"Say ahhhh~," Chen placed the lettuce wrap in front of .

"Ahhh...," his lips curled up ever so slightly as he bit on them to suppress his laughter.

It was barely 9pm but his daughter was dozing right there at the dinner table, eyes half lidded. Her cheeks were the size of the ones of chipmunks as she leaned against Chen's arm for support. Wrapping an arm around her small shoulders, he propped her up so that she was in a more comfortable position.

Brushing some stray strands away from her eyes, Chen kissed the top of her head, asking, "You sleepy, Princess?"

She nodded. "...but I want to eat Appa's meal..."

Hugging her snugly, Chen said, "Appa won't be mad if you want to go to sleep right now. I can cook dinner again another time."

Shaking her head, his daughter climbed into his lap and pressed her face against his chest. "But you're rarely home... And you won't be for the next month... I miss you."

"I know. I miss you too, Princess."

 Reluctantly, she stood up and looped her arms around his neck, tightly. "What are you cooking for breakfast?" 

Seeing her sad demeanor, Chen could tell that she had given up on trying to finish the rest of the dinner as her eyes were closed, her head resting in the crook of his neck. Rubbing her back soothingly, Chen replied, "Whatever you want. I'll cook it in the morning even if I'm probably going to burn the whole kitchen down."

"Instead of food, can I just have a hug?"

"Isn't that what I'm doing right now?"

"Not forever. I want Appa is hug me forever. I don't want you to go to Japan."

At her words, Chen sighed and tightened his hold around her petite body. "I'm sorry."

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Then who's going to keep Mr. Wolf company tonight?"

"He's clingy. Mr. Wolf needs to learn that a girl needs her space."

Smiling despite the lugubrious atmosphere, Chen pulled her closer into his embrace as he carried her to their bedroom. "Am I taking up too much space then?"

"Appa doesn't count. You can hug me  all you want. I'm Appa's little girl." 

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[A/N]: I had some time while waiting for my friend in the car today so I typed this up real fast. I hope it’s not too bad since it’s been a while OTL... Please remember to comment, vote, and subscribe :) 

xoxo, KP