Coalescence - HIMYM fic - 1/7
Title: Coalescence
Author: modernxxmyth
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Barney/Robin, Robin/OC (only temporarily, I'm sorry!), ensemble
Warnings: Minor language?
Spoilers: None officially, but based on speculation for season eight.
Notes: Admittedly, I'm not ~super pleased with this chapter because at this point in the game, I think Robin is in denial about her feelings for Barney, and I wanted to be true to that character arc. So it's not super Barney/Robin-ish yet, but I'll get there. I promise! Just try to stick with me? Please?
Summary: In the aftermath of Barney's engagement, Robin does what she can to convince herself she's moved on.
Chapter One
Barney Stinson was getting married.
Well, Robin thought, shit.
She didn't know how to process it.
She really was happy for him. That wasn't a lie. She wanted Barney to be happy. She'd ended up in court mandated therapy before just for a chance at making him happy. Robin was never good at selflessness, but she decided in this instance, she had to try.
Robin genuinely liked Quinn. She was nice, she was funny, and she was kind of a bitch, but mostly in the good way. If she was anyone other than Barney Stinson's live-in fiance, Robin would probably be pretty good friends with her.
But the fact was that Barney was engaged to Quinn, and Robin didn't know how to comprehend it other than going straight back down to the bar and downing three double scotch and sodas in a row.
"I don't even know why I'm freaking out," she slurred in Carl the bartender's direction after scotch number five. "I mean, I'm totally over him, you know? It's not even a big deal. I'm just freaking out because another one of the group is getting married and settling down and next will probably be more kids, and yuck, I mean, as cute as lil' Marv is, babies are kind of dumb and really irritating and Barney and Quinn shouldn't have one or get married because it's just stupid."
Carl sighed and handed Robin a tall glass of water.
"Drink all of this," he instructed.
"I don't want to drink water, I want more scotch."
"Drink the water, and we'll see how you're doing."
"Okay, geez, dad," Robin whined dramatically.
"You know what, Robin?" Carl asked.
"Yeah, Carl?"
"I don't think Barney is going to marry Quinn."
"Why not?"
"Because he's not over you. I've been watching you guys in my bar for years, and maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, being a bartender and all, but I don't think it's over between you two."
Robin shook her head. "I just want him to be happy."
Carl gave her a sad smile. "Finish that whole glass of water, and I'll give you one more scotch on the house."
"I knew I liked you for a reason."
* * *
Robin woke up the next morning with a bitch of a hangover. Scotch, while delicious, did tend to lead to a not so pretty morning after.
It was a damn shame that even after all that alcohol, Robin could still focus on nothing but Barney's engagement.
* * *
Robin wound up going to the shooting range several times that week. It was the easiest place for her work out her emotions and clear her head, but even there, shooting at the target and feeling empowered, Robin remained confused.
There was, however, a cute guy who had just started working there that caught her eye.
On Robin's sixth night at the shooting range and ten days after the news of Barney's engagement, the guy struck up conversation.
"You've certainly been coming here a lot lately," the man at the front desk commented with an easy smile. "Training for something, maybe?"
Robin laughed. "Not quite. More like blowing off steam. It's been a rough…well, year."
"Been there," he frowned. "I'm Ryan."
"Robin," she offered.
"Have we met?" he asked. "You look really familiar."
"Doubtful," she replied and fished her World Wide News ID badge out of her purse and held it up to show him.
"The reporter from the helicopter!"
She laughed. "Yeah, the helicopter. That's me."
"That was intense news," he said. "I was rooting for you."
"I should hope so. I don't take kindly to anyone who wanted me to crash the thing."
"Fair enough," he grinned. "That was pretty impressive, though. So why do you need to blow off so much steam? Paparazzi following you around?" he teased.
"Oh, yeah. The life of a celebrity is hard, let me tell you. I don't know you don't see more famous people here. They're missing out."
She put away her badge and pulled out her gun. "So, do you just man the desk, or do you actually know how to use one of these things?"
"Oh, I know how to use one. I'm quite the gun enthusiast."
"Maybe I'll have to see your shooting sometime," Robin said with a simpering smile.
"Maybe," he grinned. "And maybe I could take you out for drinks afterwards?"
"Maybe."
"And do you think that perhaps this hypothetical maybe could be Friday night, if you're not, oh, I don't know, otherwise engaged with your boyfriend or girlfriend or other form of significant other you may or may not be in a monogamous relationship with?"
"I think they're all going to be busy," she teased. "I, however, seem to be free Friday night."
She jotted down her number on a slip of paper and handed it to him. "Gimme a call."
Her shooting that night was spot on.
* * *
Robin went to MacLaren's for a beer and ran into none other than Barney. He grinned upon seeing her and ushered her over.
"Hey, Scherbatsky," he grinned. "Haven't seen you around in a while. Been keeping busy?"
She gave him a tight smile. "Yep. Work has been getting pretty hectic."
Barney nodded. "I figured that was why you hadn't been around lately."
Robin did not mistake the real meaning between his words. He was testing the waters. He knew it was because of the engagement. But he wasn't going to say the words, and neither was she.
"Yep," she said shortly, popping the 'p' at the end of the word forcefully.
"You should try to come around more often," Barney suggested. "I…we've missed you around here."
Robin sighed, giving into her battling emotions. "I…I think my work load is going to be easing up pretty soon, so you'll probably be seeing more of me."
She was thankful when he didn't make a joke about that last bit, though she didn't miss the glint of humor in his eye.
"I'm glad to hear it," he said seriously.
He held his glass of scotch up towards her and nodded when she met his glass with her beer and heard a clink.
"Cheers," she muttered.
They finished their drinks in an uncomfortable silence that made Robin's heart break a little bit.
---
End Chapter One.
Chapter Two.
Author: modernxxmyth
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Barney/Robin, Robin/OC (only temporarily, I'm sorry!), ensemble
Warnings: Minor language?
Spoilers: None officially, but based on speculation for season eight.
Notes: Admittedly, I'm not ~super pleased with this chapter because at this point in the game, I think Robin is in denial about her feelings for Barney, and I wanted to be true to that character arc. So it's not super Barney/Robin-ish yet, but I'll get there. I promise! Just try to stick with me? Please?
Summary: In the aftermath of Barney's engagement, Robin does what she can to convince herself she's moved on.
Chapter One
Barney Stinson was getting married.
Well, Robin thought, shit.
She didn't know how to process it.
She really was happy for him. That wasn't a lie. She wanted Barney to be happy. She'd ended up in court mandated therapy before just for a chance at making him happy. Robin was never good at selflessness, but she decided in this instance, she had to try.
Robin genuinely liked Quinn. She was nice, she was funny, and she was kind of a bitch, but mostly in the good way. If she was anyone other than Barney Stinson's live-in fiance, Robin would probably be pretty good friends with her.
But the fact was that Barney was engaged to Quinn, and Robin didn't know how to comprehend it other than going straight back down to the bar and downing three double scotch and sodas in a row.
"I don't even know why I'm freaking out," she slurred in Carl the bartender's direction after scotch number five. "I mean, I'm totally over him, you know? It's not even a big deal. I'm just freaking out because another one of the group is getting married and settling down and next will probably be more kids, and yuck, I mean, as cute as lil' Marv is, babies are kind of dumb and really irritating and Barney and Quinn shouldn't have one or get married because it's just stupid."
Carl sighed and handed Robin a tall glass of water.
"Drink all of this," he instructed.
"I don't want to drink water, I want more scotch."
"Drink the water, and we'll see how you're doing."
"Okay, geez, dad," Robin whined dramatically.
"You know what, Robin?" Carl asked.
"Yeah, Carl?"
"I don't think Barney is going to marry Quinn."
"Why not?"
"Because he's not over you. I've been watching you guys in my bar for years, and maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, being a bartender and all, but I don't think it's over between you two."
Robin shook her head. "I just want him to be happy."
Carl gave her a sad smile. "Finish that whole glass of water, and I'll give you one more scotch on the house."
"I knew I liked you for a reason."
* * *
Robin woke up the next morning with a bitch of a hangover. Scotch, while delicious, did tend to lead to a not so pretty morning after.
It was a damn shame that even after all that alcohol, Robin could still focus on nothing but Barney's engagement.
* * *
Robin wound up going to the shooting range several times that week. It was the easiest place for her work out her emotions and clear her head, but even there, shooting at the target and feeling empowered, Robin remained confused.
There was, however, a cute guy who had just started working there that caught her eye.
On Robin's sixth night at the shooting range and ten days after the news of Barney's engagement, the guy struck up conversation.
"You've certainly been coming here a lot lately," the man at the front desk commented with an easy smile. "Training for something, maybe?"
Robin laughed. "Not quite. More like blowing off steam. It's been a rough…well, year."
"Been there," he frowned. "I'm Ryan."
"Robin," she offered.
"Have we met?" he asked. "You look really familiar."
"Doubtful," she replied and fished her World Wide News ID badge out of her purse and held it up to show him.
"The reporter from the helicopter!"
She laughed. "Yeah, the helicopter. That's me."
"That was intense news," he said. "I was rooting for you."
"I should hope so. I don't take kindly to anyone who wanted me to crash the thing."
"Fair enough," he grinned. "That was pretty impressive, though. So why do you need to blow off so much steam? Paparazzi following you around?" he teased.
"Oh, yeah. The life of a celebrity is hard, let me tell you. I don't know you don't see more famous people here. They're missing out."
She put away her badge and pulled out her gun. "So, do you just man the desk, or do you actually know how to use one of these things?"
"Oh, I know how to use one. I'm quite the gun enthusiast."
"Maybe I'll have to see your shooting sometime," Robin said with a simpering smile.
"Maybe," he grinned. "And maybe I could take you out for drinks afterwards?"
"Maybe."
"And do you think that perhaps this hypothetical maybe could be Friday night, if you're not, oh, I don't know, otherwise engaged with your boyfriend or girlfriend or other form of significant other you may or may not be in a monogamous relationship with?"
"I think they're all going to be busy," she teased. "I, however, seem to be free Friday night."
She jotted down her number on a slip of paper and handed it to him. "Gimme a call."
Her shooting that night was spot on.
* * *
Robin went to MacLaren's for a beer and ran into none other than Barney. He grinned upon seeing her and ushered her over.
"Hey, Scherbatsky," he grinned. "Haven't seen you around in a while. Been keeping busy?"
She gave him a tight smile. "Yep. Work has been getting pretty hectic."
Barney nodded. "I figured that was why you hadn't been around lately."
Robin did not mistake the real meaning between his words. He was testing the waters. He knew it was because of the engagement. But he wasn't going to say the words, and neither was she.
"Yep," she said shortly, popping the 'p' at the end of the word forcefully.
"You should try to come around more often," Barney suggested. "I…we've missed you around here."
Robin sighed, giving into her battling emotions. "I…I think my work load is going to be easing up pretty soon, so you'll probably be seeing more of me."
She was thankful when he didn't make a joke about that last bit, though she didn't miss the glint of humor in his eye.
"I'm glad to hear it," he said seriously.
He held his glass of scotch up towards her and nodded when she met his glass with her beer and heard a clink.
"Cheers," she muttered.
They finished their drinks in an uncomfortable silence that made Robin's heart break a little bit.
---
End Chapter One.
Chapter Two.