Word Count: 1,304

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Glee related, their actors (-sob-) or any canon plots RIB may unearth to send the fandom to their sock drawers to cry for days. I wrote this for my friends as a mini-gift. Hope you enjoy it~

Summary: It's Blaine's first day of elementary school, and all the big kids have him frightened. He has just moved to Westerville and has yet to meet anyone he is comfortable to be around. Enter Jeff, a bumbling, lanky boy of six, who is shocked by how much Blaine resembles man's baby best friend.

"It's A Deal"

The cooling summer air blew across the bustling playground, and a bell, shrill in the distance, signalled that it was time for parents to leave their young as the hatchlings started their first day of primary school. A boy of six, much smaller than the other students his age, anchored himself to his mother's leg as she chatted idly with the nearest adult. They spoke of, what the boy's father would call, 'shop'. It confused the tyke and, as he pushed his unruly dark curls from eyes that rivalled the most tragic of sunsets, he found tears clinging to his lashes.

Blaine Anderson had woken up early that morning and, with his preferred breakfast of chocolate milk and pancakes filling his belly, he had been dressed and whisked away to start his day at school. Gone were the days of old when he could lie down on a blue mat that smelled mildly of disinfectant, with his blanket and puppy plush, and sleep away his troubles. In his dreams, no one would be stealing his crayons, or telling him he couldn't colour his stick people pink.

He whimpered as he mother finally decided to pry him off her leotards, which he had begun to claw at in desperation. She gave him a soft peck on the top of his head before disappearing into the crowd. Blaine's eyes darted around frantically, in vain, trying to locate any specimen that could keep him safe from the tubby kids in monster truck sweaters. That's when he saw him, a boy whose golden hair could shine in the most dismal of moonless nights. He was tall and lanky, not entirely a typical super hero, but there was something about him, something kind, that had Blaine gravitating towards the blonde.

On the other side of the school yard, Jeff Sterling stumbled his way through the barrage of people, bangs falling across his face and into his eyes. His shoelaces, tied carelessly, were the root of his many problems. He tripped into the back of his father's trousers with an "Oof!" only to be scolded for having his head in the clouds. The skinny boy shrunk back, blushing furiously, as he bent over to tuck his socks down into his shoes. For that deed he received a playful smack on the rear from his mother, boisterous and cheery as ever. "Mom," he whined, straightening to his full height and colouring to his roots. "You're embarrassing me in front of all these people…! "

Mrs. Sterling reached down to cuddle her son thoroughly as he grudgingly flipped his hair from his coffee coloured eyes. Finally able to see again, he found his gaze landing on a small, crisply dressed boy around his age, his power rangers backpack much too large for his slight frame. The older woman followed her son's line of sight directly to the sad, moping puppy of first grader and smiled. "He's cute," she chirped, releasing Jeff with a ruffling of his hair. "You should go talk to him. I bet he'd love to get to know you."

As if Jeff needed another reason to dust on another helping of pink onto his already flushed cheeks, the boy he had been staring finally turned his head in the blonde's direction, curls bouncing softly around his face. "His hair is so pretty…" he whispered breathlessly, taking a wooden step forward, reaching out his hand in a daze. He had made up his mind, he was determined, in face of all odds, to pet that boy's hair to find out, once and for all, if it truly felt like— Jeff swallowed dryly, unable to decide on a more appropriate adjective to describe the boy's hair— magic.

Blaine could feel Jeff's approach like fire in his young blood and, pulled by an unspoken force, met him, obediently, halfway between the swing set and basketball hoops. They stood in front of each other, not a single word uttered from either's pursed lips, for what could have been hours. The taller boy was the first to break the silence with a cough, averting his gaze shyly. "I'm… Jeffrey…" he said stiffly, doing his best to straighten the mismatched clothes he had insisted on wearing that morning.

"Jeffie…? That's a funny name," replied Blaine with a curious tilt of his head.

For what felt like the millionth time that day, or what would have been if he could count that high, Jeff blushed furiously, his face turning a dazzling shade of scarlet. He felt his thoughts whirling out of control, drenched in a heavy fog brought on by the proximity of this mystery boy. "I-it's not funny…!" he whined, smoothing down his fringe self-consciously. His eyes snapped up to meet Blaine's, who's steady gaze had never left his trembling form. "Just call me Jeff. Okay?"

Fidgeting anxiously with the bottom button of his cardigan, the brunette shyly stuck out his hand, eyes dropping to the ground the moment Jeff regained his composure. "Blaine. … Er, …hi."

Instead of taking the pudgy hand that was offered so freely to him, Jeff took Blaine's distraction as an opportunity to ruffle his dark, chocolate curls brazenly. The blonde delighted in the discovery that, not only did his hair feel softer than a newborn puppy, but the pint-sized school boy responded by nuzzling back against his hand, going up on his toes when Jeff began to pull away. Blaine pouted as Jeff clapped his hands together, giggling to himself. "You're a bully. I'm telling my mother on you," he declared, hands firmly on his hips.

"N-no, Blainers. Please don't…! I… I'm sorry! I just… I wanted to and…I…" Jeff's eyes welled up, his bottom lip jutting out in a pathetic attempt at mimicking Blaine's expression. "Please don't be angry with me…" Frustrated tears spilled down his reddened cheeks and, before he could raise a digit to wipe them away, he felt Blaine's hand, gentle and precise, brushing the watered diamonds from his face.

"B-Blainers…? That's not my name, Jeffie." The shorter boy was thoroughly confused by the idea of nicknames, genuinely believing that what he called the blonde had, indeed, been the way it was pronounced.

"But you called me Jeffie. It's only fair that I can call you something silly too."

"Y-yeah… but… but…"

Jeff snickered to himself, clutching at his sides. "You said butt, you goober. That's not very polite."

"Well, …well you pet my hair! I'm not some… dog."

Suddenly they looked at each other, brown eyes boring into hazel, as twin smiles spread across their faces. Blaine threw himself into Jeff's arms, snuggling into the crook of his neck as the taller boy clasped his hands under the brunette's rear to support him. "Wh-what are you doing, Blainers?" he sputtered, clearly alarmed by his boldness. His warmth was infectious.

"I wanted to make sure you gave good hugs. We're going to be best friends, after all."

"W-we are?"

"Well of course we are, you silly goose! …If you're my best friend, then you can touch my hair whenever you want!"

Jeff hesitated, as if to consider his offer. "O-okay," he stammered, nose scrunching happily. "And I'll carry you, because you're little and people might run over you, and give you all the hugs you want! Deal?"

"Deal," he chirped in agreement, wrapping his arms around Jeff's neck.

They stayed that way until the rest of the parents cleared out and, after finding their seats next to each other, they swore a silent oath never to be separated. "Blainers, look…!" whispered Jeff, nudging his playmate in the ribs, pointing across the room to a girl in a pink dress. "She's so cute… I'm going to marry her." Blaine gave a distained snort, shoving him back playfully.

"You're silly Jeffie. Girls are gross."