Birthday Task(s)
A Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's oneshot

Summary: Dating Crow means you're third in line to take care of his kids. And occasionally taking care of him. Aki finds out exactly what this means. Aki's POV. Firebirdshipping ahoy.

Martha's Orphanage

After smoothing my skirt, I made my way to the orphanage's front door. I rehearsed the instructions over and over in my head: knock on the door, ask for Martha, wait for the kids. It's not that I had trouble remembering – quite the contrary. It was just something to calm my nerves. "They know we're dating, Aki," he had told me. "They'll like you, trust me. There's no need to be nervous."

Real easy for him to say. Maybe not physically, considering he went into a coughing fit after he said that, but, metaphorically, it was real easy. They knew him real well. He raised them, after all. And they're real comfortable with Jack and Yusei too, since they swung by almost as often as he did..

Me? Not so much. What if they saw me as an intruder trying to take him away (which I'm not!)? Or what if they just didn't like me at first glance?

I sighed. There was no use getting so worked up now. It was now or never.

I knock, knock, knocked on the door.

"Hello? It's me, Izayoi Aki."

Ask for Martha.

"Is Martha around?"

I could hear measured footsteps against what I assumed to be wooden floor, judging by the squeakiness, and, then, the noise stopped. The door slowly opened in front of me, revealing a woman who was just slightly taller than I was, her eyes full of curiosity as to who it could be.

I smiled.

"Hi, Martha."

"Aki, so great to see you!" Martha exclaimed, a grin having taken over her entire face in an instant. "It certainly has been a while."

I closed my eyes, recalling the last time was here. It was . . . during the Dark Signer battle, wasn't it? Was it really that long ago? Well, it certainly wasn't the best of circumstances. I'd like to think this visit was going to be an improvement, at least.

"It certainly has," I said. "I'm assuming you got the message?"

Martha laughed. "From him? I sure did. What a handful, that one. Getting sick from sitting in the rain too long. All while doing his job. Unbelievable." Martha cleared her throat. "But, I digress. Come on in!"

"Excuse me," I bowed and entered the orphanage. I was about to take off my shoes out of habit when Martha put a hand on my shoulder and shook her head. I slowly looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

"You'll be needing those on once you deal with the kids, trust me," she laughed. "We don't mind a few shoes in this place."

"O-okay," I said, almost losing my balance putting my shoes back on. What kind of building doesn't need shoe removal upon entry? But, as I continued walking with Martha, I noticed the floor was incredibly uneven, and I had to really watch my step so I didn't trip on the wooden planks sticking up. Even if Martha said I'd understand why I'd need shoes with the kids, I was starting to see why I was needing them in general. It was definitely no place for running around in thigh-highs, much less barefoot.

But, what really tugged at my heart were the rooms I passed as I followed Martha to what I figured was the dining area. These rooms certainly looked like rooms for the children, but everything was in such a disarray. The stuffed animals had white stuffing coming out of their heads, stomachs, and arms, and the toy cars and action figures were missing some parts. Even the dolls were missing some arms or legs or had the hair chopped off in a way that would make a hair stylist have a meltdown.

I had a few dolls as a child, and I always made sure I took really good care of them. I supposed it was because I felt taking care of them was about the only thing in my life I could control at the time. That and making sure my cards –all things Papa gave me – were in tip-top condition. So seeing these toys in such conditions really surprised me.

The rooms – which could fit maybe two of my beds if that much – also had two sets of bunk beds, one in each room, and I supposed one room was for the girls, one for the boys, given that each room had a different color wallpaper. The one room had light orange walls with very tiny holes, while the other had light blue walls, also with holes, but not quite as many as the other room.

I didn't look back at my childhood fondly, but, in terms of the physical, material stuff, one could say I was the luckier child. There were still some of those dolls in my room, anyway. Maybe I could give those away to the kids, if they wanted them.

Martha and I finally stopped at what I supposed was the dining room area, with its large table in the middle with chairs. Martha looked directly at me and gave me a wink and thumbs up, saying, "I'll call them right now." Then, taking a deep breath, she announced, "Kids? Come here! You have a special guest today."

The quietness was replaced by the creaking of the wooden floor from the impact of running feet . . . many running feet. Then, in almost no time at all, five small figures appeared in the doorway leading away from the dining area: two girls and three boys. The boys and one of the girls – the redhead – were all smiles until they looked directly at me. Then, they raised their eyebrows, as if something - or in this case, someone – was out of place.

Well, that kind of hurt. But then I figured, if it wasn't Crow, it's Jack or Yusei that they'd expect, not me. And I didn't think they remembered who I was. But, nonetheless, they were the kids who meant everything to my boyfriend. And I was here instead of him, so I had to take his place in taking good care of them, no matter how they felt about me.

"Nice to meet you," I spoke, offering a smile. "I'm Izayoi Aki, but you can just call me Aki."

One of the kids – a kid with a purple bandana wrapped around his light brown hair – looked at me inquisitively, as if he was trying to figure out something from what I just said. Then, his eyes widened, a light bulb apparently having gone off in his head, and he said, "Oh yeah, I know who you are! You're Big Brother Crow's girlfriend!"

I silently prayed that my face wasn't red, but I felt a stinging sensation on my cheeks. Ugh, way to keep your composure, Aki.

It wasn't so much being called someone else's girlfriend that was embarrassing. Out of all names and things people have used for me, that's about the nicest and kindest thing. And Crow did say the kids knew about us. I guess I just wasn't expecting them to say it. And, okay, maybe being called Crow's girlfriend in particular was just something I wasn't quite used to yet, even if it's been a year. Even Crow – or should I say especially him - calling me his girlfriend out in public was something I hadn't gotten used to yet.

"Ye-yeah, that's right," I said, setting my book bag down. The kids gasped excitedly and started talking among themselves. Martha cleared her throat several times to get their attention, and after a while, they did quiet down.

"Now, now, let's not be rude to Aki-san," Martha lectured. "You all need to introduce yourselves, okay?"

"Yes, Martha!" the kids replied in unison. The boy with the purple bandana jumped out first, pointing to himself. "I'm Taiga!"

"I'm his partner in crime, Ginga," a purple haired boy with a wide grin spoke up next.

"I'm Hikari," the older, I guessed, of the two girls with the dark blue hair in a bun contributed, adding a smile and a wink at the end.

"I'm Daichi!" the last of the boys chimed in.

"And I'm Kokoro," the other of the two girls – the one with red hair – finally said with a "and don't you forget it!" tone, hands balled up against her waist.

So, that one was Kokoro, huh?

I couldn't help but laugh a little, though. It was so easy to tell these kids were raised by Crow, especially with their over-the-top confidence. No wonder he occasionally slipped and called them his kids.

"Okay, okay, now that the dramatic introductions are done," Martha cut in, "Aki, just keep them occupied while I make dinner for them. That's all you have to do."

I nervously laughed. "Got it."

Martha placed a hand on my shoulder and reassured me that everything would be fine and walked back towards the kitchen area.

I didn't exactly have any child caring credentials at that point, so the idea of taking care of these guys wasn't making me feel overly confident. But, I was here instead of Crow. I had to do it for him. So, I took a deep breath.

"Alright," I said, mustering up the best fake courage I had, "let's go outside!"

The kids cheered, and I followed them to the backyard area. It was a grassy area about an eighth the size of the front lawn at my house. The kids looked expectantly at me for their next instructions. I then asked a question that I really shouldn't have thought of.

"So, what do you guys want to play?" I foolishly asked. It was foolish because even before I finished the question, the five of them all were shouting different answers over and over, as if repeating it the most would make me choose their option over theirs. I sighed. Remembering I had brought my deck with me, I informed them that I would be back in a moment and went back into the kitchen area to retrieve it. Then, I returned, deck in hand.

"Okay, guys," I announced, "we're going to play a game to decide what we get to do, alright?" The kids nodded, and I sat down on where the pavement met the grassy area, setting my deck on the ground. The kids gathered around curiously.

"It's simple," I explained. "All of you are going to guess what type of card I'm going to draw. You have a choice between Monster, Trap, and Magic. The one who gets it correct first gets to pick what we get to do first. But we'll keep going until everyone gets at least one correct, so we can decide the order of things to do. Got it?"

The kids nodded their heads excitedly. It took a while, but eventually, one of them – Kokoro – was able to correctly guess a Monster card, making her to first to pick. Unfortunately, Taiga and Ginga didn't like this, as they decided she wasn't technical enough with her answer.

"Aki-san, isn't that an Effect Monster card, not just a monster card?" the bandana boy questioned. "I don't think she should get to pick."

"Are you kidding me?" Kokoro whined.

"Yeah, we should have another round," Ginga agreed, causing Kokoro to pout.

I sighed. They just didn't want to let her pick first. It had nothing to do with not being specific enough.

"I never said you had say what type of Monster, Magic, or Trap card," I reminded them. "Kokoro got it right. It's a Monster card. That's all she needs to do."

Surprisingly, Ginga and Taiga didn't protest and accepted it silently.

We kept going until Daichi was able to guess Magic card correctly. Then Hikari with Monster. Then Taiga with Trap and Ginga with Trap.

"Okay, great job, everyone," I said. "Kokoro gets to pick what we're doing first. Daichi will get to pick after her, then Hikari, Taiga, and Ginga, if we have time."

Kokoro cleared her throat, as if to make some grand announcement. "Okay, my fellow subjects -" she started, clearly letting the power get to her head, "- we're gonna re-enact a princess fairytale!"

I heard an annoyed sigh from Ginga. "Oh come on, Kokoro. You pick this every time!" he whined.

I gave him my best disciplinary stare. He shuddered.

"On second thought, it's a great idea," he said. I smirked, closing my eyes. That's more like it.

I sat on the ledge leading back to the inside and watched as Kokoro micromanaged everyone in their places, trying to get them in "just the right spot at just the right moment or the whole thing's messed up!" she would say. The others groaned how much effort she was making them use, but she persisted in making sure everything was just right.

She'd definitely fit right in with the theater group at Duel Academia. She rivals even their intensity. I guess that was why Ginga wasn't too thrilled with her suggestion. It'll help him build character, though, so I just continued to watch.

After about ten minutes of this, Kokoro stood right in the center, everyone in position around her – or at least, it looked like they were in position. I had guessed Kokoro's the star of the whole thing.

"Good day, everyone, and welcome to the first-ever, never-before-seen, special special ultra-amazing, not based on a true story production of "The Dragon Princess.' I'm director and also star of the show, Kokoro," she announced. Then, adding a bow for good measure, she said, "We hope you enjoy the show." I politely clapped, not knowing where the heck this was going, but Kokoro seemed to know what she was doing, so I felt I had to support that.

I wished I could've said the same for the others, though. Daichi and Hikari seemed to do alright. Alright as in they didn't mess up badly enough for Kokoro yell at them for not being in the right spot. Taiga and Ginga, though, just refused to cooperate by intentionally flubbing lines or coming in too early. Well, according to Kokoro, that is.

"Get it together!" Kokoro broke her character for the fifteenth time in the last two minutes. "We're in the middle of a production here. Please get your lines right!"

"Don't you think you're being a huge meanie?" Ginga whined. "How do you expect us to have so much stuff in our heads for this junk in like two seconds?"

"Enough! The show must go on," Kokoro clapped her hands, effectively shutting down any more criticism from the two troublemakers, even if Ginga did have a point. It was quite entertaining to watch, actually, and I tried all I could not to laugh at the serious moments. Something tells me that Kokoro would even make sure the audience was behaving.

Though, even in the chaotically organized mess that was unfolding before me, one part towards the end did get my full attention. In the dragon princess' quest to find her home, as in many princess tales that I knew of, the princess – played by Kokoro, of course - meets a village boy – played by Ginga, to his misfortune – along the way. The boy wasn't supposed to deal with people of the dragon tribe, but he didn't care because, according to narrator Kokoro, "he didn't like those stinky old rules, and he thought the dragon princess was very pretty."

Ginga crossed his arms in protest, saying, "I ain't calling you pretty, Kokoro. That's too mushy."

Before Ginga could say anymore, however, Kokoro worked up a few waterworks, which apparently was a weakness because then he said, "Fine, fine! I'll say it, I'll say it!" I laughed silently, waiting for the final happy ending to the whole story.

But, instead of the typical happy-ever-after ending I expected, where the boy and princess get home and the parents accept the boy with open arms, it just ends with them going off a diverted path, away from the dragon princess' home. "No one knows if the dragon princess ever made it home or if the dragon hating tribe boy ever returned to his village," Kokoro narrated, "but, legend has it they've moved on to another realm. But, if you ever see people in love, you might just hear the two of them giggling, granting the happy couple protection and happiness So their story lives on. The end!"

Before I knew it, I was applauding, and as I was doing so, I saw a tear drop. Or two. Or three. Or – okay maybe several rolling down my cheeks and making their way to the pavement I was sitting on. It wasn't intentional, I was sure of it. And Kokoro did say none of it was based on true events. But, I saw myself in the lost dragon princess, looking for her home, but not finding it. In the lost dragon princess who found the boy and deciding to make a new home together somewhere.

And it hurt. In a good way. I remembered as a young girl always dreaming of being in fairytales, wearing frilly dresses and going on grand adventures. And . . . I guess finding someone I think I could spend the rest of my life with along the way too. It was no fairytale getting to this point, but now, I guess. I was living in a fairytale, the fairytale I always dreamed.

I was the dragon princess and he. He was the village boy.

And we're still finding our place in the world. Together.

"Aki-san, are you okay?"

I jumped and found Hikari sitting next to me, tugging on my maroon Duel Academia blazer. She was frowning, and her brown eyes were filled with concern.

"Oh-yeah, yeah I'm fine, really," I said, hastily wiping away my tears. Ugh, how many times was I going to embarrass myself in front of these kids today? Really not how 18-year-old for a couple of hours now should be acting. Come on, Aki, get it together!

"See, Kokoro, your play was so dumb, it made Big Sister Aki cry," I heard Taiga say. If I wasn't so busy trying to wipe my tears, I would have given him one of my glares again. But, also . . . Big Sister Aki?

I looked up to see Kokoro, her eyes filling with tears at the corners. "Big Sister Aki, is that true? Was my play really that bad?"

There it was again. Big Sister Aki.

I was sniffling so much, I couldn't verbalize an answer, but I furiously shook my head no. I saw a tissue being offered from my right side, and I saw that it was Hikari. I gratefully took it from her and tried to catch my tears and clear my nose before I also got sick like my hopeless but lovable all the same boyfriend. Too much mucus in the system wasn't exactly a good idea.

"I'm - I'm sorry, guys. I didn't mean to be such a mess," I said, laughing a little. "Kokoro, your play was really good. It just . . . it just reminded me of things, that's all."

Kokoro's worried expression didn't change. "Bad things?"

I shook my head again. "No, no. Good things, very good things."

The redhead beamed. I opened my arms to let her sit on my lap, and, thankfully, she took the invitation. "Like what?" she asked, nestling against my chest.

"Like . . ." I paused. " . . . like . . ."

Taiga and Ginga looked at me as if they were trying to guess what I was trying to say. Then, they looked like they had solve the world's toughest equation.

"Oh, I know!" Taiga blurted out. "She's not just talking about things!"

"Yeah! She's talking about someone," Ginga agreed.

"And that someone is Big Brother Crow!" both announced. I felt my face get hot again, but Kokoro fidgeted with excitement.

"Really?" the redhead asked, her brown eyes sparkling.

I didn't say anything, but I nodded. Crow had warned me these kids were smart, but I guess I underestimated them a bit.

Ginga and Taiga snickered, and I let them get away with it. This time, anyway.

"Well, I'm glad you liked it, Big Sister Aki," Kokoro said. "Maybe I have a future as a pl-pla-plairig . . ."

"Playwright?" I corrected.

"Yeah! That's the word," she said.

I smiled. "Well, keep at it. I'm sure you'll be great, if this was any indication. Maybe be a little nicer to your fellow co-stars though?"

I saw Taiga and Ginga high-five each other. Kokoro pouted. "Fine," she said.

"Alright, guys, we still have a little time before dinner. I believe Daichi gets to pick what we get to do next?" I announced. Daichi's face went from boredom to sheer happiness in a matter of a millisecond.

"I. I just want to play Duel Monsters with everyone!" he said, clearly being infected by the energy of everyone else. Taiga, Ginga, and Hikari cheered. Kokoro just grinned.

"Duel Monsters, it is. Alright, have at it," I said, flashing my biggest smile.

The four of them scampered back into the house, but Kokoro stayed right where she was, laying hear head on my chest. My heart skipped a beat. What if she was sick? Did she need food or medicine?

"Kokoro, is everything alright?" I asked, smoothing her hair before I thought about it.

She didn't say anything for a moment, which fueled my panic, but I saw a small smile form. "I'm okay, Big Sister Aki."

"Don't you want to get your deck and play with the others?" I persisted, still smoothing her hair. She moved her head slightly.

"You're warm," she said finally. "Like Big Brother Crow."

I gasped, but that quickly gave way to a soft smile. So that's what's going on.

"Okay, you can stay here," I said, adjusting myself to her weight and pulling her closer to me. She smiled and closed her eyes.

I wasn't entirely certain, but I imagined this was how Crow spent time with Kokoro: let the other kids roam free while he watched over her, just like I was doing. Now that I thought about it, he was always bringing her up during our dates, always with a frown on his face, looking off to the side. And, naturally curious, I would ask him why he was so concerned, but he always dodged the question like a bullet. Though, on the last date we went on by one of the local gardens, as we were leaving, I edged him on, enough to finally spilled the beans.

"I - I don't know, Aki. I'm just worried, ya know?" he said, the right side of his mouth twitching. "Like, if anyone's getting sick out of those kids, it's her. If anyone's having a breakdown, it's her. And I'm doing my best to help Martha raise her and always making sure she gets enough attention, but is it enough?" Crow took a deep breath, his voice cracking. "Is she going to be okay?"

It was the first time I had seen him so vulnerable, and I was just so heartbroken for him. So much so, I didn't know what to say. Crow quickly changed the subject then, something about something silly one of the other kids did the other day, as he always does when he brings up serious topics, so I didn't have to. But it's always been on my mind since.

Even though I hadn't met her yet, I wanted to take care of her too. I couldn't just let Crow worry about her and carry that burden by himself.

I brushed some of Kokoro's hair out of her face, sighing. So, this was what it was like to be a parent, huh?

About five minutes later, the others came back with their decks, their movements making a lot of noise, but I shushed them, not wanting to disturb the sleeping girl. The four of them nodded.

"Yes, Big Sister Aki," they all said and proceeded to pair themselves off for a couple of rounds of Duel Monsters.

I let a tear escape before I forced the lump in my throat downward, even though it was definitely trying its hardest to come back up. I hadn't even spent an entire day with them and they already called me Big Sister Aki? Not just once, but multiple times? Not that I didn't like that. Quite the opposite. But, to think they accepted me that fast...

I looked down at the sleeping girl in my lap and back at the others. It's really no wonder why my boyfriend always visited them, always wanted to take care of them. And it's really no wonder why I also wanted to do that. And with him.

I should bring it up with him next time.

It seemed like very little time passed when the door behind me creaked open. I turned my head around to find Martha standing there. She looked down, her eyes as though she were trying to assess the situation, then she closed them and a small "heh," escaped from her lips. She placed a hand on my shoulder before walking around me to the other four and told them dinner was ready. When she came back towards my direction, she looked at me and said in a low tone of voice, "Wake her up when you're ready and tell her about dinner."

"Alright, Martha," I mouthed. Martha and the other four went inside while Kokoro and I stayed for a little longer. The sound of the cicadas and an occasional car or D-Wheel were the only sounds I heard. It was strangely calming. I didn't get a lot of chances to just sit outside, especially not as a third year Duel Academy student. It was a struggle to remember the last time I didn't have a care in the world while sitting outside. At least, so few cares that I could just sit forever and be with nature.

I felt like I'd spend an eternity out here, but I had too much to do . . . including waking up a certain princess.

I really didn't want to wake her. She looked so peaceful. But, knowing those three boys, I figured they wouldn't leave much for her. So, I gently shook her.

"Kokoro? Kokoro, it's time to get up," I whispered, not wanting to startle her. She shifted slightly and opened her eyes slowly. She angled her head to look at me, and, still blinking her eyes, she sleepily said, "Big Brother Crow?"

I giggled. She was that tired, huh?

"Nope. Big Sister, Aki, remember? Big Brother Crow's not here," I corrected her, rubbing her arms to help wake her up. Her eyes then snapped open, and she covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Big Sister Aki!" she said, hand still over her mouth. "I -"

"Shh, it's okay. Don't worry," I reassured her. "You hungry? It's time for dinner."

"Uh-huh!" she nodded. I picked her up and put her next to me so I could stand up and smooth my skirt. I had to alternate my feet for a bit since my legs fell asleep, and, with my hand on the small of Kokoro's back, we walked back inside to the dining room, where the others were already seated.

"Finally!" Taiga said in an exasperated tone. "Martha said we had to wait for you before we could eat. I'm starvin'!"

"Taiga, hush now," Martha reprimanded him, and I burst out laughing. The other kids turned to look at me as Kokoro made her way to the table between Hikari and Daichi.

"S-Sorry," I said, trying to stifle my laughter. I wasn't doing a very good job though.

As the kids ate – quite noisily, I might add, particularly Ginga and Taiga – I picked up my school bag. Martha looked at me worriedly and asked, "Aki, you aren't going to join us for dinner?"

I shook my head. "I really need to be getting home. And I have a stop I need to make on the way there, so I really can't stay. I'm sorry."

Martha sighed. "Going to see him?" she asked, her hands on her hips. Her expression hinted that she was scheming something.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Give him an earful for me, will ya? I was going to wait until he got better and came back, but since you're going there anyway . . ." she laughed.

I gave her a thumbs-up. "Will do, Martha."

"Alright, be careful out there. And feel free to drop by anytime."

"Got it."

I turned to face the kids and waved goodbye to them. "Big Sister Aki has to go now, but I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon," I said.

"Wait, you can't leave yet!" the boy with the purple hair slammed his hands on the table, causing everyone to jolt.

"Ginga, what did I say about slamming your hands on the table?" Martha scolded him.

"Sorry, Martha," he said. "But, we have something for you, Big Sister Aki. May I be excused, Martha?"

Martha exhaled for a couple of seconds and let him leave the table. Confused as to what this something was, I watched as the boy dashed towards the bedrooms. In no time, he returned, with a folded white piece of paper with some markings on it. He extended his arm out. "It's from all of us. For your birthday."

I froze.

"How. How did you know?" I asked, slowly taking the paper from Ginga, using all my brainpower to will my hands to just take the darn paper.

"It's a secret," Kokoro spoke up, her smile as wide as it could be.

"Yup. A huuuuge secret!" Taiga agreed.

"Our lips our sealed," Hikari chimed in.

"So we can't tell you," Daichi said. I couldn't hold back a laugh that took my by surprise. Not only because I was getting my just desserts from hiding my relationship with you-know-who from them, but I had a strong hunch as to who told them. It's a good thing I'll be seeing him real soon.

"Okay, okay, I get it," I said.

"Open the card, open the card," Ginga demanded, so I consented and unfolded the piece of paper. It had "Happy birthday, Big Sister Aki!" on the front and the inside was a drawing of me (as a pretty good stick figure with pretty good proportions, to be honest) surrounded by what I guessed were roses. And it had all of the kids' names scribbled in crayon with a heart in the middle.

I didn't think children's drawings would make me so emotional, but that's exactly what happened. It would be easy to dismiss this as something a grown-up could come up with in a few seconds, but I could tell. The color choices. The choice to draw roses. This was definitely no accident.

They. They accepted me. They really did. And to think I was nervous all this time. They already accepted me before I even walked in the door.

"I . . . Thank you, everyone," I said, trying to keep from crying. "This means a lot."

The kids cheered as I put the card in my bag.

"Okay, I really have to go now, but I'll swing by soon." I promised. "Don't get into any trouble, alright?."

The kids' faces dropped for a second, but then they started snickering, and even Martha joined in. I cocked my head to the side, wondering what the fuss was this time, but then Martha explained, "My, my, you and Crow have dating so long, you're starting to sound just like him."

Even I had to laugh. Made me wonder if he's ever going to sound like me? "I guess you're right. Well, bye now!" I said, making my way towards the front.

"Bye, Big Sister Aki!"

I made sure to carefully lock the front door, put my bag in one of the compartments, and put my helmet on. Well, that wasn't so bad. And it could only get better from here.

Yusei, Jack, and Crow's Temp Residence

My next stop was to check on Crow. Initially, I just wanted to make sure he was still alive, but I had to be sure to fulfill Martha's wishes too. I parked my D-Wheel in front of where he, Yusei, Bruno and Jack were staying and made my way inside after knocking several times and getting no response. I sighed. They really needed to get a lock.

To my surprise, there was no one inside, even though it was close to dinner time. Was no one home? Where could they be? Crow at least had to be here, right? If he was able to move, he wouldn't have had me go visit the kids. I took a deep breath to call out for someone, but, mid-breath, I heard coughing that lasted for at least fifteen seconds.

He was here, alright.

"I heaaaaaaaaaaaar you," I announced, making my way towards his room. I could hear ruffling of bed sheets.

"Aki?!"

I didn't respond until I got to the room, and I opened my mouth to say something, but I was so taken aback by the state of . . . well, everything.

Dirty plates on several trays, clothes tossed everywhere, liquid glasses scattered every which way on the floor, wet towels hanging from very odd places throughout the room. I stared at all of this for a good couple of minutes, and then I stared at Crow in disbelief, who only had a guilty smile to show for all of this.

"Surprise?" he said.

I inhaled and exhaled for about a minute, and then, I started picking up the dishes to put in the sink in their kitchen. I've been at this house enough to know where all the rooms are, so it wasn't a problem. The problem was how those knuckleheads – my loving boyfriend included – let it get this bad.

Then I started putting some of the clothes in the drawers and some in the whenever-it-wanted-to-work washing machine. I left the briefs - dirty or otherwise – on the floor though. I didn't think my relationship with Crow was that advanced yet.

After washing my hands, I went back in the room, sighing.

"Great to see you too, Aki," Crow laughed for half a millisecond before he went into another coughing fit.

"Crow, lie back down or so help me." I put my hand on my forehead, feeling a distant pain coming in at the speed of a bullet train. He obediently, shockingly, did so, and I sat right next to him. We didn't say anything for a good minute, Crow trying to innocently smile his way out of this. I wasn't about to let him get away with it, though.

"Well," I started, "I'm glad I decided to stop by since I didn't know my boyfriend was a huge slob like the rest of his housemates."

"Uh, ouch?" Crow replied, putting his hand over his chest as if the comment physically hurt him. "Come on, Aki, you know I can't really move my legs."

I sighed. "Yeah, but explain to me why you didn't at least tell Jack, Yusei, or Bruno to do some cleaning up at least? You nag them enough."

"Wow, Aki, you sure are in a snappy mood today," Crow sighed, putting his arm over his forehead, covering his eyes.

"You're the one who told me to hang out with the kids."

Crow rolled over towards me, smiling. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

But, I wasn't done. "Also, if you leave your room a mess like this again, you're paying the tab for our next date. And I'll make sure to order really expensive stuff."

"Come on, Aki, I get it! I'll be neater next time," he whined, which sounded even funnier than usual. Especially since his cold made his whine sound incredibly high-pitched, almost making him sound like Taiga or Ginga. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry," I said. "Martha told me to give you an earful."

"Ugh, she did, didn't she?"

I nodded. "Uh huh."

Crow sighed, laying on his back again, arms spread out. He closed his eyes.

"So . . . how was it?" he said, his voice dropped and husky, which was just about the only good thing that came of this cold he got. "You said you were nervous, so, did it go okay?"

"Well . . ." I started. Then I proceeded to tell him in detail about the visit, starting with Taiga knowing me as his girlfriend and going from Ginga and Taiga trying to make things hard for Kokoro ("But I handled that," I added) to the play Kokoro came up with (even the me sobbing like a baby part) and everything after that. As I expected, when I mentioned Kokoro, his eyes got wide. He really was a worrywart when it came to her, and it was adorable.

When I finished up to the dinner part, Crow chuckled and said, "Sounds like I need to work on Ginga and Taiga a bit more. Those rascals."

"Yeah, they weren't very cooperative, but I kept things under control," I said proudly as he continued to laugh. But then his expression changed to a soft smile.

"I'm glad Kokoro's okay, though, and that she accepted you so easily. She's a delicate one, but she puts up a good front."

Like you, I wanted to say, but I only nodded.

"But, her confusing you for me? That's a new one," he snickered. "Only one of us is covered in face tattoos, after all,"

"I know," I laughed. "but I guess she was that tired. I have to ask though . . ."

He looked at me. "What?"

"Did you tell those kids today was my birthday?"

He looked upward. "Uhhhh. Why you ask?"

I took out the card that the kids had made and showed it to him. "This. This is why. I knew Martha didn't know, and you're the only one who regularly visits, so."

Crow laughed uncontrollably and coughed at the same time for a good five seconds.

"Okay, so maybe I did tell them," he said in between laughs.

"'Maybe', Crow?"

"Okay, I told them. I never said they had to do anything though. That's all them. Honest."

I exhaled slowly, closing my eyes. Then opening them again, I said, "I see."

At that moment, Crow's smile was easily replaced by a sad smile. "I can't believe they outdid me this year in getting a gift for my own girlfriend. And for your eighteenth too."

"Crow . . ." I started to say, but he kept going.

"Didn't get a gift before I got sick, making trouble for you on your birthday. Some boyfriend," he laughed, still looking away.

I took a deep breath. "What are you talking about?"

His eyes looked into mine as I grabbed for his hand and massaged it.

"I mean, sure, sitting out in the rain isn't a great idea," I continued, "and of course I'd like to see you well rather than sick. And maybe you're a tad bit messy. Okay, really messy, actually. But, that doesn't mean I want to be with you any less, especially on my birthday . . . and our anniversary."

"Aki..."

Maybe it was the sentimentality of the whole day. Maybe it was because I already bared my heart out to his kids, so I was emotionally vulnerable at that moment. But, the way he looked at me then, the way the right side twitched into a smile.

The way he just was.

It really made me want to be with him forever.

Still holding his hand, I moved my other one to check his forehead. Still pretty warm. I should probably get something to cool him down. "I'll be back. You're still dangerously warm," I said. "I'll get something to cool you off."

"Can you get me water too while you're at it?"

I flashed a thumbs up and went to get both things. I had him sit up for the water, but made sure he was back down for the compress. I checked his heartbeat – still normal. That was good.

"Yusei does a decent job at this, but you're. You're next level," Crow commented. I only smiled as a response. I had laughed at the thought of being a doctor earlier with my friends, but maybe. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

When I looked out the window, I saw that it was pretty dark, which meant . . . Uh oh, I really needed to get home.

"Sorry, but I have to get going," I said, not hiding the disappointment in my voice. "Papa'll have a fit if I'm not home soon."

Crow chuckled. "Yeah, you better. I'm barely on his good side as it is." His expression changed to worry. "But, be careful getting home, okay?"

"I will," I said.

"And I know I asked you so last minute and maybe it wasn't the best way to spend your birthday, but, thanks again for taking of the kids," he said. "You're the best. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

It was real unfortunate that he had a cold. I brushed my lips with my thumb and traced my thumb across his lips. His eyes widened, his cheeks slightly more pinkish than what the cold already gave him.

Like I said before, absolutely hopeless. But lovable. God, he was cute.

"I can't kiss you until you get better, you know," I winked. "But, that's a 'you're welcome' secondhand kiss."

He closed his eyes, letting a full smile rest on his face. "Alright, get going now before your dad comes after me."

I waved goodbye and made sure to close the door behind me. As I made my way down the stairs, I heard the front door open and saw Yusei, Bruno, and Jack walk in, instantly remembering that I had also planned to give them an earful. Oh, this was perfect.

Yusei was the first to notice my presence, and I saw him take a small step backwards. "Aki?"

Jack folded his arms and Bruno scratched the side of his head. Glad to see my visit caught them off guard.

"Hello, Yusei, Jack, Bruno," I greeted, making sure no hint of friendliness was evident in my voice.

"Izayoi, weren't you going to dinner with your parents for your birthday? What are you doing here?" Jack outright asked.

"Oh, you know, just thought I'd see how my boyfriend's doing," I shrugged. "Apparently, that turned into an emergency health inspection."

My former crush understood the double meaning, judging from his raised eyebrows. Smart guy. "Aki, wait, if you just listen -"

"I don't care how busy you think you are," I raised my voice. "Crow's your family, he's sick, and you need to keep better care of him. I literally did two weeks' worth of cleaning and taking care of him that you three should've done already."

The three of them had nothing to say, even Jack. There was coughing, and a "Yeah, what she said!" came from Crow's room.

I glared at Yusei in particular, who especially wasn't getting any mercy from me. "Yusei, I'm especially disappointed in you. I know Jack's a lost cause -"

"Excuse me?" Jack tried to interrupt, but I lifted a hand.

" - and Bruno really has no clue about anything relating to colds, but you. You know better."

He took a deep breath. "I know nothing I say is going to make up for it -"

"Damn right it won't," I scoffed.

" - but, we'll take better care of him. Promise. Consider it a birthday present from us."

I smiled. "That's what I like to hear. I'm counting on you. Well, if you'll excuse me." I turned around towards the door and made my way outside. I hastily put on my helmet and sped off. I was going to be late to my own birthday dinner, and I was definitely going to be up all night doing my homework.

But, taking care of my boyfriend and his kids – well, our kids? Worth it.