"Right! I need to get back on my feet, like you said." Robin chirped, brewing coffee for the two.

"About time, too." Barney joked. "Can't have random chicks coming in here at night demanding why there is an unemployed Canadian sleeping on my couch." Giving a half grin, he jutted her chin at her. "Though I have to say when they come in they are usually too drunk to even notice anything."

"Barney! You can't just look at someone and know they're Canadian. You're just being ridiculous." She remarked, rolling her eyes. "Plus I can always shoo your ladies away in the morning by pretending to be your angry wife or something. It's a win-win situation."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess you can stay." He replied, pretending to be uninterested in what she had to say.

Finishing the buttoning of the cuffs on his sleeves, he outstretched a hand as she handed him his cup of coffee while she took her own to the coffee table.

"But seriously. I need to get a job." She mumbled in between sips of coffee as she settled on the couch. "I can't just live off of your money like this."

"I don't mind," he replied, a bit too quickly, but to his relief, she had not noticed.

"But I feel bad." She concluded, and knowing there was no way to convince her otherwise, he kept quiet and let her continue with what she had to say.

"I want to get back into journalism or something… I'll be doing the job-hunting later on but I was just wondering if you knew anybody… If you don't mind, I mean." She added, not wanting to sound greedy and way too eager.

"I obviously don't mind. Hey! You're Robin Scherbatsky. Robin Scherbatsky is entitled to any favours from this awesome guy I call myself." He said, gesturing to himself as he joined her on the couch. She smiled.

"On a more serious note, though. I'm more than happy to help…" He continued, and while he was speaking, she felt his mind wander off into a universe of his own. It took him a few seconds, but he snapped back to reality soon enough. "Actually, I can offer you a job at GNB."

"Really?" She wondered out loud immediately, almost as if it were a reflex.

"No joke."

"Wow… But, um, what will I be doing there? What will the job be like?"

Chuckling on the inside, Barney promised himself a shot later on when he would hit the bar. She had just said 'but um' after all, and it would be a shame not to drink to that.

"You'll be sitting around the office doing nothing and getting paid. It's exactly what I do." He grinned. "You're going to love it. There's no pressure."

Seemingly taken aback by his description of the job he was offering her, Robin had a doubtful look on her face.

"Barney… I really do appreciate your offer but I'm not sure that's what I want to do. I've always wanted to do what I used to do because I enjoyed it so much... And I don't think I'd like working at GNB if it's going to be like that." She paused. "Don't get me wrong. GNB is awesome. It's just… It's not for me. I don't have that experience."

Looking slightly hurt by her rejection, Barney tried not to let it show, and it did not.

"No, it's fine," he replied swiftly. "I understand."

Unable to see through his head and to scan his inner thoughts, she rested her hand on his knee, giving it a trusting pat.

"...Thanks."

"It's nothing."

"No, really. Thanks." She replied, looking at him directly in the eye, her hand still on his knee.

"It's nothing! Honestly. It's nothing." He repeated, for the third time, as he tried to avoid direct eye contact with her, but she did not just stop there.

"Shush. I know what you're trying to do, okay? I really appreciate it. I appreciate you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He faked, feeling humbled and flattered.

"Come on, Mr. Academy Award-worthy actor." She teased. He liked when she spoke in that tone of voice. "Stop hiding it. I know you're trying your best to help. And I'm telling you I'm really thankful to have you in my life."

She shot him a genuine, grateful look, and he returned a small smile, pursing his lips. And for a second there, he stopped trying to avoid eye contact. The two looked at each other as if they were inspecting one another's features.

The gaze breaking as suddenly as it had come to form, Robin lifted her hand from his knee. "Okay! I'd better get going if I want to be productive. I'll put these in the sink," She gestured to coffee table as she got up and picked up the empty coffee mugs. "You'd better get going. It's almost eight thirty." She commented again, after having caught a glance at the clock on the wall.

"Yeah, I'd better go... I just remembered I have a meeting at nine." Barney replied, his expression slightly alarmed at his sudden realisation.

Picking up his coat, he grabbed his dress shoes and put them on hastily before he gave a half-hearted walk back to the open kitchen where she stood fumbling with the coffee machine, as if he had forgotten something of great importance.

"Hey... Um, great talk. Good luck on your job-hunting thing, okay? Knowing you, you'd ace it… Somehow. Like said, you're Robin Scherbatsky. She finds a way to ace things." He replied, speaking quickly and putting his hand on her cheek as he gave her a peck on her forehead before he headed out to the apartment hallway.

"You have a nice day," she commented casually as he planted the kiss, and she turned to watch him go, smiling as she whipped out yesterday's newspaper and started her search for her 'something special'.

Wait. I kissed her, Barney thought as he jogged down the few steps that led to the busy city streets. I kissed her. To hail a cab, he stretched his arm out, his mind still a buzz. It was on the forehead and all that friendly stuff, but still - What the hell was that for?

And he had no idea.