"Nicknames" (Xibalba and Muertita drabble: Short story)

"Nicknames"

For years, Xibalba has been lovingly called by his nickname from his beloved wife, La Muerte. 'Balby' she laughed, from the first time she uttered it from her lips. At first, it had caused some annoyance from having his fearsome name turned into something childish. Yet, when she greets him with that charming little nickname, he could not help but melt into her arms when she gives him a kiss right after. She is the only one allowed to call him that, when spoken from another's lips in a way to spite him, like The Candle Maker, who found it gave him a laugh or two when invoking the dark lord's anger. Xibalba had accepted the nickname as something positive when his wife called him that, it always meant she was in a good mood. While he accepted his new name in stride, whenever he said the nickname of his wife's, it gave out an opposite reaction from her, which gives him a laugh.

She had a harsh scowl across her face, her arms crossed tightly over each other and her leg over the other while she glared at her husband who was holding a large grin in front of her as she sat on her throne.

"I told you many times-" she started, letting out a growl. "Not to call me that!"

He stifled out a laugh as he placed his hands behind his back.

"Call you what?" he questioned innocently, he bit his lower lip seeing her let out a cute frown. "You don't mean….Muertita~" he rolled off his sharp tongue, she cringed hearing that horrid name. "do you? hehe."

She slammed a fist on her armrest.

"Xibalba! Don't call me that!" she yelled.

"Why not? you call me 'Balby', its only fair if I give you a nickname, isn't that what couples do?….Muertita."

"ugh!" she groaned, her nails digging into her massive hair as she tried to cover her ears. "Stop it! I mean it! You know how much I hate that name!" she reprimanded.

"…..Muertita."

"Xibalba!"

"Muertita."

"If you don't stop-"

"Muertita."

"I'm going to-!"

"Muerita. Muertita. Muertita~" he sang, turning away from his wife and ignoring her warnings. She let out a voice of protest as she goes to her feet.

"Enough!" she yelled, raising a finger at him. He gave her a sideway glance holding a bored look as she waved it at him menacingly. "This is your last warning, Xibalba…if you do not stop calling me that name I'll-" she went silent seeing him let out a large grin, revealing his sharp teeth. She gritted her teeth. "If you say it I'm going to throttle you, Xibalba…"

He turned to her, leaned towards her and whispered.

"Muuuuertiiiitaaahhhh."

He was suddenly tackled to the ground, before he can react, his beard and mustache was being pulled mercilessly from his wife, threatening to rip them off and causing him great pain.

"Owowowowow! Let go of me!" he yelled, flailing his arms. "You devil women!"

"Not until you apologize! you old, leprous, son of a mule!" she pulled his beard to the right while pulling his mustache to the left, stretching his mouth and face harshly.

"Never!" he hissed before adding with a low voice. "…Muertita!"

He swiftly rolled throwing his wife off to her side and with a quick flap of his wings jumps on the table in the throne room, kicking away any food in the way. La Muerte was quickly to her feet to see her husband laughing loudly at her expense and from his quick escape. The flames of her candles grew in size manifesting her anger, she raised her hand and with a quick motion of her wrist released a whip of marigolds slapping her ungrateful husband in the face, following with another and another. He stumbled back from her onslaught making him fall off the table on his back, decorating the floor with bread and wine. He put out his hands as his wife was soon upon him trying to grab another fist full of his facial hair. He grabbed her wrists pulling them away from him.

"Let. Go!" she demanded, trying to claw at him, her large hat gone from her struggle against him.

"Stop trying to hit me!" he argued, keeping his face as far away as possible.

"Ugh! You ungrateful old man!"

"Devil-women!"

"Burro!"

"Vaca!"

"I hate you!"

The both stop suddenly, staring at each other with hard glares, both ready to leave each other's side and escaping to their own realms. Instead, they pressed their lips against each other's in a passionate kiss.

Sighs and groans escape their mouths as they wrapped their arms possessively around each other. Xibalba's hands roamed up and down her figure as she placed her hands on his neck and face, brushing against his beard. They both pull away abruptly, their anger replaced with soft laughter.

"…oh Balby." she sighed, peppering him with butterfly kisses on his upper lip. "What I'm I going to do with you?"

He let out a small shudder from her sweet kisses and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Ay Muerti-OW!" he yelped as his wife gave him a harsh pull of his mustache.