This fic is the sequel to A Second Chance and I recommend reading that one first

Us Against The World

Kurt looked at the mantle on the little fireplace in his apartment, the photo frames lined up chronologically, covered with a thin layer of dust. An empty brown box sat in front of him; he was filling it with memories that were gone, in the past. He sighed and tried to calm his churning stomach; feelings of nerves, guilt, and even a pang of sadness kept his mind from pure bliss.

A shaking hand picked up the first frame. It housed the first photo they ever took together, the three of them. Kurt and Noah stood in their graduation robes, beaming in the warm Ohio sunlight. Alex rested on Kurt's waist; he had been so small back then. That was the first time Kurt had seen Noah smile that big and bright. Alex had one hand reaching towards Kurt's hair and the other fisted in Noah's graduation robes. Things had been so simple back then; Kurt had been able to be much more carefree than other teen parents.

Noah looked different now; his mohawk traded for short hair, his grass-stained Nikes in the back of his closet in favor of dapper leather shoes. Noah was a different man. Kurt looked different, too, but barely. He had aged (finally) and looked more like a man. His clothing had become more muted and conservative and he rarely had time to really focus on his hair. Things were so busy for him now that Alex was in school.

Then there was Alex. He looked so different. Now he stood over three feet tall, his brown hair falling in waves across his head and his blue eyes still as brilliant and shining as ever. He would run around the house and make a mess and sing beautiful songs to his father. Alex was a miracle, Kurt's miracle, and he wouldn't trade him for the world.

Taking a deep breath, Kurt placed that photo in the box face down. Moving down the mantle, tears rushed to Kurt's eyes. You couldn't see anyone's faces; the three of them were walking through a park. Kurt remembered that day well. It was the last day he or Alex had ever heard from Rachel Berry again. She was off becoming a star in California and as much as she wanted to care for the two of them, she just didn't have time. Between her dream coming true and snatching up Jesse St. James in the process, Rachel had no time for anything else. She had taken the photo though, and it was part of the memory.

It was taken in August, just before she moved away and right before Noah and Kurt got ready to take the next step in their lives and become college students. They walked through the park, leaning over a little to capture a little hand in each of theirs. Between them stood eleven-month-old Alex who was sporting jeans, a striped tee shirt, and mini Converse shoes. He had taken his first steps alone that day, but the photo Rachel had snapped of Kurt and Puck helping him get started was even more precious. It showed the three of them together; it had been them against the world in those days. What Kurt wouldn't give to return to that…

Emotion clouding his brain, Kurt quickly disposed of that photo in the box as well. The next made his heart drop, though, and he just stared at it for a moment, too scared to even touch it. It was a side view of Alex sitting on Noah's lap on his first birthday. Noah was holding him close and helping him open a present; Alex was looking up at him with bright eyes and a smile on his face. Kurt remembered that moment perfectly; just seconds after the flash had emitted from the camera, Alex had said his first word. "Dada!" he shrieked, pointing to Kurt.

Kurt beamed, and then his heart skipped a beat when Alex turned and said the same exact thing while pointing to Noah. Noah had looked at Kurt with wide eyes; the one year old on his lap had taken his ability to speak. "Yes, baby," was all Kurt had said, kissing Noah gently before kissing Alex on the forehead. "Dada."

"Are you sure?" Noah had whispered.

With a hard certainty in his eyes, Kurt had kissed Noah again and said, "Absolutely."

That was the second time Kurt ever saw Noah smile that big and bright. It melted his heart and he savored that moment for years to come. Choking back tears, Kurt packed that photo away as well.

The next photo on the shelf had caused some problems back when it was taken two years ago. Kurt had been reluctant to allow Alex to spend the day with Burt, Finn, and Noah, but eventually gave in. When they returned, he was appalled to find that they had taken him to a baseball game. It hurt Kurt that they would bring him to a sports game; he was still sensitive about sports and all the guys having it in common except for him.

All that came between Kurt and ripping the photo up into shreds had been Alex. He would point to things in the photo and tell Kurt stories endlessly. About how Daddy took him to see the team's mascot and get his autograph, and how Grandpa bought him a giant hot dog and how Uncle Finn caught a fly ball but let him keep it. The photo held so many memories for Alex that he just couldn't get rid of it. Even now he was reluctant to shut it in the box with the rest.

Two more frames rested on the mantle. The next one in line was just of Alex. He stood on stage in a suit, his five year old body standing confidently in the spotlight that was shining on him. It had been his first singing recital. Kurt had made a deal with Noah that he could join baseball if he joined something musical. Then Alex could choose for himself what he preferred.

Alex hand sang his heart out that night and he discovered a love for performing he hadn't known he possessed. Kurt was oddly proud that not only did Alex want to keep taking lessons and performing, but he also wanted to keep playing baseball. He loved them both equally, just as he loved his fathers, and he wouldn't want to give either up. Kurt sighed at how loving and selfless Alex could be sometimes. Tears stung at his eyes at the thought of what lay ahead for Alex and he put the frame in the box quickly.

Kurt took a moment to regain his composure. The photos had been on the mantle for a while; some longer than others. Memories sometimes stung, though. He looked at the empty frame for a moment, a regretful smile on his face. "What's wrong dad?" Alex asked, wandering into the quickly emptying living room.

"I'm fine," Kurt insisted. "I'm just going through some things and packing up."

"Can I help?" Alex looked up at his father eagerly.

Smiling, Kurt handed him an empty box and said, "Sure, why don't you pack up the DVDs?"

Alex set to work filling the box with the movies that were tossed about the floor. Kurt looked longingly at the empty frame before sighing and adding it to the box where the other frames lay. He knew what picture was supposed to be in the frame. It bothered him to no end that the frame was still empty. It was like there was something missing in his life.

From the floor Alex looked up and asked, "What should I do with dad's movies?"

He held up 'Fight Club' as an example. "You can pack them. We'll sort the movies later," Kurt told him.

Nodding, Alex did as he was told and filled the box with all the movies they owned. When they had filled their boxes, Kurt said, "Let's bring these out to the truck, huh?"

Alex nodded and struggled to lift the box. Knowing his was lighter, Kurt offered, "Trade you?"

"Good idea," Alex laughed, taking his father's (much lighter) box as Kurt took his.

They walked down the stairs of their apartment building and down to the moving truck that was half full of furniture, boxes, and memories. Making one more trip up to the apartment, Alex and Kurt wandered around, looking for anything they might have forgotten. It was completely empty and they just stopped and looked around for a minute. "We should get going," Kurt sighed, patting Alex's shoulder. "Our new home awaits."

Alex didn't say anything, but he looked sad. He followed Kurt down to the moving van quietly, a frown across his features. They climbed into the moving van and buckled up.

Driving away from those apartments tugged at Kurt's heartstrings. So much had happened there; that apartment was full of memories that would soon be forgotten, full of moments that could never be relived. They drove for a while, out of town and into the outskirts of Lima.

On the edge of town sat a white house next to a park. It was two blocks away from where Noah had grown up; he'd learned to play ball at this park, protected his sister at this park, and gotten into countless shenanigans with Finn at this park. It was overwhelming for Kurt to find that an empty lot of grass could hold so many memories. "Are we almost there, dad?" Alex said, excitement in his voice.

Kurt backed the truck into the drive and said, "Yep, we're here!"

Climbing out of the truck, Kurt rushed around to let out the excited five year old. He had an unnatural amount of energy and sometimes it was hard for Kurt to keep up. Alex rushed up to the door and past the tall, towering person in the doorway. Finn laughed and walked out of the house, approaching Kurt. "Took you guys long enough," he teased.

"We had to make sure we didn't forget anything," Kurt shrugged.

Finn rolled his eyes and said, "I got the bedframes set up already for you guys. The TV stand, too."

"Thanks," Kurt said gratefully, moving to open the back of the truck.

"Want me to stay and help you guys move in?" he offered.

"I think we'll be fine, but thanks, Finn," Kurt replied earnestly.

Finn pulled Kurt into a hug and said, "I'm really happy for you. Getting a house is a big deal!"

With a nervous laugh, Kurt admitted, "I know. That's why I was so terrified."

"You know I wouldn't have convinced you to do it if we couldn't have afforded it," a familiar voice bragged as he approached from the garage.

Kurt smiled and let go of his step-brother, turning instead to the arms of his husband, Noah Puckerman. "I know," Kurt said happily.

Noah just laughed and said, "Thanks, Finn, we got it from here."

Finn waved as he walked away, leaving Kurt and Noah hugging in the driveway, their son still running around the house in excitement. They heard a loud squeal of excitement and Noah laughed, "He must have found the piano I bought us."

Kurt looked up, surprised. "We have a piano! Like, a real piano?" he shrieked.

"You are just like your son," Noah shook his head, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, we have a piano. It's used but it's a real one, not a keyboard like he's been practicing on."

Kurt beamed but the mood was dampened when Noah asked, "You look like you've been crying. What's up?"

"It was just…hard leaving the apartment," he admitted, stepping away and dabbing at his eyes. "It was our first place together."

"And this is our first home," Noah said, trying to cheer him up. "This is exciting! You gotta stop crying all the time, babe."

Kurt looked at his husband, exasperated. "It amazes me how you can be so good with words," he said sarcastically, "and still have all those successful business deals and mergers."

Noah puffed out his chest and said, "I'm just that good."

Laughing and shaking his head, Kurt grabbed a box and walked inside. Noah followed as Kurt instantly walked over to the fireplace. "What's with you and photos on the mantle?" Noah asked.

Shrugging, Kurt said, "It reminds me of my mom." He held up the empty frame and said, "We still have an empty frame though. It's driving me insane."

Noah stepped forward and picked up the next photo in the box. It was Alex in the spotlight, singing on stage. "He was so amazing that night," he admitted, setting it next to the empty frame Kurt had placed on the mantle. "He definitely got you and Rachel's talent."

"You're a good singer too," Kurt said, hip-checking Noah. "We can say he takes after both of us."

A hearty chuckle came from the taller man as he pulled out the next photo: the baseball game. "You were so pissed about this," he shook his head, laughing at the memory. "I'm glad you didn't get rid of this though," Noah admitted. "Every boy has a photo of himself at his first sports game. Hell, even I do and I hate my dad."

Kurt nodded and pulled out the next photo. Noah smiled fondly at it and set it on the mantle without a word. He remembered the day that Alex called him "dada" very well. It was the moment when he realized he had a family of his own. Kurt was so willing to give Noah that role in Alex's life it was overwhelming for him. That was the day he decided that he'd marry Kurt. Four years later, that became a reality.

He picked up the next photo and looked Kurt. "Us against the world, right?" he asked with a smile.

Nodding, Kurt took it from him and set it on the mantle. The graduation photo was next, and then Kurt was confused when Noah reached for the empty frame. "Be right back," he smiled, walking into the kitchen.

Alex bounded in and started telling Kurt all about the piano downstairs but he was only half listening. All he could think about was what Noah could possibly be doing with an empty frame. Unless…

Noah returned minutes later with the frame, but this time it had a photo in it. They were outside, blue skies and green grass shining beautifully in the sunlight. There the three of them stood, Noah, Kurt, and Alex, all in their suits. It was their wedding picture and Kurt loved it more than words could describe. He looked at it and smiled, noticing Noah's smile in the photo. That was the third time he had seen Noah smile that big and bright.

"Now you have all your photos," Noah said simply.

Kurt turned and wrapped his arms around his husband's neck as strong arms wrapped around his waist. "Are you happy?" Kurt asked.

Noah thought about it for a moment. Six years ago he had been a complete delinquent; he had been to juvie, bullied more nerds than he wanted to admit, and was at risk of having to repeat a year of high school. Then Kurt came in and slowly but surely turned his life upside down. Noah had graduated high school on time, gone to college, become part of a family, and graduated college. He was a college graduate that could very easily support his family.

For the fourth time, Kurt saw Noah smile that big, bright smile that made his heart leap. "Of course I'm happy," he smiled kissing, Kurt.

"Eeew!" Alex called from the doorway.

Laughing, Kurt and Noah stepped away from each other. "What do you say we have some dinner? I ordered pizza!" Noah said, chasing Alex into the kitchen.

"I thought that's what I smelled," Kurt called after them as he followed them.

Noah set the box down on the floor and the three of them sat down to dig in. Alex made a mess (he was old enough not to, he was just being a boy, much to Kurt's frustration) and Kurt tried not to dab off the grease from the top with his napkin.

Laughing and chatting animatedly, there they sat in their new home. It was Noah, Kurt, and Alex Puckerman against the world.