A/N: This takes place post Infinity War, but Bruce isn’t Smart Hulk. 

I will try to update every day this week. I'm so excited for this event! 😄

Word Count: 3, 261

    Bruce stepped out of the private plane and looked at the tiny airport. It wasn’t an airport, really. More like a field with a hangar in the middle of it.

    “Here are your bags, Doctor Banner,” the pilot said, interrupting his thoughts.

   “Oh, thank you,” Bruce murmured, taking his two suitcases. 

   “Mr. Stark should have arranged for a car to pick you up at the road in front of the airport,” he continued.

    “Alright, thanks. Have a safe flight back.” Bruce picked up his two bags and started his walk toward the vehicle in the distance. The flight over was a bit depressing. Bruce and the pilot both had headphones to talk through, but they didn’t really use them. They had to stop and refuel once, to which the two exchanged a few words, but aside from that was radio silence. The snap was still very fresh: it had only been three months. Bruce didn’t dare ask the pilot if he’d lost a family, and the pilot didn’t ask him. They both already knew the answer: everyone had.  

   He finally made it to the red pickup truck. A friendly face greeted him from inside. “Hello, Doctor Banner! We’re so excited for you to stay with us!”

   Bruce smiled. “Hello, Korg.” 

   “You can put your stuff in the back,” he pointed to the truck bed. Bruce set his two suitcases in the back, then walked around and joined the rocky alien in the front seat. “So how have you been holding up?” Korg asked as he turned the truck on and put it into drive. Bruce wondered if Korg was actually able to get a license, or if anybody cared at that point. 

   “I’m doing the best I can,” Bruce replied. “It’s definitely hard having half our team gone, though. How about you?”

   Korg shrugged. “Miek survived, so that helped. Thor and Val are still alive. I haven’t seen my mum in years, so I have no idea what happened to her.” He glanced at Bruce, then looked back at the windy roads. “We’re definitely grateful for you deciding to pay a visit. Thor needs it. He’s been blaming himself for Loki’s death. He’ll probably act like everything is normal for your sake, but don’t be fooled. He’s started drinking more and he’s taken care of himself less.”

    Bruce nodded. “Good to know. How long until I see him?” 

    “Oh, probably another thirty minutes. There’s not many airfields around here.” 

    “How has earth life been treating you?” Bruce asked. 

     Korg shrugged. “A few people have given me weird looks when I’ve gone outside of town, but I don’t think anybody really cares anymore. Weirder stuff has happened, you know?” He chuckled awkwardly. The two continued to catch up as Krog drove to New Asgard. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    “He’s going to be so excited!” Korg whispered as he grabbed Bruce’s bags out of the truck bed. 

    “Wait...you didn’t tell him?” Bruce asked. 

    “Brunhilde and I decided it would be nice to surprise him. If he can’t let you stay with him, she has some space at her house.” 

   Bruce nodded, now nervous. Would Thor even want to see him? Would he kick him out of his house and make him go back home? Was he secretly angry for Bruce not being able to turn into Hulk?

    Before Bruce could voice his concerns, Korg knocked on the door. “Thor! It’s Korg!”

   “What do you want?” a gruff voice called. 

  “You’re--uh--beer shipment is here! I picked it up for you.”

   Great. Now Bruce was being compared to alcohol. 

   The door opened, and the god stepped out. He looked around for a second before his eyes landed on the scientist. “ Bruce !” he exclaimed. He rushed forward and lifted him off the ground in a tight hug. 

   “Hey, Thor,” Bruce wheezed, the god’s muscles squeezing all the air out of his lungs. 

   He put him down, but still grasped his shoulders. “What are you doing here?” 

    “I uh, came to see you. Aside from Carol, you’re the only other Avenger that doesn’t currently live nearby. I hope you don’t mind me staying a little bit?” He gestured to his suitcases. 

    “Not at all, not at all. I just wish I had more time to clean.” He shot a pointed look at Korg. “Come in.” He grabbed one of Bruce’s suitcases and led them inside. 

   Bruce looked around at the small cottage. PopTart wrappers, chip bags, and empty beer bottles cluttered the side tables by the couch. A game on the TV had been paused. Thor led them to the kitchen. Unopened mail was stacked on the counter. Dishes were piled haphazardly in the sink, and a heap of laundry sat in the corner by a small washing machine nestled in the corner by the back door. 

   The scientist once again wished he had some kind of psychology or counseling degree. He definitely could have used it. He was no crisis intervention specialist, but he was definitely going to help Thor manage his grief and get his living space in order. 

  He looked at the god himself. He was wearing a bathrobe over a t-shirt, flannel pajama pants, and bunny slippers that squeaked when he walked. His hair had grown out to about shoulder length, but it was matted and greasy-looking. He also started growing a beard. 

  Bruce tuned back into what Thor was saying as he gave the house tour. He was leading them down a short hallway, showing him the bathroom and bedroom. The god frowned. “I think we have a problem, Banner. I only have one bed. I suppose I can always sleep on the couch.” 

   “Your couch is a pull out bed,” Korg stated. 

  “A what?” 

  “A pull out bed. You take off the cushions and it folds out into a bed.” 

  Thor smiled. “Ah! Problem solved then!” He turned to Bruce. “You can still have my room, though. I fall asleep on the couch most of the time anyways playing Two Weeks.” 

  “It’s called Fortnite, my lord.”

   Thor waved his hand. “Doesn’t matter.”

   There was an awkward silence. Korg decided to break it. “Well, I should get going. I’ll see you tomorrow, Thor!”

   “Bye!” the god called as the alien headed toward the front door. 

   “Let me know if you need help with anything!” he replied, opening it. 

  “Will do!” 

  Korg closed the door and left Thor and Bruce, who stood and stared at each other for a moment. Thor blushed. “Sorry about the mess. I wasn’t expecting guests.”

  Bruce shook his head. “That’s okay. I can help you clean. But first, I want to know how you’re doing. How you’re really doing.” He waved his hand toward the couch. “Why don’t we sit down?”

  Thor started to sweat nervously. Being open about his trials wasn't his forte. Especially being open to a man he admired so much. Who was going to be living with him for a little bit. And seeing the way he was living. 

  Bruce started the conversation. “I’m not a trained psychologist or therapist, but I want to help you. How have you been after losing so many people? After losing Loki?”

  Thor’s gut twisted, but he tried to keep things together. “I feel great,” he replied, plastering on a smile. Bruce raised an eyebrow. “I avenged my brother’s death by killing Thanos, did I not?”

   “I suppose you did. But have you been able to properly mourn your brother? I know he’s been known to fake his death before. But back on the ship...his death didn’t look very fake. Have you been able to accept that?”

  Thor's expression turned stormy. “Who are you to come in here and question my brother’s abilities? To question my grieving?” Electricity pulsed through his body, which he tried to control. 

  “I’m sorry, Thor,” Bruce said solemnly. “I wasn’t trying to say that your brother wasn’t able to fake his death. I’m just asking if you’re able to accept the fact that he may have actually died? I understand that this is a sensitive topic for you. We can change it if you’d like, or I can leave. Brunhilde has a place for me to stay.” 

  The god shook his head. “I’m sorry for lashing out. Maybe it’s for the best that we don’t talk about my brother right now.”

  Bruce nodded. “That’s perfectly fine.” He looked around. “I’m wondering: have you forgiven yourself and stopped blaming yourself for so many deaths that weren’t your fault? You’ve taken care of others' needs, but have you taken care of yourself ?”

   Thor was silent for a moment. “I could’ve done better. If I had only gone for his head, everyone would’ve still been here. Well...most everyone.” 

  “Thor, we did our best with the circumstances we had. You can’t blame yourself for the stuff you didn’t know or weren’t able to do. Do you blame the Hulk for not coming out in Wakanda?”

   The god shook his head. “Of course not.”

   “Why not?”

   “Well...at the time, you didn’t have control of him coming out. He didn’t want to. That wasn’t your fault. You did your best with what you had.” 

    “Exactly,” Bruce replied. “We both did our best. Sometimes when we do all that we can, the universe still wins. We have to try to move on when that happens.” 

  “Okay,” Thor whispered. 

  “I’ve been looking at you and your living space and I’m wondering if you’ve been taking care of yourself?” Bruce asked. 

   Thor shrugged. “I haven’t had much motivation to do anything lately, really. Aside from drink and game. Those are my escapes.” 

  “Do gods not get hangovers?”

   Thor shook his head. “Your beer on Midgard isn’t very strong, either.”

  “May I ask a few personal questions?” 

  “You mean even more personal?” he replied with a grin. 

  “When was the last time you showered?” Bruce asked. “Or done laundry? Or dishes? Or taken a walk?”

  Thor seemed to curl in on himself. “I want to do all of that, but it...it just seems so overwhelming. Each of those things look like foes to be conquered.”

   “Hey, I’ve been there. I get that,” Bruce replied, placing a hand on the god’s shoulder. “It can be really hard to pull yourself out of that. That’s why I’m here to help you. What if we start with one small thing today and go from there?” 

  Thor looked at the clock on his wall. It was almost seven o’clock. “It’s getting a little late to start something big. What should we do?” 

  Bruce thought for a moment. “I think it’s important to take care of yourself a little bit before taking care of the things around you. Why don’t you take a shower? Even if that feels overwhelming, just try to wash your hair. Or just stand under the warm water. It’s better than nothing.”

   “I don’t think I have any soaps,” he replied. 

  “I do,” the scientist replied, grinning. “And I have some clean sweatpants and a shirt that is a bit baggy for me that you can wear. While you shower, I can find us something to make for dinner.” 

  Thor agreed, and Bruce retrieved his things. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   After searching the cupboards, fridge, and freezer, Bruce settled on some TV dinners. He promised himself to go shopping the next day as he heated up some mashed potatoes with salisbury steak and mac n cheese in the microwave. Thor stepped into the living room right as Bruce was getting some forks. 

  “You were right, Bruce. I feel so much better after showering. My hair is so clean!” 

  “I'm glad,” Bruce replied, trying not to linger on how tight his shirt was on Thor’s torso, or how his sweatpants were a bit too small. “You’re just in time for dinner, too! I’ll go grocery shopping tomorrow as well.” 

  Thor smiled and sauntered over to where the microwave dinners were cooling on the counter. 

  “Do you want steak or mac n cheese?” Bruce asked. 

  “I’m fond of the mac n cheese,”Thor replied. He grabbed the plastic bowl from the counter and sat on the couch. Bruce joined him. 

  The two ate in silence. Thor was still a bit embarrassed of Bruce seeing him live the way he was, but he was also very grateful for getting the help he’d been needing. 

  After dinner, Bruce helped Thor set up the pull out bed. He found extra blankets in the hall closet. “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep in your own room?” he asked Thor. “I’m perfectly fine sleeping on the couch.”

   He shook his head. “My guest deserves the best. I’ll be fine out here.” 

   “If you insist,” Bruce replied. “Goodnight!” he called before heading down the hall toward Thor’s room. 

  “Goodnight!” 

   Bruce got ready for bed and crawled under the thick furs and quilts. He grabbed his phone off of his nightstand and texted Tony, who had wanted an update about Thor’s well being. Even though it was around four in the morning back at the compound, Bruce had no doubt that Tony would be awake. After talking back-and-forth for a few minutes, the scientist muted his phone and tried to fall asleep. Since he was jetlagged, it didn’t take long. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Bruce woke up a few hours later.  That’s when he realized he wasn’t alone. He tensed as soft snores tickled the hair on the back of his neck. He became aware of strong arms wrapped around his waist. What was Thor doing in his room!? (Well, in his own room.) 

  He tried to turn in Thor’s arms only for the god to squeeze tighter. At that rate, Bruce would die a slow death similar to that of a boa constrictor, which wasn’t an ideal way to die in his opinion. He decided to lie still and wait things out. Thor wasn’t really doing any harm, was he? At least he showered. 

  “Oh Mother, you wouldn’t believe the nice man I’ve found!” Thor mumbled.

  Bruce furrowed his brows. Thor sleep-talked?

  “He’s tiny and smart and has white skin, but also green skin. But that’s okay. I love all his skins!”

   This is getting weird , Bruce thought. Although now he was curious. 

  “And he’s helping me, mum. He’s helping me get my life back together. To move on from Loki. I don’t deserve his kindness. He’s already done so much! And he’s staying at my house! Maybe this will be my chance to tell him how I feel! I think killing Thanos is easier than doing that, though, lol.”

  Did he just say lol? Wait...does Thor like me!?

 “Anyway, I think jeg elsker ham . Jeg vil gifte meg med ham.”

He must have switched to his native tongue, Bruce thought. 

 “Yes, Mother, I won’t move too fast. I don’t want to scare him off. I wish I could invite you and Loki, though, but you’re dead. Maybe I could bargain with Hela. Someone has to be alive to walk me down the aisle.” 

  Bruce felt a hand running through his hair. That’s it. I don’t want this getting any weirder.

  “Thor,” he whispered. The god continued rambling. “ Thor!” he tried more forcefully. He began to move around, hoping if Thor did accidentally cut off his air supply that Hulk would save him. He squirmed more as Thor’s arms tightened. He ended up kneeing him in the stomach, which woke the god up. 

  “Huh? Wha? Where am I?” 

   “I thought you were sleeping on the couch, Thor,” Bruce said. 

  “I thought I was too…” the god scooted away and gave the scientist some space. Bruce was finally able to take a full breath. Thor groaned. “Oh no! Odin’s Beard, I forgot I sleepwalk sometimes! I’m so sorry!”

   Bruce chuckled. “That’s okay. You just took me by surprise.” 

   Thor rolled to the far edge of the bed, covering his face. “This is so embarrassing! What’s worse is that I came in here and...and cuddled with you without your permission! I feel terrible!” 

   “It’s okay. You weren’t aware of what you were doing. I guess I’ll just have to lock the door next time.” Although, Bruce secretly liked the feeling of being held. No one had cuddled him like that before. 

   Thor laughed awkwardly. “I guess. At least I didn’t sleep talk. That would’ve been really embarrassing. I had a problem with that when I was younger.”

  “Um...about that…,” Bruce started. 

  The god’s eyes widened, and a mortified expression crossed his face. “No. Please tell me I didn’t sleep talk!”

  The smaller man nodded slowly. 

  Thor ran a hand across his face. “Oh gosh, how embarrassing was it!?”

  Bruce spared most of the details. He wasn’t that cruel. “Well, I think you were dreaming of your mother. You were saying something to her. Half the time you were either mumbling or speaking in your native tongue. You sounded happy, though.” 

  “Well, I guess that’s good. I’m not ready to spill my deepest darkest secrets to you, Bruce.” They both shared a laugh. The scientist decided to not bring up Thor’s potential crush. He’d wait to see if Thor actually said anything when he was more awake. 

  Thor yawned and stretched. “I’ll let you get back to sleep.”

  Bruce chuckled. “Alright. Don’t let your feet carry you into the fjord outside.” 

  “I’ll do my best not to,” Thor replied, climbing out of bed and walking to his door. “Goodnight...again.” 

  “Goodnight.” Bruce pulled the covers over him and tried to get some more sleep. Staying with Thor was certainly going to be interesting. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Bonus Scene: (A Post-Credit Scene, if you will)

   Post Endgame  (This is probably gonna be so inaccurate once NWH comes out)

  “Have you heard about that weird multiversal stuff going on in New York?” Korg asked as he and Thor logged onto Fortnite with a giant bowl of Cheeto Puffs sitting between them. 

  “Yeah, it’s been weird. Poor Peter has been getting pounded, according to the news,” Thor replied. “Nobody has contacted me about any of this yet. Do you think we should pay everyone a visit and help out?"

  Korg shrugged. "As far as I know, the chaos only ensued this week. Maybe we should give it a few more days. I've heard a few people have gone missing, and others have shown up that aren't from this universe, like the other SpiderPeople on the news. It would suck to get trapped in a different universe." 

  "I'll drink to that," Thor replied. He still didn't quite know how to use earth sayings. 

  "Thor, you've been sober for a month now! Let's keep it that way!" 

  "Oh, it was a joke, Korg!" 

  "Let's just play Fortnite." 

  "Fine," Thor replied. They started a game. They were doing pretty good until--

  “I’ve been shot,” Korg said calmly. How that alien didn’t get gaming rage, he had no idea. 

  Thor looked at the screen tag. “NoobMaster69,” he hissed menacingly. “Why did you even friend them, Korg? All they’ve ever done was bully you! Here, give me your headset!”

  The god grabbed the headphones. “Hello NoobMaster, it’s Thor again. Remember me? Hey yeah, why do you bully my friend? If y’all are such good ‘friends’, why are you always shooting him? I don’t think that’s what good friends do! Just who do you think you are!?”

  Everything was quiet. Thor wasn’t expecting an answer anyhow. He was about to pass the headset back to Korg when the line suddenly crackled from being unmuted. 

  “Hello, Brother.” 

I literally stumbled across this like four days after publishing this and screamed lol.