Here, Hold My Beer - And Other Stories of Friendship and Shenanigans

Friendship is Magic

Once again we saw Clint with Scott in a white van (before we knew it was in another country) and I was pretty sure that this was how the roadtrip to get Wanda and get to the rest of Team Cap went.

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Scott Lang had been thrilled when none other than Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, an actual Avenger, showed up to pick him up. When he got the call from Sam, he was ready to go, but when he heard that he'd be meeting Captain America? Well that was just the icing on the cake. Now he found himself as the passenger of a nondescript white panel van rolling down the highway. He didn't know what would happen next, but given the growling of his stomach, he hoped it involved food.

"Any chance you are hungry? I'm starving. I don't suppose a stop for lunch is on the schedule anytime soon?"

"Cap is expecting us," Clint shrugged, "but I could eat. Looks like there's a McDonald's at the next exit. We can get it to go. Sound good?"

Scott nodded. "Yeah, that sounds perfect. Can we go in to order, though? I could stand to use the restroom."

A short time later, Clint was in line while Scott disappeared into the bathroom. When it was his turn, he leaned in and lowered his voice toward the teenage girl behind the counter.

"Hi there. What are your Happy Meal toys?"

"We have Transformers and My Little Pony. How can I help you?"

He looked around, relieved that Scott hadn't returned yet. "I'd like to order two Happy Meals, but can you just put them in a regular bag? I won't need the little boxes. I just want to make sure I get the toys."

The girl sniggered under her breath. "Will this be for a boy or a girl?"

"Girl. I need the Pony toys, not the Transformers." Clint shuffled awkwardly as the grinning girl rang up his order. "It's for my daughter. She wants to collect them all. Actually, that's a good point. Can you try not to give me one of those purple ones? Twilight Sparkle, I think her name is? You know, the one with the crown? She has like three of those."

The girl gave him an understanding nod. "Would you like me to combine your drinks into one bigger cup as well, Sir?"

"That would be perfect. Thank you." He paid her and as he waited for his order, Scott returned and got in line.

"Hey man, I'll meet you out in the car," he motioned to Scott before grabbing his bag and heading toward the door.

Clint was on his second cheeseburger when Scott finally made it out to the van with a Happy Meal box in each hand. "What?" he grumbled defensively. Can't a grown man enjoy a tiny cheeseburger and fries? There are apples. Apples are healthy."

"How old?" Clint chuckled as he held up his own tiny burger.

A look of realization spread over Scott's face. "She's seven. Her name is Cassie. You?"

"Lila, and she's six. I also have two boys. Cooper and Nathaniel. Nate's not even a year old yet and Cooper claims he's too big for Happy Meals now. Lila loves those little pony toys, though."

"Same with Cassie. Which ones did you get?"

Clint glanced into his bag. "Looks like I got Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. You?"

"Rainbow Dash and Starlight Glimmer. Bummer. I think Cassie has Starlight Glitter. Wish I'd gotten Fluttershy instead," Scott shrugged.

Clint pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture that Lila sent him showing the toys that she already had. "Looks like Lila already has Fluttershy. Wanna trade for Starlight Glimmer?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Scott responded, possibly a little more eager than he meant to. "I mean, not that I know much about these things." Scott attempted his most manly expression.

"Well, yeah. Of course not," Clint agreed.

I'm just glad that they didn't give me Twilight Sparkle. Cass has like four of those!"

"I know, right? Lila has a few too. She's a cute one though. When she and Spike moved to the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville to study the magic of friendship? That was sweet."

"I know, right? Then she finally got her own castle and gained the well-deserved title of Princess of Friendship! I thought Spike should have manned up and asked her out or something at the end, though, didn't you?"

Both men seemed to realize what they were doing and the silence in the van was suddenly deafening. Clint started the car and made his way back out on to the main road.

"So yeah, anyway," Scott cleared his throat loudly. "How about some good manly adult music?"

Before Clint could stop him, he started up the CD player in the van and For the First Time in Forever from Frozen started blaring from the speakers. Clint just focused on the road, trying not to imagine the look on Scott's face. Before he left home, Cooper helped Lila make him a special CD of songs to listen to for the journey so that he wouldn't be lonely.

"This is my jam," Scott exclaimed. "Wait.....do you prefer to sing the Anna part or the Elsa part?"

Clint couldn't help laughing. "Anna. Lila insists that SHE is the only one who gets to be Queen, unless her mom is around, of course."

"Oh great. Cassie identifies with the adorkableness of Anna, so I'll do the Elsa part." He started the song over and they began to belt out their parts before having an old fashioned car sing-along to the other Disney hits from the CD that Lila made for Clint.

In that moment, a friendship was forged based on the mutual understanding that when your child asks you to watch My Little Pony or sing Disney songs with her, you do it. They also recognized that there was absolutely nothing wrong with grown men stopping at almost every McDonald's along their route to check out the Pony selection, even if they would never breathe a word of it to the rest of the team.

If they had to eat little tiny cheeseburgers for days, their girls were completing those collections.