He felt the nervousness and anxiety rising as the line shortened. This was stupid he mental berated himself. He had faced the guns at Normandy! He had jumped from planes in a sky shattered by anti-aircraft fire! He had run into the bloody hail of Nazi gun fire! He could do this.
He reached the counter and smiled politely at the young woman who stared him down blandly. He tried not to count the rings in her face. Two in the eyebrow, and oh holy cats two in the nose! What if she sneezed? His mind went blank.
"Can I help you?" It wasn't rude, it was just reminding him that there was a long line of people behind him and he should step it along please. It was dangerous to slow this line down with indecision.
He should know this! He had even run through it in his head. He had been given the intel just a few moments ago. . . The seconds stretched to eternity. It was like watching the icy teeth of the ocean rise up to swallow him all over again. So he improvised.
"I'll have what she ordered," and because Mrs. Rodgers' little boy was raised to be a GENTLEMAN he said, "Please."
She blinked in surprise. This was New York. First thing in the morning, and he was being NICE. "Uh, $5.50?"
Another tense moment. He fumbled with his wallet, everything looked just slightly strange as to throw him off. $5 for coffee? It was unreal. But he pulled out a $20 - my god he had never walked around with so much moolah on him before - and handed it over. The girl made change, and he dropped a $5 in the tip jar, just because he was relieved it was over. He gave her a recruiting poster smile.
"Have a good day."
"Um - Thank you?"
A few minutes later he stood staring at the massive paper cup in his hands, feeling the heat in his palm. He took a sip. He became thoughtful. Took another. It didn't help.
"So what did you get Steve?" the professionally suited women with strawberry blonde hair asked him as they left the coffee shop together.
"I don't know. I think it's supposed to be coffee?" Steve Rodgers said slowly. "I just ordered what you did."
Pepper Potts gave a bright laugh. "Then Captain, I hope you enjoy your very first Venti Vanilla soy latte."
"Is it coffee?"
"Yes."
He took another thoughtful sip. "Not too bad. I might get used to it." he looked back at the illuminated Starbuck's sign behind him. "I might even get to like it..". But $5 dollars for coffee? The future isn't what it used to be.