Combustion ✦ STEVE ROGERS² [✓]

19 | NO, YOU MOVE

A FEW DAYS LATER, KATO AND STEVE WERE IN LONDON. Kato sat in a cathedral packed with mourners, dressed in black as she kept her head down. A choir was singing at the front of the cathedral, and after a few moments, six pallbearers carrying a coffin draped with the Union Jack walked in - one of them being Steve. His eyes were red; he'd been crying, but that was the only sign of his sadness as he carried the coffin up to the altar, where a candle burned by a framed photograph of Peggy in a military uniform, with the label reading "Margaret 'Peggy' Carter".

Kato hadn't known Peggy like Steve had, but she knew that the two had been close during his time in World War Two. So when he told her that Peggy had passed, Kato knew she had to come to the funeral along with him. She didn't want him to be alone; she cared about him too much to let him go on his own. But even so, she still couldn't help the pain she felt in her heart whenever she thought about Steve and Peggy. She could tell that they were very close, and if Steve hadn't gone into the ice, he and Peggy probably would've grown old together. And it often made Kato feel like she was Steve's second choice - someone he was only dating because his old flame was out of his life.

Sam, who had come along with Kato to support Steve, put his hand on Kato's arm when he saw her downcast eyes.

"You okay, Kato?" Sam asked quietly.

Kato looked up at him and nodded, trying to mask her sadness. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright."

Sam gave her a knowing look, staying silent for a beat. "I know what you're thinking," he said to her after a moment. "But you don't need to worry about it. Steve let go of Peggy the moment he realized how he felt about you. You're his girl now, Kato. Not her." He nodded at Peggy's photo.

Kato met Sam's gaze before giving him a small smile and a nod. She wasn't entirely convinced, but she didn't want him to know that. The last thing she wanted was for the focus to be on her when things were supposed to be about Peggy.

Once the coffin had been placed at the front of the cathedral, Steve returned to his seat, taking a place next to Sam. Kato looked over at him, their eyes locking for a brief moment. She saw how crushed he looked, how devastated he appeared. So she offered him a small, half-hearted smile. He returned the gesture before turning his attention to the front.

Once everyone had been seated, the funeral began. Kato listened intently the entire time, her eyes trained on the various people who came to the front to offer eulogies for Peggy. It was incredible how influential Peggy had been throughout her life and career. She had touched a lot of lives and helped the American government a great deal. If Kato didn't know any better, she almost would've been a little jealous.

Halfway through the service, the priest returned to the podium to speak. "And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words."

Kato frowned when she saw the blonde woman approaching the podium. At first Kato didn't recognize her, but after a moment she realized who it was. Steve had told Kato about her; it was Sharon Carter, his "neighbor" from D.C.. It made Kato wonder what she was doing at Peggy's funeral.

Sam noticed Sharon too, also shocked by her appearance. Then, he turned to Steve (who was looking down and therefore hadn't seen Sharon walk up) before he nudged him to get his attention. So Steve looked up to see Sharon, and they locked eyes for a brief second. It was obvious that Steve was shocked to see her there.

Kato felt a flare of panic in her chest when she saw Steve and Sharon lock eyes. She didn't necessarily consider herself to be protective over her boyfriend, but she couldn't deny that she was a little worried. She knew Sharon wasn't a threat to her or her relationship, but still... she couldn't help but feel like Steve and Sharon had more in common than she thought.