As the night winds down, everyone of the group had left MacLaren's aside from a very drunk Ted and an almost-too-sober Barney. Considering how gone his friend was... Barney was DEFINITELY too sober for this.
As Barney stands from the booth, he takes Ted by the arm in an attempt to help him up. "Come on Mosby, let's get you home." He directs, but Ted instinctively falls back down; now laying on the red cushioning of the booth.
"No!" Ted replied, nearly child-like. "I wannuh stay!"
Barney does a half-snicker, and rolls his eyes at this. "Be that as it may you have a class in the morning. Now," he offers his hand again. "Come on. Let's get you upstairs, buddy."
Though he wanted to fight it- maybe even make a game out of it, Ted finally gave in after a short hesitation. He shifts himself forward, and grasps Barney's hand before he falls back again.
By the time they've gone up the stairs and reached the apartment, Ted has his arm wrapped around Barney and is leaning on him for support. Though under usual circumstances Barney wouldn't allow for this- seeing as a having a rep as a homosexual could scare off 'potential hotties', it didn't seem to concern him tonight. His first-and-foremost objective was to get his friend home (which wasn't all too difficult, considering Ted didn't live that far) safely.
Ted places a hand behind him, feeling for the bed as Barney tips him towards it. He makes contact, and though attempts to slowly lower himself in, immediately drops as Barney lets go. Barney hesitates for a moment; his initial response to automatically catch him, but logic kicks in and tells him 'hey idiot; it's a bed.' Instead, he places his hand to awkwardly pat Ted's knee before telling him goodnight.
"Barney wait!" Ted calls out, slurring the words together as he does.
Barney stops in the doorway. He thought to himself 'great, I'm gonna wind up babysitting this guy all night?', but couldn't admit to himself that he wanted to.
"Barney can you ged me aglass uh water...?" Ted stumbles out, giving Barney his puppy-eyes, despite the fact the lights had already gone out. A fact that Barney's thankful for, when a smile turns the corners of his lips up. He ignores his own expressions, and counters them with an eye roll.
"Yeah, just... Don't go anywhere." Barney warns.
Ted nods, even though Barney couldn't see him, and had already walked away at this point anyway.
When his friend returns with his water, Ted finds himself overcome with an unexpected joy that his friend hadn't just left him there. He half-expected him too, and the rest of his brain was pre-occupied with remembering just how he'd gotten back up to his room. He didn't remember Barney carrying him until after he had returned.
Barney sat himself at the edge of the bed, and handed Ted his water. Ted places it on the night-stand without even taking a sip, and throws his arms around Barney's waist. "You didn't leave me!" He says with a teary voice.
Barney furrows his brow, keeping his sights awkwardly fixed forward. "Yes?" He replies, though he's not certain of the proper response.
"Thank you sho much... for not leaving me behind Barney. Yora good friend."
Though he wanted to get up and leave at this point, Barney couldn't help that smile from appearing back on his face. He didn't do anything special, but Ted was drunk- for all Barney knew Ted believed he'd punched a pterodactyl in the throat for him. Whatever it was Ted was so pleased about, Barney played along. He leans in, and places his arms over Ted's back in a strange hugging possession. "Anything for you, Ted." Barney grins, and begins rubbing the drunken man's back.
"Hey!" Ted excites, immediately sitting up and startling Barney a little. "We should totally hava sleep-over!" Ted suggests in that giddy, childish voice again. Just as Barney's about to decline, Ted grabs his shoulders and begins to bounce up and down on the bed. "Please please please?"
"Okay okay!" Barney laughs. "Just, lay back down. And drink your water for gods sakes." He adds in as he brings his legs up on the bed.
"Yay!" Ted claps, trying to keep his voice down, but couldn't contain the excitement to anything past a low-roar.
Barney pulls up the corner of the covers from underneath him as Ted slides back under the comforter himself. Once they're both settled, Barney places a quick peck on Ted's lips.
A gasps escapes Robin's lips as she finds herself in her room again somehow. She blinks a couple times, daylight shrouding her room as she catches her breath and tries her best to collect her thoughts. Oh god... I'm dreaming again.
Ch 1: Gay Dreams
All day at the studio Robin had been on edge, and it wasn't getting any easier over the course of the day. It wasn't the first time she'd had /those/ types of dreams, but it had been years back when they started, and they didn't last long. What the hell did it mean that it was re-surfacing? And why now?
"Uh, Robin?"
Robin shakes in a start as Ted beckons for her attention. She blinks, mouth ajar, then answers. "What?"
"I said I'm getting the next round and asked if you wanted anything." Ted reminds, though clearly Robin hadn't heard him the first time.
"Oh- um, yeah." She replies. "No." She instantly declines; putting her hands up and squinting her eyes shut as she tilts her head down. "I mean, I'm good. I think I'm gonna head back early, actually."
"We got here like five minutes ago." Barney reminds.
"Are you feeling okay sweetie?" Lily asks, placing a concerned hand on Robin's shoulder. "It seemed like you were kinda having an off day at work too."
Right. They conveniently chose now to watch my show... at four in the morning.
Lily was still looking at her friend with a confused expression, though, as Robin was starting to grab the attention from the rest of the group too. She had to say something.
"Thanks, Lily. I'm fine." Robin responds, keeping as strait a face as possible. "I just... Haven't been sleeping well." She tells her; which wasn't completely a lie.
"You know what I find helps with that?" Barney begins in his usual cocky tone, but Robin cuts him off.
"You know what Barney- I don't want to know." Robin replies in an irritated tone as she shuffles from her spot, and gathers her things. "So have fun telling your story, okay?" She blurts before turning off and leaving.
By this time, Ted had returned with the beers. He sets them on the table. "So what's got her peeved?"
"Apparently she hasn't been sleeping well." Lily shrugs, then check to make sure Robin's really gone. "So what do you guys think is really going on?" She asks, almost too excited.
"Isn't it obvious?" Barney asks rhetorically, leaning back in the booth with one elbow over the edge. "Scherbatski can't contain her enormous sexual desire for the Barnacle." He grins, nodding with a cheeky smile.
"Yeah- as likely as that is..." Ted trails sarcastically. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say... maybe she's /actually/ just not sleeping well."
"Oh come on Ted!" Lily sighs- almost sounding disappointed at him taking the fun out of guessing. "It's Robin!"
Ted veers back, throwing his hands up in defense. "I'm just sayin', not everything has to be some big event with her."
"Maybe Ted's right." Marshal agrees, fiddling with his beer bottle. "I mean, didn't anyone else notice the bags around her eyes?"
There's a pause. Finally, Lily speaks up. "I guess you guys are probably right. She did seem a bit crabby just before she left."
"So it's agreed!" Barney announces as he slams a hand against the table. "Robin Scherbatski is unable to sleep because she can't stop thinking about me!"
As he searches the table for approval, via high-five, he's meeting with cold glares and shaking heads.
"I can't stop thinking about that stupid dream!" Robin whines to herself once she's back at her apartment. She splashes cold water on her face, and holds her hands over her eyes for a moment, allowing the darkness to consume her for a brief moment of peace.
Suddenly, she has an idea.
"Of course!" She gasps, though talking to no one in particular. "I-if I don't sleep, I won't dream. If I can't dream, I won't have to be stuck with those disturbing thoughts in my head all day! Perfect!" She claims, snapping her fingers. Her confidence fades in her expression though as she notes one flaw in her plan. Crap. That sleep thing? Kinda essential she reminds herself, and sighs.
It didn't stop her from attempting it, though. Robin remained awake through the night- and the next night... and the next.
Come morning of the fourth consecutive day, she had just wrapped up a very sloppy report on a yard squirrel befriending a garden hose by 5 in the morning, and even her co-host noticed the effect on Robin from her sleep deprivation- except he had no clue she was intentionally keeping herself up. She prayed Lily and the gang had chosen sleep over her show this time. If it were up to her, she would have too.
No she thought to herself on her way back to the apartment. Don't doze off. Not on the bus. Maybe... Maybe a little nap once I'm back home.
Oh Robin, don't do that!
Robin looks beside her. Though she swears she had seated herself next to an older gentleman, staring back at her seemed to be a reflection of herself. The real Robin is shocked with a shiver, and blinks a few times to clear the image. It was no use, though. She was at the hallucinatory stage of the sleep deprivation at this point, and there was nothing she could do about it.
"Come on, Robin!" Illusion Robin prompts, with the nudge of her shoulder. "You and I both know if you fall asleep now, those dreams are going to be more vivid then they ever were."
"Well I have to sleep at some point!" Real Robin reasons. "I'm hallucinating for god sakes! What's the point in avoiding the dreams if I'm just gonna start seeing things instead?"
"Don't think of this as a bad thing, sweetie." Illusion Robin sympathizes, pushing Robin's hair behind her ear.
"I- no- I can't-" Robin stumbles out. Abruptly, she stands, and drags herself to the front of the bus. She's not sure if the driver yelled at her or how she's gotten off the bus. All she could recall was waking up on the couch, and it being light out.
She sits up slowly, and finds she's injured her forehead. It felt bruised, and she kept her hand against it as she glances around.
Seems pretty real to me she decides.
Upon further inspection, Robin notices the pillow, and the blanket placed over her. Why would she sleep on the couch in her own apartment? She checks one last time to make sure she's really home, and despite her doubts, confirms once more that she truly is. She comes to the conclusion Ted must have situated the pillow and covers after he found her passed out on the couch.
...IF that's where he found her. Who's to say he didn't find her blacked out on the side of the road?
"Ted?" Robin checks, knocking on his door. It creeks open as she does, and as she peers in Robin discovers he's not around. Must be in class she determines, and returns to the couch.
"Robin?" A voice echoes, and Robin's hand shoots over her chest at the startle. Ted emerges from the kitchen, looking slightly concerned. "Robin, how are you feeling?" He asks, moving in closer. "You still look a little pale." Ted takes hold of his room-mate's arm. "Here, sit down."
Still a little shocked, Robin allows Ted to lead her back to the couch. He sits down with her; putting his hands over hers. With how concerned he'd appeared, Robin wondered if there were something she should he concerned with.
"How long ago did you wake up?" His eyes widen- like he's suddenly remembered something. "I have to call Lily and Marshal. And Barney." He says, and rushes for a phone.
"Ted what's going on?! How long was I out...?" Robin winces, wondering if maybe she didn't want to know.
"How long?" Ted exasperates. "Robin, it's been- hello?" He questions, holding his phone to his ear. "Lily- she's awake! Tell Marshal and Barney and get over here, now." Ted insists, and hangs up the phone before Lily could respond. "How long!?" Ted repeats.
Robin nods hesitantly, her eyes filled with anticipatory fear of his answer.
Again, Ted takes both of Robin's hands. "I don't know how to tell you this... You were out for two-"
"Days? Months? Years?!" Robin panics. "Oh god, did I-"
"Hours." Ted finishes.
There's a pause.
"Hours?" Robin repeats with confusion. "Well that's..." She's puzzled. "That's not even a full nights sleep. What are you so-"
"Exactly!" Ted replies. "You have not been sleeping, and it's clearly getting worse." He claims.
This was so like Ted to exaggerate like this. Robin should have known right from the start that he would make a bigger deal out of this then it actually- "Wait... how did you know I wasn't sleeping?" She asks- suddenly catching what he'd said.
"Robin. Come on." Ted replies, as if it were obvious, and the two seem to flash-back to several occasions where it was clear Robin was taking efforts to keep herself awake.
Ted watching her enter the apartment with another cup of coffee...
...or when he thought his phone was vibrating, but it turned out to be Robin shaking from the caffeine...
...or when he tried to ask her how long it had been since they'd purchased the mayo, he couldn't get two words out before Robin began to defend her situation in short, choppy sentences, assuming that Ted was accusing her of her recent behavior.
"...so maybe I've been just a little on edge." Robin admits, a d Ted tilts his head and gives her a look of disbelief. "...or maybe a lot on edge." She corrects.
Ted nods at this.
"Look, I know it seems a little ridicules, but-"
"It's not." Ted replies, patting his hand on Robin's leg. "I understand."
"You do?" Robin questions, but smiles. "Thank you Ted, that... I appreciate that." She nods firmly.
"Of course." Ted smiles back. He stands, and turns back towards the kitchen. "I mean, you can't help it if you're an insomniac."
Robin's smile quickly shifts to an uncomfortable flat.
"But don't worry, everyone should be here soon, and we'll take care of you. We'll get you the help you need, and you'll be back on a normal sleeping schedule before you know it."
She could literally feel the pigments drain from her face, and searched her brain for any way out of this.
"Oh, you guys- um..." She stutters, and Ted looks at her.
"I already know what you're going to say, and don't worry about it." Ted responds. "It's no trouble; we all have been worried about you the past couple of days, and we really want to help. Lily says you'd do the same for us, after all, and I know she's right."
The words seemed to stick in Robin's throat. What was she going to tell him, anyway? That she was intentionally keeping herself awake? Then she's have to come up with some bull-shit excuse as to why, and besides... Ted said the gang was worried about her. If they learned she was doing this to herself...
"Ted, that's really nice, but..." She struggles for any excuse she can find. "I already have medication." She cringes, and it takes everything in her not follow her lie with a giggle.
Ted furrows his brow.
"Yeah- I just haven't had the time to run down to the pharmacy to refill my sleeping pills." Robin continues. "But, I'll go now. So, don't worry." She insists.
Ted sits down beside her. Crap! Did he see through my ploy? But he continues softly. "You've had this problem before? Why did you tell us? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want you guys to know!" Robin blurts out without thinking, but quickly follows with a recover. "I know how worried you all can get."
"Well we are." Lily claims, as she and Marshal enter the room. "Robin sweetie you should have said something sooner, we want to be here for you."
"Guys, really, it's alright." Robin assures them; standing up but stumbles slightly. "Why don't you all go about your day, and I'll head to bed."
"After you pick up the pills?" Ted checks.
"What?" Robin replies, but shakes her head when she remembers. "I mean- yeah."
"Well here- give us your prescription. Lily and i will pick it up for you, you should really be resting."
"Yeah, looks like you may have hit your head." Ted notices. Squinting to examine her bruised forehead. "What happened there?"
"Nothing." She blurts. Maybe Ted really did find me on the couch, and not outside somewhere. that really didn't answer the question of how she'd gotten home, though. "I gotta go." She says, spitting the words out, then leaves in a hurry, pushing past Lily and Marshal and out the door.