Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

A/N: This takes place after the episode "Gamma-World" and before "Masters of Evil".

A Conversation Between Friends

It had been a few days since the defeat of the Leader, who was taken away and imprisoned by SHIELD in Reed Richards' Negative Zone Prison, but it was an event that definitely wouldn't be forgotten by The Avengers. It especially wouldn't be forgotten by Janet Van Dyne, otherwise known by the name Wasp, for the mere thought of being transformed into a gamma monster still made her skin crawl, not to mention that it gave her quite a few nightmares. Still, she was thankful that it all turned out right in the end, with the villain defeated, the world saved, and Hawkeye joining the group as well as Hulk rejoining the team.

Speaking of the Green Goliath, Janet noticed something usual about the Hulk, something that none of her other teammates seemed to notice. Whenever she attempted to talk to him or try to form a bond of friendship with him, Hulk would merely walk away from her, his expression emotionless as always, but he could not hide the look of sorrow and guilt that lingered in his emerald irises. It was when Janet noticed this that she knew that something was bothering the Green Goliath, but she wasn't quite sure what it could be. She was determined to find out one way or another, knowing that she was the only one capable of having a conversation with the Hulk... without getting smashed!

Janet finally got her chance on this very day, her violet-blue eyes discovering the Hulk, who seemed to be on his way towards the lounge/living room. Not waiting another moment, Janet immediately shrinks down in size before flying off, hoping to intercept Hulk as soon as he entered the room. Hulk seemed to be more distant than usual, as if he were lost in his own thoughts, his senses seemingly unaware of Wasp's approach. It was only when Wasp returned to her normal size did Hulk take notice of her, but not before he lightly bumped against her, causing the female brunette to stagger a few footsteps backward.

Hulk looked at Wasp, his jade green eyes locking on to her own violet-blue irises, his mind wondering what she was doing in the lounge room. He didn't really care that Janet was here, but Hulk couldn't deny that some small fragment of his mind that was curious as to what reason she had appeared before him. He didn't know what Janet was doing, but she was clearly up to something, that much Hulk was certain of.

"Hi, Hulk! Got a moment?", Janet greeted in her usual cheerful tone of voice.

"What do you want, Wasp?", Hulk demanded, narrowing his eyes while keeping his features emotionless.

"Nothing. Just wondered if something was bothering you. That's all.", Janet answered, her voice holding no lies or deceit, only honesty and sincerity.

"Why do you care?", Hulk questioned in a low voice, staring at the brunette that stood before him.

"I care because I'm your friend... we all are.", Janet answered, reaching out and grasping Hulk's massive right hand with her own small hands.

Janet couldn't help but feel small in Hulk's presence, even when she was currently in her normal human female form. Everything about the Hulk's appearance was intimidating and utterly overwhelming, from his eight-foot-six-inch height and muscular two thousand pound physique to the large digits on each of his massive hands. While others would have been intimidated by the Hulk, Janet was one of the few that remained calm and placid, for she knew that despite his monstrous appearance, Hulk had the heart of a hero which was capable of great compassion and understanding.

However, as soon as she grasped his hand with her own, Hulk quickly pulled away, refusing to lock eyes with his beautiful female teammate. He couldn't show weakness, not even for a moment, for he was the strongest one there is, and to show any signs of emotion was considered weak. He didn't expect her to understand, not only why he always kept a barrier around himself, but also the way he acted whenever she tried to get close to him. He hurt her once... and he never wanted that to happen again.

"Hulk, if something is bothering, I want you to know that you can tell me. You can trust me. I won't tell anyone, I promise.", Janet proclaimed in a sweet and sincere tone.

Hulk looked at Wasp, his emerald eyes meeting her own violet-blue irises once again. Despite himself, Hulk felt that he wanted to talk to Janet, to allow her to become closer to him. The only thing that was holding him back was his own fear, not of her, but an unconquerable fear of himself. In the past, Hulk had unintentionally hurt those who were closest to him, even the very woman that he loved... Betty. Secretly, Hulk longed for friendship, and out of all of his teammates, Janet Van Dyne/Wasp was the one that he was the most fond of. Would it be so bad to let her close?

"I'm sorry.", Hulk apologized as he averted his gaze once again, much to Janet's confusion.

"Sorry?", Janet asked, raising a questioning eyebrow as she stared at the Green Goliath that stood before her.

"Yes, I'm sorry... for hurting you.", Hulk answered, meeting her gaze briefly.

"Hulk, it wasn't your fault. You were under Enchantress' spell. You couldn't control yourself.", Janet argued in a calm voice, trying to reason with the Jade Giant.

"It doesn't matter. I could have crushed you... I almost did. I don't expect you to forgive me... I don't deserve forgiveness.", Hulk responded, his voice filled with guilt and self loathing.

For what seemed like an eternity, Janet could only stare at the Hulk with an expression that was a mixture of sympathy and understanding. Suddenly, without so much as a warning, Janet rushed forward and embraced Hulk around the waist in an affectionate hug. Needless to say, Hulk was more than surprised by this unexpected token of friendly affection, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked down at the beautiful brunette who continued to embrace him.

"I forgive you.", Janet stated in a voice loud enough for him to hear.

A smile slowly formed on Hulk's features, his massive arms slowly enveloping Janet's petite form, returning her affection with that of his own. It had been so long since Hulk had held someone in his arms, to feel their warm skin against his green flesh, and to hear the soft breaths of another. It was on this day that Hulk knew that he had at least one friend amongst his teammates, one who could understand him in ways that few others could, and that person was none other than Janet Van Dyne. It was a friendship that was sure to last for many years to come.

THE END

Author's Notes

I always enjoyed the interaction between Hulk and Wasp, because unlike the others members of the team, whom he merely tolerates or has a competitive friendship with (Thor & Hawkeye), I feel that Janet is Hulk's closest friend on the team. She's always willing to make conversation with him, even though Hulk is a man-monster of few words. Wasp is also usually the one who willingly fights alongside Hulk, which makes sense in a way because it's a perfect combination of power and speed.

I've always found their scenes to be very touching and amusing. I still believe Hulk's guilt over hurting Wasp while he was under Enchantress' spell in the episode "Some Assembly Required" was the main reason why he temporarily left the team. It wasn't just about them not trusting him, but also Hulk's fear of hurting them, especially Janet Van Dyne/Wasp, whom he's the closest to out of all of them.

I've been reading Incredible Hulk comics for seven-eight years, and one thing that I've noticed from all of the comics I've read is that Hulk fears himself. It's why he wishes to be left alone, even if he doesn't admit it, but we know that it's true. If he wanted to destroy the planet and kill everyone and everything... he could do it quite easily. Trust me.

Anyways, I hope you readers enjoyed this story, and feel free to review. If you want to read more stories involving Wasp, Hulk, and the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, please feel free to check out my other two stories on my profile. If you love the Marvel Universe and all the characters that inhabit it, then you'll definitely want to check these stories out!

- Shades of Green (1st installment of the series; Completed; I'm hoping that this will be the first of my stories to reach over 300 reviews)

- Shades of Green: One Month (In-between piece that's made up of several short stories)

I'm already planning the sequel, Shades of Green: Heart of the Monster, so there'll be more awesomeness coming in the near future. If you like stories with a lot of action, drama, humor, and romance, then I highly suggest you check ot these two stories of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Trust me, you won't be disappointed!