Author: Ashley

Title: Contractually Yours

Rating: M - Mature

Part: 22/?

Pairing: Mon-El and Kara Danvers (Zor-El)

Word Count: 3,231

Summary: Long ago, the Daxamites chased the Kryptonians off of their shared world. They were forced to live on a nearby moon. That Kryptonian moon is now running out of resources, while the Daxamites' planet is becoming a wasteland. The Royal Families have decided to come together in a truce to help everyone live better lives; a truce made with a signed contract involving their children; a contract that the children have no say in. Arranged Marriage Karamel AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl, DC Comics or anything related to such things. The ideas, dialogue and plot points of this AU were inspired by the show, but they are my own. Plagiarism isn't nice. Please don't steal my ideas.

A/N: Well, it sure has been a while hasn't it?

I know you've been waiting a looooong time for this new chapter (since February? are any of you even still reading this?), so I won't be offended if you jump right over this Author's Note (because it's SUPER LENGTHY) and just start reading the new chapter. You can come back to it later, or skip it entirely. I won't be upset about it. Here goes.

The world has really changed a lot (I'm sure you've noticed). I hope you're all staying safe out there, wherever you are right now. I know I've been away for a while, and I don't owe anybody an explanation, but I'd like to give one anyway. I mostly wrote it for myself; just to get some words out there into the universe about how I'm feeling, so I figured I'd share with you.

I've had a few chapters of the story already written and banked for a while just in case I got hit with really bad writer's block or started to have a really hard time finding opportunities to post updates. I also like to be a few chapters ahead of the readers just in case I need to go back to change something around to keep consistency throughout the chapters.

I've really wanted to post another chapter for months, but I just haven't been writing. At all.

Personally, it's been really hard for me. It's been more than just writer's block. I mean, I have ideas. I have this story basically mapped out through the Wedding, the Honeymoon, the months after the Wedding, and even a roughly completed ending. So that's not the problem.

The real problem, I guess, is that when you love a show so damn much and it all just changes, it makes it hard to want to write for characters from a show that no longer brings you joy. I'll always love karamel. How could I not? But it's been a love/hate relationship between me and Supergirl for a few years now (really since season 2's finale if I'm being honest). I'm hoping my feelings toward it change (especially now with it ending), because I truly do want to catch up and enjoy the last season and the send off.

I've also had some health issues. I have emetophobia. I've had it for years; since I was a young kid. I was never diagnosed with it, and never really called it that before because though it's been a "problem", it's never been bad enough to even call it what it was. It just sat there in the back of my mind, rarely coming up. I've been experiencing more and more anxiety at work and with random health issues for the last couple of years, it was starting to come to the surface. I'd been trying to figure out a food intolerance for about a year, and then I had a triggering event in January of this year, and it brought up a lot of anxiety to my life about food, health, and sickness that I'm trying to deal with.

While also trying to deal with the anxieties of COVID-19, it's making it difficult to take care of all things all the time. My workplace never closed during lockdown, and not only do we have to leave our homes to go into the office and met with random clients for document signings, my average 40 hour work week quickly became 45-55 hour work weeks where we worked twice as hard with a more demanding boss, more demanding clients, and harder working conditions.

So I'm just tired af.

Although, all that aside, I love you guys – every single reader out there; the readers who were Twitter friends before I even started writing, the readers who I saw were reading and complementing my work online before I even shared who I was on Twitter, the readers who found me by talking about my work with each other, the casual readers who are just looking for something random to read, and the new readers who are only just now taking a look at my work.

I do this for you guys – and for myself of course. I love writing, and it makes me happy to have found something that does give me joy, that also brings other people joy, but I live for the comments you guys leave, and the excitement you have over updates, storylines, characters, everything.

So thank you to everyone who was there at the beginning, who has read everything I've done, and who plans to read everything I have coming next. I only ask that you all be patient with me (and you have been!) while I try to get back onto this writing-horse that I fell off of during the winter.

So finally, Chapter 22? I can't believe I left it at that last chapter for so long – that was a terrible place to stop, and I profusely apologize for that…although, stopping before Chapter 21 may have been worse? Hard to tell. I think this whole slow burn of a fic has all been torture for you guys anyway for well over a year now, but, good news. It only gets BETTER from here on out!

On to Chapter 22!

Chapter Twenty-Two: Going Soft

Day One-Hundred and Two

It had been three days since Kara had made out with Mon-El on the sofa in the entertainment room, and she still didn't know what it all meant. He hadn't said anything about it to her and neither had she to him. It had happened so quickly; first she was just lying there in his arms, then she was telling him they should stay, then they were kissing and then he was on top of her and then she panicked.

Not that she didn't enjoy it, because she did. That's why she panicked. She wasn't supposed to be enjoying this! She was supposed to hate him; hate him for being a Daxamite, hate him for what his people did to hers, hate him for how he treated her when she first got here, hate him for this contract that his parents created and pushed on her.

But she couldn't.

As much as she tried to, a part of herself told her to give him a chance. A part of her said that she wanted to give this a chance. She wondered what Alex would think about this. She'd probably say go for it. Alex thought she was such a stick in the mud to begin with; she probably thought that this would be a great adventure for her, but she still had to be careful.

If she made any sort of mistake in this, she could find herself married to the guy forever. And she was still pretty sure that wasn't what she wanted.

Pretty sure.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a faint knocking. She turned to her bedroom door to greet the person…but nobody was there. She crinkled her eyebrows and moved toward the doorway. She looked into Mon-El's bedroom and that's when she saw her.

"Mira, what are you doing over there?"

"Princess," she bowed. "I was hoping you were in."

"You can come and knock on my door, you know. I could barely hear you knocking all the way out here," she laughed.

"The Prince did not invite me inside and I'm not here to tidy the room. I can't just-"

"Mira," Kara interrupted as she stepped toward the girl, her hands landing on the servant's upper arms. "If you need to speak with me, you're welcome in here any time you wish. Even if Mon-El isn't around. And if anyone has a problem with that, you tell them that I told you that you're allowed in. If they give you any trouble, send them to me. Got it?"

Mira nodded slowly, clearly unsure if she agreed with what Kara was proposing.

"Blame me," she continued. "I'll handle Mon-El."

"Oh, you're gonna handle me now, are you?" Mon-El suddenly appeared behind Mira as he began to move into the room, winking at Kara in a way that made her stomach jump.

"I told Mira that she's welcome inside your room any time she needs to come speak to me."

Mon-El looked at Kara before looking at Mira who wouldn't make eye contact with him.

He shrugged in agreement. "Whatever. My room is your room, Mira."

The servant looked up at him confused, but she nodded again.

Mon-El turned to Kara. "Why is Alex downstairs in the lobby?"

Kara looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Alex?"

"Princess, you have a visitor," Mira spoke up. "That's why I came to see you. I had Miss Alexandra wait in the lobby."

"Why is she waiting downstairs? Tell her to come up!"

"Certainly, Princess," she bowed again before leaving the room.

Kara looked at Mon-El. "You really should tell them that they don't have to bow every time they enter or leave the room."

"Sure," he agreed with a smirk. "So long as you tell my mother that that's what you want." He walked toward the bathroom and grabbed a brush, attending to his hair.

Kara paused for a minute and debated having to approach the subject with his mother. "I guess bowing doesn't hurt," she settled. "I'd really rather that they didn't call me Princess though."

"Just don't let my parents hear you talk like that," he told her seriously as he grabbed his wallet from his bedside table and slid it into his pocket. "I'm out," he stated as he moved toward her, "before Alex gets here and I'm subject to your girly gossip." He pressed a brief kiss to her lips. "Besides, Winn is on his way here to meet me, so I have to get going now anyway. I'll see you later?"

"My parents are coming to the city to talk about the changes we're making to the area. I don't know how long that'll take," she told him. "I might not be back in time for dinner. Actually that meeting is likely why Alex is here. She probably came over from Krypton with them."

"Oh…you're having a meeting?" he asked. "Here?"

"They're staying at that same hotel again. They reserved a conference room there so that we'd have privacy for our discussion before they actually meet with your parents."

Mon-El shoved his hands into his pockets. "Would you mind if…if maybe I came to the meeting tonight?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him wide-eyed. "You want to discuss the modifications?"

"Just before you meet with my parents…maybe I could share some of my ideas with people who might actually listen to my points," he shrugged as he avoided her eyes. When she didn't answer, "No, you know what, your parents feel the same way about me as you do. They probably don't want me there, so just never mind. I'll-"

"What about Winn?" she cut him off. "You just said that he was coming over…"

"We're just going out for lunch; just hanging out. It wouldn't take long."

Kara smiled a small smile as she watched him. "Okay," she agreed. "I'm leaving at three, so just make sure you're back in time?"

He raised his head to finally look at her and he had a grin on his face. "Cool. I'll be here." He pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "Have fun with Alex," he said before leaning in, his lips pressing to hers gently, trapping her upper lip between his as his hand slid around her waist.

"You too," she said when they separated. "With Winn," she continued a light blush forming on her cheeks, "obviously."

He smiled at her as he cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. "Bye," he whispered.

Then Alex appeared in the doorway; wide-eyed and struggling to keep her jaw in its rightful place.

"Alex," Mon-El greeted with a smile as they both turned toward her. "Nice of you to stop by. Kara's been missing you," he said as his hand absentmindedly rubbed up and down Kara's back for a moment. "I'll see you girls later."

"Later," was all that Alex could manage as she watched him leave the room. When he was gone, she quickly flipped the door closed and looked at Kara.

"What was that?!" she asked as she laughed.

"What was what?" Kara asked as she turned and moved further into the room.

"He had his arm wrapped around you, you guys were barely an inch away from each other, and your lip gloss is smudged," Alex clapped her hands as she moved to sit down on the sofa lounge chair in Mon-El's room. Kara's hand reached up to wipe at her lips.

"Well, he just…" she paused. This was Alex she was talking to. She could tell her anything. She could tell her about this. "He kissed me."

"Oh, so you're kissing now," Alex stated, face serious, voice monotone.

"Yes," Kara sighed as she sat down beside her.

"Okay, so you just walk around here…kissing."

"Well, not exactly."

"Do explain further," she said in a serious tone, but Kara could see the smile threatening to break out on her friend's face.

"Alex!" she sighed exasperatedly.

"I just want to say officially, here and now, that I told you so," she declared.

"Told me so?"

"I told you to give this a chance and that if you did, you might start to get along with the guy, and now you are! It looks like you're giving this a serious shot!" Kara glared at her. "Even if you're not, you're a lot more open to this thing happening than you were before. It's obvious."

"I mean, I let it slip that I'd never had sex before…"

"I bet he enjoyed hearing that," she laughed.

Kara shrugged. "He didn't seem bothered by it actually," she said.

"Oh, that's good."

"He seemed more shocked than anything."

"So in his state of shock, he kissed you?" Alex couldn't see how this story related to the kissing question…

"Well, no," Kara continued. "I told him that I hadn't kissed anyone either and he said that we should practice or else my first kiss would end up being in front of everyone at the wedding."

"Ah, so naturally, then he kissed you."

"We practiced."

Alex tried desperately not to laugh. "Oh, okay, so you're," she held up her hands in air quotations, "'practicing' now."

Kara nodded and stayed quiet.

"Just all the time?"

"Well, not all of the time. He like…kisses me good morning…and goodnight. And sometimes in between," she shrugged again.

"Is he kissing you anywhere else?" Alex wiggled her eyebrows.

"In the library?" she responded, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion over Alex's question. Alex had to literally stop herself from bringing her palm to her face.

"I mean like…anywhere else," she said, waving her hands up and down Kara's body.

A furious blush came to Kara's cheeks. "Alex!"

"I'm just asking!" she laughed.

"No…none of…that, but…" she trailed off.

"But…" Alex prodded with wide, excited eyes.

"I don't know. A few nights ago," she shrugged again. "We were maybe close to…I…"

"Kara, you're killing me here!" Alex shouted exasperatedly. "Was anybody naked?"

She shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, we were just kissing on the sofa, and then he was on top of me and he was like, rubbing against me and stuff and-"

"Kara, this is amazing," Alex stated firmly.

"You're enjoying this too much," she responded.

"I really, really am," Alex agreed with a nod. "Are you gonna sleep with him then?"

Kara just sat there. She didn't know what to say because she didn't know what she actually wanted. A part of her really wanted to see what it was like to go all the way, but that was dangerous. It only took one little mistake and she could easily end up pregnant and accidentally stuck in this contract forever.

"Kara?" Alex questioned, shaking Kara out of her thoughts.

"I don't know what I want, Alex. All I know is that I like being near him and being with him and that's a scary enough thing to contemplate for now."

Alex nodded understandingly. "Baby steps," she said and Kara nodded cringing slightly at her choice of words. "Well, I think we should stop contemplating and go out for lunch. You have to meet your parents soon and I don't want you to be late."

"Sooo…" Winn trailed off and Mon-El just stared back at him. When he continued to not get a response, "How's it going with Kara?"

"Fine," Mon-El said quietly as he continued to eat.

"Well, you haven't brought her up once yet today. You're not insulting her habits or complaining about her, so it must be going better?" he questioned.

"We're getting along," he nodded.

"Okay, dude," he waved his hand in front of Mon-El's face, blocking his view of his food. "What's going on with you?"

"Kara told me…" he paused. Her virginity was probably a secret that she didn't want spread around. Especially by him behind her back. He flashed back to the way she'd shouted at him when he kept asking about it out loud. At the time, it didn't seem like she'd wanted to discuss it at all. He looked at Winn who was still waiting for him to finish his sentence. "…something," he finally said.

"Wow…that was…incredibly vague."

"She told me something, and I don't think I should tell you."

"C'mon, we're best friends. We have been for basically decades. You can tell me," Winn insisted.

Mon-El eyed his friend. "You have to keep it a secret. She'd kill me if she found out I told you."

Winn nodded.

"Seriously," Mon-El continued. "She'd literally…like actually kill me."

"Okay, okay," he dragged his fingers across his lips. "Her secret is safe."

"She's a virgin," Mon-El blurted out.

"What?!" Winn shouted before nervously looking around the restaurant. "Oops," he whispered. "What?" he asked again. "She told you that?"

"It just kind of slipped out," he said as he nodded. "I don't think she planned on telling me, but it came up and she just said it and seemed really embarrassed."

"And?" Winn prodded.

"And nothing," Mon-El shrugged again.

"Well, something must have happened since then. You're being weird. I know we haven't hung out in a while, but…"

"Winn," he sighed. "She'd never even kissed a guy before."

Winn stared back at him in silence.

"Like ever…" Mon-El continued.

"Do you think she's lying?" he asked.

"Why would she lie about something like that?"

"I dunno," Winn shrugged. "Maybe she thought you wouldn't be interested…that you'd leave her alone if you thought she was too inexperienced." He took a sip of his drink.

"I told her we should practice."

Winn then nearly spat out his drink. "You what?"

"She told me that she'd never kissed anyone before. I told her we should practice and so…now that's what we're doing."

"You mean…that actually worked?"

He shrugged. "Yeah."

"So…did you sleep with her yet?" he laughed.

"No, Winn, we're taking it slow. We're just kissing. She's kind of skittish. She hates this contract and me and everything about being here. I don't want to scare her off. Besides, I'm okay with it."

Winn paused and just stared at his friend. "You're…who are you?"

"What?" Mon-El asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"You. You of all people on this planet…you're okay with just kissing this girl? Doing nothing else with her?"

"Well, I want to do more, but I'm not going to pressure her or anything. I'm not rushing her. She's…" he sighed as he trailed off.

"You don't sound like yourself, man," Winn laughed as he went back to eating.

"I think I like her," Mon-El said quietly.

"Okay, now you really don't sound like yourself. What has this girl done to you?"

"I feel weird about her. Like if all she wants to do is lie on the sofa and watch television, or sit in my lap and kiss me, I'll do it forever. Whatever she wants. I just…like being near her, you know?"

"This is starting to sound pretty serious. She's changing you."

"What? She's not changing me. What's that even supposed to mean?"

"You're going soft," he grinned.

"I'm not going soft. I'm just…respecting her and her wishes."

"Before we left the house today, you called your servant 'Mira'. You thanked your driver 'Rhys' when he dropped us off here. I've known you for basically your entire life. That's the first time I've ever heard you do that."

"How does this relate to Kara?"

"I'm sure Kara calls them by their names," he said.

"So what if she does?"

"She does it. Now you do it. It's obviously her influence. She's changing you. You're turning…nice," he laughed.

"Shut up."

"I'm just saying that it sounds like she's having a positive influence on you. I personally think that's great. You could be a total and complete ass sometimes, so this is a welcome change," he grinned at Mon-El from across the table.

"Ha, ha," he fake laughed in response. "Now, hurry up and finish eating. I gotta meet Kara back at the house before three. We're meeting her parents."

"Now we're meeting the parents, are we?" Winn asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"It's Royal business," Mon-El stated firmly.

"Of course it is. Make a good impression," he told him.

"I always make a good impression," he grinned.

"Not on the parents you don't," Winn laughed loudly.

Mon-El's smile faded. "Well, I never actually meet the parents, so I don't really know how to act I guess…" he paused for a moment.

Winn watched him clearly trying to figure out in his mind how the meeting could go. He started, "Whatever you normally would think of doing…" Mon-El nodded as he waited for him to continue. "Just do the complete opposite."

A/N: I don't want to fan the flame or anything when I'm so bad with having frequent updates, but I was up until 2:00am last night re-reading everything I've already written (and not yet posted), as well as the storyline plans I have for the rest of this fic and I'm just so excited for you guys. I'm really proud of this fic, and of everything that's still to come.

(Also short side note, a sweet congratulations to Melwood on their baby boy. It was super weird writing this fic about weddings and babies while Melwood and the fandom was going through the same thing. Waaay too meta tbh.)

Please leave me some love if you have the time - and if I don't say it enough, I love you guys right back!

Twitter: _ashleymaria_
Twitter Tag for Sneak Peeks, etc.: ContractuallyYours