Burt dropped off Kurt and gave him a quick goodbye pat on the head. Kurt hating drawing attention to himself at drop offs so he told his dad to cool it with the goodbyes and keep it simple. A pat was good, Kurt could work with this.

He looked around the room, not many kids were here yet. He was dreading this overnight event all week because he was going to be sleeping away from home without his mom and dad. He did not really know many of the kids that were going, although they all went to his afterschool care. Kurt mainly kept to himself and in this moment, he was regretting that decision. He really did not have many friends in the program, let alone at school at all. His parents owed him one, I mean they dropped him off at this event because they wanted to have a date night and they wanted him to make friends. Kurt could tell, it was going to be a long night.

He walked over to the block area and alas, the legos were still there. Finally he could have them all to himself. He picked up the box and carried it to the table. Once settled, Kurt began pulling out handfuls of the small blocks and separated them into piles based on color. He stuck the tip of his tongue out of his mouth as he carefully grouped them all together. Satisfied, Kurt began sticking them together on a flat base when suddenly a bouncy ball came and landed in his pile of green blocks which sent them flying around the table. Kurt let out a frustrated whimper and began to collect his lost pieces.

“Sorry.” A small voice came from his side.

Kurt turned to look over at a small boy. He held the bouncy ball in one hand and was sweeping legos toward him with the other.

“Umm thanks.”

Kurt looked at him again. He wore a simple t-shirt as if it had been nice at one time but was now covered with a thin layer of dirt. His jeans were nice but there were grass stains on his knees and he had rolled the cuffs up a few times. They were probably too long for him, Kurt decided. He looked down at his own outfit. He always made sure to keep himself clean and tidy, which was why he hardly played at recess. To most other second graders, recess was an important part of the day but Kurt did not mind it. He’d rather be inside reading, then outside risking a sun burn and getting his nice clothes dirty.

“Whatcha makin’?” The boy said through a toothy smile.

Kurt noticed he was missing two teeth and he was starting to resemble a jack o lantern that his dad carved last Halloween.

“A house, I like to make things.”

The boy stepped forward. “What kind of things?”

Kurt looked down at his hands, avoiding the boys gaze. “Pretty things.”

“Can I help? Can I help make your house?”

Kurt turned back to the boy who was already pulling out the chair next to him. Other kids rarely ever played with him, so he felt he should not turn this offer down. He seemed pretty nice. “Yeah sure.”

The boy hopped up into the seat and slid the pile of blue legos toward him.

“I’m Kurt. What’s your name?” Kurt began to make the outline of a room with the yellow bricks.

“Blaine.” He started making his room as well.

“Do you come here too?”

Blaine nodded. “Yeah, I am still kinda new. I’m in first grade.”

Kurt nodded in understanding. “I am in second grade, that’s why I’ve never seen you.”

“Oh.” Blaine replied. He looked over at Kurt’s room. “What’s that?”

“The kitchen.” Kurt beamed. “What are you doin’?”

“The bedroom, my room is blue so I think the room in our house should be blue too.”

“Cool, my favorite color is blue.”

“Mine too.” Blaine looked up at Kurt.

“Will you be my friend?” Kurt asked hopefully.

“Yeah! We can be best friends since we both like blue and we both like legos.”

Kurt smiled and went back to work on his kitchen.

- - - - - - - -

“Lay out your sleeping bags guys, I am going to put the movie on now.” The female director called out to the children.

Blaine and Kurt jumped out of their chairs and hurriedly put their legos away so they could pick the prime sleeping spot. The other children were slow to pick up their toys so the duo raced right by them all.

“I heard we’re gunna watch a movie.” Kurt exclaimed while pulling his sleeping bag out of his cubby.

“I hope it’s good.” Blaine tucked his pillow under his arm. “Where do ya want to sleep?”

Kurt sucked in his lip and looked around the room. He spotted a clearing that looked exceptionally clean and had a good view of the television. “There.” He pointed to the area he previously selected.

“Looks good to me.” Blaine dropped his belongings in the space.

Kurt took the time to lay out his sleeping bag and pillow neatly on the floor next to Blaine’s mess of blankets and sleeping bag.

“I am turning the lights off in 5 minutes, so get into your sleeping bags.” The director called out once more.

Kurt turned away from Blaine and his let out a shaky breath. Being scared of the dark was normal for 7 (almost 8) year olds, right? Was Blaine scared?

Blaine crawled into the blankets and looked up at Kurt with a wide, excited grin.

He does not look scared at all.

Awesome.

Kurt slowly got into his own sleeping bag and made sure to pull the zipper all of the way up to the top, securing him in for the night.

“Are you excited?” Blaine was literally wiggling in his bed.

Kurt did not respond, twisting the material around in his fists.

“What’s wrong?” Blaine stopped moving and cocked his head to the side.

“She’s gunna turn the lights off.” He responded in a low voice so that only Blaine could hear him.

Blaine leaned into him. “Are you ascared of the dark?”

Kurt nodded and then pulled his sleeping bag up to his chin.

Blaine smiled at him through a toothy grin and scooted his sleeping bag flush to Kurt’s. He moved his face close to him. “Hey, it’s not so scary… I’ll sleep right here.”

Kurt pulled his sleeping bag down from his face. “Will you hold my hand?” He chewed his bottom lip nervously. “My dad holds my hand when I get scared.”

Blaine sticks a hand out from under his Spiderman sleeping bag and waits for his friends hand to accompany it. “Acourse Kurt! Sometimes, I hold my mommy’s hand too.”

Kurt smiled and took hold of Blaine’s hand.

This felt nice and for once, Kurt did not feel so scared.

The lights turned off and instantly he squeezed Blaine’s hand tightly. Blaine did not say anything, but squeezed back.

“You’re the best friend ever Blainey.” Kurt said through half lidded eyes.

“You are too.” Blaine said staring at the outline of their hands in the darkness until his vision became fuzzy.

“Goodnight Blainey…” Kurt’s eyes fell all the way shut.

“G’night Kurt.” Blaine yawned before succumbing to sleep.

- - - - - - -

Kurt awoke to someone pulling his arm. He looked around, dazed. The movie had ended and it was currently playing the dvd menu screen. The light was harsh against Kurt’s tired eyes.

Where am I?

Kurt suddenly remembered where he was, he was at the overnight event at his afterschool day care.

He looked down at his hand.

Oh yeah, that.

He also remembered that he fell asleep holding Blaine’s hand last night.

His eyes moved over to Blaine who was moving back and forth in his blankets.

“No…don’t.” He let out.

Kurt was confused.

“No, noooo please.” Blaine pleaded.

Oh, he is having a nightmare.

Kurt watched the boy move about in his bed, no one else around them seemed affected by him.

“Blaine?” He whispered.

No response.

Kurt remembered the last time he had a nightmare. That girl Rachel from the classroom next to his had come over to his house and had thrown out all of his nice clothes. She made him wear ugly sweaters and said they were married and tried to kiss him. It was a particularly scary dream; especially the last bit but Kurt did not understand why kissing Rachel would be so terrifying.

All Kurt knew was that nightmares were no fun.

He rolled his body over into Blaine’s and stretched his arm out so it laid across Blaine’s body, pulling him into a hug.

“It’s not so scary, I’ll sleep right here.”

Instantly, Blaine calmed down and soon both boys fell back asleep.

- - - - - - -

“Good morning friends, it is time to wake up.” The cheery director said in a sing song voice the next morning.

“Mornin’ Kurt!” Blaine called cheerfully into his ear.

Kurt slowly opened his eyes and, hello Blaine’s face is awfully close to his. He looked down to see him hugging Blaine’s body and quickly retracted his arm. Kurt rolled onto his back as Blaine sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

“I hope there is breakfast, I’m starving.” Blaine threw back his blankets and hurried to the other side of the room to investigate.

Kurt rubbed his eyes and took the time for his body to wake up. The lights were still too bright, the kids around him were too loud and it was still too early. He pulled his blankets back over him and closed his eyes again, enjoying the warmth of his blanket around him.

“KURT. KURT. KUUUUURT!” Blaine yelled from the other side of the room. “THERE IS BAGELS! BAGELS KURT!”

Even with Kurt’s eyes closed, he could tell how excited Blaine was. Bagels did sound pretty good right now and Kurt did not want to start his morning on an empty stomach.

He slowly sat up and pulled his blankets off of him. Blaine was waiting in line with the rest of the children but throwing him hurry up glances. Kurt got up and strolled over to join the line, Blaine beamed at him as he got his choice of bagel.

- - - - - - - -

“You can come to my house and we can play with all my toys.”

“You can come to my house and we can watch Disney movies and sing all the songs!”

Kurt could not hide the excitement in his voice now. He had a friend, a friend he would look forward to seeing each day. A friend that would make school more fun, someone who would make their afterschool club more fun.

Kurt smiled, “You need to tell your mommy and daddy and I will tell my mommy and daddy.”

Blaine returned the smile. “I will!”

“Kurt, your Dad is here.”

Those were the few words that Kurt did not want to hear right now. Sadly he turned around to see his Dad standing in the doorway, waving and grinning. “Hey there kiddo! Ready to go?”

Kurt stood up and hung his head. “I have to go.”

Blaine stood up next to him . “I will see you on Monday, right?”

“Yeah.” Kurt responded sadly. He did not want to go home just yet.

He walked over to his cubby and slowly began to pull his things out.

“Wait, wait Kurt!”

Kurt turned around to see Blaine running toward him.

Blaine shoved his hands into his jeans and pulled out the bouncy ball from the night before. “Here.”

Kurt took it into his hand, letting it roll around on his palm.

“I want you to have it. Friends give friends things. I want you to have my ball.”

Kurt closed his fingers over the toy.

“It’s a special ball, it bounces super high.”

Kurt never had a friend give him a gift before. The item was so trivial but it meant so much to him. He felt tears build up into his eyes.

“Thanks Blainey.”

“Don’t mention it.” Blaine gave another one of his toothy smiles. “That is what best friends do.”

“See you Monday?”

Blaine nodded. “I’ll wait for you.”

Kurt put the ball into his pocket and then carried his belongings to his father.

“Did you have fun?” Burt asked while taking Kurt’s items from him.

“Yeah.” Kurt was distracted from looking back over at Blaine who was still standing at the cubbies, smiling.

Burt held out his hand to Kurt . “Who is that there, a friend of yours?”

Kurt held onto his father’s hand and they walked out of the room and into the parking lot. “Yeah, his name is Blaine. He’s my best friend.”