AN: This is the second to last chapter of Barney and Robin's secret summer (the final chapter is more what I'd consider an extended epilogue so this is the last full length chapter) and it deals with the gang finding out about their secret affair as well as the beginning of the transition into being a real couple. As such it takes place in and around episode 5.01, "Definitions". Some scenes you will be familiar with from the show, some are my own creation, but it starts where 5.01 starts and ends where 5.01 ends.

Also there are subtle references to both Chapter 3 and episode 4.20 "Mosbius Designs".

Definitions

It's finally the Friday before Ted's classes begin, before he becomes a big time architecture professor, and to celebrate the occasion the gang meets up at MacLaren's to present Ted with a gift, an authentic Indiana Jones style fedora and the Dominator 8000, courtesy of Barney's 'whip guy'.

With the others distracted by Ted's gift and the prospect of going out into the alley to "whip stuff", Robin gives Barney a look, announcing she should get going because of her date tonight. He immediately jumps to fill in, asking if she's still seeing 'that guy' – who's just happened to become the best excuse for them over the past month. After making a few jokes about sleeping with other people for good measure, the two leave together and promptly go upstairs to the apartment.

The second the door closes behind them Barney's mouth is pressed to Robin's. "I missed you last night," he says between kisses. "Sorry I got caught up at work."

"It happens," she shrugs. "But I missed you too." And to prove it she slips him a little tongue as she kisses him before gently easing out of his arms to go sit on the couch.

"You missed me, hmm?"

"I did," she admits. "It was just me, all alone with a bottle of butterscotch ice cream topping." She shakes her head regretfully. "I had such plans for that bottle of butterscotch."

He gives her a look of pure sex that positively scorches her even across the room. "You didn't answer my text," he smirks.

"We've been over this. I'm not sexting you while you're in meetings with foreign dignitaries. I keep having these visions of your phone getting passed around the boardroom."

"Please," Barney scoffs. "Like I'd let anyone see it, especially with all the pictures you've sent me." He comes over to Robin, reaching for her again the moment he sits down beside her.

"How long do you think they'll be busy downstairs?" she asks him as he brushes her hair aside to nuzzle at her neck.

"This is Ted we're talking about. The guy loves to slap the whip, if you know what I'm saying."

Robin laughs at that one, but she's still somewhat worried over the wisdom of their plan. "Seriously, Barney, they can't be down there "whipping stuff" for more than an hour. You'll have to leave right afterwards, and even then I'll have to make up an excuse for why I'm home so early."

"Alright, let's do it here first – cause I can't wait – then we'll go back to my place," he says, already kissing her. "And, ah….we'll bring that bottle of butterscotch."

Robin grins, pleased at the thought of an immediate quickie followed by a long night of butterscotch and Barney.

In an instant they both slip out of their shoes and then they're making out in earnest. Soon he has her pressed back against the arm of the couch, his hand sliding up her thigh. He's about to pull her legs up onto the couch so he can roll the rest of the way on top of her and things can really start to get interesting when somewhere in the back of his fogged mind he hears a noise at the door.

Barney breaks away from kissing Robin to turn and look, and their faces both fall into utterly shocked expressions because all three of their friends are standing at the door, catching them red-handed. And, just like that, their four-month secret has been exposed.

Hollering a triumphant, "Woooo!", Lily barges over and crowds in next to them on the couch. After grabbing a beer to ice his injured face, Marshall and Ted follow, plopping down in the adjacent seats and it's hard to say which is more annoying, the scrutiny they're about to face or the fact that they were in the middle of something they'd both rather like to get back to.

It turns out it's the scrutiny. After strongly denying they're 'boyfriend and girlfriend', they're forced to endure a ten minute long lecture from Lily in which she insists they absolutely have to try and figure out what they mean to each other.

Barney turns to Robin with a look of exasperation because this is exactly what they've been dreading all this time. "Yeah, we knew you would say that. That's why we kept it a secret," she tells Lily, looking down in frustration.

"Well, that," Barney chimes in, a heated look on his face, "and the fact that elaborate lies really turn us on."

They're pressed in close together, which is always good, and they never did finish what they'd begun. In fact they were only just getting started – and right about now they both really want some more. Barney leans in toward Robin and she reaches for him, but Lily pulls them apart.

"No, no, no. No. You need to define the relationship," she tells them, to which Barney rolls his eyes. "You need to have 'the talk'."

"Or..." Barney interrupts. "Or…." And then he's lunging himself on Robin and they're kissing again, and even in a room full of people it feels so right.

When it becomes clear to Lily that Robin's not going to put an end to things either – she's clutching onto Barney just as tightly, flinging her thigh up over his – she tugs on Barney's shoulder and physically wrenches them apart. "Stop! Stop it, you two. What are you going to do with all of us here anyway? Are you really going to rip off your clothes and start going at it in front of us?"

Rather than be shamed by her accusation the two look at each other as if they're seriously contemplating it. "Eww, gross. Just….just…go to separate corners," she exclaims, the kindergarten teacher in her coming out.

"So, you guys are….you're having sex all the time?" Ted asks, speaking for the first time since they all walked in on them.

"Yeah, so what?" Robin says defensively. "We have sex."

"Psh. A lot of sex," Barney clarifies.

Robin nods. "A lot."

"A lot of great sex." They share a look that grows increasingly heated.

"No. No," Lily jumps in before they can start going at each other again, but they both manage to rein it in. For now.

"Seriously though," Barney tells them all, "we've had a lot of sex just here alone, like on every surface of this apartment." He stands up, looking around. "We've done it here," he says, pointing to the couch. "There." He points to the bathroom. "There." He indicates the red armchair Ted's in. "The table." He smirks proudly. "For a minute we thought we broke it."

"Oh, come on! People eat on that," Ted protests.

"Twice on the kitchen counter," Barney continues unfazed. "In Robin's bedroom, of course – the bed, the floor, against every wall. Ooh, ooh," he says, crossing behind the couch. "And on – "

"Do not say my drafting table. Please do not say my drafting table."

"Ted's drafting table!" Barney finishes with a flourish.

"Uhh," Ted moans, closing his eyes in disgust.

"Well, actually we were more sort of leaning against it. See, I was behind Robin, like this." Barney leans down to demonstrate. "And she was bent over the table, like this, and – "

"Stop!" Ted pleads. Then a thought suddenly hits him. "Oh my god." He turns to Robin with a look of dawning realization. "That night way back at the beginning of the summer when I caught you – you know. With the vibrator."

Marshall and Lily exchange a look, but Barney just grins knowingly.

"That wasn't a vibrator at all, was it? All that time, what I heard, it was – Barney was….I mean, that was – wow, that's actually pretty impressive. What exactly was he –"

"Ted," Robin stops him. "I'm not talking to you about this."

"I'll tell him about it," Barney offers, sitting back down beside Robin. "She really likes it when I – " Robin gives him a withering look and he immediately cuts off. "Okay, no I won't."

"Good, cause, no," Ted says, changing his mind. "No, I don't want to know, ever. Never. Don't ever tell me." He shudders. "I've never heard a woman make those noises."

Barney snickers smugly. "I don't doubt it. You'll be hearing it a lot from now on though."

Ted sighs. "Whatever you two have got going, that's great. But I really don't want to walk in on it," he wined. "And I don't want to hear anything loud and….moan-y. Maybe we can come up with a system to – "

"So, wait," Robin interrupts. "You're saying if we were to get too loud…you'd yell at us? You'd burst in and try to stop us?"

Barney looks over at her, his eyebrow raised. When he sees the look in her eyes, his pulse jumps. "And there's no stopping us once we get started, is there, Robin?" he says, his hand snaking low around her waist.

"No," she answers breathlessly, leaning into him, about to pounce.

"Oh my god, you guys!" Marshall protests.

But then they're wildly kissing again and everyone seems to take that as their cue to get another beer from the fridge.

Later that night, after Marshall and Lily have gone home and Ted's gone to bed, Barney stays over because now there's no reason for him not to. Robin shuts the bedroom door behind them and immediately slides into his arms.

He presses his lips to hers and it's only a moment before they're kissing intensely. His hand is in her hair, the other one softly cupping her face while his thumb strokes over her jaw. It feels warm and sweet and lovely, and for a moment – just a moment – Robin wonders if there isn't something to this 'define the relationship' stuff Lily is spouting. Would it really be so bad to call Barney Stinson her boyfriend? Sure, his history with women is atrocious, but not with her. Barney is totally different with her. He makes her feel like a partner, not an object. He tells her she's beautiful and hot, sure, but he also frequently tells her she's smart and funny. He's always saying how awesome she is. He makes love to her until she literally passes out. Literally. And whenever she looks at him she feels a rush of happiness that starts in her chest and spreads from there until it fills her completely up with the feeling.

Okay, so she's in love with him. And the sex is fantastic, out of this world. And she kind of has the feeling that they're perfect for each other…..But he's allergic to the word 'girlfriend' – and as a matter of fact, so is she. So the self-preserving part of her wins out and she dismisses the thought, focusing instead on getting Barney's suit coat off.

His shirt will come next, her favorite part. She isn't sure quite what it was but she could stare at his chest all day. In fact, if she had her way, he would just go about his day completely in the nude. Of course their conversations wouldn't last very long that way, but they could always talk afterwards.

She nips at his lower lip, tugging it with her as she breaks the kiss, and he grunts softly in response. His hands drift down her back to settle low on her hips as she concentrates on freeing his tie from his collar, letting the silk float down through her fingers and onto the footstool with his jacket, the now customary spot for his clothing. "Tonight didn't go so badly," she tells him.

"Yeah," Barney agrees. "I mean, they're all on us about having 'the talk'." He shrugs.

"Which we knew they would be," Robin says, unbuttoning his collar. "But no one freaked out." She sets her open mouth to the now-exposed skin just beneath his throat and his hands move down to her bottom. Then she fast tracks it and goes straight to work on his pants, unfastening the belt in an instant.

"And now…." he begins, but her fingers slide along his zipper and he momentarily loses his train of thought. The next thing he knows, his pants are at his ankles. He steps out of them, bending to pick them up and lay them out across the rest of his clothes, guaranteeing a winkle-free morning. "Now we're free to have sex anytime, anywhere. No more hiding." He reaches for the hem of her shirt, pulls it up over her head, and sets it down on top of his suit.

"It'll be great," she says as he unbuttons her jeans and glides them down her body. "Just like it's always been."

Barney's hands reach out to caress the bare skin of her midriff and then his arms are around her, pulling her into a snug embrace. "Only now every night I get to come home with you and make you moan."

"Or I'll make you moan," Robin retorts.

"We'll moan together. It's more fun that way." He kisses the top of her head, burying his nose in her hair and breathing her in, and he wonders for a second if maybe Lily has a point. It's not that he wants to define things, talk things to death, but he wants Robin. He wants to find himself by her side everyday and in her bed every night. And, really, he wouldn't mind calling her his, well, his anything – lover, significant other, girlfriend, anything – as long as she's his. But then Robin kisses him, long and deep, thankfully robbing him of any further thought beyond how fast he can get her naked.

It's soon accomplished in record time, handcuffs and all. His teeth slide over her neck, his hands across her skin, and she does moan his name and arch up against him, making him groan deep in this throat. That's when they realize the condom box is empty. Barney doesn't even have a spare in his wallet, curtsey of the sex in Robin's dressing room yesterday morning on set.

"Ted," Robin breathlessly suggests, naked and stretched out across the bed like a feast awaiting a starving man, glowing with the anticipation of just that. "He's got to have some somewhere."

Barney shakes his head to get some blood back in it. "Right. Right. I'll go find them."

Five minutes later, he's searched all over Ted's bedroom with no luck so it's particularly fortuitous when the man himself wakes up with a start.

"Oh god. Barney, it was awful. I was teaching – "

"Shh. Ted, now's not a good time. Where do you keep your condoms?"

The next day at MacLaren's, other than Lily's incessant harping on them having 'the talk', everything is great between Barney and Robin, even better than before because now they don't have to pretend in public. Everything could have stayed great too except that Brad just has to show up and invite Robin to a Canucks game.

Barney can't imagine why he didn't see this coming. It's a miracle the issue hasn't come up in the past four months. Robin is beautiful. She's perfect. Of course other guys will want to go out with her.

Barney has an awful feeling in his gut somewhere between jealousy and nausea as he waits to see how Robin will respond. Brad is exactly the sort of guy Robin goes for, and Barney is inwardly terrified she'll simply say yes and take off with Brad here and now. But instead Robin gently yet repeatedly puts him off, for which Barney is endlessly relieved.

Until Brad opens his mouth and asks the dreaded question, "Why not? You have a boyfriend?"

Robin doesn't know how to respond. The truth is she doesn't want to go out with Brad, even to a Canucks game. She just wants to be with Barney, which is why she tried to nicely get out of it before, but now he's pinned her down with a question like this. And what is she supposed to say? They've spent all summer making such a big deal of the fact that they are indeed not boyfriend and girlfriend.

She looks to Barney for some sort of help – for even the slightest sign – but he's silent, his eyebrows shooting up as he awaits her answer.

Neither one wants to be the first to admit how they're feeling so, backed into a corner, Robin has no choice but to answer 'no'…and to go to the Canucks game with Brad.

The following night, Barney's depressed and anxious and jealous as hell while Robin's out with Brad, of the good looks and the perfect six pack she couldn't stop staring at. Meanwhile, he's stuck here, wasting away a perfectly fine Sunday night being lectured by Marshall – no doubt as a minion of Lily – on the importance of 'defining the relationship'.

"Would you just have 'the talk', okay? It's a five-minute conversation and then you get to have sex afterwards. It's great," Marshall insists. "Back me up, Ted."

Ted stops sorting his mail, pleased with any opportunity to impart his wisdom. "I don't think 'the talk' is necessary..." Marshall's shocked but Barney is thankful for someone finally speaking some sense, even if it is coming from a surprising source. "Because Robin is already his girlfriend!" Ted finishes.

"Whaaaaaaat!" Barney's surprised at the sudden turnaround until Ted uses one of his own rules against him.

Four years ago at MacLaren's, he had divulged to Ted the long-cherished system he'd devised. Simply put there are three basic rules to keep a girl from becoming a girlfriend, and as Ted goes down the list – don't let her take a shower at your place; don't ever see her during the day; don't let her sleep over and never have breakfast with her, especially not brunch – Barney is hit with a sudden realization. Either there's something wrong with his rules, which is doubtful, or…..or…..

"I've done all three of those things with Robin. Is she my girlfriend?" he wonders aloud.

If Barney's honest with himself, he's not so much scared of calling Robin his girlfriend as he is scared of messing it up. Shannon was his only real girlfriend and that was a total disaster. He's been living as a womanizing cad ever since then. What if he can't make Robin happy as her boyfriend? What if defining the relationship is a big mistake and ruins everything they have right now? That's why it seems so much better to just leave things alone. They're good together just as they are. Now that everyone knows and they don't have to keep it a secret or sneak around, now that they're free to spend the night together without elaborate excuses or slipping out in the middle of the night, he really can't imagine things possibly being any better than they are between them right now. So why mess with perfection?

Except the thought of Robin out tonight with Brad makes him want to smash a TV. They may not have to define anything, but he'll be damned if just sits around and lets another man touch her.

Robin feels weird being out with Brad. From the moment she met him at MacLaren's earlier in the night, to the time they arrived at Madison Square Garden, until right this moment in the heart of the game, she feels weird and unsettled and strangely guilty, like it's not quite right, like somehow she's cheating on Barney even though she's just watching the Canucks play and it's not like he's even her boyfriend.

Finally she can't take it anymore and she admits to Brad how weird she feels about it all. When he mistakenly assumes her feelings are about him and actually attempts to have 'the talk' with her – including a disturbing reference to how different his "stuff below the belt" is – Robin has no choice but to confess this is all about her and Barney.

"Well, we – we don't know what we are," she admits. "I mean, my – my heart says 'leap into it'. My brain says 'it's – it's a bad idea'."

Oddly enough, Brad is a rather nice outlet to vent to. This isn't easy to talk about and she certainly has no one else she can go to. Lily will simply say she needs to have 'the talk' with Barney, and there's no way she's telling him any of this, not without hearing how he feels first. Besides, she doesn't even have it worked out for herself yet. Her mind and her heart are waging a battle – common sense and self-preservation versus love – and she isn't yet sure which one is going to win.

It's just her luck that in the midst of all this confusing talk and general awkwardness the New York Rangers Kiss Cam lands on her and Brad and the rowdy crowd immediately starts yelling and chanting, egging them on to, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Robin's runs her hand through her hair nervously, not knowing quite what to do, until Brad suggests, "Okay, how bout this: if you kiss me and you feel bad about it, you're meant to be with Barney."

When she stands up to comply, Robin's shocked to feel a hand on her shoulder and even more shocked to see that hand belongs to Barney…and he's now punching Brad square in the face.

"Barney!" she cries in surprise.

She never wanted to kiss Brad. She was only doing it partially as a test but mainly for the cameras, and it's not like they were going to make out, just a simple little peck, certainly nothing for Barney to freak out over.

Still, Robin's impressed and flattered that he actually showed up here, at a hockey game of all places, and that he's willing to go to such lengths to stop her from kissing another man. It makes her wonder about the two of them and what he might feel for her. It makes her think maybe they actually do have a hope of making something real and lasting between them.

An hour later at MacLaren's, Lily voices what the rest of the group is thinking. "Okay, seriously. We're at the point of physical violence. Now will you please have 'the talk'?"

Barney scoffs. "Because of that?"

Barney and Robin look at one another, each trying to gauge what the other is thinking.

"Come on, that's my thing," Barney continues. "I'm always punching guys, girls. I'll punch a baby. I don't care."

Lily looks to Robin to see if she agrees with this madness, but she merely nods along with Barney.

What Robin can't admit to any of them is that she thinks what Barney did tonight was both sweet and way hot. Like the night of the fight, only for real this time – and over her. He must really, truly care for her a lot to get that jealous. The knowledge makes her happy for so many reasons. She'd spent the whole night out with Brad feeling strange and guilty. It felt just plain wrong, and she was hit hard with the realization that the only man she ever wants to be out with is Barney. The only one she wants to be touched and kissed by is Barney. Now it feels so good to know that while she was out agonizing over him, he wasn't at home, indifferent.

Maybe they haven't had 'the talk' or defined the relationship, but whatever they're doing seems to be working. The gang can fuss at them and lecture them all they want. It doesn't matter. She likes their little world of Barney and Robin, and she's not going to let anyone ruin it for them. So when the others are distracted by getting another round, Robin confesses to Barney just how hot she found his behavior, and the two of them disappear upstairs before anyone can stop them.

Late that night, after a particularly boisterous round of lovemaking, they're lying side by side in Robin's bed when her voice floats over to him in the darkness. "All of this about having 'the talk'….that's stupid…right? I mean, we're happy how we are. We know how we feel."

"Yeah," Barney answers, turning to face her. "You're awesome. I once told you you're the second most awesome person, but really you're the first. Now that I know you even better, you're way more awesome than I am."

"And you, you're….Barney." It's hard for Robin to articulate everything that he is to her, everything he's become in her life. And so, turning over onto her side, her fingers gently rubbing over his chest, she settles for, "You're Barney. I've never met anyone like you. There is no one like you. You're funny, passionate, challenging…." It doesn't escape her notice that she's just described Barney exactly as she once described her ideal man to Ted. "And you're more than a little crazy. You're just Barney. There aren't any other words for it, just….Barney."

"And…..that's a good thing?" he asks unsurely.

She smiles over at him. "Yes, it's a good thing. It's a great thing."

Barney quietly absorbs this new information and nods his approval. "You're awesome and I'm Barney."

"And together we're…" Robin's eyes light up at the perfect definition, proudly a word all his own. "….possimpible."

Barney grins. "Yes!" he declares, full of excitement that she's used his term. "We're possimpible. We're….we're Barnman and Robin."

She laughs and rolls over into him, settling against his warmth. "What more could we want?"

The next day after waking up together like dozens of mornings before, Robin and Barney soon find out this one is very different because Lily has locked them in the bedroom and refuses to let them out until they have 'the talk'.

At first it's upsetting to Barney because there is no way they're going to be railroaded into having 'the talk' of all things, but then it gets immensely better when Robin threatens to spend the entire day locked up together having sex. When Lily seems unfazed, Robin promptly makes good on her threat. Angry sex with Robin is fantastic, particularly when she isn't angry at him. That way he reaps all the benefits of her fervor with none of the punishment.

But once the sex is over, and now hours have gone by with no food or drink and no way out, it starts getting considerably less fun, all the more so when Marshall begins wafting in the smell of fresh bacon and pancakes. Barney's about to suggest they make a run for it via the fire escape – he's made far riskier retreats from women's bedrooms – when Robin demands they just "have the stupid talk".

He has no desire to fight with her too, so he finally just gives in and agrees, but neither one of them has any clue how to go about it. Clearly listening in, Lily conveniently slips a piece of paper under the door to help get them started.

Robin picks it up and reads it aloud: "Where do you see this relationship going?" They look at each other and laugh. "Oh my God. That sounds so cheesy."

"I know, right?" Barney laughs.

"Totally. But um..." She hesitates because it is cheesy, but yet she really does want to know. "…..where – where do you see this relationship going?"

Barney shakes his head, answering her genuinely. "I don't know." Robin's face is carefully blank but he can tell that's not what she'd like to hear. This is the part he's been dreading because he knows he's going to mess things up – and he knows even just admitting that is going to make her upset. "I mean, it's not like I don't like you. I just haven't had a girlfriend for a long time. I hope that doesn't make you mad."

Looking down at him, Robin is struck by how very much alike they are. Everything he's just said is exactly why she's been afraid to try for anything more with him. "Mad?" she smiles, her voice dripping with relief. "I feel the same way. I suck at relationships."

Barney looks away glumly and beats her at saying what he fears is about to come next. "Maybe we should go back to being just friends."

That's not what Robin wanted him to say, and it's certainly not what she wants, but she nods. "Maybe."

Barney nods sadly, his gaze sliding away from her.

Robin looks down at the floor, at Barney's immaculate shoes and suited-up legs, and she knows she doesn't want things to end between them completely. So she tries for what she knows will work with him. "But, um...I don't want to stop having sex," she says suggestively, sitting down close beside him on the bed.

"Oh, good. Me, neither," Barney breathes, so obviously relieved.

Robins laughs. They turn to look at each other then and the attraction is evident. Barney starts to lean into her and….. "Yeah." She looks away to break the spell. "Friends isn't gonna work."

"Nope." She's so right. He was literally two seconds away from jumping her. But where does that leave them except right back where they were before they tried having 'the talk'? "God, we're not good at being friends. We're not good at being in a relationship. What are we good at?"

And that's when it hits Robin, something she should have thought of all along. "I know something we're good at."

Barney's flattered she wants more and he never can get enough of her either, but he's honestly feeling a little dehydrated from all morning long with nothing to drink – combined with the earlier sex they've already had – and as much as he wants her he isn't quite sure if he can live up to his normal level of performance right now. "I don't know. If we're gonna do it again I'm gonna need some Gatorade or some – "

"No," Robin interrupts and she can't help but smile because everything is sex with Barney. "No, not that. Lying. Think about it, we spent the whole summer lying about being just friends. Why not just keep lying?"

So they devise a brilliant plan to lie to Lily about being in a relationship and thus gain their freedom. It's all going so perfectly. Just like they knew she would, Lily's eating up every word.

"Really?" she asks excitedly through the door.

"Yeah. Really. We sat down. We had the talk. Barney's my boyfriend now."

"And Robin's my girlfriend," Barney chimes in, feeding Lily the cheesy lines they know she wants to hears. "I know it sounds nuts, but it feels good to say." Robin turns to Barney and they half-laugh at the deception.

Barney rolls his eyes at the silliness of it all and Robin turns back to the door to resume the spiel. "We're both afraid of commitment, but the fact is – " She's let a little of her own feelings slip in there, just like she did with the Mosbying back at the beginning of the summer. It surprises her and she turns to look at Barney. " – we also can't live without each other."

"And if the alternative is not being together," Barney continues, "then it's worth taking this risk…" He looks down at Robin then and he knows he means it. He means every word. It is worth taking this risk with her.

He looks into her eyes, then fleetingly back at the door, but there's been a change in the mood and it's got him in its grip. This is for real now. He doesn't want to pretend anymore. As he holds her gaze with his, the slightest of smiles warms his lips and he tells her the absolute truth, no more holding back. "Cause...she's awesome."

Robin beams back at him, her voice filled with open adoration. "He's awesome."

They smile at each other, completely lost in the moment they earlier mocked as so ridiculous and cheesy. Robin reaches out and takes hold of Barney's lapels, running her fingers down them. "He looks nice in a suit."

"She can handle her scotch." That's high praise coming from Barney, but it's the tone in which he says it that really gets her.

"He's my boyfriend." Robin smiles at him lovingly.

"And she's my girlfriend," Barney answers, smiling right back.

They've tried out the words now and they sound incredible. It may have started out as a game but what's happening right now in this moment is real and they both feel it. They look into each other's eyes, Robin still holding onto Barney's suit, and it's like magic between them. One of the two of them, possibly both, will inevitably pull the other into a kiss, but before it gets that far the moment is broken by the opening of the door.

Lily reaches out and brings Barney and Robin into a hug, and somewhere in the blurred lines between pretending and truth, between make-believe and reality, between denial and acceptance it just feels right to leave the apartment alone together as the official couple they now are.