Take stock.

Madison immediately stopped writhing under Pat. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her frame finally going limp. Seeing her nude, sweaty, and disheveled in a post-orgasmic haze made Ross appreciate how much he really had again.

"Well?" he asked. She opened her eyes and looked at him with unbridled adoration before breaking into a goofy grin.

"That was the best I've ever felt," she replied.

"Do you think it was different because of the nitrated soil?"

Madison sat up and gently pushed Pat off of her. The woman did as she was directed with a detached docility, standing next to the bed and awaiting more input. On impulse, Ross reached out and squeezed one of her breasts. She looked down at his hand, then smiled at him wordlessly.

"I don't know," Madison admitted. "I... I think so. I mean, I'm new at introspection because until now there's been no interiority to inspect."

Ross nodded. "Any of those flashes of emotion you've been feeling? Or irrational thoughts?"

Madison blushed. "I mean, yeah. A little, I guess. I felt something... hot, kind of. Like a burst of steam inside of my body. I still get it a little when I look at you."

"Lust?" he suggested. Madison shook her head.

"No, I think that's a long way off. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to really experience bodily sensations like you do. So far, everything's been much more intangible. I've identified anger, mirth, anxiety, happiness, and fear, but this is a different one. This is better, though. Overwhelming, intense almost to the point of unpleasantness, but very, very good."

Ross didn't want to be the one to say what they were both thinking. A beat passed in silence before she continued.

"I... think I love you, Ross."

Ross's eyes widened and he paled. "I- I love you too," he said. They embraced, her naked body pressed against his, and he felt a strange heat rise to his face. She held him, and he held her, and time passed.