Zuko was five and full of childlike innocence when he first posed the question to his uncle Iroh, sparked by baby Azula.
"Uncle, how are babies made?" Bot were sitting in the garden next to the turtleduck pond, Zuko swinging his feet carelessly and Iroh sitting cross legged, almost meditating but not quite.
It took Iroh a second to even realize he'd been asked a question. Zuko was quiet when he was thoughtful, as he was now. "Wha? Oh..." Iroh paled at the uncomfortable topic, at least for a five year old.. Thinking carefully on how to phrase his answer, he quickly said, "Well... When a mother and a father love each other very much, their love is so great it can't be contained by two people and third person starts growing inside the mommy."
Zuko looked puzzled, but he thought on this for a moment before commenting. "But then how did me and Azula get made? Mommy doesn't love Daddy, does she?"
Iroh paled further. "Whatever made you think that? Of course you mother loves your father." He didn't see why the boy would think that-if anything, Ozai didn't love Ursa. Zuko clarified. "Nobody could love Daddy. He's always commanding everybody and bossing them around and just being a big bully." Later, Zuko would love his father. His judgement would be clouded by years of bad influence. But right now, still a young child, he saw things the way they truly were.
Iroh understood now, but it didn't make the situation any better-in fact, it made it worse. A five year old not loving their own father? Of course, Ozai was not the most loving man himself, but... Iroh quickly decided a plan of action. "Zuko, you musn't say that. Don't." Zuko's little face puckered up in the most comical way, though it would have been funnier had the situation been different. "But why, Uncle? Nobody loves Daddy, except maybe Azula, but she's just a baby."
It was true. Azula, even at this young age, gravitated towards her father whenever he was in the room. Zuko, on the other hand, had always flinched away, and in fact, still did. Iroh quickly thought of a way to phrase his answer before finally settling for, "Zuko, how would you like it if someone said no one could love you?"
"I'd hate it." Zuko said stoutly. Iroh nodded. "So don't say it to your father." Zuko was silent for a few minutes, watching the turtleducks. Finally he asked again, "But still, how did me and 'Zula get made if Mommy doesn't love Daddy?"
Iroh sighed. This was going to be a long day...
Yay, that was fun...