Betrayal
Title: Betrayal
Fandom: How I Met Your Mother
Pairing: Barney/Robin
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Barney's had some bad news.
Author's Note: I don't know where this came from really. I watched every single episode of HIMYM for the first time about 3 weeks ago. This started out as wondering how Barney would react if everyone else did something he doesn't approve of and a resulting bit of ship crept in.
--
Barney sits alone in the dark of his apartment nursing a bottle of scotch, tie and suit jacket discarded, hair in a mess. He’s in shock, staring off into midair. He's angry, feeling let down and betrayed by the one person he thought would always be there. She's getting married. Who does she think she is? Swanning into the bar to show off the rock on her finger (which, by the way, is totally not the carat she claims it to be, her fiancé is ripping her off) and expecting everyone to be happy for her.
Of course, the others all oblige with hugs and shouts of joy while he just stares at her in shock, eyes betraying the hurt that he feels. She's unable to meet his gaze and looks away, vaguely embarrassed. He doesn't say anything but stands and leaves, ignoring the calls for him to stay from his friends who think he's being rude. He won’t stay around to be part of this farce, won’t congratulate her when she’s throwing her life away.
Married. The only one out of all of them who shared his views on the subject, he honestly thought her to be more sensible than this. Tying herself down to a life of boredom and monogamy when she could be single and awesome like him.
Her fiancé is a douche, of course. Mike. Some fireman who saves puppies or something, no doubt. He’d never really paid attention to the guy, figured he’d be gone soon enough in the same way the rest of her boyfriends had. This one had lingered though, ingratiated himself and suddenly he was there all the time. Thinking back now, Barney couldn’t remember the last time it had just been the 5 of them. Back when everything had been perfect.
He feels sick, a gnawing feeling in his gut that won’t go away. Is it guilt? Guilt that he hadn’t joined in the congratulations? He remembers a flash of hurt in her eyes as she watches him leave. But no, that’s not it. Much as he hates to see her hurt - though he'd never admit it - she has Mike to comfort her now. No, it’s not guilt. This feeling is deeper, wrenching him apart. He’d tried to get past this - even Lily stopped mothering him eventually, thinking he was over it - but it seems that he failed. He takes a swig from the bottle, feeling the alcohol burn his throat. It’s completely against everything he believes in but now all he’s left with is this nagging feeling that if she should be marrying anyone, it should be him.
Fandom: How I Met Your Mother
Pairing: Barney/Robin
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Barney's had some bad news.
Author's Note: I don't know where this came from really. I watched every single episode of HIMYM for the first time about 3 weeks ago. This started out as wondering how Barney would react if everyone else did something he doesn't approve of and a resulting bit of ship crept in.
--
Barney sits alone in the dark of his apartment nursing a bottle of scotch, tie and suit jacket discarded, hair in a mess. He’s in shock, staring off into midair. He's angry, feeling let down and betrayed by the one person he thought would always be there. She's getting married. Who does she think she is? Swanning into the bar to show off the rock on her finger (which, by the way, is totally not the carat she claims it to be, her fiancé is ripping her off) and expecting everyone to be happy for her.
Of course, the others all oblige with hugs and shouts of joy while he just stares at her in shock, eyes betraying the hurt that he feels. She's unable to meet his gaze and looks away, vaguely embarrassed. He doesn't say anything but stands and leaves, ignoring the calls for him to stay from his friends who think he's being rude. He won’t stay around to be part of this farce, won’t congratulate her when she’s throwing her life away.
Married. The only one out of all of them who shared his views on the subject, he honestly thought her to be more sensible than this. Tying herself down to a life of boredom and monogamy when she could be single and awesome like him.
Her fiancé is a douche, of course. Mike. Some fireman who saves puppies or something, no doubt. He’d never really paid attention to the guy, figured he’d be gone soon enough in the same way the rest of her boyfriends had. This one had lingered though, ingratiated himself and suddenly he was there all the time. Thinking back now, Barney couldn’t remember the last time it had just been the 5 of them. Back when everything had been perfect.
He feels sick, a gnawing feeling in his gut that won’t go away. Is it guilt? Guilt that he hadn’t joined in the congratulations? He remembers a flash of hurt in her eyes as she watches him leave. But no, that’s not it. Much as he hates to see her hurt - though he'd never admit it - she has Mike to comfort her now. No, it’s not guilt. This feeling is deeper, wrenching him apart. He’d tried to get past this - even Lily stopped mothering him eventually, thinking he was over it - but it seems that he failed. He takes a swig from the bottle, feeling the alcohol burn his throat. It’s completely against everything he believes in but now all he’s left with is this nagging feeling that if she should be marrying anyone, it should be him.