UNTILL I MET YOU || JIKOOK

42

JUNGKOOK POV

The days drifted by uncounted, the armada forever circling.

The shield had been running almost constantly, lowered only for seconds at a time to let a few stranded survivors through.

He finally ventured overground on the third day, assured by Yoongi that he'd be called back if there was any change in the machine.

He passed so many faces on his walk through the castle, all of them a blur until he found Ari.

She hugged him tightly. "There you are. I've been caring for Bam I brought him to my rooms."

"He's fine, though a little put out that you've been gone so long."

"I had to..."

"I know." She smiled at him fondly, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead.

"We all know. You're all anyone can talk about."

"The savior of the kingdom, Celestial spirit brought to life."

She took his hands. "A blessing on this family."

After a lifetime of rejection by his blood kin, it was almost too much. "Ari..."

"Jimin's strong, he's a survivor Besides, he has you to live for."

But Ari's sentiment wasn't shared among everyone. Across the castle, he encountered people mourning the loss of the prince.

When he couldn't take it any more, he fled the castle to stand on the shore, a guard trailing him at a distance.

The shield cast a silvery-blue glow on the sky above.

Out to sea, he could see a ship patrolling outside the barrier.

The bulk of the armada had anchored further away but they  left a dozen ships that circled constantly, vultures waiting to pick them clean the second the shield came down.

He would make sure it didn't.

He stood there for a long time, staring out. Once again, he pressed a hand to his amulet.

Jimin was out there somewhere, and he would know that jungkook was thinking of him, waiting for him to come home.

Time marched on as he stood there, watching the endless ocean.

Tae's voice spoke from behind him sometime later. "You'll freeze out here. Come inside."

"I can't. I'm waiting for him."

The alpha moved to stand by his side. "It's been three days, Kook Jimin was on an enemy ship when the one next to it exploded. Yoongi saw it happen."

"Both ships went down, and he never surfaced."

Jungkook refused to believe it.

His hand encircled his amulet. "I can still feel him, Tae."

"If he was gone, there'd be no magic in this charm. But there is because he's alive."

"I want him to be okay too, kook Believe me.I just don't see how."

Jungkook didn't either.

Even if Jimin had survived the destruction of the ships, it had been three days.

Three days on the open water.

Maybe he'd been captured, or maybe he'd washed up on some other shore.

Jungkook wasn't ready to give up hope. He might never be.

"Jungkookie?"

"Just a little longer, please."

Tae subsided, standing silently by his side as they watched the sea.

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