The right time never seemed to arrive. Or perhaps you had missed that elusive chance to tell your parents about your relationship with Chanyeol. You had gotten used to all the excuses and secrecy towards them, much like you had with dating Chanyeol on the sly. It was now ten months into your relationship and you had mastered the art of keeping both your boyfriend happy and your parents none the wiser.

Of course, there had been some close mishaps along the way, and every time they occurred Chanyeol implored you to help him tell them. But you managed to placate him each time, reminding him that you would when it was necessary to.

And right now, you didn’t feel it was a dire need for them to know.

Chanyeol disagreed though. “We need to tell them.”

“Tell them what exactly, that we’re sorry but we can’t be the family they see us as anymore because we’re in love? Can you imagine Mum’s reaction? She’ll have a fit.”

“Let her, she will calm down and see reason.”

You shook your head roughly, looking at Chanyeol as you grabbed the dish he had just washed with vigour. “Mum will not see reason and you know that.”

“Dad might help us. He’s always open to hearing everyone’s side of a situation.”

“They see us as siblings, Chanyeol. The whole township does. You know in such a small place that gossip can make or break a business. Just imagine how they will cope when people hear about us and blame it on their insufficient parenting. Even though they have been praised for taking in a child that isn’t their own and raising you well, those sharp tongues have no tact.”

“You’re impossible,” he told you, throwing down the gloves and storming away. You followed him and he groaned heavily, picking up your phone from the table. “I answered this. Me!”

“You live with me and I’ve told you, she’s not going to see it as an issue. I used to answer her phone whenever it was ringing in the shop too.”

“But that was during trading hours. I answered it when we were in bed together. I sounded exhausted and she questioned why I was answering your phone.”

“And you told her that I had left it on the table and you were getting a drink of water, you covered well.”

“Maybe I don’t want to keep covering. Maybe I want to tell them so I can get this weight off my shoulders about sneaking around with you.”

“Then you want to break up with me,” you told him shakily and Chanyeol cursed. “I’m not saying it just to be dramatic, if they find out about us, they will break us apart.”

“They might not too, we won’t know until we actually tell them, Y/N!”

You heaved a breath right as Chanyeol did, eyes glaring at one another. It always ended this way, waiting for one of you to back down enough to resolve the argument. You didn’t want to be the loser, you wanted him to realise just how much he was gambling by pressing the issue. You didn’t want to admit the equal risk you faced in them finding out before you could tell them either. But you were certain that wouldn’t be the case.

“Do you want to break up?” you asked more softly and Chanyeol rubbed at his face before shaking his head. You tentatively stepped closer to him, and he held out his arms just enough for you to bury into him. You hated fighting with him. “I can’t lose you.”

“And you won’t, ever. I won’t leave you even if they hate the idea of us together.”

You wished