(no subject)
Title: Sharing Is Caring
Author: GypsyJr
Fandom: How I Met Your Mother
Pairing: Barney/Robin
Warning: Spoilers for episode 4.12
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, and no copyright infringement or disrespect is intended.
Rating: PG
Summary: Barney finally lets things out... with some help.
A/N: Yet another "Benefits" post-ep, as requested by one_more_cherry
"How long?"
Barney raised an eyebrow at Ted from over his scotch and soda. "Kinda personal, don't you think?"
"Seriously, how long have you been in love with Robin?"
He rested his head on the tabletop. "Seriously, don't."
Ted sighed. Time to change tactics. "Okay, I get that you're not ready to deal with this, so I'm just gonna sit here and talk instead."
The only response was an ambivalent grunt.
"Look, I understand. Really. It's hard to put yourself out there, especially when there's so much on the line, but at some point you've just gotta do it and trust that everything's gonna work out. And yeah, sometimes it doesn't, but to be honest... as hard as it was when Robin and I broke up, I wouldn't trade that year for anything."
Barney finally looked up at him, ready to reply that this was all well and good for the guy who'd told his dream girl he loved her on the night of their first date, but the retort was left unspoken as he watched Ted stare at him like he was dying to ask something but didn't quite know how.
"What?"
"Barney, what's with the bear?"
_____
He woke up to an empty apartment the next morning. Reaching blindly in the dark, he rescued the bear from underneath the foot of his bed and perched it on the nightstand, where he could almost imagine it looking at him accusingly.
"Don't you start."
The bear, naturally, said nothing.
"I am not taking the easy way out."
Button eyes gleamed at him in the dim morning light.
"You're going back under the bed."
_____
Barney slid into the booth across from Ted looking utterly defeated. "Well, you were right."
Given the fact that several weeks had passed since their initial one-sided conversation, it took him a few minutes to figure out what he'd been right about. "Oh?"
"I've been trying to ignore this for so long, but nothing works. I can't do this anymore."
Ted was silent. He knew Barney was working something out, and if he said anything he might ruin it.
"How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Keep putting it all on the line like this."
It was a good question, and one he hadn't really considered before. "I guess... I just figure that whatever happens, I'll be better off for trying."
Barney nodded. "Yeah... I'm gonna do it."
"Yes!"
"At least then she'll know."
"Exactly! Dude, I am so proud of you right now."
"Good. Then you can help by buying me an obscene amount of alcohol before I talk myself out of this."
_____
"Barney, it's two o'clock in the morning. Someone had better be dying."
"I need to borrow the bear again."
"That's what you woke me up for? It's in my classroom, I can't get to it until Monday."
"Please, Lily? I'm on the verge of something here and if you don't do this for me, I'm gonna lose my nerve."
He could sense her sympathy for his plight warring with her general annoyance. "If I get you a surrogate Share Bear, will you leave me alone?"
"Yes, I swear."
"He'll be there in the morning."
_____
The new bear was larger, with a plaid bow around its neck and an endearingly homely expression on its furry face. Plush ally in hand and nursing a sizable hangover, Barney found himself knocking on the door to Robin and Ted's apartment the next morning.
"Hey." She didn't look at all surprised to see him so early, though the bear was getting a look of confused amusement. "Who's your new friend?"
"Robin, I have to tell you something, and please don't interrupt because this isn't easy for me."
She looked worried, but didn't say a word as he continued.
"I don't know how it happened or even when it really started, but I have feelings for you. And I don't want to make things weird or complicated between us, but I had to say it or it was going to drive me crazy. I know you've got the whole 'don't date friends' thing and you're probably right, but you deserve to know the truth."
Her eyes had gotten progressively wider during his pronouncement, and she was staring at him incredulously.
"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say." He was turning to leave when she grabbed his hand.
"Wait... I really don't know what to say right now."
He nodded mutely.
"It's just gonna take me a while to get my head around this, you know?"
"You're telling me."
"Can we talk about this more later?"
"Yeah. Sure." He allowed himself to feel hope for the first time since he'd started talking. "Maybe over dinner?"
Robin smiled softly. "That would be nice. I'm not making any promises though."
"At least promise you won't hook me up with a waitress this time?"
"Promise you won't act like Bizzaro Barney all night?"
"Deal."
_____
It was Ted who answered the next knock at the door later that day. Barney's bear was sitting on the doorstep, its paws wrapped around a bottle of perfectly-aged scotch and a packet of high-quality cigars. He grinned when he realized that the bear was clad in a tiny Canucks jersey.
"Robin, I think it's for you."
Author: GypsyJr
Fandom: How I Met Your Mother
Pairing: Barney/Robin
Warning: Spoilers for episode 4.12
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, and no copyright infringement or disrespect is intended.
Rating: PG
Summary: Barney finally lets things out... with some help.
A/N: Yet another "Benefits" post-ep, as requested by one_more_cherry
"How long?"
Barney raised an eyebrow at Ted from over his scotch and soda. "Kinda personal, don't you think?"
"Seriously, how long have you been in love with Robin?"
He rested his head on the tabletop. "Seriously, don't."
Ted sighed. Time to change tactics. "Okay, I get that you're not ready to deal with this, so I'm just gonna sit here and talk instead."
The only response was an ambivalent grunt.
"Look, I understand. Really. It's hard to put yourself out there, especially when there's so much on the line, but at some point you've just gotta do it and trust that everything's gonna work out. And yeah, sometimes it doesn't, but to be honest... as hard as it was when Robin and I broke up, I wouldn't trade that year for anything."
Barney finally looked up at him, ready to reply that this was all well and good for the guy who'd told his dream girl he loved her on the night of their first date, but the retort was left unspoken as he watched Ted stare at him like he was dying to ask something but didn't quite know how.
"What?"
"Barney, what's with the bear?"
_____
He woke up to an empty apartment the next morning. Reaching blindly in the dark, he rescued the bear from underneath the foot of his bed and perched it on the nightstand, where he could almost imagine it looking at him accusingly.
"Don't you start."
The bear, naturally, said nothing.
"I am not taking the easy way out."
Button eyes gleamed at him in the dim morning light.
"You're going back under the bed."
_____
Barney slid into the booth across from Ted looking utterly defeated. "Well, you were right."
Given the fact that several weeks had passed since their initial one-sided conversation, it took him a few minutes to figure out what he'd been right about. "Oh?"
"I've been trying to ignore this for so long, but nothing works. I can't do this anymore."
Ted was silent. He knew Barney was working something out, and if he said anything he might ruin it.
"How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Keep putting it all on the line like this."
It was a good question, and one he hadn't really considered before. "I guess... I just figure that whatever happens, I'll be better off for trying."
Barney nodded. "Yeah... I'm gonna do it."
"Yes!"
"At least then she'll know."
"Exactly! Dude, I am so proud of you right now."
"Good. Then you can help by buying me an obscene amount of alcohol before I talk myself out of this."
_____
"Barney, it's two o'clock in the morning. Someone had better be dying."
"I need to borrow the bear again."
"That's what you woke me up for? It's in my classroom, I can't get to it until Monday."
"Please, Lily? I'm on the verge of something here and if you don't do this for me, I'm gonna lose my nerve."
He could sense her sympathy for his plight warring with her general annoyance. "If I get you a surrogate Share Bear, will you leave me alone?"
"Yes, I swear."
"He'll be there in the morning."
_____
The new bear was larger, with a plaid bow around its neck and an endearingly homely expression on its furry face. Plush ally in hand and nursing a sizable hangover, Barney found himself knocking on the door to Robin and Ted's apartment the next morning.
"Hey." She didn't look at all surprised to see him so early, though the bear was getting a look of confused amusement. "Who's your new friend?"
"Robin, I have to tell you something, and please don't interrupt because this isn't easy for me."
She looked worried, but didn't say a word as he continued.
"I don't know how it happened or even when it really started, but I have feelings for you. And I don't want to make things weird or complicated between us, but I had to say it or it was going to drive me crazy. I know you've got the whole 'don't date friends' thing and you're probably right, but you deserve to know the truth."
Her eyes had gotten progressively wider during his pronouncement, and she was staring at him incredulously.
"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say." He was turning to leave when she grabbed his hand.
"Wait... I really don't know what to say right now."
He nodded mutely.
"It's just gonna take me a while to get my head around this, you know?"
"You're telling me."
"Can we talk about this more later?"
"Yeah. Sure." He allowed himself to feel hope for the first time since he'd started talking. "Maybe over dinner?"
Robin smiled softly. "That would be nice. I'm not making any promises though."
"At least promise you won't hook me up with a waitress this time?"
"Promise you won't act like Bizzaro Barney all night?"
"Deal."
_____
It was Ted who answered the next knock at the door later that day. Barney's bear was sitting on the doorstep, its paws wrapped around a bottle of perfectly-aged scotch and a packet of high-quality cigars. He grinned when he realized that the bear was clad in a tiny Canucks jersey.
"Robin, I think it's for you."