‘THE THREAT’

“You should definitely tell Ari and Shauna what that bitch said,” Wes fumed after Blaine finished recounting the conversation he’d had with his former co-star.

Kurt looked at Wes in surprise. He didn't look like a guy who cursed often. But he agreed with Blaine’s manager. “They might have to do some damage control if she really goes public with everything she knows about you. What I don’t understand, however, is why she thinks she can drag your brother into this. I mean sure his commercials aren’t Oscar worthy, but there’s nothing wrong with filming commercials.

Blaine and Cooper shared a look. Cooper shrugged. “You could have just told him. You know I have nothing to hide.”

Blaine’s brother got up from the couch and briefly left the room. When he returned, he was holding a DVD in his hand.

Blaine groaned. “Seriously Coop? You don’t have to show him.”

Kurt furrowed his brows in confusion. What was he missing? The film’s credits appeared on the screen. They said ‘Magic Mike in When Harry Ate Sally’. A guy that looked suspiciously like Cooper entered the screen. It hit Kurt like a ton of bricks. The guy was Cooper and judging by the title, this was a pornographic movie.

“You’re in a porn movie?” he gaped at Cooper, who snorted.

“Try fifty in the last twelve years,” Blaine’s brother laughed.

Kurt looked at Blaine, who shrugged. “Yep, my brother’s a porn star.”

At least, that explained why Rebecca Quinn thought she could blackmail Blaine with his brother’s career.

“And I don’t care who knows it, okay,” Cooper added, his expression sober. “I’m not ashamed of it. The only reason I kept quiet was because Blaine was auditioning for a teen show and I didn’t want to ruin his chances. Personally, I don’t give a fuck if Rebecca tells the press or not. Your decision,” he turned to Blaine.

‘But what about our parents?” Blaine turned to Cooper. “If this gets out, I’m sure someone will tell them.” After everything their mom had done for him, Blaine didn’t want her to get hurt because he was selfish.

Cooper winced and gave Blaine an apologetic smile. “Mom knows.”

“What?” Blaine exclaimed. “Whenever we talk I make up stories about movies you’re auditioning for and jobs you have, and she knows.”

Wes, David and Kurt, the only other people in the room, were following the brothers’ argument like a tennis match.

“Oops, I thought I told you,” Cooper replied. “One of her friends was getting remarried and they gave her porn for her Bachelorette party. They decided to watch some at the party and yours truly was in it. And dad, well, I used his first name as part of my pseudonym - I'd love for him to find out.”

“I can’t believe it,” Blaine mumbled. Suddenly, a hand took a hold of his and gave it a squeeze.

The moment he realized what he was doing, Kurt let go though. They were sitting close together as it was, for Cooper’s benefit, and he considered additional PDA unnecessary. Unfortunately, he’d taken Blaine’s hand out of instinct and not because he thought he should.

“So that’s one thing she could reveal,” he put the conversation back on track. “What about the other stuff. Could she know names? Or would she only out you?”

Blaine’s face turned bright red. “I’d be surprised if she knew any names,” he admitted, “because I never really bothered to ask. Either I knew who they were, because they were closeted celebrities like me or I didn’t give a fuck about their names.” It was clear, that Blaine wasn’t too happy with his past. When he turned to Kurt, he said harshly. “If she releases that information, you have to be prepared to be either called another one of my boy toys or you’re going to be pitied for dating a slut.”

“What?” Kurt exclaimed. “No one calls your brother a slut, so why would you be one?"

“Because I’m not sleeping with girls,” Blaine sighed. “There’s still a double standard. If straight guys sleep around, they are studs, if girls do the same, they are sluts and if gays sleep around, they’re just asking for an STI or worse. We grew up in the same state, you know what people say about guys like us,” Blaine turned to Kurt, looking dejected.

“You need to own your past,” Kurt decided, even though he couldn’t imagine acting like Blaine had. “Don’t let anyone tell you that what you did was wrong. We live in a post ‘Sex and the City’ society. So screw anyone, who’d judge you for a couple of one night stands.”

“I agree,” Wes said. “Sure, conservatives won’t like it, but they won’t like that you’re gay, period.”

The intercom buzzed. After his outburst, Wes had called Blaine’s agent and his publicist. It didn’t matter that it was a Sunday. They needed to handle this before Rebecca did something stupid.

“This better be good,” Ari marched into the house, followed by Blaine’s publicist Shauna. “Mrs. Ari will kill me if I’m not back home within an hour.”

Wes quickly filled him and Shauna in. Ari let out a couple of expletives. Shauna took the floor.

“The way I see it, there’s only two things you can do. You can let her blackmail you and do what she wants, but then you’d be back on square one. Or you give her the finger and hope that the fallout won’t be too bad. I’ll try and put a spin on any story she might try to sell, but in this day and age, where everyone with a computer and the internet is a publisher, that’s pretty tough.”

“I definitely prefer the second option,” Blaine decided. ‘I’m not exchanging one jailor for another.”

“Alright,” Shauna agreed. “But then you’ll have to speed up your public coming out. Because you don’t want her to out you. And she’s made it clear that if you go out with Kurt again, she tells everyone who he is to you. And I bet she’ll make it out like you’re trying to hide your sexuality because you hate yourself for being gay or something like that.”

“What do you suggest?” Blaine asked her, because he’d very much liked Santana’s plan where he controlled the narrative.

“Lay low until you’ve released a statement or you’ve given an interview. In the meantime, tell her you need some time to think about her ‘proposal’. Maybe get out of the city for a bit,” Shauna suggested.

“My mom’s been pestering me about visiting,” Blaine mused. “I could spend some time in Ohio. Talk to her about what’s going on, in case Rebecca really does go public with Cooper’s career.”

“I probably should go to Ohio as well and prepare my parents,” Kurt agreed. “But we should make sure we fly out on different days, in case you get spotted at LAX.”

Blaine wasn’t listening to what Kurt was saying, he was deep in thought. How should he tell his fans? An interview sounded so impersonal and it would defy the whole purpose of the plan - not to make a headline of his sexuality. He really wanted it to be a non issue, something, he mentioned casually, instead of coming out in an interview. Suddenly, a lightbulb went on in his head.

“I got it,” he exclaimed. All eyes turned to him. “I promised my fans I’d do a live Q&A after the last episode airs. That’s in three weeks. I can lay low for three weeks. And then, when I do the Q&A, I’ll pick a question where someone asks about my relationship status. Someone always asks.”

“I like it,” Shauna nodded. “Act like what your saying is no news at all, so she can’t turn it into a headline.” Then she frowned. “I’m starting to wonder why you even have a publicist, you come up with all the great ideas on your own.”

“Oh shut up, Shauna,” Ari told her. “You know you are the best, as much I as hate to say it. And can we wrap this up? I need to be back home in twenty.” Everyone nodded. ‘Great, Kurt, you can leave early next Friday and fly to Ohio. Blaine you should leave as soon as possible. I’ll try to get you a couple of auditions before shit hits the fan. Cooper, make me a list of all the nasty things you’ve done. I need to know what I’m dealing with. And you,” he pointed at David. “Be his fucking lawyer, and make sure she knows that Blaine will sue her for slander, if she releases anything about him or his family.”

Ari got off the couch and walked briskly to the front door. ‘My assistant will be in touch.” It was clear that he meant Kurt.

Blaine turned to Kurt, after the door closed behind Shauna as well “So, I’ll see you in Ohio next weekend?” he asked.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if we’re seen together?” Kurt worried.

“My mom’s address isn’t listed and so far no paparazzi or fans have ever shown up at her house. Come for dinner. She’d kill me if she found out you are in Ohio but not coming over.”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed hesitantly. He would just have to make sure that his dad didn’t ask for the same, because if Blaine showed up in Lima and some fans spotted him, it wouldn’t be too difficult for Rebecca to figure out why he was there. Unfortunately, his name was pretty unusual, so when you google Kurt and Lima, you were immediately linked to the McKinley Mudraker, the school newspaper that had printed some truly horrendous stories about him. Including pictures and an online video blog. He’d tried to get them taken down, but because it was a case of he said, he said and he couldn’t prove that what the author was saying was a lie, there was nothing he could do about it. At least, the paper had to change his full name to Kurt H., so that not everyone who stumbled upon it, immediately knew who he was.

Blaine must have sensed his hesitation. “You‘re sure you’re still on board.”

Kurt swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. “Yeah, sure.” After all, Rebecca had threatened to go after Blaine and not him. There was no way this would affect him too.