Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or the musical The Music Man by Meredith Willson.

Author's Note: Well, you know I had to put a Soko in here somewhere! I actually have another idea for this song, which I might use later.

Lida Rose

Lida Rose, I'm home again, Rose,
To put the sun back in the sky.
Lida Rose, I'm home again, Rose,
About a thousand kisses shy.

Song opened the door of her house to the sound of insistent knocking. She found someone on the other side that she had never expected to see again and was so shocked that she merely stood there, staring stupidly. The young man looked quite different than when she had first met him, clad in expensive, well-tailored clothing and his hair grown out and pulled into a topknot on top of his head. His scarred face looked down, and his nervous expression was quite at odds with the pomp of the attendants arranged in the yard behind him. Somehow, his discomfiture gave her the courage to speak.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, while her mother called from another room, wondering who was visiting.

"I just wanted to say…I'm sorry I took your ostrich-horse. I would have brought him back, but we had to sell him when we crossed the desert. It's a long story."

How many times had Song imagined this very thing happening, deciding what she would say? Yet here she was, and it was as though she were struck dumb. She cursed the butterflies in her stomach and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Where is your uncle?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Uncle…isn't well. He couldn't make it." There was real concern in his face and voice, reminding Song of the desperate boy who had come seeking medical attention for his hapless uncle.

"I'm sorry," she told him honestly. She had really liked the old man.

"Thank you."

Ding, dong, ding, I can hear the chapel bells chime.
Ding, dong, ding – at the least suggestion,
I'll pop the question.

Song was still waiting to find out why Zuko had come. Surely he didn't need all this formality just to apologize to her and her mother. Speaking of which, the older woman had come up behind her daughter, doubtless wondering why Song hadn't answered her.

"Look, Mother," Song invited. "Prince Zuko has come to see us." At this proclamation, there was some murmuring among the Fire Nation soldiers, and Zuko coughed uncomfortably.

"Technically, it's Fire Lord Zuko now," he explained apologetically.

"Spirits above!" Song's mother exclaimed, bowing.

"Anyway, I've brought you another animal," Zuko seemed to be rushing the get the words out. He stepped to the side and gestured to a magnificent ostrich-horse, younger and stronger than the one they'd had. In addition, this one was draped in fabric that looked like silk and had tack adorned with gold and ivory. Song gasped in spite of herself.

"Why?" she choked out.

"I want to repay all my debts, now that I'm in a position where I can." Zuko gestured to his attendants, and a couple of them secured the new beast in the empty stall.

Lida Rose, I'm home again, Rose,
Without a sweetheart to my name.
Lida Rose, now everyone knows
That I am hoping you're the same.

"Thank you," said Song simply. "But surely you didn't need all of this just to bring us a new ostrich-horse." She gestured to encompass the crowd in their yard.

"I didn't really have much choice. I…" he trailed off, glanced back at his entourage, and started again. "Uh, may I come in?" Song didn't know what to say, so her mother answered for her.

"Of course, of course." She pulled Song out of the way and shut the door behind Zuko after he stepped inside. He bowed to the old woman.

"Madam, if you don't mind…"

"Naturally, I'll leave you two alone," Song's mother agreed, backing out of the room and sliding the door closed. Song took a seat on a floor cushion, waiting patiently for Zuko to explain his business. He paced across the floor a couple of times before stopping in front of her, hands clasped behind his back.

"The truth is, this is an official marriage envoy."

"A what?!?" Song thought her brain was going to completely stop working. Who was he going to marry?

"I know this must seem quite…sudden." Suddenly, all of Zuko's aplomb vanished, and he knelt before her earnestly. "But I've been thinking about you ever since we met, and I need to at least get engaged soon. It could be a long engagement, and you could even stay here if you like, or you could come home with me, and we could get to know each other better." Finally running out of words, he fell silent.

So, here is my love song,
Not fancy or fine,
But Lida Rose, oh won't you be mine?

Song just looked at him blankly for a moment. Her head was spinning. He wanted to marry her? How did she feel about him? She'd thought about him a lot, too, but this was a big step, monumental when you considered the position she would have in the Fire Nation. When Song made no answer, Zuko bit his lip.

"I just had to ask you before anyone else. I had to know. I knew you'd probably say no, that you might hate me, but…what I'm trying to say is, would you ever consider marrying me?"

He looked so vulnerable and uncertain that Song's heart melted and she managed a smile. He had come all this way to humble himself before her; that had to be worth something.

"Yes, I would," Song answered him softly. "I do think it should be a long engagement, though. "Perhaps a year?"

"A year would be perfect." A happy, boyish look suffused Zuko's features, one that Song had never seen on him before but hoped to cause a lot more often in the future. He took her by the elbows and brought them both to their feet. "May I…kiss you?"

"I'd be insulted if you didn't."

With this encouragement, Zuko pulled Song into a kiss containing a passion she had only imagined before. When they broke apart, they prepared to tell the news to everyone else, though judging from the noises Song heard against the rice-paper walls, she was pretty sure that her mother already knew.

--

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Avatarwolf, Strix Moonwing, MormonMaiden, and honorary member SnakeEyes16.

Author's Note: Yes, Zuko's a little out of character, but he's so multi-faceted that it can be hard to tell. Anyway, I just loved the idea of him being all nervous in front of Song.

Review responses:

frozenheat: Sorry the site was giving you some trouble. It seemed like people on the island related many aspects of their lives to Avatar Kyoshi, so it seemed appropriate to throw some references in there.

MormonMaiden: Well, I meant more that she didn't want to admit that her mother was right, but I agree with you, too.

Kumori Doragon: I could just imagine how Suki's mother must have felt about how her daughter spent most of her time, and a oneshot was born.

Aang fangirl1214: It seemed pretty clear that Suki didn't have a boyfriend, and as a pretty, capable girl, there had to be a reason for that. And some of her thoughts about Sokka had to do with me being a bit of a Sokka fangirl myself.

Kimbalynn616: I hear you! I've put in quite a number of hours on set crews myself, though not for this show. Sokka's my favorite character, too, although Kataang is my favorite couple.

Snows Of Yester-Year: You really do have sadistic friends! I don't know if it's fortunate or unfortunate, but I don't really have any friends who are into Avatar, unless you count my husband. He would never make me write a Zutara, and about the only things he does request are slapstick comedy scenes.