Kurt continues his reformation

Hannah's playlist made a sudden dive into early hip-hop, and Kurt found his feet tapping away to the beat. He never really considered himself a fan, but apparently part of him knew otherwise. He made a mental note to investigate it further.

Really, tonight was becoming full of points to investigate later. Hannah's sudden spit-swap with a very confused Taylor piqued some stereotypically male portion of his brain, though it turned into a question to ask Ashley later concerning her sister's sexual preferences.

Or maybe he should ask Zack. Ashley might yell and loudly ask why, he sighed internally. He accepted with resignation that everyone in the cabin wasn't on board with his concerted change of heart just yet, and, next to Heather, Zack was his closest ally right now. It would be best to tread lightly with everyone, especially after his stunt in the woods with Chloe. His stomach still churned with regret.

I gotta make it up to her, he mused, then caught sight of her and Gavin flapping madly in a corner. Eh, but not now. he chuckled. Eventually. When she least expects it.

That sounds more ominous than Kurt intended. God damn, bad habits are hard to break.

"Kurt, darling!" Heather's lilting voice rang in his ears. She bounded towards him, in more ways than one. Two other ways to be precise.

"Yeah, squirt? What's shakin'?"

She grinned. "You mean besides my tits?"

He sighed. "Am I that transparent?"

"A bit, yeah." She playfully slung her arms around his shoulders and swayed her hips back and forth. Kurt's eyes did their best impression of a metronome. "But you get a pass."

"Wow, I should be so lucky. A golden ticket from the great Heather Ravers."

"Hey now, I said nothing about entering the chocolate factory!" She spun, a brown blur landing on her back against his chest. He stabilizing her with both hands on her waist, bumping to the beat. "But... maybe I can grant Zack VIP access now."

"You two seemed pretty hot out there, I gotta say."

"Him and me, or him and Taylor?!" she laughed.

"Oh you know that kiss was for you!"

"Don't I know it... He's proven himself to be a good act to follow, you know."

"Then do an encore!" Kurt grabbed her hand and twisted her back to the improvised dance floor. "You know, before he signs onto another label! Like Walker Recordings!"

"It's Ravers Studios all the way!" Heather laughed again and blew him a smooch. Kurt gave a supportive salute, and bent forward to hide the painful response Heather had imparted. Unintentionally of course. Possibly.

"Bitch!" a distracting snarl cut through the bass of the speakers. Kurt knitted his eyebrows at a shouty Shawn over a reticent Kendra. The music consumed her comparatively quiet responses, but Shawn's blasted loud and clear.

He knew his kind before. Kurt always sought satisfaction, plain and simple. When he obtained it, he left and as far as he cared he allowed the same courtesy to his partners. True, he treated women like bad takeout and he made no bones anymore about how deplorable that was, but there was always a worse corner of thought that lurked in the shadows and he had always vowed to never enter.

Shawn lived there. He sought something more than mere pleasure, something that **** women to stay by his side even after their initial purpose had been served to him. Something to prop up his fragile, shriveled, nearly pitiful ego. Something he never possessed in his life, and so he stole it from others.

Power.

Not on my watch.

"Shawn!" Kurt bore his teeth into a smile as he approached. "Hey, man, what's going on?"

Shawn refused to hide his sneer. "None of your business, 'man.' Just something between me and the lady."

"I didn't know you two were a couple!" Kurt deflected. "Kendra, I'm sorry! When we were talking, I didn't mean--"

"You what?!" Shawn sprayed an angry stare at both parties. Kurt was impressed by his multitasking.

"It was nothing." Kendra was way too fast on the uptake. Muscle memory. Kurt suppressed another scowl. "Shawn, nothing happened--"

"I'm sure it didn't." Kurt wondered what the other half of Shawn's sentence was and how many synonyms of "bitch-whore-slut-cunt" it contained.

"Hey, now." Kurt had plenty of practice at interjecting false congeniality into a rocky relationship. He was even thanked once by a happy cheerleader who broke up with an abusive boyfriend. Point of pride, that. "We're supposed to be having fun here! And to make it up to Kendra here, do you mind if I have this dance?"

Kendra blinked, reflexively craning over to Shawn. "Uhh... well--"

"The hell are you doing?" Shawn seemed more livid than ever. Let him blow off his own steam, his playbook said.

"Just having fun." Kurt smiled darkly. "And to apologize. Didn't mean to put myself into anything."

"I think you already are. Let's get away from this guy Kendra, you still have work--"

"I think it's the lady's choice." Kurt stopped Shawn. The steam needs to be contained and directed. "Whatever you guys need to do, I mean, it's spring break. Can't it wait?"

Shawn darted his gaze from Kurt's smugness to Kendra's confused timidity. Then he smirked. "Yeah. Yeah it can. Do whatever you want, Kendra. I'll be here."

Shawn backed away, but still cast himself over them. Kurt could care less as he lifted Kendra's hand into his. With his most polished mask of modesty, he asked, "Do I have a dance?"

Kendra had blanked quite some ago, but the awareness of her hand in his -- or maybe the presence of another close partner with a different atmosphere -- must've flipped some switch. "Uh... sure?"

With that, Kurt blew her onto the floor, and into a whirlwind of a fast-paced tango that kept with the beat. Kendra had to hang on, and Kurt delighted in literally sweeping her off her feet.

"Oh shit!" she half-laughed, music to Kurt's ears.

"Having fun now?"

"Y-Yeah, well." Words didn't come easily to her right now. Nothing in her automated lexicon could describe this. "I've never really done anything like this!"

"We can slow down if you want?"

"Uh... uh, yeah, maybe just a tad?"

And so they did. Kurt now genuinely smiled. Kendra had just made a choice for herself. A small one, but probably the first in a very long time.