Chapter 14 — Zip, Zip, Zip (High Points, Jealousy & Cake Batter Kisses)
Ted Mosby believed new relationships were supposed to happen to him.
Barney Stinson believed new relationships ruined the wingman balance.
And Ivar Scherbatsky? He believed good things didn't last forever — which made them worth savoring.
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Apartment Glow
Ivar's apartment wasn't just a penthouse. It was a fortress of glass and steel, with a skyline view that looked like it had been Photoshopped.
Victoria padded barefoot across the floor, holding two mugs of coffee. "You know, I'm not used to… this."
"Luxury?" Ivar asked, smirking.
"No," she said, handing him a mug. "Time. Not rushing, not baking until midnight, not—"
"Burning yourself out for crumbs," Ivar finished.
She smiled. "Exactly. Being with you feels like… breathing."
He sipped his coffee. "Careful. Say things like that and I'll start thinking I'm good for you."
"You are," she said, without hesitation.
For once, Ivar didn't argue.
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MacLaren's Booth
The gang stared as Victoria slid into the booth next to Ivar, kissing him on the cheek like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Lily's jaw dropped. "Oh my God, she's real."
Marshall whispered, "I thought she was a fever dream."
Barney pounded the table. "Unacceptable! Ivar doesn't date! Ivar collects legends! He's Canadian Batman, not… not Canadian Hugh Grant!"
Victoria laughed. "Nice to meet you too."
Ted forced a smile. "So… you guys are, uh…?"
"Dating," Victoria said cheerfully, taking Ivar's hand.
Robin raised an eyebrow at her brother. "Look at you, Mr. Relationship."
"Don't get used to it," Ivar muttered, but his hand stayed in hers.
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The Zip, Zip, Zip Gag
Later that night, Marshall and Lily bailed on a double date, leaving Ted and Robin alone in the apartment — an echo of canon.
Meanwhile, Ivar and Victoria were having their own "double date" with just each other:
Laser tag, where Ivar taught her how to sweep a room like it was a warzone.
A late-night diner run, where she baked cookies in the kitchen after charming the staff.
Back at his place, curled on the couch, laughing over an old Canadian horror movie.
Barney tried calling Ivar three times.
No answer.
"HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE MY WINGMAN!" Barney howled at MacLaren's. "Now he's… zipped up with Victoria!"
"Zip, zip, zip," Robin repeated dryly. "Like zippers. We get it."
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Quiet Moment
On the balcony, New York glittering below, Victoria leaned against Ivar.
"You ever think this is… too much?" she asked softly.
"What do you mean?"
"This. Us. You're… you. Tech billionaire, survivalist, brother to a news anchor. And I'm just—"
"Stop," Ivar said gently. "You're not 'just' anything. You're Victoria. You make cakes that taste like memories. You make silence feel like music. And right now, you make me forget I'm supposed to be Canadian Batman."
She smiled, kissed him, and for once Ivar didn't think about timing, or chaos, or endings. Just now.
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Chapter Closing Beat
Back at Ted and Marshall's, Ted sulked as Robin teased him mercilessly, Barney ranted about betrayal, and Lily and Marshall curled into their domestic bliss.
And across town, Ivar and Victoria fell asleep tangled together on a couch that looked out over the city.
For once, Ivar Scherbatsky wasn't running, fighting, or building.
He was just living.
Chapter 14 (Continuation) The city stretched out beneath them, a scatter of jeweled lights stitched into the dark. Victoria leaned into Ivar, her hair brushing his jaw, her voice soft with wine and laughter.
"You make it too easy to forget everything else," she murmured.
Ivar tilted his head, green eyes searching hers. "Good. Forget the noise. Just be here."
Her breath caught — not from nerves, but from the sudden, fierce certainty in his tone. He touched her face lightly, his thumb tracing her cheek as if committing her to memory. She leaned into the touch, closing the space between them.
The kiss began soft, exploratory — but it deepened quickly, as if both had been holding back a tide that finally broke. Victoria's hands slid up his chest, clutching the collar of his shirt. Ivar pulled her closer, lifting her as though she weighed nothing, carrying her inside.
The world narrowed to heat, to breath, to the silent language of want. She laughed into his mouth, then gasped when his lips moved lower, when his control gave way to hunger. The laughter dissolved into whispers, then to wordless sounds, tangled together as the city outside watched in glittering silence.
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Fade to Black
The rest was not for words but for rhythm, for instinct, for the fire that makes two people lose track of time and self.
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The Morning After
Sunlight spilled across the room, painting the sheets gold. Victoria stirred first, blinking at the unfamiliar ceiling before rolling over to find Ivar already awake, watching her with that calm intensity that unnerved everyone else but steadied her.
"You don't sleep?" she teased groggily.
"Sometimes," he said. "Didn't want to miss this."
She smiled, nestling against him. "Careful. You keep saying things like that and I might fall for you."
"Careful," he echoed softly, brushing her hair back. "I might let you."
For a moment, the city was quiet, the chaos of the world held at bay. Just the two of them, wrapped in warmth, pretending forever was possible.