For T and S, who are stuck with me for life

You Will Always Be My Brother

"You're not being much of a help here," James groaned, standing up and resuming his pacing.

"I don't know, mate. It just seems something," Sirius sighed, staring at his friend from his upside down position. "How do you know this insane obsession with Evans won't fade? How do you know that you'll still love her even when she old and gray? Hell, how do you know you'll love her one year from now?"

James looked at him. "I just know, you know?"

"No. Single, remember?" Sirius sat up properly and leaned on his knees. "How do you know?"

"Because… I do. I feel it, Pad. In my gut, every single time I see her, it's like I'm seeing her all over again, like she's making me fall for her all over again. And she's funny, and smart, kind. She's never afraid to put me in my place," James laughed.

"She's Lily Evans."

"Exactly," James said, pointing a finger at him and nodding, as if he had gotten all the numbers in a lottery right. "That's it. She's Lily Evans, Sirius. And she's it for me. I know it hardly makes sense. But this is it, Pad. It's just… this is it for me."

Sirius looked at his mate, staring at him. "Sounds so… final."

James chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "It is."

He opened his mouth. Then he closed it. "You're going to ask Lily Evans to marry you."

"Yeah," James nodded slowly, as if he was just truly realizing what he was going to do.

Sirius shook his head. "You're signing your life away, mate." He stood up and grinned, pushing his black bangs away from his face. "And I get this weird feeling you'll never get a better deal."

James laughed and grinned. "Thanks."

Sirius stared at his feet as he tucked his arms over his chest. "How'd you know?"

James didn't need to ask what he was talking about. "One day, you'll look at someone and you'll just know."

"Just like that?"

James nodded slowly. "Just like that."

Sirius looked up as James entered the door, listening to the click of the door as he shut it.

He was wearing jeans and a charcoal gray sweater Lily had bought him. He turned around. His face was an expressionless mask. Then he nodded, just one single nod.

Sirius saw the smile that grew into a beam and then into a look of pure happiness.

He stood up and crossed his arms, smirking as he leaned against a bed post. "I told you you wouldn't have any problems."

James ran his hands through his hair and smirked. "Guess so."

Sirius nodded. "Guess so."

James then suddenly had a panic attack. "Oh, fuck."

"What?"

"Lily Evans is going to marry me." James said it as if it had never occurred to him. His face was so full of joy and fear that Sirius had to laugh. "Lily Evans is going to marry me. LILY EVANS is going to MARRY ME!"

Sirius whacked him on the back of his head. "Like a bloody chick, you are." But he was grinning.

"Shitshitshitshitshit. She's going to change her mind. She's going to change her mind. She's going to change her mind." James was pacing in his tuxedo, walking back and forth and back and forth. And repeating the same phrase over and over and over again. "She's going to change her mind. She's going to change her mind."

Sirius whacked him. "Shut up. You're driving me crazy." He leaned against the door and crossed his arms again. "And she's not going to change her mind."

James ran a hand through his hair and looked up, looking frenzied. "But why would she want to marry me? What was I thinking? What was she thinking?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "She said yes because…"

James looked at him, expectant.

"You're James Potter. And she's Lily Evans."

Then James nodded. And then ran a hand through his hair. They stood in silence like that, for a little while. James was standing, staring out the window, sometimes running a hand through his hair. He was wearing a tuxedo, at the request of Mrs. Evans, and he looked… well, like James. Like a heartthrob. A rumpled, black haired, hazel eyed heartthrob. And then there was Sirius, leaning against the wall in his dress robes. Gray eyes, black shaggy hair, like a dog and the ever famous Black smirk. With his arms crossed.

They had been like this so many times before. James, running his hands through his hair and Sirius, with his crossed arms. They had been.

The Wedding March started to play. The doors were about to open. The groom and the best man looked at each other and at the exact same time, smirked.

"Here you go," Sirius muttered.

"Here I go," James agreed. As the doors opened, James spoke one last hurried sentence. "Hey, Pad?"

"Yeah?"

"No matter what happens, you'll always be my brother."

He looked back as he was about to walk down the aisle and Sirius' arms were crossed. James ran a hand through his hair. They shared a look. And James walked.