Through This House (Give Glimmering Light)

All previous disclaimers apply.

It was warm. The first thought in Kurt's head as he woke surprised him. He tried to puzzle through it as he worked up the energy to open his eyes. It shouldn't have been warm. Winter in Ohio was not exactly the most mild thing and while it wasn't technically winter anymore, the late season storm that had blown through and left everything covered and damp had been felt by all, but especially by Kurt. With his circulation failing so spectacularly his hands and feet were always cold and when the weather was bad it soaked into his body down to the bone no matter how many space heaters had been brought down to the basement or how many blankets were piled on top of him or how close his friends held him as he slept. He hadn't actually been warm for months and now that he was he wasn't quite sure what to think about it. He was sure that something had happened the night before- he could remember the bright white light- but he couldn't recall anything else, really. He wondered, idly, if he was dead. That might be the only explanation for the warmth and the sunlight he was coming to realize was warm and bright through his eyelids. He must be dead, he thought, a little bit amused, because the sunlight didn't come through the low windows of his basement and if it did it never actually reached his bed. He hadn't put much stock in a heaven since his mother died, hadn't put much stock in a god if he was being honest with himself, but he found himself curious as to what this place he'd come to be after his death looked like. He pulled his arms above his head and indulged in a full body stretch, sighing contentedly before he attempted to open his eyes again. This must be heaven. He felt so warm and content there was no other place it could be. He opened his eyes.

At first all he could see was a rich gold cloth above him. A quick glance to the right told him that it was the very lavish topping to a very lavish four post bed complete with bed curtains that could be closed to give privacy. He threw back a duvet made of the same rich fabric and wondered absently how he wasn't overheated with how warm the air was and how thick the covering was. It was easy, so very easy, to sit up and swing his legs over the side of the bed and he laughed aloud in joy over his recovered strength. It had been hard to be weak for so long. His voice sounded different somehow, even in his own ears, but he couldn't quite put his fingers on how and didn't want to worry about it in any case. He concentrated instead on the clothing covering him, he would have called it silk, but it was richer than that, finer than that, the finest fabric he had ever seen. He wasn't sure that it was man made, wasn't sure that it could have been.

"Come in," he called, too happy to be suspicious or nervous when a knock came on the door to the room he was in.

Three ladies came through the door in a flurry of happy energy. All three were beautiful. The first had skin nearly as dark as night and midnight hair braided close to her head. She smiled at him gently as she crossed the room and opened a wardrobe before studying him for a moment and digging through the clothing there. The second had almond eyes and skin the color of smooth caramel. The sweet little flowers in her hair gave off a perfume unlike anything he had ever smelled. He could only describe it as lovely, even in his own mind. She giggled as she poured fresh smelling water from the pitcher she held into the basin on a small table near his bed. The third had ice blue eyes and white blond hair that was pulled into a loose braid and draped over her shoulder. Her smile was cool as she crossed the room to throw open his windows. He took in their differences and wondered how he knew that they were sisters instinctively. All three were dressed as if they were visiting some kind of costume party. The dark one was in a kind of catsuit made of the same fabric Kurt had been admiring in his pajamas, showing off her magnificent body. The one who was still giggling was in a beautiful, lavish kimono. The blonde was in a dress that looked like it came from some sort of medieval festival. And yet they all somehow looked completely comfortable and natural.

"We thought we heard you laughing," The giggling one said happily, "We're so glad that you're awake. You were sleeping for such a long time. Your lady mother thought that she had gotten to you too late. We were prepared to mourn, the entire island. It's not every day that…"

"Hush, Sakura!" The blonde scolded her sister, turning from the windows, "Can't you see that you're confusing the poor boy? Really! He's just woken up and you start chattering away at him!"

"Crystal, I'm just happy that he's awake! Lady Titania was so worried and if she'd lost him I know that we would have lost her and…"

"Hush!" Crystal said again. Kurt's head was beginning to spin and he was begging to think that he wasn't in heaven after all.

"Ladies," The third stepped between her sisters and smiled gently at them both, "Let's not fight. It must be confusing enough to him already. Hello, young master Kurt Hummel," She took a step toward him, "I am Aziza and these are my sisters. Crystal," she motioned to the blonde, "And Sakura. We've been assigned as your attendants. Now, I know this must all be very confusing for you, but don't worry. We'll take you to your lady mother and she will explain everything. Come. Let us help you get dressed."

Kurt found himself in a kind of calm daze as he allowed the women to attend to him. He washed his face in the cool, clean water when Sakura directed him to do so and allowed them to dress him like a rag doll in clothes very much reminiscent of the style that Crystal was wearing, all the while listening to their voices- one sweet, one low, and one husky- and not their words as they chattered on about him. He looked down at one point when Aziza was washing his feet gently and tilted his head to the side in puzzlement when he noticed that her ears came to delicate points. His eyebrow when up when he looked at Crystal and Sakura and realized that theirs did as well. He allowed them to lead him through what seemed to be a magnificent old castle and out onto a rolling lawn surrounding it. They kept chattering, either oblivious to fact that he wasn't listening or not caring, as they led him across the grounds and into an orchard where two women worked on strong, healthy peach trees.

One was silver haired, but her face was relatively unlined and her back was straight and strong. She had a circlet on her head and a regal bearing the like of which Kurt had never really seen and he knew that he wouldn't feel out of place bowing to this woman or kissing her hand. Her ears, he noticed, did not come to points. She was human. The other had her back turned to him, but he knew from the dark hair and the way she held herself that she was his mother.

"Yes, Catherine," She was saying quietly as they approached, "You were right. These positively flourish here, don't they? Perhaps we can convince my lord husband of the need for another orchard. Perhaps apples or pears?"

"My lady," Catherine said quietly, her voice held a lilt that he recognized as Scottish, touching her arm gently, "Your son is awake."

"My Kurt?" His mother gasped and turned quickly on her heel, "Oh, Kurt!" She cried out and began to run to him, tears streaming down her face. Kurt felt his own tears warm on his cheeks as he pulled away from the three beaming ladies around him and ran to his mother. They came together hard, wrapping their arms and around each other and squeezing for all they were worth. Kurt marveled once again at how small she was as he was able to tuck her head under his chin. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to risk opening them and having her gone again. But, she wasn't going anywhere. He could hear her murmuring in his ear, calling him her baby, saying sweet things that he had never thought to hear again, and could still feel her hand stroking his hair.

"Baby," She said after a time, "Open your eyes. Let me look into them."

"No," He murmured, not loosening his hold on her.

"And why not?" She asked, laughter in her voice.

"I don't want you to disappear on me again."

"Oh, sweetheart," She sighed and lifted herself up on her toes to place a kiss to his forehead, "I promise, my darling, I am never going to disappear again."

He finally dared to open his eyes and laughed when all she was doing was looking right back at him, a small understanding smile on her face. At the sound of his laughter she threw back her head and joined him.

"Mom, where are we?" He finally asked when they had calmed enough. He looked around, confused as to where the three ladies that had walked him out and the lady his mother had been speaking to had gone.

"They're being polite and giving us some time." She said quietly.

"Are we in Heaven?" Kurt asked quietly, "Am I dead?"

"Oh, no, darling!" His mother exclaimed, turning so that she was in front of him again and taking both of his hands into her own, "The farthest thing from it, actually. You are very much alive, Kurt, and you are going to live for a very, very long time."

"How long is a very, very long time?" Kurt asked.

"Can you imagine the end of eternity, my dearest one?"

Kurt thought about it for a moment and found that it made him dizzy. He just shook his head. His mother set a hand to his cheek and smiled, understanding.

"Then, it's best not to try to think about it yet. Wait a few hundred years."

"A few hundred…" For the first time since waking up Kurt began to feel anxious, "What? How can anyone live a few hundred years? How am I still alive? Where the hell am I? What kind of freak am I? I want to go home! I just want everything to make sense again!" As his voice began to rise higher in pitch so did his panic. He shouldn't be alive, he was sure of it. He had been dying in that bed. He should have died and gone to meet his mother in heaven or been reincarnated or just released back into the universe as energy or something! Hell! He'd even take hell for being gay at the moment as long as it made sense! But, nothing about this did! He could feel his heart beating in his chest and knew that he was alive. And his mother was standing in front of him and he knew that she was alive, too! A sudden wind kicked up and her hair was blown to the side. Her ears came to a point. He tore his hands out of hers and felt his own. His breath began to come in short, shallow gasps when he realized that his now did, too. He wanted his dad and he wanted his mom and he wanted his brother! This woman in front of him was a complete stranger and she had done something to him! Made him different! Made him a freak!

"Baby, you need to calm down!" His mother's voice was gentle even as her words were strong. It was only then that Kurt noticed the ground he was standing on was shaking, as if the earth were displaying his upset along with him. She reached out to cup his face.

"No!" he screamed, tearing away from her, "What have you done to me? Who are you?"

He turned away from the hurt that flashed into her eyes and began to run. He didn't know where he was going, didn't care. He ran until his lungs burned and his legs were about to give out. It took much longer than he thought it should have and that only made him more desperate to get away. He ran past the point of exhaustion and cried out sharply in despair when he came to a stone covered beach. He looked as far as he could see on either side. An island, he realized, his breath coming in gasps that didn't fill his lungs. He was stuck on an island. He fell to his knees and howled, his pain and panic washing over him, consuming him. The stones beneath him trembled. He fell to his side on them and curled into a miserable, mewling ball, trying to wish it all away.

"Oh, Hummel," A familiar voice said gently and he was pulled into a strong, familiar embrace, "You're always such a drama queen." The voice was not condescending, but comforting and Kurt found himself being rocked gently.

"Puck?" He asked quietly, daring to open his eyes. He looked up at the boy he thought he knew. It was Puck, but it wasn't Puck. The man in front of him looked like Puck, had the same smirk, the same eyes. But, this Puck had hair, long and loose to a good deal past his shoulder. His brows came to a dramatic arch naturally and his skin had a slightly green tone to it.

"That's my name," Puck said genially, smirk melting into a genuine smile that Kurt had never seen before, "Or you can call me Robin Goodfellow. Either works for me. Welcome to Avalon, my prince."

He leaned down and pressed his lips gently to Kurt's. Kurt did the only thing he could think of in that moment.

He fainted.