1. Chapter 1

Steve did not fall in love with Phil Coulson at his funeral.

The SHIELD agent had won Steve's respect by taking on Loki alone, and Steve had been around enough fawning fans in his USO days that he could not hold Agent Coulson's clear admiration of Captain America against him (even after everything, Steve felt uncomfortable with his celebrity, but it was something he tried to accept diplomatically). What he knew of Agent Coulson from their very brief acquaintance was that he was smart, brave, endearing and honest. That was enough to mourn him.

Coulson's coffin had actually been draped with a large round cloth with the Captain America shield printed on it, which Steve was embarrassed about. He squirmed in his seat as Fury got up to speak, stopping for a moment to rest his hand on the star in the middle of the shield, as if holding the coffin down.

Agent Barton leaned over. "Sorry about that. He didn't request it, but…I just had to. That you're here would have meant so much to him. I mean as an ex-Ranger he could have had the American flag but I had to do it." Clint whispered as Fury spoke about Coulson's heroism and loyalty. Steve listened for a while, learning about a man who was almost universally admired by everyone who met him. Pepper Potts did not break down in tears during her speech, but Clint Barton did, as well as a few agents in the audience. Deputy Director Hill sat stone-faced and pale throughout the proceedings.

Everything people said pieced together the picture of a man at the height of his strength and power, a quiet unassuming man who stopped Earth-threatening villains with deadly confidence. And who, apparently, had lived long enough to "see the sea change of acceptance in our society, allowing him to express himself fully even as an ex-Army soldier of the United States."

Steve leaned over towards Bruce and away from Clint who was still looking devastated with Natasha's arm around his shoulder.

"What is Agent Sitwell talking about?" Steve whispered.

Bruce gave him a startled look before whispering back. "Gay rights?"

"What?"

Bruce looked around, slightly panicked. "Uh, Agent Coulson was gay."

Steve blanched and then blushed. He knew what the term implied, but in his day it would not have been brought up at the guy's funeral.

Bruce looked guilty. "He was a good guy, and a soldier. It shouldn't matter."

"It doesn't!" Steve said quickly, gaining a dirty glare from one of the agents in the row behind them. "I mean, it really doesn't."

Bruce gave Steve a complex look that Steve suspected meant he had given too much of himself away. He faced front and concentrated on listening to more about the man he barely had time to know; a man Steve already missed with a longing that surprised him. He glanced at Barton a few times, reading heartbreak and despondency in every line of his face and his posture. Everything clicked for Steve and he understood exactly why Barton was so broken up. Steve himself wasn't too far from that feeling himself, still mourning the losses of both Bucky and Peggy, which for him had happened less than a month ago.

He gazed at the enlarged photo of Agent Phil Coulson that was propped up on a stand to the right of the podium. He remembered the man being a little flustered around him at first, but Steve had quickly picked up on the amount of authority Coulson carried on the helicarrier. At first it had been hard to see him as anything more than a fan wanting his autograph, but as they zeroed in on Loki and then dealt with Barton's attack, Steve quickly dialed in on the agent's smooth, calm voice that always seemed to be in the background, issuing orders like polite requests and commenting dryly on comm chatter.

Until he wasn't, of course.

Steve wondered why he missed a man he barely knew. Steve himself was hardly the obedient soldier. He was used to following his own advice (no matter how much Bucky had yelled at him) and doing things the way he thought best. But it did not change the fact that he felt a warm blossom of pride that someone as valuable, smart and competent as Agent Coulson had thought Steve was important and admirable.

Whatever happened after the funeral, Steve decided that he would do everything he could to keep himself in Coulson's good graces. He liked to think that up in Heaven—because where else would such an honorable, worthy and courageous soldier go in death?—Phil Coulson would look down on Steve with pride.