Stormie pursed her lips after hearing his serious reply.
"Did I by chance offended you or something?" she finally asked.
This was a question she had been thinking all this time but she couldn't bring herself to ask it.
First because Nixon was doing things on his own and she could see that he was seriously training himself.
Second is because she could tell in her heart that she didn't want to hear him say that he is mad at her or something.
She was used at the way they always bicker that him being distant wasn't something she liked.
Nixon, who was focused on his flying and fighting, turned to her when he heard her question.
He can hear the uncertainty in her voice.
And when he looked at her eyes, he can also fear.
But he knew that fear was not because she feared that the person she loves was angry or even hated her.
It was only because she was so used at their past relationship that she was fearing the changes that will be brought by his anger towards her.
He couldn't help but sigh.
It wasn't his intention to make her feel bad. But he was simply being jealous on his own.
He thought, him being indifferent and having the pretext of becoming stronger on his own was enough reason for her not to think too much, yet he still made her feel sad.
"No, Stormie you didn't. The things that are going on? Everything was simply too chaotic and I just want to improve. If I made you feel bothered by my behavior then I will clearly tell you now that you shouldn't. I am not mad."
Stormie could see that he was sincere, she could only nod her head and accept his explanation.
After that, silence enveloped them and soon they were fighting on their own again.
Nixon would glance towards her from time to time.
As he understood his feelings for her, he thought back to when and how it started.
Of course the beginning was unknown to him but he knew that slowly he became aware of it.
After all, no matter how averse he was towards women, the one who can stay the closest to him was Stormie.
The proximity she could close to him was shorter as compared to Saphira and Willow.
Nixon knew, it all started there.
Though he couldn't remember or understand how it came to be because he has no memories of what happened to him as a child, somehow his body could tell that Stormie was part of the reason he was able to overcome it.
They said he disappeared for a week and no one could find him even his family.
And the one who was able to do it was Stormie, she was with Saphira but Saphira spoke that Stormie was the one who lead her there as well.
The mystery of that time was that, they didn't know who abducted him no matter how much they looked.
They also said that he lost control of his ability when he woke up from that event, that Reginald wouldn't use his ability on him because his reaction showed that he was seriously traumatized to what had happened.
Back then he was just seven.
Their training has just started.
That one week together with the succeeding month, Nixon has no memory of it.
Selective amnesia they said.
Since things didn't go well.
The culprit couldn't be found and he was getting better, they chose to have the event be investigated secretly.
Because the more people knew that something happened to him, the more that he might lose himself when he remembered something unpleasant.
And so up to this day, Nixon still has no recollection of what he really experienced back then.
In reality, he himself didn't want to remember it at all. Because he can tell that it was a very unpleasant experience for him to actually lose control.
"Ni-"
Just as Stormie called for him to create an ice attack with her to defeat another batch of water demonic beasts.
Nixon was already shooting the attack.
As compared to when he just started, his current ice attack was already on par with the attack they do together.
Stormie pursed her lips before turning away.
She really could feel a barrier suddenly being in between them.
But she couldn't understand just what it was or where it came from.
He already told her his side, he has no problem but then, why? Why was she feeling such distance from him?
Especially now, she was used in fighting alongside him just like Hunter and Saphira. But now, he was fighting on his own, he even looked like he can do better without fighting with her.
"Stormie!!"
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Felix calling her.
Looking up she watched another demonic beast being killed by Nixon.
He was behind her a while ago, she didn't even realize that he was already in front of her.
"Stop thinking something else," Nixon berated her.
"Sorry."
She refocused her mind while Nixon shook his head.
This is the reason why he didn't want to say anything.
Stormie could easily get distracted whenever she has something in mind.
Especially when it is connected to her emotions.
"Stormie."
After the fight, Saphira called for her.
"You know what you need to focus on improving."
Stormie silently nodded her head.
She knew Saphira have seen what happened a while ago and she was pertaining to Stormie being distracted so easily.
"You all should have seen how things went on your side. You already should know what you needed to do as well."
The rest nodded in acknowledgment.
"With that, let's go. It is time to continue forward.