months!” Hendrix pointed out aghast.
The two unlikely friends had only met around three months ago, and after their harrowing venture of taking down Blade, a nasty shifter who had been terrifying the residents nearest to Lightning Ridge, they had grown a complicated bond.
Neither one admitting how they truly felt to the other, though they had by now shared a few particularly intimate experiences with each other. Whatever they were to each other didn’t matter though, for right now all they truly knew was that they had each other’s backs.
They passed by a sign that read ‘Entering Rassau’ and before long they were flanked with winding cobblestone streets and old stone buildings on either side of them.
“You remember where they live?” Ryder asked, scanning the few folk that were around.
Rassau appeared to be a relatively poor village, most of the buildings were overrun with vines and foliage while there also seemed to be very few people around. And the few that were around, paid them no mind, simply going about their own business. Hendrix recognised no one, but to him the small village had not changed much since he’d left when he was ten years old, about fifteen years ago now.
“Yeah, just up this way.” Hendrix indicated a corner up ahead that would lead to a small street of residential houses. “They may not even still be in Rassau.”
“Only one way to find out aye?” Ryder grunted.
They came upon the last house on the corner of the street, an old circular house, made with the same old stone that the rest of the village seemed to favour. Hendrix and Ryder stood staring at it for some time, Ryder eventually cleared his throat and motioned for Hendrix to go up to the door, but right in that moment Hendrix found himself frozen in place.
All Hendrix could see was the horrified look on his mothers face as he grew before her eyes for the first time, even at the fragile age of ten Hendrix had been able to stop himself from outgrowing the house. The damage had already been done though, his father had taken him straight down to the court house demanding the beheading of a giant living in their midst.
He'd felt so betrayed, it had all happened so quickly, as he was cast out of Rassau all he could remember hearing was Ella crying begging for her brother to come back. He’d heard she had now grown up, married and moved away to another village nearby, in his travels he often would stop through and ask about his family, always curious about what had happened in the time he had been away. He could only hope she was happy.
Hendrix heard a loud pounding on the wooden door and noticed in alarm that Ryder had gone ahead and begun knocking on the door for him, clearly impatient.
“Ryder!” Hendrix hissed and quickly came to stand beside him just as the old door creaked open.
A short woman with greying hair answered the door, her features had become wrinkled and she had aged a fair bit but Hendrix recognised those stormy dark blue eyes, the same as his own. This was his mother.
“Good evening Madam, I’m Ryder and this is Hendrix, I believe you know him.” Ryder said quite simply.
“Hendrix?” The woman croaked in disbelief.
“Hi mother.” Hendrix said rather softly, still not quite believing he was seeing her again after all this time.
They stared at each other for some time, looking at each other as though they were ghosts, that was until Ryder cleared his throat once more.
“Could we come in?” He asked politely.
She simply pushed the door open wider and let the two large men into her home, Hendrix lead the way to the kitchen, where Ryder then sat down letting mother and son reacquaint themselves properly.
“It’s really you.” The woman said breathlessly.
Hendrix simply nodded and then found himself in the tight grip of his mother as she hugged him viciously. He fought back the tears that sprouted to his eyes, he didn’t realise just how badly he’d needed a hug from his mother and he gripped her just as tightly.
“So uh, can I get you some tea.” She said as she broke away. “And for your, uh, friend? Ryder was it?”
“Yes please.” Ryder smiled warmly at her.
“Excuse my manners, I’m Emily, my husband, uh, Hendrix’s father I mean, George should be along shortly.” She rambled on as she put a pot of water on to boil over the fire.
“Thank you, mum.” Hendrix said, unsure of what else to say.
“What are you doing in Rassau? Isn’t it dangerous to be back here?” Emily asked whilst searching for some teacups.
“Only if he get’s dobbed in again.” Ryder chimed in somewhat coldly.
Emily seemed taken aback, she looked between Ryder and Hendrix and stuttered. “W-well, y-you were a child, we couldn’t be sure that you wouldn’t put Ella or anyone else in danger. We were only doing what we thought was best for everyone.”
“Everyone except for Hendrix.” Ryder snapped.
“That’s enough Ryder.” Hendrix stood between his mother and his friend, he appreciated that Ryder was angry and wanted to support him, but picking a fight wouldn’t benefit anyone right now.
“I was trying to protect my child!” Emily shouted in defence; her words sliced through Hendrix though in cold sharp pieces.
“As far as I’m aware, you had two children.” Ryder said.
The room was quiet then, Hendrix could hear the loud sound of his nervous breathing. Though his mother acted polite to start with he could see that nothing had changed, as soon as he’d become a shifter, he was no longer her son.
“Let’s just go.” Hendrix mumbled, deflated and not particularly interested in hearing any more.
Ryder stormed for the door and Hendrix followed close behind, though he paused in the doorway, turning back to face his mother.
“I’ve never been a danger to anyone, least of all to Ella…I didn’t deserve to be thrown away.” He grit his teeth in anger, he knew this had been a mistake, they had never accepted him, seeing him only as a monster, that wasn’t going to change.
Without waiting for a response, Hendrix slammed the door behind him and marched down the street not even looking to see if Ryder followed him. He was shaking, with anger, with hurt and his own stupidity for letting Ryder convince him that maybe his parents had changed.
“Hey Hendrix?” Ryder called from behind him.
“What is it?”
“You’re growing.”
Hendrix paused mid stride, he’d not even noticed his surroundings growing smaller as he stormed through the streets, his head was just passing the second story building to his right and it didn’t seem to be slowing down.
“Oh, fucking hell.” Hendrix growled, not even waiting for his friend, he began to carefully navigate the small streets.
As he reached the sixty foot mark, he then carefully stepped over the smaller buildings, heading back for the forest and ignoring the screams that his sudden appearance caused the village folk.
Once he’d reached the forest, he let out all of his built up emotions. Kicking at trees, causing them to crack and break, any critters who had been nearby had now fled as Hendrix dove his fists into a giant boulder he’d found within the large clearing. The rock cracked, jagged chunks of stone digging into Hendrix’s fist and causing blood to dribble between his fingers.
His shoulders shook as he fought back sobs but in the end he wasn’t strong enough to hold them back and he eventually turned his back to the boulder and slid to the forest floor. He brought his knees to his chest, wrapping his bloody hands around himself as he buried his face and cried.
A short time later, Hendrix felt the pressure of a small hand on his hip, he looked down to see Ryder looking up at him with concern.
“That was fucked, I’m sorry.” His small voice was gentle and full of guilt, after all he’d been the one to suggest the idea.
“It’s not your fault.” Hendrix voice cracked with emotion. “It had been on my mind and I would have gone back eventually, I’m glad you were there, thank you.”
Hendrix reached down and wrapped his fingers around Ryder’s waist, though Ryder might normally scold him about giving him some warning next time. He decided it best to the let the giant do what he needed to do and his heart broke for his friend as he was pressed into a large warm chest and held there in a firm oversized hug.
Hendrix pulled his friend away from his chest and then brought him up before his face, opening his hand out so Ryder sat comfortably in his palm instead of in a fist.
“You’re not some monster Hendrix, you’re a man, a kind, gentle and brave man with an extraordinary ability. I wish they had gotten the chance to know you like I do, it’s their loss, not yours, okay?” Ryder’s hazel eyes met Hendrix’s imploring him to believe what he was telling him.
Hendrix’s eyes flooded with tears anew, he couldn’t believe this human, this man who had so much trust in him, believed in him like nobody else ever had. Without thinking Hendrix leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ryder’s face.
Warmth flooded his body immediately and his broken heart felt as though it were being taped back together again. Hendrix felt Ryder stiffen on his lips and his stomach churned immediately feeling guilty he pulled Ryder away from his face. Ryder looked stricken, his hair mused from where Hendrix’s damp lips had touched it, and his cheeks were a bright red.
“Ryder I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking, I wasn’t thinking I-.“ Hendrix began a fast paced apology, his own cheeks burning with embarrassment at reading the feelings between them wrong somehow.
“Shut up Hendrix.” Ryder said, he stepped to the edge of Hendrix’s hand and pressed his own lips to Hendrix’s much larger ones.
Time seemed to stop between the two of them, Hendrix holding completely still as he felt Ryder press his small hands into his bottom lip and kissed him with a passion Hendrix had only ever seen when engaged in a fight.
Eventually when Hendrix could no longer hold his breath anymore they pulled apart and both were left flushed and breathing heavily.
“Uh, hello.”
The silence was broken between them as a different voice piped up in the clearing causing both men to physically jump in alarm. They both looked down to the forest floor to see that a small boy, who looked to be no older than ten years old, stood at the edge of the clearing watching them curiously.
“I’m Theo.” The boy introduced himself. “Are you Hendrix?” He asked.
“Uh.” Hendrix cleared his throat noticing how high pitched his voice had become after kissing Ryder. “Yeah.” He confirmed.
The boy sighed in relief and smiled broadly up at them both.
