Title: Brohemian
Co-fic with:
otempora42 Summary: In an alternative universe, Lily and Barney are starving artists living together in a run-down apartment building. However, things take an interesting turn when Barney meets a young reporter and Lily runs into her old friend, Ted.
Previously on:
Part 1 | This is part 2
Rating/Warnings: X for explicit smut
Word Count: 3,185
Fandom/Pairing: HIMYM: Lily/Barney
Spoilers: Refers to events told in flashback about Lily's college days, and a throw away joke in 4.24
Two painful hours later, Lily's digging around in her bedroom while Barney's in the living room, ranting.
"What does that Ted jerk have that I don't have?"
"A decent haircut?" Lily suggests. She barely has to raise her voice to be heard through the thin walls. God, their apartment sucks.
"Oh, hardy har." She can hear the creak of the sofa as he sits down. "Stupid cheesy douche."
"He's not so bad." Lily digs through her dresser drawer. Underneath the condoms and her spare pencils, she finds what she was looking for - ten or so joints. She grabs a few of them in one hand and her lighter in the other and walks back out into the living room. Barney's still scowling when he looks over at her, but his annoyed expression is quickly replaced by curiosity.
"Get your feet off the couch," Lily says. He does so, and she sits down next to him.
"What's up with you?" His voice is softened with genuine concern.
She shrugs and lights up. "It's just..." She takes a hit.
"Is this about the exhibition that you don't have? Because I can always -"
"No, it's not that." Lily pulls out a piece of paper from her pocket. Ted had given her Marshall's phone number just before he'd left with Robin. She sighs and leans back as the pot starts to work its way into her system. "I have his number and I shouldn't call him but I know I will call him and it'll be a huge mistake and I'll hate myself but I'll do it anyway."
"That bad, huh?"
She sighs and takes another puff, holding it in for a few seconds before slowly exhaling. "He was my college boyfriend, you know? I really, really loved him, and..." She shakes her head. "I need to get laid."
Barney swings his long legs up on to the rickety old coffee table and pulls his sweater over his head, leaving him wearing just a white T-shirt and jeans. For a moment, just an instant, Lily finds herself staring at him and instead of thinking "skinny hippie" she thinks "lean and toned" and he feels a warmth spreading through her that has nothing to do with the weed.
"I really need to get laid," she repeats.
He takes the joint out of her hand and places it between his lips, taking a careful toke. Lily catches herself watching him, the way he closes his eyes as he holds the smoke in his lungs, his blonde eyelashes fluttering against his pale cheeks. His lips look oddly sensuous right now, and when he places the joint back between her lips, she swears she can taste him when she breathes it in. This should be silly, platonic, just two friends joking around. But every gesture seems weirdly erotic. Even the way he looks at her seems different.
Lily knows that this is all in her head. It's just remembering Marshall and the dope and seeing Ted and everything. But when Barney turns his head the light catches his cheekbones and suddenly she has this urge to sketch him, quickly, she'd just need a pencil and some paper. She has this weird urge to draw him because he's- and this was probably totally the wrong word but it's all she has- he's beautiful.
"Hello? Earth to Lil?"
Lily shakes her head and puts the reefer in an ashtray. "Sorry, spaced out for a second." She lets out a nervous chuckle. "What?"
"I was saying that if you really wanted to sleep with someone, you pick any guy - or lesbian - in New York," he says.
"What?"
"Well, I mean, you're smart, you're funny when you're not being mean, you're nice when you want to be, and you're gorgeous even when you're not trying." He says it casually, like a statement of fact, and she knows that it's only because the pot makes him all emotional and earnest, but she can't help averting her eyes, feeling just like a blushing schoolgirl. Which is stupid, because this is her dorky roommate, not the captain of the football team.
It isn't as if she hasn't thought of him like this before - the guy cooks naked, it's impossible not to - but this is the first time she's moved on from thinking about it, to, well... Thinking about it.
"You just need to work on your attitude problem," he says, teasingly. She punches him in the arm, but she finds herself smiling anyway. "Ow!" he laughs. "That really freaking hurts."
"Oh, I'm sorry," she replies, sarcastically. "You want me to kiss it better?"
He makes a "pfffth!" sound. "Who are you? My Mom?" But Lily can see the blush creep over his cheeks and those jeans are tight enough that she can see the slight bulge in his pants. Is he getting turned on?
She scooches over to him on the couch and grabs his arm. "Stop being such a baby and let me-"
"Hey!" His expression darkens and he tries to bat her away with his other hand but she clings on to him. Wow, his bicep feels really... muscle-y... and she finds that she can't help it. It's been way too long since she's gotten laid and this close, he smells spicy and warm and male.
She leans forward and presses her lips against his flesh, just where it's reddened from where she punched him.
She hears his breath hitch as she kisses his arm. She lets her lips linger for too long, and she pulls away too slowly. She looks up at him, still holding onto his arm. He looks back at her, his face unreadable.
She swallows. "Better?"
Barney nods, very slightly. Lily loosens her grip on his arm and moves to pull away, but a strand of dark hair falls across her face. She moves her free hand to brush it away, but Barney beats her to it. His calloused fingers move over her cheek and tuck the hair behind her ear. There's a dark lusty feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she's aware of all of the alarm bells that should be going off right now - he's her roommate - but then he's kissing her and she forgets to protest.
His lips clash awkwardly against hers at first, in that way that lips tend to do sometimes when you kiss someone you've never kissed before. It takes a moment for them both to turn their heads just right, for him to back up a tiny bit so that his lips tease hers. At first she thinks he's pretty inept - just as she always thought he might be - but then he's sliding one hand down the small of her back and she gasps. He slides his tongue in between her lips, just briefly, just exploring, and it's a shock.
She can't have this. She can't have her hippie roommate be the aggressor in-
Lily grabs his face, fixing it with both palms pressed against his cheeks and she lets her tongue flick across his teeth and tangle with his. Her heart pounds, her face, her hands, her groin, all flood with warmth. She hasn't done this in way too long.
Barney moans appreciatively as his hand moves to lightly cup her breast through the fabric of her dress. She swings her leg over his lap, straddling him, and his lips move from her mouth, pressing hot kisses against her jawline and neck. She unbuttons his jeans, shoving them down around his thighs, and she can see the tent in his boxers. His other hand fumbles with the zipper of her dress, and she laughs and pulls it over her head, leaving her naked except for the flimsy wet material of her panties.
A pink flush settles over her skin as he leans back slightly, just looking at her. His blue eyes are dark with lust, and his hands are now gripping her waist firmly. Lily gulps, and runs her fingers over the exposed patch of skin between his boxers and his shirt.
"Your turn," she says, pushing the white cotton up, her palms running over his smooth abs.
His breath catches as she touches him, and she tries to avoid his elbows as he manages to pull his T-shirt over his head. It's weird, since she feels kind of comfortable with him, but also there's this deep level of freak-out in her gut because... because this is Barney! It's Barney and he's her buddy and her roommate and what if she screws this all up?
He lifts his hips to pull down his jeans and kick them off, but the sudden movement sends shockwaves of pleasure through her. He hears her stifled moan and captures her face in his hands. She can't help but notice his body (he's her friend!) and get lost in his expressive blue eyes (her friend!) and when he shifts his weight on the couch again to lower her down on her back, she stops fighting.
What's the worst that can happen? They have a good time - and he knows just where to touch her - then they get dressed and they laugh about it and they never do it again. What's the best that can happen? They blow each other's minds and this becomes a regular thing?
Kind of. She doesn't want a boyfriend and... oh boy... it's not like he's as well endowed as Marshall but he's way bigger than the last guy she slept with.
Would a friends-with-benefits thing be so bad? Fuck-buddies? It would save him keep getting his heart broken. Save the expense of dates. They wouldn't even have to leave their apartment!
But when he pushes a condom into her hands, the reality suddenly hits her.
She kind of just stares at it, the sharp edges of the foil pressing into her palm. Barney doesn't seem to notice her hesitation, if the way he's pulling her panties down her pale legs is any indication. His fingertips skate over her smooth skin, and she wants to forget it all, forget the consequences, and just let him keep touching her. She's painfully horny, and they're mature adults, right? It doesn't have to be awkward.
"You OK?" he asks, and she meets his eyes, and damn him, he looks genuinely concerned. And even though they're both naked and his hand is on her knee and she really really wants him to fuck her, all she can think about is who he is, and who she is, and how between them they have a list of failed relationships a mile long.
"What are we doing?" she asks.
"Um." He looks confused, like it's a trick question and she'll get mad at him if he doesn't know the answer. "Having sex?" And he smiles at her, and it's kind of frustrating how attractive he is.
"No, I mean..."
He pulls away, and Lily hates herself for having opened her mouth. "I know what you mean," he says.
She looks down. "I don't..." She takes a deep breath. "I don't want to mess this up. You know?"
And damn it, if he doesn't pull back. She grits her teeth in frustration as he turns his face away and his brow furrows in three deeply-etched lines. "But-" he continues, stumbling over his words, "I've seen you naked now. Kinda can't get any more awkward, maybe? And if we've already messed things up..."
Lily pulls him back down again, capturing his lips in a firm kiss. He's right - maybe the damage has already been done and they might as well and it's almost certainly the dope talking but she's got this ache, deep inside. His weight pushes her down into the cushions so that a spring digs into the back of her leg, but Lily doesn't care.
"We might as well..." she says, on the edge of hysteria, and she rips the foil square open with her teeth.
"Way to stick to your guns there," Barney says, laughing. She shuts him up with another kiss, and rolls on the condom as quickly as she can. His hands are everywhere, running down her back, her sides, until his thumb presses against her clit and she moans into his mouth. Her heart's beating even harder now, so hard she'd be surprised if he couldn't hear it. Barney's teeth catch against her bottom lip, and he grabs her waist with one hand as he thrusts into her, hard and sudden.
She lets out a shuddery gasp at the wave of pleasure. His eyes meet hers, just for a second, and then he's pushing into her again, and her vision goes white. She moans his name and digs her fingers into his back, her paint-stained nails leaving red half-moon marks.
Barney feels it, the sharp pain, because Lily sees him wince, but it only makes him fuck her harder, and it's how she wants it, likes it, needs it. It's unexpected, because she's never seen Barney like this, as a passionate lover. She's kind-of always imagined awkward fumbles and whispered poetry but oh dear GOD, he's way better than she expected!
He slides one hand under her buttocks, lifting her just enough to get deeper and, although she's near to the edge and building, she wants to hold off, wants to keep doing this, because once they both come then the consequences will hit them hard.
Then, on the up-stroke, he sends sparks flying through her, and she couldn't give a crap about the consequences.
She cries out, and she's only barely conscious of stream of curses coming out of her mouth. He jerks inside of her, and then he slumps, his chest heaving in time with hers. Lily closes her eyes and leans her head back, letting the last waves fade away. There's still that underlying weirdness, but mostly it's just afterglow, and Lily doesn't want to move, for fear of breaking the spell. Then she feels his lips press against her collarbone and she sighs.
"Wow," she says.
He chuckles. "Wow." His fingers trail down her side, idly, and it sends shivers through her. She would've never expected Barney to be capable of making her come like that, but now she wants to find out what more he can do to her.
But how? Friends with benefits never work out - they'd just end up frustrated and confused, and he'd probably get really hurt. But she certainly doesn't want to be Barney's girlfriend, and she's not sure that they can go back to the way things were. And he's still inside of her, and he's warm and reassuringly solid on top of her, and she definitely doesn't want to move anytime soon.
But he seems to have other ideas. He groans, shifts above her and moves away, levering himself off the couch and up into a kneeling position. The muscles in his biceps flex as they take his weight and Lily wonders just when she started noticing how lean and sculpted his body is. When did he go from long-haired nerd-boy to biceps and abs and fucking into oblivion?
"Uh..." he says, smiling nervously. "What just happened there?"
It's hard to be certain how to take that. With the slight flush spreading across his face and neck, Barney definitely looks embarrassed. But Lily knows she has to decide here and now how to take this forward. She has the option to laugh it off, put it down to the dope, their mutual sexual frustration, hormones, something... anything.
Or she could open up a little? But she's not certain how she feels. Only that she's incredibly turned on, still, even now, even basking in what they've just done, her heart still pounding in her chest.
He looks scared. She's taking too long to answer and she's in danger of spooking him. He flicks a stray lock of gold-spun hair away from his face and tucks it behind his ear, chewing on his lower lip. He deserves the truth.
She sits up, tucking her knees to her chest, and sighs. "I don't know." This isn't the first time she's slept with someone that she knows she shouldn't, and the ending's always the same - sensations turn into feelings, and it never works out for the best. God, she's such an idiot. Why did she think it would be any different this time? She shakes her head and stands up. "Let's just -"
"Lily..." He grabs her wrist, and she sits back down. He doesn't let go, and Lily has to wonder if she's going to get tingles all over every time he touches her from now on. Not that it's unpleasant, but still. "Is it... I don't know." He looks away. "You and me. Is it really such a bad idea?"
"I..." She swallows. "I mean, maybe. I like you, and you like me, and the sex was..." She feels her face heat up. God, what a time for her to turn into a prude. "I liked it."
He smirks, smugly, and it looks a little strange on him. She makes a mental note not to feed his ego any more. But then Barney's expression returns to the nervous kid she knows. "There's a but."
"But," she says, "neither of us are good at relationships." His hand is still on top of hers, and she pulls it away. "And I'd rather go back to being friends and not sleeping together than to risk it." Lily isn't sure how she's going to deal with this newfound lust, but she can give it a shot, at least.
His expression crumples and his disappointment is palpable, but he rallies and says brightly "Yeah. Yeah! Of course. Yeah. Sure. I mean, I wouldn't want to risk it... Either, I mean. So... you know?"
It's weird because they're both naked and she's still throbbing and he's looking at her with those big blue eyes and she wonders if she'll ever be able to resist him. Before she can get herself caught up in knots, he's already gotten to his feet and he's pulling on his jeans and t-shirt. Before he can escape to his room, she catches his hand. She almost blurts that she wants to follow him there and to cover it, to plug the words in her throat, she garbles, "Your eyes- You have great eyes, Barney. If you cut your hair then you could see them."
He snatches back his hand with a look of horror and betrayal, even a little anger. Lily tries to reach out again but he scurries back into his room and the door slams shut behind him. Left alone to pick up her clothing, Lily covers her face momentarily with one hand and curses until the air turns blue. She stalks over to her easel, desperate to take out her anger on some inanimate object, almost punching the blank canvas off its stand. But instead, she snatches a brush from the jar by the window and begins to paint.