Name: Understand Why
Author: theyellowumbrella
Show: How I Met Your Mother
Pairing: Robin/Barney
Summary: "Maybe one day he'd understand why he saw her every time he closed his
eyes."
Note: This was inspired by a line of Passenger's song Let Her Go. Post Miracles.
Hope you enjoy!
You see her when you close your eyes, maybe one day you'll understand why.
Maybe one day Barney Stinson would understand why every time he closed his eyes
he would see her face, smiling away. Maybe one day he would understand why he
was having all of these feelings for his best bro. Maybe one day he'd stop
hating himself for liking Ted's ex.
"Hey, Lil. I need to talk to you about the whole Robin thing," Barney said once
he'd checked only Lily was in, entering her apartment.
Lily flashed him a smile and came out of the kitchen to face him. "Great. What
is it?"
"I don't know. That's what's wrong. I can't understand why I'm feeling like
this. I mean...four years I've known her for. Four amazing years. Why am I
feeling like this now?"
"Because you only just realised it. Secretly, not even yourself knew, but ever
since you saw her at that bar, you loved her. Just from the way she smiled at
you first and then at Ted. Because you only just realised how much of a human
you are," She tried to explain, but Barney only groaned. He didn't want to feel
this way, he didn't want to be like some kid from middle school who said he
liked the girl who sat next to him. That wasn't Barney Stinson.
"No! Not acceptable, I don't want to love her!" He exclaimed, throwing himself
on the couch. "You're supposed to be helping me here."
"Tell her how you feel. Today! Oh yes, that's a great plan. She's coming over in
a few minutes. Great thinking, Aldrin," She congratulated herself, smirking that
smirk that Barney had hated since the first time he saw it, seven years ago.
"No. She'll hate me," He whined, looking back at his red headed friend.
"She won't. I promise you, I'll be here the whole time."
Just then, as the two friends were fighting, the door opened and in cake Robin,
looking more beautiful than ever.
"Hi, Robin," Barney stammered, giving her a quick smile.
"Hey, you," She said in reply and sat next to him. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to Lily about something," Lily kicked him in the leg, unbeknown
to Robin, who's eyes were focused on Barney's terrified smile. "I...I mean, I
need to talk to you. Lily, could you...?"
Lily automatically left the apartment, standing outside with her ear to the
door.
"I have a confession to make," Barney started off, his voice barely audible.
"Ever since the accident, there's been something I noticed. I...you...do you
remember when Ted said how his whole life flashed before his eyes, the things he
loved? Well, that happened to me. I saw my mom and James and Tom and Eli and
then...I saw you. And I figured I would see Ted and Marshall and Lily as well
and I did but then your face just kept flashing in my mind. Images of you
laughing at my jokes and...ever since then I've been in love with you. Falling
harder and harder each day. And it sucks, okay? It sucks that I feel like that
because you're Robin and I'm Barney."
By now, he was looking away from her, staring at a picture Lily had painted that
was pinned up on the wall.
"Wow. I didn't expect to hear that when I woke up this morning. So, since the
accident? Does anybody know?" She asked after a moment, taking his hand in hers.
"Lily and Marshall," He answered sadly, finally daring to look up at her.
"Look, Barney..."
"Here it comes. The "it'd mess up our friendship" talk. Well, I don't want to
hear it, Robin. I'm going," He interrupted, standing up.
"Wait!" She cried, trying to get him to stop and stay.
"No, you wait! You have no idea how hard that was for me to confess and I really
can't handle you being all pitiful so I'm leaving and you can't stop me!" He
yelled at her, leaving almost instantly. Lily, who had been listening in,
followed after him.
Robin buried her head in her hands. She wanted to tell him she'd been having
some kind of feelings towards him these past couple of weeks, that she was glad
he'd told her, that they should talk. She let a few tears fall out of her eyes
before she realised she was Robin Scherbatsky and she didn't sit crying over
men. Especially not Barney. Her good friend Barney who she just happened to have
slept with once.
So she didn't look for him. She didn't go to Marshall or Ted. She didn't go to
the bar and get drunk off of her ass and pour her heart out to Carl like she'd
done many times before. She went to the shooting range.
After a few hours, Linda, the owner and friend of Robin, came over to her. "You
have to go," She said softly, lifting her up. "Shall I call one of your friends
to come pick you up? That nice blond boy, perhaps?"
Robin sighed, shaking her head. "Marshall. Call Marshall."
And that's how Robin found herself crying into her beer, telling Marshall (and a
few other people who had gathered around, including Carl and Wendy) all about
Barney's declaration of love. And that's how she and Marshall slept at their
booth in MacLarens, Robin refusing to leave and Marshall not wanting to leave
her alone. Because what idiot leaves a vulnerable woman alone in a bar at 3am on
a Saturday morning?
Robin briefly remembered being lifted up by a pair of strong arms at
around 8am and being carried into her bedroom and being laid down. She
remembered the kiss that was planted on her forehead and the "I love you, sweet
dreams," that Barney had whispered into her ear before leaving and going back to
his own house.