Disclaimer:

I do not own Glee or any of it's characters.

(I'm just borrowing them)

"And what's it for, the little empty garden by the brown stone door…"

Kurt age 7

Blaine age 8

Kurt loved spending the summers with his grandmother. Really, he did. She lived in a huge house with lots of gardens and places to play. In a totally non-dirty way. Kurt did not like getting his clothes dirty. He did like squishing his toes in the mud, but that was a secret. One that not even his Momma knew. It was a best friend kind of secret. Only he didn't have a best friend. The kids back home didn't like him very much. They made fun of him and called him names. His mom and dad said that it didn't matter what they said or did. That they loved him, but it was nice to be away from the meanies for the summer and just be allowed to be himself.

Today was his last day here and he was currently exploring one of the older gardens near the edge of the property and found an old brown stone door. A door to a magical place to be sure. He quivered with excitement as he opened the door and walked through. The garden was overgrown and looked like it hadn't had a visitor in years. He sat on a small stone wall and surveyed his new kingdom. It had a wild kind of beauty that he could relate to. Kurt loved it.

Like a little prince, he waved his arms and commanded the roses and willow trees to bow. The wind blew warm and sweet and made them seem to follow his orders. He laughed, a bright musical sound, and clapped his hands in glee.

A gasp sounded and Kurt turned quickly to see a small boy in the doorway. Kurt stopped smiling and crossed his arms, instinctively protecting himself from a potential meanie. The boy looked to be about Kurt's age with wild curly brown hair and brown eyes. Said brown eyes were wide with wonder and he had a small hand clasped over his mouth .

The silence stretched and Kurt began to squirm under his gaze. The boy kept staring at him like he was afraid to blink. As Kurt stood and prepared to run past him back to the house, the boy spoke.

"Are you real?" He asked, his young voice hushed and trembling.

Kurt blinked. He started at the boy not knowing how to answer the odd question. The boy slowly entered the garden with his hands out in an open gesture as to not startle Kurt. He seemed nervous but not mean. Kurt sat back down on the stone wall and watched him inch closer.

"I saw a picture of a fairy once in a book." the boy said, "They were beautiful and lived in magic gardens." He crept closer to Kurt, "Are you a fairy?"

Kurt tilted his head at the question. There were mean boys back home that called him a "fairy", but they didn't say it the way this boy did. This boy said it was like a good thing, but Kurt nodded in answer to the question and the boy smiled. His whole face lit up and Kurt smiled in response deciding that this boy was definitely not a meanie.

The boy and inched closer and was now in front of Kurt, one of this hands still out stretched and Kurt raised one of this hands to lightly touch the other boys fingertips. Both boys gasped as their fingers made contact as a tingle raced over their hands. Kurt laughed again and the boy's grin grew impossibly larger.

"My name's Blaine" the boy said as he sat down on the ground in front of Kurt. "What's yours?"

"Kurt."

Blaine tilted his head and his face scrunched up "That's a funny name for a fairy."

Kurt frowned and crossed his arms again. He didn't like that this boy thought his name was funny.

"I'm sorry." Blaine said quickly, his eyes going wide again. "Please don't be mad."

Kurt uncrossed his arms but kept his frown. "My Momma named me and I like my name."

Blaine reached up to pat Kurt's knee gently, "I didn't mean to be mean. I just thought fairies had long names, like in books."

Kurt thought about it. He remembered a book his Momma had read him as a bedtime story. The fairy in it did have a long fancy name. He supposed he could forgive Blaine. He did seem very sorry.

"Please smile" Blaine pleaded quietly. "I like it when you smile."

Kurt felt his lips tugging up at the request. Even though they just met, it was hard to stay mad at Blaine. Blaine smiled in return and reached up and gently took his hand. Kurt looked down at their intertwined fingers and his smile grew. The tingling feeling was back.

"I have to go back home soon," Blaine said as he stood still holding Kurt's hand, "will you be here tomorrow?"

Kurt stood as well and swung their joined hands gently. "No, I have to go back home tomorrow."

Blaine's eyes started to glisten. "But I thought I got to keep you." He sniffled quietly. "When you catch a fairy, you get to keep them forever." He held Kurt's hand tighter afraid he would be lost if he let go.

"I'm sorry" Kurt said quietly, not wanted to leave Blaine even though they had just met. "I wish I could stay with you." He somehow knew that he would be safe with Blaine. That he would be happy with the small boy with the wild curly brown hair and bright brown eyes.

"Will I ever see you again?" Blaine asked as they made their way back to the brown stone door. Back to the world waiting outside.

"Next summer." Kurt promised.

"You won't let anyone else catch you?" Blaine asked quietly. "You'll remember you're mine right?"

Kurt squeezed the hand in his and smiled. "I promise."

Blaine let go of Kurt's hand and looked at him liked he was trying to memorize every detail. "Next summer" he said quietly.

"Next summer" Kurt promised.

Kurt age 16

Blaine age 17

Kurt allowed the boy in the Dalton blazer to lead him to the Senior Commons. As he took Kurt's hand, he felt a vaguely familiar tingle travel up his arm.

Kurt age 24

Blaine age 25

Blaine and Kurt walked hand in hand through the gardens of Blaine's family's summer home. Bumping shoulders gently and swinging their hands, they smiled at each other softly. Blaine was nervous but trying to hide it. Kurt normally would have noticed, but he was taking in the grounds and trying to shake a feeling of déjà vu.

Blaine finally noticed Kurt's lack of attention and nudged him gently. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

Kurt smiled and said, "My Gran had a place up around here. I used to visit her every summer."

"That sounds nice." Blaine said.

"Oh it was," Kurt said and his smiled dimmed ever so slightly. "She died the winter after my mother was killed. I haven't been up here in years."

Blaine squeezed his hand tighter and kissed his forehead softly. "I'm sorry."

"No." Kurt said quickly, "I only have good memories of my Gran and my summers with her."

Blaine smiled and reached his other hand into his pocket. His nervousness seemed to come back, but Kurt was not paying attention. His gaze traveled up the path they were on.

"Where are we going?" Kurt asked.

"A special place of mine that I want to show you." Blaine answered.

Kurt smiled. "I'm honored."

Blaine laughed at the lofty tone and he raised their joined hands to place a swift kiss on Kurt's fingers.

They walked for few minutes more until they came upon an old brown stone door. Kurt gasped softly and pulled Blaine to it. "Oh my" he said quietly. He let go of Blaine's hand to push open the door and stepped inside.

It was just how he remembered it. Overgrown but beautiful. Kurt walked to the stone wall and sat down and he laughed, bright and musical as he surveyed his wild domain. He heard a gasp by the door and turned to see a man with wild curly brown hair and brown eyes staring at him.

"Blaine?" Kurt called softly.

Blaine's eyes were wide with disbelief and Kurt stood to go to him, but Blaine strode forward to take both of Kurt's hands in his. As always, Kurt felt the tingle that came from holding hands with the man he loved and smiled softly.

"Are you real?" Blaine asked softly.

Kurt's eyes grew wide and he stuttered, "Wh what did you just say?"

Blaine just smiled, bright and big. "I thought I had made you up."

"It was you," Kurt said as he shook his head, "all those years ago."

"It was always you." Blaine said and laughed, "I had a whole speech prepared, everything I wanted to say." He laughed again and dropped to his knee before Kurt. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and Kurt gasped. "Can I keep you?" Blaine asked as he opened the box to show Kurt the diamond band nestled inside.

"Yes!" Kurt said quickly and Blaine stood to place the ring on his finger.

"And you'll remember that you're mine?" Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear.

"I'll never let anyone else catch me." Kurt whispered back.

The wind blew warm and sweet and the willows and roses seemed to bow to the couple as they embraced.

To many the little empty garden by the brown stone door was only empty, except to the ones would could see the magic inside.

The Title was taken from the song by Sir Elton John