Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has supported this story so far.

I'm excited to announce that I have taken on my first story as a beta reader, called Breathe Again. This is also Beautifullybroken23's first Klaine fic, so go show her some love!

Without further ado...chapter two!

Strangers In Love

Chapter 2

Two Months Later

Winter break was quickly becoming Blaine's least favorite time of the year. It was the only time that his parents required him to come home, promising him that if he refused, they would stop paying his tuition and rent. So he went.

Not that it was the most horrible thing for his parents to want him home at Christmas time. He could understand how they would want the whole family together once a year.

It wasn't even that Blaine didn't like his parents. He loved them as any son would love the people who raised him. But he would never have that deep bond that he always envied between some of his friends and their parents.

If he was being honest, his parents were only half of the problem. It was his big brother that made things exponentially more difficult for Blaine.

Cooper had such a big personality that Blaine was often overshadowed by his older brother. When the two of them were in the room together, his parents (not to mention other family members, strangers, and even Blaine's friends) hardly paid Blaine any attention.

Blaine was shy and introverted, and aside from his triumphs with his high school glee club, Blaine had never done much of anything noteworthy. If anything, the only times Blaine had ever really gotten his parents' attention were negative experiences, like coming out, or the bullying he faced as a result.

The Andersons did not have a problem with their son's sexuality, per se, but from the moment he came out to them, it was as if they suddenly had no idea how to interact with him anymore.

So Christmas was the only time Blaine planned to visit home this year. It would be the only time he had to sit through awkward family bonding time or dinners spent raving about Cooper's accomplishments.

Only two days into winter break and Blaine was ready to go back to his NYC apartment with Sam, who never made him feel awkward or like he belonged in the shadows. Sam was a good friend who brought some craziness to the table. Blaine needed a little crazy in his life.

Wishing he were anywhere but at dinner with his family, he had excused himself from the table for an early bedtime. Now, he sat in his room, flipping through his phone aimlessly as boredom threatened to swallow him whole.

A notion crossed Blaine's mind, and before he could give it a second thought, he was tapping to reinstall the Grindr app. He was surprised to find that he had many messages from the past couple of months. Mostly dick pics, or people asking him for dick pics, but one message was different from the rest.

Kurt: Hi Blaine.

That's all it said. Hi Blaine. Blaine quickly tapped the man's picture, which appeared to be him in a strange costume and high heels, and saw that he was a theater geek. Kurt Hummel's entire profile seemed to be centered around his Broadway dreams. He was a NYADA student, which most likely meant that he thought he was better than everyone else.

Still, a small voice inside of Blaine's head told him to go for it. He was looking for something to occupy his time, after all. This guy Kurt might be a total weirdo, but at least he wasn't sending nudes. Blaine, laughing, typed out his response.

Blaine: Hey. Sorry, just saw this.

He threw his phone aside along with thoughts of the random Grindr man, settled down into his bed to watch reruns of Friends, and ended up dozing off.

An hour later, he was awakened by his phone alerting him to a message. It was Kurt responding.

Kurt: Quick turnaround time.

Blaine laughed out loud. Maybe this guy was actually funny. Or maybe he was just blunt and awkward. Either way, he wanted to reply. Blaine would never have approached Kurt in person, nor would he have handled Kurt approaching him well. But hidden behind the anonymity of his phone, he felt comfortable continuing this exchange.

Blaine: It just took me so long to craft the perfect response.

This time, Blaine waited longer than an hour for Kurt to answer. He did not delete Grindr again, though, because part of him (a very, very small part) was vaguely curious what Kurt would say back, if he said anything.

Two months later, his answer came.

Kurt: Sorry, it's been a busy day. How are you?

Blaine was currently surrounded by a bunch of strangers on the subway, so he chuckled to himself.

Kurt apparently was funny. He wanted to turn this into a game. Blaine had no idea how to talk to the guy about normal things, and he definitely had no idea how to flirt, but keeping the game going a little longer was something he could do. He slipped his phone into his pocket without messaging back.

A month later, he pulled the app back up to sending a message to Kurt.

Blaine: Oops. Couldn't find my phone anywhere! I'm good. How are you?

Three Months Later

"Sorry. Don't really feel like it." Kurt closed his eyes as he leaned against the kitchen counter. No matter how many times he failed, he continued to try wishing Rachel away when she was being particularly irritating. Right now was one of those times. He thought if he focused hard enough, she might disappear from their apartment living room and turn up in the middle of the Appalachian trail or something, face to face with a bear. Preferably not a hungry bear. Kurt wasn't cruel.

"Kurt. Please just reply. Grindr sends me alerts constantly to remind me that you have unread messages." She waved her phone in his face, proving her point. He grunted in frustration, partly at her persistence, partly because his mind powers hadn't worked.

"Why do you even still have the app downloaded on your phone?" His attempt to turn the conversation around on her seemed to have its desired effect. She looked down at her feet and shifted uncomfortably.

"That's completely irrelevant."

"Maybe, but now you definitely have to tell me." He waited while she gathered the courage to tell him.

"Sometimes I like to look at the photos of shirtless boys, okay? Gay men take very good care of their bodies!" Rachel blushed as she admitted to it.

Kurt gasped. "You dirty hag!" Her response was so much better than what he had thought she would say.

"How dare you mock me when it is you who sleeps with a boyfriend pillow!" Rachel retorted.

Bringing Bruce into things was taking it a step too far. He conceded. "Okay, okay. Truce?"

Rachel smiled smugly. "Only if you reply to Blaine's message."

Kurt rolled his eyes, pushed off the counter, and held his hand out for her phone. That woman had such an annoying habit of getting her way.

"What are you typing?" She asked, trying to peek over his shoulder.

He finished and handed the phone back to her, his message still on the screen.

Kurt: Sorry, I was out shopping. I'm doing fine.

"What is this supposed to mean, Kurt?" Rachel looked confused. "It's been three months since his last message and your excuse is that you were out shopping? He's never going to respond if he thinks you're being rude like that."

"It's funny, Rach. It's a joke and Blaine is playing along too. Plus, I've told you a hundred times that nothing is going to come of this. You forced me to go out with Alex and things are going well. Forget about this."

She narrowed her eyes. "Okay. But if he messages back, all bets are off."

By the time Rachel brought it up again, Kurt had all but forgotten his brief and forced (albeit slightly entertaining) foray into the world of Grindr. He had also mostly forgotten the few dates he had gone on with Rachel's friend Alex. Or he tried to, anyway. The trauma of being dumped would probably live with him forever, no matter the length of the relationship.

Kurt had never been one to want to keep things casual. Maybe it was a character flaw, but he preferred the idea that his relationship could grow into something serious, something permanent. And one thing he absolutely refused was casual sex. Which meant, with his lack of long-term relationship history, that Kurt Hummel was a virgin. Of course, his roommate was not. It was something that Rachel held over him, the fact that she had experienced such an important milestone and he hadn't. Kurt liked to argue that he was not completely inexperienced in the bedroom, but Rachel enjoyed reminding him that "over the clothes doesn't count, Kurt!" to which he usually so kindly responded with "Mind your own fucking business, Rachel!"

Kurt laid on his bed thinking about sex (or his lack thereof) when Rachel barged into his room, excitedly flashing her phone screen in his face.

He took a deep breath. He knew what that meant. A tiny, tiny part of him felt excited to know what Blaine had written back. If he was being honest, Kurt had worried once or twice over the past seven months that he would never hear from Blaine again. He didn't really care, but it would be fun to keep the conversation going.

"Would you mind knocking? I could have been naked or something!"

Rachel scoffed. "Please. Doesn't it embarrass you to even think about being naked? You're such a prude, Kurt."

He stared back indignantly. "I don't know why you always find it so hilarious to tease me about that. There's nothing wrong with waiting for the right person to come along."

"I know. You're right. You know I don't judge you for that."

Says the judgiest girl there is. "I know."

"So…"

"Get on with it, then. I know you're dying to tell me what he said."

She grinned and jumped on the bed next to him.

"I am pleased to report that Blaine is just as weird as you are. You two are a match made in virtual heaven."

Kurt read the message, a small smile creeping across his lips.

Blaine: My mistake, Kurt. I slept through my alarm.

"What are you going to say back?" Rachel pried.

"Nothing yet. He waited seven months. I can hold out longer than that."

Thirteen Months Later

Kurt: My apologies for missing your message, Blaine. I was in class.

Blaine chuckled loudly as he read Kurt's words over a year after the last time Blaine had sent anything. He checked the timestamp on the message. Kurt had sent the message five months ago.

Blaine finally had reinstalled Grindr after going through two new phones that ended up not working and finally settling on an iPhone. For all that he had been against it in the beginning, Blaine had to admit that he liked being an Apple junkie. Within a month of having his new phone, he also bought an iPad, a MacBook, and an Apple Watch. Who ever said "everything in moderation" clearly had never met Blaine, who dove in wholeheartedly to every new obsession of his.

Looking at his message history, he couldn't believe that he and Kurt were really still at this ridiculous thing. Sure it was funny, but what was it for? They weren't ever really going to go on a date.

After over two years in New York, Blaine had yet to get up the nerve to ask anyone on a date yet. That's what his wingman, Sam, was for, though when Sam actually managed to score him a date, Blaine almost always found an excuse not to go. He told himself that the boys he had met were just not his style. And it was true. Sam kept trying to set him up with big, meaty guys from his gym, who only cared about how they looked. He wanted someone intellectual. Someone more delicate (but not fragile). Someone who was just as romantic as he was. Someone who made Blaine feel comfortable enough to open up and be himself.

He shook off the thoughts of failed dates and memories of the disappointment on his mother's face when he reported that he hadn't met anyone yet. Even though his parents were not terribly accepting of Blaine's sexuality, they still worried that he would be alone forever. He supposed it was a good thing that they would prefer him to marry a man rather than be sad and lonely for the rest of his life.

Blaine turned his attention back to the phone in his hands. He tapped out a message, then pushed send.

Blaine: I am so sorry for the delay. My mom stopped by to say hello.

From across the room, Sam caught the smile on Blaine's face.

"What's that smile for? Who are you texting?"

"Can't a guy have some privacy in his own home?" Blaine joked.

"Not when it comes to you potentially getting some ass, you can't!" Sam jumped up and made his way to where Blaine sat, clapping his hands together excitedly.

"I'm not getting any 'ass,' as you put it. I'm not texting either. I'm on Grindr."

"Ahh, I see. How is the dick pic situation? Do you need me to run dick intervention? Provide dick filtration? Be your dick manager?"

Blaine burst out laughing. "Please don't ever say that again," he suggested.

Sam laughed with him. "Fair enough. So what's making you smile? Or maybe I should be asking who is making you smile."

"Remember Kurt, the guy from a couple years ago?"

Sam seemed surprised, but pleasantly so. "That thing is still going on?"

"There really isn't a 'thing,' but yeah. It's just funny that we're keeping it up."

"Do you-"

"Don't even ask if I'm going to ask him out."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"I won't."

"That includes sending me 'anonymous' messages asking me if I'm going to ask him out."

Sam huffed. "Fine."

"Also don't try telepathically asking me if I'm going to ask him out."

Sam's face straightened out, and he lowered his fingers from his temples.

"Damn."

Five months later, Kurt responded to Blaine's last message. Blaine was celebrating the end of finals with Sam and his latest fling with popcorn and ice cream and an Alien movie marathon when his phone alerted him to it.

Kurt: I'm sorry. Got caught up at graduation. Family in town!

He absentmindedly wondered if Kurt had actually graduated, or if he was just using the event as inspiration for one more excuse.

Before he could think too much about it, Blaine was opening his computer and searching for NYC-based Kurts on social media.

His efforts were fruitless, as it appeared that Kurt either was not his real name, or he did not have any social media accounts. It didn't help that Blaine had no idea of what Kurt's last name could be.

While on Twitter, Blaine suddenly had the desire to share his and Kurt's back-and-forth with his followers. Admittedly, he did not have many, but they were mostly guys he had met through the gaming conventions and comic book stores that Sam had introduced him to, and they all appreciated his sense of humor.

Blaine screenshotted his conversation with Kurt and captioned the picture "When you just can't get enough of each other. Maybe someday we will get around to meeting!"

Feeling a sudden wave of drowsiness hit, Blaine closed his laptop and told Sam and the girl whose name he couldn't remember (not his fault, she was the fifth girl Sam had brought home in the past few months) that he was going to bed early.

Little did he know that when he woke up, he would embark on the ride of a lifetime.

Blaine could not believe what had happened. Overnight, his tweet had somehow gone viral, with over 8,000 retweets. One of the comments was from Good Morning America, asking Blaine's permission to use his tweet, with credit to him, of course.

Stunned, he said yes. This could be his five minutes of fame, and though Blaine had given up his hopes of being on television years ago, he still wanted a moment in the sun, just like everyone else. Even though his shyness could be crippling at times, on stage or in front of a camera, Blaine thrived.

So in two days, when a representative from GMA was on the phone with Blaine, asking him to travel to their studio and explaining to him the idea they had in mind, he gave a resounding "Yes!."