Longer part of this chapter, you see why it was originally too long. Anyways, enjoy!
Part 2 Chapter 3!
The next few weeks had been nothing but catching up, dates, work, lies they told their friends and figuring out what's next for them. They spent most of the time texting all the time and she usually goes to his place since they weren't ready to tell the gang yet but finally they got together with the gang to tell them everything that's been happening lately.
But, first they had to get something done before meeting the gang at MacLaren's.
"There's something I had put together as a way to remember that we even had a dating relationship." Barney had been saving this for a reason since they broke up. He didn't think they would get back together at all or realize that they really can't live without each other so Barney saved all of the things from their previous relationship in a box he kept in storage. After they officially got back together he went to the storage and took it out bringing it home and keeping it in his closet since yesterday.
Barney went over to his closet where he went inside to get the box hidden in there. Waiting outside the closet, Robin wondered what it was that Barney was getting but she waited until he came back out to see what he's been talking about giving her. Barney returned back inside his bedroom with a big box in his hands and a smile on his face.
"So, I had this box since we broke up but until now I didn't have a reason to even look at it again.. I had kept this is a storage unit since then and since we are officially back together I thought I would show you that I kept all of the things we shared together before we broke up." Barney put the box on the bed and opened it so Robin could see what was inside it. She walked over to the bed and looked inside seeing three pictures on the top of a pile of other things underneath the pictures.
"Wow, you saved on of these things since we broke up?" Robin was holding a picture of them sitting in horse carriage at night with her head resting on his shoulder and him looking down at her. She remembers that night all too well...
They were walking along inside Central Park on a nice warm evening right before the fall turned into winter. It was a beautiful evening, they had dinner at their very restaurant where they had been going ever since they decided to define their relationship and give each other a chance at dating. Officially dating, which was all too fresh at that time. The morning they decided to become boyfriend and girlfriend defining what they mean to each other and really discussing their relationship. They had come to the conclusion to date, at the time it was confusing and not really who they were meant to be like in a relationship. What they had that summer was amazing, they had the time of their lives just being together so when they decided to start really serious dating and not just sleeping together (although, they technically were dating just not defining or labeling the relationship). But, that morning they made that official decision had changed everything between them.
Ever since that day, this restaurant where they had brunch and discussed their relationship had become kind of a tradition. This restaurant was quite romantic in that it was dimly lit with light and people usually get engaged here. For a place that serves breakfast and brunch it was far to classy for two confused people trying to figure out what they mean to each other. But, that didn't take away from going back to this restaurant every week since that wake up call of a day.
They are walking through the park when Barney spots a carriage ride. He walks over to the guy in charge of the horse carriage and asks if they can get a ride.
"Wait, no Barney we can't do this. I'm too tired and want to go home and relax from this stressful day I had." Robin protests but Barney insists that it won't be a long ride.
"Oh, come on Robin I thought you always loved riding in these things." Barney had known that Robin's a simple minded romantic even though she barely realizes or notices she likes romance. But, he knows she loves a romantic horse carriage ride and the romantic setting of this night.
"I do, okay fine but I don't want it to last too long. I am pretty tired." She says to an excited Barney taking her hand and helping her onto the carriage.
They sat down and the owner of the horse started up slowly moving the horses. They quickly relaxed with each stride of the carriage, Barney put his arms around her and whispers "see isn't this great? I know you want to go home but this will be fun." She smiles up at him and they kiss for a couple of minutes.
The ride was only a half hour, Robin's tiredness had gotten the better of her so she quietly after talking for a while to Barney decided to take a short nap. She already had her head on his shoulder feeling relaxed and safe in his arms. She loves this feeling, it's secure and a wonderful place to be in. The softness of his shoulder and his gentle supportive arm around her slowly relaxed her enough to have her close her eyes as the carriage ride continued.
"I love you." He whispers as she's now falling asleep in his comfortable arms.
Man, she has been tired for hours and it's now just taking over her body to the point where when the carriage ride stopped she didn't even feel it halting to a stop.
"Alright, guys this is the end of the ride." The carriage owner said turning to face the couple behind him looking quite cute in each others arms.
"Hey, Robin it's time to get up and leave the ride is over." Barney says whispering in Robin's ear hoping she's not too past out to hear him.
She wakes up immediately feeling relaxed but more awake than she was before this ride.
"Wow, the ride is really over isn't it?" Robin says which made Barney laugh and say.
"Yes, sleeping beauty your carriage ride is over." Barney smiles and she takes her head off his shoulder shaking her head and wiping her face with her hand.
That night was so great even though she was exhausted the ride was pretty memorable for the both of them to remember all these short years later.
"I remember that night boy was I tired." Robin's still holding the picture from that night smiling down at it as she starts to tear up while looking at it then she looks at Barney.
"You kept this all this time?" Barney shook it head and smiled.
"Yes, it was one of my favorite moments from our relationship at that time so I kept it as a way to remember that moment. It was in that moment that I really knew how truly in love and happy I was with you. I also kept the picture from our vacation together that summer which was also a fun time for me and for us. You know, with all the sneaking around and lies we did and told." Now the tears are coming on stronger, that's the most beautiful thing he's ever said to her.
"I loved you then too, I know I didn't say it much if not at all then but I really did love you." This is the first time Robin ever told him this and finally admitted to herself just how in love and happy she was being with Barney at that time she didn't understand it or knew how she really truly felt but after all this time she now understands it all too well.
"I knew you did love me then. I was so stupid ever letting a good thing in my life go. Breaking up nearly destroyed me enough to not only hate myself for sleeping around so much with so many girls who was NOT you. I hated not being with you more. I hated myself for ruining the best thing that's ever happened to me and it took me till we got back together to realize that I've been really hurt this whole time and then you..."
"Chose another guy over and over again who wasn't you." Robin finishes his sentence.
They just stared at each other for a good five minutes trying to recapture but also erase the past few years of being apart. It was until now in this very moment neither understood the real meaning of love and their own feelings that almost destroyed them both emotionally.
After a while of silently looking at each other Barney broke the tension with a joke.
"Oh, and look a Canadian flag I didn't even realize I had in there. I guess my love for you is more powerful than I thought cause I would have never put that in there willingly." This made her laugh again after being gutted with tears that are still slowly going away.
"I love you. I always have, don't ever think I didn't or don't cause what we have..." She paused and took out one of the post-it note pads Barney also put inside the box and showed it to him lifting it up at eye level for him to look at more clearly.
"These, these little pieces of paper mean more to me than you think so remember every time you look at these or a text message from me it's my way of saying I love you even if I don't say it enough." Now he's crying again and this is all just too sweetly emotional for him.
"Okay, this is all a bit too much for me I need a drink." He gets up from the bed taking a tissue from the nightstand for himself and for Robin.
"Yeah, get me one too we both need a good drink right now.." Barney, before leaving takes her hand to lift her from the bed.
"I love you Robin Scherbatsky." They kiss for a few minutes then he goes to get the much needed scotch and two cigars for them to celebrate this time being back together again.