Author's Note: This chapter title comes from East of Eden by John Steinbeck.


Chapter Eighteen - And now (you can be good)

Danielle awoke early in the morning and flickered to her room before Tony or Bucky could stir from their sleep.

Natasha was waiting.

"Nat," Danielle breathed.

Natasha stared at her for a long moment. And then she picked up the bear from the bed and held it out to her. Danielle crawled up next to her, taking Kasey and clutching him to her chest. When Natasha lifted her arm, it took Danielle only a moment of hesitation before she pressed into the woman's side. It took her a few breaths to speak. "I don't think I can leave my room today."

Natasha nodded. "Okay. I won't push you." And then a heartbeat later, she said, "I'm sorry that I pushed you before."

Danielle didn't have an answer for that. She flinched as a shape moved from under the bed and only relaxed a moment later when it was Bacon that jumped up and climbed into her lap. Danielle sighed and hunched into herself.

"Do you want me to stay?" Natasha asked.

"Please."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"No."

"Okay."


Once Natasha had left, Bucky had finally pushed into her space. With his help, she was finally able to breathe again. Even then, it still took until early morning the next day for her to step outside her door. She left Bucky behind as he slept and flickered up a couple floors.

"JARVIS," she rasped, staring at the door infront of her. "Is Clint awake?"

"Agent Barton is awake," JARVIS responded. "He is in the gym."

Danielle paused. When she listened, she couldn't hear his heartbeat on this floor. She took a deep breath and stepped to the elevator. "Alright, take me there."

"Of course."

The elevator started moving and soon Danielle could distantly hear a heartbeat. The doors opened and she stepped out.

Across the gym, Clint paused his assault of a punching bag. His gaze flicked just barely towards her and then he resumed. Danielle hesitated for just a second, listening to the way his heartbeat wasn't just racing from the workout.

He paused again. "Are you going to join me or what?" he murmured, so quiet that anyone but her wouldn't have heard him.

At that, Danielle flicked over to him and stood behind the punching bag, bracing it for him. "Late night?"

"Early morning," he corrected. He starting punching again, grunting a bit when the bag didn't move at his actions anymore. He eyed her in between his next two punches. "You don't have to look at me like that. I've had three cups by this point."

"That tracks."

"And you?"

"Late night. Couldn't sleep."

"Didn't see you yesterday."

"Yeah. Bad day."

He stopped, breathing heavily as he stared at her. Then he nodded and stepped back, unwinding the bindings around his knuckles. "Your turn."

Danielle hesitated. "That's not a good idea. Since— I've only ever been in real fights or trained with Winter. I don't want to . . . to destroy the equipment."

Clint grinned. "Don't worry about it. That's something I wouldn't mind seeing."

She hesitated and then shook out her hands, stepping around to face the bag. Clint moved back a step. Danielle took one long, deep breath. She widened her stance and threw a punch.

At her touch, the bag went flying. It only stopped when it hit the wall and exploded into scrap and sand. Clint burst out laughing. Danielle felt her face burn. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Are you kidding? That was awesome!"

She glanced at him and a smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah, well . . . I picked up a few things. Hydra was good for that, at least."

"Speaking of . . . Your old man scratched together a list of still-standing bases while we were looking for you. Interested in joining us?"

Danielle's chest felt tight. "Yeah. I think I need to."


There was a gift on her bed.

Danielle sat down in front of it and drew her legs up, staring at the familiar handwriting on the wrapping paper.

Nell

The name was written across the white of Santa's beard in sharpie. She swallowed thickly and then let energy buzz at the tip of her finger as she dragged it down the paper, splitting it apart. Danielle stared at the case left behind for a moment before unlatching it and lifting the lid with steady hands.

She stared at the gun inside. Then she ran her fingers over the engraving on the slide: Tyger Tyger, burning bright.

She'd heard his heartbeat, so she wasn't surprised when he spoke. "Have you read that poem?"

"Yeah," she murmured, leaning back into his touch when his hand rested on her shoulder. She picked up the gun and tested its weight in her hands. "Why?"

"I read it a long time ago, I think. It reminds me of you."


THE END

Thanks for reading Smoke, Blood, Steel! The first chapter of the next installment of the Erstwhile Series, Your Gold and Silver Have Corroded, should be up soon!