It was surprisingly simple in the end, getting what he wanted. For a year Shayne watched Ken grow from the next room or the next chair. He watched him eat just a little too much and exercise too little. He watched him go out dancing less and drinking more. He watched him go up two pants sizes but refuse to buy new ones. And all this time, for many reasons, Shayne did not pursue Ken. But one by one, his reasons faded, and became irrelevant, until just one remained.
Ken's boyfriend wasn't a bad person, nor was Ken particularly unhappy with him, which made it an ethical low ground for Shayne to try and break them up. Their long distance relationship created by graduation, however, was eventually destined to fail by the nature of the people in it. Neither really had the money to travel, or the inclination to save carefully enough to get it. Neither was good at keeping scheduled contact times, and Ken's boyfriend was quite jealous. Ken refrained from going out dancing, since his boyfriend said it was like almost cheating. He also refrained from working out, since he and his boyfriend had met at the gym. Drinking with friends was considered ok, which Shayne found ironic since he was, though passively, trying to steal Ken away, and one of the people most likely to succeed.
Shayne and Ken had never dated, but that was mostly Shayne's decision. Ken had not (until now) been Shayne's type, but Shayne had always been Ken's. Somehow, though the two had never broached the topic of sex, until one night when Shayne was in their shared living room. Ken came storming out of his room talking on his cell phone.
"Fine! Then I won't go to the gym, or the club, or the gay bookstore! What's next? Are you worried I might pick up guys at the grocery store? Or work? Maybe I should never leave the house!"
There is a pause and his boyfriend is presumably responding. Shayne can hear noise but not distinguish words on the other half of the conversation. Ken speaks up again.
"No I don't buy this crap anymore. This 'I trust you, not other guys' crap doesn't work. It takes two to cheat, so unless you're afraid people are gonna drug me and take me behind the shed, it means you don't trust me not to do things with another guy. And I'm not gonna be with someone who doesn't trust me."
Ken seems to be calming down, and Shayne can no longer hear yelling from the other side of the conversation, but it is apparent that there still is one.
"Yes, that means its over."
There is another pause. Shayne isn't sure if anything is said on the other end.
"Goodbye."
As the last part finished, Ken plops down on the couch next to Shayne. Even seated, their height difference is incredibly noticeable. Shayne looks up to Ken.
"So."
"Yeah. Sorry you heard me yelling. I hate to yell."
"I know."
There is a tense pause, which Shayne breaks.
"How do you feel?"
"Honestly, relieved. I think we both knew it was coming soon. And that argument wasn't really necessary, I just felt like I had to get it off my chest. I feel like he's been keeping me trapped all year, and I just took it."
"Yeah, but it still sucks when things end."
"That is what chocolate, ice cream and bad movies are for."
Shayne smiles and jumps up. "Grab Bridget Jones from the shelf and put it in. I'll get the ice cream."
They do. Shayne smiles widely to himself as he goes to the kitchen to get their prescribed breakup cure. Sitting on the couch together, closer by the scene, they're not halfway through the movie before Shayne's head is on Ken's chest and he's feeding him the ice cream.
It was surprisingly simple in the end, getting what he wanted.
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