This is my first Captain America Fic and it has been laying on my server for quite a while now so I figured why not updating it! ;)
A few Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will make an appearance but as they are only side characters I am not listing this fanfiction as a crossover.
Please leave me a review, I'd love to know what you think!
When God took you back he said hallelujah you're home - Ed Sheeran
Hallelujah
The day was beautiful, not too hot and not too cold, the sun was shining in a clear blue sky. Groups of friends, collegues or simply strangers were standing together, talking, sometimes smiling about what was told. There were flowers on the lush green lawn in what must have been hundreds of different colours, their buds still new and just opening up. It was a wonderfully peaceful picture. One could even describe it as beautiful. If it hadn't been the funeral Philip Coulson.
Steve felt unconfortable, really unconfortable, for different reasons: Firstly he hated funerals, well, who doesn't. Secondly he felt guilty for having cut short Coulson so quickly, a man who had admired him but who was so admirable himself. Thirdly he didn't know anyone here. Actually he did, he knew the other Avengers and Fury and Hill but that was about it. Not a lot in a huge group of what he suspected were mostly agents. Forthly, he'd have to hold a speech. For someone he barely knew in front of people he didn't know at all. The odds for getting something wrong were pretty good.
"Hey, how are you doing?", a voice next to him suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts. A certain red-haired spy was standing to his right, dressed in black as usual, her jacket proudly showing off the S.H.I.E.L.D. eagle. "Feeling a bit lost", the Captain admitted, "you know, I don't even know who those guys are. Only that most of them are agents, right?" Black Widow nodded. "Yeah, most of them are S.H.I.E.L.D., almost all field agents who used to work together or for him. He was an important man in the agency, you know?" Yes, Steve had started to figure that out by himself. "If you want, I can give you a little briefing on the most important names", Romanoff offered. Apparently the loss of a man she nearly considered a friend had made her a bit softer. For the day. "That would be great!", he accepted gratefully, "at least I have an idea who is who."
"Okay, you know Fury and Maria Hill, his deputy. So do you see the woman in the black blazer next to Maria? That is Jane Foster, Thor's... girlfriend. The guy standing next to Fury is Alexander Pierce, secretary of the World Security Council, quite a douchebag if you ask me. Next to them is John Garrett. He was Coulson's friend and also trained by Fury. He tries to hit on everyone but he is funny at least. Still I don't like him, he has something weird about him. Then you can see an older man, Gonzales, quite high in S.H.I.E.L.D. as well. The bald guy next to him is Agent Sitwell, he's ok. Additionally to his right Agent Weaver, leader of the Science and Technology Division of S.H.I.E.L.D. academy. No clue where Coulson knew her from. What, you didn't know there was an academy? What did you think where all the agents came from? They are not all recruited from other organisations. Okay, a lot are, but not all!"
She looked halfly amused halfly annoyed at the stunned man next to her. "Who are the two women closest to the coffin?", he then wanted to know, "Tony said something about a cellist." "Yes, that's the brown-haired woman on the right, next to Pepper. She was his girlfriend for quite a while now. Rumour has it they met at an assignment, but I don't know any details about it. The other woman - she is a legend. Even I admit that." Captain America scrutinized her, but then looked back at Natasha, confused. "She doesn't look like a spy to me and also doesn't stand with the other agents. She looks rather like a civilian. But if you say she is a legend, then I guess she is not a civilian at all", he added sheepishly. A slight smile spread over the Russian's lips. "No, not at all, you are right. Her name is Melinda May, she used to be Coulson's partner in a lot of assignments. Until one of them went South, now she works in administration. A horrible waste, she saved a lot of agents in this last mission, that's why she was named 'The Cavalry'. But if you like your live, never call her that! I am fucking serious about it! Oh, and additionally she was Hill's SO. They were nicknamed the 'M&Ms', though there has been a bit bad blood between the two of them. " Now Steve started to smile slightly. "I'd never taken you as a gossip Natasha but apparently I was mistaken. But thank you for sharing that information with me." The woman just shrugged her shoulders. "Sharing information, gossiping - call it what you want. Now you know at least who you will embarass yourself in front of." When she saw Steve's shocked expression she grinned. "I am joking, don't take it too serious, Coulson wouldn't have wanted that. You talking at all would mean the world to him."
Talking at all was still hard but he managed it somehow, feeling lots better afterwards. After the reception, he went back to the grave to pay his last respects in silence, but when he arrived people were still there. Two women were sitting on the grass, their backs towards him, an empty bottle of whiskey between them, another one only half full. In an instant, he recognised the Asian Romanoff and him had talked about and Maria Hill. He stayed back a bit, not wanting to interrupt them, when a man came to stand next to him. "Your speech was good", he said, smiling sadly,"Coulson would have loved it". When he saw Steve's confused look on his face, he offered him a hand. "Andrew Garner, I've worked as a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant for many years and often with him. Now, Mr. Rogers, if you could help me please? Would you make sure Agent Hill gets home safely? I know she can take care of herself, but after that amount of alcohol, she definitely shouldn't drive any more. I will take care of Melinda." With another polite nod, he excused himself and stepped closer to the women. Steve observed how he put a hand on May's shoulder, turning her around, lifting her up, embracing her. Her shoulders shook, she seemed to be crying, while Hill was still sitting on the ground, her eyes fixed on the gravestone. Then she reached up, holding the other woman's hand for a moment, before switching back into her former position. Slowly, he approached her, not wanting to startle her or to get into her personal space. After all, he hardly knew her, had only seen her a few times at the Triskelion or when he had dealt with Fury. Captain America held a great deal of respect for Lieutenant Hill, that he could say, but how Steve should talk to Maria, that he didn't know. Maybe they were right, he just had no idea how to talk to women.
