Author: Ashley
Title: Merry Christmas, Mon-El (Oh, and Meet My Parents)
Rating: T - Teen
Part: 1/1
Pairing: Mon-El and Kara Danvers (Zor-El)
Word Count: 4,639
Summary: "Mon-El was panicking. Actual panicking. And pacing. he was pacing, too. Back and forth along the floorboards of their apartment. Waiting for Kara to get back from the DEO, praying to Rao that she got here before they did. They being her parents. HER PARENTS." - Mon-El meets Kara's parents for the first time on Christmas Eve. AU/Canon Divergent.
Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl, DC Comics or anything related to such things. The ideas, dialogue and plot points were inspired by the show, but they are my own. Plagiarism isn't nice. Please don't steal my ideas.
For: Lara (silverphoenixfeather) for the KaraMel Secret Santa 2017 on tumblr. - I hope you enjoy this gift and I hope it lived up to the idea you had in mind! Sending love and wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year to come!
A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Christmas is my favourite time of year, so thank you to handlewithkara for letting me know about the Secret Santa in the first place. I don't do AU's very often as it usually takes too much creativity and planning, but this was one I had to run with. Lara had requested something to do with meeting parents, so I moved things around to make that happen.
A quick introduction to the fic since it's AU: Kara and Mon-El both arrived on Earth at the same time as they did on the show, they met at the same time as they did on the show and they got together at the same time as they did on the show. I'm ignoring the Daxamite Invasion and pretending that Mon-El's parents never came to Earth. They exist. They are who they are, but they just never came. Kara's parents, on the other hand, were able to get off Krypton before it exploded, but they weren't able to make it to Earth along with Kara. When they finally arrived and were able to find Kara it was around the beginning of Season 1 and when she started using her powers (i.e. Kara still grew up with the Danvers family). Her parents decided to stay on Earth and live in Metropolis to be near Kara.
Mon-El was panicking. Actual panicking. And pacing. He was pacing, too. Back and forth along the floorboards of their apartment. Waiting for Kara to get back from the DEO, praying to Rao that she got here before they did.
They being her parents.
HER PARENTS.
Her parents whom he'd never met and would be meeting for the first time tonight. Of all nights, of course it would be tonight.
Christmas Eve.
An Earthly holiday that he had already barely understood up until today, this year being his first one spent celebrating with anyone, and now he was meeting her actual parents.
Was he sweating? He was sweating. Was that possible? He tugged at the collar of his button down shirt, pulling his tie looser around his neck. He didn't think that he could really sweat on Earth, but he was pretty sure he was sweating.
It wouldn't have been so bad, but Kara had prefaced their Christmas Eve dinner merely a half hour ago with a speech about all the things he could and couldn't do. Not should and shouldn't, but rather could and couldn't. Meaning that he could screw things up big time if he didn't pay attention to what he was doing and saying because Kara had clearly outlined and right and a wrong way to do things tonight. And that was stressing him out.
"Okay, but they don't know that we live together," she said, her hands stroking across his chest as she straightened out his dress shirt.
"Okay," he paused. "Are we not going to tell them?" he furrowed his eyebrows at her.
"No," she stated firmly.
"What…what'd you mean 'no'? What do I tell them? Where do I live?"
"I dunno," she shrugged, seemingly unbothered. "The DEO? Or say you have your own apartment uptown. Make something up." She straightened his tie for him.
"Make something up? I…what should I say?" his voice was bordering on panicked.
"And don't tell them you're from Daxam," she smiled sweetly at him.
"Don't-what'd you mean don't tell them I'm from Daxam? Where am I from?"
"Just make something up," she repeated and shrugged again before stepping away.
"Wait, Kara. I'm confused," he started as he followed after her. "Are we lying to them?"
"Not really," she moved toward the dinner table, ensuring that the proper silverware and dishes were set out for the four of them.
"It sounds like we're lying…"
"Okay, maybe we're just fibbing a little bit, but I don't want to tell them all this stuff yet. I've never introduced them to a boyfriend of mine before. You tell them all this stuff and they'll freak out, and it's Christmas. I don't want any drama or craziness on Christmas. I just want you to meet them and they'll meet you and then that whole thing will be over with and we can just," she sighed loudly. "Move on."
"But then the next time I meet them, I'll just have to lie all over again."
"Okay, fine, you can tell them you're from Daxam, but only if they ask. And don't say you were the Prince. You know how things were…people on Krypton…"
He nodded slightly. "Yeah, I know, I just…I…" he sighed heavily and she turned back around to face him. "I want to make a good impression. I want them to like me," he smiled, but she could tell that he was worried.
"They will!" she assured him. "What's not to like?"
"The Daxam part. The Prince part. The living with you part."
"Okay," she laughed. "I get it. Just…be yourself." Suddenly her phone started buzzing on the kitchen counter top.
"Be myself?" he called out to her as she stepped away. "But I thought I wasn't supposed to-" she shushed him as she held up a finger at him, her other hand moving to grab her phone.
"Hey Alex, what's up?" He watched her stance harden before she nodded. "Be there in five."
His eyes widened. "Be where in five?"
"Alien downtown. Gotta run."
"Kara!" he shouted as she raced to put on her suit. "Your parents are gonna be here in forty-five minutes!"
"I'll be back before then," she nodded encouragingly.
"And if you're not?"
"Just entertain them. You're funny. Be funny. They'll like that."
"But-" he stammered as he watched her open the window. "Where do I start? What have you told them about me?"
"That you're my boyfriend and that your name is Mon-El," she called back as she flew out the window.
He kept looking down at his watch, eyeing the numbers as they ticked closer and closer to seven o'clock. What if they were early? They could arrive any second now. He still didn't know what he was going to say to them. He was going to be so awkward. He was usually so good with people; so cool under pressure, but-
Knock, knock, knock.
His eyes widened and his wrist flew upward again. 6:48pm. They were early! He didn't move for a minute; standing stiff as a board as he debated whether or not he could get away with not answering the door just yet. What if he pretended he was out with Kara? Just as Kara got back he could run to the door, telling her that he'd just heard them knock.
No. That would be rude. He couldn't keep them waiting. He looked down at his tie hanging loosely from his neck before racing into their…oops…Kara's bedroom to take in his appearance in the mirror. He straightened out his tie, adjusted the belt at his hips and flattened out the new wrinkles he'd made in his dress shirt.
Knock, knock, knock.
He raced to the door and sucked in a deep, nervous breath before opening it.
"Hi," he greeted as the door swung open. He'd probably said it too loudly, the couple's eyebrows raising high in surprise. "Welcome," he started, stepping backward and holding out his arm, gesturing for the couple to come inside. They looked at each other before grinning and stepping forward into the apartment.
"I'm Kara's boyfriend, Mon-El," he introduced himself, "though I think you probably already knew that." Apparently that was all they knew.
"Zor-El," Kara's father shook his hand, his other hand stabling a wrapped rectangular box in the crook of his arm. He didn't get them any presents! Kara didn't say he needed to get them presents! "Nice to meet you, Mon-El. This is my wife," his hand landed on her back as she stepped forward and closer to Mon-El.
"Alura," she stated with a smile, her own hand reaching out to shake Mon-El's. He took her hand.
"So nice to meet you," he said as he held onto her hand, and then he bowed. Bowed? Why did he bow? Oh, Rao, he was so nervous.
"Where's Kara?" Zor-El asked, his eyes glancing around the apartment.
"She uh…she had to run out. Supergirl business. She'll be right back though." His own eyes glanced around the room. "We could sit? Uhm, sit and wait for her…" he suggested, eyeing the sofa. He really just thought he needed to sit down. No passing out in front of the future in-laws.
"Sure," Alura agreed, nodding encouragingly as he led them to the sofa. Mon-El watched as Zor-El placed the wrapped box underneath their brightly lit Christmas tree. Maybe that's a present for Kara? He was so focused on the present that he didn't notice the man rolling a suitcase to the side of the room before joining them. Alura turned to smile at her husband as she sat down on the sofa.
Mon-El sat at one end, Kara's parents at the other. In silence. Nobody saying a word. Mon-El's foot tapped on the floor quickly, repeatedly, before Alura's hand appeared on his knee stopping him. He looked up at her wide eyed.
"Tell us about yourself, Mon-El," she suggested with a smile and his face fell. The dreaded question. The question that could go wrong in so many ways.
He opened his mouth, still not fully knowing where to begin when Kara flew back through the window, landing with an excited thump against the hardwood.
"Ahhhhh! You're here!" she exclaimed as she ran toward the sofa.
"My girl!" Alura stood and rushed to her daughter, arms wrapping around her in a tight hug. Mon-El let out a loud sigh of relief, Zor-El standing and patting the boy on the back before walking over to his daughter.
"Kara, we've missed you so," he said, dropping a kiss on the crown of her head before hugging both of them.
Mon-El stood and slowly moved toward the family that made him so nervous; hands shoved deep in his pockets so nobody could see if he were shaking with nerves.
"I see you've met Mon-El," he heard Kara mumble in the group hug before they all pulled away.
"He was just going to tell us all about himself," Alura laughed, easily sensing how nervous the boy was. Kara heard Mon-El gulp all the way from across the room and she knew her parents could likely hear it, too.
"Don't worry about that," she told them, holding out her hand for Mon-El to take. "Let's just eat." She pulled Mon-El toward the fridge, silently asking for his help to put everything out for dinner. "Just sit," she told her parents and they did as told, sliding into the dining chairs. Kara zapped the food with her heat vision before setting everything down on the counter for Mon-El to take to the table. "Mon-El cooked!" Kara shouted out to them from the kitchen.
"You cook, son?" Zor-El asked and Mon-El had to remind himself to calm down, his heart jumping in his chest at the word son.
"Yeah, uh I mean, yes. Yes, I learned when I came to Earth," he nodded as he placed some bowls on the table.
"That's good," Alura nodded. "We all know that Kara can't cook," she giggled quietly.
"Hey! I'm standing right here," she said, pulling the turkey out from the bottom shelf of the fridge. She held up the bird. "I thought we'd go with traditional Earth holiday food since it's, well, Christmas and all."
Her parents nodded, but their attention didn't stay there long. "So," Alura looked at Mon-El, "you're not from Earth?" she asked him. "With a name like Mon-El we assumed as much," she smiled as she looked at her husband. "Where are you from?"
His eyes widened as he looked over at Kara who was too busy zapping the turkey with heat vision to notice what the question was.
"Daxam," he answered quietly.
"Daxam?" Kara's father questioned, though he didn't sound too surprised. "That's interesting…"
Mon-El held up his hands. "I just want you both to know that there were a lot of things about Daxam that I don't agree with…"
"Why are we talking about Daxam?" Kara asked as she placed the turkey in the centre of the dining table. "I thought we were eating."
"We're waiting for you dear," Alura said sweetly. "We're talking about Daxam because that's where Mon-El is from. You didn't tell us that."
Kara shrugged. "It never came up."
"Well," her father started, changing the subject easily. "I want to hear all about work. Supergirl and CatCo. Tell us what you've been up to."
Dinner was nice; pleasant conversation, some good laughs, some funny Kara baby stories that got Kara to blush and Mon-El to nearly cry with laughter. Mon-El stood to clear the table, his hands moving to grab the plate in front of Alura.
"No, sweetheart, don't. I'll do that. You sit back down," she said as she moved to stand.
He shook his head at her. "No, ma'am. You're both the guests here. I got it."
Kara smiled up at him before turning back to look at her parents, both of them smiling while they watched Mon-El begin to clear the table before looking back at each other, their conversation resuming. On his second trip back, he grabbed one too many half-full wine glasses, one slipping in his hands, falling into his chest as he tried to stop it from crashing to the floor beneath him. Even with super-fast reflexes, he couldn't stop the red wine from spilling down the front of his white dress shirt.
"Ahhh shi-oot!" his eyes widened, "shoot," he repeated as Kara rushed to stand and take the glasses from his hands. He sighed heavily. "It's okay," he nodded at her. "I'll uh, I'll just go put on another one." He paused for a second, watching as Kara's eyes widened. "A t-shirt! A shirt I keep here for emergencies!" He finished as he turned away. Phew, covered up that one.
Kara looked at her parents. "He leaves a few of his things here just in case. Wine emergencies and such," she nodded as she quickly moved to the sink to dispose of the glasses.
Zor-El and Alura eyed each other knowingly as they began to assist in clearing the rest of the table while Mon-El ran off to change.
"Are we watching our traditional Christmas movie channel?" Zor-El's eyes lit up and Kara turned around and laughed with her mother at him.
"Every year, dad," Kara sighed.
"It's his favourite," Alura grinned as she put the final plate in the sink in front of Kara. "Want help with the dishes?"
"No, mom, go. Watch TV."
Mon-El appeared back in the living room, a black t-shirt tucked into his dress pants. Kara laughed at him as he walked over to join her.
"I was gonna just put on a whole new outfit, but I thought that might be suspicious. It looks funny tucked in, doesn't it? Should I untuck it? Maybe I should just leave it?" he asked nervously.
"Here," she laughed as she handed him a dry towel and ignored his question. "I'll wash, you dry."
It was getting late in the evening when Alura stood from the sofa, patting Zor-El's knee. "I don't know about you kids, but I'm getting too old for this staying up late thing."
"It's 10:00pm, mom," Kara smiled as she rolled her eyes.
"Says the youngest one in the room…"
Kara stood from the floor, she and Mon-El both sitting there after shoving aside the coffee table so that they could all watch the movie together. "I'll make up the bed for you guys," she said before zipping away, five seconds later appearing back in front of them. "Done," she announced proudly. Mon-El stood from his spot on the floor.
"Bed?" he asked, eyes wide. "Are you staying the night?" he asked awkwardly as he watched Zor-El pull a suitcase over from beside the Christmas tree. When did that get there?
Kara nodded. "They always do on Christmas Eve. Metropolis is far…I mean, I know they can fly, but still. It's late and I'm not going to make them go home now."
"Oh," he nodded. "Of course." He stood in the middle of the living room, eyes bouncing between the three Kryptonians in front of him. "Well, I guess that's my cue to head home for the night…to my…apartment. Uptown," he nodded.
"Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to go," Alura stated as she shook her head. "Just because we're going to bed early doesn't mean you have to leave. Finish another movie. Have some alone time." She looked at Zor-El. "We'll be out like a light as soon as we hit the pillow." She moved in toward Mon-El, her arms wrapping easily around the boy.
"It was very nice meeting you, honey." Her hands rubbed up and down his back encouragingly. "We'll see you tomorrow morning? We always have Christmas breakfast before we drop in to see Alex and then head back to Metropolis," she grinned at him.
He smiled a shy smile back. "I'll be there."
"Goodnight," Zor-El called out as they moved into the bedroom, busying themselves with preparing for bed.
"I don't want you to go yet," Kara whispered as she leaned into Mon-El, her cheek pressed to his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her.
"I'll stay as long as you want me to."
"One more movie," she said as her hands reached for his, pulling them from her body and intertwining their fingers. He nodded with a smile as she pulled him toward the sofa.
A couple of hours later, they still sat together on the sofa; Mon-El leaning again the arm, both legs on the cushions, just enough space between them for Kara to squeeze in, her back resting against his chest as they continued to watch the credits of the latest Christmas movie roll across the screen.
"So, you'll be okay at the DEO for the night?" she whispered as she cringed, her parents fast asleep in their bed a few feet away.
"You should have told me they were staying the night…" he sighed.
"I thought I did! Didn't you see the suitcase?" she asked as she turned her head to look up at him.
"When they came in? No, I was too busy trying not to pass out from pure fear."
She chuckled, her hands coming up to cover her mouth, attempting to silence her laughter before waking her parents.
"What I did see was the present your father was carrying!" he whispered. "You said no presents!"
"I told them no presents!" she defended herself. "They clearly didn't listen."
He scoffed at her before kissing her forehead.
"If it helps, I think you were really good with them…"
He shrugged. "I hope they think I'm good enough for you," he whispered.
She looked up at him, her hand moving to his cheek to catch his eyes. "Hey, you are good enough for me. I can see that. They can see that."
He sighed lightly as he watched the lights twinkling on the Christmas tree near the television. "I guess I should go. The movie's over and I better leave if I'm going to get any rest before coming back for breakfast."
"No," she whined lightly. "A little while longer, please?"
His hand moved to her cheek, thumb sliding across her skin before he moved in to kiss her, his lips meeting hers softly, almost hesitantly; a part of him still worried that her parents might wake up and scold him for kissing their daughter a mere few feet away from them. Kara's hand slid under his shirt, fingertips sliding across his abs and moving up his chest.
"Kara," he whined quietly back at her as she tried to deepen the kiss. "I can't do that if your parents are right there," he whispered and Kara almost laughed at the blush that coloured his cheeks. "I'm gonna have to leave…"
"Nooo," she whispered. "I'll stop. Just stay. At least until I fall asleep, okay?" she mumbled against his lips when he pulled away. "Then you can sneak off."
"Okay," he agreed quietly before kissing her forehead again, his arms wrapping tightly around her. "A little while longer."
Mon-El's eyes fluttered open slowly and he squinted against the sun streaming through the windows; the soft snow falling outside making the world seem so much brighter than he was ready for first thing in the morning. His fingers flexed, his hand moving against Kara's back underneath her shirt. He groaned lightly as he shifted against the sofa, trying to get the rays of sun out of his eyes.
Wait. Sofa?
Uh oh.
"Kara," he whispered, his hand scratching gently against her back. She mumbled something quietly as she shifted against him. "I fell asleep. I was supposed to go…" he continued as his hand rubbed against his eyes.
His eyebrows furrowed as he sniffed the air around him. Waffles?
"Ah, good morning, Mon-El," a deep voice high above him greeted. His eyes widened.
"Good morning, sir," he tried as he blinked up at him, his voice cracking slightly, still rough with sleep. Kara groaned against his chest and Mon-El cringed slightly, guiltily pulling his hand out from underneath Kara's shirt. "We fell asleep last night," he defended his presence in front of her father.
"We're making breakfast," he stated, ignoring Mon-El's confession of the obvious. "Make sure she's up in the next fifteen minutes or she's gonna miss it," he winked before returning to the kitchen behind them.
"Kara," he whispered again at her ear. "Babe, you gotta wake up. We're gonna miss breakfast…"
He felt her moving; her back straightening and head turning as she woke. Realizing food was involved had perked her right up. "Breakfast?" she asked.
He grinned at her. "Your parents are making breakfast."
Her eyes widened as it suddenly occurred to her that they shouldn't be here on the sofa like this together if her parents were making breakfast. He was supposed to leave last night.
"You were supposed to-"
He nodded. "I know. Oops," his mouth formed a crooked smile. "They already caught me. I think it's okay…"
"Are you both getting up today or what?" Alura shouted from the kitchen as she set the table.
"I'm up!" Kara shouted as she stood from the sofa. "Give me five seconds," she called out before racing into the bathroom and emerging fully dressed and ready for the day; a bright red and green Christmas sweater on her torso. He noticed that it matched the sweaters worn by her parents. Clearly Christmas-themed sweaters was another thing Kara hadn't told him about. Not that he knew where to get one…
"Mon-El," Zor-El called out. "You better hurry up and get changed. She'll have it all gone before you sit down," he laughed.
"Changed, sir?" he asked awkwardly.
"Dad," Kara appeared next to him. "He doesn't live here, remember? He already wore his emergency shirt last night…" she grabbed a raspberry from the bowl on the table and popped it into her mouth.
He looked down at the t-shirt and dress pants he still wore; wrinkled from a night on the couch. Her parents both laughed loudly and Kara raised an eyebrow at them.
"What's so funny?" she asked them.
"Emergency shirt! His stuff is everywhere, Kara," her mother said. "We slept in your bedroom. Used your bathroom. You think we wouldn't notice that he lived here? We know you live together. We know you sleep in the same bed. Probably do other things in that bed, too…"
"Mom!" Kara shouted, her face falling into her hands. Mon-El just blinked at them from across the table.
"Mon-El, please go change, sweetheart. Something comfortable. No more ties and dress shirts," she winked.
He let out a loud sigh of relief. "Yes, ma'am," he said as he moved back toward the bedroom.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Kara said as she sat down at the kitchen table, watching her parents place the fresh waffles and added toppings on the table. "I didn't want you to get hit with all this information at once," she whispered. "I wanted you to meet him and like him before you knew all these things about us and him-"
"Like the fact that he's from Daxam?" her father asked.
Kara nodded silently.
"Of course we knew he was from Daxam," Alura chimed in just as Mon-El reappeared.
"What?" he asked as he joined them at the table. Kara's jaw fell slightly as she looked up at her mother. She watched as she sat down at the table. Her eyes met her daughter's.
"Honey, you think that we didn't know the name of the son of the Royal Family of Daxam?"
"I-"
"I know you were both worried, but Kara, we only want you to be happy." Alura looked over at Mon-El. "You make her happy. I can see that. It doesn't matter where you're from, or if you live together or if you spill wine on your shirt and are terribly awkward around us." They all laughed at Mon-El and he started to blush and sink in his chair. Alura reached for his hand across the table, grabbing onto it before grabbing a hold of Kara's with her other hand. "I'm happy you've found each other; another person who understands you the way nobody else can. That's all I've ever wanted for you, Kara. On Earth. On Krypton. Wherever you choose to live your life. Your father, too."
Zor-El nodded in agreement. "No more secrets," he instructed. "We have no reservations about this relationship. Not after we've seen how you two are with each other."
Mon-El felt Kara's hand moving under the table, squeezing his thigh gently. "I love him," she whispered quietly.
Mon-El's head turned as he looked at her. "Kara, I love you, too. So much."
"Oh, stop it you two," Alura gushed from across the table as she patted both their hands with her own. "I'm getting all teary eyed over here! Eat your breakfast. Then we can open your present."
Kara kissed Mon-El's cheek lightly. "Yeah, the present you said you weren't going to bring…" she said as she looked back at her mother.
"Oh, honey, it's not for you," Alura shook her head. "It's for Mon-El."
Kara's eyes widened, but not as wide as Mon-El's did. "For me?" he asked her, surprised.
"As a welcome to the family…" she smiled before she suddenly stood from the table. "Oh, I can't wait! I'm going to make you open it now!" Alura moved to the tree and picked up the present Zor-El had placed there last night. She walked over to Mon-El, slid aside his still empty breakfast plate and put the present down on the table.
Kara smiled at him, "Open it," she encouraged.
He grinned as he looked down at the shiny Christmas wrapping; ornaments and gingerbread cookies dancing across the green paper. He gently flipped it over, slowly trying to peel the tape off the back.
"Oh, Rao, Mon-El!" His eyes rose to meet Kara's, concerned that he'd done something wrong already. "Just rip it open!" she laughed.
Her parents both laughed at her excitement before he started to speed up the opening. His tearing of the paper revealed a plain white box. He slid the top off, moved aside some tissue paper and he felt his throat getting tight, his heart pounding in his chest.
"We all have one," Zor-El stated.
"We thought that you should, too," Alura finished.
Kara tried to peer over the upended tissue paper, but he pulled the gift out of the box entirely, shaking out a Christmas sweater; red and green and exactly the same garment worn by all three of them around him.
"It's kind of tradition with us, and we thought you should be a part of it. Merry Christmas," her mother had said, but he only faintly heard it, his focus on the gift in his hands; the sweater that represented his acceptance into Kara's family. A family that he'd always wanted to have; always wanted to be a part of.
He sniffled lightly, a smile cracking widely onto his face. "Thank you," he whispered through the tears threatening to break free. He was suddenly just feeling so overwhelmed.
"Put it on," Kara whispered beside him and he didn't hesitate in tugging off his current sweater before pulling on the new one.
He looked down at his chest, smiling at the reindeer and candy canes on the, albeit obnoxious, looking sweater.
"Merry Christmas, Mon-El," he heard Kara whisper at his ear before he felt her lips press to his cheek in a kiss.
He looked up at the couple in front of them before turning to meet Kara's eyes. "Merry Christmas," he grinned before taking Kara's hand and kissing her knuckles.
"Alright," Alura stated, moving the empty box off the table and giving Mon-El his plate back. "Let's eat already!"
END.
A/N: Thanks for reading everyone! Leave some love if you have the time; I appreciate it! I hope (regardless of whether or not you celebrate), your Christmas and Holiday Season is bright and happy and filled with love and joy!
