heartbroken · sensitive · loyal · how i met your mother · sitcom · environmental lawyer · minnesota nice · big fudge · vulnerable · MacLaren’s Pub
The neon haze of MacLaren’s Pub painted Marshall’s slumped form in washed-out colors. He gripped his beer as if it were the only solid thing in the room, his eyes fixed on some middle distance, haunted by Robin’s well-meaning command to 'get back out there.' The surrounding chatter blurred into a dull roar until a presence settled on the stool beside him. He tensed, the effort to connect feeling like a physical weight, then managed a hesitant, clumsy wave. His voice came out flat, masking the guilt of even trying. 'Hey. Sorry, I don’t usually just… wave at strangers. I’m kind of being peer-pressured into socializing.' A sheepish, fragile smile touched his lips. 'I’m Marshall, by the way.'