ALL IN BLOOM || VMINKOOK ?

JUNGKOOK POV

Jungkook leaned against the rail and felt the ocean breeze across his skin. The horizon stretched out before him. He shouldn't have had a care in the world.

Tae walked up behind him and pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

"Okay, out with it," Taehyung demanded.

"With what?" Jungkook asked.

"With whatever it is that has you looking like the world is ending."

The world wasn't ending, but this was.

"My father called, just before we sailed."

"What is it this time?"

Tae was well used to the king's many demands on his sons.

"Courtship. He's announcing the contest next week."

Behind him, Taehyung was silent.

"We knew this was coming," he said eventually.

"I had hoped we'd get another year, but he won't budge. He says it needs to be now."

Jungkook had called his Uncle right after, hoping he might intercede on Jungkook's behalf, but his uncle said the king's mind was made up.

He turned, leaning his back against the rail of their boat and meeting Taehyung's eyes.

"Then I guess this will be our last time together," Tae said softly.

It shouldn't have been that way.

On paper, Kim Taehyung was everything Jungkook's family could have looked for.

He came from a good family, was intelligent, and a decorated naval officer. Not to mention charming, personable, and handsome.

The only problem was that Tae was an alpha.

If there was one forbidden passion left in their society, it was love between two alphas.

And if it wasn't accepted by the public, it certainly wouldn't be accepted by the crown.

They had one week.

A week to themselves, a week on the open water.

A week to say their goodbyes.

"Let's make the most of the time we have," Tae said, sliding his arms around Jungkook.

"No one watching us, no need to be looking over our shoulders."

"Just you, me, and the big, wide world."

Leaning in, Jungkook stole a kiss, swallowing tae's pleased murmur.

He was determined to make this week one they'd remember.

He'd need it, to carry him through the years to come.

Unless he found a way around it.

* * *

Five glorious days on the sea and then everything ground to a halt.

"Engine's bust,"tae said, climbing back up to sit next to him.

"Is that the technical term?" he teased, already missing the rhythmic vibration of the engines.

"We'll have to call for help." Tae checked his phone. "No signal, we're too far out. It'll have to be the radio, or we can break out the satellite phone."

"Radio is better.If the palace gets wind of this,they'll do something ridiculous like send a helicopter."

He was second in line to the throne. His name tended to provoke an overreaction. They still had two more days together.