"Katara, dear, you can’t give him that for a birthday present," Gran-gran chided, trying to hide her grin behind a slender, slightly wrinkled hand.

"Why not?" the six year old demanded, crossing her arms with a pout. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her choice of gift; she knew Zuko would love it and probably praise her for life.

Gran-gran chuckled, patting her granddaughter on the head. "Let’s go to the toy store and find something a little better, okay?"

Katara sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes with flair, as she sauntered from the couch. "Fine. But I still get to choose, not Sokka, ‘cause even though he’s a boy and Zuko’s a boy, they’re nothin’ alike. And I know Zuko better’n anyone."

* * *

Zuko admired his pile of birthday presents, occasionally having to shove Jet away from the new PSP games tucked away in the stack. Everyone sat around, lounging as they inhaled or nibbled on some of Ursa’s homemade chocolate cake. Zuko suddenly felt himself tilting to the side when an elbow jammed into his arm.

"Ow!" he groaned, turning to glare at the girl he just knew hit him. "What was that for?"

Katara crossed her arms with superiority. "C’mere. I got something for ya." She turned on her heels, expecting him to follow. When he didn’t, she grabbed his arm and pulled him sharply to his feet. With a dangerous glare, he succumbed to following her, and she led him outside onto the back porch. She sat down on the stairs in quite the un-lady-like posture, slamming her hand on the empty space next to her, motioning for Zuko to rest his own bum there.

"What?" he asked, wondering why she dragged him out here like this, away from his cake and presents inside.

She reached into a side pocket near her knee and pulled out a poorly wrapped, small package. She waved it in his face, before dropping it in his lap. "Open it," she ordered, resting her elbows on her knees and holding her chin up with curled fists.

He blinked, but picked up the gift and examined it closely.

"It’s not gonna eat you."

"I know that!" he barked, immediately tearing through the matchbox car wrapping paper. He blinked again, staring at what had been hidden inside. "A Twinkie?"

"Gran-gran wouldn’t let me give it to you. So instead we gotcha that other thing. I wouldn’t let Sokka getcha anything stupid."

Zuko opened the packaged treat and took a bite out of one end. With a side-glance at Katara, he murmured through a mouth full, "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah…"

He looked at her again, then down at his tasty snack. He ripped it in half, holding out the unbitten end for her to take. She grinned and accepted it, and the two of them sat together on the deck, munching cheerfully on Zuko’s birthday Twinkie.