Taehyung's P. O. V.

The moment I climbed off of the vehicle my eyes inadvertently began searching for Jin because I knew he was going to be here.

It's been more than a month since the last hearing, and as difficult as things seem to be getting, right now my head seems completely taken only by the thought of seeing him again. Although I had tried to stay away from him earlier, I still haven't managed to master being okay with the anxiety it creates, there are times when I need him to make it easier for myself, any sort of assurance is enough, a simple gesture that he's fine and that I will get a chance to hold him in my arms again.

My eyes zapped to the direction I saw a few people walking down from the other end of the long hallway as all of us edged towards the same door. Today Hoseok wasn't with them, I nodded at Namjoon and my attorney as I saw them step through the door, and instantly my eyes caught with Jin's who was with Jungkook, walking right behind the others.

I held my mouth forcibly shut, not wanting to give out the fact to anyone there that he was by any chance someone I am acquainted to, but my body instinctively reacted stupidly needing to edge nearer as I watched him halt just as stunned.

Breath-taking would be the right word to describe him since he literally left me numb as he set those soft brown eyes deeply into me.

I realized we had stopped right in front of each other, frozen in a daze of wistful hopes running wildly in our head. It was the clanking of metal chains on my hands that made me realize that my instincts were calling me to touch him. Just a light caress, or let me steal one small peck of his alluring lips or a short whiff of his pleasing scent. He must've put on some weight making him look adorably plump, looking softer in the loose peach shirt. I watched him open his mouth to say something and I forgot all my rationality as I desperately wished to hear him speak, call me his 'Tae' for this one time. I have missed his voice so damn much, the cravings are growing more and more awful as the days go by, it keeps getting harder and to think that I have no idea how much longer are they going to hold me away from him.

"Uh-I-I..." his eyes look so troubled suddenly and I saw tears clog his eyes almost instantly.

But before he could complete the sentence, Jungkook pulled him away along with himself and I stood there watching them. Any other day I swear I'd beat the shit out of this guy for being so brash when it came to Jin but I had to gulp down the resentment for now lest I end up doing something foolish.

The guard nudged me to walk ahead and I saw the two hasten to follow behind the others as I entered the room as well, while Jin kept fumbling and fidgeting uneasily as he looked back at me again and again.

An odd pang gripped me to see him suddenly be so emotionally agitated, making my gut shrivel up to think what could have happened to make him this anxious.

But I had to wait to acquire the answer being just as equally restless..

"So you accept that you were directly helping an alleged terrorist, more like working alongside him just because you believed this mission could end Axel?"

"We were all working together actually" Jungkook's words were unwavering "it was a mission after all, the goal was to achieve the end of Axel, no matter the rules or the consequences. Then I guess that makes all of us possible terrorists, including the General and Col. Wang"

"Did you or did you not take orders from the Major? Or maybe I should say Ex-Major" I scoffed at the jibe, seeing him try to demean me in such a petty way.

"I did, that was how we got the people out from that shopping mall before the bomb went off"

"So why wasn't the blast at the airport or the one at the research lab intercepted? Images show he was there as well" the attorney was getting worked up now yet Jungkook seemed as unmoved as ever.

"I agree there has been casualties but every war has them, just because battalions weren't involved doesn't mean that this wasn't a war" Jungkook sounded way too decided in his replies "and trying to keep the whole thing covert took greater toll on each of us than you can even imagine-" "I'm sorry I cannot sympathize without any proof backing your words Officer Jeon, where are the reports? The files that had the Generals' decisions? There's nothing to show that the whole thing was a mission at all! This could be a case of personal vendetta on Major Kim's part, at least this is what I have an actual proof of!"

"I object Your Honour, this is a personal attack which holds no viable proof as such" my attorney leapt up at the statement, and I could sense things were going to get messier now.

"No viable proof? What better proof could the court need when it has been proved that he carries 'Byun's' legacy, and used this very identity to dupe Axel to take revenge of his mother's death! We have actual documents that had been kept classified which shows that the very first mission he had headed was surprisingly to intercept and capture the members of Axel, and failed dreadfully at his plans to get his revenge on them. I feel this whole 'mission' as you call it, is nothing but a result of his blind fury and greed for revenge. He's just been fooling everyone on every side very effectively to believe otherwise!"

I gulped feeling my anger rise at his scathing words, this man was trying too hard to keep me behind bars.

"And you think nobody has been fooling all the high-headed officials at the headquarters?" Jungkook spat instantly, and I could see his sienna eyes burning in rage as well.

Everything fell silent while everyone waited for what was going to happen next.

I don't know where Jungkook is going with this, there's something about him that just keeps being a constant itch at the back of my mind although I keep telling myself to accept him as one of us. Being as crafty and shady as he is, I can't anticipate his moves. This might sound like the meanest possible judgement but it's not difficult to trace Kai's crazy rage and Sunmi's slyness in him at times. He might not be an actual member of Axel, might say that his hands aren't as bloody as a real criminal but he's not a soldier either, and Namjoon might deny as much as he want but there's just something about this guy that keeps making me question his motives.

Well, my conscience keeps telling me that it' because of how close and cosy he is with Jin, and it's just me being a mean jealous possessive human that makes me cruel towards him. Although it might not be all wrong but I beg to differ.

"Someone fooling the General?" The question struck everyone as people began realizing that there was more to the entire thing. I was confused now, what was Jungkook doing? Is going to reveal himself too? I turned to Namjoon and saw him calmly watching the whole thing, while my heart beat rose higher. What the actual heck have they gone and done now?!

"Fooling everyone right under their noses" Jungkook spoke, pulling a smirk at the other as he fell silent in utter confusion as well.

"I hope you are aware that the night at the dockyard when the first mission had turned to a massive massacre killing almost his entire team there had been but one survivor" Jungkook voiced slow and steady taking the reins now.

"Yes, along with the major another Private survived-" "Park Jin-Young"
The words got me even more confused, where the hell is he going with this?!

Just then the doors opened and all eyes moved to the two figures walking in. I hadn't seen Hoseok this grave as he seemed now, heavily trudging right behind the figure who was dressed in dark dull clothes and had a cap lowered enough to hide half his face.

"I bet you had no idea that the Private was a spy of Axel...or better yet, he is still a spy working for those criminals"

The lawyer turned as well to see Hoseok push him into a row to take a seat before he would be called to testify.

"And about the files that had gone missing, I think he will be able to answer that question" Jungkook stated proudly while I gaped back and forth not understanding how they had even managed to get him here, or how they could even get him to accept to testify!

Ah! The ledgers!

And as the moments rolled with the lawyer throwing a chain of questions at Jin-Young things began to fall into place better.

"So you agree that you were the one who stole the files?" "That was the task given to me, people would be stupid to assume that the General's death was an accident. Axel doesn't work like that" it didn't seem like he even wanted to hide the fact of being a spy for Axel.

While the lawyer kept on laying bare all his crimes, from being the traitor who informed classified information to Axel, to being the very man who had abducted me to drag me to become a part of Axel threatening to put me through the same anguish I had survived when I helplessly watched my team get murdered without a care, to being the one who had even broke into the Colonel's home to abduct Jimin and the man who had been put to keep an eye on me by Byun, which had led him to discover of my cover.

The hope of being finally proved innocent was so high that it got me severely anxious and I felt like my heart would go off like a bomb any minute now with the way it was beating so fucking hard!

The Judge kept silent, and all the room followed cue waiting impatiently to hear the verdict.

In my restlessness I began stealing glimpses of Jin, his face was equally frozen in anticipation as he kept staring hard at the Judge, and I prayed and begged shamelessly to be let free, hoping for once life would be good to me.

The Judge cleared her throat, setting her elbows on the table as she grabbed at her pen again, scribbling God knows what.

"After listening to all the testimonies and the information as relayed by the witnesses and varied other valid sources, the court has come to the decision to move the accused Kim Taehyung to a military prison at the end of this month"

I felt my world crash as the words speared through me realizing I was still going to be withheld behind bars, I could hear a soft gasp and knew it was Jin who had felt the same crushing pain right now but I couldn't pick my head up to look at him. I am so ashamed of myself, ashamed that I had failed him yet again and felt my eyes water as I realized he had been literally wasting his life trying to believe in me.

I was right, I am a lost cause....I have no escape from this.

"He will be ensured with his title as a 'Major' and serve a period of one year as correctional confinement"

My world froze as I snapped my head up to hear her and heard a murmur break out at the back of the room before she addressed to the court again "holding him guilty for defying direct orders from a higher official on his first mission and for trying to escape from the headquarters and evading the interrogation. At the next hearing the court will listen to Major Kim's testimony and he will be given a chance to plead his case. The court is hence adjourned till further notice."

The murmur grew louder and louder while I sat stunned at my position.

A year...and then I'll be free to live normally.

A year and then I can leave all of this behind me.

Only a year and I'll be back to him...I can do this, it will be hard but we can do this.

I felt a hand at my shoulder and looked up to see Namjoon smiling at me with a mix of happy and sad.

"I guess that's the best of what we could do...think you can hold through and make it out in one piece?"

Before I could even reply the guards came up around me, ordering him to not mingle with me as they nudged me to follow them.

"Tell him I'm fine, tell him not to worry so much" I managed to voice remembering Jin's anxious eyes when he looked at me before the guards got impatient and began dragging me away "tell him it's all good and I'll be back in no time".

I tried to catch a glimpse of Jin, ardently resisting their forcible pulling at my chains as I fought to get one short sight and when my eyes caught with his I almost felt a sob break out as he kept mirroring the way I turned to keep my eyes on him, he was crying, his grip bunching up a fistful of his shirt as he fought to hold back his wails.

I pleaded and begged internally to get to hold him just one time as my body instinctively went into a frenzy of need to comfort him even in the tiniest way I could manage, and I fought hard against the guards shoving and pulling at my chained hands.

My every plea is a selfish need for you for we turn to such beggars in love...

I watched him dig his teeth into his lip as his body shook with the sobs that coursed through him.

I keep begging for bundles of smiles to share with you...

My body burned with the need to hold him and assure him that it's a year and he has to be strong for me, I can't cope through this seeing him be this hurt and wrecked.

I crave wildly for moments when I can hold you to my heart without a care of how the minutes pass...

I try to smile through the tears that threatened to spill, please baby don't cry like this, it's great news actually, I wanted to assure him things had turned out well, I was not labelled guilty, I could actually clear my name of all the filth and go back to have a normal life. Something that had looked like a luxury even a few hours ago.

I said a prayer, pleading to keep him happy, safe and healthy so that once my time in prison is done I'd do nothing but strive to keep him happy, try to make up for all the times I had hurt him and made him cry

Eventually I was pushed out of the room and as the vehicle took me back to that hell-hole I got more hopeful. It's not even a week till the month's over, and I'll be moved to somewhere I can live without feeling like I'm being watched all the time.

And as I lay watching the same familiar ceiling of my cell, reminiscing the events of the day, reminiscing his soft brown eyes on mine and the rush of emotions it called I realized the worst was almost over and now I had to just count away the days till I my term of confinement ends.

I was content with how it had all turned out, of course I regret the fact that I'd lose being free and living with the one I love for a whole year but at least it's better than the thought of never getting to see him again.

But that was until a single piece of paper shook my world and I felt like my entire life was spinning out of my control yet again.

I was finally given visitation rights and I couldn't control my ecstasy the first time the warden told me I had a visitor, although I had intentionally kept Jin's name out of the visitation list. There's no way I'd want him to come here! At least not till I am moved to the other prison.

I waited patiently as the warden walked me down the lonely corridor and opened a door to let me into the small glass walled cubicle when I caught sight of Hoseok on the other side of the barrier. He smiled in greeting as I took my seat, pulling the receiver to my ear as I got curious to know why he was here suddenly.

"Hey, how are things? Prison treating you ok?" His voice came through.

"Just the usual. What brings you here?"

"Ah yeah...I just left a little something for you, collect it from the warden. Someone isn't happy about the visiting list you prepared...had been chewing my ear off and I just couldn't take it anymore" he chuckled and I smiled along getting the picture, being the reckless and stubborn human he is, Jin must have roared against it and pushed him out of the very door to come and see me.

"I had to...he might come under a lot of threat, something I really don't want" it felt like we're talking in morse code as both of us tried our best to keep Jin's name away from the conversation.

"True but you don't know what we're going through, it's a literal nightmare and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up losing my mind, or life for that matter" he rolled his eyes, trying to comically show his unlucky situation but the fact that he had come all the way here proves how much Jin actually means to him.

My ten minutes came to an end a little too soon and the warden knocked at the door as a hint to hurry up.

"Don't worry, things are going well, we got him. His vitals are fine, doc says they're both healthy and there are no issues as of yet, and to top it all we got a doctor at home as well...so don't get too overworked, we'll take care of him"

He said just as I was about to put the receiver back, drawing all my attention to the words instantly as I raked my head to understand what he was saying.

He watched me, a smile slowly forming at his lips as I stared back at him wide eyed.

Did he just say 'they'?

"Wh-What?" My heart felt like t would pop out of my chest as my mind raced wildly when I saw him put down the receiver and stand up, a smile still playing at his lips as I gestured him to pick it up and not leave me with such half-baked information. I was literally going crazy with astonishment.

I cursed under my breath as the warden came in to make me understand that I had exceeded my fair share of visitation and began pulling me away as I still kept watching Hoseok with wild eyes, and that ass actually dared to grin at me, mouthing a 'congratulations' to me when I literally felt like my world was slipping away, a void was what I was trapped in. I began imploring the warden to get the package he had left for me as fast as possible and yet every passing moment felt like a blow to my heart.

"...they're both healthy and there are no issues as of yet"

Can Jin possibly be p-pregnant? Now?Shit! God what the hell is even wrong with me?! It's great! We're having a baby! It's great!! But why do I always turn out to be the unlucky one to miss every good thing life has to offer??! Like seriously why?!! FUCKING SHITT!

It was after almost forty minutes of gruelling torturous wait that I finally received the package he had sent me. It wasn't much of a package either, just an envelope nicely sealed and addressed to 'Major Kim Taehyung'.

And as I thought back to it, I had never heard Jin call me this before, and somehow pride took my heart by surprise as I wished to hear him call me that as I wrapped my arms around him.

A letter, and there's something like a photo in here as well.

"I am very angry with you, why would you not let me go to see you?! I have so much to tell you and here you are being mean to me."

I smiled at the very first line at how adorably loving he is even in his anger, his voice filled my ears as I read.

"Tae...

I don't even know how or what to say, I thought I had so many things to talk to you about and yet now that I want to, all I can think of is that I love you, and that I miss you so terribly that it literally gets hard to breathe at times.
Oh wait! If I start with this I'm gonna forget about what I really wanted to talk to you about."

I felt my heart sigh, my mind instilling a blissful dizziness as I couldn't stop smiling but the next line confirmed my query and I felt the light of a thousand stars beam on me.

"I'm pregnant Tae...just stepped into the fifteenth week, it's a girl. Minjae is gonna have a little sis to play with. She is growing wonderfully well but I am starting to look kinda weird now. My body is a mess right now, like there are times I don't even know how to tackle it all. I'd love to have you here, at times it gets really hard and you're so good at pampering me, I miss that feeling too...so much.

I miss feeling loved by you."

I felt his words like a dagger in my heart, churning and edging deeper into the wound. He needs me right now, they both do and here I am stuck in this godforsaken place. I don't know just how incompetent life wants me to look?! What's the use of all these bravado and special skills when I can't even take care of my family?!

"Hope you are well...although there's not much I can do right now to make you are but just to assure myself I hope you're taking care of yourself.

Remember, seeing you be strong gives me strength."

My tears broke out to see him be so brave for me, I keep failing him and he just ups his strength of endurance a bit more every damn time...how does he do this?

"Seeing you be so brave makes me wanna be brave enough for you..." my words were just a string of murmurs as I read and reread the letter, finding new emotions in every corner of each of the line he had put down for me.

He is pregnant and yet I felt like the emotionally weaker one.

Goddam...he is pregnant, I pulled out the picture realizing it was an image of the ultrasound and once I saw my tiny little princess I just couldn't stop staring at it and needed to check the ultrasound again...and again...and again...

Our little creation.

I was overjoyed and couldn't get any sleep that night, my entire world zooming in to be taken over by the image and the letter and even though the walls of the prison tried to contain and constrict my blazing glee, it couldn't restrain my mind that bounded and leaped in glorious sparks of utter happiness, spilling out in numerous scenarios that I wished to live with them in future.

Just wait baby I'm going to make it alright soon enough...till then just put your faith in me and smile a little more for me, coz by God I'm carving those golden days in our fate for you even though life keeps taking those away from us...I promise

á na márië

[A\N] I'm not a law student neither do I have a great understanding of all the workings or details of a court, I'm trying to read through articles or watch videos n get ideas. So if you find faults I'm sorry about that 💜

Stay safe and healthy