AnimeKiwi369: A requested birthday one-shot for AkaJenny1, who turns 18 today!

Crow: And this is about who?

AnimeKiwi369: You and Dove! My first one-shot of you two.

Dove: Sweet!

AnimeKiwi369: Yep. She requested this and you as a couple! My stories and OCs are known!

Crow: I think this is going to your head a little.

AnimeKiwi369: Just a little bit.

Dove: I guess you have a right to be. I'm kinda happy about this too. People know who I am.

AnimeKiwi369: Because of me.

Crow: *Rolls eyes slightly*. Women.

AnimeKiwi369: Only one more month until my birthday and the team's first softball game. Assuming I'll make the team.

Dove: Aren't we getting a little off topic.

AnimeKiwi369: Yeah. So I'll get on with it. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's or its characters, but I do own the storyline and my own characters, a.k.a. Dove and Jessica.

Crow: Who?

AnimeKiwi369: You'll see. Onto the story!

Of Markers and Freckles

One of the things that Dove Merrineten was enticed to Crow Hogan was by the markers on his face. She knew he had been to The Facility several times since before he became a Signer. But she knew it was only because he cared about the orphans. He had stolen miscellaneous things just to help them had a good life. The ginger knew that stealing was wrong, but as he said: "Sometimes you do the wrong things for the right reasons."

The blonde knew that he didn't steal anymore, but she still couldn't help but stare at the markers sometimes. Not because she was afraid, but rather she was interested in his past. She loved to hear about the daring and reckless adventures he used to have when he was younger. It always took her mind off her parents and sister that wanted her to be a pro tennis star. His recklessness and fun grins helped her to be reckless and a rebel. She liked that. Crow could always get her to smile.

Dove smiled just thinking of him. He had been someone that cared about her. Unlike her parents and sister. Since she had met him, she had been so much happier and skipped tennis practiced much, much more. She thought about how she had been absorbed by Carly's Earthbound Immortal. If that hadn't happened, she'd have never met the love of her life.

She admitted it. She was in love with Crow "the bullet" Hogan. She loved everything about him. She loved his ginger hair, his gray eyes, his recklessness and rebel-like personality. But last but not least, she loved the markers that covered his face. The blonde didn't know why she loved the markers, she just did. It just was part of him, like any other part of him.

Dove remembered asking about why he took things from Sector Security for the orphans. He had simply said that they were his family and he wanted them to have a better life. Dueling was going to do that for them. And now that he, Jack, and Yusei had built the Daedelus Bridge, they did. Not to mention that Crow's foster mother, Martha, was taking care of them now, as the three male Signers got ready for the current Grand Prix.

She took a long sip of water as she took a short break from her tennis practice. She wished it was over already so she could go see that silly ginger she loved. The emerald-eyed woman had grown so close to the other Signers as well. Mostly anyway. She was mostly really close to Crow and Akiza, who was basically her best friend. The burgundy-haired woman was the first real friend she had. Besides her now-boyfriend.

"Delila!" her sister, Jessica, who happened to be her coach, called forcefully, using her actual name. "Stop slacking and get back to work. You only have three and a half more hours!"

The emerald-eyed young woman rolled her eyes at her sister. Only three and a half hours. She thought, The way she talks to me it's like I'm nine again instead of nineteen. Dove gave an exasperated sigh as she got up to get back to practice. At least I'll get to see Crow soon.

With Crow

The ginger-haired Signer was distracted. All he could think about was bleach blonde tennis player as he, Yusei, Jack, and Bruno worked on the runner engine. He had managed to convince Martha to let him use her dining room for a date about a week ago. And as he and his girlfriend had sat across from each other in the candlelight, he found the small scatter of freckles on her face more noticeable than usual.

Ever since then, all he could think about was her freckles. And the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't stop thinking about how cute it looked on the emerald-eyed duelist. He loved her more than anyone before. He had had only a couple girlfriends before her, but that was the past. And when he made her laugh, he couldn't help but laugh, too.

When she laughed, her freckles were even more noticeable. Sometimes when she wasn't looking, the ginger-haired duelist would just stare at her freckles. Sometimes counting them for fun. But he normally couldn't keep track of them all the time. Though Dove had few freckles across her face, there were enough to easily forget one or another while counting and get confused, losing count.

Crow wished that he and the others would take a break so he could go see his girlfriend at her tennis practice. She had tried teaching him once on a day off she had, but she didn't exactly turn him into a pro in three hours. That and she had totally whipped him. But it had been a fun day. The downside to that had been that the Satellite-native had been sore for about two weeks after. Yes, he was in shape, but he had never had to work that hard. He had seen just how hard she had to work.

Not to mention that since she started to skip so many practices, her parents had increased her schedule tenfold. But it had decreased by about half since Dove had collapsed a couple months ago from a combination of heat stroke and pneumonia when they had a strange week in weather. The Signer had taken her straight to only person that had popped into his head that he knew could help. Martha. He immediately took her over there, where his foster mother was going to keep the blonde for a week until she was completely rid of that odd combination of illnesses. But after a week, she was transferred to New Domino General, when she was still in the same condition. She was slightly better after Martha's care though.

The ginger had stayed with her the entire time. From Martha's to the hospital, he'd stayed next to her. Holding her hand, stroking her hair or face. He bought her a couple flowers, but he still couldn't afford much. The blonde tennis player had slept through most of the days, but had woken up a few times. It was hard for Crow to see the one he loved in that condition. It was when she slept that he tried counting her freckles. But he had given up after trying about twelve times; that hadn't stopped him from staring though.

"Duck and cover!" the blue-haired mechanic called, snapping the Blackwing duelist out of his thoughts. He heard the sound the engine overheating and managed to duck before the whole thing covered the garage in black smoke and soot.

Seconds later, Zora, their landlady, came bursting in. She was furious with them again. She didn't like how their prototypes usually backfired on them. It usually got not only her attention, but the neighbors as well. Not to mention it could also be seen from about half a mile away. His foster mother's friend was shouting at them, namely him and Jack and a little bit Bruno. But not really Yusei.

However, he wasn't paying attention. He was still too focused on Dove and her freckles. He vaguely paid attention to Zora she went all sweet with Yusei as he apologized. He snapped back into reality when their landlady hit him over the head with a broom before thrusting it into his hands, ordering him and the others (including Yusei) to clean up. Oh well. He thought, At least I'll get to see Dove soon.

A Few Hours Later—New Domino Park

The emerald-eyed woman patiently waited for the ginger-haired Signer. She had hastily taken a shower after her practice before coming back to the park for her date with the Satellite native. Her practice went by slower than she wanted. Especially after she had taken a nasty fall and scraped up her knee and nose. So she had a small amount of gauze around her right knee and a bandage across her nose.

"Dove!" a familiar masculine voice called. She turned to see him. Ginger hair, gray eyes, and all. He was jogging towards her with a grin. He had on the normal outfit only with his yellow delivery jacket on instead of his vest. He stopped as he reached her, "Sorry I took so long. We had to clean the garage again and it took a while. What happened to you?" he asked, seeing the bandages.

"Oh, I just took a bit of a fall during practice." She informed.

"Are you all right?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?" she asked, "You said that the engine backfired again. Was Zora angry?"

"She was. But I'm used to it by now." He leaned back and looked at her. The ginger sighed a little before chuckling.

"What's wrong?" the blonde asked.

"Well not exactly," he replied, "It's just that I can't see your freckles. At least I can't get distracted by those." He laughed.

She laughed a little, "I guess so."

"There are still plenty of other things about you that distract me in a good way." Crow added.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Hmmm…" he started. He took some of her almost ivory bleach blonde locks in his fingers, twirling a little, "Let's see, your hair distracts me." he looked her straight in the eyes, "Those emeralds of eyes distract me." the Signer let go of her hair and gently grabbed her chin, lifting her face up slightly. He brought his face close to hers, placing his lips against hers. The tennis player wrapped her arms around his neck as she leaned into the kiss. After a minute, they broke apart slowly, "And your lips distract me." he finished.

"I guessed." The blonde laughed, "You know what distracts me? Or rather intrigues me?"

"What?" he asked slightly bemused.

"Hmmm… Let's see." She mimicked, bunching some of his ginger hair in her own hands, "Your hair." She looked him in the eyes, "Your gray eyes," Dove took her hand away from his hair and traced the markers on his foreheads and cheeks with her index finger. "These intrigue me."

"Wh-What?" he asked a bit confused and surprised.

The Whitewing duelist nodded, "Yeah. Your markers. They interest me."

"Even though they mean I've been to The Facility?" he inquired.

"That's just one more thing I love about you, Crow."

The Signer impulsively kissed her again, "I love you, too, Dove."

She smiled at him, "So you really get distracted by my freckles?"

"Yeah," he admitted.

"Even though there aren't that many?"

"Yep." He repeated, "There's still enough to distract me and intrigue me enough to make me want to count them."

"And do you know how many there are?" she giggled a little.

"Uh, no." he told her, "I can never get all of them straight."

"Sixteen."

"What?" he asked.

"I have sixteen freckles." She answered.

"Is that true?" he inquired.

Dove grinned, "Maybe. Maybe not. Looks like you're going to have to keep counting when this bandage comes off."

Crow grinned back, "I'd still count either way."

"How many markers are there supposed to be?" she asked, "Is it supposed to be four, five, or six?"

He grinned again, "You're just gonna have to come up with that without my help."

"You don't know do you?" she asked, grinning as well.

"And you would be correct."

A Few Years Later

The ginger-haired Signer watched the emerald-eyed woman that was now his fiancée as she slept next to him. They had decided to start living together for a few months before their wedding and get things set up in the house they had decided to get before they married. Although it was only one month until they were a married couple. One month until their wedding. The house was very large, but they had decided they wanted a big family when they were married.

The Blackwing duelist propped himself onto his elbow as his eyes rested on the Whitewing duelist's face. Her face was relaxed with her eyelids moving ever so slightly. Winter moonlight lit up her face a little. He could see the small scatter of freckles across her face. They still fascinated him. Crow silently began counting them. The Signer chuckled silently as he reached sixteen. That was the number Dove had told him years ago.

"I told you there were sixteen." The blonde said, cracking her eye open just barely.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked.

"Just long enough to know you were counting my freckles again." She leaned over, and rolled onto his chest, lying on top of him, "Now let's see. One, two, three, four. I'm sticking with four."

"Four what?" he asked.

"Four markers." She told him.

"You're still interested in them?" he inquired of her.

"Never lost interest." She responded, laughing as she was cut off by his kiss.

AnimeKiwi369: And that's that!

Crow: That was sweet.

Dove: I agree.

AnimeKiwi369: I hope that was all right for all you faithful readers and reviews. Hint, hint.

Crow: I'm going to guess you mean that you want reviews.

AnimeKiwi369: Yeah, basically. And I'm not setting a number because it's a one-shot.

Dove: I feel a 'but' coming.

AnimeKiwi369: But I'd also like to get several more reviews for LOST AND FOUND, too. And I will try to have NIGHTMARE'S RETURN up soon, too.

Dove: So is that it?

AnimeKiwi369: Yeah. Except for this.

Crow and Dove: Except for what?

AnimeKiwi369: This: Please be kind and please review and I appreciate everyone who does and thanks for the reviews. So please review! ;D