Your Shoulders Sag With the Weight of My Heart
There are moments when Zuko can't help but roll his eyes (or wince, stiffen in fear, etc) at Aang's ridiculous notion that he has to save the world all by himself, among other horrible ideas that would, most likely, send Zuko's already high blood pressure skyrocketing. And okay, Zuko gets that it's sort of Aang's destiny to save the world (though he'd call it more of a mental complex, but, whatever, Spirit World; if you say so), but does he really have to do it so dangerously? And does he really have to stop and rescue every disadvantaged village, person, or creature he happens across? And Aang happens across a lot of unhappy people. It's like he has some sort of magnetic force, seriously.
And this time, it's just an animal, no one's going to give a damn if it gets stuck under a rock for a few hours, and most importantly, it's interrupting their hike. It's not like Zuko gets more then five minutes to himself in an average day (it feels like even less often that Aang comes around to visit him in his stuffy old Fire Nation palace), and here he is, wasting away the few hours they have on a useless little animal.
And besides that, Zuko definitely does not like the way that moose-lion is eyeing Aang's lean arm. Just like he'd love to take a bite out of it, Zuko thinks, shooting menacing glares at the creature in case he might be dissuaded.
Though he supposes he can't really blamed him for wanting to taste Aang's arm. It's looking very firm and attractive today, especially consider Aang's relative lack of clothing. Hiking in the sluggish heat of a Fire Nation summer is far easier when shirtless, even if it isn't always Zuko's first pick (not that he's going to tell Aang that).
He gingerly pries the creature out from under the rock as Zuko sighs impatiently, tapping his foot. Stupid cute little animal with its stupid cute little eyes that keep reminding him of stupid cute little Aang... "Hey little buddy," the Avatar grins, eagerly stretching forward to stroke the cub's neck, with no regard whatsoever for teeth that Zuko has a good feeling could rip him apart in a few seconds (he is not decieved by their adorable stubbyness - not one bit).
"Aang," Zuko hisses, through gritted teeth, "leave the moose-lion alone. You're going to kill yourself one of these days," Zuko insists, leaving the 'and then I will be so mad that I will resurrect you and kill you again myself' unsaid.
Aang tosses his head and laughs; it carries the ring of wind whistling through a canyon; drifting across the open plains; ripping through the dessert. With a wink that Zuko is tempted to say is a little more then just friendly, Aang points out cheerfully, "But I have you to protect me, don't I, Sifu Hotman?"
And, well, Zuko doesn't see how he can argue with that.