Invisible

Summary: "Sometimes I wonder whether it was better being invisible and alone, or this." After a traumatic event Kurt wishes he was still invisible.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the Glee characters. Glee is the property of Ryan Murphy and the other amazing people that helped create the show. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people.

A/N: This story takes place almost directly after Rumours, which is when I started writing it and discounts any canon material after that episode. There are twelve chapters currently completed and I'll be updating at least once a week, most likely on the weekend. I should warn everyone now that this story is rated M and there will be elements of non-con and violence later on, as well as some cursing. Reviews are welcomed as long as constructive. :)

Chapter 1 – Not So Rehabilitated

Kurt Hummel ignored the knocking on his bedroom door. He ignored his step-brother calling into his bedroom, asking to come in… to talk to him. He ignored it. He didn't want to hear it.

"Come on Kurt," he heard Finn's voice muffled through the wooden door. "Let me in. I wanna talk to you."

Kurt purposely turned to his laptop and flicked open his iTunes. Without looking at the song, he clicked something, anything to drown out Finn's words. He didn't need to hear what Finn had to say. He'd heard enough of the other boy to last a lifetime.

He was also ignoring the numerous text messages from Mercedes and Rachel. He didn't want to talk to them either. He didn't want to even think about them. He turned off his phone and lay back on his immaculately made double bed.

He felt betrayed.

"Dude!" He heard Finn yell again over the music of Lady Gaga. "I'm not going to leave until you let me in and let me talk to you!"

Kurt let out an uncharacteristic growl and turned off his speakers. Apparently his dimwit step-brother couldn't take a hint. He opened his bedroom door a fraction and glared out at Finn, "I don't want to talk to you Finn, not now, not ever."

"Come on man," Finn's eyes reminded him of a beaten puppy. So he purposely stared at his chest, rather than looking the taller boy in the eyes as he continued to speak, "You don't mean that. Look I'm sorry. Please let me apologize."

Kurt whirled around and stormed back to his bed, leaving the door open. He lay on his back again staring at the ceiling, "Make it quick Finn."

"I'm sorry," Finn started softy, sitting on the edge of the bed. He put a hand on Kurt's arm, but the other boy tugged it away. "Look I know I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. It just- it looked bad."

"You should have known better," Kurt muttered, still staring at his ceiling. "You should have known I would never do something like that; that I was better than that. You're supposed to be my brother, but yet you see something that I'll admit could have been suspicious or completely innocuous and immediately assume the worst in me. You could have asked me about it. You should have trusted me."

"I don't know what innocuous means," Finn mumbled, a little ashamed despite not understanding what Kurt was saying.

"It means innocent, or not offensive or mild or any one of those things. And that's what it was, completely innocent, but yet you thought I was fooling around with him, despite that I have a boyfriend who I haven't even done those kinds of things with yet." Kurt turned on the bed, facing completely away from where his brother was sitting.

"It just…" Finn seemed to fight for the right words, "It looked bad. I was an idiot-."

"Understatement of the year," Kurt mumbled and Finn could swear he heard the trace of a sniffle in his voice.

Finn put a hand on his shoulder, "Kurt, are you crying?"

"No," he mumbled, aware that his lie was awfully unconvincing due to the shaking of his voice and bitten back sob.

"Kurt man I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry or anything-."

Kurt quickly wiped the few tears that escaped his eyes and sat up to face his brother. "It's not just you Finn. It's everyone. Everyone was so quick to think the worst of me. I wanted to come back so badly… because that was where all my friends were. You know, friends, the people who love you and don't make assumptions about you. Friends are the ones who're supposed to know the real you, because they took the time to and yet… everyone except Sam and Quinn assumed I would cheat on my boyfriend. I mean maybe some of them weren't as bad as some of the others, but every word of it hurt."

"Kurt I-."

"I'm not done Finn!" Kurt snapped tearfully. "Artie's comment about me and Quinn being there so he knew Sam wasn't doing the dirty; that stung. Puck chewing Sam out by saying both Quinn and I had boyfriends; that hurt. What was the worst, other than you believing it and spreading it around? When Sam said we were helping him and Mercedes, my so-called best friend, asking if that's what we were calling it now; that broke my heart. You all did, but you, Mercedes and Rachel especially. You're supposed to be my brother Finn, and they're supposed to be my closest friends. I came back to be with my friends; my family, but I'm having a hard time believing that's what you are anymore."

"I'll always be your family," Finn told him in a soft voice. He grabbed his brother and wrapped him in a tender hug. "Part of family is forgiving your family when they're acting stupid. I acted stupid and I promise I won't ever doubt you again. If I see something that looks bad, I'll ask you about it and I know you'll tell me the truth. Okay? Is that a deal?"

"Damn you," Kurt mumbled, accepting the hug and the apology. "Fine it's a deal."

"Good," Finn gave him a crooked smile. "So does that mean you forgive me?"

Kurt sighed at the hopeful smile on the tall teen's face. "Yeah I guess it does. It doesn't mean I forgive the rest of them though."

Finn stood up and patted Kurt on the back, "I don't think anyone expects you to forgive them right away Kurt. We believed a rumour, instead of you and that was wrong. You have a right to be angry. Hell I'm just glad you've forgiven me."

Kurt looked at Finn for a long moment and sighed again, "Yeah, well I'm glad you're glad and all, but I could use some time to myself right now."

"Course dude," Finn nodded his head vigorously, unwilling to give Kurt any more reason to be angry with him. "See ya."

Finn literally escaped from Kurt's bedroom and made sure to close the bedroom door behind him. He quickly dug his phone out of his pocket and texted both Mercedes and Rachel the exact same message: I think u guys need 2 figure out a way 2 make it up 2 Kurt. He's upset about u guys believing the rumour.

It didn't take long for Mercedes to text back: I know. I feel awful. Wait… shouldn't he be pissed at u 2?

He was, but I already made it up 2 him. U guys didn't.

Damn. Ur right. I'll talk 2 Rachel.

He didn't get a text back from Rachel, but he assumed it was because she and Mercedes were already thinking up a way to make it up to Kurt. At least that's what he hoped.

Kurt walked into McKinley High the next morning feeling even less welcome than he had just before he left the school for Dalton. There was a big difference between being bullied and knowing you still had friends who cared about you, and not being bullied but feeling as if your friends didn't know or trust you.

Thankfully it was early and none of the other Glee members were there except for Finn who had an early morning basketball practice to get ready for.

"Hey Hummel," Kurt turned at the voice and let out a sigh. "We need to talk."

"I'm not in the mood right now David," he muttered at the big football player. "Can we talk some other time?"

"No," the voice was forceful and he felt a hand on his wrist, "I need to talk to you now."

"Hey!" He gasped as he was pulled into the boy's bathroom and shoved up against the wall. "I thought you were supposed to be rehabilitated or at least acting like it."

"Do you see Santana or anyone around?" Karofsky asked with a hiss, a small smirk finding his face. "I didn't think so. Anyways, like I said, we need to talk."

"Alright we can talk," Kurt mumbled and swallowed slightly, "As long as it's just talking, alright David? That means you can let go of my wrist now."

Karofsky released him from his grasp, but still used his stature and close proximity to keep the other boy pressed up against the wall. "It'll be a short conversation, Hummel, so don't worry. I'm not joining your stupid little fag group, okay? And you're not telling anyone about what happened in the locker room, or here, got it?"

"It's called PFLAG," Kurt corrected him trying to sound brave despite how fast his heart was beating. "And I thought we had a deal David? You help me form PFLAG and I don't out you."

Karofsky's face moved forward until it was only centimeters from Kurt's, "I have a new deal. You keep your mouth shut and I let you live. How does that sound?"

Kurt sucked in a deep breath, "Do you really think more death threats are really going to help you now?"

"It's not a threat Fancy," Karofsky growled at him, one of the footballer's hands grabbing the front of Kurt's designer sweater and lifting him a few inches off the floor. "It's a promise." His other hand wrapped almost gently around his throat and gave it a light squeeze, before it drew away with a soft caress. "Do you understand that Fancy?"

Kurt just stared for a long moment, trying not to shudder at the feeling it had given him when Karofsky had touched his neck. Then he gave a barely perceptible nod.

Karofsky dropped him and Kurt gave out an audible sigh of relief when his feet touched the ground. His hands automatically went about straightening his sweater, trying to smooth the wrinkles nervously as he stared into Karofsky's face. "Anything else you wanted to tell me?" He asked with faked calmness.

"Yeah," Karofsky let out a small smile, grabbing both Kurt's wrists this time as he backed him into the wall, pinning him there. His head leaned forward and pressed a crushing kiss onto his lips. He turned his head to whisper into Kurt's ear, "See you around Fancy."

Kurt flinched as he was shoved backward into the wall as Karofsky released him. There was barely any force behind it, but he'd been expecting more, much more. He turned and carefully looked at himself in the mirror.

He was shaking. He hadn't shaken like that since he'd left for Dalton Academy. He took several deep breaths, hoping to calm himself down. His hands carefully fixed his slightly ruffled hair so it was back into place.

"You're okay," he told himself quietly, trying to forget that Karofsky had just kissed him for the second time. "You're okay."

He took another deep breath and pasted on a smile. If he left Karofsky alone, didn't bother him, then Karofsky was bound to leave him alone too. The bigger boy wouldn't risk attacking him in public anymore, not with Santana on his case and his new reputation as a Bully Whip on the line.

TBC...