Welcome to my next Kingdom Hearts story! This will contain KHIII and Re:mind spoilers!

This is a direct follow-up to my last KH story, which I ended up renaming to I Was A Wreck When You Came Along. It was a little Venkai one shot, and I got the title from Jesse McCartney's song "Better with You". And of course I named this one from his first song "Beautiful Soul", and not just because he voices Ventus.

This took me a while to finalize, because I really wanted Ven and Kairi's scene together heartwarming but believable, and because it also involves Kairi telling the others she's going to let Ansem the Wise search her heart (she's already discussed it with Riku "off-screen"). I also tried my best with Kairi's talk with Terra and Aqua at the beginning.

If you couldn't already tell, this takes place after KHIII, but before the Wayfinder Trio go to the Realm of Darkness. I don't believe major game events take place just days apart or whatever, so I choose to believe that three months have passed since Sora disappeared. Sure, they may have wanted to jump right in to try to find him, but c'mon, Aqua felt ready to go back to the Realm of Darkness in seemingly no time at all in Re:mind – she clearly needed the time to recover. And I may or may not imagine her and Terra tying the knot sometime between the end of KHIII and Re:mind, because of after everything they went through to be together again...but that's just my Terraqua trash heart acting up, XD.

Final note before we get started: I refer to Chirithy as "they," mostly because I can't find anything confirming what gender the Chirithy identify as (plus, I've seen other writers use either "they," "him," "her," or even "it"). I feel like using "they" is simpler.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of Jesse McCartney's songs.

Enjoy!

Standing in the castle's throne room, Kairi had just finished telling Aqua and Terra her decision.

"Are you sure about this?" Aqua asked.

Kairi fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Everyone I talked to asked me that, and like I told them, yes. I'm willing to do anything if it means we can bring Sora back. I'm not that scared, helpless little girl you saved anymore."

Terra smiled at that, and even Aqua couldn't help herself.

"I know you're not," she said. "I just wanted to make sure. This seems a bit dangerous."

It's not like I'm going to the Realm of Darkness, Kairi thought to herself but didn't say aloud, not wanting to remind Aqua of her imprisonment in that place. Hopefully, letting Ansem the Wise search her heart wouldn't be as painful, nor last ten years.

"I appreciate your concern, but honestly, I would've done it even if you tried to stop me," she admitted.

Terra let out a chuckle.

"After everything we all did, that wouldn't be a surprise," he agreed.

However, Aqua's smile faded.

"I just hope you truly know what you're doing," she said seriously. "Do you want us to come with you to Radiant Garden?"

Kairi shook her head. "Riku's taking me, and he'll stay with me until...whatever happens."

None of them were exactly sure what would happen if Ansem searched her heart. When Naminé had to fix Sora's chain of memories, he had to be put to sleep for a year. It was possible the same thing was going to happen with Kairi.

"Have you talked to Ven yet?" Terra then asked.

Her heart rate picked up at the mention of his name.

"Of course not," she said, her voice a bit higher than normal. "I just told you guys after telling the others in Twilight Town, and that was after talking it out with Riku. There's no way he already knows."

"Calm down, Kairi," Aqua admonished her, still looking a bit worried. Terra was startled.

Kairi took a deep breath.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I'm just a bit nervous."

As Terra nodded and assured her it was okay, Aqua's look of worry then changed to one of understanding.

"I see," she said, smiling knowingly. "He's in his room. He'll be happy to see you."

"Are you sure?" Kairi asked.

"Positive," she assured her. She knew what Kairi was really asking. "I know him, and he feels the same way. Do you remember where his room is?"

"Yeah," Kairi nodded. "Thank you."

Then she turned to leave the throne room. She snuck a glance over her shoulder to see Aqua saying something to Terra, looking worried again. She couldn't quite hear what was said, but she guessed that Terra was trying to reassure Aqua. It must have worked because she smiled and pulled him in for a kiss.

Seeing this made Kairi feel even more nervous. As she walked through the halls to Ven's bedroom, she took her time so she could think about what she needed to talk to him about and how it might go.

After telling everyone else, including Aqua and Terra just now, there was no way she wasn't going to tell Ven about how she would help find Sora. But that wasn't the only important thing she needed to discuss with him; her heart began pounding just thinking about it. She just needed to be honest about how she truly feels. And if what Riku, Aqua, and even Roxas said is true, he felt the same way.

Upon finding his room, she saw that the door was cracked open. But just as she mustered up her courage, she stopped.

Was that...music?

I don't want another pretty face

I don't want just anyone to hold

I don't want my love to go to waste

I want you and your beautiful soul

And was that Ven singing? He sounded really good... She inched closer and carefully peered into his room and saw him sitting on his bed, holding a guitar and sneaking glances at an open notebook next to him as he sang.

You're the one I wanna chase

You're the one I wanna hold

I won't let another minute to go to waste

I want you and your beautiful soul

Kairi had no idea Ven liked to sing. Though perhaps she should have, seeing as Roxas sang as well, and their voices were eerily similar in addition to their appearances. Looking closer, she saw that he was strumming with his left hand.

So Ven is left-handed? She thought to herself. Then she shook her head. Focus! You're here for a reason!

Standing up straight, she took a deep breath and knocked on his door. "Ven? It's me."

The music stopped and Ven jumped slightly.

"Oh, come in," he said quietly.

Kairi pushed the door all the way open as he carefully set his guitar on the floor, propped up against his bed. For a while, she stood in the middle of his room, her hands clasped together.

"That sounded amazing," she said, beginning to smile as a blush formed on his cheeks.

"Oh, you were listening?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks."

Feeling her heart begin pounding again, Kairi calmed her nerves as best she could and asked slowly, "Who...were you singing about?" The look she gave him conveyed that she wanted an honest answer.

His eyes widened, and for a moment he looked just as nervous as she felt. He looked down, as if to consider how to answer her, then looked her in the eye.

"You," he said.

Silence followed this as Kairi stared at him. Then, without warning, she stepped closer to Ven, placed her hands on his shoulders, and pressed her lips against his. This wasn't how she planned their discussion, but she just didn't care right now.

Ven was almost paralyzed with shock. He was half-convinced that he was dreaming, but Chirithy, while a playful spirit, wouldn't do something like this to him. Plus, her lips touching his felt way too real to be a dream. He drew his hands up, hoping to gently hold her waist. Instead, he pulled too hard and he fell backwards on his bed with her on top of him.

They broke the kiss to stare at each other with wide eyes.

"Sorry," Ven apologized quickly. Her body felt warm against his...

But Kairi started giggling, and he soon followed suit. They laughed together to relieve the nervous feelings they shared. Afterwards, she slid off his body to sit next to him on his bed, and he sat up.

"You know," Ven started, "when you kissed me, I thought I was dreaming. But this feels real."

"I promise, this is real," Kairi assured him, holding his hand. "But I still need to talk about it, because you're probably a bit confused."

She spent the next few minutes explaining to him what she discussed with Riku the night before: For the longest time, she thought she had romantic feelings for Sora, but she also understood just how deeply he and Riku felt for each other; you'd have to be blind not to see it. She had no intention of taking Sora away from Riku (she cringed at the memory of her fourteen-year-old self playfully suggesting that she and Sora leave on the raft without Riku), but a part of her was a bit hurt that he seemed to care about Riku more than her. Then one day, those romantic feelings disappeared. Or rather, they went somewhere else, because that was the day Ven's heart found its way home. It turned out that the heart she had fallen in love with hadn't been Sora's – it had been Ven's, while it was inside Sora's. After all, she had a crush on him after she met him when she was four.

"I'm sorry if you're still confused," she said, "but what I'm trying to say is – I do love you."

Ven started blushing again, but he smiled back at her.

"I love you too," was all he could say as he squeezed her hand. He'd thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her while helping her cope with Sora's absence. When they'd first met, he'd only seen her as a cute, sweet little girl that helped him feel better out of the kindness of her young heart. Now, once he'd seen how much she'd grown, he'd gradually fallen in love with her strong, beautiful heart and soul.

"I just didn't know you loved me enough to write a song about me," she added with another giggle.

He chuckled with her.

"It was Roxas' idea," he admitted. "Sort of. We'd been meaning to tell you guys at some point. After we found out we both like music, we decided to write songs and share ideas with each other. He told me he wanted to write a song for Naminé, and –"

"I knew it!" Kairi exclaimed, making Ven jump. "I knew Nam didn't have anything to worry about!"

If having to deal with Sora or Riku pining over their feelings for each other was bad, it was nothing compared to Roxas and Naminé, in Kairi's opinion.

Just then, she looked over at Ven's desk and noticed something...familiar.

"Ven," she began, getting up to walk towards it, "is that...?"

"Oh," said Ven, standing up with her. "Yeah. That's the flower you gave me."

Kairi gently removed the flower from its little vase and stared at it. Naminé had helped her recover some of her lost memories of Radiant Garden, mainly her encounters with Aqua and Ven. She could hardly believe that this was the same flower she gave him; it looked as fresh as when she picked it twelve years ago.

"How can it be the same flower?" she asked. "No offense, but you couldn't have cared for it for twelve years, considering..."

"Yeah, I know," Ven agreed, rubbing the back of his head again. "When I woke up, I saw that it died. I was pretty bummed about it, and I told Aqua. I didn't worry about it for long because we had to face Xehanort, but I still wanted to do something about it. After we came back here, I asked Aqua if there was anything we could do about it, so we looked at some spells. I found one that extended a plant's lifespan." He chuckled. "At first, Aqua wondered why that kind of spell needed to exist, but I immediately cast it on the flower, and...well, you can see it worked."

Kairi looked at the flower as she listened. Her heart swelled.

"You really cared that much about a flower a four-year-old gave you?" she asked.

"Of course," he said earnestly, giving her hand another squeeze. "You were the first person outside of my home to do something like that for me. I think that any other kid your age then wouldn't have bothered, but you...your heart is too pure to ignore someone that needed help. And I can't thank you enough."

Kairi was so moved by this, she felt like crying. Setting the flower down, she took his other hand and leaned closer.

POOF!

"Wha!" Kairi exclaimed intelligently as she and Ven jumped.

"Chirithy!" Ven yelled.

"Sorry, Ven," said the little Dream Eater, not sounding sorry at all, "but I gave you two enough privacy. I wanted to be the first to offer my congratulations! And also an apology."

"Apology for what?" Kairi asked, kneeling in front of them.

"For any implication I may have given you and Sora," they said, referring to the moment in the Final World where they claimed to having wanted to give her and Sora privacy before showing up.

Kairi smiled. "Aw, that's sweet. It's okay, though." She swept them up in a hug. "Thank you."

"Yes, it's all appreciated, but would you mind giving us a little more privacy, please?" Ven asked as nicely as he could, still a bit peeved at the interruption.

"Oh, fine," said Chirithy in mock exasperation as Kairi set them back down. "Just so you know, Kairi, I know firsthand about his dreams. So if your relationship ever gets that far, let's just say he wouldn't mind letting you top." They winked.

Both teens spluttered and reddened at this, but Ven recovered quicker.

"Please leave!" he whined.

Chirithy giggled mischievously, then teleported out with another POOF!

"I am so sorry about that," Ven groaned, sitting on his bed with his face in his hands.

"It's okay," Kairi assured him as she sat beside him. "But I guess now's a good time as any to talk to you about something else that's important." She had no time to be embarrassed about the Dream Eater's claim.

Ven looked at her curiously, his own embarrassment disappearing. "About what?"

Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'm going to let Ansem the Wise search my heart. To try to find Sora."

For a while, Ven didn't know what to say. Then he thought of what had happened to Sora in Castle Oblivion while Naminé repaired his memories. He had to sleep for a whole year. It was safe to assume that, like rearranging scattered memories, searching one's heart required the person in question to be asleep.

But for how long? A whole year again?

"Do you know how it's going to work?" he asked her tentatively. His heart began racing. "I mean, with our history with hearts, you could have to go to sleep for a year, or even twelve years!"

Kairi could see he was getting worked up, so she placed her hands on his face.

"I'm scared, Ven," she said softly. "Don't make me any more scared. But I have to try. Yeah, it could be a year or twelve, but if it helps us find Sora, it will be worth it. I've already tried waiting. I need to play my part."

Ven looked into her eyes. Past her fear, he could see her determination. He wasn't sure he wanted her to do it, not after they had just confessed their feelings. There was no telling how it would all turn out in the end.

"I just don't want to think that I might lose you," he admitted. "Not after I earned your friendship, and..."

"I know," she agreed. She pulled him in for a kiss, one that felt desperate with a hint of fear, from both of them.

They didn't want to let go, but air was very much needed. Once they parted, Ven said, "I'll go with you."

Kairi nearly wanted to say that it wasn't necessary for him to go with her, as Riku would already be there, but who was she fooling? To have her best friend and eventual boyfriend both with her until the moment she went under...she'd have no reason to be afraid.

"Okay," she conceded. Then she smiled teasingly. "I mean, I am a princess after all. I'll need my prince to kiss me awake when it's time."

Blushing again, Ven shook his head with a laugh.

"I'm going to miss you, Kairi," he said as he hugged her tightly.

Kairi closed her eyes. Being in his arms felt so right...

"It won't be forever," she said. "I'll come back to you. I promise."

Ven felt like his heart was being squeezed as he heard those familiar words.

"I know you will."

And there you go! Venkai endgame! Some notes, because I love to share:

I know everyone loves to imagine Roxas being able to sing due to having Jesse McCartney's voice, but I haven't seen many do this for Ven as well, at least in fan fic. Like Ven said, I like to imagine both of them writing music and sharing ideas with each other. Example: Ven has "Beautiful Soul", and Roxas has "Because You Live", among others.

The bit about Ven being left-handed – according to the Kingdom Hearts wiki, he was originally intended to be left-handed, but I guess there were some issues incorporating that into gameplay, so it was scrapped. But you'll notice him wielding his Keyblade with his left hand in both KHII secret movies. And hey, Ventus canonically being left-handed can be one way to separate him from Roxas.

As for the plant lifespan extension spell...well, I'm a Potterhead, and in that series, for every spell for defending oneself against Dark magic, there's another spell for something mundane like fixing eyeglasses. I love both franchises so much, so I felt like bringing some Potter logic over to Kingdom Hearts. If Harry Potter were Disney, it probably would have made at least one appearance in Kingdom Hearts by now. They'd blend well enough. But hey, maybe someone like Aerith can benefit from that spell.

One last thing: Yes, I ship Rokunami. I've shipped it since the beginning, and I still love it, even if they didn't get enough screen time together. I completely understand why most people ship Rokushi, but Rokunami has a special place in my heart. If you're curious, I also ship Vanshi (which is also criminally underrated). No ship hate, please!

With all that said, I hope you enjoyed this! Stay home, keep safe and sane, and wash your hands!