"Xibalba… Xiba…" La Muerte was cut off by another rough kiss from her husband. She could feel herself drifting off into a blissful haze with every moan that she let out but still fought to think straight. But the way he held her hips and was running a finger teasing down her back made that hard… very hard. "Xibalba," La Muerte said breathlessly. " I need to ask you a favor…" The sugar goddess rose onto her knees to reposition herself. La Muerte's long legs were found straddling her husband's legs on his throne and her hands pressed down on his shoulders to keep him from reaching her lips.

"Hmmm, what is it, my dear." Xibalba said still drunk from his wife's lips. It was the worse kind of addiction; the kind where it wasn't a thing but a loved one. Her kisses were the only thing strong enough to make him go numb, her laugh just did wonderful things to his senses and her touches sent shocks through his entire body. Xibalba knew he was addicted. He knew his only true weakness was not being burned or his 'gambling problem' but his wife. His Muertita was his and his alone and if that meant he would be an addict then he had no intention of sobering up.

" I...mph!" La Muerte let out a high pitched gasp as she felt Xibalba's cold lips kissing the center of her chest and moving up to her neck.

"You were saying, mi amor." Xibalba grinned as he planted butterfly kisses on her neck.

La Muerte bit her lip as a shiver went down her spine. He was the only one to ever make her chest turn cold and whether he knew it or not he was also the only one to make her brain go numb with pleasure. Just as she was about to forget her plan. 'Snap out of it! You're on a mission!' Her thoughts made her focus and pushed Xibalba down once again.

" I was saying that I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" La Muerte asked as she started to play with his beard.

"Anything for you, mi amor. What is the favor?"

She used her sweetest voice. "I was hoping you would come with me to visit the Candle Maker. You know how lonely he gets and I feel bad that we have each other and he doesn't."

"He has the book!" Xibalba all but whined. He let go of her hips and crossed his arms to prout. " I don't want to go. It's too bright and nosey and I have better things to do."

" The Cave of Souls isn't nosey and it's only bright because of all the candles."

" I was talking about him." Xibalba said dryly.

"Xibalba!" La Muerte scolded him lightly. "Be nice."

" I'm sorry, my dear but I simply refuse to go."

La Muerte met his eyes and knew he wouldn't come willing so she was going to plan B. As she scooted closer, she ran a hand up his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Please."

"No. Never."

Leaning in further she asked again. "Please, Balby," Her lips barely brushed his.

"No." He said as he turned his head away.

" For me?" She gave a small puppy face, knowing he would give.

Xibalba gave a very loud sigh as his answer. "What time?"

La Muerte grinned from ear to ear. "Tomorrow at lunch."

"Very well." He grumpled.

She couldn't help but giggle and pecked him on the cheek. "Thank you, Balby!" La Muerte was about to get up since her mission was done but Xibalba wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her there.

"Now where were we?" He asked seductively giving her a wicked smile.

La Muerte couldn't help but giggle again and went right back to their rough make-out session

Xibalba glanced around at the Cave of Souls wondering how anyone could stand having this much light. While the Land of the Remembered was one thing and his La Muerte was another, he could never understand why the Candle Maker stayed here with all the brightness. 'Speaking of brightness...' everything made him think of his love. 'Where's La Muerte?' He thought.

While walking around the cave, a certain group of candles caught his attention; the people of San Angel. Those people have been part of his wagers since the little town started and some have helped him win wagers against his wife but there were others who had made him lose. Xibalba, like the other gods, could look at the candles and see who was who and he was seeing a certain bull fighter's life. 'One touch.' he thought. 'Who would ever know?'

"Hey balby!" The Candle Maker yelled across the cave of souls, happy and cheerful as ever.

"Don't call me that! No one is ever allowed to call me that!" Xibalba growled and mentally cursed his childhood nickname.

"Not according to La Muerte."

"... she's the exception."

"She always is."

Xibalba grunted at this. Knowing that his wife was his weakness didn't mean he liked it when others did too. Least of all the tub of wax he always saw. "So… I notice you've added some more candles." Xibalba finally spoke but still felt awkward without knowing where La Muerte was.

"Yay! Man, you wouldn't BELIEVE how many people are just like popping up! I'm barely keeping my wax together. 'Cause like I have to be here and then like over there and… it's crazy man!"

Xibalba notice how the Book of Life, who floated just behind the Candle Maker, looked somehow worn out. "Wait… if you're so busy… why did you ask La Muerte and I out to lunch?" he asked, looking at the Candle Maker as if he had just answered his own question. 'La Muerte? Where are you?' It wasn't like La Muerte to be late.

"Uhhh, watcha talking about man? La Muerte asked ME to meet you two for lunch." The Candle Maker looked for confused. "Wait! Where is La Muerte?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Xibalba answered through gritted teeth. He was started to get worried and annoyed. 'La Muerte would never miss a lunch with me without good reason' Xibalba reasoned in his head. 'Or if she's in trouble.'

"Uh Balby?" The Candle Maker asked, bringing Xibalba out of his thoughts.

"What… I told you to never call me that!"

"Whoa man! Like chill… we can check the book for La Muerte."

Xibalba gave both of them a sharp glance. "Well?! What are you waiting for? Where is La Muerte?!"

"Chill man! Imma lookin!" The Candle Maker opened the book to La Muerte's story, skipping past all the private stuff and gently peeking at the happier memories she had; all of which were with a certain god of death, and found where she was at and what she was up to. He couldn't help but grin like a child in a candy store and looked at Xibalba who was pacing back and forth waiting for an answer. "She's fine, Bably."

"WHERE IS MY WIFE?!" Xibalba at this point was so worried about La Muerte that he didn't care what he was called.

"She's in the Land of the Remembered."

Xibalba, the Candle Maker and the Book of Life all went to where La Muerte was at in the Land of the Remembered. All the Remembered were going about with their endless parties and get togethers but a small group had gathered around the ruler of the land, La Muerte. Xibalba could see the very top of her head but couldn't tell why she was on the ground and why all of her people where around her.

Suddenly the crowd backed up as La Muerte stood up and brushed at her dress to make sure it didn't get dirty. Xibalba couldn't put his finger on it but she looked… different somehow but he knew she wasn't in any trouble when her smile went into her eyes and she spun around a couple of times while laughing. It hit him then that instead of her long, silk like hair down her back, it was braided and had bright,yellow flowers in it. Even when braided her hair almost touched the ground and it still made him want to run his fingers through it countless of times. La Muerte soon spotted her husband and gracefully walked past the crowd to meet him.

Xibalba could feel the blush creeping up to his cheeks as he saw her. His eyes became the size of bowls as he took in her new look, while he was used to seeing it tied back, this look made her more young and just a tiny bit wilder. His staring was broken when he felt the the Candle Maker nudge his arm and wiggle his cloud made eyebrows at him as a hint. Xibalba tried to fight the blush but it was no use, instead he placed his large hand on the Candle Maker's head and gave him a good push back just as La Muerte came in front of the them.

"I see you have figured it out." La Muerte smiled as she tossed her braid over her shoulder to the front.

"Tisk, tisk, my dear. You lied to me and forced me to talk to this... him." he grinned back all while he acted hurt by her lie.

"Hey man! I'm still here y'know!"

"Awww, I suppose you right… it's so rude of me keep you waiting." La Muerte and Xibalba were looking into each other's eyes and slowly forgot that they were being watch.

The Candle Maker and the Book soon felt like the third wheel and took that as their cue to leave. "Well… it seems you guyz are gonna be busy! So how 'bout breakfast tomorrow?"

"Hmmm...oh sounds good. We'll meet you here." La Muerte distantly replied as she toyed with Xibalba's beard and Xibalba with her hair.

"Well my dear, how about a early dinner for two instead?"

"Sounds wonderful, mi vida." And with that the two rulers turned into a ball of tar and marigolds and headed toward La Muerte's castle.

As the people of the Land of the Remembered started their everyday afterlives, the Candle Maker and the Book of Life were walking in the hallway of La Muerte's castle toward her room. The Candle Maker was worried when La Muerte or Xibalba didn't show up to breakfast and the book wouldn't let him look to see where they were.

Looking ahead to the grand red doors of La Muerte's bedroom, the book started to nudge the Candle Maker.

"What?" he asked just as he reached the door, the book floated in front of him. "Hey! I need to check up on her, man!"

The Book then opened and closed and opened and closed trying to warn him.

"Imma just gonna peak in real quick!"

The Candle Maker walked in but the Book remained in the hall and now he knew way. His gaze landed on the king sized bed in the middle of room or rather the couple that was in the bed. La Muerte was on her side and sound asleep as while as Xibalba. He had one arm wrapped around her waist as his larger figure spooned hers, both blissfully unaware of the awkwardness building up in the room. When he saw clothes scattered across the floor he thanked the realms that both were covered with a blanket and each other. He snapped out of his gaze when he saw Xibalba start to stir and quickly left the room and then the realm without a word to the book or anyone.