Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender in any shape or form.

Warning: Slightly graphic content in this chapter.

Ameya enjoyed traveling in the night. She enjoyed the silence of nature, the stars twinkling in the sky, the fresh cool air, and lately, the sight of the moon hovering over her. It must be because of her friend's spirit, she thinks, or it was because most of her fondest memories lately occurred during the night with a certain prince.

She found her thoughts often drifting to him. She wonders if he took her advice to heart. How much had he changed since their previous departure a few weeks ago?

For a moment, Ameya found herself anticipating their next encounter.

She reached a small stream later and decided she should call it a night. Ameya was used to sleeping out in the woods and other uncomfortable places, this was no different. Her muscles often ached from her bad sleeping habits but she never paid mind to it.

Although the massages from the resort did help greatly and the hot springs were unlike any bath she had taken, she did find herself missing the lavish treatment. Maybe that was why Zuko had been so bitter with his living arrangement—he was born with the luxury of materialistic delights regular people cannot afford.

She bent down by the stream, cupping her hands underwater and brought it up to her face. As she cleaned up, she noticed the woods to be eerily quiet and while it was not unnatural, it was unsettling.

A rustle from the bush behind her caught her attention and she whirled around, icy eyes scanning her surroundings.

It was just the wind, Ameya thought, calm down.

But the worry had already sunken in and she tensed, drying her face with her sleeve and stood up. Sleep will have to wait; she did not trust this forest. An owl hooted the moment she took one step and she looked up but saw nothing. She took another step and her feet snapped a twig in half.

"Well, miss, don't you look a little lost?"

Ameya turned to the man's voice, watching a silhouette emerge beyond the darkness and hid her anxiety behind a smile. When did he get here? How did she not notice him earlier?

"I'm perfectly fine," she answered evenly, clutching the strap of her bag tightly.

"Please, allow me to escort you," he stepped out into the light and she saw the man clearly, someone around twice her age with brown hair.

"No, thank you. I was just on my way." Ameya refused briskly and started to walk along the river.

It would be okay, she was by her element. He cannot harm her even if he tried. It has been a while since she ran into some shady person in the dark but she would always leave unscathed. This would be no different. She just needs to be level headed and continue on.

"We insist," the man's tone turned dark and she turned just to see a second man emerge on the other side of her, a blade in hand and rushed at the young woman.

Ameya ran. She heard the two footsteps follow after her but she refused to look back. It was an ambush—they knew she was here the whole time. What do they want with her? Whatever it was, she doubted it was anything pleasant.

Her heart pounded against her chest and she glanced back to see how far she had gone. They were a good distance away—Ameya was faster and she felt relieved. She could outrun them—she just needs to lose them—

She ran into something hard and fell backwards, blue eyes widen as a third man had stopped her path. She rolled to the side when he reached out to her but before she can run past him, he caught her long hair.

"Let me go!" She screamed, fighting and hitting his arm frantically.

"Well aren't you a feisty one." His deep voice rumbled and she glared at his muscular form. He was bigger than the other two, probably stronger and she had been stupid enough to not see him soon enough.

"Nice job," the other two caught up to them, panting slightly from the run to congratulate the bald man that caught her.

"What do you want with me?" She glared at them harshly, struggling against the muscular man's hold.

"There's nothing we want—but I'm sure others would pay plenty for a pretty girl like you," the first man spoke to her and she deduced him to be the leader.

"Human trafficking?" Ameya was disgusted—how could they do something so morally wrong?

"Now, now, we prefer the term to be…human relocation. What is a girl like yourself doing out in the woods by yourself? I'm sure we can find a nice house for you to live in. That is just what we do."

Her body froze and she lowered her gaze. She heard enough. Her feet was raised up then down quickly, stomping her capture's feet painfully and he was forced to let her go with a yelp. She dodged the sword aimed at her side and with careful movement, she waterbended the water beside her to freeze the muscular man's feet to the ground.

"She's a waterbender! She's definitely worth a lot more!"

Ameya ignored their voices and ran. She did not get far, however, when she was suddenly tackled to the ground. A heavy body sat on top of her and she realized it was the man with the sword, his lips curling up into a satisfied grin.

"Let go!" She demanded.

"If you cooperated in the first place it wouldn't get like this," the leader hissed out, grabbing her wrists and tying them together. "You know I never bedded a waterbender before—would you like to be the first?"

Her eyes widen and fear took upon her. No—this can't be happening. She kicked and thrashed around, screaming loudly but was silenced by a harsh kiss upon her lips.

Their hands roamed her body roughly. Her tunic was sliding off her shoulder and the muscular man had gotten free from the ice, now joining his companions on the side. Tears welded up in her eyes as she was held down and played with. One of them was attacking her neck with their mouth and another was pulling at her clothes.

The tongue that entered her mouth was slimy and disgusting; the callous hand that was ripping apart her tunic was cold. She was left with her breast binders on and her pants were slowly starting to come off.

"Hey leave some for us too."

"We can't damage her too badly—"

"I'm first!"

Ameya continued to wiggle underneath them, bringing her tied arms down to smack one of them on the head. He retaliated by slapping her face and she glared fiercely at him, her eyes still defiant despite the tears.

"I'm going to enjoy this," the man glowered.

"May the Spirits condemn you," she hissed back.

Something shifted behind them and in a second, the one pair of hands was off her body. The men looked up, glaring at whoever was interrupting them. They saw a young man raise his dual broadswords, swiping at the man who took his own sword to defend the attack but was pushed back by the force.

Ameya watched with wide eyes as her last capturer was kicked away from her and she stared tearfully at the Fire Nation Prince.

Zuko glanced at her, his fist clenching tightly on his swords at her miserable state. Her upper torso was exposed except for the loose binding and her pants were ripped on the side. He saw the dark bruises beginning to form on her neck, a red mark against her cheek, and realized her hands were tied. He quickly cut her loose but before he can help her up, she lashed out.

Ameya raised her arms and water from the stream behind her rose up. She sent the waves in the men's direction, freezing all three of them against the ground before they had the chance to recover. She reached down to take the dual swords away from Zuko and ran towards the leader of the three.

He stopped her before she had the chance to stab the sword through him, her eyes wide and angry as she glared at her savior—one of his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Let me go!" She all but screamed at him. Ameya was frantic, her heart drumming crazily against her chest and was only acting on adrenaline only. They had attempted to kidnap her, attempted to sell her, attempted to rap—

"Calm down," Zuko's voice was strong, his grip tightening against her bare stomach.

"Don't touch me! Let me go so I can kill them!" She thrashed against his hold and the frozen men could only watch in silent horror. They had underestimated her—they were not expecting a third party to interfere.

Zuko twirled her around, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at him. "Ameya," her blue eyes widen at his golden ones—that was the first time he spoke her name. "You will only be giving them a swift death. Let them stay frozen; they will die by sunrise."

At his suggestion, she deflated. The swords clattered to the ground uselessly and she looked down, eyes still wide that she had somehow managed to survive and suddenly she felt cold. She wrapped her arms around herself once then glanced at the frozen men and her anger was renewed. The remaining water from the stream bended to her will and she entrapped them in a larger frozen cubicle, ensuring their chance of survival to be low.

Ameya picked up her fallen tunic and wrapped it around her body, resisting the urge to shake and walked away. She heard another set of footsteps follow her and she tensed up, tightening the clothes around her figure.

"Leave."

Her voice was piercing in the night, not bothering to look at Zuko.

"No."

There was no way the prince could leave her alone after all of this. He had been lucky to have set up camp nearby before he heard the screams. He had been waiting for their next encounter too, whether they knew it or not, but Zuko had least expected to find her under these circumstances.

He ripped the men away from her immediately without even realizing it was Ameya in the first place. He would not allow injustice to occur in his presence but when he saw her tearful blue eyes look at him, he felt inexplicably livid that he had not arrived sooner and cut her restraints at once.

But what shocked him the most was her abilities.

She was a waterbender—she was a Water Tribe member. Suddenly he was reminded of her from the North Pole—but he could not dwell on it longer because she took his swords away and was heading straight towards the lowlifes.

He stopped her—not because he thought what she was doing was wrong—but because he wanted them to suffer. He should have punched them harder, should have burned them with his bending but Zuko didn't. It would only melt the ice and so, his anger must be contained.

And Ameya—the one who had been constantly haunting his mind is right in front of him and instead of feeling happy, he felt irritated that he had not been there sooner. But another part of him was relieved knowing that he had managed to arrive at all—before they had taken something important from her.

"I said leave!" She repeated again and Zuko moved to grasp her hand. She slapped it away harshly, stepping back away from him and ran.

He chased after her, worried and irritated that she was refusing his help. Ameya was quick and agile as always, twisting and turning around the trees in an attempt to lose him but Zuko was accustomed to chasing now.

He caught up with her the moment she fell on her knees, winded and tired from the night and brought her hands up to her face. He waited just a few steps behind, unsure whether to approach the fallen woman or not. She made no noise but Zuko could see her shoulders shake and the tunic loosely slipping from her shoulder and he looked away.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" He barely caught onto her voice and he wish he knew the answer himself.

"You're unstable," he stated the obvious.

Ameya stiffened. She knew that already. Why won't he leave so she can deal with the issue herself? What was he doing here in the first place? How did he even find her? She was confused yet grateful that he had appeared at all before anything worse happened. But she still felt disgusted, disgusted with herself that she was not able to save herself and disgusted with her own body.

She threw off her tunic, embracing the cold air and Zuko flushed a bright red. Ameya sent a half hearted glare his way.

"If you're staying then don't look. I'm going in the water."

When did they even arrive at a lake? Zuko just realized she had led them here and quickly turned around the moment she pulled her pants off. He heard a small splash and figured she dove in and walked to a nearby rock, leaning against it.

Honestly—why was he still even here? She is fine now—nothing happened. But somehow, he knew better. Whether it was from all those weeks they spent together or even at the little meetings they often run into each other, Zuko knew she was not alright.

Her tone was icy cold and had refused to meet his eyes. She was shaking the whole time after he had rescued her and somehow he knew she would break the moment she is left alone.

Since when did he learn so much about her?

The cold water felt like ice against her skin but she sunk into it regardless. Water had always been her comfort and in her own element she allowed her tears to fall. Her hands wrapped around her arms and she closed her eyes, willing the liquid surrounding her to glow and heal the faint bruises on her body and neck.

Ameya reprimanded herself. How could she had been so unguarded and allow herself to fall prey to others? She knew she was weak but not defenseless—she should have tried better. It was similar to when she fought against the four Fire Nation soldiers and lost at the oasis. Because she was weak—the Moon Spirit died and Yue had taken its place. And now—she almost lost her purity and sanity.

It was revolting.

Once her wounds have healed, she scrubbed her body vigorously.

Disgusting.

Sickening.

One of them had shoved their tongues down her mouth and she dunked her head underwater, opening her mouth and screamed. Water rushed into her mouth and her tears mixed with the lake and Ameya stayed in that position for a few more seconds, letting her cries drown out in the lake.

Zuko jumped and turned towards the lake just as she came back up for air, her back turned towards him and breathing heavily. He had meant to look away again but he froze, golden eyes glued onto her pale back with dark hair clinging onto the body. The moon casted a soft glow on her wet hair and he thought she looked ethereal.

She hunched forward again and in that light, Zuko thought she had never looked any more vulnerable than she did now. Not even when she learned of her friend's sacrifice on the raft—not even when she was clutching the Water Tribe dress in her hands.

No, Zuko thought Ameya looked absolutely vulnerable and alone in this moment that he felt—sympathetic towards her. All those times of when he thought she looked lonely crossed his head again and suddenly he realized that it was true. She wasn't stronger by herself—she was just enduring through it all.

A wave appeared in his vision and he watched with wide eyes as it froze, creating a shield against her bare form. Zuko blinked and saw her head tilt in his direction, haunting blue eyes staring at him impassively and he felt his voice catch in his throat.

"I thought I said to don't look," her voice sent shivers down his spine but he steeled himself.

"You're a waterbender," he said the first thing that appeared in his mind.

"That is none of your concern."

Ameya was tired; she does not want to have this conversation now. She faintly realized she had revealed her secret to him but she finds herself unable to care—not when the three men who cornered her were to perish with her abilities.

"For how long?" He refused to back down.

"Forever." She began to turn around and the water around her shifted, bending and freezing to hide her body. "Now will you look away?"

Zuko obeyed, ignoring the heat in his cheeks and crossed his arm, waiting. He was unsatisfied with her answer—how had he not realized she could waterbend? That would explain her presence in the Northern Water Tribe and her outfit back then. Even if he knew it, he refused to accept and believe it.

The image of their figures underwater appeared in his mind. She had saved him back then and dragged them to shore. Thinking back, it would make no sense how he had even manage to survive the attack without any major injuries but he had. Waterbenders sometimes have the ability to heal—she was definitely the one to heal him too—

A pile of clothes was dropped next to his feet and Zuko turned to see Ameya in her thieving outfit. Her fringes covered her eyes from his angle when he looked down at her.

"Burn it."

He sent a flicker of flame onto the clothes and he realized it was what she had worn earlier. Rage filled him again to see the ripped seams and he glanced at her once more, gauging her reaction.

Her fists were clenched tightly against her side and Zuko thought she was crying again but there were no tears. A small gust of wind blew by them and brushed against her hair, revealing bloodshot eyes filled with distress she had been hiding.

"You'll be okay," he spoke those words with no thought.

For some reason, Zuko hated seeing her like this—so vulnerable and open with her emotions that he felt helpless himself. He preferred the teasing Ameya, the smiling Ameya, the happy Ameya—any side of her was better than this one.

"How can you be so sure?" She seethed in response but it lacked the proper power for anger.

"Because—" Zuko faltered, how was he supposed to reply?

How was he supposed to admit he had been observing her since the beginning? How he had saw her mourn and cope with the loss of a loved one better than most people had? She had always manage to bounce back to her original self—even when she was held prisoner on his ship, even when she was held captive by Zhao, Ameya was always headstrong and unwavering.

She glanced at him and let out a small smirk. Zuko realized she had no hope for him to answer her—no reason he can provide to satisfied her. And that—infuriated him. Screw his embarrassment, he thought, he'll let everything out too.

"Because that's the type of person you are, Ameya," he spoke her name confidently, the second time of the night and the most he's ever said since their first meeting. "You're a survivor—a stubborn, headstrong, reckless idiot that would save someone you consider your enemy even though they had kept you captive before."

She froze. Ameya hadn't realized he even remembered.

"But they almost had their way with me—I couldn't fight back. If it wasn't for you—"

"Almost is the key word here. They 'almost' had their way with you but they didn't. Relish in the fact that they'll soon be dead and not taking advantage of other innocent girls."

She kept quiet, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. Zuko wanted to do more than say pretty words and he dug through his pocket, his fingers clutched around the cold metal of a red and black scabbard. He brought it out, revealing the weapon to her wide blue eyes.

"Take it."

He had meant to give it to the village boy before but he had refused once they learn he was a firebender—the Crown Prince no less. Zuko had been ready to part with the dagger—he thought the boy needed it more than he did. But as he stood face to face with Ameya—who had once stolen this dagger from him and returned it, he realized she needed this more than he had.

She stared onto the dagger quietly. She had felt so cold and numb for the past hour that the sight of the weapon brought warmth in her heart again. When she made no movement to take it, Zuko grasped her hand gently, folding her fingers against the metal and held on. His hands felt so warm against her cold ones—both of them noticed—and she felt new tears form in her eyes.

"This time, I'm giving it to you," their eyes locked onto each other, his were determined and hers tearful. "Consider it a late birthday gift…"

This was more than just a dagger to them. The inscription floated around their mind and Ameya realized the extent of the gesture. He was not only offering protection for her—but mental support.

Her pink lips twisted up into a smile and suddenly she was laughing quietly at the irony of the situation. Ameya couldn't believe after everything they been through—after everything Zuko had put her through, he is giving the very thing she stole from him—to her. She brought their clasped hand close to her head, the dagger as the barrier between them and Zuko felt a few droplets fall on his skin.

"You're…unbelievable," she said between breathless giggles, "But…thank you. Thank you, Zuko."

Her blue eyes met his golden ones again and Zuko felt his cheeks redden at the feel of her forehead against his hand. He hurriedly took his hand back, ignoring the way his heart sped up when her pretty icy eyes were directed him in appreciation and—he thought he would not mind seeing that often.

He shook those thoughts away from his head and think that she will get through this just fine.

Ameya tucked the dagger safely into her pants. It had been a stressful night in the beginning and yet once again—under the beautiful moon, they shared another memory together. The men had almost had her way with her but they didn't—she would be able to get through this trauma with time. And knowing that the prince had been there to help—to comfort her again was more than she could ever ask for.

She had always been alone. It felt…nice to have someone besides her in her time of need.

"There's shelter up ahead," Zuko spoke again, trying keep his voice calm and began leading them.

The sight of the ostrich horse tied to a nearby tree was the first thing Ameya noticed when they arrived at a small cave. His belongings were in a corner and she realized he had left all his things except for his sword when he came to her rescue. She felt touched again and walked in, taking a seat on the opposite side of him.

"You should rest," he advised, leaning back onto the cave wall.

She hummed in response and lay down, turning away from him. Ameya soon fell asleep, unafraid of the prince's presence in the same cave.

Zuko stayed up a bit longer, reflecting on the past few weeks but his gaze lingered on the sleeping woman on the other side, staring at her long dark tresses. He begins to wonder if being alone was really the right decision—he had decided it was because he knew Ameya had preferred it that way but now, he wasn't so sure anymore.

She had always been so confident and strong when she always left them. He sometimes wonders if she was just a fleeting memory with her sudden appearances and then departures but knew it wasn't. Ameya stayed alone but it wasn't always the right choice for her. If he hadn't been there tonight—if she continued to stay alone—

His thoughts faltered. What was he suggesting to do instead? Have her travel with him?

The sight of her blue eyes gazing at him flashed before his mind. She did have pretty eyes, Zuko admits. They were a light blue—lighter than the other Water Tribe siblings that traveled with the Avatar and they held a playful glint in them—unlike Azula's calculating ones.

And under the moonlight, they sometime appear to be glowing with her dark hair framing her face. His cheek heated up again for the fifth time—or was it sixth—that night when he could not get the image of her in the water out of his mind.

He lay down, exhausted. Zuko wonders when he had stopped seeing her as a 'thief' and more of a woman. Was it since their reunion in the Northern Water Tribe? Did he really kidnap her from her home? But she stayed with them—she could have waterbended them back if Ameya wanted to but she didn't.

It was too confusing to ponder. He asks himself the same questions but could never come up with an answer. The only one who could provide the answer was asleep and Zuko would not dare to voice his thoughts out loud.

The only thing he knew for certain was that he couldn't leave her alone again. Being alone was not always the right choice. Zuko had learned that from just watching Ameya.

When morning came, the firebender was the first to wake.

He searched through the nearby woods for food, recognizing some edible berries and brought it back to the den. He had almost wanted to go back to where he had found Ameya the previous night but thought against it. He had no desire to see the frozen bodies.

Instead, he waited. He practiced his forms quietly, fed his ostrich horse, and ate his own share of the meal.

When Ameya stirred awake, she was surprised to see the prince sit at the opening of the cave silently. She had thought he would have left by now and yet she felt strangely…happy that he hadn't.

Zuko noticed her take a seat next to him and he offered the berries to her wordlessly. She ate them after a quiet 'thanks', questions filling her mind at what they are to do next. Was she supposed to be the one to announce her leave? Ameya was always the one to leave them first and at that—she felt a little—disappointed.

The prince on the other hand was having similar thoughts. Zuko wondered if he should invite her to come along—how should he invite her to come along. He was going to find Iroh again and apologize. The past few weeks had been difficult but he learned through hardship that being alone is not always the answer.

They turned towards each other, opening their mouth at the same time.

"Um—"

"You—"

Before either of them could continue, something white drifted down in front of them. Ameya held out her hand, catching onto the white fur and their eyebrows furrowed at it. They looked towards the sky and saw something orange and yellow flying ahead.

Zuko and Ameya tensed—both for different reasons.

He ran towards the ostrich horse and Ameya followed immediately.

"You're going after him." She knew the answer already but still asked. Her fist clenched, worry filling her at the sight of Aang flying away from their view.

"I have to." Zuko abandoned all rationality; the thoughts of his honor, the Avatar, his destiny enveloped his mind. "I'm leaving with or without you."

It took her a second to realize he was inviting her along. Without another word, she hopped onto the mount behind him and they sped off after the fur trail.

Author's Note:

The romance is there—you just have to squint to see it but at this point it is becoming clearer.

So I almost wanted to give up updating the past week because of the lack of feedback but bless Terra Maximus Decimus Meridius and Kaygetscreative for always sending me lovely messages and reviews! I was honestly pretty sad (for multiple reasons besides this) but reading your thoughts really cheered me up.

Thanks for reading! For anyone interested in the Kpop band BTS, I also started another fanfic of it but it is available on my Tumblr only.