Title: Something To Tell You
Characters: Ted, Barney, Lily
Pairing: Implied Barney/Robin
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I'm not Craig Thomas or Carter Bays. I make no claim to owning How I Met Your Mother or anything associated with it.
Summary: Barney has something to tell Ted.
Warning: Spoilers if you're boycotting CBS until the season premiere and haven't seen the preview for upcoming season. Also if you've not seen Miracles.
"Ok Barney," Ted says as he sits down across from Barney at MacClaren's. "I'm here. What was so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow when we're all meeting here?"
"Ted, there's something I need to tell you and I can't do it with everyone else around. Lily knows, and I'm sure Marshall does at this point, but Robin doesn't. She can't. Not until I talk to you," Barney replies and he's rambling a bit and he hasn't let his eyes leave Ted's and he looks so serious that Ted's starting to get a little worried.
"Oook, so what is it?"
"It's just I can't risk our friendship again. I know before it was hard for you to tell because I played it so cool..." Ted scoffs, but Barney ignores him. "But I really missed you when you weren't talking to me and I don't want that to happen to us again. I don't want anything I do to ever come between us again."
"Barney, why is all this coming up? I've forgiven you for what happened," Ted replies.
"I know that," Barney says and he's looking down at his drink now.
"So then what's this all about? Because you certainly didn't call me down here at 11 o'clock at night just to re-hatch things that are in the past."
"It's just, after my accident I came to realize something that I've felt for a long time, but never knew what it meant," Barney pauses here and Ted raises his eyebrows expectantly.
"Ted, I think I have more than platonic feelings for Robin," Barney says and he's deliberately looking anywhere but at Ted.
"Well duh," Ted says, causing Barney's head to snap up so fast he thinks he may have gotten whiplash. "Of course you have more than platonic feelings for her. You did sleep with her." Ted watches as Barney visibly deflates a bit.
"Ted, I'm not talking she's-totally-hot-casual-one-night-stand-more-than-platonic feelings for her. I think I might actually..." he trails off, unable to finish his sentence.
Ted's staring at him now in confusion and Barney literally sees Ted's realization.
"You love her?" He asks in shock and Barney recoils.
"No! I... I don't know, Ted, it's just..." but Ted isn't listening anymore because now it's all clicking in his head.
The way Barney looks at Robin as she slides into the booth next to him.
The way he watches her walk out of the bar when she has to leave early because she has work the next morning.
The way he's always taking an interest in her less than exciting job.
The way he laughs at her jokes way harder than is necessary.
The way he doesn't join in anymore when they make Canada jokes.
The way his eyes lit up every time she showed up at the hospital when they were all there.
And every other little interaction that he's seen the two of them have since Barney got out of the hospital... and the way that Robin always reciprocates.
Because Robin has feelings for him, too.
"Oh" Ted says, and he realizes that he must have interrupted Barney because Barney's staring at him, mouth half open, eyes almost pleading.
"Oh?" Barney repeats when Ted doesn't offer anything else.
"I just... oh," Ted says and Barney's getting a little frustrated.
"'Oh' good, or 'oh' bad?! You gotta give me something, Ted, because I have to tell you, the suspense is killing me here!" There's something in Barney's voice and face that tells Ted that Barney may not be far from exaggerating.
"No, no, not bad," Ted says and he hears Barney let out a breath. "It's just... she doesn't know."
"No, I know she doesn't know. I haven't told her. I was waiting until..." Barney says, but Ted interrupts him.
"No, I mean, she doesn't know that she feels the same way as you do," Ted explains.
"What do you mean? She... but she hasn't, and she never, but... how do you know?" Barney asks eventually.
"The way that the two of you are together." Ted replies. "I can't believe that I've never noticed it before. You said Lily knows. She figured it out on her own?"
Lily stood in Barney's apartment, looking at Barney expectantly.
"So, some on, Barney, what's up with you? You were acting weird all night. In fact, you've been acting weird for awhile. And now you've asked me to come back here, and if I recall, I was banned from ever crossing the threshold last time I was here. Something's obviously up, so spill," Lily said, a little annoyed that her plans for the night were ruined by Barney's sudden need to "talk".
"I can't tell you what it is, I should tell you, but I can't! I have to! I never will! I'm going to. Let's just drop it, what's up with you?" He rambled leaving Lily looking a bit shocked.
"Barney," Lily said warningly.
"Ok, fine," he said, walking into his kitchen now. "You know how I'm so awesome that I always thought there'd never be anyone nearly as awesome enough to be able to be with me?"
"Uh, yeah, sure," Lily replies, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, what if I found someone who potentially had the power to possess such an awesomeness that I might consider taking a chance with her?"
"You've been in the hospital, who could you have possibly met? Oh oh oh! Was it that nurse that you said that you..."
"Would you focus, Aldrin? It's not the nurse."
"Well then who is it? Do I know her?" Lily asked.
And he's at a loss. He doesn't know how to tell her this and have her believe him.
"Lily, it's..." you begin, but she cuts you off.
"Robin," she says.
"No, it's... wait what? How did you know?" Barney demands.
Lily scoffs. "Please." And now it's Barney's turn to look shocked.
"Yeah, you could say that," Barney said looking at Ted strangely. "Ted, you're not freaking out nearly as much as I thought that you would."
"Why would I freak out?" Ted asks, genuinely confused.
"Um, gee, I don't know, because when you found out I slept with her you stopped talking to me?"
"Barney, you tried to take me to Vegas on my birthday while all my friends and my girlfriend were waiting for me just so you could feel a little less guilty about lying to me. And it doesn't even matter that you were going to tell me, because you should have told me right away and I don't know why we're talking about this now because it's in the past. And besides, that's when I thought you were using her."
"Use... using her? Why would you think I was using her?" Barney asks.
"Because that's what you do with women, Barney. You trick them into sleeping with you and then never talk to them again. And when Robin told me that it happened when she was upset that Simon dumped her, I jumped to conclusions."
"Yeah, but I would never..." Barney starts.
"No, I know you wouldn't do that to her. Wouldn't do that to me. I realize that now, but at the time I was so mad I didn't stop to think. And it's just occurring to me that I never apologized to you."
"You know that doesn't matter, Ted. You said it, it's over. So... you're not mad at me?"
"How could I be mad at you for how you feel? You know how I feel about her. A part of me will always love her, but now I just want her to be happy and to know she's going to be with someone that will make her happy and I can see that you're serious about this and you're not going to hurt her on purpose. I mean, it might be a little awkward for awhile, but now that you mention it, you two really are perfect for each other," Ted says.
"Ok, wow. That was... easier than I thought it would be. You're really not mad? We're still bros?" Barney asks and Ted laughs.
"We're still bros," Ted agrees and Barney smiles at him.
"Good. Great!" Barney exclaims and demands a refill for his and Ted's drinks from Wendy the waitress.
"You know you have to tell her now, right? If everyone knows it's not going to be long before Marshall spills. You know he's terrible at keeping secrets."
"I know I do. Lily said the same thing... right after she promised not to tell Marshall. I'll tell her when the time's right," Barney agrees.
"So Barney," Ted says after a short silence.
"Yeah Ted?"
"When you marry Robin, I get to be best man, right?" Ted says teasingly.
"Shut up, Ted, I'm not turning into you," Barney says, raising an eyebrow at him.
"You looooooove her," Ted singsongs, because he knows it's annoying Barney.
"Ted," Barney says warningly.
"Oh c'mon Barney, it's gonna be legendary!"