A/N: I recently watched the Avengers Assemble movie and this was one of the lines that got stuck in my head. I love Phil Coulson anyway, but watching him in this one with Captain America, well. I just couldn't resist writing this little snippet.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Marvel's Avengers Assemble. I wish I did.

"It's a vintage set."

Those words echoed around his head, just like they did every night. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to change his thoughts. When he realised that he couldn't, he heaved himself from his bed and headed toward the kitchen to make coffee.
Every single night those words haunted him. There was nothing that could get rid of them – Steve had tried everything. Most nights he left his apartment and went to the gym, taking his anger out on a punch-bag, but tonight he just wanted to think. He let the stove finish heating the water and made his coffee, putting it into a pure white mug. He liked little things like the kettle on the stove; it reminded him of lost time. It made him feel more comfortable in the world he had been dropped back into. He moved toward the sofa and sat down, placing the coffee onto the table in front of him. He rubbed his forehead, shutting his eyes tightly. The words were still repeating themselves in Coulson's voice, taunting Steve.

It was strange, Steve thought. How he had still remained a hero after all this time, despite being gone nearly seventy years. He had been kept alive through people and through the memories that they had of him, and Phil Coulson had been one of those people. Steve had found him a little weird at first, he had to admit. It had been uncomfortable for Steve to adjust to everything that had changed and it had been uncomfortable for him to accept his status as a hero and a respected man. He was just a kid from Brooklyn, he had said it before. When he met Phil, Steve could see the child in him that was glowing, finally getting to meet his hero. Steve had been overwhelmed, more than anything. Looking back on it, Steve regretted not talking to him more. He imagined that Phil had a thousand and one questions for him to answer but Steve hadn't been interested at the time, he had been focused on the mission. Now he could never answer them. It was another mistake that he could add to his ever-growing list of things he should have done. He should have danced with Peggy before he left. He should have been able to save Bucky. He should have given Phil the time he deserved.

"It took me a couple of years to collect them all. Near mint, slight foxing around the edges..."

Steve stood up, walking toward the wall in front of him. A lone frame hung there, the only one in the entire apartment. Steve stared into the glass, looking at them. He had requested them from Fury. They had been cleaned, not one trace of blood remained on them. They were placed in the red frame neatly, in perfect lines. His signature was on every single one of them, placed neatly in the right-hand corner. In the centre of them was the card that had the picture of Steve himself. It was the only one that had something more written on it.

'Thank-you.'

Steve looked at them, sighing. He would always regret not signing them when Phil had been alive. Now Steve would keep them as a reminder of someone that he had grown to admire. He would keep them as a reminder of someone that had believed in him. He would keep them as a reminder of the man who had reminded him what heroes were and who he was. That was why he would keep them. For Phil Coulson, a man that would have been his friend.