Love Birds.

(Fan fic for my friend Mik. Pairing is Mshenko. Falconer AU.)

"Sauberen käfig! Sauberen käfig!"

Kaidan sighed, rubbing his eyes for the millionth time as he heard his falcon screeching from the other room, incessantly. "I don't know what your saying, Mel!" Kaidan stated once again, hearing the bird respond, "Fütter mich! Sauberen käfig!"

Kaidan took up a job as a falconer, 'it'll be fun, birds are so intelligent' Kaidan laughed at this, he got stuck with a falcon that can speak but only in another language. Kaidan skimmed through the Yellow page book, hoping to come across anything that will help.

His finger stopped when he saw one that said, "Falconer 101, Lessons and Training for Beginner Falconers." Kaidan felt a wave of relief seeing this and went ahead and wrote down the information.

Taking the bracer from the hanger on the wall, Kaidan carefully opened the birdcage to allow his falcon Melinda to pitch on his arm. Luckily the place was only a few blocks down, a good way to get some excersize.

"Wohin gehen wir?"

Kaidan felt the onlooking watches of people passing by seeing the bird speak to her master, many of them utterly impressed asking more about Melinda. By the time Kaidan made it to the falconer center, he felt his insides scream as he saw the doors were locked.

"We're closed for the eve-"

Kaidan saw a man approach the doors, a bracer on his arm but no bird. Kaidan was more interested in the man he was talking to, how could a man this handsome possibly take up a job being a falconer.

"Ah, okay. I'll come back an-"

"No, no, its okay. Let me get the door for you."

Kaidan watched as the buzz cut haired man went and opened the door, letting in the two visitors. The two men stared at each other, only for a moment until Melinda broke the silence, "Ein Trainer?" The man gasped in surprise, "Wow, she's really intelligent! Yes I am, name's John Shepard." Shepard offered his hand which Kaidan gladly took and replied, "I'm Kaidan Alenko, and this is Melinda. She ca- wait you know what she said?"

"I learned to speak German from one of my old coworkers. You having some trouble with Melinda?" Kaidan was surprised, and worried. A man who is handsome and intelligent is always a threat. "Yeah, she always has an attitude and at times doesn't listen to me.. Maybe because she only understands German?" John thought to himself for a second before raising his arm, the falcon suddenly perching on the trainer's bracer.

Kaidan felt sort of left out as John and Melinda conversed in German. "You... Keep her in a cage?" John asked, almost stunned. "I thought birds were supposed to be in cages." Kaidan let out a sigh, "Hey, its okay. This happens sometimes with falconers. You don't keep a falcon in a cage, they need to be perched when theyre not on the bracer." Kaidan heard this and seeing how it made since.

"Unfortunately, she does only understand German."

Kaidan groaned, nodding. He had a feeling that's the case. "If you-uh.. If you want, I could... Teach you?" John said. Kaidan looked at him, was the man blushing? "That would be a huge help, how much?" John smiled, which made Kaidan's heart jump. "No, no. I'll do it free. When are you available?"

Two weeks went by, John came to Kaidan's house every afternoon for German lessons. Also, as an excuse to see the raven haired man. Lately, the two have been dropping hints. Such as the accidental brush of hands, the compliments, everything. Shepard decided to officially take the chance of asking the man out. He brought with him a two pound bag of bird seed for Mel. And a bouquet of flowers for Kaidan. Walking to his door, he looked at his watch and saw he was right on time.

Ringing the doorbell, be smiled hearing the routine "He's here!" from Melinda, amongst other things. The door opened to the sight of Kaidan soaking wet in a towel. "Ah, I'm sorry! Ijust got home and oh come in!" John took a moment to realize he was talking to him, as for he was sstaring at the man's almost nude body.

"I'll be just a sec. Sorry."

"Don't be, its no-uh trouble."

Sitting on the couch, Melinda was perched on her stand and immediately spotted the bag of feed as John reached up to tenderly stroke the falcon's head. Kaidan came back in wearing a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt. John couldn't help but admire the man's fit and slender body.

"I-i uh brought some feed, I thought-uh.. Here." John handed the sack to the other man, "Wow, thanks John. I was actually running low. You're a real lifesaver.. Oh, you uh have a date after this." Kaidan asked seeing the flowers, his heart dropping slightly at the idea of someone else already seeing him. "Actually, I was kind of hoping so."

"Hoping so?" Kaidan asked, then saw as John handed the flowers to him, "Yeah. You uh, will you go out with me sometime?" Kaidan was flabbergasted, as he saw the roses. "I uh.. Like you, Kaidan. And was wondering-" John was cut off as Kaidan took the roses and brought in John into a kiss. "Is that a yes?" John asked, when the kiss broke off. "Yeah, I've been racking my brain thinking of a way to ask you actually." John smiled and kissed the other man again, this time more passionate and heated.

There was no lesson, but let's just say Melinda learned something very entertaining that evening.