Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

spiders know to spin at twilight 
and finish by the dawn
so let us just think of the good times 
and not what we did wrong
rest your weary bones at last
and curl into the wind
and I will hope like those before me 
that something new begins

Hannah Fury

First, there was pain. Blood in her mouth, ashes in her hair. She dragged her broken body along, Eagle Claw raised, yelling in defiance. And then—

Nothing.

Quiet, darkness, and all of a sudden, a voice — You have done well.

Who are..? Maya tried to speak, but couldn’t move. Did she even have a body anymore? Or was she just a soul, floating in some endless, quiet sea? That couldn’t be forever. She’d died a warrior’s death. Surely she’d at least get to see her brothers? Her mother? Her love? Zatz had told her about the stars, about sacrifice, and he’d been so sure—

Then, the voice again, echoing through her mind. Not yet. You are due for a reward, I think.

A rewa—

Maya did not even have time to finish the thought before the sea around her was spinning, brightening, until she was deposited unceremoniously on sun-drenched stone. She crouched on her hands and knees, coughing and heaving as she remembered how to use her lungs again. When the world around her slowly came into focus, she looked down at her hands in shock, curling and uncurling them in disbelief.

Nothing hurt. There was no blood, no dirt. Even her dislocated shoulder was back in place, without even an ache to show that anything had ever happened. She was whole. And yet…

She was alive. She was alive, and it was a gift, and still, a spike of panic tore through her chest, followed by a surge of grief so strong that she almost forgot how to breathe again. Maya curled in on herself, hiding her face against her hands and gasping over and over “No, please, no no no…”

Apparently the voice was not done with her yet, as suspiciously familiar laughter rang in her ears. Silly girl. That wouldn’t be much of a reward, would it?

With her face hidden as it was, she missed the flash of green light beside her, and wouldn’t have noticed at all if it hadn’t been for the words spoken in a soft, dear voice. “…Maya?”

Her head shot up, and her body was moving before she could even think, climbing into his lap and throwing her arms around his neck, clinging as tightly as she could manage. If Zatz minded not being able to breathe, he didn’t say, just bringing his arms up and holding her close with equal desperation.

Maya didn’t know how long they sat there, pressed so close they might as well have been one being, while she tucked her head under his chin and whispered a litany of “Thank you, thank you, thank you—” into his skin. Zatz bowed his head, occasionally dropping a kiss on her cheek or against her shoulder, but otherwise seeming content to simply bask in her presence. He only interrupted once, asking in a hushed, bewildered voice, “Maya… how…?” to which she’d laughed, a strangled, hysterical thing, and just said “I don’t know. I don’t know, Zatz.”

He hadn’t asked again. Who knew how long they would have stayed there, curled together in the light of the setting sun, if they hadn’t been set upon by frantic, exuberant friends and family. Maya’s parents pulled their daughter close, kissing her over and over and exclaiming their joy, relief, and pride. Through it all, Maya had refused to let go of Zatz’s hand, taking comfort in the reminder that he was there, that this was real, that however improbable, they had lived.

Finally, the King and Queen had ushered everyone to the palace, with the promise of food and baths and places to rest for everyone who had need. Maya and Zatz had followed, with Zatz seeming for all the world like a lost puppy, glancing around in bewilderment. In truth, Maya couldn’t blame him, given the last thing he must have remembered.

“He’s gone, mi amor,” she said, unusually soft, all pretenses gone in the face of having so recently lost him. “For real this time.”

Zatz made a small, confused sound. “Ah, but so was I. I was dead, I know it. So then how—“

“I was, too,” she admitted, at which he tightened his hold on her hand. “But I took him with me.”

He let out a breath, smiling at her with a mix of incredulity and pride. “You did it, my princess. You did it.”

“We did it,” she said firmly, squeezing his hand. “I never could have done it without you. Without everyone.”

Zatz looked over her head at the others — her mother hovering over her father, Rico and Chimi stuck almost as close together as he and Maya were, the people of the other kingdoms mingling and sharing in the thrill of their victory, with an undercurrent of mourning for those they had lost. He nodded, and turned his head to the sky. She didn’t need to ask to know that he was searching out a certain pair of stars, and she turned her gaze away to allow him a modicum of privacy.

After all, she was reunited with her parents. Two of them, at least. But Zatz? He would have to wait some time yet.

Zatz was surprised they made it through dinner, given how bone-deep his exhaustion was. He was sure Maya felt the same, given how many times she nearly dozed off against his arm. It seemed that whatever magical revival they had been granted hadn’t managed to solve everything that had come with battling against what had seemed like an entire pantheon of gods. It didn’t bother him, of course — but the distrustful looks King Teca kept shooting him across the table were starting to. Finally the Queen shoved at him pointedly, and then looked over at Zatz, beckoning him to stand.

“Come with me, dear. I’ll show you to a room.” She eyed him critically. “We’ll need to find some clothes for you, too. Can’t have you trying to sleep in that armor.”

Maya put up a weak protest, only to be effectively hushed. “You are about to fall over. Go get yourself cleaned up, and then you can see him,” the Queen said, already ushering Zatz away from her daughter’s side and into the hall.

“Your Majesty, this really isn’t necessary—”

“Hush, mijo. Let me do this.”

It was the shock of being called mijo that, more than anything, had him allowing her to shepherd him along until they reached a large, brightly decorated chamber. The Queen strode immediately to a nearby chest, pulling out various items of clothing, examining them, and then setting those that passed muster to the side. When she had a full set, she stood and pressed them into his hands, instructing him to put them on immediately so she could see how they fit, before disappearing into another room.

He dressed quickly, unsure of when she would reappear, and paused to look himself over. The clothes were soft and easy to move (or sleep) in, dyed in the trademark Teca shades of red and gold. The feelings that stirred in him then were conflicted — a giddy delight that he was wearing the colors of his beloved, and a deep unease at the thought of discarding his own wardrobe entirely, the dark purples, greens and blacks that had always been his own. His parents' colors.

His musings were interrupted by a soft clearing of the throat, and he jumped a little, meeting the Queen’s eyes. She had evidently been standing there for some time, and the look on her face made him feel like she had seen directly into his thoughts.

“Hmmm. We’ll need to have some more clothes made for you. You’ll have to tell me which colors you prefer,” she said, eyeing him thoughtfully.

He looked down, smoothing his hands over the fabric self-consciously. “I am proud to wear these colors, my lady.” Maya’s colors. The colors that meant he was part of her family.

The Queen smiled, a knowing, gentle thing. “I’m sure you are. Still, we aren’t asking you to forget where you came from. Maya wouldn’t want that, either. Besides, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to wear them later, I’m sure. ”

He ducked his head, grateful. “I… thank you, for your kindness.”

“It is I who should be thanking you. Don’t think we didn’t see what you did for our daughter.”

Zatz straightened his spine, meeting her eyes solemnly. “There is nothing I would not do for Maya.”

Her lips curled in approval. “I believe you. You’re a good match for her. You have the same fire in your eyes.” She reached forward to touch his shoulder. “I’m glad you have each other.”

He laughed, with a bit of self-deprecation. “I get the feeling your husband doesn’t share your opinion.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “Fathers are strange about their daughters. You likely will be too, if you and Maya are ever blessed with one.”

After everything that had happened that day — from battling the God of War to actually dying and then coming back to life — it was this, the mere concept of him having children — with Maya, starting a family with Maya — that finally shut down his mind entirely, leaving him frozen into stillness in the center of the room.

It also happened to be when Maya chose to stride through the door, freshly washed and dressed in her own sleeping tunic.

She took one look at her boyfriend and set her hands on her hips, playing at indignation. “Ay, mamá. You broke him.”

“Oh, he’s just fine. As for you, mija,” the Queen said, turning a sharp eye on her daughter, “I hope you know you’re absolutely not going to be sleeping in here tonight.”

Maya rolled her eyes. “I know, mamá. I just wanted to say good night.”

Her mother frowned at her for another moment before softening. “All right. But I expect you back in your room in five minutes, understood?”

“Understood,” Maya said, accepting her mother’s hug and kiss. “Buenas noches, mamá.”

“Dulces sueños, mija.” With that, the Queen swept out of the room, casting a small smile back over her shoulder as she did.

Zatz took Maya’s hands in his own as she approached. “She must really trust you.”

Maya laughed. “She trusts you, not me. Because you’ve got that whole honorable thing going on.”

“I’m touched she thinks so well of me,” he said, echoing her laugh with his own. “Especially considering how highly I think of her daughter.”

Maya quieted, rubbing her thumbs along the backs of his hands. “Hey, Zatz?” She waited for his questioning hum before continuing, “I said it too late before. But… I love you.”

Joy exploded in his chest, washing over his body in a warm caress. From the expression on Maya’s face, he must have looked like all his birthdays had come at once. “Ah, Maya. I love you too, so very much. But you didn’t need to say it, truly.”

“I did need to. For me,” she murmured, drawing him down to press her forehead against his. “I’m… I’m so glad you’re here. With me.”

He beamed, practically glowing. “I’ll be here, as long as you want me.”

“Then you better be okay with forever.” She rocked up onto her toes, pulling him into a deep kiss. They took their time, now that they could — now that there was no god to kill, and no bystanders to interrupt. Their mouths met and parted, met and parted, pulling each other back in every time, unwilling to let go just yet.

They might have stayed there for hours, if Zatz hadn’t finally pulled away with deep reluctance and shooed her off to her own room, not wanting to disappoint the Queen and betray her trust. Maya went with an ‘I told you so’, laughing as she practically danced out the door. Zatz gazed at the doorway for a while longer, with an undoubtedly dopey smile on his face, before finally slipping into bed with a happy sigh.

And if he woke in the morning to find Maya curled up on top of his blankets, face pressed into his shoulder, well.

He had tried.

Chapter Text

When King Teca went to go greet his daughter in the morning only to find her bedchambers empty, he knew exactly where she was going to be — and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all.

Sure enough, when he threw open the door of the guest chamber, he was greeted with this sight of Maya curled up and sleeping soundly on top of the blankets, her head sharing a pillow with the prince of bats himself. For his part, the prince was clearly awake, and was simply lying still and watching Maya sleep, looking for all the world like a contented jaguar kitten — and really, that would not do at all.

The King had just opened his mouth to yell when Zatz looked up and met his eyes, lifting an urgent finger and pressing it against his lips, gesturing for quiet. To his own surprise the King found himself obeying, less out of willingness and more out of shock at the audacity of the boy. Who was in bed! With! His! Daughter! And he dared to shush him?

Still, he watched in stunned silence as Zatz carefully slipped out from under the blankets, pausing at Maya’s every shift, waiting for her to settle back into slumber. When he was reasonably confident she wouldn’t wake, he finally padded quietly across the room to her father, murmuring under his breath as he did.

“She needs her rest.”

King Teca continued to gape at him as he walked past, heading down the hall to the courtyard, clearly expecting to be followed. When he finally went far enough to be satisfied that any altercation would be unlikely to wake the sleeping girl, he turned and faced the King, arms at his sides, palms facing forward in supplication. “All right. Have at me.”

The King blinked. “Um. Are you… expecting me to hit you?”

The prince gave him a crooked smile. “I certainly hope not, but… I expect you have some words for me, at the very least.”

“I— of course I do!” King Teca puffed up his chest, reminded of his earlier rage. Boy! Daughter! Together! In bed! “It is— it unacceptable that you would share a room — share a bed — with my daughter! And in our home, where you are a guest! Even if she likes you, this is not… this is not how things are done!”

To his surprise, Zatz simply bowed his head, deferentially hunching his shoulders a bit. “You’re right. I apologize. I can assure you I have no intention of sullying your daughter’s honor, much as it may have looked otherwise.”

King Teca frowned at him. Though he didn’t have the sharp mind his wife possessed, he wasn’t as stupid as some thought him to be. It hadn’t made it any better, as far as he was concerned, but he knew it was Maya who had snuck into Zatz’s room, not the other way around. And yet the boy didn’t seem inclined to reveal that, even to defend himself. He was evidently fully willing to take the fall. The King found himself torn between offense that the prince apparently seemed to think his daughter needed defending from her own father, and approval that his protectiveness of her extended so far.

Unsure how to proceed, having not encountered any resistance (and being used to the head butting matches that scolding Maya usually turned into), the King simply stood back and considered the prince in front of him. He looked… different, dressed in Teca sleep clothes, his black and green armor traded for soft fabric and red and gold tones. He wasn’t even wearing his heavy earrings, as he had clearly removed them in order to sleep. The image he currently presented was much less “edgy prince of darkness” and much more… soft, and young. It struck the king then that this was just a boy, one that couldn’t have been much older than his own daughter. A boy who seemed lost at sea, with Maya being the only anchor keeping him from drifting away completely. He was desperate to not lose her — and to not do anything that would jeopardize his place with her. The thought made the King’s heart thaw a bit, despite himself.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, I’m no good at this. I usually leave this sort of thing to her mother.”

Zatz flinched a little, guilt flashing across his face. “The Queen can… certainly be intimidating.”

The King raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that was not what was causing his discomfort. “She likes you, though.”

His shoulders stiffened further. “She honors me. I will be sure to apologize to her as well.”

So he was just going to keep going with this, was he? “Kid, you didn’t know she was in there, did you.”

The boy’s eyes snapped up to his, shock blooming across his face. “I— you knew?”

“I know my daughter. I’m still not okay with it!” He said, wagging a large finger. “But you don’t have to cover for her.”

Zatz’s shoulders slumped. “I only noticed when I woke this morning. But, if I am being honest, I wouldn’t have made her leave even if I had woken earlier.”

The King groaned. “Boy, there’s such a thing as being too honest, you know.”

The prince smiled wryly. “Your daughter told me something similar, a while back.”

King Teca smiled back at him, before catching himself and clearing his throat pointedly. “As long as we’re being honest, what are you doing here, anyway? The first time we saw you, you were working for Lord Mictlan. You threatened us all with death! And now I’m expected to be okay with you… courting my daughter?”

Zatz winced, running a hand through his hair. “That’s a fair question. But you should know I was never working for Mictlan, not really. My father and I, we always hated him. I had to keep up appearances, however. We couldn’t let him know we were plotting against him.” He grimaced. “Though apparently he already knew.”

A horrible certainty suddenly weighed on the King’s shoulders. “…Oh. Your father?”

The boy ducked his head, hiding his eye under the fall of his hair. “Killed. By him. Just like so many others.”

He frowned in sympathy. “I’m sorry, niño.”

“Thank you, but it is all right. He’s with my mother now.” A small, grateful smile.

“Was she also…?”

“Yes. You see now why we hated him so much.”

King Teca couldn’t help himself, and let his voice rise in indignation. “If he killed your mother, then why would you work for him, or even pretend to?”

Zatz sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “It was safer, or so my father believed. If we didn’t, he’d have just kept hunting us. At least this way we had time to come up with a plan.”

“Why was he hunting you in the first place? Did you do something?”

The prince’s laugh then was a sharp, bitter thing. “Me? All I did was be born. But that was crime enough, in his eyes. He always did hate mortals.”

“Mortals? But you’re a god.”

“Only half. My mother was human, you see.”

Well, that was unexpected. The King stared at him, trying to rework things in his mind. “…Half.”

Zatz stared back, calm. “Yes. Like Maya.”

“But, you’re — you can fly! And turn into a giant bat! And—”

“I suspect the only reason Maya can’t fly is because it hasn’t occurred to her that she can,” Zatz said, clearly not realizing that he was turning the King’s world sideways. “I was raised among gods. I had to keep up. Maya grew up believing she was fully human. I’m certain there are all kinds of things that she can do, if she only tried them.”

“Can we not tell her that?” The King asked desperately, only to be met this time with genuine laughter. This was no laughing matter! His daughter was trouble enough without being able to fly or— or do gods knows what else!

They were interrupted by the sound of bare feet against stone, as Maya sprinted around the corner as though summoned, nearly skidding into the wall in her haste. She was still sleep rumpled, her clothes in disarray, and it was clear that she had come straight from bed. “Papá, have you seen— Zatz!”

The King watched with mild consternation as Maya rushed towards her boyfriend, who caught her easily with a gentle, comforting smile. “Maya. Did you sleep well?”

“Huh? I— yeah, uh. Fine. I slept fine.” His daughter seemed far more preoccupied with putting her hands on Zatz wherever she could reach — his arms, his chest, his face, as though she were checking for something.

The prince accepted her touch easily, but tilted his head a little, questioning. "Is everything all right?”

Maya suddenly snatched her hands away as though burned. “Yeah, it’s… I just… I woke up, and you weren’t there and I thought— it’s not important. Never mind.” She backed off a little, holding one arm in the way she did whenever she was feeling self-conscious.

That, more than anything, made the King shelve the scolding he had been gearing up to give. When she had woken up in that bed, alone… she must have been afraid that none of it been real. Or worse, that she had only dreamed his revival, and it had only been her all along.

Zatz seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because guilt washed over his face, and he lifted a hand to gently tuck her mussed hair behind an ear. “Ah, Maya. I should have realized. I didn’t intend to frighten you, I simply did not wish to disturb your rest. I’m sorry.”

She waved her hands in front of herself, trying to assure him. “It’s okay! You’re here, and it’s fine, and we’re both fine. Right?”

He grabbed her hands with his own and squeezed them, smiling at her with such warmth and adoration that the King glanced away, feeling awkward. “We’re more than that, my princess.”

The King chanced looking back only to be greeted with the sight of his daughter tucking herself against Zatz’s chest with a happy sigh, looking as though she’d be perfectly content to go back to sleep right then and there, standing or not. Well. Time for a noble escape.

“Whoops, was that my stomach? It’s off to breakfast with me!” He turned with a flourish, but paused to call back over his shoulder— “We’ll discuss your sleeping habits later, mija. With your mother.”

He was gratified by his daughter’s startled squeak, and the small laugh that Zatz quickly hid in her hair. Good. At least he got one reaction he expected.

When he turned the corner back into the main hall, he was unsurprised to find the Queen waiting for him. His wife’s smile was deeply self-satisfied. “I told you you’d like him.”

“Yeah? And did you tell her she could stay in his room at night?”

Her eyes widened, and then she groaned and put a hand to her forehead. “Ay, Maya.”

This time, it was his turn to laugh. And laugh he did, putting an arm around his wife’s waist and listening to her exasperated muttering as he maneuvered them towards the dining area.

After all, after raising one demigod child, what’s one more?