"Kurt? Where are you?" Kurt claps his hand over his mouth to suppress a giggle, not wanting his hiding place to be discovered. A seven year old Kurt Hummel is curled up, knees to his chest in a dark cupboard in the corner of the playroom at the Lima Daycare centre. Light pours into the small space from the gap between the double doors of the cabinet, and through the space he can see his best friend in the whole-wide-world Blaine Anderson walking around the playroom in circles, searching for him.

"Come on Kurt! I've looked everywhere!" Kurt has to really struggle not to giggle now, because he can see Blaine, checking everywhere from behind the toy box to under the play mat, but the other boy never even comes close to the little cupboard on the other side of the room. "Gosh, I'm never going to find him!" an exasperated sounding Blaine says to the wooden rocking horse in the corner, crossing his arms over his yellow suspenders and stomping his foot like the seven year old he is. Kurt peeks his head out ever so slightly, holding his breath and willing Blaine not to turn around and see him.

Just then the young blonde girl who helps out at the day care centre pops her head into the room, first seeing Blaine standing in the middle of the room, and then spying Kurt, just peeking out of the cupboard, his large blue-green eyes fixed on his best friend. The girl smiles knowingly, and gives Kurt a little nod that lets him know she's on his side. She always is.

"Come on Blaine! It's snack time!" The girl smiles brightly at Blaine, but he doesn't budge.

"But what about Kurt? I can't go to snack time without Kurt, Ms. Jules! It wont be any fun then!" his lips are pushed into an over exaggerated pout and his arms were still crossed, even tighter now over his chest.

"well if Kurt doesn't want to come out of his hiding place, Kurt will have to miss snack time today." Ms. Jules says shrugging, her eyes flicking to the cupboard for a split second. Kurt hesitates. He doesn't want to leave his hiding place, Blaine is supposed to find him! That's the way the game works! But Blaine is terrible at hide and seek... and Kurt really likes snack time...

Kurt practically falls out of the cupboard he's in such a hurry to get to snack time. He hits the carpet with a thud and both Blaine and Ms. Jules turn to look at him. Kurt stands up and brushes himself off, not wanting his new school clothes to get wrinkled and then smiles up at his friend.

Blaine looks shocked, as though Kurt had just appeared out of thin air. "Oh! There you are Kurt!" Blaine runs over and pulls the other boy into a tight hug, as though he thought he would never see his best friend again. "I've been looking for you forever." Blaine's long, unruly hair is getting in Kurt's face, but he doesn't say anything because he likes it when Blaine hugs him, so it's okay that he has to close his eyes because Blaine's locks are in the way. He doesn't mind.

Ms. Jules smiles at the two boys, clapping her hand to get their attention. "alright, boys. Come on or all the cookies will be gone!" The boys break apart, smiling at the mention of cookies. An over-enthusiastic Blaine grabs Kurt's hand, and they trip over themselves in the process of running to the snack room ahead of their teacher.

10 years later

"Kurt, are you in here? We have dinner reservations in an hour..." Blaine Anderson glances around the room, his hands busy with fixing his tie. He takes a few more steps into the room, looking from side to side in search of his missing boyfriend.

Blaine isn't the same boy he was when he was seven. His unruly locks are cut and gelled, and he wears a tie rather than yellow suspenders. But Kurt never fails to remind him that there are still two things that haven't changed. His height, and utter lack of hide and seek skill.

Blaine hears a suppressed laugh from behind him, and just as he turns hoping to finally claim victory over his all-time hide and seek champion boyfriend he is suddenly being pounced on, and pulled in for a deep kiss. At first shocked, but then responding with the same enthusiastic excitement he had when he was seven.

When the kiss breaks, both boys are smiling, still holding each other close and Kurt is biting his bottom lip. "I win. Again." he says quietly. And Blaine just shrugs and smiles, because he's never won a game of hide and seek, not once. But losing has become increasingly appealing these days.

"I thought we were playing best eleven out of twenty?" he says. Kurt's smile widens. "Give me to the count of one hundred?" he asks playfully. "You've got until sixty." Blaine replies. Kurt unwraps himself from his boyfriend's arms and takes two steps back. "your on!" he says, throwing Blaine a wink before turning and running out of the room.

"1...2...10...20.." Blaine begins.

Kurt's voice rises suddenly from somewhere in the house, "And you better not be cheating this time! It's not like it'll help!"

10 years later, but you'll always be my best friend.