Let th– nope, too easy. Too easy.

There had been a cold snap earlier in the week, and the citizens of Republic City were bundled up as best as they possibly could. The falling temperatures, however, did not deter the swarms of people who regularly flocked to the park. The air was filled with the screams of young children and the concerned shouts of parents ordering their progency to keep their winter hats on their heads. While the carriage rides were fully operational, the cool weather deterred many from venturing out onto the park's lakes.

For two people, however, the freeze provided the perfect opportunity to have a public conversation with the utmost privacy. After all, who would think to follow two crazy idiots out onto freezing cold water?

She was gonna wretch. She was sure of it.

She nervously cast her eyes about for her…whoever the hell he was…for Amon.

All this stress was doing nothing to help her. She tried to remember what she and Tenzin had discussed during their last airbending lesson.

Deep breaths, Korra, she thought as she sucked down a mouthful of air. You can do this. You can do this. Remember, it's what's best for everyone involved.

She fidgeted with the fringe of her jacket: she had kept Naga's sheddings in a jar for many years; when Senna made the jacket for Korra's sixteenth birthday, the jar mysteriously disappeared from the White Lotus compound and the hairs magically found themselves on the jacket.

And now she was thinking about her parents. And her parents finding out that their daughter was sleeping with the enemy. What would they think of…this? What would they think of me?

Her body felt hot with shame.

Actually, she just felt hot in general. Too hot. But she couldn't take the jacket off.

It was winter after all.

Oh, shit.

She barely made it to a nearby tree before breakfast erupted from her throat.

It has to end here. For both our sakes. We can't keep going in treading the same paths, backwards and forwards and backwards again. I can't trust him, and he can't trust me, and he has too much power...or I give him too much power...I know that we said we'd ride this boat until war arose but-

But you like this, came the dark voice from within. You like him. He understands you like no one else, and though neither of you will admit it you understand him too. You like his wisdom and his bluntness, and the way he delivers it to you – the resonance of his voice both terrifies and delights you. You love the smoothness of his lips, the roughness of his fingers. You enjoy the struggle and revel in the power it gives you – the power you take from each other. You like way he feels inside you. You like the wrongness of it. It taints the both of you and yet neither one would give up the wondrous passion it gives you…

She dry heaved again but thankfully nothing came out this time.

You're wrong, she said weakly. I can end this. I will end this.

She found Amon surprisingly easy to spot – for one, he was wearing the same clothes he'd worn to their date at Narook's Noodles; two, he was fidgeting rather aggressively. She drew her hood up over her face and prayed that no one would recognize her.

A gaggle of children raced past. Amon smiled and she couldn't help but smile back, despite the maelstrom of emotions that were tearing at her soul.

Stupid, stupid, stupid...

"Hello Avatar." He glanced at the throngs spread about the grass. "I must admit I was…surprised that you requested we meet in such an open area."

"We'll be fine once we're out on the lake," she replied hastily.

"I would think two people alone on the lake in cold weather would be of interest to more than a few people…"

"Not if they're Water Tribe." She cringed. "Well, one of them anyway."

Amon's eyebrow twitched for the briefest of moments, and his eyes betrayed a flash of annoyance before settling back into their inviting blue tone. "Well, shall we, Avatar?"

"What?" "Oh, y-yeah…" she stammered. "Let's go out on the water."

They walked down to the edge of the lake and untied one of empty boats, after which they both clambered inside the vessel. She raised her arms to waterbend the boat away from the shore when Amon grabbed her hands.

She froze instantly.

"Avatar…there's no need to be so tense," he said, puzzled. "And perhaps you should refrain from using your bending, Avatar or not. Regardless of our conversations being private, venturing out onto the lake is going to draw curious eyes, so we should avoid any action that would give them more reason to keep their gaze upon us."

"Whatever you say," she replied, unable to hold eye contact with him.

Amon took the lion's share of the rowing duties, though when they were about halfway to their destination she grabbed the second pair of oars and joined in; Amon smiled at her, and she barely kept her composure as her insides roiled in guilt, fear and agony.

Remember your firebending breathing exercises, Korra. Focus. Control. Concentration. Stability.

They were finally in the middle of the lake. Sure, it was a conspicuous position, but as long as they talked softly enough no one would hear them. And the circle of visibility ensured that no one could sneak up unnoticed.

"Well, here we are, Avatar," said Amon awkwardly. "As I said earlier, I found your idea of a lake-bound meeting rather…"

Please don't say romantic.

"…uncharacteristic of you."

Thank the spirits.

"I would've assumed you'd want to meet someplace noisy and busy," he finished.

"We're in the middle of a park."

"We're in the middle of a park lake," he corrected, "which while surrounded by noise is actually quite still for once. The perfect spot from which to conduct business, if I may be so bold. But since we are at a park…"

He reached into his jacket and removed a faded brown blanket which he then spread on the floor of the boat.

"While your message indicated that this was to be a more serious meeting, I took the liberty of preparing us some lunch." He flushed. "To be honest, it's more of a light snack. I've been feeling under the weather and more substantive foods have not agreed well with my stomach."

I know the feeling, she thought in silent agreement.

Amon reached into his pocket and retrieved a small cloth-bound bundle, which he handed to her, anticipation lighting up his face.

She opened the package to find three brown cakes.

"I made them myself," he said brightly. "Admittedly I've never baked before and as a result the yield was very small." He grinned sheepishly. "I haven't even bothered to taste them." He instinctively threw up his hands in defense. "I swear to you that they aren't poisoned."

Yeah, poisoning me now would certainly ruin your plans to trump the conquered Avatar before a beaten Republic City, she thought sarcastically as she bit into the gift.

The cakes were soft and airy; as her tongue touched something damp inside, the familiar sweetness of bean paste flooded her mouth.

"It's not spectacular, I know, but it was all that I could spare from the Equalist storerooms."

"I see someone's not getting out much," she said bitingly.

"That's not liable to improve any time soon," Amon retorted, his eyes narrowing. "Between this fever outbreak and the overzealous antics of Chief Beifong-"

"You did kidnap Tarrlok," she countered.

"Don't tell me you're actually disappointed that I took him away."

"Why shouldn't I be?" she snapped.

"For one thing, Avatar, the fool was using bloodbending to control you. Had I not arrived when I did, Tarrlok would've taken you who knows where and used you for – for who knows what."

"Like you wouldn't have done the same thing," she spat.

"What did you expect me to do?" he snarled. "Just let my mortal enemy, the Avatar, go, when she was at her most vulnerable moment since Memorial Island? At a time when the Equalists' plans were coming to a head?" He snorted. "You are admittedly a teenager, but there are times when your naivety, lack of logic and general stupidity astound me, Avatar."

The water appeared around her hands without any conscious thought. A circle of foam and spray erupted some ten feet outside of the boat.

"Then I have nothing more to sa-"

The cake.

The cake was in her throat.

But she had swallowed it all. Where was-

And now all the sweetness was turning acrid; the pleasing notes turning bitter and sour and tearing at her mouth and she couldn't breathe.

"Korra?!" said a concerned Amon, except Tenzin's face now graced the figure kneeling before her in the rocking boat.

The cake grew thicker, harder in her throat. She clutched her neck, trying to force her airway open.

"Korra, you have to breath!" said Amon, only this time he had Tenzin's voice.

She feebly opened her mouth, but the resurgent cakes prevented all noise from escaping her lips.

"I think she's having a reaction!" said Pema's voice from Tenzin's face on Amon's body.

And then the bottom of the boat split in half, and she fell out into the water below, but it was dry and dark and so hot, and the darkness felt like a thousand owl feathers pressed against her skin, and Tenzin was still shouting from somewhere.

Then suddenly the water was wet and freezing and the cake plug vanished to let a torrent of liquid fill her mouth from both directions.

She bolts upright and empties the contents of her stomach onto the floor, and is only dimly aware of the fact that she's not in the park telling her mortal enemy (that she's sleeping with) that she's cutting short their relationship and he can suck on their promise to see things to the bitter end; instead she is naked in her bed on Air Temple Island and spirits she is burning and it hurts.

She throws up again.

"Quick, get the healer back up here right now!" shouts Pema.

She can feel the temple matron press a cold compress to her forehead and it does nothing to help her.

She wants to keep her eyes open; she wants to stay awake and stay strong, but the soft, velvet oblivion of unconsciousness feels too good and the Avatar drifts back into her heated nightmares.

Author's note: The next chapter is dark, much darker than I had originally planned. But such is the evolution of writing.