"Zula, wake up!" her sister said, practically jumping on the bed, scaring Azula.

"What happened?"

"Let's open the gifts!"

She groaned in annoyance, fighting back the urge to scream at the kid "Later"

"Pleeeeaaaase" she asked, pulling the covers. Azula snatched them from her tiny hands, wrapped them around her younger sibling, picking her up and making her lie on the bed.

"Sleep-over. You love those"

"Not like this!" she whined, jumping away from her, then trying to make her get up again.

"Kiyi, just let your sister sleep. It's five in the morning" Ursa said as she walked into the room, wearing that tired expression she always had on when Kiyi was being difficult or hyper-active.

"Christmas morning. We have to open the gifts!"

"It will still be Christmas in three hours" Azula mumbled. Before her sister could argue, their mother picked her up and started walking away.

"Sleep well, honey"

After that early morning fiasco, things got both more and less annoying. On one hand, there was only so much sappiness, family time and long, unnecessary speeches by her self-impressed uncle that Azula could put up with, and her tolerance for that week was already about to be completely gone. On the other hand, the food was great, and so were the presents - she particularly liked how irritated Ursa was when Iroh decided once again to just give Azula money to buy something for herself instead of trying and failing to find her anything she'd like, or at the very least not hate.

But, of course, the gift she liked the most was the one her brother gave to her. Make-up by her favorite brand, and the perfume they both liked. She always found it amusing how his gifts for her often involved the things that helped make sure he just couldn't keep hands off of her for too long.

She wasn't as thrilled to see that he had bought Kiyi another present, one of the hundredths of dolls she had been asking for, to make sure she wouldn't tell anyone what she saw.

Real subtle, dum-dum, she thought, feeling silly for being jealous, but being unable to help herself.

With the regular gifts, and the extra one, out of the way, they went on to their Secret Santa gifts. Azula got Kiyi, Kiyi got Lu Ten, Lu Ten got Zuko's, Zuko got Ursa, Ursa got Iroh, Iroh got Ikem, and Ikem got Azula. Her step-father managed to get her a present she actually liked - or rather, her brother had told him what to buy. She doubted Ikem would ever be able to tell what kind of earrings she'd like. Zuzu on the other hand, knew her style, and she was wearing a sweater and a bracelet he had given her, which she was sure he appreciated, just like she was pleased when she saw that he was wearing the shirt she gave him on his birthday.

It still didn't mean she was over the fact he didn't let her cheat while they were sorting the names so they could get each other... or that he only bought a second gift for Kiyi.

"Why are you so pouty?" her brother asked as he walked into her room, without even bothering to knock on the door first.

"I don't know what you're talking about" she answered, still pouting.

He leaned back against the doorway "I'm not leaving until you talk to me"

She gave him an angry glare "Don't use my tricks on me"

"I make no promises" he said on that tone he always used to imitate her.

"I just think you were being way too obvious by giving Kiyi that doll. Plus, we don't want her to keep expecting more and more things from us" she feigned indifference.

"Are you sure that's all?"

"Yes" she replied, and a long, awkward silence filled the room. Her brother didn't move a muscle, clearly not believing a word she had said, and waiting for her to be honest with him about what had bothered her. After a while, she caved "How come I don't get an extra gift from you?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Zuko simply walked up to her with a smirk on his face "Who says you don't?" Azula immediately perked up again, and her brother kissed her forehead before leaving the room, then coming back with her gift and handing it to her before locking the door "You know that I love my sisters equally" he teased, getting punched in the arm, then pressed her lips to his.

"You love me the most. I'm your favorite sister" she corrected.

He chuckled "You're my favorite person in the world, Zula. You know that" his words made her blush, which obviously pleased him "Now come on, open your present"

She almost did... but instead she grabbed the red bow and stuck it to his shirt "You're my present this year" she said, trying to mimic the scene of one of the few commercials she had ever liked - all thanks to the sexual tension between the two 'siblings' in it.

Her brother gave her an annoyed look "Seriously?"

"Couldn't resist"

"Just open the damned thing" his tone was still 'angry', but Azula could tell he was trying to fight back a smile. He dropped the act when he saw her jaw drop and her eyes going wide "I'm guessing this means you like it?"

She didn't even bother to answer, pulling him in for quick, but still deep and passionate kiss. She then grabbed the red dress and turned to face the mirror, trying to picture how'd she look in it. It was a little shorter than any clothes she usually wore, but still very pretty, the cleavege would show just enough not to be too vulgar or prudish for her taste, and she could tell right away that it must have been really expensive.

"Zuko, it's beautiful"

"I can't wait to see you wear it" he nipped at her ear "And to rip it off your body"

"You can tear any of the hideous sweaters mom forces me to wear or my old clothes all you like, but not the things I actually want to be seen wearing, dum-dum" she said, trying to get away from him, but being pulled back, knees shaking as her brother started rubbing his quickly hardening cock on her ass and kissing her neck - he knew she loved it when he did that, to the point that she was constantly having to cover up all the bruises and hickeys with a scarf or with make-up "Zuzu, we can't"

"I know" he murmured, then immediately went back to what he was doing, holding her tightly against himself, his hot breath on her neck and one of his hands sneaking underneath her sweater and slowly moving upwards, groping one her breasts through her bra. Just as she was about to give in, their mother knocked on the door and told them lunch was ready. Azula freed herself from her brother's embrace and gave him a stern, disapproving looking.

"You need to control yourself, you pervert"

"Sorry" he replied sheepishly enough to make her not be mad, even though she knew all too well that he was not sorry.

She softened up a bit "I hate this as much as you do, but there's just too many people here. Anyone could walk in on us at any minute and it's just not worth the risk"

Zuko rolled his eyes "Always so careful..."

"Well, one of us has to be" she put the dress on her bed, then gave her brother a kiss "Now come on. Mom gets completely insufferable when she's kept waiting.

Without another word, her dum-dum followed her downstairs like a good boy.