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3rd POV
Robin walked toward her apartment with a heavy sigh, the kind of sigh that only comes after a long day…or a long disappointment.
She liked Ted.
She really did.
But she had no idea he would say something like that, and it completely freaked her out.
It felt like Ted was practically proposing to her.
They'd only had one date.
One!.
And suddenly Ted asked her to be his girlfriend.
It scared the hell out of her!
Why would Ted do that?
Robin had no idea.
She understood Ted was different, yeah, weird as hell sometimes, yes.
He made her flustered, confused, and laugh at the same time.
She knew Ted wasn't like other guys.
But still…
How could she accept being someone's girlfriend after just one date?
She wasn't that kind of person.
Not even close!
How could Ted do that to her?
She sighed again as she opened her apartment door.
Her dogs immediately ran to her, tails wagging, sensing the exhaustion leaking from her entire body and trying to cheer her up.
She knelt down and let them surround her, like furry emotional support.
She knew she freaked out too quickly and that was partly her fault.
But Ted was at fault too.
Definitely at fault.
She kept repeating that in her head, trying to convince herself she wasn't the problem. She walked in and dropped her bag before she threw herself onto the couch.
Her dogs followed her instantly, climbing onto her lap and leaning their bodies against her like they understood everything.
"Men are dumb," Robin said, gently petting the head of her Dalmatian.
The dog blinked up at her obediently.
"Why did he do that? Do YOU know?" she asked.
Woof!
"Exactly! Men are so dumb."
She had no clue what her dog was actually saying, but since it sounded like support… she took it.
"Forget dumb. Ted is a psycho. Who asks someone to be his girlfriend after only ONE date?"
She stood up, and her dogs calmly followed her all the way to the kitchen.
"That's a horrible way to start a relationship, guys. You should NEVER do that."
Robin pointed at them while holding a bottle of wine.
"That's crazy, right?!"
Woof!
Robin smiled, hearing them bark in her favor.
"Aww… I know you guys are on my side."
She opened the half-empty bottle of wine, it's
her best friend for nights like this.
Lonely nights or stupid nights like right now.
Nights ruined by a man she actually liked.
She didn't expect anyone else to come over right now, until she heard a knock to her door.
*Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound echoed through Robin's apartment.
Her dogs' ears perked up instantly. Looking at her apartment door like they were just waiting for someone special and excitedly. Then they barked, not to give the human who knocked a scared barked, but giving it a signal to come in quickly.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
They all rushed to the door, tails wagging like they were seeing their favorite human in the entire world.
"What's wrong with you all?" Robin muttered, confused.
She dragged her tired feet toward the door.
After the disaster at MacLaren's, Robin only wanted one thing:
get a little drunk and pass out while watching the drama movie she rented earlier.
She opened the door, ready to tell off whoever it was.
"Look, buddy, I'm not interested—"
But then she saw who stood there.
"Ted."
There he was. The same guy who made her angry…
who freaked her out…
who she called psycho…
and who made her open that wine bottle for tonight.
"Hey."
Ted smiled softly.
"I brought you… some Smurf Penis."
He lifted the blue French horn in his hand.
Robin stared at it.
Most guys brought flowers.
Some brought chocolates.
Some just brought condoms.
But Ted Mosby?
He brought a blue French horn and called it Smurf Penis.
Again.
Robin couldn't help it….a tiny smile slipped out before she forced her face back into neutral mode.
"Hey buddy!" Ted greeted her dogs.
The pack flooded out of the apartment, barking excitedly as they circled him.
Tails wagged so fast they could create wind or smack his feet.
"Wow, you weren't kidding. You really do have a lot of dogs." Ted crouched and pet each one with a goofy smile.
Robin crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. Looking at her dogs first who just betrayed her so quickly, then looking at Ted who just casually strolled into her apartment.
"What are you doing here, Ted?"
Ted finally looked back at her, taking in her tired expression, her work outfit, and the half-empty wine bottle still in her grip.
"You're gonna finish that?" he asked, standing up. "You can't finish it alone. Let me help."
He grinned at her with that infuriating, adorable, absolutely ridiculous Ted Mosby smile.
She shouldn't have said yes.
She knew she shouldn't.
But her dogs were staring at Ted like he was Santa Claus.
Tongues out.
Eyes shining.
Tails practically vibrating.
Even the dogs were rooting for him.
Robin sighed heavily.
"…Alright. My dogs betrayed me, so come in."
Of course, that was just an excuse.
An excuse to let Ted inside.
An excuse to not be alone tonight.
An excuse to not admit she actually wanted his company.
"Great!" Ted said cheerfully as he walked in.
He headed straight to her fireplace and carefully placed the blue French horn on the mantel.
"Yes!" he said proudly. "Isn't that a great ornament?"
Robin shook her head slowly, hiding a small smile. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed two wine glasses.
"One bottle is enough, right Ted?" she called out.
"I don't know about you, but for me—one bottle is more than enough!" Ted yelled back from the living room.
"Hey!"
Robin marched out of the kitchen, glaring.
"I'm not a drunker!"
Ted squinted at her. "You were literally about to drink that wine straight from the bottle. No glass. Just chugging it. Right? Admit it!"
Robin snorted.
"Shut up."
She placed the wine bottle and two glasses on the table.
"...It tastes better without a glass."
Ted burst into laughter. He watched as she poured both their drinks.
"So what are you doing here, Ted?" Robin asked, taking her glass.
"You planning to propose or something?"
Her tone was joking, but her eyes were evaluating him, trying to figure out if Ted was a psycho or if last date had been some kind of hallucination.
"Shit," Ted muttered, panic on his face.
"I forgot the ring….."
Robin snorted again and took a sip of wine.
"Seriously," she said, setting her glass down, "what were you thinking asking me to be your girlfriend after just one date?"
Ted tried the wine too. It wasn't fancy or nowhere near expensive. He swirled the wine like it's a thousand dollars wine and gave it a taste like an expert.
Robin rolled her eyes. Of course she knew that he's been joking right now, and the forgotten ring is a joke too.
"Stop being dramatic. It's just cheap wine to help me sleep."
Ted grinned. "I know. The smell is already different from what I usually drink."
Robin raised a brow. "Oh really? What do you usually drink?"
She couldn't help herself to ask. When their date began, Ted gave off this quietly elegant vibe.
He handled his fork, cut his steak, even swirled his wine with this subtle grace—not pretentious, just… natural. Like giving her something high class supposed to act, but he covered it with bad jokes and goofy smile.
So maybe he drank expensive wine too?
"Beer…." Ted said flatly.
Robin stared at him with the exact same flat expression.
"If I wasn't planning to get drunk tonight, I would've poured this wine on your face."
Ted laughed.
Robin chuckled.
All her illusions of Ted being some elegant wine connoisseur evaporated immediately.
"I came here to apologize," Ted said suddenly, setting his glass down and looking directly at her.
"I know how creepy it sounded. And yeah… that was on me. I ruined it."
He reached down and pet her dogs—who had, at some point, settled around him like he was their new king.
"That's… good," Robin admitted.
She looked down at her glass, guilt creeping in.
"....And I'm sorry too. For freaking out like that."
"No," Ted said gently, smiling at her.
"I want to be your friend, Robin. I really hope we can still be friends."
Robin lifted her head sharply with a surprise on her face.
Then slowly, her lips curled.
"Yeah…" she said softly.
"Yeah….I like that."
And for the first time that night, a full, wide smile spread across her face.
{You see, kids… you can't predict when destiny will spin you around or spit you in the face. You can't plan it. You can't control it. Destiny will slap you whenever she wants.
I thought I'd never see her again… but somehow, that night, starting with me being a total psycho—led her to becoming one of my best friends.} – Old Ted
"So, what are we gonna watch now?"
Ted scanned the stack of tapes on Robin's shelf.
He suddenly froze. "Really? You have The Shining?"
Robin took another sip of wine and grinned.
"Why? You scared, Ted?"
Ted frowned at her. "Okay, first of all, The Shining isn't fully a horror movie. It's a psychological horror."
Robin shrugged. "I don't know. I've never watched it. The rental guy recommended it."
Ted looked at her with a completely betrayed face. Or looking at some kind of aliens or something.
"Okay, now you're messing with me."
But she didn't laugh. Didn't smirk. Didn't wink.
Robin was dead serious.
"....You've really never watched it?"
"I told you," Robin repeated. "I just said I wanted a horror movie, and the guy gave me that."
"Okay. Now you need to go change your clothes and prepare yourself for the greatest psychological horror classic ever!."
Robin groaned loudly.
She was still in her work clothes and hadn't changed into pajamas yet.
"Ugh, why do I have to change? You didn't change either!"
"No," Ted said, pointing at her with a face like a strict father, "Don't give me that face.
Go change. Now!."
"FINE!"
Robin put her wine glass down a little harder than necessary, huffed, and stomped to her room.
"Good!" Ted called after her.
He slid the tape into the player.
"I'm pausing it first! And brush your teeth before coming back!"
"OKAY OKAY! Stop telling me that!" Robin yelled back.
{Yeah, kids… that's how I met your Aunt Robin.} – Old Ted
A few minutes later, Ted heard her soft footsteps, and when he turned, there she was, in pajamas, looking warm and relaxed.
He pressed play.
"Did you brush your teeth?" he asked seriously.
"Geez, Ted. Yes. I brushed and flossed."
She plopped down next to him and rolled her eyes.
"That's good." Ted nodded, then gently ruffled her hair.
Robin blinked.
When she followed Ted's earlier directions about changing clothes and brushing her teeth, she thought it was just the two of them joking around.
But the way he lightly petted her hair…
it felt oddly warm.
Warm in a way that made her chest tighten a little.
She leaned back into her couch, wine glass in hand, listening to him talk.
"Okay," Ted said as the movie started. "This one's creepy. A little dark. The plot's great—based on a Stephen King novel. You know Stephen King, right?"
Robin didn't answer.
She just watched Ted instead, his face, his expressions, the excitement in his voice.
Then slowly… she shifted.
A little closer….
Ted noticed and opened his arm casually, not making a big deal out of it.
Most guys did something like this for sex.
Ted didn't. He just kept his eyes on the movie.
Robin didn't feel uncomfortable.
Not even a little.
She leaned against him fully now, letting his warmth cover her shoulders.
The wine softened her thoughts. The sound of the movie became a background for her.
Ted's hand gently brushing her arm made her eyelids grow heavy. She let him hold her body, and she let herself fall comfortably in his arms.
The living room felt cozy, dim and…..safe.
Her breathing slowed.
And then…
Robin closed her eyes, resting her head against Ted's shoulder…
falling asleep completely unguarded,
vulnerable, and safe in the arms of the man who had scared her, confused her, and somehow… comforted her all at once that night.