The first time Tamora had an episode, Felix wasn't aware what had happened. With searching for Ralph and feeling ultimately rejected by the first woman he'd ever shown an interest in, the whole reason for her outburst flew right over his head.
But the second time it happened, Felix took notice.
It'd been a wonderful evening; their first real date. They'd dined at the only table service restaurant in the arcade followed by a stop in Street Fighter to watch a few matches.
Felix, being to gentleman he was, insisted on walking his lady back to her outlet. He wasn't surprised, but he did let out a little yelp when Tamora grabbed him up into a searing kiss. The feel of her lip action made his insides melt. Tamora broke the connection, and Felix held her wrists, opening his eyes slowly to find a cute little smirk playing on her lips.
"I gotta say, ma'am," he sighed, "you are one dynamite gal."
Even through his gloves, Felix could feel Tamora's body tense instantly. Her eyes, wide and glazed over, stared straight forward. Before Felix could ask what was wrong, Tamora shook her head - long bangs falling over her face. She set him down, a little roughly, and quickly shifted away to put some distance between them.
"It's late, Fix-It," she gruffly said, "I gotta go."
Felix stared at her retreating back, bewildered as to what just happened. His memory flashed back in the escape pod when her mood had suddenly changed like this when he complimented her on being a….
Oh my land.
"Miss Calhoun!" Felix hurried after her. They'd had such a great time together; he wasn't about to blow it over a few badly chosen words. "Please, wait!"
"Go home, Fix-It," Tamora growled, marching with determination up the stairs to the train depot.
"Tamora, please wait!"
The sergeant halted at the call of her given name. He hadn't spoken her name the entire evening, still opting to call her 'Miss Calhoun' or 'ma'am', but he sure as hayfever couldn't get her given name off his mind.
Tamora kept her back to him, choosing to glance over her shoulder, a curtain of blonde locks still obscuring her face.
"It baffled me why you booted me out that shuttle when we were searching in Sugar Rush together, but I think I finally figured it out," Felix explained, staying put at the bottom of the steps. "If it upsets you this bad, I promise I'll never mention those words again."
He visibly saw her shoulders slump, and after a several nail-biting seconds, Tamora took a seat on the top step. Felix cautiously ascended the short distance that separated them and sat beside her.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, if I upset you again. That's the last thing I ever wanted to do."
Tamora shook her head. "It's not you're fault, short-stack. You weren't queued into my backstory."
"Do you want to-" Felix paused, afraid his question would run her off, "talk about it?"
"No," Tamora swiftly answered. She tossed her head gently, her bangs slipping back revealing her masked face. "But maybe one day I will. Don't ever say the 'D' word again. It triggers something that I don't want to relive."
He couldn't imagine what the heavens this word triggered in her mind, but Felix didn't need details. Tamora would provide them when she was ready. "I promise, it will never come out of my mouth for as long as I'm plugged in."
Felix chanced a reassuring pat on Tamora's knee. She finally looked at him, covering his hand with hers and giving it a short squeeze. With that, the moment was gone and Tamora was back on her feet.
"See you tomorrow, Fix-It?"
Felix smiled, relieved that they worked out this small but destructive detail in their relationship. "As sure as the sun rises."