Chapter Text
The air was cool with a gentle breeze, which grew stronger as the goddess of the sun and the god of the moon flew through the town.
It wasn't unusual for Maya and Zatz to be in the mortal realm during this time. After all, they had to raise the sun and set the moon. But tonight was different. They had taken some time to go through the town they saw almost every day to search for something. Or, more accurately, someone.
Two people, in fact.
The lovers had been flying for a few minutes before reaching the house they had been told to go to, the perks of being in a small town, they supposed.
"Is this the place?" Zatz asked, looking at the house before them.
Maya examined the house with her arms crossed, "This is where Candle Maker said to go."
Zatz was about to start flying again when Maya groaned in frustration, "I still can't believe no one told us about this!"
Zatz took her hand in his, "I know, mi amor. But, hey, at least we know now, right?"
"I guess." Maya took a deep breath and smiled, "Come on. We can't keep the sun and moon waiting for too long."
They both levitated around the house, looking through the windows for the couple they were looking for.
It wasn't until Zatz found an open window to a bedroom, "Maya! Over here!"
Maya made her way over to the window where Zatz was and looked at what he was seeing.
The room was dark, except for the moonlight. In the darkness, they could faintly see the couple in question in bed in the middle of the room.
Maya and Zatz looked at each other before going inside towards the sleeping couple.
Manolo Sanchez and Maria Posada. Or, well, Sanchez, now.
The newlyweds were curled up together under the covers, clinging to each other as though they never wanted to let the other go.
Zatz and Maya slowly made their way to them and sat on opposite sides of the couple on the bed.
"So..." Maya said, a chuckle escaping her lips, "They're our other halves."
"Right under our noses the whole time." Zatz replied.
The two gods were familiar with the mortal pair in front of them. In fact, they were supportive of their love, but they didn't pay too much attention to them.
Yet they felt drawn to the mortals for some reason.
Now they understood why.
"You know, it's funny when you think about it." Zatz said, "They loved each other in one life..."
"...Only to find each other again in another." Maya finished with a smile, "What are the odds?"
"That's how much I love you, Maya. It moves through lifetimes to be with you."
Maya blushed at the words of her husband. He always knew what to say to make her heart melt.
"They're good together, no?"
"Of course they are." Maya said, "It's us." Her comment made Zatz chuckle.
Maya's eyes drifted back to the open window as an idea crept up on her.
She got up from the bed and made her way to the window.
Zatz has been with his wife long enough to know from the way she walked that she was up to something, "What are you doing?"
"Just having a little fun. Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt them." She grabbed the handle of the window and closed it as hard as she could, with a loud bang.
The noise woke the couple up with a start, both of them sitting up, looking around the room frantically.
Remembering the state the newlyweds were in, Maya and Zatz looked away from them, blushing slightly.
"What was that?" Maria asked, her eyes wide.
"I don't know." Manolo replied, just as panicked as she was, "Wasn't that window open?"
They turned to the window where Maya was, and saw the window closed.
"Oh, was I not supposed to?" Maya said jokingly, knowing they couldn't hear her, "Just thought it was a little drafty."
They tried to remember if it was open or not, though they couldn't since that was something they didn't bother paying attention to.
After a minute, Manolo sighed, "It was probably nothing." He laid both of them back down, pulling the blanket back over them, warmth cocooning them once again.
Hearing the bed creak with movement, Maya and Zatz looked back at them. Maya walked back over and sat in her previous spot.
Manolo stared up at the dark ceiling, thoughts running through his mind of yesterday's events. He was both overjoyed and heartbroken at once.
He triumphed over death and married the love of his life, but also lost what was left of the family that raised him, a grief he told himself to feel in the morning, wanting to spend time with his new wife.
He almost never thought he'd see the day where he'd be laying with Maria like this, and here he was. However, a part of him was guilty that he chose death in order to be with her again, only to almost lose her all over again.
Manolo had told Maria of the circumstances of his death some time when they were alone during the reception, knowing keeping the secret would eat him alive forever. Maria's anger boiled over, earning him a good yelling for a bit, until she calmed down. She made him promise not to do anything so reckless again, something he swore on his regiven life.
Maria felt Manolo hold her tighter, telling her that something was wrong. She pushed herself up slightly to look at her husband's face, "Manolo, are you ok?"
"Maria... I'm sorry." He whispered, "About everything."
Maria sighed, having heard these words a few times now, "Manolo-"
"I wasn't thinking. I thought I wasn't gonna see you again, I know that doesn't excuse anything. Believe me, if I could take it all back-"
He was silenced by Maria lightly pressing her lips to his. When she broke the kiss, she pressed their foreheads together before leaning back to better look at his face slightly.
"Hey." She whispered, running a hand through his loose hair, "I forgive you. And I wouldn't trade it all for the world. I'm just glad you're here, ok. And remember that. That there's always someone who loves you. Ok?"
Manolo looked into his wife's large brown eyes and smiled, "I promise."
Maria smiled and pressed a kiss to both his cheeks and finally his lips again.
"At least it's good to know none of this was a dream."
Both of them chuckled as Maria snuggled into Manolo, her head laying on his chest as Manolo wrapped his arms around her.
"Manolo?" She whispered.
"Hm?"
"Can you sing to me?"
"Of course."
Ten minutes ago I saw you
You looked up as I came through the door
My head started reeling
You gave me the feeling, the room had no ceiling or floor
Ten minutes ago I met you, and we murmured our how do you dos
I wanted to ring out the bells
And fling out my arms, and to sing out
The news
I have found her, she's an angel
With the dust of the stars in her eyes
We are dancing
We are flying
And she's taking me back to the skies
In the arms of my love, I'm flying
Over mountains, and meadow and glen
And I like it so well, and for all I can tell, I may never come down again
I may never come down to earth again
As he sang, he held her closer, one hand in her hair, the other soothingly circling her bare back.
He felt Maria relax and snuggle further into him, "I love you." She whispered.
Those words swelled his heart as he planted a kiss on her head, "I love you, too." He whispered back.
They closed their eyes again to wake up at a more reasonable hour, snuggled close together relishing in the feeling of skin and warmth.
Seeing this interaction lit up Maya and Zatz. They've only known love so strong within each other, and seeing it within the mortal lovers before them further confirmed they contained part of their souls.
"They really are us." Zatz said.
"Yep." Maya smiled, "I hope they have a good life together. Especially after all they've been through. Or, we've been through."
"Of course they will." Zatz chuckled, "It's worth it after all that trouble." He leaned over the couple and placed a hand on his wife's stomach, "And hey, they'll have their own family, too, before long."
Maya smiled and squeezed his hand lovingly.
They turned their attention back to the couple.
Maya placed a hand on Maria's shoulder, "Believe me, all the trouble is worth it."
Zatz placed his hand on Manolo's head, "Be good to each other."
The divine beings got up from the bed to go back to their duties raising and setting the sun and moon.
"Come on, we've gotta go back to work." Zatz said.
"And later give Chaska a piece of my mind." Maya added venomously.
Right as the two left, Manolo and Maria briefly woke again, this time to voices.
Manolo heard a plethora of voices whisper "Zatz..." He looked around the room at the name. When he saw nothing, he went back to sleep.
Maria woke to voices saying "Maya..." She woke up blinking, confused. She didn't dwell on it too long and fell asleep.
The two lovers were none the wiser about the gods in the room.