Maybe, Baby [One-shot]
Title: Maybe, Baby
Word Count: 1,471
Pairing: Robin/Barney [one-sided], mentions of Barney/Nora and past!Robin/Ted
Rating: PG
Summary: When Robin realizes just how serious Barney is about Nora, she starts to consider a change in her life that would mean a change in her friendships with Barney and Ted as well.
Spoilers: References to "The Stinson Missile Crisis" [S07E04] and "Ducky Tie" [S07E03] as well as episodes from past seasons
When Robin saw the look in Barney’s eyes when Nora walked into the bar after returning from France a day early, she knew that she’d lost her chance at ever getting him back. But her years of being raised to hide her emotions (her father’s desire for a boy would atone for that), she acted as if nothing was wrong.
“Robin, is something on your mind?” Ted asked her as the two sit in their living room watching some crappy sitcom that neither of them was really paying attention to.
She didn’t hear the question at first but when he started to stare at her, her attention was caught.
“What? No-I’m fine-I’m-fine,” she sighed, before taking a sip of the beer that did nothing to throw her thoughts of Barney and Nora out of her mind.
“You have that look on your face-that ‘something’s wrong but I can’t do anything about it so I’m just going to sit here and drink beer and pretend everything’s fine’ face.”
His tone annoyed Robin a little. Clearly he knew her too well and was spot-on in his interpretation of the forlorn look on her face. But she relented.
“Really, I’m fine. I’ve just got a lot on my mind-about work!” she was quick to add, hoping Ted wouldn’t catch on.
Thankfully, he didn’t push the matter any further and the two returned their attentions to the television, though Robin for one was not interested in watching.
That night at the bar, she’d had to endure Barney’s discussion of his date with Nora from the night before. Robin felt a pang in her chest, seeing Barney that happy being a bit too much for her.
She wanted to smile for real, and tell Barney how happy she was for him but all she could come up with was “I’m going to see if our drink orders are ready”. She followed with a walk to the bar, and a turn of her back to the conversation she unfortunately could still hear.
“How you holding up?” she could hear Lily say as she walked over to stand beside her.
“Holding up? I told you guys I’m fine,” she faked a smile that Lily could see right through, “Totally fine.”
Lily rolled her eyes and gave her that look, the same one Robin had yet to get used to despite having been friends with Lily for several years. It was a look that made Robin tell the complete truth about what she was really feeling.
“Okay, I’m not fine! There, you happy? God, I’m so sick of hearing about how happy Barney is with Nora and how he’s changed-practically everything about himself just to please her. And would it have killed him to send me flowers at work-or better yet, sing some cheesy love song in front of the entirety of my office?”
Lily smiled and put a hand to Robin’s back, “Hey, I know it’s hard but you got to accept that Barney’s moved on. He’s really into Nora and I hate to say it, but you’re just going to have to learn to live with it.”
Robin turned to her, a confused expression on her face.
“What happened to the Lily that fought so hard for Barney and I to get together so we could have double dates with you and Marshall? Remember the board games, Lily? Remember Marshall’s godawful Internet slideshows dedicated to every moment of torture you guys put us through?”
Lily gave Robin another look, prompting the latter to whisper an “I’m sorry.” Lily smiled again and replied with a matronly tone that she’d began to use more often than normal now that she was a couple months pregnant. Robin resented it a bit but she appreciated the warmth Lily showed to her, even if it did make her feel a bit like a child.
“What do you want me to say, Robin? It’s just something you’ll have to get used to. We all have to,” she rolled her eyes a bit, sounding as if she really was missing the double dates she and Marshall had invited (invited, never forced, despite what Robin would attest to) Barney and Robin to.
Robin stared at the bar’s top before saying, “I’m thinking about having a baby.”
Before Lily could reply, she continued.
“With Ted. Look, I know it sounds crazy but Ted and I have a history together and-I don’t know it makes sense in my head. We always did say that if we reached 40 and we were both single, we’d get married-a baby would come with that, you know?”
“Robin, but a baby-you guys aren’t even together. I mean-do you still have feelings-”
“What?” Robin quickly defended, “Oh god, no. Ted and I are ancient history-it’s just-I’ve just this feeling that, with Barney, I don’t know how long these feelings will stay. I’m starting to feel like it’s not going to happen-I mean, happen with a different guy. Not with Barney. I just-I don’ t know.”
“Robin, you can’t do this. You’re in a really fragile place-I mean, you don’t even like children.”
Robin scoffed, although it did nothing to cover her obvious awkwardness at Lily’s correct assertion.
“I-I like children. Just yesterday, I gave a kid on the subway a piece of candy.”
“Really?”
“Ok, it was a mint that I’d found at the bottom of my purse but I did it as a favor to him! His breath wreaked and he kept trying to talk to me,” she shuddered a bit at the memory of that moment.
“That’s the thing. You’re not the baby type. You freaked out at the thought of having to hold a baby before. And why, with Ted? Don’t you think that’ll kind of create some unnecessary drama between the two of you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, Robin. How many times did you two break up and get back together again? Oh and remember all those times you guys slept with each other just to avoid fighting over little household problems when you first moved in together? You said so yourself, you two have a history together. A baby would just mess things up.”
“But I just feel like now is the best time-I’m young, I’m full of energy and I-it’s crazy, isn’t it?”
Robin could tell, not only from Lily’s attempts at convincing her that yes, it was crazy but also from thinking about what it could mean for her friendship with Ted. A child with an ex-boyfriend could quite possibly create an unnecessary problem for her were she to start dating someone new.
“What do I do, Lily?”
Lily looked at her, eyes full of concern as well as optimism. Whoever said that pregnant women were prone to a certain glow to them was right. Lily was glowing and Robin couldn’t help but envy her a little.
“Let go,” was all she said, a gentle smile forming across her face.
Robin looked solemn as she turned to look at Barney. His joyous grin and expressive movements as he laughed with Marshall and Ted broke her heart just a little more. But she knew Lily was right, she knew she’d need to move on.
She and Lily grabbed their drinks and brought them over to the table. Robin feigned a smile that would only become real when Barney told her to sit next to them as he told a story of a time when he had managed to convince a girl that he was, in fact, the President of the United States.
Robin let out a hearty laugh. As happy as Barney made her when the two were together, she knew she needed to let him have happiness of his own, even if it wasn’t with her.
“You okay, Robin?” Ted asked her, grabbing gently at her wrist.
She looked back at him, his friendly grin a force of comfort for her. She knew that when this guy became a father, he’d be the best one she’d ever know (besides Marshall, of course). She also knew that he needed, no, deserved to have things go the way he’d planned: a beautiful and amazing wife, kids that resembled the two of them in every way (right down to the not-quite-unhealthy obsession with Star Wars), and a life that seemed to have its own fairy tale ending.
She didn’t want to interfere with that, not with a baby, not when she wasn’t ready.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m really, really fine.”
THE END
A/N: My first shot at writing HIMYM fic. This idea came to me after watching Episode 4 of the new season and although random, I thought it'd be good to write fic (since it won't ever be canon, I'm sure). Anyways, hope you enjoyed it!
Word Count: 1,471
Pairing: Robin/Barney [one-sided], mentions of Barney/Nora and past!Robin/Ted
Rating: PG
Summary: When Robin realizes just how serious Barney is about Nora, she starts to consider a change in her life that would mean a change in her friendships with Barney and Ted as well.
Spoilers: References to "The Stinson Missile Crisis" [S07E04] and "Ducky Tie" [S07E03] as well as episodes from past seasons
When Robin saw the look in Barney’s eyes when Nora walked into the bar after returning from France a day early, she knew that she’d lost her chance at ever getting him back. But her years of being raised to hide her emotions (her father’s desire for a boy would atone for that), she acted as if nothing was wrong.
“Robin, is something on your mind?” Ted asked her as the two sit in their living room watching some crappy sitcom that neither of them was really paying attention to.
She didn’t hear the question at first but when he started to stare at her, her attention was caught.
“What? No-I’m fine-I’m-fine,” she sighed, before taking a sip of the beer that did nothing to throw her thoughts of Barney and Nora out of her mind.
“You have that look on your face-that ‘something’s wrong but I can’t do anything about it so I’m just going to sit here and drink beer and pretend everything’s fine’ face.”
His tone annoyed Robin a little. Clearly he knew her too well and was spot-on in his interpretation of the forlorn look on her face. But she relented.
“Really, I’m fine. I’ve just got a lot on my mind-about work!” she was quick to add, hoping Ted wouldn’t catch on.
Thankfully, he didn’t push the matter any further and the two returned their attentions to the television, though Robin for one was not interested in watching.
That night at the bar, she’d had to endure Barney’s discussion of his date with Nora from the night before. Robin felt a pang in her chest, seeing Barney that happy being a bit too much for her.
She wanted to smile for real, and tell Barney how happy she was for him but all she could come up with was “I’m going to see if our drink orders are ready”. She followed with a walk to the bar, and a turn of her back to the conversation she unfortunately could still hear.
“How you holding up?” she could hear Lily say as she walked over to stand beside her.
“Holding up? I told you guys I’m fine,” she faked a smile that Lily could see right through, “Totally fine.”
Lily rolled her eyes and gave her that look, the same one Robin had yet to get used to despite having been friends with Lily for several years. It was a look that made Robin tell the complete truth about what she was really feeling.
“Okay, I’m not fine! There, you happy? God, I’m so sick of hearing about how happy Barney is with Nora and how he’s changed-practically everything about himself just to please her. And would it have killed him to send me flowers at work-or better yet, sing some cheesy love song in front of the entirety of my office?”
Lily smiled and put a hand to Robin’s back, “Hey, I know it’s hard but you got to accept that Barney’s moved on. He’s really into Nora and I hate to say it, but you’re just going to have to learn to live with it.”
Robin turned to her, a confused expression on her face.
“What happened to the Lily that fought so hard for Barney and I to get together so we could have double dates with you and Marshall? Remember the board games, Lily? Remember Marshall’s godawful Internet slideshows dedicated to every moment of torture you guys put us through?”
Lily gave Robin another look, prompting the latter to whisper an “I’m sorry.” Lily smiled again and replied with a matronly tone that she’d began to use more often than normal now that she was a couple months pregnant. Robin resented it a bit but she appreciated the warmth Lily showed to her, even if it did make her feel a bit like a child.
“What do you want me to say, Robin? It’s just something you’ll have to get used to. We all have to,” she rolled her eyes a bit, sounding as if she really was missing the double dates she and Marshall had invited (invited, never forced, despite what Robin would attest to) Barney and Robin to.
Robin stared at the bar’s top before saying, “I’m thinking about having a baby.”
Before Lily could reply, she continued.
“With Ted. Look, I know it sounds crazy but Ted and I have a history together and-I don’t know it makes sense in my head. We always did say that if we reached 40 and we were both single, we’d get married-a baby would come with that, you know?”
“Robin, but a baby-you guys aren’t even together. I mean-do you still have feelings-”
“What?” Robin quickly defended, “Oh god, no. Ted and I are ancient history-it’s just-I’ve just this feeling that, with Barney, I don’t know how long these feelings will stay. I’m starting to feel like it’s not going to happen-I mean, happen with a different guy. Not with Barney. I just-I don’ t know.”
“Robin, you can’t do this. You’re in a really fragile place-I mean, you don’t even like children.”
Robin scoffed, although it did nothing to cover her obvious awkwardness at Lily’s correct assertion.
“I-I like children. Just yesterday, I gave a kid on the subway a piece of candy.”
“Really?”
“Ok, it was a mint that I’d found at the bottom of my purse but I did it as a favor to him! His breath wreaked and he kept trying to talk to me,” she shuddered a bit at the memory of that moment.
“That’s the thing. You’re not the baby type. You freaked out at the thought of having to hold a baby before. And why, with Ted? Don’t you think that’ll kind of create some unnecessary drama between the two of you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, Robin. How many times did you two break up and get back together again? Oh and remember all those times you guys slept with each other just to avoid fighting over little household problems when you first moved in together? You said so yourself, you two have a history together. A baby would just mess things up.”
“But I just feel like now is the best time-I’m young, I’m full of energy and I-it’s crazy, isn’t it?”
Robin could tell, not only from Lily’s attempts at convincing her that yes, it was crazy but also from thinking about what it could mean for her friendship with Ted. A child with an ex-boyfriend could quite possibly create an unnecessary problem for her were she to start dating someone new.
“What do I do, Lily?”
Lily looked at her, eyes full of concern as well as optimism. Whoever said that pregnant women were prone to a certain glow to them was right. Lily was glowing and Robin couldn’t help but envy her a little.
“Let go,” was all she said, a gentle smile forming across her face.
Robin looked solemn as she turned to look at Barney. His joyous grin and expressive movements as he laughed with Marshall and Ted broke her heart just a little more. But she knew Lily was right, she knew she’d need to move on.
She and Lily grabbed their drinks and brought them over to the table. Robin feigned a smile that would only become real when Barney told her to sit next to them as he told a story of a time when he had managed to convince a girl that he was, in fact, the President of the United States.
Robin let out a hearty laugh. As happy as Barney made her when the two were together, she knew she needed to let him have happiness of his own, even if it wasn’t with her.
“You okay, Robin?” Ted asked her, grabbing gently at her wrist.
She looked back at him, his friendly grin a force of comfort for her. She knew that when this guy became a father, he’d be the best one she’d ever know (besides Marshall, of course). She also knew that he needed, no, deserved to have things go the way he’d planned: a beautiful and amazing wife, kids that resembled the two of them in every way (right down to the not-quite-unhealthy obsession with Star Wars), and a life that seemed to have its own fairy tale ending.
She didn’t want to interfere with that, not with a baby, not when she wasn’t ready.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m really, really fine.”
THE END
A/N: My first shot at writing HIMYM fic. This idea came to me after watching Episode 4 of the new season and although random, I thought it'd be good to write fic (since it won't ever be canon, I'm sure). Anyways, hope you enjoyed it!