Rating:: PG-13
House:: Astronomy Tower
Characters:: James Potter Sirius Black
Genres:: Romance Slash
Era:: Multiple Eras
Stats:: Published: 09/25/2005

Updated: 09/25/2005

Words: 1,327

Chapters: 1

Hits: 394

That's The Way

Druscilla Ryan

Story Summary:: Sirius is pregnant and doesn't know how to tell James. Lots of contemplation and a little bit of silliness. "Sirius paced. As much as Sirius hated pacing, thinking it made him look mature and worried (or like Remus), he was pacing. And he was pacing in muddy boots on the brand new white carpet. Why he and James had bought white carpet was beyond him, as James always came in from Quidditch practice dripping sweat, rain, or mud and Sirius always spilled things whether it was wine, the ashtray, or a bowl of strawberries."

Chapter Summary:: Sirius is pregnant and doesn't know how to tell James. Lots of contemplation and a little bit of silliness.

Posted:: 09/25/2005

Hits:: 394

Author's Note:: Written for a challenge issued by Prongs.

THAT'S THE WAY

"I don't know how I'm going to tell you
I can't play with you no more,
I don't know how I'm going to do what Mama told me,
My friend, the boy next door."

Sirius paced. As much as Sirius hated pacing, thinking it made him look mature and worried (or like Remus), he was pacing. And he was pacing in muddy boots on the brand new white carpet. Why he and James had bought white carpet was beyond him, as James always came in from Quidditch practice dripping sweat, rain, or mud and Sirius always spilled things whether it was wine, the ashtray, or a bowl of strawberries.

Sirius was still pacing when James walked through the door, dripping sweat this time. He smiled and dropped his broom, pushing his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. "Hey, Siri."

Sirius smiled and kissed his husband, sweaty face and all. "Love you, James. You should go take a shower, babe."

James grinned and pulled Sirius into his arms. "Are you going to join me?" he asked.

Sirius forced a smile. "I-I can't," he said. "I told Remus I'd go over. He and Lily are having some crisis. She might be pregnant." he added, even though he knew it was a lie.

James let out a low whistle. "Pregnant. Thank God we don't have to worry about that one right now, eh, Sirius?" James used the towel around his neck to wipe at his face. "Okay. I'll go take a shower alone and I'll cry the whole time. You go see Moony. Another kiss first though, Sirius."

Sirius didn't go see Remus. He walked Apparated to a store in the village, a story he had heard a couple talking about last night when he was at the game watching James.

He walked around, looking at the tee shirts that seemed to be made for dolls. Could a baby really be that small? How could something that small grow into something the size of him or James? Sirius laughed at loud at the black Zeppelin shirt he saw. It may have fit him when he was still inside his mother.

He turned the corner. Baby food, baby bottles, formula. God, babies do have to eat a lot, don't they? It's not like he could breast feed. He managed a smile for a moment, imagining James trying to breast feed a baby. No, gay male wizards didn't have that luxury. Could they really take care of a baby? After all, James could barely take care of himself. What would he say about the baby?

In the next corner a mother held her young daughter by the hand and it looked like another was on the way soon. She turned and smiled at him. "Hello," she said. "It seems like they just try and hook you every day, huh? When Jasper was born they didn't even have half of these things and she's just two."

Sirius forced a smile. "Yeah."

"How old's yours?" the woman asked.

Sirius shook his head, the words getting stuck in his throat. Then he fainted.

When he woke, the woman was kneeling over him with a security manager on her other side. "Do you need me to call someone for you?" she asked. "The manager said you could use the fire in the back to call your girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, whatever."

"Husband," Sirius croaked. "And no. I'll be fine. He'll ask why I'm here."

The woman smiled wryly. "Oh, so he doesn't know yet, does he?" She laughed and helped Sirius sit back up.

Jasper, the little girl, smiled and pressed on Sirius' stomach. "Baby in there?" she asked.

"Stop it," her mother scolded. "Well, let me help you home, dear," she offered.

"No, thanks," he said. "I'll Apparate. It's okay."

"All right," the woman said. "But tell him. Most of the time they seem like they wouldn't like it and then you tell 'em and that daddy gene takes over."

Remus knocked on James door and half past nine. James answered and promptly frowned. "Come in?"

"Lily wants Sirius," Remus said, shutting the door. "She won't say why. Is he here?"

"He said he was going to your place," James said, dropping the towel he was drying his hair with. He was dressed in a robe and nothing more. "He's not there?" Worry was etched onto his face.

"He probably just went for a walk," Remus said. "Calm down, James. It's not like Sirius hasn't gone missing before."

James nodded. "Yeah. A walk. Right. So, is Lily pregnant?" he asked, trying to take his mind off of Sirius.

Remus snorted. "Pregnant? Hardly. Where'd you get an idea like that?"

"Sirius," James said softly. "He said you were worried Lily was pregnant."

Remus shook his head. "Firstly, if Lily were pregnant, which she's not, I wouldn't be worried. Secondly, Lily's on the potion. We're waiting until she finishes her Healer training to start a family."

"Right." James nodded. "Why would he say that?"

Remus shrugged. "You guys fighting again?"

"No. Why?"

"Well, the last time you got in that fight he said I was drinking too much and--"

"He was drinking too much," James finished. His eyes widened. "H-He . . . He's not pregnant . . . could he be?"

"Are you using protection?" Remus asked.

"Condoms," James answered. "Most of the time."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "I'll leave you to think about that," he said. "If Sirius isn't pregnant when he gets home, send him over."

James snapped the towel at him. "Get out."

Remus laughed and DisApparated. About five minutes later Sirius walked through the door, looking worse for wear.

"Where the hell were you?" James snapped. "And don't tell me you were at Remus' because he was just here looking for you."

Sirius shook his head. "I went for a walk."

"Lily's not pregnant," James said.

"Well, I guess that's good news," Sirius said.

"They never thought she was pregnant," James snapped.

"Oh." Sirius looked unmistakably like a child caught with chocolate on their face maintaining they didn't eat the cookie dough.

"Do you have something you need to tell me?" James asked softly, grabbing Sirius' hand and pulling him close so that their faces were barely a centimeter apart. Sirius could feel James warm and ragged breath on his face. "Sirius?"

Tears filled the taller man's eyes. "I didn't mean to," he whispered. "I know you said not until we got through the first year together, but it's not like I did it on purpose."

"Tell me," James breathed.

"I'm pregnant," Sirius whispered. "A month along."

Slowly, James started to smile, then he laughed. "Are you? Really?" Tears flooding his own eyes.

"I thought you didn't want a baby," Sirius said, tears rolling onto his cheeks.

James brought his hands up and dried his husband's face. "We're having a baby," he said again. "We're having a baby." Louder that time. "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!" He threw his arms around his husband's neck and kissed him. "I love you!"

"B-But you said--"

"Of course I want our baby," James said. "It's a little earlier than I planned on, but it's our baby, Sirius. Why wouldn't I want our baby?

Sirius smiled. "You mean it?"

James laughed. "Of course I do, you poof. Of course I do."

Sirius laughed and lightly bit James' ear.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "If you had said that, I wouldn't have spent all month worrying about telling you. I probably gained five pounds, you freak."

James stuck his tongue out. "That's because of the baby."

"Our baby," Sirius said.

"Our baby," James repeated, kissing his husband. "Our baby."

"Happy anniversary, James."

"Happy anniversary, Siri."

"But now's the time to look and look again at what you see,
Is that the way it ought to stay?
That's the way
That's the way it ought to be"

Author notes: Please review! Puh-lease!