People tell you you should never to talk to strangers online.

They're right, but not because of the reason they say. Yes, stalkers are online, but the worst part about talking to someone online is getting attached to them, knowing you're thousands of miles away from them.

That's exactly why Keith should have never responded to a message from a user called blu-lanced. He had figured it was just a troll sending a random message to mess with him. Being openly gay online sometimes led to some weird people sending you messages or random dick pics... well, Keith did his best to avoid those.

He had originally tried to keep his sexuality a secret, but somehow people still accused him of being gay. Perhaps they were just kidding or being rude, but it freaked Keith out to the point where he finally decided to come out online.

It was about a year ago that he had received the message from that user.

blu-lanced: yo

keeeeith: ...yo?

blu-lanced: hOLY SHIT

keeeeith: ??

blu-lanced: Didn't expect you to respond is all. What's up?

After that, they had talked and exchanged names and even got out of the odd period where they were awkward sending messages. It turned out blu-lanced's name was literally Lance. Keith had just assumed the kid had an obsession with lances, which wasn't uncommon online.

The boy shook his head as he remembered the one time a porn blog had tried to message him. Letting ou a breath he didn't realize he was holding, he did his best to forget that porn blog. That's when he felt a strong pang in his chest as he remembered: in one month, he was moving out to his college dorms in another state and probably wouldn't have much time to chat with Lance as much as he used to and that made his heart twist and ache. Ever since he'd first voice called lance a month after they'd met, Keith's heart melted any time Lance messaged him, called him, or jokingly made fun of his mullet. He didn't know why, he just found those things strangely endearing. For year, he'd been secretly pining for his best friend-- his only friend-- and that friend was thousands of miles away in Cuba. Quickly, he pulled out his laptop and opened the app he used to talk to Lance on; his hands were shaky as he typed out a vague message:

keeeeith: Hey Lance, I need to tell you something..

The seventeen-year-old groaned as he almost threw down the laptop. The message had sounded like some cringey break-up message. Luckily, Lance wasn't online at the moment so at least it spared him some embarrassment; in return he got anxious. He really wanted Lance to know about him going to college soon and didn't want Lance to think he'd forgotten his favorite Cuban.

After ten minutes of distracting himself from his unnecessary anxiousness, he finally heard the noise that indicated a message had been received. The violet-eyed boy practically pounced on the computer to talk to his best friend.

blu-lanced: Sure, what's on your mind, Mullet?

keeeeith: Well, I have been meaning to tell you this, but..

keeeeith: I'm going to college soon and I won't be able to message you as much as usual, and I didn't want you to get concerned or something..

blu-lanced: Cool! Me too, dude. no harm done

Keith was thankful that Lance was his age and that they wouldn't be bored without the other not being able to be on. He messaged him back for a few minutes until he received a message that almost made him scream in frustration.

blu-lanced: I got a girlfriend today, dude!! Her name is Nyma!

Pulling up a pillow to his face, Keith groaned into it, and once he finished he laid back on the bed to look at the screen. Another girlfriend... Lance had gotten many girlfriends within the year that the two had known each other, but they never lasted more than a few days and each one drove the dagger into Keith's heart farther than the last.

keeeeith: Another one? Weren't you grieving over the last one just yesterday?

blu-lanced: Dude we need to get you a boyfriend. You're probably just as horny as anyone else our age ;)

I only want you...

keeeeith: Tough luck, I don't want to date anyone I know currently.

blu-lanced: Awwww not even me? I'm hurt, Mullet!

Keith's heart stopped for what seemed to be decades. Had Lance figured out about his crush on him or was he just fucking around? Surely he hadn't been that obvious... He only really ever let himself admire Lance when Lance wasn't looking at the screen during video chats or when he looked through Lance's profile, and Lance didn't even know when he did that.

keeeeith: Especially not your horny ass!

blu-lanced: I'm not that horny!! I was messing with you, dude..

Keith shook his head and laughed in relief. This wasn't the first time Lance had sent a message that left him confused and hopeful-- but he knew that hope was in vain. Lance was the straightest guy he knew.

Days and weeks passed and Keith talked to Lance daily. One day, Lance had even started singing softly on their video chat and every lyric the other sang made Keith's heart want to burst out of happiness, but his light mood was stomped on later when Lance was describing a date he had taken Nyma on with the widest smile on his face that both made Keith's heart swell and hurt.

At least he's happy... as long as he's happy, everything's okay...

Keith tuned out what Lance said about her and just looked at him. Any time Lance looked away from the screen, his hand went up to touch the screen where Lance's face was displayed. He was envious of anyone that knew Lance in real life; they could touch him. Keith could only dream of being able to touch Lance's soft-looking hair or caress his cheek in person.

Keith constantly would daydream of what Lance's hands would feel like and what he'd smell like; the poor boy was so lovesick over someone who probably didn't even have a thought of seeing Keith in that same romantic way.

One more week passed and Keith found himself falling harder for Lance every day still, but he never dared to act unusual. He always kept his "kill me now" face on unless he laughed at a joke. Then, on the last day of that week, Keith wasn't able to message Lance because he was driving to his new college. Even more new people to disappoint.

The drive was about a five hour ride and was fairly boring; the only thing that had kept him awake was music and thinking up random scenarios of hugging or kissing Lance if they ever met in person, which would never happen. They just lived too far apart.

Keith arrived soon, but not fast enough for his mind. He got out his bag he'd packed of clothes he'd brought with and explored the campus some. The building was large and spacious-- he could tell this from the amount of soon-to-be or current students scurrying around the campus. There had to have been at least a thousand or two students there.

He found himself paying less attention as he walked; he was too busy paying attention to the buildings when he ran into someone unfamiliar to him. "Sorry..!" the stranger apologized lightning fast, helping stabilize Keith.

"I'm Hunk. Sorry about that."

Keith nodded and shrugged, showing it was fine.

"I wasn't paying attention. I'm Keith."

Hunk inspected him, then shrugged.

"Have you gotten assigned your dorm yet?" He questioned and Keith assumed he was trying to make a friend. Hunk seemed friendly enough.

"No... where do we get that at?"

"Here, we can go together.. It's down this hall to the left..."

Keith willingly followed, listening to the random things Hunk spewed out to keep the conversation flowing and Keith ended up learning more than he wanted to about baking.

Hunk finally stopped talking once they'd gotten to the desk where a woman sat behind it. "Um, hi- hello. Is this where we get assigned our dorm rooms?" Hunk stammered, looking nervous about asking.

"Yes, what are your names?"

"Keith Kogane." Keith responded, staying quiet once more while Hunk told her his full name. "Alright, Hunk. You have dorm room 102B. Your roommate is Pidge Gunderson. Keith your room is 106B and your roomm-" Keith waved dismissively, cutting off her words.

"Don't worry about the roommate thing. I want it to be a surprise."

The lady nodded. "You boys have fun looking around, then," she murmured in a light, bouncy tone. Keith glanced at her name tag before turning around to leave. "Thanks, Allura."

Keith followed Hunk to the dorms since their rooms were on the same hall-- by then, he learned that when he bakes chocolate cookies to use unsweetened chocolate instead of regular so he could control how sweet they were. He was glad when he got to his room so he could be alone. Nothing against Hunk; he just preferred being alone most of the time.

Keith got into his room and unpacked his bag, putting all of his clothes in the dresser on the left side of the room, claiming it his since his roommate wasn't there yet. He slipped on his mostly red jacket, sitting down on the bed as he waited for his roommate, playing on his phone some.

keeeeith: Hey I just got to my college dorm... spacey

The seventeen-year-old didn't get a reply to that message for a while. In fact, nothing happened for what seemed like hours until he was lying on his bed on the right side of the room, almost asleep in a nap.

Then, his dorm room creaked opened as the stranger let out a relaxed sigh that stopped short.

"Mullet?!"