Midsummer Madness Chapter 8: The Kiss, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

Title: Midsummer Madness

Author: BurningIce

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, Kataang

…

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.

…

Chapter 8

Zuko woke up the following morning at sunrise, he glanced over to his left where Katara was still passed out. Stretching and yawning, he quickly got out of his bedroll and grabbed his pack, heading to the river to bathe, he still felt dirty from falling in the river yesterday, in more ways than one.

When he got back to the cave mouth, Katara was still asleep, only now sprawled across both her and his mat, her face buried in the saddlebag that he used as a pillow. He bent a fire into the ashes of the previous one and tossed in a few sticks, starting to get some water boiling. He had learned that water benders were a lot easier to drag out of bed if they smelled breakfast.

As he waited, he brushed his hair, borrowing Katara's mirror out of her pack he checked his reflection, trying to brush his bangs out of his face. They were long enough that they fell in his eyes annoyingly, but wouldn't quite tuck behind his ears yet. He wondered briefly if Katara would braid his hair back for him, but he didn't want to admit to her that he didn't know how to do his own hair.

The water had reached a boil.

"Katara." He shook the wheat in the sack so it rattled enticingly, "Its morning."

Katara growled and pulled her blankets over her head, "I was having a dream . . ."

"About the Moon Spirit again?" Zuko ladled boiling water into her bowl and stirred in the wheat.

"Yes, No, there was a man, with the antlers of a wolf stag on his head, he was totally naked and Yue was there and . . . I forget." Katara trailed off, pulling the blankets back off her head.

Zuko held out her breakfast to her, and she reluctantly sat up and accepted it, her hair looking like a magpie rat had made a nest in it. She combed her fingers through it once and then began sipping her meal.

Making himself comfortable, Zuko stretched out beside her on his own bedroll, "So you said you know how to get through these tunnels? You have a map?"

Katara shook her head, "It's in the rocks. They light up in the dark."

The Fire Lord seemed unconvinced, "And?"

"And they only light up along the correct path. Me and Aang found that out, we got lost and our torch ran out."

"So we're going to follow glowing crystals out of this place?" Zuko rinsed out his dish, "It will be just like under Ba Sing Se."

Katara smiled, "You think we'll bond?"

"I think we bonded enough yesterday in the river," the Fire Lord stood, and walked to the cave mouth, "Its too bad, it's the first nice day we have had in over a week and we're going to spend it inside a cave."

"It won't be the whole day, we can probably make it out before the sun sets,"

"This mountain is big though, and it will take us a while to be ready to go." Zuko debated.

"I bet you tomorrow night's firewood collecting that we make it before the sun sets." Katara put her hands on her hips.

"No! You have been spending too much time with Toph!! I am still packing up camp for a week after our last bet. Who knew water tribe women could tie cherry pear stems in knots with their mouths so quickly."

"Live and learn." Katara stood and grabbed her pack, the dirty dishes, and her water skin, then after a pause, stuck her kris knife in her belt, "I'm going to go down to the river to wash up, don't follow me."

"I won't," Zuko rolled his eyes, one accidental flash and he was branded a pervert, "As long as you don't scream or do something to make me think you're in trouble, because if you do, then all bets are off."

"Deal," Katara called over her shoulder as she rounded the bend.

Zuko shook his head and retrieved his saddlebags, packed his things, saddled his mount and loaded it, and then saddled her mount as well. He then sat and waited, wondering how girl's always took so long to bathe, Katara was shorter than him, mathematically, she must have less skin to wash!

Thinking about her skin made him blush, Mai had been so predictable and bored with the whole affair of lovemaking that it had lost its appeal quickly. She rarely touched him, or showed any interest in his body, she would just lay there, an 'are you done yet? I'm bored' expression on her face, no matter how he tried to please her, and the fire nation guards had suggested quite a few tricks. Nothing seemed to excite her, and he had become more and more frustrated, sure that he was doing something wrong, but not having the slightest clue what it was. The only reaction he could remember getting from her was once she had complained that he was sweating on her.

He sighed, shaking his still wet head, wondering briefly if all women were so disconnected in bed. From what he had heard on his ship and from the palace guards, it was not the norm. He had finally chalked it up to Mai's personality, she was cold and remote almost all the time, why should she be any different in bed.

Unfortunately, just thinking of the passionate water bender was enough to make his pulse quicken and his body shiver with excitement. It was maddening! She was not his to court, she had a boyfriend, who also happened to be a close friend of his, if she was single though, that would be quite a different story.

He forced himself to think about Mai, rehearsing in his head what he was going to say to her in an apology the next time they met. He hoped fleetingly that the messenger hawk's letter had softened her, but he doubted it, letters tended to make her even angrier.

"I'm really sorry, Mai, It was really stupid of me." He tried, then frowned, starting again, "I am SO, so sorry Mai, It was really stupid, I wasn't thinking . . ."

He raised his voice an octave, imitating her monotone, "Zuko, you never think, you think a messenger hawk was supposed to make me feel better? You ran away!!"

"I'm sorry Mai, I wanted to let you cool off, I didn't expect to roam all over the earth kingdom . . . I missed you." He said, in his own voice again.

"Its boring whether you're here or not, but I guess I'm glad you're back."

"I got you something Mai, I hope you like it."

"It's not my style Zuko, its not black and dreary, why don't you give it to that water bender you gallivanted across the kingdom with!"

Zuko crossed his arm across his chest and rubbed his temple with the other, "Ugh, even when I speak for her, nothing is ever good enough."

"Speak for who? What are you talking about?"

Zuko turned around, a dripping wet Katara stood at the cave mouth, the clean dishes slung over her left arm, her pack and water skin over her shoulder, leaving her dominant hand free for combat. She raised it and put it on her hip, shifting her weight to one foot as she studied him.

"Nobody, Nothing," He scrambled over and took the dishes from her, packing them into the emu horse's saddlebags.

"You sure?" Katara frowned, Iroh had said that their family had a history of madness, due to the inbreeding of the nobility.

"Yea, we should get going though, it's almost mid morning."

Katara quickly packed the rest of her things onto her mare and then swung up, her thigh muscles still tender from all the hard riding. Zuko led the way, a fireball glowing in his hand, lighting up the passage. The caverns were just how Katara remembered them, dark, drippy, and spooky, a year had not changed them much. They rode in silence for half a candle mark, until they reached the first fork.

"Well, which way?" Zuko peered over his shoulder at her.

"Umm, turn the light off." Katara directed, and was suddenly plunged into darkness. She waited, but no glow came from the crystals.

"So?"

"Turn the light back on."

Zuko did so.

"We must not be deep enough into the cave, lets just go right for now." She started along, and he followed behind her reluctantly.

They rode for several more minutes, then the path split again, again Zuko doused the light, and again there were no crystals glowing.

"Katara." He said, on edge.

"No, we just have to find the blue crystals, it wont take long, relax, lets take the left fork, and we'll just turn right and then left to back track."

"Okay." Zuko did not look pleased.

Once he felt high noon, he pulled his mount to a stop, "Katara, we better backtrack, whatever was up with those crystals, its not working now, we could spend days going in circles and not find them, I'm surprised that you and Aang were right on the path out when your torch burned out."

Katara seemed to stop and consider it for a minute, "That was pretty lucky," she agreed, then thought, What if it wasn't the absence of light but the kiss that made the crystals go on, what if they were magic . . .

It must have reflected on her face, because Zuko reigned in closer, "What's that? Did you remember something? What's going on?"

"Nothing, you're right, we should backtrack and go around."

"Alright, so right, left, left, right, left, right."

"I thought it was right, left, right, left, left, right."

"You're joking with me!"

"Umm . . ."

"Damn it! Why do I listen to you or your brother?!"

"I don't know, probably because you're a follower." Katara shot back, annoyed.

"I am not a follower!!" He hissed indignantly, "I'm the Fire Lord!"

"Yes you are, Fire Lord or no, you followed the Avatar, then you followed Azula, then you followed the Avatar again, and now you're following me!" Katara argued.

"You know, I would be more than happy to follow you out of this tunnel if you would enlighten me as to how."

"I already told you! We turned off the lights and the crystals came on, that was it!"

"That couldn't have been it, because obviously there are no crystals in this cave!!"

Katara pinched the bridge of her nose, "Well it's the only logical explanation!!"

"I knew it! I knew you were hiding something!" Zuko shot her a triumphant yet angry glance, "Just tell me the illogical explanations."

"Well, there was a rock slide, and me and Aang got separated-"

"You told me that Katara."

"You know!" she balled her hands into fists, "You're not allowed to interrupt me!" she paused, and then when he remained silent, continued, "So, like I was saying, there was a rock slide, and Aang and I got separated from Sokka, Chong, and these traveling minstrels. We wandered around for hours, and we found this . . . we found their tomb."

"Tomb?!" Zuko muttered, exasperated.

"On the sarcophagi, it told the story of the two lovers, I still remember it . . . 'They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages, the villages were enemies so they could not be together, but their love was strong, and they found a way. The two lovers learned earth bending from the badger moles. They became the first earth benders. They built elaborate tunnels so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth. But one day the man didn't come, he died in the war between their two villages. Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earth bending power. She could have destroyed them all. But instead she declared the war over. Both villages helped her build a new city where they would live together in peace. The woman's name was Oma and the man's name was Shu. The great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love' . . . . Then it said 'Love is brightest in the dark'."

"So? I know the story, where are you going with this?"

"Yes!" Katara pointed at him, "Aang said that too, because, we were in the dark, and there was a statue of Oma and Shu kissing, and well, I suggested we kiss."

"Please tell me you aren't going to tell me what I think you're about to tell me."

"So we kissed, right as the torch went out, and then the blue gems started to glow. I thought it was the fact that there was no light, I mean, it HAD to be the fact that there was no light, you can't light up crystals with a kiss!" she looked down, toying with her mare's mane.

"You'd be surprised what a good kiss could do." Zuko murmured rubbing his temples with his free hand, "So, you think that it was the kiss that made the crystals start to shine?"

"Well, I don't know." Katara huffed, "I just told you what happened, everything that happened."

"So . . ."

Katara kept her eyes down, not saying anything, but a blush crept across her features.

"This never leaves the cave, okay?"

"Aang would understand that we were lost and in trouble, and we had to . . ." Katara defended.

"Aang would, Mai wouldn't, and I'd end up with a shuriken in my back real fast. I think she would rather I starve and die than cheat on her."

"Ugh, don't say it like that." Katara said, shifting back and forth, looking uncomfortable.

"Like what?"

"That it's cheating, just turn off the light before I change my mind." Katara shook her head, reining her mare closer, bumping knees with him.

"Before YOU change your mind? What about MY mind?" Zuko fought back.

"Zuko! The light." Katara crossed her arms impatiently.

"This never leaves the cave, swear it!" he held the light away from her defiantly, as though the light would protect him.

"I swear."

Zuko let the fire die. They were immediately plunged into darkness.

"Wait, where is your-" Zuko heard her say, then recoiled as two of her fingers bumped awkwardly into his nose and cheek as she groped for his face. He grabbed her hand and placed it firmly on his scarred cheek, she moved her fingers and caressed his face, finding his lips with her thumb. He heard her stand up in her stirrups and a moment later, felt her lips brush his for a split second, then he heard the groaning of leather as she sat back.

Nothing happened.

"Well . . ." as he spoke, he felt Katara let go of his face, "I guess kissing wasn't it."

"Hmm," he heard her frown, "maybe . . . maybe it wasn't enough."

"Wasn't enough?!"

"Well, it was one of my first kisses, maybe the cave gave us the benefit of the doubt . . . maybe this time, it will take . . . more."

"Katara!" Zuko relit the fire in his hand, "Caves don't give people the benefit of the doubt!! They're caves!"

Katara gazed at him fiercely, "Well do you have a better idea?!"

"No!"

"Well then?" she shot back.

"Ugh! Alright, More."

Katara dismounted, and walked over to the center of the passageway. Zuko reluctantly followed, trying to look everywhere but at her.

"Okay, so, turn off the light and kiss me, but kiss me like I am Mai." Katara swallowed the jealousy that threatened to lace her voice.

"Er . . . you have met Mai haven't you, passion really isn't 'her thing'" Zuko scuffed the dirt with his foot, "Maybe you better kiss me like you kiss Aang."

"Well . . ." Katara rubbed the back of her neck, looking down, "Aang is only thirteen, I . . . I try to keep it . . . innocent. I mean, I slip up a little, but . . . I think you would be more experienced, you're older."

"Okay, okay, just . . ." Zuko didn't bother to finish the thought, but snuffed his light out and reached up to cup her chin, his other hand finding her hip.

Just like Mai, Just like Mai those first few weeks. Zuko brushed her cheek, and he heard the water bender inhale sharply, and lean forward in anticipation, her hands rising to rest on his chest.

You can do this, you're Fire Lord.

He leaned in, brushing her bottom lip with his, his hand moving from her chin to her neck, then, he nerved himself and pressed his mouth to her's. He heard her moan softly, and return the kiss, which caught him off guard, neither girl he had kissed had made any noises of pleasure. He did what he usually did when he was caught off guard socially and froze.

What felt like years, but was probably only seconds later, he felt her realize he had frozen up and take control. She bit gently on his lower lip, then her tongue flick at them gently, and he reflexively opened his mouth. Her tongue snaked into his mouth, and she pressed herself into him, he actually took a step back, trying to find his balance against the pressure, and he felt her arms rise from his chest to wrap around his neck, pulling his head closer.

Her piercing dug into his chest, making him painfully aware of the rest of the pleasures her body had to offer, and tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her, one resting on the small of her back, the other her butt. She made another soft noise of pleasure into his mouth, pressing her tongue to his once more, claiming his mouth again. Time seemed to warp, and it felt like only instants had passed before she started pulling back out of the kiss.

She ran her lips over his, sucking on his lower one gently, her fingers brushing across his scar and tangling in his hair. Finally, she pulled away, her lips hovering an inch from his, not having the nerve to kiss him again, not having the will to pull away completely.

He sighed, a soft, wondering sigh, and then, slowly he released her, opening his eyes, he could see her, bathed in a soft blue glow from thousands of crystals in the rock ceiling.

They didn't say anything for several moments, then Katara broke the silence.

"I told you caves could give you the benefit of the doubt." She looked smug.

"I . . . wa . . . tha . . ." Zuko stammered, then swallowed and tried again, "That was . . . intense."

Katara looked sheepish, "It was, and it never leaves the cave."

Zuko nodded numbly, and staggered back to his mount. Katara was already clucking to hers and following the crystals down the left fork. The palomino followed, trotting a few steps to catch up with her's.

…

"Aang?" Toph pushed aside a tree branch, "There you are."

Aang was curled up under one of the trees in the cluster, his eyes red from crying.

"You okay?" Toph sat down next to him, her arms circling her knees.

Aang didn't say anything, just curled up tighter, and closed his eyes.

"Yea, silly question, huh?" Toph put an hand on his shoulder, out of her element with the upset tween, "Course you're not okay."

"Am I being stupid?"

"I don't know, I guess, well, no, just, you are jumping to conclusions." Toph patted him, trying to sound reassuring.

"Yea . . . But, Katara really has seemed distant, what if she doesn't love me anymore?"

"Sometimes things just aren't meant to be?" Toph tried, her pats turning to strokes, "I mean, nobody lives happily ever after with the first person they love . . ."

Aang sniffed hard.

"Well, not NOBODY nobody," Toph cut in quickly, "But, I guess I'm trying to say that even if something bad happens, you don't have to be like Pakku and never love again, you take it, and you wear it, and you walk it off, and when your ready, you'll fall in love again."

"Yea . . ."

"But, this is Katara we are talking about, she is the most predictable person I know, I'm sure this is just some stupid thing that Mai has cooked up, honestly, the girl has issues, I don't know what Sparky sees in her, he could do better."

"She is just quiet."

"That's one thing to call it, feeling better?"

"Yea."

Toph reached into her sleeve and pulled out a handful of handkerchiefs and dropped them on top of Aang's curled up form, "Here, if you wanna clean yourself up. Hurry though, I want to get back to Omashu in time to kick that gloomy girl's ass before she flies off in that airship of hers."

"You don't have to do that Toph."

"Oh I want to,"

…

Mai had not flown off in her airship; in fact, she had no intention of flying away at all. She made herself at home in one of the palace's guest bedrooms, and would not see anyone that came to talk to her, except Bumi, out of courtesy to her host. Toph had tried to visit her and 'talk some sense into her', but Aang had refused to let her within a hundred yards of the girl's suite.

"Come on Twinkle Toes, keep your knees up." She said without enthusiasm, they were both going through the motions of an earth bending lesson, but neither one's mind was in it.

"Are my arms in the right place?"

Toph shrugged, "Close enough."

"Maybe we should just call it quits for today," Aang suggested, dropping his stance and standing up.

"Yea . . . Go hit the showers, Twinkle Toes."

Aang shrugged and smelled his armpit, "I don't think I even broke a sweat."

"Avatar Aang!" one of the palace staff had entered the practice hall, "We received a messenger hawk from Zuko, we believe the message has been tampered with. The seal is broken."

"Let me see!" Aang rocketed across the room, landing in front of the attendant and snatching the note. He scanned it once, then looked at the seal, then back at the writing.

"Well?! What's it say?" Toph asked, punching him in the arm to make sure she had his attention.

"Ow!! It says, 'Avatar Aang, I apologize for the lateness of this letter, while visiting my uncle, I ran into your girlfriend Katara, she demonstrated a remarkable ability that I believe will help me greatly. She and I are riding across the Si Wong Desert on Emu horseback, and we will discuss more when I arrive. Fire Lord Zuko.'"

"That's it?! Why would it be tampered with?" Toph scratched her head

"I don't know, that's it except he used a flourish in his name that is a signal that the message is fake. Him and I agreed it out a while ago, but this is the first time either of us has had to use it." Aang looked perplexed as well, "Was this one the only letter you received?"

The servant nodded.

"You didn't get one for Mai?" Aang asked again.

"No, sir, just the one, though I will tell you immediately if any more arrive."

"Alright." Aang reread the letter again, scanning for something that looked like a code, but nothing jumped out. Perhaps Zuko simply hadn't had time to make up a code.

"So, are we going to tell Tall Dark and Gloomy that her boyfriend sent us a letter?" Toph smashed her fist into the palm of her open hand excitedly.

"No, we wont, I will go tell Mai that Zuko sent a letter. Alone."

"No way in hell Twinkle Toes! I'm not letting you have all the fun!"

…

"See!!" Katara turned and looked over her shoulder, orange light flooding in through the cave entrance, "I told you we could make it before sunset!!"

Zuko shielded his eyes, "I don't know, the sun is most of the way down, and we still need to make camp!"

Katara shook her head, "We should push on, I bet we can make it to Omashu before midnight if we ride hard!"

Zuko crossed his arms, "We have already pulled two all nighters, we should give our Emu Horses a break. They're working hard."

Katara seemed torn, "If we push they'll get to sleep in a warm stable, get some real grain, and a good rubdown by Bumi's handlers."

Zuko surveyed the landscape, he could see the smoke from Omashu rising in the distance, they just had to travel south out of the foothills and across the plain. He didn't like the idea of riding in the dark though, especially if they were being tracked. Luckily, Katara's detour through the cave probably lost any pursuit that was following, unless the pursuers brought lots of torches or kissed a lot.

"Alright, we'll push to Omashu." Zuko conceded, nudging his mount on.

"Just think, in a few hours we'll-" an arrow whizzed by her ear, slicing apart one of her hair loopies.

Zuko kicked his emu horse hard, "Ride, Ride RIDE!!"

"They're after you! I'll delay them!!" Katara hollered as Zuko blew by her in a flurry of gold and white. She bent her water out of her skin, she looped her finger's through her mare's mane and knocked the next volley from the air.

"No, I'm Come ON!" He reigned his mount to a stop, "I'm not leaving you here, especially after what happened last time!"

"I can take care of myself!!" another arrow whizzed by, slicing her cheek open.

"For Fuck sake!!" Zuko reached out and grabbed her reigns, "I'll steer, you cover us!!" another squeeze and both creatures took off, Katara had to wrap the mare's mane around her wrist to keep her balance as she twisted around in the saddle and bent with her free hand.

The emu horses brayed in terror as they ran, reaching their top speed in moments, and Katara wanted to shut her eyes to block out the scenery whipping by her at what must have been over forty miles per hour, and mere inches away.

"Shit!" She heard Zuko swear, and her mount zigzagged wildly, she saw a net drop to the ground to the left of her. In the momentum she had lost her stirrups, and she gripped the beast as hard as she could with her knees, forming a ice dome that another volley of arrows slammed into.

"Zuko, You'll make me fall!" her emu horse darted again in another direction, and Katara had to catch a tree with her foot and shove herself back into the saddle properly. An fireball was suddenly careening towards them, and Katara managed to raise a wave to shield them, but it all evaporated into steam, she gathered up as much as she could, but lost a good deal of liquid in the process.

"Come on, if you can't do it nobody can!" Zuko had nearly flattened himself along the stallion's neck, occasionally shooting a fireball up into the tree canopy, but mostly paying attention to the curving path.

Katara heard a scream and somebody dropped from the tree branches, engulfed in flames. Her stomach turned, she would have bent her water across him, but by the angle of his neck, she realized it wouldn't help.

Suddenly, her mount was skidding to a stop, and Katara went over it's neck, tumbling to the ground in front of both creatures. She heard Zuko leap off his palomino, and grab her arm, hauling her to her feet.

About ten men stood in front of them, all with blue thunderbolts painted across their face and chest.

"Drop your weapons!!" One of them ordered, and reluctantly Zuko dropped his broadswords, and Katara pulled out her kris knife and tossed it to the ground.

"So, Prince Zuko, we meet at last." A tall bearded man stepped forward, crossing his arms and grinning, "Now, you are going to tell us where your sister is, and maybe, we'll let your little friend here live, maybe, if she is cooperative. You though, I am afraid we will have to execute."

Zuko took up a bending stance, "I'll rip you limb from limb and burn you to dust before I let you touch her."

Katara glanced around, taking inventory, ten men in front, five behind, a mix of benders and swordsmen, no water on her, she would have to tear it out of the trees, four of the men had arrows notched on them. They were not good odds.

"Well? Your last chance, where is Azula?" the man pointed a sword at Zuko's throat.

"Go fuck yourself!" Zuko snarled.

"Wait!" Katara scrambled over, "I know where she is, don't hurt him!!"

The man raised his eyebrows, looking her up and down, and then sneered, "I didn't think that the fire lord would share that with the Avatar's girlfriend." Katara tried not to blanch, dismayed, wondering how they had found out who she was, "Though I bet the Avatar would know, and maybe he would be more cooperative if we had a little leverage."

He walked over to her and sliced her hair loop the rest of the way off, making sure the beads stayed on, then handed it to one of his subordinates. Katara backed up and grabbed for Zuko's arm, her mind running furiously.

"Bring that to Omashu, Tell the Avatar if he doesn't comply to our demands, we'll kill his girl . . . or worse."

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Katara dug through her mind for a lie, "Katara? She is headed to the Fire Nation already. He won't recognize anything, I'm the Fire Lord's concubine, Salacina, a gift from the Northern Water Tribe."

The leader looked skeptical, "You're a little young looking to be a concubine."

Katara drew herself up to her full height and tried to sound insulted, "I'm fifteen and a half!! I'm almost of marrying age!!"

"Boss, if she ain't the Avatar's girl we got to let the men in the fire nation know to look for her." His second said, still holding Katara's decapitated hair loop.

"Okay, how big is he?"

"What?" Katara asked, blushing.

"How big? A concubine would know, the avatar's girlfriend wouldn't."

Katara tried to remember how large he had felt when he was pressed against her, asleep, "Eight inches." It was an educated guess.

"Drop your pants, Prince Zuko." He ordered.

"No!! She's right, she's right!" Zuko roared, "What the fuck are you playing at?!"

Their boss grabbed Katara's Kris knife off the ground, grabbed her and held the wavy blade to her throat, "I'm not playing!! Do it or I'll give her another cut on her other cheek to the first." He grabbed Katara's face and drew her blade across her cheek, collecting the blood that was already dripping from her arrow cut and then licking it off her blade in a way that seemed to mean more to Zuko than to her because he glared and yelled again.

"I wont Fucking give you the chance!!"

"I believe I gave you an order, Prince Zuko." Katara felt the blade against her neck again and she whimpered softly.

Zuko's eyes locked onto the blade, her whimper seemed to convince him though, and he reached for his belt. Shucking out of his pants, he started working on his underwear, unwinding the cloth.

The men started jeering and elbowing each other, and even in the twilight, Katara could see Zuko blushing. She started to avert her eyes, but then realized the men were watching her reaction as much as his. She kept her gaze squarely on him, she was almost of marrying age after all, and the Water Tribe was not a modest race.

"She was right, Okay?!" Zuko gestured, and then began adjusting his wrappings.

"Oi, okay Salacina, guess you are the prince's whore." then he grinned, "Doesnt mean youre not the Avatar's girl too." he turned, "Fetch some rope!!"

Katara felt her body start to heat up, the familiar sensations starting to rise, her fingers tingled, her body ached, she became acutely aware of every drop of water close by, just then, she saw the quarter moon break the horizon, and her finger's twitched, the dew on the grass and the mist around the trees floating towards them.

With all eyes on Zuko, nobody noticed the ice forming on her fingertips, or the quick snap of her wrist that sent them into the side of one of the bowmen.

He cried out and fell slowly, everyone turning, confused, nobody had seen the water bending. Taking advantage of her captor's distraction, she stomped hard on his foot, and elbowed him in the gut, reaching up and seizing the dagger. Everyone shouted, and suddenly the air was full of fire, and their boss let her and her dagger go.

Katara barely had time to register two men running at her, both throwing fireballs; she bent the water out of the grass and slammed one into a tree, freezing him there. The other she ducked, and without thinking, stabbed hard in the leg. He fell to the ground as well. Two were on Zuko, another was about to stab him in the chest with a scimitar. She jumped and rotated, blood bending him hard into a tree, where he did not get up. Tearing the water from another nearby tree, she knocked another fire bender over, whipping him across the face hard enough to break his jaw, her water wrapped around her arms like second sleeves.

"Duck!" she heard Zuko yell, and threw herself to the forest floor just in time to see a huge blast of flame blaze over her head. Then the head of the group was standing over her, his sword plunging straight down.

She rolled, then thrust her arm up, the water following the motion and hitting him square in the chest. She turned and brought down another, kneeing him hard in the groin and then bending the vines of the trees around him and then freezing them there.

Then her back was to Zuko's, they both stepped to their left, mirroring each other back to back, almost mindlessly. He brought a fire whip across, hitting one of the men across the face and sending him reeling, and Katara mirrored, doing the same motion, as he protected her back, she protected his.

Before long, the clearing was empty, except for the men that had not survived the fight. The guerrillas had fled, remarkably their Emu Horses had not, and five men had deep slashes across their face, eyeballs torn from their sockets, and lips cleft in two. Wounds that looked like an Emu Horse kick to the face.

"Uncle told me they were smarter and more loyal than ostrich horses, I didn't believe him!" Zuko muttered after a few seconds of gasping, a hand on his chest. He did not look nearly as pained though as he had after fighting days before.

"Come on, they underestimated us once, they wont do it again!" Katara grabbed his arm, hugging it to her chest, and hauled him over to the mounts.

"No, I'm covered in blood." He protested, "And let me at least go put on my pants,"

"Hurry up!" Katara let him go, and pet her mount's nose, cooing praises for it, trying not to look at it's blood soaked toes.

They rode at full speed, urging their waning mounts on. Katara found that riding at top speed did not help during a power surge, and she started standing up in her stirrups to try to reduce friction and distract herself from the throbbing between her legs.

They made it to the outer gates a little after one in the morning, thoroughly tired, covered with blood, scratched and scraped and pleading for sanctuary. They must have given the guards a real scare riding in from the distance.

Luckily word traveled fast and in a blur, of hands and voices, Katara found herself washed and dressed in a guest bedroom of the palace. She made her way to the bed, too tired to even notice her body crying out for attention, but before she had slid in the covers the door flung open, and she felt someone throw themselves onto her in a big hug.

"KATARA!!" Aangs voice filled the room, "I missed you!! They wouldn't let me in the bath house!! You're here!! I MISSED you!!"

Katara turned and returned the hug, trying to sound excited, "I missed you too Aang . . . I'm really tired though."

Aang looked hurt, "But I want you to tell me everything! Who attacked you! Are you okay? Your cheek is all scratched up, who did that to you? You showed up covered in blood, why do you have a dagger? Can I see it?"

Katara hugged him again, then leaned down and kissed him, her body jumped in response, and she found herself pulling him close, the kiss getting rougher, more demanding.

Aang stiffened and panicked, pushed her away, careful to push her on her stomach and not her chest.

"Fuck!" Katara swore and released him, realizing that she was getting handsy again.

"Katara!" Aang looked aghast, disapproving of her swearing.

"I mean, Damn- I mean, Monkey feathers!" Katara pressed the heels of her hands to her head, which had suddenly started to hurt.

"Katara, what has been going on with you?" Aang put a hand on her arm, looking up at her concerned.

"Aang, please, I need to sleep right now, can we talk tomorrow?"

"Okay . . ." he looked at her uncertainly.

Katara got into bed and patted the spot next to her, the invitation hanging in the air between them.

Aang took a step back, looking from side to side nervously.

"I'll just go to my bed then . . ." Aang tried to smile, hiding the awkwardness he felt, and he turned and retreated.

Katara felt her self esteem plummet, she wasn't THAT terrifying, was she?

…

Ahh, Kataang, you are like FAKE all over again but without the explicit yaoi police man sex to hold my interest.

:shifty eyes:

I mean . . . I love all pairings equally, and would never alienate anyone by declaring otherwise.

…….

Man, anyone who doesn't know what Katara's dagger looks like should plug 'Kris Knife' into google images, there are some pretty crazy blades, I always imagined it was pretty elaborate too, those water tribes and fire nation like decoration.

…….

I always liked the dynamic between Mai and Toph, they grew up in the same environment, and one let it break her, and one let it mold her into the young woman she is. At least, that's how I see it.

I hope you enjoyed it, and the Zutara sexin comes while they're at the swamp, so prepare yourself mentally.

…….

Oh, and Yes, the title has a double meaning, one refers to two of Shakespeare's romantic plays, a Midsummer Night's Dream, where two men, Demitrius and Lysander are in love with the same woman, Hermia who loves Lysander back, and her friend Helena who loves Demitrius, who doesn't return her love. After some fairie magic though, Demitrius falls in love with Helena and all is right with the world.

It also is mentioned in Twelfth Night, particularly the part where Olivia exclaims "Why, this is very midsummer madness!!" suggesting that strange and wonderful possibilities may ensue. It also suggests that the midsummer moon is connected to lunacy in humans . . . it sure makes Katara crazy.

…

R&R, questions, comments, complaints, input on how you personally think the story should go, requests to hurry up and get to the sexy parts.

Thanks for reading!