It was early evening time, and Hankyung had gone to pick up his parents at the airport. Heechul was making sure everything was ready while the twins played in the living room. He went to check on them as the door opened.

     "Chul, we're home!" Hankyung called. 

"I'll be right out. I'm just checking on the kids."

     "Wow! I was sure your apartment was nice, but it's amazing!" Hankyung's father said. "Don't you think so, dear?" he said to Hankyung's mother.

     "Maybe I could see it better if you helped me with my things," she said, letting out a breath. Heechul came out at that moment, smiling awkwardly when he saw her.

     "Can I help you with your bags?" he asked. She shook her head.

"It's alright. My husband can help me."

     "I can too, Mom," Hankyung said. His mother nodded.

"Alright. Now, where will we be staying?" she asked. Once the others were halfway up the stairs, Heechul went to check on the twins again, but stopped when he heard his mother-in-law speak. 

     "That husband of yours-"

"You mean Heechul?" Hankyung said.

     "Yes...him. He seems nice enough, but just too delicate to carry our things."

Heechul scrunched his eyebrows and kept walking. 

     "If she goes any farther," he thought to himself. His mood lightened when he saw Miyoung and Youngjae happily playing on a blanket. They smiled when they saw him.

     "Don't worry," Heechul said. "I'll make sure this doesn't affect you badly. You didn't do anything."

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs alerted him to what was to come.

     "Would you like to meet the kids?" Hankyung said. He led his parents into the living room where Heechul was playing with them.

"Oh, my, son. They've got your eyes," his father said. His mother smiled.

     "They are beautiful. How old are they?"

"Six months."

     "Are they talking yet?"

"They've started making sounds that resemble words," Heechul said. "They'll probably be speaking any time now."

     "Very nice," Hankyung's father said, smiling. "Isn't it, dear?" Hankyung's mother nodded.

"Yes. It is," she said, half-genuinely. Her husband just looked at her. 

     "Well, who wants to start dinner?" Hankyung said. After preparing a meal and sitting through an awkward atmosphere meal, it was late, and everyone was tired. Heechul and Hankyung were in the middle of putting the twins to bed when there was talking in the hallway.

     "Sweetheart, give him a chance. He seems like a great guy, and a good parent. He seems to treat our son well, too," Hankyung's father said. 

     "He's...what do you call it, a flower boy? He hardly seems able to carry on a proper conversation."

"Now, that's not true. He offered you help earlier and politely answered your questions," he said in a slightly condescending tone.

     "What are you trying to say, dear?" she said, the statement dripping with sarcasm.

"I love you, but you're going about this the wrong way. You're being rude and judgmental. Heechul never had to agree with Hankyung to let us stay here, you know."

     She shook her head. "What was he going to do? Throw a fit?"

"He could have made things as awkward as you did, but did he? No, because I know our son wouldn't have fallen in love with a person like that. Listen, I know we're not super familiar with him, but all I'm asking is that we give him a chance. It would make things better for everyone here, and do you want to subject our grandchildren to a toxic environment?"

     "Fine. I'll...think about it."

"Good."

     "But I'm not promising anything. Now, I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

Hankyung and Heechul heard the whole thing from the bedroom. Heechul made Hankyung stay in the room whenever he wanted to stop his mother's comments, because Heechul insisted that his parents had to keep some things between themselves. 

     "Are you sure you're alright, babe?" Hanykung asked. Heechul nodded.

"I'm...just going to go brush my teeth," Heechul said, leaving the room. He saw Hankyung's father on the way to the bathroom.

     "Hello," his father-in-law said. Heechul replied the same way and bowed. He saw the tension on Heechul's face.

"You alright, Heechul?"

    "I'm fine, thank you. Just tired."

"I'm sorry if you heard what went on between my wife and I. She really isn't a bad person. I believe she's just taking awhile longer to adjust. I'll be honest. I felt the same toward your marriage to our son at first, but then I saw how much you loved each other, and how great of a parent you are."

     Heechul blinked, staring blankly. "Th-thank you. I appreciate it."

"Thank you for being so kind to us and letting us stay here," Hankyung's father said, patting Heechul's shoulder. "It'll be great to see Youngjae and Miyoung, too."

     "We're happy that you'll get to see them more often."

His father-in-law smiled. "Goodnight."

     "Goodnight. Just call us if you need anything."

Heechul went to brush his teeth, thinking over the conversation he had just had. Maybe this situation wouldn't be the easiest thing ever, but it certainly made things easier to know that one out of the two in-laws liked him. It wasn't perfect, but he hoped everything would turn out just fine.