New World with Four Husbands

"Put everything downstairs, Quizen!" Zaque called out to the fourth husband, his hand gripping the wooden railing on the bottom of the stairs.

"In a minute!" Quizen answered, then soon followed by the sound of something crashing and falling.

Zaque's eyebrows furrowed in worry, but he didn't have enough time to dwell on it because the sound of the oven signaling him that the bread was done baking echoed in the air.

"Hurry up! Coco will be arriving any minute now!" Zaque exclaimed before he left the stairs and rushed towards the oven.

Zaque pulled open the oven, revealing two perfectly roasted loaves of bread, the surface of the loaves was a deep golden brown, the top lightly crusted with a crispy texture— just the perfect texture that makes Coco smile every time she takes a bite.

A soft, warm fragrance wafted through the air, the scent of freshly baked bread tantalizing and inviting, spreading across the house.

Zaque slipped on the oven mitts and carefully extracted each loaf from the oven, the bread still warm to the touch as he set them down on the cooling rack on top of the kitchen counter.

The fabric protected his hands from the heat of the bread as he pulled the bread out, his movements were delicate, his touch gentle.

The bread was still steaming, the heat radiating from the loaves making the air around him warm and it was enough to make Zaque imagine what Coco's reaction would be once she saw the sandwich Heiren will pack.

"Heiren! The loaves are done! Come and help me pack these up!" Zaque screamed, calling out to the second husband.

"Coming!" Heiren's response was muffled, but Zaque heard him.

Zaque didn't wait for Heiren and immediately closed the oven, the metallic clang of the door echoing in the kitchen.

He turned back to the bread, his expression focused and his movements careful as he gently removed the loaves from their baking pans, the bread coming away from the pan easily.

Again, he couldn't help, but admire how the loaves were golden brown and looked pleasing to the eyes, not only that— it was also warm to the touch, their surface lightly crusted, a slight crust forming where the loaves had been pressed up against the pan.

The bread felt warm through the mittens, the heat still emanating from the freshly baked loaves, but he was quick to set the bread down on a large cutting board.

Then, Zaque placed the baking pans into the sink, the sound of metal against porcelain soft and rhythmic.

Just as he finished, Heiren came running down the stairs, each hand carrying a bag, each bag looked heavy, their contents shifting and banging against each other as he moved.

Zaque turned his attention to him, an eyebrow raised in surprise at the speed of his descent and a little worried.

"You ought to be more careful." Zaque chastised the brown haired mediator, "It wouldn't be good if you missed a step and fell all the way down."

"It's fine!" Heiren exclaimed and rushed into the kitchen, setting the bags down on the floor with a heavy thud, "I made it down without tripping or falling down, right? So, it's all good— ah, where's the ham?!"

Without pausing, he darted directly to the container where he had placed the ham he had cooked, and picked the container up, his hands moving with urgency.

The container was still warm— thankfully— the heat of the ham inside kept it warm, then, he opened the lid with a swift motion, the scent of cooked ham filling the air, and took a peak inside, eyeing if the sauce of the ham had not dried up yet.

"Oh, thank goodness." Heiren breathed out a sigh of relief before quickly closing the container, sealing the ham away.

He turned to the kitchen cabinet, pulling open the door with his free hand and taking out a small woven basket that he got from the shopping he did with you and Quizen.

The basket was lightweight, its edges neatly woven, and the material sturdy despite its small size so it was perfect to be kept around, then Heiren wordlessly placed the container inside the basket.

"Start cutting the bread, Zaque." Heiren told the first husband as he set the basket down on the table, its weight settling with a soft thump.

"Okay." Zaque turned towards the chopping board, his attention shifting to the task at hand.

The loaves of bread were placed on the board, the soft, warm loaves waiting to be cut, making Zaque give it a quick glance before he picked up a sharp knife, his hands steady as he began slicing through the loaves, his knife gliding through the bread like a hot knife through butter.

With each slice of bread falling down to the chopping board, Heiren rushed to get the chocolate spread he had hidden in the cupboards and started making a chocolate sandwich.

Heiren carefully spread a thin layer of chocolate spread onto the slices of bread, his movements urgent, but efficient.

The chocolate spread covered the bread in a thin, even layer, its deep brown color a beautiful sight against the paler bread, and once the chocolate was spread, he carefully placed another slice of bread on top, then placed them inside the small container he had retrieved earlier.

As the two of them busied themselves with the sandwich, the third and fourth husbands rushed downstairs.

"Stop pushing!" Alhai hissed, "Do you want to die?!"

"I'm not even pushing you! You're just so slow!" Quizen rebutted with grumble, clutching his bags tightly as he followed behind the silver haired mediator.

"Stop fighting, you two!" Heiren called out, his eyes glued to the chocolate sandwich he was making.

The two arguing mediators quickly stopped and continued their way down the staircase as quietly as they could, not wanting to push the first and second husbands' buttons.

"Someone please take my bags from my room." Zaque requested.

"I'll get it!"