Title: Midsummer Madness

Author: burning--ice

Chapter Rating: PG-13

Summary: Katara learns that there are both advantages and drawbacks to being a female water bending master, and pays back a favor to an old friend.

Pairing: Zutara

Beta: MusicIsLove92, Sword-on-Fire

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Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. If I did it would have been considerably less awesome, but Katara and Zuko would have totally gotten together, so I guess it's a toss up.

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Chapter 2: The Trouble With Tea Shops

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Zuko sat on the helm of the air balloon, the rushing wind helping to clear his head. All around him servants rushed to maintain the ship, transport coal, mend rigging, yet, he felt alone. He hoped he could convince his uncle to help him question his father. It was his last ditch effort. Nothing else had worked. He had given in to demands, withheld food and water, threatened, bribed, and interrogated the man until they were both exhausted, but to no avail. Ozai's bending may have been broken, but his will was as resilient as ever.

Zuko had sent letter upon letter to his uncle, asking, begging, demanding, but, all Iroh ever wrote back was although he didn't know her exact location, he had faith that Ursa was well, safe, and among her friends. Also, it was indicated that she would make herself known to him when she felt the time was right, and not a moment before. Unfortunately, that wasn't good enough for Zuko.

Despite Iroh's reassurance, he was starting to worry.

He had made it known far and wide that he was the new Fire Lord, and he would love an audience with his mother – if she would present herself – but she never had, and as the months wore on, he was starting to lose hope. She must have heard by then through word of mouth that he missed her and wanted her to come home. If she hadn't come, it could very well mean she was dead. It had been years since his father last saw her, after all.

Leaning out with his elbows on the railing, Zuko could see Ba Sing Se resting on the horizon, a hazy fog of smoke, and he estimated he would reach the outer wall by sunset. It had been a few months since the comet and the devastation his father had wrought, and Zuko was pleased to see that the burned out patches of the earth kingdom were starting to tint green, but it would take nearly a century for the forests to grow back into their former glory. The ashen patches were splotchy with new growth moss and scraggly, pathetic looking grasses.

Standing back, he massaged his chest absently, loosening his muscles. He had found that without daily stretching, they tended to constrict and made moving difficult, especially if he swung his arms suddenly. The Fire Nation surgeons had told him it was a miracle he'd survived, that the muscle damage to his chest was much greater than just the scarred area, and that he had probably gone into cardiac arrest. That his body and that of the healer were so pumped full of adrenaline that he managed to hold on, and she managed to pull him through.

He remembered jumping in front of the blast. For a moment it had been unbelievably painful, and then he felt nothing. No pain at all, just the sudden panic that he was leaving Katara all alone with Azula. He remembered snippets of the fight, remembered them jumping through his plane of vision several times, Azula belching fire like the fearsome demon she was, and Katara barely managing to scramble out of the comet-enhanced princess' way.

"Katara . . ." Zuko sighed out her name; these days he couldn't move his chest without thinking about her. She weighed as heavily on his mind as his father had the months after he had scarred Zuko's face. At first he had been angry, at Azula for throwing the bolt, then Katara for freezing in panic, then himself for being such a damn martyr, but after several weeks of sulking, he had realized that he would do it again in a heartbeat, and the acceptance of the fact made his bitterness evaporate.

He was ready to die to save any one of his friends.

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"Come on, Twinkle Toes! It's not that difficult!" Toph yelled, stamping her foot. "Do three more sets of ten, and get it right this time or I'll put weights on your back! How's that for incentive?"

Aang winced. His muscles were already on fire, but he knew better than to disobey Toph once she started barking orders at him. He bit his lip and repeated the move, causing the boulder to shudder for a moment, then shatter into hundreds of sharpened rock slivers that flew at Aang's target.

"I thought I told you to split it into five hundred pieces! I only felt four hundred and twenty three hit the mark! If you're going to do a move as complicated as The Porcupine's Arithmetic, then you damn well better do it right!" Toph crossed her arms, glaring sightlessly, yet directly at Aang's nose. "Twenty nine more times, Twinkle Toes."

The tiny earthbender had taken up giving her self-taught earthbending moves long, unusual, and complicated names that for the most part had little to do with the actual move. A habit, Aang thought wryly, that she had appropriated from his Sifu Hotman and the flowing names he gave his forms.

"And how many pieces do you want me to split it into?" Aang asked, wiping his forehead, trying to distract and stall her.

"Five hundred this time, and I want half of them to hit here... Don't look at me like that! You're making a face, I can sense it!" She stomped her foot and bent another circular target into the ground, several feet from her first.

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"How is your work coming along?" Iroh asked Katara, setting another cup of tea in front of her. "I haven't seen you write anything else for nearly an hour."

"I'm just, ah, enjoying the moonrise." Katara said, forcing a grin as she bent the ink out of her brush and put it down.

Iroh peered out the window, "You can see the moon from here?"

"No."

"I got word that my nephew landed at the castle a few minutes ago. The courier said that he is paying me a visit." Iroh beamed proudly and patted his now lean stomach. "It's so nice of him to make time in his busy schedule to come visit his old uncle, however unannounced the visit might be."

Katara stood, brushing the wrinkles out of her dress. "Do you want me to watch the shop for you when he gets here?"

"Your help would be gratefully accepted and much appreciated." Iroh responded in his usual flattering tenor, and took off his apron. "Though, today has been quiet, I don't expect much activity."

Katara discreetly peeked out of the kitchen, gazing intently at the two figures hunched in the corner. Other than a small nod and a smaller smile, Zuko had yet to acknowledge her existence, and if it wasn't for the way he kept glancing at her, she would have worried he didn't recognize her for some reason. She didn't fault him, though. He was obviously worked up; he had grabbed his uncle and pulled him into the corner without even a hello to the older man. They had stayed there all the way to closing time in the evening, and as she brought out tea to lone customers and tallied checks, she caught snatches of their hushed conversation. They were talking about Ozai and Ursa, but she couldn't hear any of the details.

The last group of customers of the night was standing to leave, and Katara picked up a tray and headed out onto the floor to bus the table.

"Did you enjoy everything?" Katara asked them, smiling and politely bowing her head a little. She really didn't care though, she was more interested in finding out why the Fire Lord had made an impromptu flight across the world to see his uncle. Before they were out the door, Katara began stacking their mugs and saucers onto her tray, then used her rag to wipe the table down. As she worked, she held her breath and strained to hear what Zuko was whispering.

" . . . I can't just hold her hostage over him! She is still my sister."

"I am sorry, nephew, but she is his only weakness, and Ursa is hers. Use that to your advantage."

"I don't want to use my father's love of his daughter to break him! That's not honorable!"

"No, it's not. Very well then, perhaps try asking him questions about her, and about their marriage, and your childhood. He may accidentally reveal more than he means to if you can get him talking."

At that point Katara picked up her loaded tray and walked back into the kitchen. Zuko was trying to question his father about his mother, but the questioning, it seemed, was getting more and more desperate. Bending the soapy water in one of the buckets, she began washing out the mugs that she had cleared. In her stupor of scrubbing and rinsing, she didn't hear footsteps behind her, and she jumped when she felt a hand on her elbow.

"Hey Katara, it's been a while, Uncle sent me back here to tell you to stop cleaning already." Zuko smiled down at her. He had a dark circle beginning to show under his good eye, and he looked weary and depressed. She hadn't seen him since they had celebrated the end of the war together at the tea shop, and instantly decided that that was far, far too long.

"Zuko! It's so nice to see you again finally! It's been a while! I missed you!" She stood and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Zuko's hands flew to her shoulders and gripped hard, but not out of affection. Katara suddenly found herself supporting most of the scarred Lord's weight as he grunted, doubling over in pain.

"Maybe try not to miss me quite so much!" he gasped, trying to make space between her chest and his. "Sorry, I'm still sore, not so rough, alright?"

"Is it your chest? Let me see it, take off your shirt." Katara helped him over to a bench.

"I'm here two minutes and the first thing you tell me to do is take off my shirt?" Zuko jokingly complained. He did oblige, however, unbuckling his belt.

Katara put her hands on her hips, all business. "Nonsense, you have been here for hours!"

"You never were one to joke around," Zuko muttered, gingerly untying his robe.

Katara shoved his hands away from the laces and undid them herself. "This isn't a joke, Zuko, it's your health!" She pushed on his shoulder, forcing him to lie back down onto the bench.

"Zuko? Katara? I have locked up the store front so-" Iroh stepped in and stopped short, then broke into a huge grin. "Am I interrupting?" Katara cringed, she loved the old man to death, but he was a bit of a gossip, and a lady killer in his own right. By that time tomorrow, the whole block would know about his nephew's intimate relationship with his pretty young healer friend.

"No!" Zuko sat up quickly and then winced and clutched his scar, "Katara just wanted to look at my chest."

Iroh chuckled.

Katara blushed.

"I mean . . . medically!" Zuko stammered, balling his hands into fists as he began to comprehend the double meaning.

Iroh waved his hands dismissively. "Well, I have locked up the shop front, so Katara, when you are done with my nephew and want to walk back to the castle, please go out the back door, and Zuko, it would be polite to walk her-" Katara crossed her arms. "Not that I think you need any protection," Iroh finished hurriedly. "Just that it would be the polite thing to do. Do not forget your manifest draft, Katara, and please, both of you help yourselves to any tea you would like, and Katara, thank you for your help. I wish you would consider staying on and working here. With a waterbender, I could serve iced teas for the summer . . . ."

Katara thanked him, saying she would think about it, and they both watched as the older man stretched, yawned, and walked up the stairs to his apartment above the shop.

"So you have had this for a little over two months now." Katara tried to push him onto his back again, but Zuko resisted.

"The surgeons told me the soreness and stiffness will fade away with time . . . lots of time."

"I'm getting some water, you better by lying down, shirtless, when I get back." Katara walked into Iroh's pantry, running her hands along the barrels of tea that were cold brewing until she found one with plain water in it, and bent a sufficient amount from it. Honestly, Zuko would have to get used to people poking and prodding and stripping him. Salves and bandages should have been applied, and a regular stretching adhered to. She had a feeling, however, that the Fire Lord had so much on his agenda, that his personal health had fallen by the wayside.

Her patient was lying on his back, without his shirt, like she had requested, staring crossly at the ceiling. Without a word, Katara bent over him and began her work. Zuko couldn't really remember the last time she had used her healing water on him, the nerves of his chest had been damaged so bad he couldn't feel a thing of his burn. She had fixed those somehow, because both his blood vessels and nerves had been in working order when he had woken up after a long rest.

This time, he was fully conscious, and he swallowed hard, covering a yelp.

Why didn't Aang mention just how intimate this is?! Zuko thought, cursing the monk mentally. He could feel her moving things inside him, he felt her nudging his muscles and prodding at his organs. Her water seeped into his chest cavity, somehow moving through the cells of his muscles and bones, and into his aura. Suddenly, it was like they were attached to each other by invisible nerves. It was more intimate than sex. He could feel her heart beat, her blood pump, her inhale and her exhale; he could see himself, he was leaning over himself. He tasted her tongue in his mouth, smelled his scent in her nose, he felt her panic rise in his throat, he could feel the moon tugging on his – her – womb.

Katara yanked her hands back, dropping the water onto him. "What did you just do?!"

"I didn't do anything!" Zuko argued back, sputtering at the unexpected drenching. "What did you just do?!"

"That's never happened before!" Her cheeks were flushing, and Zuko's mimicked it, his body still tuned to hers, though the effects were fading.

"It's never happened before?!" He parroted back, feeling her indignance . . . or was it his?

"ZUKO!" Katara hissed, backing up a step and clutching the fabric of the front of her dress that covered her pelvis.

Zuko looked down, and realized he had hardened, and she was probably feeling it just like he had felt her. He hadn't been remotely turned on, but somehow, while the connection was open, he felt her aimless hunger as if it was his own, the way the moon tugged on her and him by extension, and his body rose to meet it.

"Alright, alright!" Zuko panicked and scrambled up, facing the wall and dripping all over the wood floor. His chest screamed in protest, and he had to lean against the wall to keep on his feet. "You're you, I'm me, so let's just – breathe for a few minutes!"

Katara didn't say anything back, but he could faintly feel her anger at herself for reacting so immaturely. Then the feeling slipped away, and there was only him in his head and skin. After a few minutes, Zuko checked, discreetly, to make sure he was back to normal, and turned around to face her again. She had pulled her hair out of its restraints and was rubbing her temples, her cheeks still slightly pink.

"I'm sorry, I'm usually more professional than that." Katara smoothed her dress, still facing away.

"So . . . . It's never happened before?" he repeated.

"Well, I can always feel a little bit of a person, but never like that . . ." Katara reached up and touched the left side of her face, remembering the feel of the scar on her cheek, and how it had made moving her brow difficult.

Zuko suddenly had an idea. "Try it again."

"What?!" Katara took a step back.

"Try it again!" He sat down on the bench and lay back again, gingerly, "Do it again and see if you can pick up any . . . I don't know, memories, or information or something, something out of my head that maybe I, for some reason, wouldn't want to tell you."

"This is about Ozai!" Katara made the connection, keeping her voice down so as not to wake Iroh. "You want to know if I can find out where your mom is, well you can forget it! I don't want to do that again ever! Especially with your father!"

"Katara, I'm sorry, it just happens sometimes when guys are nervous, okay? I mean, I could feel your … I could feel the moon pulling my – your – Why didn't you ever mention that the moon does that to you?"

"You know, it's not exactly the kind of thing one broadcasts, and it's not all the time, just when its full or it's a first quarter or when it's a waning crescent!" Katara counted them off on her fingers.

"It's a waning crescent today, is that why your healing powers are so strong?" Zuko looked up at her from where he lay on his back.

Katara clasped her hands to her head and shook it. "Just forget it, Zuko! I am not interrogating your father. I'm not an interrogator, and I don't want to go anywhere near Ozai."

"Katara, please, I don't like playing this card, but you owe me a favor."

Katara pressed her lips together, not saying anything for some time, "I'll try to help you with your chest again tonight, but as far as questioning your father, I'll have to sleep on it."

She stepped over him again and bent the water off the floor and out of his clothes. Cautiously this time, she began, her water shining very faintly. After a moments, Zuko tossed his head, even this small movement sent ripples of pain down his torso.

"Go on already. What are you waiting for?"

Katara frowned, but her water suddenly began glowing full force, and sunk into his chest. Once again he felt the foreign sensations, his fingertips pressed into his chest, his hair loops tickled his nose. His body felt hot, he felt her arousal from the moon phase, he felt her embarrassment, and her fear. Her mouth was dry and her palms were sweating, and he swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat.

"You took a shot of lightening right on your chest, its messed up the energy in heart chakra. It's heavily over stimulated." She moved her hands to one pectoral, "When it becomes over stimulated the person becomes possessive, demanding, moody, controlling, and stubborn." She paused, her feelings hurt by her harsh words.

"I'm sure Mai would agree."

She leaned over and pressed two of her fingertips into his pectoral, and then pressed. After a few moments of her touch, his muscle spasmed, twitching wildly before relaxing completely. Katara reached up and rubbed her own breast, trying to massage out the twitch that wasn't there before remembering the sensations were his.

Concentrating, she reached down again and touched his other pec. Katara bit her lip hard and Zuko yelped, surprised at the sudden pain in his mouth.

"I think with several sessions I can get your chest back in working order, though you'll probably have to do some physical therapy to build your muscles back up. You've lost a lot of strength."

Zuko inhaled, feeling a little embarrassed. Katara began examining his chi. Due to the scar and his anxiety, it was not flowing properly through his chakra, and she closed her eyes and reached out, opening herself up to it, and the moment she brushed it, Zuko's consciousness flooded her.

In her mind's eyes she saw his memories of receiving the wound, the fear of his insane sister, the horror he felt when he saw where she had directed the lightening, his love for her sending his feet in motion before his mind could make a conscious decision, the terror he felt that he wouldn't make it in time. She screamed soundlessly and she felt the white hot lightening slam into her chest, the spots dance in front of her eyes, the pain, and then the fluttering of her heart as it beat erratically in her chest . . . threatening to stop . . .

"Katara!" She was shaking someone . . . . someone was shaking her. "Katara!!"

She opened her eyes and realized she was on the floor on her back, she tried to sit up, but the room spun, her stomach lurched, and she whined and lay back.

"Katara, you just fainted." Zuko looked concerned, kneeling over her, then added sheepishly, "We both did, but I think you bumped your head on the way down."

"I'm okay. Could you please get me something to drink?" Katara breathed slowly and put her hand on her chest. Her heart was still hammering in her throat.

Zuko left her field of vision, calling, "What do you want? There are a million vats of tea in here." She heard something bump, then clang, then the Fire Lord swear.

"I don't care, anything." Katara closed her eyes again, listening to him scramble up and search for a mug.

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Thanks everyone! Here is chapter two! Hope it was awesome!

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