ASAPROST -Thank you so much for the review! I really wish there were more TPN fanfics too. It really was the only reason I wrote this.

FyreDraagyn12 - Thank you also for the comment. It makes me happy every time I see one.

I'm sorry I took so long to update, so I appreciate whoever is willing to wait and stick around. Thanks, guys!

Warm, cozy, snug are some words to perfectly illustrate what Lily is feeling. Lily can sense the sun from the nearby window brushing affectionately over her face; she experiences the softness of the smooth bed sheets and blanket keeping the heat with her; she can imagine the waves of energy rolling off the friendly bundle from beside her. The weight of an arm resting on her waist makes her smile. Lily never wants to wake up, and nothing is going to stop her.

Not even a second later, Lily feels something shift and squirm from beside her. The warmth gets sucked up and disappears to the cold, cold outside from the blanket getting pulled up, the happy lump beside her leaves, and Lily feels herself starting to cry.

"No! Don't leave me!" The blonde desperately latches on to the limb closest to her, which also happens to be a leg. She opens her eyes to see green eyes gaze at her curiously. "Emma! How could you leave me? I was so comfy!"

"But Mama says we have to wake up at six o'clock every day." The orange-haired girl replies. Lily feels her eyes water at the thought. Why is the world so cruel? "No, no! Don't cry, Lily! I'll lie with you for a little more!" Emma panics at the younger's misery.

"Yay! You're the best big sister in the whole house, Emma!" Lily cheers and moves to hug Emma tightly around her tummy.

Emma joins her in the bed, placing a tight grip around the smaller's waist. "And you are the cutest little sister!"

A few minutes pass, and Lily feels her eyelids beginning to droop. Sleep is calling for her, and she cannot help but obey.

"Eh? Lily! Wake up! We're going to get in trouble!"

"Five more minutes..."

"Lily!"

With closed eyes, Lily relishes the few moments of peace that she can experience before she must see Ray. Her eyes are slightly puffy from last night's event, and she wants nothing more than to avoid the boy. Lily does not want to see Ray, but they live under the same roof and hang out with the same group of friends.

She shakes off the depressing attitude. Bad Lily. Lily should be more positive. Lily wants to be even better friends with Ray! They have only known each other for a few months, so it makes sense that he does not trust her. She will not give up!

A refreshing fragrance urges her to relax and coaxes her to move to the source, and her nose soon buries itself into locks of orange curls. "Emma..." She sighs in sweet bliss. "You smell nice."

Emma's infectious laughter fills the hallways as they make their way for breakfast. She feels herself getting shifted on the older's back into a more comfortable position. "Thanks, Lily!"

A sharp pain appears on her head. Her eyes shoot open to see a displeased kitten. "Owie!" She cries out.

Ray stands in front of her with his hands on his hips. Norman stands beside him with a pleasant smile adorning his face. "What are you doing on Emma's back? You just woke up a few minutes ago, idiot."

Lily frowns a little at the insult but brushes it aside. It is part of Ray's personality to be harsh, so if she wants to be friends with him, she must accept it. Lily gives him a radiant grin. "Good morning to you too, Ray! Emma told me she would carry me if I would get ready for the day!"

"Lily wouldn't leave her bed until I promised to carry her!" Emma exclaims. "She's so cute when she's sleeping, Ray! Have you seen her when she's napping? Lily really loves it!"

"I know," Ray replies with an unamused look.

"Is she too heavy for you, Emma?" Norman asks with concern. "I can carry her for you."

"No," Ray scowls as if he thought of something unpleasant. "You guys are spoiling her. Give her to me."

"Ray is going to carry me?" Lily mutters to herself in confusion.

Emma slips the drowsy girl off her back and picks her up from under her arms, handing Lily to Ray. As soon as Lily reaches Ray's arms, he drops her, causing her to land on her bum.

"Ray! " Lily starts to fake cry in distress from the betrayal. "How could you?"

Lily dives towards Norman. Small arms wrap around the older boy's waist, and the younger's head buries into the woolly cardigan. "Ray is so mean to me," she grumbles.

Norman smiles kindly and pats her head. "Now, now, Lily. We have to go to eat breakfast." Slowly, the white-haired boy unravels her arms from around him and holds one of her hands. "If Ray refuses to give you affection, you can always come to me, okay?"

Lily stares up with wide eyes upon seeing this angel. "You're the best, Norman!"

He chuckles and leads her towards the dining area.

Lily slips into her usual spot beside Ray, swinging her short legs back and forth once her morning weariness leaves her. She feels her mouth water at the sight of delicious foods showing up in front of her. Ray glances at her, and Emma laughs.

"You are so cute, Lily!" Emma exclaims.

Norman nods at the comment. "Yes, she is, isn't she?"

Everyone soon digs into their meals. The conversation divides. Emma and Norman chat with animated voices and eager expressions, while Lily and Ray eat in silence as they usually do. The hush absence of speech from the boy beside her is calming as she enjoys his presence. However, soon she feels eyes sticking to her frame, and a slight discomfort permeates her. "What's wrong, Ray?"

Forest green meets pretty pink, and for a moment, he does not say anything. After contemplating if he should answer, he replies as he looks at his food once more, picking at it. "You look tired."

Lily smiles at him. A tender, bubbly emotion forms inside and becomes even stronger when she catches him as he places food on her plate. She does not comment, and simply watches him with a satisfied feeling. Lily does the same.

Emma watches the two slip food to each other before she turns to Norman. "Feed me too, Norman!"

The quiet boy's eyes light up, making Lily stare in wonder. A genuine smile graces his lips as he plops a small piece of bread into Emma's mouth. It softens at the pure glee that adorns the orange-haired girl's face.

"Yummy!" Emma cries out. "Food tastes way better when people feed you, isn't that right, Lily?" Lily nods in response. "Let's play tag in the forest today!"

Ray frowns, troubled. "How does feeding people suddenly switch to playing tag in the forest?"

"I don't know!" Ray's frown deepens at her response.

"You are such a moron," Ray complains.

Lily sits stiffly in between Ray's legs. Earlier, the four of them were running around and hiding in the forest, but Lily's hair got stuck to the bush she was burrowing in. Luckily, Ray had found her and freed her, so everyone decided to take a break for Lily to clean up. Emma ran away after a while from boredom with Norman in tow.

"You should cut your hair," Ray continues, "Knowing Emma, she is going to want to play there again, and your hair will only get in the way."

Emma pops out of nowhere from the sound of her name and plops herself down beside the pair. Green eyes inspect the blonde's hair, watching as the light reflects off threads woven from sunlight. "I don't think Lily should cut it," Emma chirps with a thoughtful look. "She has the silkiest locks in the house, and Mama adores it. Don't you think so, Norman?"

Norman appears beside Emma in an instant and nods. "Yes. Lily's hair is quite lovely."

Ray sighs to himself but does not reply. Instead, he continues to weave his fingers through the girl's hair, plucking out the smallest of branches and leaves as well as untangling the knots and bunches. He feels Lily lean into his touch. The weight of her head rests against his chest.

"Sit straight." Ray scolds. "I can't fix your hair if your head is on me."

"I'm tired, though." Lily pouts. She turns her head to look up at him through big pink eyes, reminding Ray oddly of a puppy. Her orbs plead to him for a little rest, and Ray's focus drifts to the light bags under her eyes. It's very slight and almost unnoticeable unless someone's sole attention is on her.

He groans at the thought and in frustration, giving in to this idiot. "Fine. Lie on my lap then so that I can at least finish this up."

Lily beams at him in utter delight before she gives a quick peck to his cheek. "Thank you, Ray!"

Red dust clouds over Ray's cheek. "Stu-stupid! Don't do things like that so easily!"

"I want a kiss too, Lily!" Emma jumps up from her spot and places herself in front of the younger girl as she waits expectantly. Lily, being the obedient puppy she is, listens, much to Ray's annoyance.

It becomes even more evident once Lily glances at Norman, who has a look that practically begs for a kiss, which Lily gives.

Lily gives him one more bright smile before she wiggles down to lie in between his legs, placing her head on his left thigh and enjoying the warmth of his body heat. Lily's soft breathing hits his leg, letting him know she fell asleep. Emma coos at this sight from the space beside him while Norman smiles with a warmer look than usual.

The last conscious female of the group notices the frown on Ray's face. "Ray, Ray." Emma jumps up and down in her spot. "If you don't want to do it, Lily can lie on my lap! Then, Norman and I can fix up her hair for him since I'm in the middle!"

"No," Ray states, his tone harsher than he meant. He pauses for a second to control himself. "Lily is already asleep, and you'll wake her."

Emma watches him as he continues to run his hand through Lily's hair, slightly scratching her head. Even in her slumber, Lily angles her head towards him, sighing with a low rumble escaping her pink lips. It reminds the trio of a cat purring when its pet. The older girl's finger twitches once a thought pops into her head: she wants to try.

Slowly, Emma brushes her finger against pale golden locks, but she immediately gets slapped away.

"Ouchie," Emma whines. "You're so mean, Ray!"

"Be quiet, you moron," Ray replies without a glance in her direction. "You'll disturb her."

"You're doing the same thing!"

He doesn't reply and instead turns his attention towards a giggling Norman. It is his second time laughing today, and Ray is pretty sure Lily is the cause. Yet, besides being a tiny troubled, he still finds himself enjoying the sound.

The weight of Emma's head forces him to look away. "You're comfy, Ray!" Emma says with a blissful smile. "I want to sleep on you too!"

"Is he now?" Norman asks. He moves to sit at the other side of Ray, and another head drops onto him. "He is soft. Just sit still for a bit, okay, Ray? Lunch is coming soon, so you'll only have to bear it for a little while."

Ray sighs. It's only day two of their friendship, yet it is already hard to deny either of the three of what they want. He turned into a human pillow so soon upon their request. What else is he going to become for this group?

The soft sound of everyone's breathing enters his ears. His face softens. He really needs to get new friends.

A few weeks passed, and it is now Lily's birthday. Nothing extraordinary ever happened during birthdays at the orphanage. Children do not get gifts unless they ask for something specific, parties are nonexistent, and no one gets any cake because Mama said it is not healthy, and it would be bad for their brains. It made sense, though. There were around forty kids here, and they would all get cavities from that many sweets.

Because of this, Lily was expecting nothing special to happen. Then, as if the world was required to prove her wrong, Ray dragged her to the gate that day. She wanted to ask him what he wanted her for, but Ray smoothly slid his book from under his arm once they arrived and ignored her. So Lily went to lay in the sun as she used to do. It made her giddy at how easily they slipped into their old routine.

Nothing happened for a long time, and Lily even noticed the sun had a different position the next time she opened her eyes. Lily did not mind what people would call wasting time. She needed this silence, this peaceful tranquillity. She had spent time in the presence of the loud children of the orphanage for a long time, and even though she liked them, they were exhausting.

It was natural for anyone to enjoy the presence of the people they loved. Yet, for some, the desire for silence and solitude was just as instinctive. Before she met Ray, Lily would always spend every day under her bed with her pillow and blanket, dreaming. Lily did not like hanging out with people. They were too noisy, too energetic, and too disruptive of her thoughts. Sometimes, Lily did happen to feel isolated and lonely, but it was never excessive enough for her to pay it any mind. There was always a longing for emotional connections that laid in the back of her head. It caused her stomach to curl in an uncomfortable way and her chest to ache. Yet, Lily ignored these sensations for the sake of enjoying her illusions.

She heard many children try to describe their dreams to Mama. They would start their story with an excited tone in their voice before their expression would falter once they have realized they forgot some parts.

Lily never forgot these things. They were always as clear as day, and she has retained every single one of them since she has turned around the age of three. If anyone asked her, she could explain each memory in perfect detail: the one about her walking on water to the one when she first flew on a broom, and the dream where someone demonstrated the way to launch ridiculously formed blades.

Mama said it was odd how Lily remembered each one so well and how she has fantasized about concepts written in books, even though Lily has only read one short book about farm animals. She also said she must be blessed. Lily has never had a single nightmare.

Lily's dreams are precious to her. Even without the sound of people's voices, each person in them was important. They taught her many lessons, tricks, and skills. They were the reason Lily could notice the smallest twitch from everyone. She refused to let people interfere with her sleep.

Then, there was the day Lily got bored and met Ray.

The soft rustle of the leaves; the way her clothes absorbed the morning dew; the heat of sunlight gently kissing her skin; Lily relished every moment like this, and Ray lets her have this. Even though it was getting colder from it being winter, Lily still enjoyed it. The beautiful, sweet, quiet moments, the reassuring presence of someone being with her, the comforting awareness of knowing he only allows her to spend this time with him, it made a grin appear on her face every time she thought about it.

A slight mass appeared on her lap. Opening her eyes, Lily found Ray standing in front of her. He gazed at her without saying a thing before he sat beside her and resumed reading. She did not comment and instead glanced at her lap. Sitting there were a bunch of hair ties and ribbons, all shades of magenta to white.

Lily looked at the dark-haired boy, questionably.

He glimpsed at her before he went back to his book. "Those are to make sure you don't give me second-hand embarrassment from seeing you get tagged because your hair got stuck in a branch."

Lily blushes slightly. "Why did you take me here, though? You could have given them to me later tonight. I'm pretty sure Emma and Norman are looking for us."

"You have bags under your eyes, even worse than before." Ray looked at her for a long time with a contemplative look on his face. Lily watched as his blank gaze shift to an annoyed expression. "It's irritating me. If you're tired, say you are so I can bring you here. You're honestly such an idiot if you think doing something as simple as this would bother me."

Lily's face fell at his harsh tone, but she shook it off at the soft look in his eyes. He wasn't mad at her. He was scolding her.

Lily felt a tiny smile creep onto her lips. Her cheeks warm, but it is not from the sun. The bubbly sensation from earlier bloomed in her chest once more. She is not sure what to say. She did not know what to do. She wanted to hold him tight and tell him multiple things, but she knew Ray would not appreciate it. So, instead, she whispered in a soft tone, hoping he will know how heartfelt her appreciation was. "Thank you, Ray."

He stared at her in return. His beautiful, dark green eyes pierced her own before a large smirk crossed his features. "Happy Fourth Birthday, Lily."

When night time comes, Lily sneaks out of her room and down the hall. She knocks on the door. Hearing a quiet "come in" signals her to enter. Looking up in a meek manner, Lily scurries over to the beautiful lady behind the desk. Long, brunette hair is kept well in a tight bun, and shimmering purple eyes peer up from sheets of paper to look at her. This woman is Isabelle, her Mama.

"Hello, Lily." Mama greets her with a perfect tender smile. It is one that she has seen many times throughout the years. The way her lips turn upwards and how her eyes crinkle lets her know that the smile is authentic. But for some reason, the smile always makes her as uneasy as Norman's.

Lily murmurs a small reply before she shifts over to the woman's presence and motions for the older lady to let her onto her lap. She raises her arms with grabby hands, and soon gets lifted as if she is as light as a feather and placed into a warm embrace.

Gentle fingers meet blonde locks. "My sweet, sweet water lily," Mama says in a soothing tune. "What could have caused you to stay up so late into the night time. You have been very tired lately. Your scores have been dropping as well. Go to sleep, my adorable child."

"But Mama!" Lily whines. "It's my birthday today."

Mama sighs and nods. "Only for a little while, then. What do you need from Mama?"

For a minute, Lily does not say a thing, merely burying her face into the Mama's torso. The two sit in silence, a small smile peeks on both of the females' lips. Mama is so patient with her. She is so kind. But, in a way, Mama always makes Lily feel slightly uncomfortable, as Norman does. She doubts the two of them purely on intuition, and even though it makes her feel guilty from the thought, she wants to ensure she places her affections correctly.

Pink eyes shine a deep red from the low lighting. "Mama," she starts with a seemingly timid tone. "Do you love me?"

Surprises and unexpected things are useful tools to draw out honest responses. Of course, people could lie, but the physical reaction that comes from letting down one's guard could not be more real.

Numerous emotions that Lily is not familiar with fill through violet orbs: surprise, regret, pain, suspicion.

"Why do you ask that, Lily? It hurts Mama's feelings when you question her." The words that leave her lips have a pained aspect to it; her expression is the perfect example of what someone in pain wears.

Lily's grip on the back of Mama's dress tightens. "Mama has a lot of kids to take care of, and I'm scared that Mama will forget me. Mama is busy with the babies, arranging adoptions, and taking care of the children in general. But I want Mama to love me the most. I want Mama to only spend time with me. Is that selfish?" In a sense, Lily does want Mama to love her the most.

"Of course, I love you." She says after a while.

The look Mama gives to her proves it. It is blank, with only the smallest hint of affection. It is as if Mama thinks that Lily is a cute puppy and nothing more. It is an empty look that one would give to an adorable child that one sees at the park. It is a shallow thing, not even deeper a puddle after a rainy day.

Mama is not lying if this is what she considers love, but Lily is not satisfied.

"I love you too, Mama! I love you this much!" Lily stretches her arms out as emphasis. "But I have another question. When is Ray's birthday?"

Mama hums with a thoughtful look. "I believe it is January 15. Why do you ask?"

"Ray gave me pink and white ribbons and hair ties, Mama! They are so pretty! I want to give him something for his birthday too!" Lily's face lights up from talking about her friend. "Ray is the best!"

A delicate chuckle escapes Mama's lips before she gives the younger girl a tight squeeze, running her fingers through loose wavy locks. Amethyst eyes seem to glow from the little light. Alluring, gorgeous, and bright are words that Lily often uses to describe them. She often finds herself becoming childishly jealous whenever she looks at them.

"Ray asked me for those ribbons a few weeks ago. Ray and you must be very close," The whisper sends a chill down her spine.

Lily isn't sure if it is her imagination or not, but she forces herself to relax as the room temperature drops. Mama's grip around her tightens to a point where she can't breathe and can feel her joints pop. Mama is strong, and Lily makes a mental note of this fact.

With wide red eyes, Lily gazes up with an innocent stare. "Mama?"

Mama's grip becomes lax once more after realizing what she has done. She rubs Lily's back and looks at her with apologetic eyes. "Sorry, dear. I just had an unwanted memory."

"What was it, Mama?" Mama does not respond, making Lily uncomfortable. She switches the topic. "By the way, I want to get Ray a hair accessory too!"

Surprise shifts onto Mama's face for a split second before she recollects herself. "Are you sure that Ray would want that?"

"Of course!" Lily starts to bounce up and down on Mama's lap, having a hard time keeping her childish excitement down. "Ray always brushes his hair out of his face because his bangs are too long. It pokes him in the eyes and blocks him from reading. Please get me a long, silver hair clip, okay?"

Mama nods, just as a yawn escapes her small frame. "It's time to sleep now. You need to do better on your test. Your scores are currently lower than average."

"I was sleepy, Mama." Lily yawns again before collapsing into the woman.

Mama stands up with Lily in her arms. With each graceful step, the halls are soundless as the two make their way to Lily's bedroom. The door creaks; the moonlight coming through the window illuminates the room.

"Good night, my dear water lily." Mama kisses her on the head and places her on the bed. "Have sweet dreams and get wonderful scores on your next test."

Lily swings her feet. "I'm too tired to get a decent score, but good night to you too!"

"Lily!" Suddenly, a bright ball of orange emerges under her bed and squishes Lily between her arms. "I was waiting for you!"

"Emma?" Lily tilts her head to the side. "You should be asleep by now!"

Emma has made it a habit to sneak into Lily's bed every night since the first time she has done it, and Lily couldn't say no to the cheerful girl. You cannot disagree with the force of nature, after all.

A soft chuckle echoes throughout the room, making the two turn their attention to their Mama. "You two sleep well then. I have to go finish up some last-minute work."

Lily nods, while Emma says a cheerful good night. The pair then cuddle together. The heat from the other washes over her; a soft sigh escapes the blonde's lips. Agreeing with Emma was the right choice to make.