A/N: I wrote most of this way back in like January or February, inspired by a very detailed but very sweet dream I had on Christmas Eve. I lost the momentum to finish it until recently, but it's complete now, and ready to be shared with you! This was beta'd for me by nineteennintytwo. Yeah, I actually had a beta for this one! (OMG, shock! *Laughs*) I really hope you guys like this! And please be gentle... ^_^; Just a few small things to note: This is a crossover fic with Despicable Me. *Ducks flying rocks and dives beneath table* I know some/many of you aren't too fond of Despicable Me because of its unfortunate response from critics in comparison to Megamind (and I agree), but it was a cute film on its own, and the characters were necessary for the story. Don't worry, though; this fic is totally about Megamind! Gru and his girls are secondary. The only other thing I want to note in case it may offend someone (which is definitely not my intention!), there is some religious discussion in this pertaining to the meaning of the holiday (which Megamind is only learning) and a nativity scene. I couldn't get the "Evil Heaven" line from the film out of my head when I wrote this, so at least in this fic, though confused in certain respects, Megamind does have faith. I don't mean to upset or offend anyone, that is not my intent, so even though this aspect is somewhat minor (it's really only mentioned maybe two or three times), if this really offends you somehow, please don't read. I don't want to anger anyone. That said, I hope you guys like this! It's really just supposed to be a cute, fun little fic to celebrate the holiday and make you smile! Rated PG for a few suggestive themes, but nothing explicit. At all. Sorry folks! ;P Happy holidays everyone! You guys are the greatest! 3 Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Megamind or Despicable Me.

Old Friend

Chapter 1

The day was already warming up as Roxanne Ritchi walked through the streets of Metro City with only a soft blue fleece to keep off the winter "chill" — if you could even call it that. It was early December, but the temperature was still in the fifties. This had been an unusually warm winter so far, but Roxanne wasn't about to complain about it, her pace never slowing as she turned a corner on her way to Megamind's ex-evil lair. Even with the weather warmer than usual, she was grateful for the extra warmth of her favorite fleece — a gift from her big-headed blue boyfriend.

Roxanne smiled as she casually straightened the sleeve of the fleece, an excuse really to fondly touch the treasured garment. Electric blue with Megamind's trademark lightning bolt stitched lovingly on the left breast in light blue thread in place of a company brand, the enthusiastic superhero had proudly presented it to her the moment the temperature had dipped, insisting, "If you're going to have to bundle up, you may as well do so in style! This will keep you nice and toasty warm… And bring out your eyes at the same time. It's multifunctional!" The reporter giggled to herself as she recalled the satisfied smirk on his lips as he'd draped the fleece around her shoulders for the first time, admiring her in it like a puppy who had just claimed a favorite toy and made it his own. Her fingers fondly traced the stitched lightning bolt — Megamind's trademark symbol and mark. He had certainly made her his… But he had managed to do that long ago, though he never missed an opportunity to show her his affection and prove his devotion to her. This gift had been just one of his many ways of demonstrating yet again that he loved her and wanted her to know it. It had been an extremely sweet gesture, and the fleece had become an instant favorite of hers. Now she never missed a chance to wear it, just as eager to show him her own devotion to him.

It had now been six months since Megamind had defeated Tighten and won her heart, and upon reflection, Roxanne had to admit they'd been the best months of her life. The ex-supervillain had turned out not only to be the best thing to have ever happened to Metro City, seeming to do an even better job of fighting crime than Metro Man had ever done, but he'd also turned out to be the most attentive, gentle, and genuinely caring boyfriend she had ever had. Innocent, sensitive, and enthusiastic, not to mention incredibly handsome, it hadn't been long before they'd both fallen head over heels in love with each other and moved beyond a mere boyfriend/girlfriend relationship to something far deeper and more intimate. The reporter smiled to herself as she realized there was really only one word that could describe what Megamind meant to her: lover. Everything about the enigmatic blue alien made her heart ache to grow even closer to him… She just couldn't get enough of him, any more than he could get enough of her.

In fact, Roxanne had to admit, that was the whole reason she was going to visit Megamind today. She didn't have any particular reason to have to seek him out, no pressing matters that couldn't wait for another day… They hadn't even specifically scheduled a date for the evening. She had no real reason to visit him except for the simple fact that she wanted to. And besides, Megamind's beautiful, expressive green eyes always looked so pleased whenever she surprised him like this… Every time he dropped everything he was doing to make a big deal out of seeing her only encouraged her to do it even more. He always made her feel so special, almost as though she were the center of the universe and everything else — including, and most especially, him — revolved around her. For a man who had spent most of his life a villain and had kidnapped her so many times she'd lost count, he certainly knew how to make her feel appreciated — and loved. Roxanne doubted there was anything Megamind wouldn't do for her. He'd probably even etch her name on the moon if she asked him to.

Roxanne smiled as she arrived at a large brick warehouse that for all intensive purposes would appear abandoned if not for the recently installed not-so-secret entrance in place of the old hologram-hidden one Megamind had used to use to protect his once evil lair from the prying eyes of intruders and law enforcement officials. Once he had given up villainy to become a hero instead, he'd done away with the secrecy, and unlike Metro Man, had welcomed the public into his base of operations, installing the new, more obvious door to make visitation easier. After the first few weeks and a few near misses from old, more villainous inventions accidentally getting activated, the public was kindly asked to leave their new hero alone — though he was always available in case of emergency. Megamind rarely received visitors in his lair now, though he was constantly getting calls from the mayor, the police, and other officials needing to put his unique crime fighting abilities and incredible intellect to good use. The door remained — a permanent feature to show the citizens of Metro City their new hero was always there for them. Roxanne smiled and used the key Megamind had given her to unlock the door and make her way inside. He would have a visitor today, at least.

When Roxanne stepped through the door and into Megamind's lair, she was greeted by the usual sight: the stale, almost humid air — now warmer than it used to be in the ex-villain's criminal days (he heated it better now for her sake, and had even admitted he preferred it this way; he'd only ever kept it cold and dank to try to maintain an "evil" image, but being an old warehouse, it was still difficult to circulate the air properly), the gray walls lacking decoration with the exception of various machinery, metal beams and plates, and blinking lights she still couldn't determine the purpose of (after a lifetime in prison, Megamind was still struggling with the concepts of "luxury" and "comfort," two things he'd only first experienced when he'd taken over the city at the end of his supervillain career and eight months later still seemed to find foreign no matter how many times he visited her apartment and reveled in the "luxury" of her everyday amenities), the smell of various experiments underway, and about a dozen or so brainbots busily scurrying to and fro on errands set them by their master. Megamind and Minion were nowhere to be seen, but then she hadn't expected them to be. Knowing her blue-skinned brilliant lover, he was likely in his lab further inside the lair, hard at work on some new invention or blueprint, barking orders to his fishy friend as Minion scrambled to help him in any way he could.

Sure enough, as Roxanne neared the lab, she could hear voices and mechanical noises coming from inside. As she heard a loud metallic bang followed by Megamind's distinctive voice screaming loudly, "Ow! My foot!" she hurried her steps in time to round the corner and see a large metal rod rolling across the floor, the blue alien gripping one foot in the air and jumping up and down on the other, a dark pair of goggles over his eyes and a blowtorch still lit from where he'd set it down quickly in pain. Roxanne had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing as she realized Megamind had dropped the heavy rod on his foot and was glaring at Minion, who looked entirely apologetic as he shouted at the fish, "Minion! I told you to hold it still!"

"I did, Sir!" Minion insisted as Megamind groaned and whimpered in pain, obviously making a bigger deal out of the situation than it was. Roxanne knew darn well Megamind was a heck of a lot tougher than he looked. "It was the brainbots! One of them tried to grab the rod in its jaws and…"

"You dropped it on my foot, you overgrown guppy!" Megamind shouted at him, still hopping on his foot. "Ow! This hurts!"

Roxanne couldn't take it anymore. "Oh, settle down, you big baby," she teased the blue ex-villain as she sauntered into the lab towards him, trying to control her laughter. "I know you're tougher than that."

"Roxanne!" Megamind gasped, lifting up his goggles and dropping his foot back to the ground as if it never hurt him at all, his face turning a deep shade of purple in embarrassment. His eyes darted anxiously to the machine he'd been working on then back to her, suddenly looking like a kid who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I, uh… We were just working…" He turned and quickly shut off his blowtorch, turning back to her as he tried to brush some dirt off his black and blue spandex suit over his chest. "I didn't know you were coming… I'd have cleaned up a bit or something… I should go change."

Roxanne laughed as he tried to dart past her, reaching out quickly to grab his thin arm and stop him before he could leave. "How many times must I tell you, Megamind?" she reminded him with a knowing look in her eye. "I love you — grime and all." A comment like that always managed to bring a smile to his lips, and this time was no exception. Megamind's shoulders relaxed as an incredibly warm smile spread on his lips, his eyes gazing deep into hers. Smiling back at him for a moment, Roxanne let him go and gestured to the machine he was working on before his affectionate gaze could turn her heart and legs into jelly. "So what is this thing?"

"It's a trash buster!" Megamind informed her, puffing his chest out in pride. "This puppy's going to completely eliminate Metrocity's waste problem! It operates on a similar method to my dehydration gun, only when you zap the trash, it can't be reanimated. Don't worry, I've built in a failsafe so that it won't work on anything living." He chuckled at the relief in Roxanne's eyes.

"Well, that's a relief," Roxanne admitted, turning to face her beaming boyfriend. "I seem to recall seeing a cat popping back to life in the rain once after you'd dehydrated it. I wouldn't want to see something like that happen again and be permanent."

Megamind shook his head in agreement, then gestured dramatically as he insisted, "I am a hero now, Miss Ritchi! Rest assured I have the best interests of all of Metrocity's citizens at heart, be they human, feline, or otherwise!"

Roxanne giggled at his playful use of her formal title, then remarked, "I have no doubt of that." He flashed her his best heroic smile and she chuckled, turning to sigh at the gray walls of the lair. "You know, Megamind, we really ought to do something about the decoration — or lack thereof — of this place. Especially now, at this time of year!"

Megamind blinked at her innocently. "Why? What's special about this time of year?"

Now Roxanne was staring at Megamind in open-mouthed shock. "You don't know?" she gasped in disbelief. "Are you serious? Don't you celebrate Christmas?"

"Kurismahs?" Megamind tried to repeat the term, mispronouncing it completely. He blinked at Minion in confusion, then cocked his head to one side as he asked her simply, "What is Kurismahs?"

"Woah, woah, woah! You don't know what Christmas is?" Roxanne stared at him as if he were pulling her leg. He just stared at her blankly. "You know, the Christmas story? The birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ? Even Santa Clause? None of it?"

Megamind shook his head. "No… Does that fat man in the red suit I've been seeing outside of department stores have anything to do with this? I've been meaning to ask you about that…"

Roxanne groaned and shook her head, running a hand over her forehead as she debated the best way to explain Christmas to a man who only eight months ago hadn't even known what a window was. "Oh, boy… How do I explain this?" She looked to Minion. "Minion, do you know about Christmas?"

The alien fish nodded, grinning brightly. "Yes, I do!"

Roxanne stared at the fish hard. "And you never bothered to explain it to him?"

If a fish could blush, Minion would have done it. He certainly looked embarrassed as he explained gently, even Megamind now glaring at him for leaving him uninformed about something apparently important, "I, uh… I tried a few times… But, uh… The Boss was never in the mood to hear it…" He turned to Megamind and apologized, "I'm sorry, Sir. I should have told you sooner…"

"Yes, Minion, you should have," Megamind scolded the piranha-like alien fish, crossing his arms over his chest. He sighed, groaning, "But you didn't, so here we are. What is this Kurismahs all about, Roxanne? I'm all ears."

Roxanne took a deep breath, then tried to explain. "Christmas," she pronounced it deliberately in the hopes Megamind would catch onto the correct pronunciation, "Is a holiday celebrated all around the world on December 25th every year. It is a Christian celebration marking the birth of Jesus Christ, though over the years it has also taken on a more secular meaning as well, appealing to people of all faiths… Christmas is a time of year when people get together to celebrate, exchanging gifts, singing songs, and sharing the warmth of the holiday with one another to express their joy. It is a time of year where warmth, love, kindness, and giving are valued over everything else."

Megamind seemed to grow thoughtful. "And this… Sandy Claws… How does he fit into this?"

Roxanne laughed softly at his mispronunciation. "It's Santa Clause, and he is the more secular icon for the Christmas holiday, a mythical story based on a man who lived centuries ago to appeal to children. Santa Clause is the fat man in the red suit you mentioned seeing. The way the story goes, he lives at the North Pole, keeps a list of everyone in the world and whether they've been naughty or nice, then on Christmas Eve he loads up a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer with a bag full of toys and flies around the world delivering gifts to good girls and boys."

"That's ridiculous," Megamind frowned, his overly intelligent brain refusing to accept such an outrageous story. "Who would believe that? First of all, reindeer can't fly, and unless he's got some sort of hyper-powered jet engine on the thing, neither would his sleigh. Second, it's not even possible for one man to visit every house in the world in only one night, let alone break in and not get caught…"

Roxanne giggled as she placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "It's a myth, Megamind — a fantasy told to children to make the holiday seem more magical to them. Only children actually believe in it… And they outgrow the myth when they get old enough to start reasoning."

Megamind grunted. "Sounds silly to me. Why not just tell them the truth then? Spare them the lie and educate them."

Roxanne shook her head, chuckling softly. "Human children aren't born scientists, Megamind… Not like you. Most parents don't see the harm in letting their children believe in a fairy tale as long as they're innocent enough to do so. In any case, it's all become ingrained in the Christmas holiday… Santa Clause and manger scenes are often displayed side by side."

"I'm going to have to do some research into this Kurismahs holiday…" Megamind determined. "See what it's really all about. This is all so confusing…"

Roxanne giggled, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder in an encouraging manner. "You'll get it," she assured him as he smiled at her, his eyes softening. "In any case, it's my favorite holiday!"

"It is?" Megamind cocked his head to one side. "Well then, I'd better get going on my research… Why do you like it so much?"

"The true meaning of Christmas is a very touching story," Roxanne insisted, then added with a bright smile, "And besides, it gives me a chance to give you a gift!" Megamind blinked as she giggled. "Exchanging gifts is one of the most important aspects about Christmas!"

"Do… Do I need to get you a gift then?" Megamind asked, studying her eyes closely.

Roxanne laughed, then answered cryptically, "Well, you don't need to get me anything, but if you want to, it would of course be appreciated…"

Megamind snickered. "Don't try to trick me, Miss Ritchi! I'll get you the best gift I can think of!"

Roxanne chuckled, noting the excited look in Minion's eyes. The fish had probably been wanting to celebrate this holiday for years… "This will be fun! Next to birthdays, Christmas is the only time of the year you can get gifts for people and they can't refuse them. It's expected!"

Megamind stared at her blankly again. "You give gifts on birthdays too? Really?"

Roxanne stared at him hard, trying to remind herself that the ex-villain had grown up in a prison isolated from the rest of the world and anything considered "normal." "Of course you give gifts on someone's birthday!" she explained with a patient smile. "A birthday should be celebrated! It's a day the birthday boy or girl is usually spoiled and treated very special."

Megamind's eyes widened as he caught on, a horrific thought hitting him like a hammer. "Oh, no! Did I miss yours? I'll make it up to you, I swear! I didn't know!"

Roxanne laughed, gesturing for him to calm down before he worked himself up into a tizzy. "No, no! You didn't miss it," she assured him. "My last birthday is in April. But that reminds me… When is your birthday?"

"My birthday?" Megamind blinked, then turned to Minion. "Minion, do you remember what the date was when we crashed into the prison all those years ago?"

Minion nodded. "A few of the prisoners mentioned it in following years, Sir. We landed here on Earth on Christmas Day, December 25th."

"Kurismahs huh?" Megamind repeated, doing a little quick math in his head. "Then that means I was born on… December 17th! That's it! My birthday is December 17th."

Roxanne blinked at him, instantly growing excited. "The 17th? You were born on December 17th? Megamind, that's just next week! I've got to get you a present!" She laughed softly, then admitted, "Though I'll admit, I have no idea what to get a man who can build his own death ray… Do you have a wish list?"

Megamind's eyes lit up, an excited grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he asked, "Can I have anything I want?"

"Anything you want," Roxanne agreed, smiling warmly at him.

"Can I have it early?" Megamind practically begged, his excitement growing.

"Megamind, the point of a birthday gift is to get it on your birthday," Roxanne giggled.

Megamind adopted his most pleading look, his eyes growing huge as he took her hands in his and squeezed them tight, begging softly, "Pleeeeease? There's only one thing I want, but I don't want to wait for it! I won't ask for anything else, I swear!"

"You promise?" Roxanne questioned, knowing she would cave. She just couldn't resist those big, puppy-like eyes… "You'll be happy with only a cake on your birthday?"

"I get a cake on my birthday too?" Megamind exclaimed, then cleared his throat as he toned down his excitement again, grinning at her as he swore, "I'll be happy with just a cake. I promise."

Roxanne hesitated for a moment, seeming to ponder his request as she made him suffer the anticipation of her answer. When he seemed about to start whimpering, she chuckled and finally gave in. "Oh, all right. You can have it early. What do you want?"

"Yes!" Megamind exclaimed in delight, his excitement overtaking him, then putting up his hands in a signal she stay put, he insisted, "Wait here! I'll be right back!" With that, he dashed from the room, a light in his eyes Roxanne had never seen before. Wondering what he was up to, she glanced towards Minion to see the fish was smiling secretively, but he stepped back in a gesture that clearly stated he wasn't about to say a word. She would simply have to wait until Megamind got back to ask him.

It wasn't long before Megamind came rushing back into the lab, dressed in a fresh new suit, complete with his white hero cape — a fur-collared cape that had once belonged to Metro Man, but had been given to him by his old rival on the day the Megamind museum had opened. His eyes were lit up, his excitement almost palpable as he skidded to a stop before Roxanne, panting for his breath as he seemed almost giddy. Roxanne just couldn't understand it… He hadn't even told her what he wanted yet, but here he was, seemingly more excited — and anxious — than she'd ever seen him before, and was she imagining things, or was he actually blushing? She had no time to ponder his odd behavior, though, before he started talking. "There! This is much better, don't you think?" he asked nervously, glancing down at his outfit. "Cleaner… More appropriate?"

Roxanne chuckled at him. "Well, of course… You know I like you in white. Megamind, calm down! You haven't even told me what you want yet!"

To Roxanne's surprise, Megamind shook his head, biting his bottom lip as he refused, "I can't calm down… Not yet." He licked his lips, then stepped in closer, and this time Roxanne knew he was blushing as his cheeks turned an even deeper hue of purple. His eyes were locked on hers as he reached out to take her hands in his. "I've been waiting for the right time to do this…" he admitted breathlessly, and Roxanne blinked at him in confusion. His smile softened, grew warmer as his eyes betrayed his affection for her. "I can't imagine a better time than right now… Sure, I could wait a bit longer, plan something truly extravagant… But this just… feels right."

Megamind shifted on his feet, his eyes growing shy for a moment, then as he gazed deep into her eyes he spoke to her softly, "Roxanne, I know we've only been dating for six months, but for me it feels like much longer than that. I've known you for years, and though we may not have had the best start — my fault entirely — I wouldn't trade a day we've had together for anything in the universe. You mean everything to me. I can't imagine living without you any more… When I try to picture my future, I see you right there beside me. I've never felt so… warm before, so… complete. I need you, Roxanne. I want you with me always. And there's only one thing I can think of that I want for my birthday."

As Megamind let go of her hands to pull a small box out of his studded leather belt, Roxanne's eyes widened as she felt herself stop breathing. Smiling at her warmly, Megamind dropped down onto one knee, opened the box to reveal a glistening diamond ring, and asked hopefully, "Miss Roxanne Ritchi… Will you marry me?"

Roxanne's hands flew to her mouth as tears of joy and disbelief stung her eyes, unable to stop staring at the gorgeous marquis-cut diamond ring he was offering her. Set in white gold with a glowing blue lightning bolt pattern etched into the band, the ring was absolutely breathtaking. Megamind's large green eyes were watching hers breathlessly as he barely even breathed, hanging on her reaction, waiting hopefully for the answer he wanted. "Oh, my gosh…" was all she could say, shocked speechless. His smile widened slightly as her eyes shifted to meet his, and as she allowed the tears to fall, she threw her arms around him and cried, "Yes! Oh, yes! Of course I'll marry you!"

Megamind sighed in relief and deeply felt joy against her, his arms wrapping around her as he squeezed her tight. His eyes closed as he savored her feel, her touch, breathing in her scent as he felt tears of his own threatening to fall from his eyes. He had never felt so happy in his life, so… accepted. Reluctantly pulling back from her embrace after a moment, he stood and took the ring from the box. Tossing the empty case aside, he took her left hand in his, gently slipping the ring onto her ring finger. Admiring it for a moment as Roxanne's eyes sparkled, he finally pulled his eyes off the ring to look into hers as he practically whispered, "Thank you, Roxanne… I couldn't have asked for a better gift than the one you just gave me." He lifted a hand to her cheek, running it affectionately back through her hair as he blinked back the tears of joy he was trying desperately not to shed. "I don't need anything else for my birthday. Just you. You've made me so happy… I love you so much…" He choked up, unable to say anything further as his emotion overwhelmed him.

"I love you too," Roxanne whispered back, then brought her lips to his to share a passionate kiss with her husband-to-be. She couldn't believe how warm she felt, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she held him tight, savoring every moment, every touch, every press of his lips against hers… When she finally pulled back from his tender, affectionate kiss, she took his hands in hers and began to lead him away, slowly guiding him towards his bedroom. "Come on… I think we need to be alone for a little while now, just you and me."

Megamind's eyes softened even further, his smile warming as he realized what she meant, what she wanted. Immediately picking up on his cue to exit, Minion called after them, a delighted smile on his fishy lips, "Uh… I think I have a few errands to run… I'll, uh… be back in about an hour or so." With that, he hurried from the lair to give his master and his new fiancé some privacy.

Later that evening, Roxanne and Megamind snuggled together on the blue hero's black leather couch to watch some television and simply enjoy each other's company. Roxanne had turned on a Christmas movie to watch in the hopes of teaching her future husband a little more about the upcoming holiday, but his eyes were only rarely on the television. Completely enraptured by the reporter's presence and the change in their relationship, Megamind ran his fingers fondly over the engagement ring she was now wearing proudly on her finger, smiling softly to himself. "We're going to need to find a proper venue to announce this…" he commented out loud as Roxanne's eyes moved to the ring as well and the long blue fingers tracing tenderly over it. "The whole of Metrocity should celebrate this with us."

Roxanne smiled, placing her hand over his as she agreed, "Yes. We should formally announce our engagement to everyone…" She grew thoughtful as she looked at the television, a sudden idea hitting her as she announced, "And I know just how we should do it."

"You do?" Megamind questioned. "How?"

Roxanne smiled up at Megamind, her eyes bright as she suggested, "You should throw a Christmas party, here at the lair!"

Megamind blinked at her. "A Kurismahs party? Me? Here?"

Roxanne nodded excitedly. "Of course! It'd be perfect! Christmas is right around the corner, and a party would be the best venue to show off our engagement. You're Metrocity's greatest hero! You should celebrate the holiday too, and throwing a party would be a great way for you to truly experience the joy and meaning of Christmas yourself. I think it'd be a wonderful idea."

Megamind considered her suggestion, but groaned softly, "Roxanne… Even if I wanted to, who would I invite? The only 'friends' I ever had were villains… And I'm fairly certain heroes aren't supposed to be hanging around with criminals. It'd make me look bad… Again… I'd feel awkward."

"All the more reason to throw a party," Roxanne insisted, doing her best to encourage him. "You need to attend more social events with the city officials, do more to show the citizens of Metro City you can cut loose just like they can. A Christmas party would be the perfect way for you to interact with your guests and polish your inter-personal skills. I know you still feel awkward in crowds, but that's all the more reason to expose yourself to them. I'll handle most of the invitations, get the Mayor and the other city officials to attend. You invite whoever you want — just don't let on your guests are villains, if they are, and don't invite anyone who will cause trouble. What do you say?"

Megamind appeared reluctant, but looking into her pleading, hopeful eyes, he caved. "All right, I'll throw a party," he agreed. "But I have a feeling I won't be inviting many guests, if any… Most of them will be from your list, not mine."

"That's fine," Roxanne assured him, then giggled in excitement. "Oh, this will be fun! We'll decorate the lair, play music, dance… You'll love it, I promise!" She kissed his lips softly and he smiled. This would certainly be an interesting experience…