Context: November 2008, or season 4 :)
Prompt: #029 Family
Word count: 200
Comment: In the beginning of 7x16, Marshall mentions that Barney is a Scorpio, which means his birthday is between 24/10 and 22/11. That's why it's set in November :) And the title just makes the connection that the gang = home = New York. Haha :)
Barney's always been an outsider. He's been bullied at school; at college, they were suspicious of his magic skills. Even today, he sometimes feels like the odd one out in his small group of friends.
But as they're all sitting in their regular booth at MacLaren's on his thirty-second birthday, with a pile of presents next to him, he feels himself falling into place. This, here, is exactly where he's meant to be.
Lily strikes up "Happy Birthday," and the others chime in happily. They drink beers and scotch and order chicken wings and he unwraps his presents and everything's exactly like it should be.
It's almost two in the morning as Robin says she wants to go for a smoke, dragging Barney out with her. She pulls a cigar from her handbag; he says "Nice," and they share it in comfortable silence. As he puts it out, he smiles at her.
He's sure it's the alcohol, but Robin hugs him and whispers "happy birthday" into his ear, her voice like honey, and then kisses him softly, shortly on the mouth.
Home is where your heart is, he once heard. Whoever said so has to be a pretty wise dude.