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“Natasha told me about your cards,” Steve said, walking up beside Agent Coulson who leaned against the railing, looking over one of the landing pads, “You want me to sign them for you?”
Agent Coulson looked up in surprise, startled slightly out of his thoughts. He gave Steve a nervous grin.
“Actually, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like my kids to meet you,” A nervous hand went up to adjust his tie, something he hardly did.
“You’re a father?” Steve asked, slightly surprised but somehow pleased. Being a father seemed to suit the man in front of him.
“Yeah, I’ve got two,” Agent Coulson reached into a jacket pocket and pulled a worn picture from its depths, holding it out for the Captain to see.
Phil Coulson looked out at him with a large grin on his face. He kneeled next to two young boys. One stood with his hands clasped in front of him, shy smile on his face. The other held a small replica of Steve’s shield, wild grin showing of a missing tooth. Both were slightly grungy and Phil had a large smear of dirt running from his cheek down his chest. They all looked like they were having fun.
“Austin is seven and Desirae is six,” Phil said, shrugging as though it wasn’t all that.
“Desirae?” Steve looked to Phil, cocking his head and thinking how unusual a name that was for a little boy.
“She’s sort of a tomboy,” Phil smiled softly, tapping the obviously younger of the two ‘boys’.
“Oh,” Steve mumbled feeling a blush spread across his cheeks at his mistake.
“Don’t worry, Captain. You’re not the first or the last person to do that,” Phil laughed, actually laughed, smiling broadly.
Steve didn’t know that that would be the last time he saw the man alive.