Hulk Hugs
An Avengers Fanfiction, Cinematic 'Verse
Disclaimer: Avengers, and all characters therein go to Marvel and Minions. This is a fanwork. Meaning the only compensation the author gets is cerebral gratification.
Spoiler Level: Light. Nothing that couldn't be gleaned from previews.
Note: Based off of a Norsekink prompt: In a last-ditch effort to stop Loki from destroying everything, the Avengers decide to try hugs, because blood loss will do that to your judgment. It works.
If there was one thing that the Hulk knew, that he understood, it was rage. And the thing that most of the puny humans didn't understand was that rage wasn't random. It came from somewhere, most often pain, and needed an out. The Hulk was Banner's out. How easy it was the pathetic, weak, human to blame his own urges on a green monster. How easy to forget that Hulk was born from Banner, and at his core there was nothing of Hulk that wasn't first Banner.
And Banner was smart. Banner was a scientist. Banner took things apart and learned how they worked with the kind of single-mindedness that caused rushed gamma radiation experiments resulting in a literally raging case of dissociative identity disorder.
Hulk watched, and smashed, and fought, and learned. He was aware, because one had to be aware in case Betty's Stupid Father was launching rockets, filtering through more sensory data input than most thought possible, and he recognized what was going on with the green man. (Privately, in an abstract way, Hulk appreciated the color scheme Loki brought to the field but was too busy throwing trucks to voice such sentiment.) There was rage and pain in those green eyes concealed behind cold smiles and derisive statements -but the Hulk was a creature of rage and it couldn't be hidden from him- that grew every time the stupid girly hammer man started making his stupid speeches. Speeches about madness and reason and brotherhood.
The Hulk hurled a chunk of building at the blonde to shut him up and began circling around.
Banner's little band of humans were going about this the wrong way, but when all you had was a hammer... the poorly named 'Hulk Buster' units weren't very good at their job. The green man needed a Betty, but Hulk didn't think one-eye was going to let any Betty's into the war-zone.
Hulk couldn't help but feel a certain kinship with not-quite-puny man.
Hulk waited till the green man was focused on the flying metal man before making his move.
"What-?" The green man -Loki- hissed as Hulk wrapped his arms around the slight frame and held. Loki tensed, thaumaturgical radiation built in his hands and the gem in staff head began pulsing bright blue, but when the Hulk rested his chin gently against the feminine man's head the gathered energy sputtered out.
The Hulk tightened his grip and growled as someone decided to take advantage of the situation and toss a hammer at them. Loki shuddered as the Hulk twisted them around and took Mjolnir to the shoulder with a pained grunt.
"What are you doing?" Loki squeaked, and Hulk could hear the broken shards of pain that turned to anger that turned to hate that turned to suffering. The magic staff had fallen forgotten to the shattered street below.
"Hulk mad. Hulk smash." Hulk answered, tugging his light burden close and glaring at Banner's so called allies. "Green man smash a bit more than Hulk, is all."
"...you're their Hulk?" Loki sounded dazed, as if he was trying to recall a conversation that had ended in the haze of so familiar rage.
Hulk peeled back his lip. "Hulk is Hulk's."
Hulk felt wetness on his arm and then movement as the green man twisted, elegant arms wrapping around his neck, and the Hulk patted Loki's back possessively as annoying buzzing helicopters circled. When Loki's breathing started to even out, the rage finally giving way to the endless tiredness that always seemed to follow it, Hulk made his way back to street level so he could threaten Banner's minions properly. "Not nail.
End.