Sirius was drunk. There was no doubt about it. He certainly wasn't as drunk as he had been last year, but he was still drunk, he could feel it in the faint tingling of his fingers and the way he wanted to smile, even though he wasn't particularly happy. Not that he was unhappy, he couldn't be, not with a beer in his hand, besting against his chest, little Harry sleeping against his thigh, James sitting on the other side of the sofa looking perfectly content, and utterly gorgeous, as always. And he was content too it was just that-
"James, I am nearly twenty-five years old-" he began, only to be immediately interrupted by his best mate.
"Pads you were twenty-four less than two months ago." Sirius sent him a quick glare before continuing on like he hadn't heard him.
"And I have never, ever had a real boyfriend." This, of course, was the reason he wasn't completely happy, even if he felt rather pathetic about it. He was nearly twenty-five, it should have happened by now, even if he still wasn't completely over James, though it'd been years now since they'd last kissed, practising in secret. "Even Wormtail is married."
"You went out with Moony in seventh year," James pointed out, as if that was helpful, as if it wasn't still just a little painful. James was sitting there smiling, his son between them, a beer in his hand looking for all the world completely at peace. Sirius hated him for it, just a little.
"Prongs, we lasted two months before he told me he preferred my brother." How anybody ever managed to forget that part, Sirius didn't know. They hadn't even gotten on at the time. Of course, they hadn't gotten together then, they still weren't, but from the way they were standing, too close to be anything but flirting, and the flush on Remus' cheeks that definitely wasn't from the alcohol, not matter what he said, they seemed finally to be getting there.
Sirius smiled. They deserved each other really, Merlin knew Regulus deserved someone good, especially after how bad Barty had been. But that was beside the point.
"And Gideon last year-" James was continuing on, not noticing or ignoring the fact that he hadn't been listening.
"Who is happily married to a woman," Sirius sneered back, rolling his eyes so hard he thought they might fall out of his head.
"Clearly not that happily." Sirius wasn't going to dignify that with a response, given the fact that said married couple were in the room, talking to the Longbottoms, whose son was happily sitting on Andromeda's knee.
"Plus, it's not like I've had one either," James added. Sirius snorted again.
"You were married for two and a half years Jamie."
"To an asexual polyamorous lesbian." It was James's turn to roll his eyes now, possibly even harder. Indeed, Lily, Dorcas and Marlene were all curled up on the sofa at the other end of the room, giggling and occasionally kissing. It made Sirius' heart ache a little, so he looked away.
"Still counts." And now was James's turn to snort.
"Hardly."
Sirius sighed; James clearly wasn't getting it. "The point is Prongs, is that another new year is going past and I still don't have someone to kiss."
James only shrugged. "Then kiss me."
It hurt, so Sirius laughed. "Except you're not in love with me." He didn't add the lie, and I'm not in love with you. It was pointless, James and Sirius never lied to each other, at least not explicitly. James just sipped his beer and watched him.
Sirius let his eyes wander the room, needing a break from James, just for a moment. Andromeda was over with Ted now, talking to Peter and Mary, probably about the baby. Merlin's beard, Peter was going to dad. It was insane, but then again, James was a dad and Sirius was a godfather, and had been for years, and that was possibly even more insane. It was a close call. Dora and Charlie were outside, doing Merlin knows what, because though Sirius loved his cousin, it was still a bit weird being around her best friend given how much he looked like his uncle, who was standing in this room and who last year had still been shagging Sirius silly, married or not.
Whatever, James had just offered to kiss him, and joke or not, Sirius had still been waiting for it for years. Maybe, just maybe, kissing James again would finally get him out of his system. It was a long shot, and Sirius had the feeling it'd just make it worse, but he was willing to try.
The clock chimed loudly, breaking Sirius from his reprieve, and he glanced over to James as people began counting down loudly.
"Ten!"
James was watching him too.
"Nine!"
He was beginning to grin, standing up.
"Eight!"
He stood before him, hands out to pull Sirius up, Harry still sleeping, despite the noise.
"Seven!"
Sirius grabbed his hands, marvelling at how good their skin looked together, dark and lighter, for a moment.
"Six!"
He allowed himself to be hauled up, falling into James who was fully grinning by now.
"Five!"
Sirius found himself grinning too, unable to help himself. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was having James so close. Probably the latter.
"Four!"
James was just looking at him now, his grin falling to a softer, much gentler smile. Sirius liked it far too much.
"Three!"
James' hands were on his face, brushing his fingers over his cheeks and his jaw and bloody hell running his fingertips over his lips.
"Two!"
"I love you Si." Sirius couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe.
"One!"
And then James' lips were on his, slow and gentle at first, speeding up, becoming harder, more desperate when Sirius couldn't help but part his lips for him. He heard a wolf-whistle somewhere far off, Remus probably, some applause, more wolf-whistling, from Andromeda, and several shouts of; "Finally!" But Sirius didn't really give a shit, because James was kissing him, and not just a quick new years kiss. He was kissing him like he meant it.
Eventually they broke away, only far enough to press their foreheads together.
"I think I've been in love with you since fifth year," James whispered, his grin back.
"Oh," Sirius said, "me too."
"Sorry it took me so long to work it out." Sirius only kissed him.
He woke up feeling better than he'd ever felt, warm and sated and deliciously well fucked, James wrapped close about him, chest to back, his arms curled around his front.
And then Sirius noticed the much smaller body in front of him, as fast asleep as he had been on the couch the night before.
"James," he hissed, trying to wake one without waking the other. He shot his elbow back into a soft side. "James!"
"What is it Si?" he sounded so groggy and happy, he nuzzled his face closer to Sirius' neck. Sirius almost felt bad for a moment.
"Please tell me we didn't shag with Harry in the bed."
James laughed, sleepy and amused and Sirius wanted to hear it every day for the rest of his life, never mind just the year. "No Pads, he came through about four. By which time we were both thoroughly shaggedout."
Sirius grinned, happy as could be, and fell back asleep.