Two days after the second collab had gone up, Sora was no closer in figuring out how to convince Vanitas of his feelings, but he'd at least managed to turn his embarrassment over the torrent of reviews begging them to date into inspiration. After all, it was nice to see that he wasn't the only one who felt they could be a couple. And maybe his fans were a bit weird and obsessed, but the majority weren't mean about it or pushy, which he was thankful for.

It was like affirmation that he wasn't just caught in some puppy love and seeing things that weren't there. He really was trying to be as honest with himself as he could. Vanitas wouldn't accept anything less, he was certain. He had to take his time, really understand what he felt, and knowing their fans supported him was a boost of confidence he needed.

Not that they knew much, of course. They didn't know he was on what felt like a Crusade for Vanitas' heart. In fact, the only thing he'd really given had been in an answer to a comment that had been a question on the brand of fabric used for the cat sweater, and then a more cute question following it asking if they were dating. Sora made it a point to answer all questions when it came to supplies he used, or price options, because he did cater to a bunch of craft people, so he'd answered the question about the fabric, and felt he had to answer the second too, and the simple no we aren't dating :) had set off a chain of more comments.

It was still a bit embarrassing though. A lot of general fangirling was just bound to be embarrassing. But he worked hard to take it as support, otherwise he'd probably crawl into bed and hide until it all blew over, and that just wouldn't work.

And there were those few comments that simply made his resolve brighten. One in particular he'd actually copied onto a Word document after he'd found it on Vanitas' page and printed out to hang on his magnetic calendar. Perhaps that was weird, he didn't know or care, because the words more or less highlighted what he wanted to prove to Vanitas. A simple statement of I've followed this channel since VoidGear started and I generally roll my eyes at all the shipping comments nowadays, but I'll say this: I've never seen Void look so happy before?

That was it really, but it said so much. The channel had been up more than five years, right after Vanitas and Ventus had parted ways in fact. It made sense that Vanitas wouldn't be the most cheerful person online after that break up, but he'd had years to get over it, and it was clear he had. His online persona was quirky, sarcastic, and smiled plenty, so for someone who'd watched Vanitas settle into his channel to say Sora made a noticeable difference? Vindication.

Now if he could only keep his siblings from teasing him. Then it would all be perfect.

Ventus, at least, was supportive, and seemed to get that Sora was about embarrassed as one could be in this situation, though that hadn't stopped him from showing the collab videos to Roxas and Xion, because he was clearly a traitor.

But Sora wouldn't be Sora if he didn't try to find some sort of silver lining. And by the time Roxas and Xion barged in on him during breakfast, he'd convinced himself of this at least: if they questioned him about his feelings, he'd take it as practice for when Vanitas would. And he could definitely use the practice.

"Do you think it's a good idea to fall for Ventus' ex?" Roxas started, as blunt as ever, and stole some of the scrambled eggs off Sora's plate. Sora pouted at him for that, but shrugged, and gave Xion a piece of his pancake that she'd been eyeing.

"Ventus is cool with it," Sora told him, grateful it was the truth. "And it's not like I see Vanitas as 'the ex' anyway. We're friends and that has nothing to do with Ventus." Also truth and also a relief.

Roxas stared him down, looking as grumpy as he always did when he was deep in thought. Sora knew his brother well enough to know the next question would be something almost left-field, but still very much connected, somehow, and calmly ate his food.

"Does he know about the tag?" was what came out of his mouth. Sora stared at him blankly.

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

Xion giggled a little and cut across before Roxas could answer, more than likely to keep him from getting too smug. "You two have artwork," she explained. "And fanfiction. I do believe you are trending on twitter."

Sora went red and Roxas looked smug anyway. "We have a tag?"

"Mhmm," Xion told him, taking another piece of pancake.

"Dude, at this point you have porn blogs," Roxas huffed, far too pleased to say that, though he looked as grumpy as ever. It was only years of knowing him that let Sora decipher that brand of grumpy face with 'totally delighted' face.

"You're serious?" Sora asked weakly. The very idea that there was porn out there… "Oh my god, I need to sit down."

"You are sitting down," Xion said, coming over to steady him. Sora almost didn't feel her little hand, staring blankly at the table.

"Do you think Vanitas knows?"

"Probably?" Roxas scratched the back of his head, his grumpy face going into a more worried one. "I mean, he started the ship name and that started the tag. I'm sure he's had a few fans tell him about it."

Sora let himself panic for all of three seconds before he decided he wasn't going to worry about it. After all, it wasn't his fault and Vanitas was probably just laughing himself sick over it all. So he breathed in, out, and settled down.

"I'm sure it'll be okay, Sora," Xion was saying when he came back to present, biting her lip. He quickly smiled in reassurance to her and pat her hand.

"I'm not worried," he said and found it was mostly true, thankfully. "It's not like I told people to make art or stories. It's embarrassing, but honestly Vanitas has just been laughing about all this. He's probably just laughing more now."

Roxas moved to his other side to steady him again, obviously reading something worrisome from his words. "You really like him, don't you?"

"I really do," Sora told him, smiling softly down at his breakfast as he remembered all the meals Vanitas had made for him during the few days of their collabs. It made him feel so warm and sappy. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt anything like it.

"Then he shouldn't be laughing," Roxas huffed.

Sora laughed at the protective edge in his younger brother's voice. "He doesn't believe my feelings yet," he told him before a rampage could begin. "He's more stubborn than you."

"I'm not -" Roxas started, but when both Sora and Xion shot him the same Look, he grumbled, "Fine. But still."

"I'm okay," Sora promised them both. "I knew this would be a fight and I"m ready for it. He's worth that."

Xion gushed a little and Roxa made a face. "I'm rooting for you!" she told Sora, hugging his shoulders. He hugged her back with a wide smile of thanks.

"If he breaks your heart I'll break him," was Roxas' version of the same sentiment and Sora hugged him too with a happy laugh.

"You two are the best," he told them and went back to eating, though paused with the fork in front of his face as something occurred to him. "Wait a minute… how did you two even know about the tag? Have you been trolling for things to embarrass me?"

"Of course we did," Roxas told him while Xion blushed in embarrassment. "Xion found a picture on her art site and I went digging. Honestly i'm still tempted to burn my eyes with bleach about a few of the things we found."

"Axel would cry," Sora snorted at him. "Your eyes are too pretty to die."

"My eyes are the same as your eyes," Roxas said, rolling said baby blues, which were actually a bit more blue than Sora's would ever be, but Sora didn't argue, just grinned at the faint blush on his face.

"Uh huh."

"Oh!" Xion clapped her hands in excited thought. "Are you free today, Sora? We could look over the tag. I mean, if you'd like," she added on hurriedly. "Honestly there's some really good work out there, but if you'd be too embarrassed -"

"Nah, I wouldn't mind," Sora told her, more to see her smile than actually wanting to see some art of himself and Vanitas. It still seemed to surreal. But if he was willing to get support from the comments, why not from this new fanbase presence? He smiled even warmer the more he thought of it. "And we can have a movie marathon. It's been so long since we've hung out."

"Who's fault is that?" Roxas told him and wrapped his knuckles on Sora's forehead. Sora stuck his tongue out.

"I'm sorry, okay? Been busy," Sora puffed his cheeks. "I'll make it up to you. Stay the weekend?"

"That would be fun," Xion said, always happy to stay over. In that way, she'd stayed the same as when they'd first met. Amidst all Ventus' hate for him, Sora had almost been taken aback by how happy she'd been to know him, like he was some sort of Prince Charming. She still had stars in her eyes.

"We need stuff," Roxas pointed out, but pulled out a stool all the same to show he was willing to stay.

Sora smiled. "You two still have drawers of clothes here,' he reassured them both. "But you can always invite Axel over to bring you more. I know he'll pout without you otherwise."

"Yeah, he is pretty hopeless," Roxas said and pulled out his phone to do just that. Xion moved to his side to add on that he ask Axel to grab some of her things too and Sora smiled, taking the time to get up to wash his plate.

You have one (1) new message.

Sora blinked as he felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out to read it. A picture of Gere in his little sweater, sitting at the front door.

He got used to you coming by, Vanitas had typed under it. He's been waiting for you to come back for nearly an hour now.

Sora wasn't sure feeling his heart swell so much was healthy and had to press a hand to his chest to keep it from falling clear out of his ribcage, it was pounding so hard. Knowing that Gere was waiting at the door was charming, but the idea that Vanitas had figured out he was waiting for Sora made him blush. That Vanitas was acknowledging Sora had made it into their routine, enough so that Gere was actually missing him when he hadn't come… he felt a hope in his stomach so bright, he was pretty sure he was glowing.

Give him extra love for me, he managed to type, eyes a bit watery and a grin too wide on his face, his cheeks hurt. My siblings are over this weekend, so I can't come love him up. But maybe next week sometime? We still need to finish ShadowCasts.

He did his best not to think this was Vanitas' way to subtly ask him to come over. Vanitas wasn't that kind of person. If he wanted Sora over, he'd ask, he was pretty sure. But the thought still tickled at Sora's mind and made him grin impossibly wider, until he felt like his face was about to crack open, and if it was by some far chance Vanitas asking, he hoped this compromise would go over well.

He wanted so badly to be back there, sitting on the floor cushions Vanitas had kept from the first collab, with Gere purring in his lap and Vanitas cursing at the game, pretending he wasn't as creeped out by the storyline as Sora was. It was a physical pain. If only he could pull out his feelings and present them in some corporeal form to Vanitas, so he wouldn't be able to call them fake. Why couldn't it be that simple?

"I change my mind," Roxas said, suddenly right there and sounding unimpressed. "Your face is too grossly in love, I don't want to see you pining."

"Shut up," Sora swatted at him, red cheeked and smiling still.

Roxas easily dodged and gave him a softer look, one Sora was sure he'd given Roxas once upon a time when Roxas had been wrestling with his own feelings of love. "You really love him, don't you?"

It wasn't the same question as earlier, exactly. Roxas was softer about it, more understanding, and Sora nodded, feeling the weight of his feelings like a warm flower opening up to the sunshine.

"I really do, I think," he admitted. "He makes me happy."

And he didn't even need to read Vanitas' reply to know how much. Just hearing the beep alone lit him up like nothing else did, and now his siblings could see it first hand. It felt good to share his bliss.

You have one (1) new message.

Vanitas has sent a text.

Tuesday and bring toys or treats. I demand a toll for making my cat so fucking sad.

Sora laughed and sent his promise along. Tuesday really couldn't come fast enough.