"You sure it's okay that I'm bringing a date?" Ted asked Lily nervously, knowing how she's felt in the past about his dates interfering with their sacred group events.
"Of course!" Lily laughed, "I mean she isn't some random skank. You two have been dating for several months now."
Ted panicked, straightening his tie and doing the finishing touches on his hair, wanting to look his best. He had been dating her for several months, and yet they still seemed to be in the honeymoon period. The chemistry between them only grew, and the magical, hopeful feeling of a first date never faded. "How do I look?"
Before Lily could answer, they heard a knock on the door. "That must be her!" Ted said, rushing to the door, opening it to instead find Barney and Robin, both looking their best and with broad smiles on their faces. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Someone looks excited to see us," said Robin.
"I thought you were her." Ted rolled his eyes and walked to the kitchen, leaning against a wall anxiously.
The couple entered the apartment, sitting down, side-by-side on the sofa, Barney's arm draped comfortably around Robin's shoulders. Marshall rushed in to greet them, dressed casually in a dark green t-shirt and jeans.
"Dude." Barney threw a hand up, looking away in disgust. "We agreed on black-tie attire!"
"No, Barney that was your idea. You were literally the only one who agreed to that, which is ridiculous because black-tie for you is an everyday thing."
Barney shrugged, unable to protest.
They heard another knock on the door and Ted, catching his breath, rushed to open it for a second time.
"Hi." He smiled, mesmerized by the beauty of the woman standing in front of him. She looked at her best, in a loose, yellow dress, hair falling in silky, brown waves.
"Hi." She said, before kissing him gently.
They walked into the apartment, sitting down next to Barney and Robin. Lily was ecstatic, grabbing a disposable camera from the kitchen and instructing her friends to gather around for a group photo. Contrary to the past, none of them cringed. Over time the photos had become less and less staged. They squeezed together on the couch, Robin nearly on top of Barney, Ted and his girlfriend holding hands beside them. "Smile!" Lily said, before leaping into the tiny space beside Marshall.
After the picture, the six of them went downstairs, sitting down in their favourite booth, Ted calling over Wendy the waitress and ordering six drinks for the table.
"This is the first New Years with the six of us." Lily said happily, adding in that she couldn't wait to put it into her scrapbook.
"First of many, hopefully." Ted glanced over to his girlfriend, whose smile told him she had a similar hope. "You know, I gotta say, I'm glad we're keeping it simple this year. Just a simple New Years with loved ones in the bar we spent the better part of a decade in. In fact, I am going to propose a toast," He announced, raising his glass, "to a New Year's Eve that is bound to be anything but a let-down, and to the future!"
Barney and Robin exchanged glances, telepathically expressing their concern for their friend, even though they were mildly entertained by his cheesiness at times. While the gang continued to chat, Barney, bored, snuck his hand over Robin's thigh, stroking her skin gently. She kicked him and he smiled devilishly, pulling his hand away. After a moment, Robin, frustrated, grabbed it and placed it back on her thigh. He smiled again, clearly enjoying the game they had begun beneath the table.
A little while later, the gang split up, couples going off on their own to enjoy the romance of New Year's Eve. Ted and his girlfriend headed upstairs, to the roof. Lily and Marshall went to the apartment, to spend time with Marvin. Barney and Robin stayed at the booth, now with two scotches in front of them.
"Any resolutions?" Robin asked jokingly.
"You know," he said thoughtfully, "For the first time in my life, there's nothing I want to change."
"Really?"
"Really." He reached behind her neck, pulling her in softly and pressing his lips against hers. After a moment he asked her, "What about you?"
"I've got you… I can't imagine being happier." She said slowly, still, after all these years, uncomfortable with the way romantic things sounded in her voice. The two of them sat in silence for a moment, taking it all in. It was their first New Year's Eve together, married, and neither could think of a single thing to improve upon in the New Year. Both were indescribably, overwhelmingly happy, just knowing they would spend the next 365 days together, and every year after that.
Robin broke the silence, lifting her head from its resting place on his shoulder, "Remember our first New Year's Eve?"
"How could I forget?"
"You were so obsessed with that 'Get Psyched' mix you brought along."
"Because it's awesome."
"I don't suppose you'll find some way to play it again tonight?"
"I may or may not have convinced Carl to put it in during the last hour before midnight."
Robin laughed, unsurprised. "That was a really great night, wasn't it?"
"It was." Barney smiled, reminiscing.
...
Eight years ago on the same very night, long after the ball had dropped and everyone had headed home, the two of them had ended up in the same bar they always ended up in, across from each other with two glasses of scotch because they were tired of champagne. Barney looked around the bar for a girl to distract him from the one sitting in front of him, the beautiful brunette who had a boyfriend and with whom his best friend was in love. But it was late and it seemed the New Year's buzz had died down to what felt more like a tired afternoon kind of atmosphere at MacLarens. He turned back to Robin, forcing the thought from his head that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
"So where's that big-shot boyfriend of yours?" He asked, unsuccessfully trying not to sound jealous.
"He had to go back to work." Robin said, disappointed.
Barney looked down at his watch, "It's past four! What the hell does he even do for a living?" He looked back up, face covered in confusion.
"What do you even do for a living?"
"Haha please." He replied, in the same way he always did when asked about his job.
"So, what happened to Natalia?" Robin asked curiously, wondering how it was New Year's Eve, which was pretty much International Nobody is Sober Day, and Barney Stinson hadn't banged some drunk chick already, especially since he had spent most of the night with one.
"Meh, not my type."
"She was drunk and she had boobs. How is that not your type?"
"Robin Scherbatsky!" He said, taken aback. "How dare you generalize me as a man with only one 'type'? I bang a wide variety of chicks… big boobs, small boobs, medium boobs…"
"I get it." Robin rolled her eyes.
"The thing is, I realized, we're starting a whole new year and I didn't want to kick it off with meaningless sex with someone whose name I'll forget the next day. I'd rather kick it off by hanging out with a friend, who happens to be the coolest chick ever." He smiled, and Robin smiled, throwing him a "Thanks." He added in, "And you know, we could also have meaningless sex, except I'd actually remember your na-"
Robin interrupted him, kicking his shin, but still smiling slightly beneath her annoyance.
"I was kidding!" He laughed, rubbing his leg, "Goddammit Scherbatsky. You didn't have to kick me."
"I didn't have to, but I did enjoy it." She grinned, nodding her head slightly and taking another sip from her glass.
Barney rolled his eyes, throwing her a look, before changing the subject. "So, uh, any resolutions?"
"Not really."
He looked at her quizzically, not knowing her well but knowing her well enough to know she was keeping something from him. "Come on, what is it?"
"It's stupid."
"I've seen you fall off a carriage into a pile of horse shit. On television. And yet I still think you're one of the awesomest people I know. You really think a resolution will change that?"
"Fine." She said, "Well whether its next year or the year after, or the year after that… I want to be the reporter to cover new years in Times Square." Robin said quickly, as if trying to get it over with. "It's crazy and stupid, I know."
"It's not crazy or stupid. You're a great reporter, Robin." He said.
"I'd barely even consider myself a real reporter."
"I consider you one."
"Thanks." She said, looking up at the man across from her, the one who constantly joked around and never seemed to genuinely care about anyone, but who now seemed sweet and sincere. She saw that beneath his tricks and cons and bamboozles, he was a really good friend. But she pushed the thought from his head that he could ever be more than that to her.
"So, what about you?" Robin asked, "Any resolutions?"
"Nope."
"I can't say I'm surprised." She laughed, knowing how fond he was of his own life, which he frequently described as "awesome".
"I guess it's because there's too many things I would change. You know? And I don't know what to do about any of them and I think I'm too far gone, so easier to just go along with it I guess." Barney admitted, looking away, unable to believe what he had just told her.
"What? I-I thought that you loved your life."
"I do. I love it. I'm just not sure I like loving it."
Robin rested her hand on top of his, not sure what to say or how else to react. He smiled, enjoying the way her skin felt against his more than he would ever admit.
…
"That was eight years ago." Barney continued.
"Yeah, eight years." Robin said, continuing thoughtfully after a moment. "I owe you one."
"For what?"
"Eight years ago I was a joke, I was barely a real reporter, and you believed in me anyways. At that point covering New Years in Time Square was just a silly dream I had but it turned into a reality, not so long ago actually."
"I knew it would."
She shook her head, smiling slightly, "You're an idiot… I love you so damn much."
They kissed, but were soon interrupted by the rest of the gang, who strolled into the bar and sat down around them. Ted and his girlfriend were holding hands, both smiling like idiots. They seemed to never pull their eyes away from each other's.
"I think Ted just lost his virginity," Barney whispered to Robin after noticing Ted's grin, loudly enough so that he would hear.
Ted threw him a disapproving glance, "Dude."
"Aw I'm sorry, buddy. It'll happen eventually." Barney patted Ted's shoulder sympathetically, purposely trying to annoy him further.
"Come on man!" His girlfriend chimed in, "Ted was just showing me the roof. And for the record, it happened a long time ago. And many times since then."
"Oh, you guys went up to the roof?" said Lily, "That's such a romantic spot, my husband and I go there all the time."
"Roofs in general are pretty great." Robin looked at Barney, remembering his proposal to her.
"They are," Ted's girlfriend said dreamily, "The stars and everything are so magical." She looked at Ted, with love in her eyes, remembering how he had told her that each of the stars shined for her, and how he had looked when he had said it, and how his voice had found a way to say it without sounding corny. He seemed to be an expert on the big, romantic moments she loved.
…
"Ten minutes to the new year!" Marshall announced, pouring six glasses of champagne.
The five of them had sat around telling stories from their time together, while Ted's girlfriend laughed, constantly doubting that they were true due to their ridiculousness. There was a mutual feeling of nostalgia for the past, shared throughout the group. And yet, at the same time there was an understanding that although much would change in the time to come, they would never stop coming here, at least every once and a while.
"We have a lot of great stories, don't we?" Ted asked, receiving a few nods in response. "You know, I'm gonna miss this, drinking with you all, but the memories we've made at this bar are nothing short of legendary. So, another toast," He raised his glass, "To all those great stories, to you guys, for giving me stuff to tell my future kids, and to the memories we haven't made yet. We might be moving forward in our lives, but we'll never stop being friends and we'll never stop doing the crazy things that lead to having crazy stories to tell."
The six of them tapped their glasses together, toasting yet another year, along with all the ones that had past. They prepared to begin a new chapter in their lives.
"It's gonna be legen-" Barney began, "Wait for it…"
The countdown begun. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
"Dary!"