Kara was amazed with how easily things just stayed the same. She returned to the lounge after cleaning herself up, and found Lena sitting in the same place she had been before; still shuffling through notes and scribbling down her own. Her wet hair rested over her left shoulder, the fresh pajama pants she'd slipped into soaking up infrequent droplets from the brown mass.
Lena turned to her, smiled as she always did, then returned to work. No awkwardness, no fear or worry. Kara had been scared, and worried. They may not have had sex, but if it weren't for thin materials between them, they would have. While the idea was definitely pleasant, it was also terrifying. Their whole relationship would change if they took this further; although Kara was beginning to wonder if that was actually the case. Lena seemed to have no issue with everything staying as it is.
"Kara, I can practically hear you worrying. Just come and sit down; I'll tell you what I've found so far" Lena didn't even look form her notes as she spoke, although there was a smile in her voice. Kara re-took her position from before, waiting for the brunette to speak again
"Well, I can confirm that both the black, and the purple stones are Kryptonite. However, I couldn't tell you what they do separately. Which makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly how to reverse its effects. I can also tell you that the DEO's method won't work; which is frustrating, because it would be so much easier. This Kryptonite gives off a radiation signature similar to both red and green Kryptonite, but it's also wildly different; in minuscule ways that make all the difference. The DEO's setup only really covers known forms, and any others which might emit identical signatures. So their approach won't work for this" Nodding along, Kara slipped to the floor to look over Lena's shoulder at her notes. The brunette leaned into her slightly, and it was such a natural thing for them to do, that even with recent events, Kara couldn't bring herself to be weird about the situation.
"Furthermore, I've been studying these odd ridges along the sides of the purple Kryptonite. They're definitely not from natural causes. It's almost like it was being held in place by something man-made...or, Kryptonian-made I suppose. Do you know of anything on Krypton that would need purple Kryptonite? It seems almost as if it were used as the core of something, like the catalyst to make a machine work." Kara shook her head
"I didn't even know Kryptonite could affect us on Krypton. I don't recall experiencing any Kryptonite-like symptoms back home; only here on Earth" Kara's brow furrowed as she retrieved the rock from the table, turning it over in her hands to inspect the ridges Lena had mentioned. Having been ear-marked for the science guild back on Krypton, Kara could immediately concur with Lena's theory. It definitely seemed that the rock had been held by some kind of machinery. She wracked her brains trying to think of something, anything that might have needed the stone to work
"Well, really, what kind of machine needs a rock that makes all-but-one person smell horrid? I couldn't think of anything either" Lena slumped against the blonde's side, toying with her pen as she watched Kara look over the material. Meanwhile, Kara's mind immediately replayed her father's words about his wife, how her rose-like scent had always been present. The memory moved on a little further, pushing to the forefront of her mind as if it had to be there. Zor-El went on to tell her that no-one else ever smelled like Alura, not since the codex had paired them. Kara stood abruptly, jostling a startled Lena from her place. The brunette for her part, merely stared up at the reporter, raising an eyebrow in question.
"I...I think I have an idea of what's going on. I have to go, but I'll be back really soon; I promise. I just need to find something" With that, the hero turned and sped to the balcony, launching herself off of it, and immediately breaking the sound barrier. Lena waited for the shaking building to settle, before letting out a confused 'huh', turning back to her notes as she waited for the blonde to return
With how little she'd been exposed to the rotten smell the people now gave off; Kara was almost instantly gagging, as she tried to speed through the city to get away as soon as possible. Moments later, she was over the ocean, glad for the reprieve the sea-air gave her. She had a theory, a crazy - so probably correct - theory that could explain at least part of the situation. She pushed on, trailing her fingertips through the sea water as she sped along above it.
It took a grand total of 20 minutes to reach her destination, and she touched-down just outside the entrance way. Leaning down to retrieve the key, she chuckled. She'd been convinced since she heard about this place, that Kal had put it together during some emo phase of his teenage years. What reasonable adult names a place 'The Fortress of Solitude'? Still amused, she lifts the key to it's slot and turns, waiting for the entrance to slide open, as she returned the key to its place. She strode into the place, glad she couldn't feel the cold - she was still in boxers and Lena's hoodie, after all.
The grandeur of the space still left her in awe, it was almost like an icy palace, all tall ceilings and garish decorations. Kara loved her parents, of course; but wasn't sure she could handle giant statues of them looming over her, like she was trying to steal some ancient treasure. She chuckled again, reminded of watching Winn play Tomb Raider, screaming girlishly as the guardians of some artifact chased his character relentlessly. She sighed as the memory faded, she missed her friends. She adored Lena, without a doubt; but sometimes she felt like she was encroaching on the woman's space, and she really didn't want the brunette to get sick of her. Sighing once more, she stepped further into the space
Letting her fingers graze along the Kryptonian artifacts Kal had managed to acquire, she made her way over to the computer system. Sitting before it, and immediately searching for proof of her theory. She knew exactly what she was looking for, was quite certain Kal even had the blueprints for the thing; and settled in for a long and arduous search.
Hours later, she found herself glad of her photographic memory - she'd completely forgotten to bring a notepad - the information here was substantial. Seemed Kal's parents set him up with pretty much everything he could possibly need to study his home planet. She let a small wave of bitterness pass over her that her parents didn't do the same for her. She knew she could access Kal's archives whenever she wanted to, but it would be nice to have this stuff for herself. Sighing as she shut the system off, she stretched languidly; she hated sitting for too long.
Now was the hard part; she needed to explain to Lena. The information proved her theory to be correct, and made the whole situation a lot more serious. She turned to leave, casting one more glance over her shoulder as she chuckled at the idea of emo Superman; before closing the door behind her, and returning to Lena's
On the way back, she held her breath as she sped through the city, only releasing it when she was safely inside the penthouse. She took a moment to right herself, even Kryptonian's suffered under a lack of oxygen. Gentle snores reached her ears, and a steady heartbeat set a slow tempo, as she crept around the couch to investigate.
Lena had fallen asleep, head pressed to the table, cradled by her crossed arms. The arc of her back looked almost painful, but she seemed quite comfortable. Kara just watched for a moment, a smile gracing her lips. Lena was always so beautiful, but right now, with the setting sun casting a pinkish halo over brown locks, she was angelic. Kara couldn't resist, and leaned down to press a light, lingering kiss to the woman's temple; as she reached across her for the notebook the brunette had pushed aside.
Sitting next to her friend, the blonde recalled the data she'd pulled from Kal's archives, not bothering to translate it just yet, she wanted it safely noted down first. Lena continued to snore gently beside her as she filled page upon page with Kryptonese characters.
An hour later, Kara was done with her notes, instead reaching over to stroke brown locks as she watched Lena sleep. The true nature of the purple Kryptonite made her abandonment fears dissipate, and while the black addition was still a mystery - there was nothing in the archives about it - she was quite content to start venturing into more romantic territory with the CEO. She trailed her hand to the woman's shoulder, shaking it slightly to jostle the woman from sleep.
Mumbling in the most adorable way, Lena raised her head and turned to the blonde; pouting and scowling as she was forcibly removed from her particularly pleasant dream. Thoughts of Kara had invaded her sleep, and she was having a wonderful dream about being bent over the kitchen island, and thoroughly fucked as her hair was pulled behind her; forcing her to bend at an odd angle which allowed Kara to press fully into her G-spot, and had her keening for more. Kara just giggled at how adorable the woman looked
"Where've y'been?" she drawled as she raised herself from the coffee table, stretching her arms above her head, and subsequently revealing a sliver of soft alabaster flesh, above the waistband of her pants. Kara's breath caught at the sight, she really wanted to just lean down and lick the exposed flesh, and nibble at those slightly protruding hip bones. Instead, she swallowed and began her explanation
"Well, while we were talking earlier, I was hit by a memory; something my dad once said to me. See, back on Krypton, we had this...uh...matchmaking machine? We called it the codex. It would tell us who we were meant to be bonded with..." Kara trailed off as she tried to gauge Lena's response, but the woman was simply nodding along, before she opened her mouth
"So, like, soulmates? It reveals your life partner?" Kara nodded
"Yes, exactly. I had no idea how it worked until today, but it's actually pretty neat, and surprisingly simple." Lena cocked her head as Kara reached for the notebook. She took a single glance before she yanked it from the hero's hand, and let her fingers trace over alien scripture
"I'll translate it.."
"No need. I can read Kryptonese, had to learn to decipher Lex's notes, so I could find and destroy his horrible inventions. I think he wrote in Kryptonese as a way to goad Superman, should his plans ever be discovered. Either that or he just turned into an obsessive fanboy" Lena shrugged as Kara gaped.
"Can, uh, can you speak it? Understand if it's spoken to you?"
"No, unfortunately. The characters I can follow, but I've never heard the words spoken, nor heard the sound each character represents. So, I can read and write it, but can't speak or understand it." Kara nodded, a little dumbfounded by the revelation. Lena continued to look over the notes in silence, highlighting some sentences, making her own notes in the margin. In no time, she had read and re-read the notes, and closed the book as she rested it on the table. She leaned back against the couch, her legs out straight in front of her, and her hands clasped in her lap. She was nodding slightly as if trying to comprehend all of the new information. She didn't turn to the blonde when she eventually spoke
"So, judging by those notes, the purple Kryptonite, sitting on the coffee table; was what powered your matchmaker, back on Krypton." Kara nodded, letting out a quiet 'yup'
"And, every year, un-bonded people would supply a fresh pheromone sample to update the information in the machine; which worked by altering the radiation waves of the Kryptonite to pinpoint the matching set of pheromones, eliminating the unfortunate result of everyone else smelling like a corpse." Kara nodded again. They sat in silence as Lena mulled over the new information. She didn't seem shocked, or otherwise disturbed, and Kara wondered if the brunette had fully grasped what this meant in terms of them.
"That's fucking genius!" The sudden exclamation made Kara start slightly, turning to Lena to find the woman staring at the coffee table with wide eyes, still working through the new discovery. As Kara watched, the CEO's brow furrowed, and she tilted her head with a slight pout.
"So, that means, I smell good to you, because I'm..." she turned to Kara as the sentence faded. Kara smiled sheepishly, and nodded slightly.
"Well, that...um...that changes things a little. Not badly, I still feel the same about you, but it kinda adds a more serious tone to the whole thing..." Kara nodded along as Lena returned her gaze to the coffee table. She reached for the notebook again, flipping through to Kara's earlier addition. She re-read the information, highlighting a new section
"These notes describe some pretty severe medical anomalies, that coincide with exposure to purple Kryptonite in it's raw form. That's why they built the codex, to mitigate the medical repercussions. There are notes here about symptoms varying from hive-like welts, to full blown comas, and even death. Kara, if we don't fix this, you might die." Lena was suddenly reaching for the blonde's hand, squeezing it in concern. Kara, shaken by the news squeezed back, not considering her strength.
When she realized that Lena should be in pain, she yanked her hand away quickly, looking in shock at the seemingly unharmed brunette. It took Lena a moment to realize what had happened, and why the blonde was suddenly asking if she was ok. In response to the concern, she flipped back through the notes, pointing out a section she had highlighted in blue.
The passage noted another anomaly that came with the rock; even if malicious intent was involved, a bonded pair couldn't harm one another, even before the bond is sealed. Which meant, to Kara's delight, that she didn't have to worry about hurting her friend if they chose to take their relationship further, even if she got rough. It was like Lena was made specifically for her. The brunette continued on the previous topic.
"Furthermore, these notes state - quite plainly - that the only way to treat those medical ailments, is to...consummate the bond" Even despite the suddenly dire situation, Kara was certain she'd never get sick of seeing Lena blush. She let the information sink in.
This whole adventure had been a roller-coaster ride of emotions, confusion and arousal; all because this rock was trying to tell her that Lena was hers. That didn't explain the addition of the black Kryptonite, or its effects - although she assumed it was the cause of her complete gender shift - but she was confident and at ease with the rest of the situation. Lena watched the blonde as they both came to terms with what was happening.
She, too, had been thinking about the black Kryptonite, desperately wondering what its purpose was. Having an item to switch genders has it's perks, sure; but what additional worries come with mixing it with purple? Was Kara stuck like this? Was she going to experience the worst of the ailments that come with exposure to raw purple Kryptonite? Would the addition of black Kryptonite add further medical risks? There were so many questions, and without having a sample of black Kryptonite - unadulterated by other forms of the mineral - she couldn't even begin to find the answers.
It was clear that when it came to the purple Kryptonite, the path to reversing its effects, was to engage in intimacy. Lena had no issue with it, and if Kara's earlier fantasy was anything to go by; she wouldn't either. How to approach the black Kryptonite was another issue, but if they were extremely lucky; the way the two stones have bonded, will mean that its effects will be undone at the same time as those of the purple rock. It was the only option they had, really; and Lena conceded to herself that they could search for a hunk of black Kryptonite later, as long as the possible medical issues created by its purple counterpart were dealt with. Even if it meant Kara had to spend some more time as a man, she was sure the blonde could cope, as long as she could be around her friends, particularly her sister.
Kara fidgeted beside her, gingerly reaching out to clasp the brunette's fingers between her own. She was blushing profusely, and Lena had a good idea of what was going through the reporter's mind.
"Lena, I know this whole thing is a lot. But I'm willing to try this. Even if it doesn't work out, or turn me back the way I was; I want to try being with you. Finding out what the purple Kryptonite does helped ease a lot of my concerns; you were pretty much made for me, I don't need to worry about losing you. If we need to consummate the bond, I'd love to do that; and I'll wait as long as you want if you're not ready for it. But...um...you should know that I, uh..." She huffed as she tried to push the words out, and Lena could see the exact moment the blonde took on the Supergirl persona to face the issue
"I don't tell anyone this, no one has ever known this, but if we're bonded, I don't want to be hiding things from you. Especially not about this. I don't like the soft, slow kind of sex. I want rough, I want unhinged and maybe a little kinky. I want to pin you against walls, and destroy furniture while I make you scream my name. I want to feel your nails drag down my back, your teeth digging into my skin. I want to fuck you til you bruise, til you're so sore that sitting through your business meetings has you dripping with the memory of everything I've done to you. I want to spank you til there's a perfect welt of my hand print on your ass, and leave you a sobbing mess in my arms by the end of it all..." Lena had become wetter and wetter as Kara spoke, mental images of every single thing Kara mentioned travelling through her mind at warp speed, as her sex hummed at the mere idea of Kara's proclivities wrecking her body.
"So, if you're not o..." Kara didn't even finish her sentence as the brunette launched herself, no longer concerned with hearing Kara's doubts. She connected their mouths in a deep, needy kiss as she ground herself down on Kara's crotch, feeling the blonde's aroused member rubbing up against her. She pulled away slightly, breathless and wanting
"Kara, I swear to every god that might be listening, if you don't take me to bed right now, and do literally everything you just said; I'll never speak to you again" the blonde didn't need a second warning, and moments later they were on Lena's bed, tugging at each other's clothing as they lost themselves to lust