A Daxamite under the Mistletoe

Summary: Kara explains (and lies) about some of the traditions associated with Christmas. Mon-El surprises her anyway. A sweet KaraMel Christmas fic.

"Kara, I can't believe you haven't put up the Christmas decorations yet." Alex said, as she walked into Kara's place, her arms straining with the weight of her Christmas groceries. While it might have been Kara's year to host Christmas, Alex was still prepared to contribute to the celebration and had done so, as usual by going overboard.

Looking around her bare apartment, Kara grimaced. "You know as well as I do that I haven't had a chance. Here, let me take some of that." Kara said, reaching for some of the bags, once she had shut the door.

"Thanks. It's just strange, that's all. Usually you have your tree up in the first week. It's a little concerning to see your place so barren this close to Christmas."

Alex cast one last look at her sister's living room before dumping her remaining bags on the counter and staring at her intently. "Are you okay? You're not sick or something, are you?"

"Of course not." Kara laughed as she turned and started emptying the grocery bags. "I never get sick."

Alex leant against the counter, her eyes narrowed on Kara. "Now that I think about it, you have been acting rather strangely recently. You've been working really hard. At CatCo and the D.E.O. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were avoiding someone."

"Oh please," Kara laughed again, albeit more forced this time. "Who would I be avoiding?" She opened her freezer and started packing in the meat. "Between CADMUS and impressing Snapper, I haven't had the chance to even try and avoid anyone. Not that I have been avoiding anyone, that is."

Alex straightened at the blatant lie. "Hmm, I don't think it's me that you're avoiding, 'cause you're talking to me now." She tapped her face lightly, thinking. "It's not Winn or James, because you sorted out your issues with them a while back. Unless something has changed." She shot a look at Kara who was shaking her head. "Didn't think so. I saw you speaking to them yesterday." She froze suddenly and exclaimed loudly, "I haven't seen you near Mon-El since we arrested Lena's mother!"

"I am not avoiding Mon-El!" Kara spluttered. "I've checked up on him since then."

"Two weeks ago!"

"It hasn't been that long. I saw him the other day at the DEO. I asked him about his new job."

"That Hank helped him find." Alex scolded gently. "Are you sure you still want to be his mentor?"

"Of course, I do." Kara said sounding upset at the prospect of losing her chance to mentor Mon-El.

Alex folded her arms. "Do you know what he's doing for Christmas? Is he spending it alone at the D.E.O? Is he going to be working the late shift and ultimately spending it surrounded by strangers?" Alex shrugged casually. "Maybe you'll be lucky, and he won't realise that Christmas is a day for family. Perhaps he won't feel too bad about the whole thing."

Kara paused, a bag of frozen peas forgotten in her hands. "I didn't even think about that." She said, sounding shocked. Quickly, she shoved the peas into the freezer, pulled out her phone and dialed Mon-El, while glaring at her sister who watched her with a bemused expression on her face.

"Hi Mon-El, it's Kara." She said stiffly. "It's recently been pointed to me that I have been neglecting my duties as your mentor on Earth." She paused as he replied. "Alex. Anyway, has anyone explained Christmas to you yet? No? Good. Then, when you knock off work tomorrow, please will you come by my place?" A small smile crept across her face. "No, you don't need to bring anything this time. Just yourself. See you tomorrow. Bye."

Alex grinned. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No." Kara grumbled, sheepishly.

When Mon-El texted her that he was running late, Kara started pacing.

She couldn't help herself. She was incredibly nervous to be around Mon-El again. She hadn't lied to her sister when she said that she had checked up on Mon-El, but she had brought Winn along to ease the tension that she felt around him.

Nervously she paced out to her balcony to watch the snow drifting past the window. Her mind drifted to the cause of all her anxiety.

Even now, she wished that he had remembered the kiss that they had shared. Unfortunately as much as she wanted to repeat it, she also remembered quite strongly that he had pointed out there were far more beautiful women throwing themselves at him for him to be interested in her. He clearly saw her as nothing more than a friend and she felt obligated to keep it that way.

She was startled from her musings, by a loud knock on the door. Taking a deep breath, she ran a hand over her hair and smoothed down her red and white Christmas jersey and opened the door.

"You got here faster than I expected." She said in lieu of a greeting.

"Yeah, Ricardo arrived for his shift only a few minutes late." Mon-El shrugged as he stepped in. "Oh, this is for you." He held up a single red rose. "A woman came around the bar with a basket of roses and was selling these to the people there." He explained. "This was her last one and I could tell that she wanted to go home. So I bought it."

Kara felt her heart swell at both his words and his gesture. "Thank you." She said, reaching for the rose. Their fingers brushed briefly. "Oh my gosh, Mon-El! Your fingers are ice cold." She exclaimed. "Come in and let me get you something hot to drink." She rushed over to her kettle. "What would you like? Tea? Coffee?"

"I'll have whatever you're having, thanks." Mon-El said, following her in and removing his dark winter coat, revealing a tight fitting black jersey.

"I was going to make myself hot chocolate. With marshmallows and cinnamon." Kara explained, placing the rose in glass and filling it with water.

"That sounds delicious."

"You've never had it?" Kara asked as she started pulling out mugs and teaspoons.

Mon-El shook his head, slowly.

"I think it's a decadent drink, so it's probably just what a Daxamite would enjoy, even if it in non-alcoholic." She grinned, taking the bite out of her words.

He smiled softly. "If it's something made by you, then I probably will. I mean, I haven't hated anything you've let me taste so far." When she turned to look at him, he coughed awkwardly and changed the topic before he let something slip. "So, what the deal with this Christmas thing that has everyone so excited?"

Author's Note: So I think I have my creative writing grove back. This was originally going to be a one-shot, but the story is getting away from me and it is becoming longer than I anticipated. I am about half way through the next two sections and I should have the next chapter up in a day or two.