Hi there! Okay so this chapter is the phonecall between Thad and Blaine, mainly because the reviews I got last time were all about how I cut it off where I did. It's also because I wanted to get this completely cleared up, and so by doing it in one chapter it means I can just let the boys talk and stuff. I hope this does clear things up, and I hope you all enjoy it :) C xx


"Is it because of me and Kurt that you're not in today?" Blaine almost winced when he said it, not really sure how his best friend would react to him being so… open about it.

"What? No- I mean, yes a little but not completely, no." Blaine frowned; he could hear the slight distress in Thad's voice, and then – as his brain allowed him to think back to what he had been told – he started to feel guilt creep up on him before it punched him straight in the chest.

He told Sue that he had a 'family issue', Santana's husky voice repeated in his head.

He won't be in tonight.

Blaine felt like crying; he'd completely forgotten about what Thad's reasoning to his absence was, and now he was phoning him up, demanding that his best friend was hiding something from him. His grandmother could be ill for god's sakes, or his crazy Uncle Joe could be in hospital after another one of his stupid inventions went wrong – the man had been an 'inventor' for the past ten years now, and not once had one of them ever worked… unless they were meant to blow up in his face – and yet here Blaine was, convinced that he was actually the reason to his friend not being there.

We're not meant to expect him in tomorrow either.

Blaine abruptly panicked that this was something incredibly serious, and Thad might actually need his support.

"Blaine? Are you still there?" Blaine shook his head to bring himself back to the present, his throat now dry with dread.

"Uh, yeah- Yeah, I'm still here," Blaine cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of what to say whilst treading lightly. "So, uh, why aren't you- Why aren't you in today? Sue said something about a 'family issue'?"

"Oh, right…" Blaine could just imagine Thad looking around frantically, probably trying to come up with a good cover story.

"Whatever it is, you know I'm here for you, dude," Blaine reassured him, but immediately cringed. He just hoped Thad would let it be…

"Dude?" He exclaimed, the amusement in his voice clearly audible. He had evidently heard Blaine's slip of the tongue. "Since when did you say 'dude'? Like, ever?"

"Sorry, I… I guess I've been hanging around Finn too much of late," Blaine dropped his head into his hand, still embarrassed even though he knew it would have been worse had he and Thad had this conversation in person.

"Yeah, yeah," Thad mocked him, nearly singing. Blaine could hear distant voices in the background, but they weren't any family members Blaine recognized – they sounded like children. Blaine was just about to ask when Thad carried on. "How is Kurt, by the way?" It had meant to sound casual, but Blaine could hear the concern clearly in his best friend's voice and it was obvious how much Thad still cared for the chestnut-haired beauty in question.

"Yeah, he's… he's great." Blaine closed his eyes and steadied himself against his make-up table. "I, er, I actually wanted to talk to you… about… him."

"…Oh?"

"Yeah, I just- I wanted to make sure you were okay with… us." The line went silent on the other end, and Blaine had to check his phone to make sure the call hadn't disconnected.

"…Why wouldn't I be?" Blaine wasn't sure if him knowing Thad for so long was a blessing or a curse during this conversation, because knowing him for so long made it easier for Blaine to talk to him, yet knowing him so well meant that Blaine knew just what kind of things affected Thad; and romance was one of them.

"Well, you know… because you and him- and now me and him-"But Blaine's stammers were cut short.

"Blaine," The tone of Thad's voice demanded immediate attention, and Blaine felt himself stand up slightly straighter as if he were back at school about to be lectured by a teacher. "Look, yes, okay so I liked Kurt – really liked him – and I know how upset I got over it when he ended… whatever it was we had going on between us, but that was only because I thought I'd done something wrong. You know me, Blaine - I'm a drama queen. And sure, when I found out about you and Kurt I… kind of, maybe, slightly overreacted a little bit and ran off, but I guess it was really only because I felt that – after you and Kurt moved in together – we'd been drifting a little bit, and you not telling me felt like another step apart." Blaine listened on in silence, blinking back the sting in his eyes as tears threatened to fall at hearing his best friend speak the worries that had been plaguing Blaine's own mind for the past few weeks. "It was really stupid of me, and I am sorry for that, but let's face it – it was only a matter of time until you and Kurt got together… I guess I just- when I met him, I thought 'oh, maybe this could be another chance for me, another shot at the romance thing', but it was always blindingly obvious that you two were going to be together. Do you remember when you found him again? You were so happy you didn't shut up for three days!" Blaine grinned despite how close he was to tears; knowing that someone else thought that he and Kurt were so destined to be together filled him with a sense of pride, joy and relief. "I'm really happy for you, Blainers, especially after the shit that that asshole, Sebastian, put you through." The conversation stilled for a few seconds as both of them shuddered at the memory, but Thad quickly spoke again. "Really, though… I'm seriously happy for you, B, and I shouldn't be the one to stand in the way of that. If I were you, I wouldn't have told me – I'd be too busy screaming with joy from the fucking rooftops!" Both men snorted with laughter, finally easing back into their old, easy ways of conversation.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, T," Blaine managed to get out after a number of seconds of belly-aching laughter. "I really thought I'd fucked up our whole friendship for second!" He let out a small, nervous laugh.

"Blaine, I'm pretty sure we fucked this friendship up plenty of times at Dalton; we can make it through anything now!"

"That's true," Blaine chuckled, recalling the numerous 'incidents' that the Warblers and the boarders of the private school managed to pull off without being expelled. Blaine sighed; partially contentedly from the memories that had swarmed him, and partially in relief that his friendship with Thad was still going strong. "But I really am so glad that we're okay; without my parents around, you're the one I felt like I needed the approval of over who I date, if that makes sense."

"It totally does. And I feel the same way; my folks aren't exactly the most supportive of my lifestyle either, especially the fact that I'm gay, too. If they'd had it their way I definitely would not be an actor on Broadway right now."

"Same here." Blaine had always been – in a weird, maybe slightly twisted way – so grateful that Thad's parents hadn't accepted his sexuality either, as well as Blaine's parents not accepting his. It meant that the two of them had been thrown even closer together at a very vulnerable and confusing age, strengthening their bond as friends and giving them both an understanding shoulder to lean on. Feeling that the conversation was getting slightly too sentimental for just half an hour before the show, Blaine decided to switch the topic back to why he'd phoned in the first place. "So why aren't you in today?" This time he asked his voice was softer, now knowing that – whatever the reason was – it was serious.

"Well, you know my sister, Jen, has a crazy work schedule?" Blaine had met Jen numerous times over the years, but it had been a few years since they had last seen each other. Mainly because of Jen's said crazy work schedule, but also because of her having had twins four years ago, causing her opportunities of free time to diminish. Thad's question was more rhetorical, and therefore he didn't require an answer to continue. "Well, she got called to a meeting at really short notice all the way over in San Francisco, and me being the only other member of the family in New York at the moment she roped me in for last minute babysitting." Well, that explained the children's' voices Blaine had heard earlier. Thad sighed heavily down the phone. "So I'm caught up out here for a few days."

"Hold on, why can't Andy look after the kids?" Blaine remembered Jen's husband Andy, even though he hadn't exactly been welcomed by the brown-haired, 6" 1' brute of a man; he was homophobic, and although he had been able to overlook Thad's sexual orientation for the sake of his wife and her family values, the gracious hand of acceptance had not been extended to Blaine.

"He's in Cali," Thad said flatly; he didn't much approve of his sister's romantic choices either. "He won't be back until next week, apparently. Which leaves me here until Tuesday morning when Jen gets back. But it's not so bad; gives me time to think about some stuff." 'That's obviously me and Kurt', Blaine thought. "Although, she actually gets back Monday night, but I completely understand her wanting a full night's sleep before facing the Terrible Twosome in here." He chuckled lightly, and Blaine could hear him moving through the house. Squeals of delight became louder, and Blaine could feel a slight pull at his heartstrings – he'd always wanted children of his own. "You two alright in here? – Yes, Uncle Thad! – Alright, good. I'll be back in a minute, okay? – Okay!I'm telling you, Blaine, God bless the person who invented cartoons, because they are serious lifesavers!"

Blaine jumped at the pounding on his door. "Hold on a second." He lowered the phone slightly and moved over to the door, surprised that whoever it was hadn't burst into the room due to his door being unlocked. He opened his door to see a shy-looking Nick – Duval, Blaine thought his name was – wringing his hands nervously and glancing around uneasily, occasionally darting a glance down the hall. Blaine saw this and followed his gaze, just in time to see a sniggering Richard and Wes ducking around the corner out of sight. Blaine rolled his eyes and turned back to Nick, and realised that he must have completely freaked the poor guy out on his first day.

And he had no doubt that Wes and Richard had taken no time in telling Nick tall-tales of Blaine's old anger issues back at Dalton.

"Hey… Nick, right?" Blaine smiled warmly down at him, determined not to let Richard and Wes mess around with the young understudy. Nick nodded hesitantly, warily staring up at Blaine with big deer-in-the-headlights eyes. "What can I do for you?"

"Uh… S-Sue said c-curtain call is in f-f-fifteen minutes."

"Okay, thanks," Blaine grinned, nodding slightly. He turned to go back into his dressing room before turning back to Nick. "Oh, and don't listen to Wes and Rich – they like to tell very tall-tales. I'm really not as bad as they make me out to be."

"Oh, Blaine!" Wes whined, coming around the corner and stubbornly putting his hands on his hips. "No fair! He believed us, as well!" He pouted, glowering at Blaine as Richard appeared behind him.

"Yeah, that's what I was worried about," Blaine shot back, grinning smugly at how childish his two friends still were. He turned back to Nick, who was now watching the exchange between the other actors with a perplexed expression. "Look, I'd really like to get to know you and stuff – an protect you from the likes of these two idiots-"

"Hey!" Came the simultaneous cries from the two ex-Dalton students.

"But I'm just in the middle of a phone call." He gestured to his phone and shrugged his shoulders slightly. Nick's eyes widened at the sight of Blaine's phone in his hand.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry! I'll just- I'll let you- Sorry, sorry, sorry!" He stumbled backwards down the hall, quickly tripping over his own feet, falling down and grabbing onto Wes's jacket, the Asian man proceeding to clutch onto Richard's arm, resulting in all three boys in a heap on the floor by the time Blaine had gone back into his room.

"Sorry about that," Blaine spoke back into his phone, shaking his head as he began to change into his 'Tony' outfit with his phone pressed between his ear and his shoulder.

"It's fine; I can't believe how much I'm actually missing that bizarre place!" Thad joked. "And it's peculiar inhabitants!"

"God, this place really has gotten to you, hasn't it? Enjoy your freedom while you can, Thaddeus!" Thad laughed heartily into the phone.

"Yeah, you're right. Hey, I'll let you get ready, okay?"

"How did you-?"

"Blaine, I've been in that place longer than you have; I think I know what time the show starts." He explained down the phone. "Plus, I heard… whoever that was talking to you. Who was that? They sounded new… and apologetic. I take it whoever it was had been under the influence of Rich and Wes?"

"Yeah, he was. They'd obviously decided to indulge him in some exaggerated versions of my so-called temper at Dalton-"

"'So-called temper'? Blaine you started a fight club-"

"Which is never to be spoken about!" Blaine exclaimed as he pulled his pants up over his knees, bolting upright. Thad just laughed again down the phone. "But – to answer your earlier question – his name is Nick; he's your understudy."

"Ooh! What's he like? Does he look like me?"

"I thought you were going to let me get ready?" Blaine smirked.

"Oh right, sorry! I'll call you tomorrow or something, yeah? We can meet up when I get back or something?"

"Yeah, definitely. I'll speak to you later! Bye!"

"Bye, Blainers."

Blaine hung up the phone and instantly dropped into the chair behind him, his pants now on properly, and heaved a huge sigh of relief. That was so much easier than I could have ever hoped for it to be, Blaine reflected, imagining all of the ways that conversation could have gone. At least now he knew that Thad was okay with it; in fact, he was incredibly supporting of it.

Kurt's going to be so happy, he smiled to himself as he reached for his hair gel.


Thoughts? :D

C xx