The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

A/N: This story takes place after Loki's defeat in the Season 1 finale "A Day Unlike Any Other" and during the celebration with the Avengers that took place in Asgard afterward.

Not Alone

The Realm Of Asgard

The Avengers celebrate their victory over Loki, thus saving the nine realms from utter destruction from the hands of Thor's mad brother. However, there was one among them who chose to remain alone and indifferent in the whole celebration, his emerald green irises looking on and watching as his teammates conversed with the other Asgardians. His massive size, which dwarfed the largest Asgardian and even Odin's imposing stature, made him stand out as much as his green flesh and his torn purple pants. He's the Strongest One There Is, the unconquerable Green Goliath known as the Hulk.

He had feasted at the table until his hunger was satisfied before choosing to be leave to be alone, resting himself against one of the many golden walls as he watched the others celebrate. Despite being part of a team of heroes, he still wasn't used to being around others. He often wondered if staying on the team was the right choice. He was a loner, always has been for years. That all changed when he met Janet Van Dyne/Wasp, Hank Pym/Ant-Man/Giant-Man, Steve Rogers/Captain America, T'Challa/Black Panther, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Thor Odinson and Tony Stark/Iron Man. For the first time in his life, Hulk finally had people that he could call friends... a family.

Still, he couldn't help but feel fear, not of them or anything else, but of himself. There was times that he wanted to leave, if only to protect his friends from harm... to protect them from himself. He was too dangerous, too uncontrollable and too powerful for any of them to stop if he decided that he didn't want to be stopped... even if they worked together as a team. Originally, he only joined the Avengers so that he would have more freedom and wouldn't have to listen to puny Banner whining all the time. But now? He discovered that he truly cared about his teammates, his friends, his family. It made the internal conflict raging within himself all the more difficult and painful.

Should he stay and risk hurting those closest to him, which has happened many times before to others that he cared about, others like Betty? Or should he leave in order to protect them from his savage wrath and infinite destructive power? All his life, since he was released from Bruce Banner due to the gamma-bomb explosion that finally setting him free, he's been moving from one fight to the next. All his life, he has been called a monster, an unstoppable force of nature, a gamma-powered titan of destruction. Now, after all he had been through over the years, the Hulk was uncertain of what he should do.

So deep was the Jade Giant in his thoughts that he didn't notice the approach of a certain blonde beauty who had her blue eyes set on the Hulk for most of the evening. She was stunningly beautiful for a warrior woman of Asgard, her lithe body covered in silver armor and black clothing, her long golden hair braided into two long tresses. Her name is Brunnhilde, but to most she's mostly called that of the name of all warrior women who defended Asgard, Valkyrie.

Like many others within the nine realms, she chose to fight against Loki and his forces to ensure that the nine realms would be free of his tyranical rule. However, she would have fell in battle if it were not for a certain Jade Giant who saved her life. When she regained consciousness, she wished to know what happened and more importantly... who was her savior/protector?

Her comrades told her of an ally of Thor's, a powerful titan whose flesh was as green as Gaea herself, who fought off Loki's forces and protected her from harm. She soon learned the name of her protector, a mortal creature from Midgard named the Hulk. Once Loki had been defeated, she and her comrades returned to Asgard to celebrate their victory which began with Odin himself honoring the Avengers for saving the nine realms from destruction.

It was then that she got to see her savior in the flesh, his massive bulk and towering height dwarfing that of Odin. He looked just as her comrades described him; huge muscular body and limbs, messy dark hair, torn purple clothing, green eyes, green flesh and all. He was quite handsome, at least she thought so as she felt a warmth enter her heart for the first time in ages as she gazed at him with pure adoration. Many warriors and men attempted to earn her affection, but none have ever succeeded.

Now that she finally had the Hulk alone, Valkyrie decided that now was as good a time as any to thank him for saving her life... and capturing her heart. Slowly, she walked towards the Green Goliath, who seemed deep in thought. Whatever was on his mind, she couldn't tell. All that she knew was that he was alone... but not for long.

"Why do you not celebrate your victory, Emerald Giant?", Valkyrie asks, startling Hulk from his thoughts as he turned his head to look at the blonde Asgardian warrior woman.

"Huh?", Hulk grunted, looking down at the female Asgardian.

"Do you not seek comfort from those that are your friends?", Valkyrie questioned, her expression as calm and relaxed as her posture.

"No. I don't!", Hulk growled, looking away as he crossed his massive arms over his vast chest.

"And why is that?", Valkyrie probed, noticing something about the Hulk's behavior.

"It's... It's none of your business, lady!", Hulk snarled, furrowing his brow as he attempted to control his rage and hide his secret.

"You don't see yourself as a hero, do you? And you're afraid... that if you allow yourself to become close to them that you'll harm them?", Valkyrie replied in question, her perception causing Hulk's eyes to widen briefly before he quickly composed himself.

"What do you want from me?", Hulk demanded, not even bothering to look at the blonde Asgardian.

"What I want, Hulk, is to thank you for saving my life. You risked your life to protect me, like the hero that you truly are. And in doing so, you've managed to accomplish something that no mortal or immortal has ever been able to accomplish before.", Valkyrie stated in reply, a sly yet mischievous smile gracing her features.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?", Hulk demanded with a growl, leaning down until his face was but mere inches away from Valkyrie's own, staring deeply into her blue eyes with his fuming emerald orbs.

Suddenly, without warning, Valkyrie reached her arms up and wrapped them around Hulk's neck before pulling him down into a passionate kiss. She made sure to put every iota of feeling and emotion into the kiss, if only to let Hulk know how much he meant to her and to let him know that he wasn't alone... that there was those who loved him. Breaking the kiss, Valkyrie proceeded to stare at the Hulk, taking in every detail of his shocked expression and the slightly dazed & confused look in his emerald eyes.

"My heart.", Valkyrie answered with a smile, grabbing Hulk's massive right hands with her own hands before pulling him along.

"W-Where are we going?", Hulk managed to ask, his brain finally able to function again.

"My bed chambers, of course. Where else would I take you, beloved?", Valkyrie answered with a smirk, a amused chuckle escaping her throat as she noticed the blush that colored Hulk's cheeks as she continued to lead him to their destination.

THE END

Author's Notes

A short, sweet little one-shot.

If anyone has read any of the original Defenders comics, it's quite obvious that out of all the teammates that Hulk associates with, Valkyrie is the one he is closest to. Being a major Marvel comic fan, you can guess how amused I was to see Hulk saving Valkyrie in the Season 1 finale of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. It was a very touching homage to the Defenders series and the close relationship Hulk & Valkyrie have with one another.