Danger

"Zuko!"

At the rushed yell of his name, the prince wheeled around with his body tense and hands up, saying, "What's the problem!"

But Aang, who had originally yelled his name, stopped his super-fast sprinting in the knick of time, coming uncomfortably close to Zuko's bubble.

"I need to tell you something of vital importance," Aang said, his dark eyebrows drawn and lips pressed in a set line.

Quirking an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic visage and attitude, Zuko relaxed and took a tentative step back before asking, "What?"

Aang darted his eyes around a few times in a paranoid fashion before he sat, bringing Zuko down with him as he lopped an arm around the older teen's shoulders. Personal space - these people did not understand it! Zuko thought as he resisted the urge to growl.

"So," Aang began to whisper, "I thought I should warn you."

"Warn me about what?" Zuko asked in frustration; he'd already been officially part of the Gaang (as Sokka had explained after he'd been included from their voting) and couldn't guess what he needed to know that he didn't already. Unless it was about eating Sokka's snacks, he just did that anyway.

"It's about something of utmost importance," Aang continued to whisper, eyes darting around for a second time.

Zuko sighed, holding down the fire, before asking, "What is so important?"

"You need to be really careful of your heart!" Aang said with wide eyes and a straight face.

The banished prince blinked.

He blinked again before holding down the urge to smile and breath out a soft chuckle.

"My heart?" he asked in disbelief after a moment of only Aang staring at him in all seriousness.

"Yes!" Aang continued in fevor, "You don't understand - she'll steal it like she did mine!"

Zuko's head perked up a little as he began to realize what this was all about.

"You mean Katara?"

Just at her name, his face seemed to relax and smile, but he stiffened if up again to nod and affirm, "Exactly."

He had opened his mouth to retort the airbender's entirely unrash belief, but the 'thief' in question had just appeared, in what seemed to be some still half-asleep form. It was the morning, so Zuko let that slip. Yet her hair was a mess that seemed as big as her body, her clothes ruffled as she rubbed her eyes before she seemed to unhinge her jaw as she yawned. To say the least, she was nothing compared to the cool, defined Mai that Zuko knew.

Yet when he turned back towards Aang only see his face split in a smile and glimmering, fascinated eyes, he knew what he'd said about Katara at least taking his heart was true. Zuko felt sorry for this heap of a guy; he was glad Aang could protect the world better then his heart.

But then Aang seemed to snap out of it as he moved his hands to bunch Zuko's shirt and bring his face close to his and say threateningly, "Don't let her."

Grinning lightly, Zuko said, "Don't worry. I already got mine taken from someone else."

Aang seemed to sigh in relief at this.

It was another moment when Zuko realized just how similar he and Aang were.

And man, he realized, they were always getting royally screwed-over.