Natasha sat on her couch while flipping through the TV channels, fighting the urge to look at her phone. Bruce had been gone for weeks and just got back to Earth a few days ago.
All he told her before he left was that he had to take care of something in space and that he would contact her when he got home. His voice gave away that he was in Professor Hulk form, since he broke his inhibitor in a car crash that caused his cousin, Jennifer, to become She-Hulk. Natasha knew her boyfriend wouldn't have left Jennifer if it wasn't important.
Then, when Bruce called Natasha to tell her he was back, he seemed off and hesitant when he told her they needed to talk. His voice sounded like it was back to normal, which meant he was in human form. But a nagging part of her told her that something was wrong.
Natasha was broken out of her thoughts when she heard a knock. She turned off the TV and opened the door to reveal a human looking Bruce. Her eyes glanced toward his inhibitor then back to his face. He gave her a small smile as he greeted her, and she opened the door more as she said "Hey," back.
"How did you know I was at the New York compound," Natasha asked him after she closed the door. She had been staying with Yelena, Melina and Alexei when he came back home.
"You shared your location with me remember?" he reminded her with a smirk.
Natasha nodded and was going to make a joke, but his eyes gave away that he had been through something over the past few weeks.
"Bruce, what's wrong," she asked, unable to hide her concern.
"Can we sit down?"
She nodded and sat on the sofa as he followed to sit next to her. Upon closer inspection, Bruce looked exhausted and emotionally drained. His eyes wouldn't meet her gaze, indicating he was nervous, and he began to wring his hands together.
"Wh-when I was in space, I um... I found out something that shouldn't be possible," he began. "But it did. Nat... when I was on Sakaar, the Grandmaster took the Hulk's blood and made another Hulk with a machine. Nat, I have a son."
Natasha was shocked, horrified on his behalf, and a little jealous. On one hand, he had what she didn't and could never have. A large part of her was happy for Bruce and confused at the same time.
"Did..." She sighed and started over, "Did you know? When you merged yourself with the Hulk?"
"No," he immediately replied as he shook his head. "Natasha, I promise I didn't know, or I would have told you. I just found out weeks ago when I was in space and then the memories of being poked at come flooding back. The ship that caused Jennifer and I to crash was a messenger ship from my son. He found out I was alive and wanted to know who I was. At first, I thought it was a prank, but when I got to Sakaar, it wasn't. I thought about telling you before I left, but I didn't... I didn't want to hurt either one of us if I found out it wasn't true."
Natasha sighed and said, "On one hand, I'm happy that you have a son and I'm relieved that there wasn't another woman involved, but I'm horrified that you were poked and prodded at for your DNA."
She took his hands in hers to let him know it was okay to touch her, but also to give him comfort.
Bruce looked from their intertwined hands to her gaze and pressed his forehead to hers. Natasha knew that he was trying to be there for her too, and it made her fall a little more in love with him.
"Are you going to need more time? I know this is an adjustment," he said.
"I'll be okay," she reassured him. "What's his name?"
"Skaar. S-K-A-A-R. Weird name, but it's what the Grandmaster called him."
"Are you happy?"
Bruce smiled a bit and said, "Yeah. Once I got over the shock and got him here, I let myself be happy. I told my family first, but I told him about you on the way to Earth. He understood that I needed to tell you when I got back."
