Just A Few Numbers Away

Chapter 151

Winter Warmth and Morning Chaos

The calendar page had barely turned to December when the reality of time finally caught up with her wardrobe.

​Inside the quiet warmth of their bedroom at the secluded Gapyeong chalet, Aen stood before the full-length mirror, letting out a soft, defeated sigh.

She looked down at the waistband of her favorite fitted jeans, which stubbornly refused to button.

​At eleven weeks pregnant, there wasn't a dramatic, unmistakable bump yet-just a quiet, firm rounding at her lower abdomen, a tiny secret shape that only she and the clothes pressing against her skin seemed to notice.

​A pair of familiar arms slipped gently around her waist from behind, breaking her train of thought.

Yoongi rested his chin on her shoulder, his dark eyes meeting hers in the reflection.

A soft, incredibly tender smile curved his lips as he looked down at the unbuttoned denim and the subtle shift in her silhouette.

​"Trouble with the wardrobe, Mrs. Min?" he murmured, his deep morning voice a low rumble against her ear.

​Aen let out a huff, leaning back against his chest.

"These jeans are official traitors. They fit fine literally a week ago."

​Yoongi chuckled softly, his hands sliding down from her waist to trace the soft fabric of her shirt until his palms rested gently, protectively over her lower stomach.

The teasing warmth in his eyes melted into a profound, almost reverent gravity as he stared at the tiny curve beneath his hands.

​Without a word, he pressed his face into the crook of her neck, breathing her in before slowly dropping to one knee right there on the bedroom floor.

​Aen's breath hitched, a soft gasp slipping from her lips as he gently turned her around so she was facing him rather than the mirror.

​Yoongi's hands rested warmly on her hips as he gently pressed his forehead against the thin fabric covering her stomach, lingering there in the quiet stillness of the room.

A second later, he pressed a lingering, incredibly tender kiss directly to the tiny bump, his lips soft against her skin.

​When he finally looked up at her, his eyes were bright with an unmasked, overwhelming love.

​"Good morning, little one," he whispered against her stomach, before pressing one last, lingering kiss there for good measure.

​Standing back up, he wrapped his arms around her again, burying his face in her hair.

"Wear whatever you want today. To me, you're always the most beautiful you've ever been."

​Pulling back just a bit, Aen smiled, the lingering frustration melting away as her hands came up to cup his face, her thumbs brushing affectionately over his cheekbones.

"Come on. The rest of the guys are going to start banging on the front door if we don't go downstairs for breakfast."

***

Downstairs, the floorboards were already vibrating with the distinct, high-voltage chaos of the members.

They had descended on the countryside retreat to celebrate the Jin's birthday, trading the suffocating Seoul spotlight for a weekend of private, unfiltered brotherhood.

​Stepping out of the hallway and into the open-concept kitchen, Yoongi and Aen were immediately met with a culinary disaster zone.

​Jungkook was aggressively whisking a bowl of pancake batter like he was preparing for combat, while Taehyung stood beside him, solemnly inspecting a frying pan as if it were a modern art installation.

Jimin was already raiding the pantry for snacks, and Jin-wearing an apron that boldly declared him a Worldwide Handsome Masterchef-was supervising the chaos with the stressed, hyperactive energy of a general leading a doomed army.

​"If anyone burns the toast, I'm revoking your membership status," Jin announced loudly, waving a spatula in the air before his eyes landed on the newly arrived couple.

His expression instantly softened, dropping the comedic tyrant act.

"Ah, the birthday celebrant's VIP guests have finally graced us with their presence. Sit down before you trip over Jungkook's stray flour bags, Aen-ah."

​Before Aen could even take two steps toward the dining table, a chorus of protests erupted from the kitchen line.

​"Yah, what did I just say about moving fast, noona?" Jungkook scolded, dropping his whisk and rushing over with a look of extreme maternal panic.

"No sudden movements! Sit down right there, noona. Let me pull out the chair."

​"I'm eleven weeks, Jungkook, not made of glass," Aen laughed, though she let him fuss and pull out the padded wooden chair for her anyway.

​Taehyung immediately abandoned the frying pan, sliding a plate piled high with suspiciously browned pastries right in front of her.

"Here, hyeon-su. Jin-hyung made these, but I supervised the emotional support aspect. Eat up, you need nutrients for the tiny human."

​"Don't listen to Taehyungie, eat mine instead, hyeon-su, they're chemically safer," Jimin chimed in, sliding a fresh cup of warm tea right into her hands.

​Yoongi slid into the seat beside her, resting a casual, protective hand on the back of her chair while giving the younger members a dry, warning look.

"Leave her alone before she throws a fork at you."

Aen chuckled.

​"Yoongi-chi! We're just taking care of our favorite sister-in-law!" Jin scoffed, leaning against the counter.

"Besides, we have special delegates checking in on our domestic compliance right now."

​As if on cue, Jin pulled his phone out of his pocket, tapping a few buttons before propping it up against a sugar jar on the island counter.

The screen flickered, connecting a video call.

​Within seconds, Namjoon's face filled the small screen, looking sharp in his military cap and uniform, with Hoseok sitting right beside him in his own barracks-issued gear, grinning brightly.

​"Happy birthday, Jin-hyung!" Namjoon's deep voice boomed through the phone speakers, instantly silencing the kitchen chaos.

​"Hyung! Look at us, we're calling from the cutting-edge frontline of national defense just to watch you blow out candles," Hoseok added, leaning into the frame with a dramatic wave.

"Did you make sure Aen-nie ate properly? If we hear reports that Yoongi-hyung made her starve, we're breaking out of the base."

​Yoongi deadpanned directly at the camera.

"I am sitting right here beside her, Hoba, and she is currently eating her third breakfast courtesy of these hyperactive idiots."

​"Good morning, Namjoon-hyung, Hoseok-hyung!" Aen waved brightly at the screen, leaning into the camera's view.

"Don't worry, the samchoons are currently treating me like a fragile porcelain doll. You guys look great."

​Namjoon's expression softened into that familiar, leader-like warmth, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Glad to hear it. And happy birthday again, Jin-hyung-make sure you save us some cake digitally, at least."

​The kitchen erupted into another wave of overlapping laughter, teasing banter, and warm wishes across the screen, bridging the miles between the secluded Gapyeong chalet and the military base.

​For a weekend tucked away from the rest of the world, wrapped in the noise of the people they loved most, the heavy shadows of the past weeks finally dissolved into something entirely peaceful.