Stand, a harry potter fanfic

Title: Stand.

Author: Lady Starlight so kiss my ass.

Rating: PG-15? I'm taking a guess here, nothing to bad though.

Warning: Slash, which should be obvious. Oh, and James is alive.

Summary: Harry's in a coma, yes I know you're thinking it's going to be Sirius mopping about, but it's not. Oh, and it's a song fic to Stand by Rascal Flatts (hence the title.) I fell in love with the song and it, sort of, started this idea.

A-Notes: This is only the second Sirry ficlet that I ever written. I have my Time Again on fanfiction, but besides for The Good Ship (Anti-Ron/Mione) I haven't finished any of my Sirry ideas. So I was surprised when I couldn't stop until I got this out. I've been working on it all night listening to the new Rascal Flatts CD Me and My Gang. The idea spurred from the first song, and changed while writing, but it refused to leave me and hot it is 3:06 and I am finally finished it. Thank Merlin, because I am in need of some serious sleep.

Also, any of you who are reading my Time Again, please understand, I have not abandond it, I just do not have the time, nor the space, as my house burned up a few weeks ago and I've been living in a house of ten since then. I'll try to get something, but no promises. Now, onto the story.

Stand

He was alone, forever alone. Life flew by around him and there was no way he could grasp it and make it his own. The latch on his emotions unlocked and he felt the electricity zap through the small room he was in. And turning his coal back head, his sapphire eyes stopped on an all to familiar photo.

Walking foreword he picked up the cracked frame and stared down into the laughing emerald eyes that smiled up at him with mischief and love. The photo had told the truth, once upon a time. Now it was lies and the emerald eyes refused to open. He couldn't give up hope though, because if he did, then the young hero would have nothing to come back to.

You feel like a candle in a hurricane
Just like a picture with a broken frame
Alone and helpless, like you've lost your fight
But you'll be alright, you'll be alright

From the door way a tall black haired man watched the restless movements of his friend. He dragged a hand through his hair, out of habit more then anything else and pinned his brown eyes on the photo the man was staring at. He stepped foreword and stopped again. Indecision raced through him and he feared it was too late. Far too late for things to be normal between them.

But then the man looked up at him and his sapphire eyes lightened, if only a little. The man put the photo down and shrugged, helplessly, tiredly, scared. "He'll be alright Prongs," came the tired voice. "He's been through too much to give up now."

"You'd know him better then I would," Prongs admitted and sat down on the bed in the corner. "I'm sorry that I'm jealous of that." Prongs rested his chin on his knees and looked away from the imploring concern in his old friends eyes. "Paddy, did he even know I was back?" James Potter raised his brown eyes and let them stay on his friend. "Did anyone tell him? Did he know?"

The pain that entered Paddy's eyes gave James the answer that the man's words soon gave voice to. "I'm so sorry Jamie, we didn't get to him in time." The sapphire-eyed man looked away and James shuddered out a breath. "Poppy's doing every thing she can, you've got to know that."

James nodded tiredly and waved his hand at the photo. The gesture got a bitter snicker out of the other man after having seen James' son do it so often himself. Sirius Black studied his old friend and it surprised him how tired Prongs looked. It shouldn't have though.

When James looked up at him again the question hung in the air between them. The decision was easy and Sirius found himself sitting beside James before he realized what he was doing. They both sat on the bad with their backs against the wall. The scene was so familiar that if it had happened at any other time either of the two men would have made a joke about how things never changed.

But they did.

Returning his sapphire eyes to the photo he bit his lip and wondered if James saw what he did. He prayed to the Gods he no longer believed in that James was as blind as Remus had been. He needed James to be blind about it.

"Tell me about him," the man pleaded and Sirius heard the exhaustion deep in his voice.

"You couldn't have done better," Sirius started, knowing that it was important for James to be proud of the young man.

'Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend 'til you break
'Cause it's all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

Sirius told James everything he could. His mind traveling back over the years to when he had first met the young man, and even beyond that, to what he had read in the papers or heard form others. He told James everything that he knew that James would want to know. Something's were just private.

James listened, his mind taking in every thought and movement that came out of Sirius. He listened to his best friend praise his son and complain about his carelessness in the same breath. He heard the quiver in the mans strong voice when he mentioned how many times Harry had come close to death. James heard the joy in Sirius's voice over the fact that every time Harry got in trouble he got out of it. The concern was there when Sirius talked about the nightmares as the Visions. Sirius bragged about Harry's Quidditch abilities and cursed his unnatural habit for getting into trouble.

And James knew. He knew because he knew Sirius, and despite everything that had happened to the man over the last nineteen years Sirius was still one of the most important people in his live. Eventually Sirius trailed his own going speech to a halt and looked up. His face shadowed immediately and James shook his head, a sad smile on his face.

He stood up and walked to the door of Sirius' room. Pausing with the knob in his hand James looked back and gave his oldest friend a knowing look. "Do you think I would blame you?" He asked before leaving the room and finding his way to another.

Life's like a novel with the end ripped out
The edge of a canyon with only one way down
Take what you're given before it's gone
And start holdin' on, keep holdin' on

Remus Lupin was exactly where James suspected he would be. Sitting on his bed with a pile of books around him. Studying on his bed was a habit that Remus had never been able to break. Stepping in James closed the door behind him and lightly walked over to the engrossed man. Remus never looked up and James found himself smiling at thoughts of times pasted when they were inseparable and always watching the others back. He found himself remembering how they met, and how they broke up. Sitting on the bed at last he stared at Remus as he leaned over and pulled the book out of his hands.

"Damnit Paddy!" Remus snapped instantly before glancing up and blinking widely at James. "Damnit, you I was working."

"Moony," James said and looked down at the book. The pages were talking about Magical Coma's. "Do you think it will help?"

"When did you become a pessimist?"

"When one of my best friends betrayed me."

"Well, stop it, you know it won't do Harry any good." Remus closed his eyes at the mention of James son. The image of the bruised and bloody young man was still to fresh for him even though it had been months since Harry had looked like that.

James shuddered himself, cursing the fates and their games. He had been the one to find Harry, passed out near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The area behind Hagrid's Hut had been transformed so that Wizards and Witches could apparate there if they needed to. James had been walking along the lake when he had heard the tell-tall crack and when no one had appeared he went to investigate. The memory was forever burned in his mind.

James eyes focused on the picture on Remus' night table. "Did you know?" he asked the Werewolf. Moony glanced over and a smile appeared on his face.

"Yeah, though, you can't tell him that, he has no idea."

"You're okay with it?" James asked, confused. James knew, that if he had raised Harry, then he would most likely have a problem with it, but James hadn't raised Harry, Harry had raised Harry, and if he could become the kind of person that Sirius would fall in love with, who was he to complain when he had come in so late in the game?

"Yes, surprisingly," Remus admitted. "I wasn't at first, this was his Godson were talking about, but, Hermione is a very good friend." James tilted his head at Remus, a familiar gesture that urged him to continue. "She's very smart, smarter then most give her credit for. She was probably the first to know what was going one. But when I figured it out… she's very loyal to Harry, James, you have to understand, she won't let anyone make him cry, and he doesn't cry easily. She wanted to make sure that doesn't happen."

"She must have done a good job," James said as he thought about the girl he could regularly find pouring over books in the Med Wing.

"She knows things James, that would horrify you. Things that only Harry should know." James' head flew up, his eyes searching Remus' amber ones. What he saw there broke his head and he silently wept for the childhood his son had never known.

"Sirius knows though doesn't he?" James asked and Remus shook his head.

"I can only assume, she wouldn't say for sure, but the way she put it…"

James sighed, his thought turmoil and confusing. "Remy, he brought me back and he doesn't even know…"

"Jamie, he will," Remus assured him.

The fact that both of his best friends believed so much in his son warmed James' heart. Sitting up properly he glanced back to the photo that held his best friend and his son. They looked like they belonged, and they did. Though all James had was a few pictures and stories from his friends, he could see it himself and wondered what he was supposed to do now.

"Will you stop that?" Remus demanded and it was then that James noticed his hands were fidgeting.

"Sorry," he muttered and bounced up. "C'mon, we've got to see him."

It was pointless to ask who him was because James only ever got bouncy when talking about his son. Loyally Remus climbed out of his bed and, with book in hand, followed James to the Med Wing. He watched the newly alive Marauder as they walked and smiled happily; glad to have his friends back. But the closer they got to Poppy's domain the dimmer the smile got, until he was frowning again.

The two of them were silent as they opened the doors to the Wing. Both were lost in their own thoughts that they didn't see Sirius until they heard him.

"Love, wake up," they heard their oldest friend whisper. Both paused in their onward motion, finally noticing the black haired man who was sitting beside the bed, his hand holding Harry's for dear live.

"You've done this before Harry, you know you can get out of it. Please."

Every time you get up and get back in the race
One more small piece of you starts to fall into place – yeah

James found himself walking towards Harry and Sirius before he knew where his feet were taking him. Stepping beside his friend he laid a hand on Sirius shoulder and offered him a weak smile. "You said it yourself Paddy, he's strong."

"Prongs is right, Paddy," Remus whispered and stood beside James, looking down at Harry.

The young man was deathly pale, shockingly so. He was so thin from lack of proper food and exercise. Harry had been in a coma for five, going on six, months and staff and students alike were scared for him. The young man had slept through his twentieth birthday, the start of Auror training, and Hermione's twentieth birthday. His room was a decoration of pictures, newspaper articles and flowers. Remus would guess that everyone who had ever come into contact (and was still alive to tell about it) had left something to decorate the room.

James moved to the chair beside Sirius and rubbed his fingers over his son's head. "He'll make it back Siri," James said, more confidant this time. "He has loved ones to return to."

Remus stayed standing, between the two chairs, and he watched Harry with the others. "He'll come back Siri, because he has you to come back to," Remus admitted and Sirius glanced up, away from Harry. The confusion in his eyes had Remus shrugging. "Harry's got some powerful friends Siri. My advice, don't ever hurt him."

"What did Mione do?" A murmured voice scratched out. All three men glanced to the bed and the two sitting jumped to their feet when they saw the smile on Harry's face.

"HARRY!" Sirius smiled and when Harry opened his eyes, they were smiling.

"Hey Love," he murmured tiredly and glanced behind Sirius to Remus. The smile faltered for a second before it returned at Remus' smile of acknowledgement. Curious to know whom the third man was he moved his head, and he feared his heart stopped. He knew the man standing in front of him, know his face for its familiarity to his own.

"Dad?" he asked in confusion and James nodded.

"Yeah Kid," James got out, his voice as horse as Harry's.

"But…you are…" Harry glanced back at Sirius, and when the man only smiled at him Harry's tense body relaxed.

"There's just something about you Kid," James answered, using the same words that Albus had given them when he had first seen James again.

James and Remus glanced at each other when they saw Harry's eyes linger on Sirius again. With a discreet nod both Marauders excused themselves, and they made sure to lock the door on their way out. They walked down the hallway again, this time without Sirius. Neither glanced back to make sure it wasn't a dream. They new better.

And in the morning, so would everyone else.

"Harry?" Sirius asked tenderly. His hands wringing at his sides as he watched the young man continue to stare at him. "Harry?" he asked again. Harry shook his head and moved aside. Pulling back the blankets he motioned for Sirius to climb in with him.

Not wasting any time Sirius climbed in beside him, careful of Harry's delicate frame. The younger man smiled up at him and, careful of Harry's healing wounds he pulled the emerald-eyed beauty closer. Harry only shifted so that he was more comfortable and continued to smile at his lover. Harry reached up and pulled Sirius' mouth closer to his self and indulged them both in a long and lazy kiss.

"You need to sleep," Sirius whispered softy, after tearing himself away from the love of his life.

"You won't leave will you?" Harry asked tiredly, stifling a yawn.

"Never," Sirius promised and Harry smiled, lying his head on Sirius' chest he felt sleep take him over again, and he knew that this time, he wouldn't have to fight to see Sirius again.

Yeah then you stand – yeah
Yeah, baby
Woo hoo, Woo hoo, Woo hoo
Then you stand – yeah, yeah

Harry ran into his room, laughing, his eyes full of life, and he looked a hundred times healthier then he had when he woke up from his coma, almost a year ago. Sirius followed after him quickly and the door shut by itself when both men were in the bedroom.

"Now, Love, you know I …" but whatever Harry was going to say was cut off by Sirius pinning him to the wall and kissing him breathless.

"What were you going to say?" Sirius asked as he pulled back and Harry stared at him in a blank faced confusion.

"Umm…" Blinking helplessly Harry shrugged. Carelessly he pushed Sirius off of him and backed him into the opposite wall. This kiss wasn't light or flirtatious, it was deep and meaningful and so completely them. Sirius groaned mindlessly when he felt Harry's tongue in his mouth and he mentally cursed, because he knew, whatever he had been asking Harry had been important. Harry dragged his hands through Sirius' dark hair, never breaking the kiss as the hands lowered and ran over the man's back. When Harry finally pulled back he looked happy, while Sirius looked confused.

Of course, that only lasted until Harry spoke. And the young man did, looking at his Christmas present in the small box he smiled.

"By the way Sirius, I do."

Were the only words that needed to be said to seal the deal and Sirius pulled Harry to their bed, more then happy to show the younger man what he was getting into.

The End.