Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bruce sat in front of the microphone. The radio host was friendly and asking questions and generally making it easier for him to keep engaged.

“Yeah, it was a really fun experience for everyone involved.”

He'd drawn the short straw, being invited to talk about the Avengers’ visit to the hospital downtown. The others had provided him with anecdotes and their favorite stories that they were sure would keep the audience entertained, and Bruce was fairly sure it had worked.

That was, until the DJ slid into more… touchy subjects.

“So, you weren't in the children's ward?”

“Ah, no, I wasn't.”

“Have enough of those at home, huh? Needed some grown-up time.”

Bruce blinked.

“I don't know, my son's pretty grown-up, even compared to other adults.”

The host laughed.

“Now, I've got a question that I think everybody's been asking themselves.”

Bruce braced himself. No one said that and then asked a good question.

“What's it like having two Hulks around?”

Bruce kept his friendly, press-ready expression in place and chuckled.

“I'm not quite sure I know what you mean.”

The DJ gestured vaguely.

“You know, the whole smashy thing.” He laughed. “You're dangerous enough, but then throw a kid with that kinda firepower out there? It's no wonder you never let him leave the house.”

He felt that ever-simmering anger begin to boil and pressed it down.

“Actually, Juliann goes to school every day and he does really well.”

The DJ's grin grew.

“Oh, yeah? That's awesome, man. Still, it must be pretty nerve-wracking on the other students.”

The apartment was quiet when he got back to the compound. It was only four o'clock and Juliann was usually still doing homework about this time, so he didn't think much of it.

“Hey,” he greeted when he entered the kitchen to start himself some tea.

Juliann sat at the island, books and papers scattered across the countertop. Bruce stopped when he saw the boy's blank stare down at the math problem in front of him.

“If you're having trouble, you can always ask for help.”

The boy blinked, looking up sheepishly. No, not sheepishly. As if he was ashamed.

Bruce sat next to him, trying to make himself seem smaller.

“You alright?”

Juliann scribbled a few notes on his page without looking up. Good night, his handwriting was almost as bad as Bruce's.

“Did something happen?”

He shrugged.

“Juliann.” He slid the papers away. “Would you use your words, please?”

The pen clicked a few times before he spoke.

“I was listening to the interview.”

Oh. Bruce decided to tread very lightly.

“I see.”

Juliann picked at the rubber grip of the pen absently.

“I'm sorry that I'm so much trouble.”

Bruce froze.

“Why would you-?” He stared. “What would make you think that?”

His son shrugged.

“I know you never asked for me or wanted me.” He wouldn't meet Bruce's eyes.

The adult couldn't begin to imagine where he had gone wrong to make Juliann think he wasn't wanted.

“Hey.” Bruce lowered his head until he was almost level with the counter, forcing the boy to his eye-level. “Did I ever tell you that I didn't want you?”

Juliann frowned, confusion evident in his eyes.

“No.”

Bruce swallowed. He had to ask it.

“Did the Other Guy ever act like he didn't want you around?”

Juliann hadn't ever seen him in this timeline, but he had to have at some point before.

He gave a small smile.

“No.”

Bruce smiled, matching the hopeful expression on his son's face.

“Then you know it's not true. I really do like having you around.” He figured that he should be completely honest right about now. “You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time.”

Juliann sat up, eyes bright.

“Really?” He wrapped his arms around Bruce's neck and buried his face in his chest. “Thanks, dad.”

Chapter Text

The train station was loud. People jostled each other as they went from platform to platform.

Juliann maneuvered his backpack, making sure all the zippers were closed so his homework wouldn't fall out.

He and his dad had been so excited about the physics conference in Boston that they'd almost forgotten about letting the school know that he wouldn't be in for a few days. His teachers had agreed to the trip as long as he wrote essays on a variety of subjects involved in the trip itself. The history of the city, the social classes and interactions observed on the way to and from, and of course the topics of the actual conference.

“You got it?” His dad adjusted his own backpack over his shoulder but was eyeing the overstuffed, incredibly unwieldy bag on Juliann's back.

Juliann nodded. He'd actually packed less than the other man, but his homework was… hefty.

They began making their way to the exit and away from the crowds. Neither of them were very comfortable around a lot of people, but places of transit were a special kind of chaotic.

His dad said something meant to lighten the mood, but Juliann didn't catch more than the tone when he felt a sharp prick in the side of his neck. He brought a hand up and pulled out a silver dart.

“Dad?” He stumbled. He tried to Hulk Out to flush whatever was in the dart out of his system, but whatever was in the tranquilizer was stopping him.

His dad's eyes widened as Juliann fell to his knees and a swarm of people came out of the crowd with guns.

Juliann yelled for the bystanders to run, the end of his sentence being swallowed up in an earth-shattering roar.

The Hulk picked up a (thankfully empty) passenger car, detaching it messily from the rest of the train, and was ready to throw it, but Juliann called out right when he was pulling his arm back.

“Wait! Don't hurt them.” His words were sluggish, but he was sure he got the point across.

The Hulk grunted and set the car down just in time for the goons to start opening fire on him.

Juliann scooted himself over behind a concrete wall and covered his head, listening as the fight wore one.

Their attackers yelled, but it was all in fear instead of pain so he didn't worry.

Eventually, the gunfire ended and he heard the crunching and twisting of metal.

When he poked his head out, the world was hazy with the drugs beginning to work their way into his system, but he was able to make out the Hulk putting the finishing touches on a makeshift cage made out of the passenger car with their attackers trapped inside. There didn't seem to be any injuries.

The Hulk turned in his direction, so Juliann tried to stand. His head swam and he fell to his knees again.

A big, green hand scooped him up and turned him over, checking him for injuries.

“I'm fine,” he slurred.

The Hulk growled in the direction of the train car.

Juliann stifled a laugh, but not before the Hulk heard it and raised an eyebrow at him.

Just then, a group of Boston's Finest burst onto the platform with their guns drawn.

“Put the kid down!”

Uh-oh.

The Hulk tucked Juliann up against his chest and leapt up through the open roof, landing on the slats above and bounding off into the direction of the nearby trainyard.

Juliann tried to keep his eyes open, but couldn’t.

He felt it when they finally landed on top of the old cargo trailer and when he was laid down on the wooden floor, but he was out like a light shortly after.

The last thing to pass through his mind before the tranquilizer dragged him under was that he was safe and his father would protect him. He always did.

Chapter Text

Hulk sat watching the sun set over the bones of the old trains. Birds had made nests in some of them and wild dogs ran through, yipping at each other but generally ignoring him for the most part. It was peaceful; safe.

The Tiny One lay in the corner on some old tarps that Hulk had managed to find and form into a nest. He couldn’t be very comfortable, but Hulk had tried his best.

Juliann had been holding a tiny silver dart when he fell asleep. It made Hulk angry. He knew that it had made the boy sick, but he kept it because he knew it was important. Why else would Juliann have held onto it through all that?

A black and silver quinjet came down from the sky and Hulk felt his hackles rise. They weren’t going to take the Tiny One from him.

Once it landed, the Metal Man came out first.

“Hey, Jolly Green. Glad to see those new stretchy pants worked.”

Hulk grunted a greeting that he hoped showed his displeasure at their presence.

Behind the Metal Man exited the Thunderer, the Shield-Bearer, the Ice Girl, and the Red Woman’s Son. Hulk liked the last one least of all, but that was probably leftover from Banner’s distrust of the boy’s mother.

“You wanna tell us what happened?” The Metal Man’s voice grated across Hulk’s eardrums. It was too hollow when it came from inside the suit. He grit his teeth.

“Okay, you don’t want to talk. That’s fine.” He raised his gauntletted hands in a gesture of peace and took a step forward. “We’ll just take a look at the kid and-”

Hulk stood, growling lowly.

The Metal Man staggered back.

“Or not.”

“Friend, Hulk.” The Thunderer put a hand in front of the Metal Man. “We only wish to see the boy safe.”

“Safe here.”

The others shared a look, but the Scarred One stepped forward, the Ice Girl standing behind him.

“Yeah, we’re sure you’re protecting him just fine.” He held up a small bag with a red cross on it. “But we need to make sure whatever they gave him isn’t hurting him.”

Hulk glared. They were going to try and take the Tiny One. They always tried to take what was his, what he loved.

“Tiny One mine.” He stepped out of the car and slid the door shut behind him, ensuring that they couldn’t see Juliann asleep on the floor.

The Scarred One held his hands up.

“I know he is, but he’s not safe here.”

Hulk growled.

“More of those people might come and you can’t expect to fight them off and protect Juliann at the same time.” He paused. “You know this; you’re smart.”

The others kept looking between Hulk and the Scarred One, but he ignored them. He was making a lot of sense. Plus, he called Hulk smart. No one had ever said that about Hulk before.

But if they took the Tiny One, that would mean they would want Banner back, too. He couldn’t protect the Tiny One.

“Banner weak.”

The Scarred One nodded. Hulk didn’t think he was pretending at all.

“You’re right, he’s not very good at it.” He caught Hulk’s eyes. “But he’s trying. You have to give him that chance.”

The Metal Man’s armor shifted as Hulk thought this over.

“Hulk want out.”

The Scarred One smiled.

“Okay, how about this: We’ll need to talk it over with Dr. Banner before we finalize anything, but I think we can work out a schedule.” He looked to the other adults for a moment before turning back to Hulk. “Every day, after school, you can check on Juliann and hang out for a while; an hour, hour and a half maybe, so he can still get his homework done before he has to go to bed. Then you and Banner can split weekends and any other day there isn’t school.”

Hulk studied the boy for any sign that he was lying and found nothing. His eye was bright, blue and kind. Hulk was a good judge of character, he’d learned to be very quickly, and this young man was a friend.

He stepped to the side and opened the car back up, allowing his new friend to climb in and kneel over Juliann. He picked up the dart that had been set to the side and handed it to the Ice Girl before setting to work.

Hulk watched closely. The Shield-Bearer came back from the quinjet with a blanket, a water bottle, and food.

He still didn’t like all these people around the Tiny One, but he’d have to get used to it. They might even make his job easier.

Juliann ran down the hallway and straight for the communal gym. Everyone knew that that was where he and his dad had been spending their afternoons when he got home from school the past few days, so they had been steering clear more often than not.

When the door opened, the Hulk was already pacing the floor with his brows drawn low over his eyes and his arms crossed, but his face lit up as soon as he saw Juliann.

The boy dropped his backpack and kept running towards him, sliding on the ground as the giant swung his arm over his head, narrowly missing him. Juliann grabbed the man’s leg and swung up on his back, feeling his muscles ripple and stretch as he grew another two feet taller and his skin turned equally as jade.

Hulk laughed at the boy’s acrobatics but frowned when he sniffed the air. He pulled Juliann off of him by the back of his shirt and turned him every which way, trying to figure out what was off.

Juliann rolled his eyes when his dad held him upside down by his foot and squinted.

“It’s not me, it’s my backpack.”

He huffed when he was set down and the Hulk stalked over to search his backpack.

He didn’t even open it up before he held it as far away as his long arm would stretch with a look of pure disgust on his face at the awful smell.

“ Why?”

Juliann tried not to laugh, but his face was too funny.

“Some kid in chemistry knocked over a beaker of acetaldehyde right on my bag.”

The Hulk squinted.

“It’s highly flammable.”

Juliann’s father dropped the bag and scooped him up, carrying him to the other side of the room.

“No more school.”

Juliann squawked.