New World with Four Husbands

"We met this adorable mediator.." Jacques started, darting her eyes around the room, prolonging on introducing who was the new addition to their marriage.

"He's a really, really, really, cute mediator." Renaldo chimed in, putting an emphasis on his words to let Coco know how attractive the mediator they were talking about, this caused Coco to raise an eyebrow.

"Okay.. He's cute. I get it." Coco nodded her head in understanding and leaned back on her chair, "But I was asking for his name."

Jacques straightened up on her chair and unconsciously gripped her utensils harder, "You won't get mad, right..?"

Coco blinked. "Mad? Why would I get mad?"

"Because it's someone you know, and he's very precious to you?" Renaldo said, growing as anxious as his wife, still not meeting Coco's eyes.

Coco's eyebrows met and she looked between the married couple, confused as to why they are so nervous and prolonging their new addition to her, as if that someone is one of her husbands—

Coco paused, ceasing her train of thoughts.

It can't be, right..? Coco thought, her body tensing and straightening as she stared at Jacques with a blank expression on her face.

Almost immediately, Jacques and Renaldo realized that there was a shift in Coco's mood, making them snap their attention back to her, their throats bobbing up and down as they swallowed thickly.

"Is it one of my husbands?" Coco asked, going straight to the point.

Coco clenched her fist tightly, the wooden spoon in her hand snapped beneath the pressure, breaking with a loud crack— the sound was sharp and clear, cutting through the silence and tension of the dining room.

Rey and Kairo choked on their food, their eyes widening in shock as they turned their head to look at Coco, their gaze questioning her whether she was serious or not.

However, the serious look on her face speaks volume.

"No!" Jacques exclaimed, her own eyes wide in surprise at Coco's assumption.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Rey announced and stood up from his seat, laughing nervously as he excused himself, not waiting for a response from Coco, Jacques, or Renaldo.

"Please excuse me, it seems that I also lost my appetite." Kairo stated, standing up from his chair and leaving the room as fast as he could, not caring if his plate is still halfway done, because to be frank, he would rather deal with nothing than get involved in their upcoming fight.

"We would never like one of your husbands, Coco." Renaldo said, backing his wife up and ignoring the other two mediators who left the room.

He understands that they flee the room for their safety because from the looks of it, Coco was barely holding back from whatever she wanted to do due to the broken spoon in her grip.

Though, Jacques and Renaldo know that Coco wouldn't raise her hands against them.

They have that feeling she would rather give up everything and retreat rather than confront them and take them down— a gut feeling that makes them feel safe despite witnessing a utensil get destroyed right before their eyes.

"In fact, I don't like any of your husbands." Jacques rebutted, her eyebrows furrowing as she relaxed, a little.

"My wife is right." Renaldo nodded his head and once again, backed his wife up, "We don't like any of your husbands— or in this case, if you told us that you want to divorce them, then we would help you because we know that we can take care of you better than them."

"Right, right." Jacques agreed fervently, "It doesn't matter if you're married to anyone! As your friends, we know that we can take care of you better than anyone!"

"In all honesty, we would rather have you join our little family if it comes down to it, and we would still be friends." Renaldo stated, adding to his previous statements to assure Coco further.

Somehow, everything they said worked.

Coco blinked— once, twice, thrice— then she let out a sigh, shaking her head in disbelief. "Sorry, I didn't mean to accuse you two."

Jacques and Renaldo visibly relaxed when she spoke up, a look of understanding and relief crossing their features as they both shot her a smile, understanding where she was coming from.

"It's okay." Renaldo said, reaching over to the table to touch Coco's hand that was near the main dish's plate, "We would rather have you than your husbands. Remember that, okay? Especially next time if you think that we're feeling something else for those.. Mediators."

The last word was hesitant, as if he didn't want to acknowledge Coco's husbands, but he didn't have any other choice.

It's either he will refer to them using their sex or their names, and frankly, he prefers the former.

"Okay." Coco chuckled as a smile slowly etched into her lips, "Again, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you two like that.. I don't know what came over me."

"Don't worry." Jacques hums, "I think I know why."

"Hm?" Coco turned her attention to Jacques, her fingers curling around Renaldo's fingers, entangling them together, "What does that mean?"

The holding hand the two of them were making seems natural and the fact that Jacques doesn't seem to mind, gives Coco comfort.

One of her love languages is physical touch, she loves hugs, holding hands, or putting a hand somewhere on a person's body as long as she's touching them, but only to the people she deems important to her life.

Right now? With what Renaldo and Jacques told her, she just knows that she can trust them.

She could already feel her body aching and wanting to envelope Jacques into a hug or just plainly hold her hand like how she holds Renaldo's hand.

"You don't have to worry about what I meant." Jacques said, smiling softly as she gazed at Coco's hand and Renaldo's, her heart swelling with love.

"About the mediator we were talking about.." Jacques stared at Coco's eyes, "It's Jonathan."