Birds of a Feather

by nubbug

Summary:

He wanted to see Minato again, but he wasn’t as well-versed at human courting rituals as he was in birds.

Should he take a page from Thanatos’ book and offer to build a stick nest together? Maybe he could drop off fresh meat for Minato to show his worthiness as a provider.

You’re so creepy!! Ryoji hissed in his mind, biting his lip and squeezing his hands together. What kind of psycho drops off dead animals to a vet?!

Or, Minato and Ryoji are two very awkward animal lovers and Koromaru is the best wingman (er, dog) ever.

Notes:

Hello Hello Hello!

Welcome to my birb fic!! :D I hope you like it!
Please take all animal research and veterinary medicine in this fic with a grain of salt... all my knowledge comes from watching reality TV about vets, google searches, and Nat Geo Wild LOL.

Birds of a feather, we should stick together, I know

I said I'd never think I wasn't better alone

Can't change the weather, might not be forever

But if it's forever, it's even better

-          “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish

xXx

Minato rubbed the newborn puppy between his towel wrapped hands, hoping and praying, until finally –

“Yip!” the puppy whined weakly, taking in gasps of air and crying softly.

Minato breathed a sigh of relief. The puppy’s dam had been brought in for an emergency cesarean after she’d stalled out during labor. This puppy was the last one in the womb and the only one he hadn’t been able to resuscitate until now.

“Good job, Dr. Arisato.” One of the veterinary technicians, Kenji, commented from the table where the other newborn puppies were crawling around and crying for their mother.

“Here.” He passed puppy number six over to another technician, Rio. “I’m going to close Mom back up.”

“Alright, doc.” Rio accepted the puppy and brought it over to the table hosting the other puppies being carefully cared for by his replacement morning shift veterinarian.

Minato brushed some of the sweat from his forehead with the back on his hand and worked on suturing the mother’s wounds closed. Once he was done, they’d be able to get her off sedation and start waking her up to assess how long it would take her to recover – if she was able to successfully nurse them then the new canine family could go home today.

Minato had been preparing to give report to the day staff and pass out on his couch after his shift when the panicked owner had brought their German shepherd in. He was supposed to have left four hours ago, but he couldn’t leave knowing an animal was in distress.

The veterinarian was taking off his blood-soaked gloves and gown near the door when he overheard some of the younger technicians whispering about him.

“Dr. Arisato is good at his job, but he’s so cold.”

“I know right?” One of them giggled. “His looks are wasted on his personality.”

Minato stared down at the door’s handle, frozen in place.

“You’d think a man that works with puppies and kittens would smile more!”

“Maybe he just hates people and that’s why he works nights.”

“Haha! You think he has a girlfriend?”

“Oh my gosh, could you imagine? I bet he –“

“Hey!” Minato heard Rio snap. “If you’ve got time to gossip, you’ve got time to work! Leave the doc alone and go do your jobs.”

“Eep!” Minato heard rapid footsteps move away from the surgery room he found himself trapped in. After a moment, there was soft knock and Rio popped her head in.

“Hey doc, ready to go inform the clients?” The technician asked gently.

Minato nodded, returning to the surgery table and carefully picking the new mother up. “Let’s get some blankets spread out in their room so she can recover with her owners.”

“Already done.” Rio smiled warmly. “Koro-chan is in there with the puppies right now.”

“Good.”

Rio came over to help him open doors and maneuver around the clinic without bumping the recovering dog into anything. He guessed at the identities of the gossiping girls because they looked down guiltily at their charts when he passed by them.

The worried pet owners looked up relieved when the pair entered with their German shepherd, Layla. On the floor, the clinic’s helper dog – Koromaru – was cuddling and licking the puppies to help clean them off.

“Layla!” One of the owners jumped to her feet to help Minato lay her down on a nest of towels.

“The anesthesia will be wearing off soon.” Minato pet softly at Layla’s large ear. “Keep them separated until she’s alert again so she doesn’t hurt them on accident while she’s waking up. If everyone is doing well and nursing in a few hours, you’ll be able to take them home.”

“Thank you doctor!” The other owner grabbed Minato’s hands. Minato resisted his natural urge to pull away. “My wife and I are so grateful, Layla is like a member of the family to us.”

Minato nodded. “You’re welcome.”

The grateful owners dropped to their knees to focus on the new additions to their family. The wife had lifted Layla’s head into her lap and was petting over her snout while whispering words of affirmation and comfort.

“Arp?” Koromaru asked trotting over to Minato to sit by his feet.

Minato ignored the twinges in his heart and turned to leave the exam room. “Good boy, Koromaru.”

“I’ll stay here and monitor the puppies.” Rio offered. “Go get some sleep Dr. Arisato.”

Minato nodded and walked to his workstation with the albino Shiba Inu at his heels.

Koromaru had been the personal pet of the previous clinic owner who passed away some years before.

The clinic owner was a good man who had hired Minato to be one of his veterinarians when he first expanded his practice. He didn’t mind that Minato was reticent and said he could tell Minato had a loving heart. Minato remembered when Koromaru was still a small puppy that rode around in his owner’s coat pocket.

Since his owner’s death, the dog lived full-time at the clinic. Some staff members had attempted to adopt him over the years, but Koromaru was clever and found his way back to the clinic time after time again.  Eventually, they gave up and let him continue on as he had been – serving as a therapy dog and keeping other animals company during their procedures.

Minato glanced at the other workstations as he passed – most of his coworkers had decorated theirs with pictures of their children, pets, or vacation photos. His own computer was bare; the only addition was his name on a piece of faded masking tape.

Koromaru sat and wagged his tail side to side as Minato finished typing up his report on the cesarian and prepared to leave for the day. He dropped to one knee to scratch behind Koromaru’s ear.

“Do you ever wish you had puppies, Koromaru? Your own family?” He murmured.

Koromaru huffed out a breath and rested one paw on Minato’s knee to reach up and lick at his cheek.

“Yeah, guess we’re both lone wolves then.” Koromaru butted his head into Minato’s chest whining softly. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you company until you find your own pack.”

“Arp!” Koromaru spun in a quick circle.

Minato liked to imagine he was saying, me too!

The Shiba Inu waited patiently at the staff door for Minato to gather his stuff. “Alright Koromaru, keep an eye on the clinic. I’ll be back tonight.”

“Arf.” Koromaru nodded his head and brushed up against Minato’s legs. When Minato got to his car and turned around, the dog had laid his head on the windowsill and was watching him sadly.

At least someone likes me. Minato thought morosely.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like his coworkers - he just struggled to communicate with them. He wasn’t a naturally emotive person which other people read as disinterest in what they were saying.

His schedule didn’t help either. As the overnight veterinarian, Minato was asleep when most people were hanging out together or going on dates. He couldn’t talk about popular movies because the movie theater was closed when he was available and he was truthfully a bit reluctant to share his opinions on music and just add fuel to the fire of the clinic gossip mill.

He had a few friends from high school that he kept in contact with and Koromaru to keep him company while he was at work so… that would just have to be enough.

Minato sighed softly to himself once he got to his barren apartment.

It’s not like the love of my life is going to walk right up to me and say ‘Hello!’.  

xXx

“- and after a successful rehab we were able to release Medea into the field to be with her mate Hermes.” Chidori clicked the slide to the next of images on the screen. “I’m happy to report that we’ve observed Medea sitting on a clutch of eggs, hopefully they’ll hatch soon and we’ll be able to get some data on early chick-rearing in wild barn owls.”

Chidori clicked to her last slide. “That concludes my presentation. Thank you for your attention.” The redhead bowed slightly.

Ryoji turned the lights back on and led the audience in a short clap. “Great job. Are there any questions for Chidori-san?” He joined Chidori at the podium and picked up the mic to address the lecture hall.

A student in the middle raised their hand. “Yes, what’s your question?”

“What behaviors did you observe in Hermes when Medea was in rehab?”

Ryoji passed the mic to Chidori. “Barn owls typically mate for life, so he was distressed during her absence. I was able to record some of his mating calls for Medea.” She turned to Ryoji. “Professor Mochizuki, is it okay if I play some?”

“Sure.” Ryoji smiled gently. Chidori retrieved her phone from her bag and held the speaker up to the microphone. She pressed play and the mournful screeches of a lonely barn owl filled the auditorium.

Ah, Ryoji’s heart gave a twinge. It’s so heartbreaking to hear how sad he is.

“Ack! Turn it off!” One of the students near the speakers hissed, covering their ears. Chidori blushed and fumbled her phone as she stopped the recording.

“They sound so creepy.” Another student whispered.

Ryoji painted a fake smile on his face and took the microphone back. “Are there any other questions?”

Silence.

Ryoji expected that, but he had higher hopes for his sophomore undergraduate biology class. Chidori was one of his graduate students in his Avian Ecology and Behavior course; he’d invited her to present some of her research as an example of the type of work a biologist could do. The class was less receptive than he’d hoped for.

He checked the hands on the wall clock- it was about time for dismissal anyway.

“Alright, we’ll end it there.” Noise burst into the hall as the students started packing up their belongings. “Remember- read chapters seven through ten for your exam in two weeks.”

“Yes, Professor.” Some of the more studious college students called out.

“Those birds looked so freaky.” He heard one student mumbling to another as they left. “Can’t they study cuter birds like flamingos?”

“My grandma says they’re omens of death. Creepy fuckers.”

“Shh! Don’t let the professor hear you – everyone knows that he’s a bird freak.”

Ryoji felt his smile twitch.

He was an ornithologist, thank you very much! It was normal for him to be interested in the majesty of avians.

 Ryoji had weatherproofing like a duck and the comments rolled right off him, he didn’t really care what teenagers thought of him. But he knew someone who did.

“Hey,” he said gently to Chidori who had her face tucked down as she packed her stuff up. “you did a good job with the presentation.”

“They’re not creepy.” She muttered under her breath. “Barn owls are good for farmers and natural pest control.”

“I know.” Ryoji spread his hands apart. “Don’t let them get to you – barn owls have been misunderstood for centuries; an hour-long presentation isn’t enough to change some people’s minds.”

He glanced around the classroom. There were a few students that were lingering in the doorway and peering at Chidori. “Besides, I think you have some fans.” He tilted his head at the waiting students. “You’ll find people that share your passions.”

Chidori nodded, sniffing lightly. “Did you find someone like that, Professor?”  

Ryoji felt his smile fall a little. “I’m, ah, still looking for my mate. B-But I’m pretty picky! Like an albatross – for now I’m content with my work and my wonderful students like you.”

“Thanks.” She gathered her bag up and headed towards the group of waiting students. They perked up when they noticed her approach like a pair of baby birds with their mother.

“You’re welcome.” Ryoji waved her off. “Now go enjoy your day! Give me a call if any of the clutch hatches, barn owl fledglings are the cutest!”

Once the door shut behind the final student, the college professor felt his grin melt off his face. He turned the computer back on and clicked through Chidori’s presentation until he reached the pictures of the breeding pair with their eggs.

Chidori had managed to sneak a camera into the nesting box Medea and Hermes were using so she got up close footage of the pair grooming each other and Hermes delivering food for Medea while she kept their babies nice and warm.

I wonder what that’s like. Ryoji thought full of melancholy.

He hadn’t been lying exactly to Chidori earlier – just not telling her the whole truth. Ryoji didn’t need the elaborate years long courtship the giant sea bird required for a potential mate; nor was he like the mallard that could have fifty different partners in one season.

All he really wanted was someone more like the mourning dove; a life partner who responded to his calls and agreed to build a nest with him.

“Yeah, right.” Ryoji scoffed to himself and turned the presentation back off.

He didn’t have anything to offer a partner.

Ryoji was a middle-aged zoology researcher who specialized in birds of prey. The few dates he went on fizzled out quickly when they realized that all his pets preferred raw meat and that he spent most of his time crouched in a bush with a camera like some kind of pervert.

He’d been fortunate enough to inherit his parents’ estate which allowed him to custom build his own aviary for his research birds and any birds that needed wildlife rehabilitation.

Medea the barn owl had been his last guest; his only company now was his personal pet Thanatos who spent most of his time in his nest unless Ryoji had a rabbit or rat to offer him.  

Ryoji nodded and made polite noises at the students he passed in the halls as he meandered back to his office. In between his research, the department had assigned him three courses to teach this semester. His graduate course that Chidori was in, and two undergraduate courses – sophomore biology and senior conservation biology.

I probably should have had her present to the seniors. Ryoji thought in hindsight.

He’d been hoping to spark an interest in animals in his younger students – time would tell how successful he’d been.

Ryoji flicked the lights on in his tiny office. His walls were covered in photos and illustrations of birds; most of the photos Ryoji had shot himself over the years, cold and shivering in the early hours of the morning underneath a tarp.

It probably would have been a fonder memory if he had someone to share it with.

“Ah, well.” Ryoji switched his coffee maker on and reached into the bottom drawer of his desk to pull out one of his stashed cups of ramen. Today’s flavor was supposed to be shrimp.

He would probably spend the rest of the night sitting at his desk grading worksheets and papers so his students could have a better idea of their grades heading into their exams.

“Guess it’s just you and me, Chika.” Ryoji said to the crocheted chicken one of his students had gotten him as a gift a few years ago. It was the only gift he’d ever received and he treasured it greatly.

Ryoji was deep into his fortieth essay on the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates some hours later when his office phone rang breaking the silence.

Ryoji jolted and fumbled to answer the landline, accidentally knocking over the two empty ramen cups he ate for dinner, and managed to pick up before the caller hung up.

“H-Hello?” He said, groggily squinting at the time on his watch. The small hand was past three.

The person on the other line was sobbing, Ryoji could hear distressed screeching characteristic of barn owls in the background.

“Chidori is that you?” Ryoji asked coming to full alertness rapidly. “What’s wrong?”

“P-Professor,” she stuttered out. “I was watching the n-nest box and a,” she broke off into more sobs.

“Breathe, Chidori, breathe. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong. Take a deep breath and calm down.”

“Okay.” Ryoji heard her take a deep breath in and let it out slowly.

“Good, now take another.”

After repeating the cycle two more times Chidori had calmed down enough to speak. “Oh, Professor it’s horrible! I was watching the video feed and a fox had managed to get in. By the time I got there only one chick was left, I have him with me now.” She sniffled. “Medea and Hermes are gone.”

“No.” Ryoji held a hand to his mouth. They had other barn owls they were studying but Medea and Hermes had been the favorites since the team spent the most time with them.

Their tragic fate was devastating.

“I’ll be right there.”

Ryoji slammed the phone down on the receiver and jumped up to lock his office. Medea and Hermes’ nest box was a short drive from the college campus; when Ryoji got there some of the other graduate students had arrived as well and were working together to bury the deceased owls away from Chidori’s sight.

The redhead was kneeling down on the ground with her layered skirts pooled on her lap; Ryoji guessed she was trying to keep the chick warm in the layers of cloth.

“Professor.” She greeted sadly when he crouched down to her. “I was worried you wouldn’t be in the office this late.”

“It’s a good thing I was.” Ryoji frowned. “How is the owlet?”

Chidori shook her head. “Not good, he’s bleeding underneath his wing. I can’t tell if it’s broken or if the fox managed to bite him.” She looked down at her lap sadly. “I know they are wild animals and such things are the way of life, but it still tears me apart. Attachment hurts so much.” She whispered.

“I know.” Ryoji laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “The best we can do is help them when we can.” The ornithologist pulled over a transport box he’d prepared in advance for the baby owl. “I’ll go take him to a vet to get checked out. Why don’t you go get some sleep?”

“Okay.” Chidori’s sleeves were too blood-stained for her to wipe her tears with them, so they were freely dripping down her cheeks. She reached into her skirts and pulled out the baby – Ryoji could tell that he’d only been born in the last few hours since he had no feathers to speak of. She placed the orphaned owlet into the box and laid a sad hand on the outside.

One of his other grad students, Jin, approached and handed her a handkerchief. “I’ll stay with her, Professor. We’ll clean up and get her home safe.”

“Thanks Jin.” Ryoji picked up the box and jogged back to his truck, taking out his phone as he did so.

Where am I going to find a vet this late? He wondered.

He typed in ‘emergency veterinary center’ into the search bar and hoped.  

xXx

Another late night, another silent clinic.

Minato crouched down in front of their rows of cages for patients. It was a slow night; the only occupant right now was a gorgeous white Siamese cat with dark chocolate points that was there for boarding while their owner went on a trip.

Mocha was curled up into a perfect circle in the cat bed they’d placed in there for her. Minato had slipped a few of his fingers through the grate to stroke her fur lightly – he didn’t want to disturb her rest but he couldn’t help wanting to pet her.

All the other staff had cooed and loved on the cat when she was first dropped off but Minato was busy in surgery setting a broken shell for a tortoise and didn’t get to meet her. By the time the rest of the staff had left for the night, and Minato was done taking care of his patients, Mocha had already fallen into a deep sleep.

“What would you prefer, Koromaru?” He whispered to the dog sitting at his side. “If your owner went on a trip - would you want to go with them or be left somewhere cozy?”

Koromaru tilted his head as he thought.

Minato knew that his habit of talking to the clinic dog like a person was another reason his coworkers thought he was strange, but he swore Koromaru was highly intelligent and could understand what he was saying.

Koromaru shifted and leaned his weight against Minato’s side. “Hmm, we think so alike.” Minato teased gently, tugging the Shiba Inu closer. “I’d want to stay with my family too, no matter how nice the boarding place was.”

The veterinarian thought of his parents – even if the conditions were rough anything was better than being left behind.

Minato sighed and idly stroked down Koromaru’s side. “Do you think we’ll have a quiet night?”

One of Koromaru’s ears perked up. He turned his face to the direction of the lobby and wiggled out of Minato’s grip to start trotting to the front door. “Huh? What is it?”

Minato hadn’t heard anyone ring the bell hanging over the door but maybe there was something outside Koromaru was picking up?

He found Koromaru waiting patiently by the front door. “Oh, did you just need to go outside?” There was a built-in dog door in all the clinic doors, but they locked them during the night in case any wild animals tried to get inside and harmed one of their vulnerable patients.

The clinic was closer to the edge of town; the owner had bought the large property to make sure they had enough space to accommodate farm animals as well as domestic ones. Which meant that it wasn’t unusual that a possum or young deer would try to sneak inside for free food.

Minato reached for the door handle the same time that it opened from the other side.

“Oh, hello!” A smooth voice gasped. Minato instinctively took a step back in surprise. “I’m sorry, are you closing? It said you were open online…”

“No, we’re open.” Minato gestured for the person standing in the dark to come inside.

“Thank goodness, I’m hoping you can help me.”

Minato felt his breath catch in his chest.

Stepping into the lobby, bending slightly to avoid hitting the bell that hung down above the front door, was the most handsome man he’d ever seen.

The first thing the veterinarian noticed was his eyes. They were a dark blue, like gemstones, with a beauty mark just under his left one. His raven – black hair was slicked back and he had a straight nose over a pair of soft looking lips that were pulled into a relieved smile.

He had wide shoulders, but an overall lean body, and wore a button-down shirt and tie with suspenders and black slacks. His fingers were long, like a musician’s, and were curled around a plastic Tupperware with holes poked through the lid.

Belatedly, Minato realized Handsome Man had been talking to him and was now waiting for a response with kind eyes.

Stupid! He cursed at himself. “Come to the exam room.” Minato said taking a leap in logic that anyone coming to a vet clinic at four a.m. probably had an injured animal that couldn’t wait until the morning.

“We think he might have a broken wing or maybe been bitten by a fox.” Handsome Man was saying to Minato’s back.

Okay, so it’s a bird. Minato thought. “Can you describe what happened?”

“I wasn’t there to witness it – my grad student was watching the nest box cameras in anticipation of the hatching and saw a fox climb inside to attack the parents.” Handsome Man looked down on the Tupperware sadly. “This chick is the only one that made it. He’s an orphan now just like me.”

And us. Minato glanced at Koromaru keeping pace with them but didn’t say out loud.

“What kind of bird?” He said instead.

“Tyto alba.” Handsome Man winced. “I-I mean – “

“Barn owl.” Minato cut him off. “Right?”

“Um, yes.” Handsome Man blinked in surprise then ducked his head down shyly.

Oh no, he acts cute too. Minato thought with dread. He’s probably already married with kids. Minato told himself to push the beginnings of a crush down.

It wasn’t the time; there was an owlet that needed help.

Minato snapped some nitrile gloves on and instructed Handsome Man to place the Tupperware in the middle of his exam table. He gently took the lid off and peered inside.

Curled up in a nest of blankets and grass, made by Handsome Man Minato assumed, was a small creature barely more than skin pulled over a skeleton in the vague shape of a bird.

“Poor baby.” Minato cooed unable to help himself. “Where’s the injury?” He asked in a sterner voice to Handsome Man.

“Here.” Handsome Man used his pinky to gently extend one of the owlet’s wing bones. Minato could spot crusted blood near the joint.

He wet a Q-Tip with water and gently cleaned the area so he could see it better. Minato moved his head closer for a better look, it was hard to see without his magnifying glasses, but he suspected that it may just be a scratch from the fox’s claws as opposed to a broken wing or a bite. It was also already clotting – another sign that the wound wasn’t that deep and just needed antibiotics.

He relayed his suspicions to Handsome Man. “I’ll take him back for an X-Ray to be sure but – “ He tilted his head up and jolted in surprise. They had naturally lowered their heads to peer at the baby owl and now their noses were almost brushing.

He has rings of different blue shades in his eyes. Minato thought, then realized what he was doing, and pulled back quickly with his ears on fire.

“Sure, sounds good to me!” Handsome Man responded. When Minato peeked at him from under his lashes, he was rubbing the back of his neck and blushing lightly. “I guess I’ll wait here with your assistant?”

“My assistant?” Minato tilted his head confused. The last vet tech left at eleven p.m. and the first one wouldn’t come in until six a.m. – sometimes they came in earlier if there was an emergency requiring two sets of human hands but Minato could handle most cases by himself.

“Arp!” Koromaru barked, jumping up onto the bench seat in the exam room.

“Oh.” Minato felt his shoulders drop in relief. “Yes, if you don’t mind Koromaru will keep you company.”

Handsome Man grinned and held his hand out for a shake. “Nice to meet you, Koromaru. I’m Ryoji Mochizuki, professor of ornithology at Tatsumi University.” Koromaru wagged his tail and held his paw out to complete the greeting.

Ryoji turned towards Minato and held his hand out. “Your turn.”

Despite his earlier reminder to himself, Minato laid his hand in Ryoji’s. His skin was warm through the gloves. “Minato Arisato.”

After longer than was probably proper, Minato dropped Ryoji’s hand. “I’ll be back.” He paused. Ryoji did say he studied ornithology and it was just the two of them in the clinic so maybe…

“Unless you want to see?”

“Oh!” Ryoji perked up. “It’s okay?”

Minato shrugged. “Just don’t touch anything.”

“I won’t.” Ryoji blue eyes were sparkling with interest. “Thank you, Dr. Arisato.”

Minato reached up to fiddle with his bangs. “Minato’s fine. It feels silly to have you call me doctor when I’m sure you have a doctorate too.”

Ryoji put his hand on his hip. “Well, yes, but it’s a sign of respect to refer to you that way. However, if you insist on it then given names are fine with me.” He winked.

He winked?! Minato turned away to hide his expression. Why is he winking at me?

“T-This way… Ryoji.”

They moved to the x-ray room. The little fledgling was cooperative and didn’t fuss too much as Minato maneuvered them to be able to take the x-ray. Ryoji stood closer to the door, carefully out of the way, and watched everything the veterinarian was doing with a spark of interest.

“No broken bones.” The taller man said with a sigh of relief once the image populated on the room’s screen.

Minato nodded. The bird’s x-ray showed that everything was where it was supposed to be without any breaks or other such damage.

“Can I get a copy of the images? I’m sure our graduate student would be interested in seeing them.”

“I can burn them on a CD.” Minato offered typing on the computer terminal connected to the x-ray machine.

Ryoji put his hands in the air flustered. “No need to go that far! Email is fine … if that’s okay with you.”

“Oh.” Minato felt the heat return to his cheeks. “Y-Yeah that’s okay, um, you can type your email in here.” He stepped back from the computer and let Ryoji pass by him to reach the keyboard.

He got a whiff off his clothes due to their proximity – the other man smelled like old books and the outdoors.

Minato looked away flustered and met the knowing eyes of Koromaru at his feet which made his blush worse.

“All done.” Ryoji gave Minato a grateful smile. “It should help our research.”

The veterinarian ducked his head and typed rapidly on the computer terminal sharing the images before he could do something crazy like memorize Ryoji’s work email. “What are you studying?” He asked to fill the silence and take the pressure off himself.

Ryoji gently picked the tiny owl up and cradled him to his chest. “Chidori’s – my grad student -  research focus is on behavior patterns in barn owls when in a more urban environment. We’re hoping that by learning more about disruption to their natural behaviors we can better adapt them to expanding human populations to support integration into pest and disease control.”

“When this little guy is bigger, he’ll eat about a thousand mice a year – that could really help cities control their rat populations.” Ryoji chuckled. “That’s the hope anyway.”

They relocated back into the exam room for Minato to take the chick from Ryoji and gently apply antibiotic gel to the wound. “Cool.”

Cool? He groaned internally. Say something more!

“I, um, bet this is a little different than you’re used to.” The researcher said, fiddling with some of the blankets in the box he used to transport the owl. “Most people probably bring a dog or cat.”

“No, we see all animals.” Minato responded.

“Oh, okay.”  

They sat in silence while Minato worked, however the wound was small and he was soon finished. He placed the owlet back into the box. He noticed that the blankets felt warmer than he was expecting them to – a few pokes revealed that Ryoji had added a warming packet to keep the featherless fledgling warm.

He really cares about birds. The veterinarian thoughts with a small smile.

“What’s the prognosis, doc?” Ryoji joked.

“The cut should heal in a few days. I’ll give you an antibiotic and cleanser to use.” He frowned. “But I’m more concerned about his long-term outlook, without a mother to keep him warm his body temperature might drop too low. Do you have a foster owl?”

Ryoji shook his head. His blue eyes were troubled as he gazed at the orphaned chick. “Not right now, we’ll keep our eyes out for another breeding pair but we just had the one.” His lips pulled into a lop-sided smile. “I’ll probably take him home with me and care for him until he’s big enough to be left alone.”

“Do you –“

“- know how to? Yes. I’m licensed as a rehabilitator, although they’re usually much older than this little guy is.”

Minato nodded, feeling a little silly.

Of course, a bird scientist knows how to raise birds, Minato! He cursed in his head.  

“I’ll get your bill ready.” Minato fled the exam room to type up his treatment summary at his workstation. Before he put his fingers to the keys, he paused and peeked down the hallway to make sure the door to the exam room was firmly shut.

“Do you think he thinks I’m dumb, Koromaru?” He asked the Shiba Inu.

Koromaru shook his head. “Arf.” He dropped down into an invitation to play then popped back up.

“I’ll take you for a walk later, boy.” He scrubbed the dog’s head. “Let’s finish our work first.” Koromaru sighed and laid down at Minato’s feet.

Minato took a deep breath to steel his nerves before he pushed open the door, in his hand he carried a small paper bag with the prescribed medications and the bird’s treatment summary.

Ryoji looked up when he entered, a gentle smile on his face. “Hey, I was thinking… why don’t you name the little guy?”

“Oh.” Minato stopped short in the doorway. No one had ever asked him to name something before.

“I-I mean.” Ryoji dropped his eyes to the floor. “It would be fitting since you helped to take care of him and we can’t just keep calling him baby owl… it’s nice to have a name, don’t you think?”

“Mm.” Minato shifted his weight from foot to foot as he thought. His eyes landed on a generic painting they had a ship out at sea. “Pharos.”

“Pharos?” Ryoji questioned. He followed Minato’s line of sight and lit up when he saw the painting. “Ah, the Odyssey? Are you interested in Greek mythology?”

Minato nodded. “A bit.”

“Me too!” The other man had a megawatt smile on his face. “My bird’s name is Thanatos.”

“Not Alcyone or Ceyx?” Minato blurted out.

Ryoji chuckled. “You know your stuff. My specialty is in birds of prey, so Thanatos fits better than lovers that calm the sea.”

Minato brushed a hand through his hair. “What, um, what’s your favorite?”

“My favorite…?” The researcher blushed and hid his mouth behind his hand. “Um, my favorite birds are actually Corvidae. I feed them in the park sometimes. What’s yours?”

“Arp!” Koromaru chose that moment to interject by wagging his tail rapidly from side to side. Minato chuckled and dropped down to one knee to pet him.

“Is it you, Koro-chan?” Ryoji teased.

“Arf!” The Shiba Inu nodded.

“What a smart dog.” Ryoji said gently. “It’s almost like he understands what we’re saying.”

Minato blinked surprised. He feels the same way I do.

“Koromaru has been with the clinic a long time,” Minato rubbed between his pointed ears. “He was the previous owner’s dog.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Does he live with you now?”

“With me?” Minato lifted his eyebrows. He turned to look at Koromaru who was giving him a dog smile. “Some of the other staff have tried to adopt him but he keeps returning here.”

Ryoji shrugged. “Well, that makes sense, doesn’t it? You’re here. Some of the crows I’ve fed the longest moved with me when I changed what spot I feed them at.”

Huh.

Minato stared into Koromaru’s intelligent brown eyes.

Had Koromaru been coming back for him?

The sound of the back door unlocking and people coming into the clinic jolted both men out of their bubble. Minato looked up at the clock on the wall, it was already time for the morning shift to come in.

How had so much time passed? He wondered.

“Follow me, our register is in the lobby.” The veterinarian said quickly getting up from the floor and walking to the front of the clinic.

“O-Oh, okay!” Ryoji scrambled off the bench set to follow him.

They processed the transaction quickly; Minato gave random instructions that he knew Ryoji already knew to fill the space between them.

“Minato.” Ryoji said suddenly while they were waiting for his receipt to print. “Do you music?” He tripped over his own words.

“What?” Minato tilted his head.

“Music, do you um, like it? Like, songs and stuff.” Ryoji’s voice got softer until the last word was whispered.

Minato nodded.

“Oh. Good.” Ryoji nodded back.

Behind the desk, Minato caught Koromaru burying his face underneath his paws. Minato ripped the receipt paper off and paused briefly before handing it over to the researcher. “What you said earlier – me too.”

“I said a lot of things earlier, some better than others.” Ryoji joked self-depreciatingly.

Minato furrowed his brows, confused. Ryoji had been charismatic the entire evening – if anything it was Minato that kept putting their foot in their mouth.

“Pharos.” Minato pointed with his eyes at the Tupperware tucked under his arm. “I’m one too.” An orphan.

Ryoji’s smile softened. “It’s hard, isn’t it?” His blue eyes were deepened by sorrow but also a profound sense of understanding.

“I –“

“Dr. Arisato, do you need any help? I can take over.” Rio offered kindly from behind Minato.

Minato snapped out of the strange sense of peace Ryoji kept lulling him into. “No, I’m done.” He handed the paper over to Ryoji.

“Thank you again, Minato.” Ryoji said warmly, lifting the paper bag slightly. “Pharos and I are grateful.” He turned to leave. When his hand wrapped around the door’s handle, Minato called out after him.

“Ryoji –“ The man turned his head over his shoulder, not unlike the owl he was carrying. “If Pharos,” or you “need anything you can call.”

“Sure.” Ryoji smiled warmly. “I will.”

When the door shut behind the handsome professor, Minato was left alone to deal with his coworker.

“Dr. Arisato, who was that? He’s pretty cute.” Rio asked teasingly.

“Just a client.” Minato mumbled keeping his head down as he passed her.

“Sure, sure.” Rio chuckled. “He seemed nice.”

He is. Minato thought.

“Anyway, I think I saw the other doc in the back if you want to go give report and get out of here while I give Koro-chan his breakfast.” Rio offered.

The technician headed over to their supply of pet food, Koromaru diligently following her. “Actually,” Minato wrung his hands together behind his back. “I’ll take Koromaru with me for today.”

Koromaru ran over to Minato and spun in quick circles at his feet. “Arp! Arp!” When he was done, he placed his front paws on Minato’s legs and continued to bark happily.

“Well, seems Koro-chan doesn’t mind.” Rio joked. “It’ll be good for him to get out of the clinic every once in a while.”

Minato squatted to talk to Koromaru directly. “Is that okay with you?”

“Arf!” Koromaru gave Minato a big slobbery dog kiss.

“Alright, boy, alright.” The veterinarian chuckled and pushed Koromaru away gently. “Go wait by my bag and we’ll go home together today.”

“Arf!”

xXx

“I’m sorry sir, but your full order isn’t quite ready yet.” The salesclerk frowned. “If you give us an hour, we should have the rest ready for you.”

“No worries.” Ryoji smiled tiredly. “Please take your time.”

“We can give you a call if you’d like to wait elsewhere?” The clerk offered. It was the weekend so the pet supply store was full of screaming children and their exhausted parents. Ryoji had been staving off a headache for the past twenty minutes and didn’t need to tempt fate any longer.

He jotted down his number for the clerk and retreated to the bench outside the store. He checked his watch. If the clerk’s estimate was correct, then he should be able to get back in time for Pharos’ next feeding.

Ryoji was gaining a deeper appreciation for the work breeding pairs put into raising their young. He had underestimated how much work caring for a newborn owl was going to be and had waved off all offers of assistance by his graduate students.

“You need to focus on your classes!” Ryoji had said at the time. “I’ll be fine! It’s just one chick.”

Now it was two weeks later and Ryoji felt like he’d fall over at the next stiff breeze. He sighed and stretched his arms above his head to pop his spine. The park he liked to frequent was a short walk away; he decided to wander some of the trails while he was waiting to see if he could find anyone interesting.

The park was well-maintained with wooden benches lining the paths. There were several tall trees the provided shade and Ryoji passed signs that boasted a dog park near the other entrance to the park.

He’d only been walking for a few minutes when he heard one of his favorite sounds.

“Caw-Caw! Caw-Caw!”

Ryoji whistled back, looking up into the branches of the tree he was closest to for the source of the bird calls. A flap of wings caught his attention and a crow landed on the top of the wooden bench nearby.

“Caw!” The crow hopped closer.

“Hello sweet thing.” Ryoji grinned, feeling his mood improving. He reached into his pocket and held out two peanuts on his palm.

“Caw-Caw!” His new friend flew the short distance it took to land on his outstretched arm and pecked at the peanuts. Ryoji guessed that it was a male a few years old. He heard some more bird calls and wing flaps in the trees; when he looked up there were more crows watching to see how their interaction went and if there were more peanuts.

“Let me sit down, I have enough for everyone.” Ryoji lifted his hand to his shoulder and waited for the crow to transfer before slowly walking over to the bench and sitting down.

He held a peanut up to his shoulder friend, which he was going to call Captain, and tossed some more down to the ground for Captain’s friends.

He soon found himself surrounded by a murder of crows, but he didn’t mind. Their calls were more ‘chatter’ than aggression; they were highly amused by Ryoji’s imitation of their calls and would repeat his whistles back for more peanuts.

One of the smallest crows, a female potentially, landed by his head and started grooming him gently. “Thank you.” He offered her a sunflower seed. “You’re a very sweet bird.”

“Sweet bird!” Captain repeated.

Ryoji chuckled and handed him another peanut. “What a smarty pants you are, you remind me of Koromaru.”

“Koromaru!” When Ryoji didn’t give him a peanut, Captain snapped his beak and repeated it. “Koromaru!”

“Alright fine, but you only get half because too many will make you sick. Then we’d have to take you to Minato.” He broke the peanut into smaller pieces for Captain.

“Although, maybe that would be okay.” Ryoji mumbled.
When he opened the door to that vet clinic he felt like his heart had stopped in his chest, killing him instantly, and he’d gone to heaven. It was the only explanation for the angel that greeted him on the other side.

Delicate cheekbones, deep blue hair like the ocean, and a pair of dove-gray eyes framed by full lashes.

Then the angel spoke and Ryoji heard a voice like the famous nightingale.

The veterinarian was so kind, so gentle, with the baby owl. He didn’t judge Ryoji’s interest in birds and he liked Greek Mythology just like he did… and he gave Ryoji leave to call him by name!

Ryoji had stared at Minato’s email address for what felt like days, writing emails full of Pharos’ progress or just asking about Minato’s day before erasing them entirely out of shame.

It was entirely possible that Minato was just being courteous, from one animal professional to another, and had zero interest in Ryoji as a person at all. With how beautiful and kind he was, Minato probably already had a wife and kids.

“Ughh…” Ryoji slid down on the bench, jostling Captain a bit as he did.

Even if Minato was single there was no way he’d be interested in Ryoji after he kept looking foolish in front of him.

‘Do you music’?! Ah, I could just die! Ryoji berated himself for the hundredth time. It would have been better if I started dancing like these guys do.

“What do you think?” Ryoji gently scratched underneath Captain’s beak. “How would you woo a pretty vet?”

“Pretty vet!” Captain repeated, leaning into the scratches.

“Yes, yes, I bet you would find a really pretty rock wouldn’t you?” Ryoji asked amused.

“Pretty vet! Pretty vet!”

“Ryoji, is that you?” / “Arf!”

Ryoji dropped all his peanuts in surprise; his crow friends quickly abandoned him at the sudden appearance of an albino Shiba Inu on a leash. Minato was standing in front of his bench fiddling with his bangs with a tinge of pink on his cheeks.

Oh no. Ryoji felt his face pale. Had he heard Captain?

“M-Minato!” Ryoji stood up and brushed peanuts casing from his clothes, wishing a giant hole would open in the ground and swallow him up. He was in his comfy work from home clothes – a pair of dirty overalls and a flannel – and now he was covered in food and feathers. “What are you doing here?”

Great way to make an impression, Mochizuki. He hissed at himself.

Minato pointed at the trail leading to the other park entrance. “I live nearby. Koromaru wanted to check out the dog park.”

“Arf.” Koromaru sniffed the ground and sought out the remnants of peanuts that the crows had missed.

“Oh! C-Cool. Did he like it?”

Minato shrugged. “We were on our way when Koromaru started pulling me over here, I guess he smelled your peanuts.” He paused. “I didn’t mean to scare your birds away.”

Ryoji waved his hands in the air. “No, it’s okay. I was just killing time here until my order was ready at the pet supply shop.”

Minato nodded, putting his hands into his pants. Today he was wearing a gray sweatshirt that had Atlus University College of Veterinary Medicine printed on it with dark jeans and sneakers. If Ryoji had to guess the other man was off for the day, or at least maybe didn’t have to go into work for the next couple of hours.

He could … maybe … ask him out?

Redeem himself from do you music?

Ryoji opened his mouth, then got tongue tied, and closed it. Minato was watching Koromaru eat the fallen peanuts and peeking up at Ryoji from under his eye lashes.

“I, um, have more if he wants them?” Ryoji said finally. He reached into one of his overall pockets and pulled out more of the shelled nut. “I order them by the pound so it’s no trouble.”

“Oh. Sure.” Minato nodded. “Dogs like peanuts.”

“Birds too.” Ryoji winced. Yeah, obviously, he saw you feeding them.

The bird researcher kneeled and handed a few to Koromaru. Koromaru took them gently, his curled tail wagging quickly in excitement.

“Caw-Caw!” Captain said angrily from one of the lower branches. Ryoji chuckled and whistled back.

“Is he unhappy at sharing?” Minato drawled, tilting his head up to look at Captain. Ryoji dusted his hands off and stood up.

“Maybe, male crows can be a bit territorial.” Ryoji glanced at Minato then back at Captain. “Have you ever seen one up close before?”

“Hmm.” Minato hummed, scratching the back of his head. “I might have seen one in school, but I don’t think I’ve had one at the clinic before.”

“Here.” Ryoji held his arm out and whistled a bird call. Captain flew down from his perch to land on Ryoji, the ornithologist handed him a peanut as a reward. “He’s wild, but they aren’t aggressive unless you give them reason to.”

Ryoji lifted his arm into the space between them so Minato could see Captain better. “What have you named this one?” Minato asked kindly.

Ryoji felt his ears heat, he remembers that I like to name birds? “Captain, since he’s loud and in-charge.”

Minato chuckled, to Ryoji it was like music. “He sure is.” Minato ran the back of his hand down Captain’s plumage gently. “What a pretty bird he is.”

“Pretty vet! Pretty vet!” Captain said in a remarkable, but embarrassing, show of intelligence.

Minato’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Wha –“

Ryoji was saved by his phone ringing. The sudden noise spooked Captain and he retreated back into the foliage. “That must be the store with Pharos’ order.” Ryoji explained taking his phone out.

“Oh.” Minato took a step back and put his hands back in his pockets. “I guess you have to go now.”

Ryoji fiddled with the phone in his hands. “Well, it’s just a short walk, so I don’t have to leave right away.”

Minato nodded, he wrapped Koromaru’s leash around his hand a few times before unwinding it slowly. “How is he doing?”

He’s eating me out of house and home. “He’s doing well! He has some feathers now, he still needs round the clock care though.”

“Oh.” Minato’s brow furrowed. “Is there a spou – I mean – someone helping you?” He stuttered. Koromaru huffed and pushed his head into Minato’s leg at their feet.

“Um.” Ryoji scratched at his cheek. Was he about to say spouse? “It’s just me. My students offered but I told them to focus on their school work.”

“That’s a lot of work for one person.” Minato said.

“Yeah, I guess you would know better than most.” Ryoji shrugged. “It is what it is though, all that matters is getting Pharos through to see adulthood.”

His phone rang again, most likely the pet supply clerk, so Ryoji stopped stalling and turned to leave. “It was nice to see you again, Minato.”

“Yeah.” Minato mumbled from behind him. “Ack!” He suddenly gasped.

Ryoji spun on his heel in case Minato was hurt behind him and found the veterinarian being dragged in his direction by Koromaru. “Koromaru, what are you doing?” Minato asked stunned.

“Oh, maybe he’s smelling the peanuts?” Ryoji emptied out his pockets and held out the handful of peanuts left to Koromaru. Koromaru turned his nose away from the peanuts, huffing angrily out his nostrils. Ryoji tilted his head. “Or not?”

 “Maybe… he could want to see Pharos again.” Minato bit his lip. Ryoji tracked the motion like Thanatos at dinnertime. “If that’s okay.”

“Sure!” Ryoji said, perhaps a touch too eagerly. “I just need to get his food. Um.” The ornithologist remembered all his previous failed dates. “His dinner might not be what you’re used to… I can feed him by myself though –“

“Ryoji.” Minato rolled his eyes. “He’s a predator, I know he’s going to eat other animals. I treat all kinds of animals, not just domestics.”

“Oh. Right.” Ryoji ducked his chin down to his chest, feeling his heart beat a little faster. “I’ll be right back!” The taller man raced back to the pet supply shop, picking up his cooler of small rodents, and returned to the park entrance hoping Minato hadn’t changed his mind.

He hadn’t.

Minato was leaning against the park’s sign, scrolling idly on his phone, while the albino Shiba Inu chased a butterfly.

“Ready to go?”

Minato shoved his phone into his pocket and nodded. “Lead the way.”

xXx

Minato eyed Koromaru as he trotted happily beside him.

You’re up to something. Minato thought. I just don’t know what.

It felt like the dog was trying to pull his arm out of his socket with how hard he’d bitten the leash and pulled Minato towards Ryoji just now.

“Am I not feeding you enough?” He whispered to Koromaru. They were following after Ryoji headed to the ornithologist’s home. Minato had been surprised to find out that they lived relatively close to each other; Minato lived on the western side of town closer to the clinic and Ryoji the eastern. The park and pet supply store were perfectly in the middle.

How odd. He thought looking up at the street signs they were passing. I’ve spent the last ten years right here and never ran into him before.

Minato shook his head and sighed ruefully to himself. I guess that’s what happens when you only focus on work.

Minato didn’t mind his routine of only going to the clinic or his apartment, with the occasional deviation to the grocery store, but it wasn’t fair to Koromaru to always be stuck inside.

Especially since he was living with him now.

Minato could hardly sleep that first night, convinced he was wrong and Koromaru would ditch him like he left all the others, but when Minato got up to go to work Koromaru was still curled up at the foot of his bed.

That small act of devotion gave him enough confidence to call out to Ryoji when he saw him sitting on the park bench. Ryoji would never know, but Minato hadn’t exactly told the truth earlier.

The veterinarian had no idea there was a dog park at that park. He’d gone into the park after he saw Ryoji leaving the pet supply store from down the street and had been slowly working up the nerve to walk over to where he was until Koromaru smelled the peanuts and started dragging him.

Minato stared at the back of the bird researcher.

He looked like some sort of fairytale prince.

Ryoji had been surrounded by crows and whistling at them like they were communicating. He scratched his cheek and looked down.

Had he been talking about me earlier? Or does he know another pretty vet?

Minato knew that certain bird species could replicate human speech, but he didn’t know a ton about it. For instance, had Ryoji said that to the crows, or had they picked it up from someone else?

He didn’t have enough guts to ask and clarify. Minato was only in his current position because Koromaru had forced him into it, otherwise he would have fled from the handsome man and resolved himself to never seeing him again like he did the first time.

“Here we are!” Ryoji sang out when they came to a stop outside a tall gate surrounded by thick security hedges. Ryoji typed in a code to the door by the sidewalk and held it open for Minato and Koromaru. “The house is a bit further back, the aviary is caged in but I had the hedges planted to the neighbors weren’t distressed by a bunch of hawks and raptors.”

“Makes sense, we did the same for our farm animals.”

Ryoji grinned. “Can’t imagine getting along with the neighborhood if you have a squealing pig at two a.m.”

“Pigs are fine.” Minato shrugged. “It’s goats that scream bloody murder.”

“We have some birds that are the same way – although none right now!” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Right now, it’s just a bachelor pad with Thanatos and I.” Ryoji joked.

“Us too.” Minato nodded at Koromaru, who barked in agreement. He’s single, was running on loop in his head so loudly that he missed what Ryoji said next.

“Good!” Ryoji smiled, then paled. “I-I mean, not good, well it’s not not good, I mean – cool! We’re all bachelor’s and that’s … “ he winced. “cool.”

Koromaru whined, putting a paw on Ryoji’s leg. “You’re right, Koro-chan, let’s head inside.” Ryoji turned woodenly on his heel and marched up his driveway.

Wow. Minato thought looking at the house for the first time. It was a two-story white house with black trim, the second floor had an iron-wrought balcony and there was a three-car garage off to the side. Slightly behind the house Minato could make out a large structure with chain-link and chicken-wire fencing.

“Pharos is in one of the incubators in the kitchen.” Ryoji said holding the door open again for Minato.

Like a gentleman. The blue-haired man thought enamored.

The front door opened up into a tall foyer with marble floors, Minato could see more rooms off to the side although Ryoji lead them straight back towards his modern kitchen. “Sorry if it’s a mess, I spend most of my time at the university or the aviary.”

Through the wall-to-wall glass windows at the back of the house Minato could see Ryoji’s personal outdoor bird enclosure that was as big, if not bigger, than the house itself. He could see what appeared to be different areas and cages within the aviary as well as ample perches and nest boxes of varying sizes.

“You’re fine.” Minato replied, distracted by the amount of wealth he was being assaulted with. “I’m the same way.”

“Guess we’re both workaholics, huh?” Ryoji grinned. “Hard not to be when you work with animals.”

Yeah, it is. Minato agreed.

Ryoji walked over to the incubator he had sitting on his kitchen table. “Pharos is in here if you want to take a peep.” He smiled. “Get it? Peep.”

Minato chuckled. “Yeah, good one.” He looked down at Koromaru. “Is it okay if he –“

“- wanders around?” Ryoji waved his hand. “Yeah, that’s fine. Most of this stuff was my parents’. Most of it is junk I haven’t gotten around to clearing out.”

Minato nodded. He kneeled and removed Koromaru’s leash. “Be good.”

Koromaru snorted, as if to say I always am!, and trotted off to another part of the house.

The shorter man joined Ryoji at the incubator. It was similar to the one the clinic had with dials on the side to control the heat and humidity and an open glass face to see inside without opening it.

Pharos was crouched down at the bottom, head tucked into his chest sleeping. He looked like he was covered in a layer of fuzzy mold which the veterinarian knew was natal down to help keep him warm before his feathers grew in.

The small creature was extremely ugly like an alien creature pretending to be a bird, or a ghostly nightmare of one.

“He’s so cute.” Minato whispered.

“I know, right? I could watch him for hours.” Ryoji sighed affectionately. “I’ll probably take him out of the incubator soon so he doesn’t overheat.”

“Is it time to feed him?” Minato glanced at the Styrofoam cooler Ryoji left on one of the counters that he’d gotten from the pet supply store.

Ryoji checked the time on his watch. “Just about. Do you mind grabbing that knife and cutting board?”

“You didn’t buy pinkies?” Minato asked, referring to the very young mice used to feed baby carnivores since they didn’t have hard bones.

“I did.” Ryoji chuckled. “I was going to try to make something for you – if that’s okay.” His eyes went wide in alarm. “I didn’t mean to presume; it’s just almost dinner time so I thought…”  

“Oh.” Minato felt his cheeks flush. “Sorry for assuming, I-I’d love to stay for dinner.”

“Great.” Ryoji smiled warmly. “Are you allergic to anything?” Minato shook his head. “Me either.” The taller man walked to his refrigerator, pulling ingredients out to lay them on the counter. “Normally, my diet is just instant noodles but I’ve been trapped in my kitchen caring for Pharos so I’ve taught myself some simple meals to stave off boredom.”

“Like a brooding hen.” Minato nodded, intending it to be a joke.

To his delight, Ryoji burst out into giggles. “Yes, exactly like that. Guess that makes Pharos my chick!”

Minato’s heart fluttered. No one at work had ever gotten his jokes before.

Ryoji’s blue eyes were warm. “I’ll work on our dinner if you don’t mind taking care of Pharos.”

“Alright.” Minato nodded. He walked over to the counter that Ryoji’s cooler was sitting on and lifted the lid. Inside the cooler were frozen rabbits, mice, and a small container of pinkies. There were also sealed containers for vitamins and other such supplements birds needed for proper nutrition.

Minato’s professional side was pleased at the selection. Ryoji had purchased everything that he himself would have recommended as a veterinarian. “Are the rabbits for Thanatos?” He asked, removing the container of pinkies.

“Yes.” Ryoji said, dicing vegetables with impressive speed. “I can feed him though.”

“It’s fine, I don’t mind.” Minato replied, running through his mental list of birds Ryoji could own that could eat a rabbit. I know it’s not an owl, he already said he didn’t have anyone who could foster Pharos. Maybe Thanatos is a hawk?

“He can be lot if you’re not expecting it.” Ryoji smiled brightly over his shoulder. “We can feed him together while this is simmering.” He hummed, looking up to the left. “I think I have some steak we can give Koromaru.”

Minato nodded. An unusual bird then … a vulture?

He cooed under his breath when Pharos accepted each morsel Minato offered him using the tiny tweezers Ryoji had laying out near the incubator. “There you go baby boy, eat it all up.” He encouraged the fledgling.

“Ah!” Ryoji hissed from beside him. When Minato glanced over, Ryoji was crouched on the ground picking up some ingredients he dropped. “Sorry, butter fingers.” His ears were a dark red.

Soon, Pharos was full and wouldn’t accept any more baby mice. Ryoji instructed him to put the remaining ones in his freezer. When he was done cleaning up, Minato sat at the kitchen table and watched Ryoji cook.

They chatted idly about work annoyances – for the professor it was students that didn’t bother hiding their cheating and for the veterinarian it was when pet owners tried to make their cats vegetarian – until Ryoji lowered the heat on his stove and placed the lid on his pan to let the meal simmer.

“Shall we go feed Thanatos?” Ryoji picked up the cooler from the counter.

“Sure.” Minato slid off the stool and followed Ryoji out his kitchen door to his backyard. There was a short gravel-filled walkway to the first door into the aviary. Just inside the first door was a shelving unit that held various tools for the upkeep of the enclosures.

Ryoji picked up a pair of heavy-duty leather gloves that went up to his elbows. “Here,” he handed a similar pair to Minato. “just in case he gets too close with his talons.”

Not a vulture then. Minato thought. Their talons are too blunt to hurt humans.

“Thanks.” Minato slipped the gloves on. Now that he was inside the aviary, he could see that there was a main walkway with different doors off to the side that lead into empty enclosures, at the end of the path Minato could see a door that lead into the largest space that was as tall at the house.

“How long did it take you to build this?” Minato asked looking curiously at all the different environments Ryoji had built. Most were open-air, but a few were enclosed with tarps to create more shaded areas. Almost all of them had trees planted inside.

Ryoji hummed. “Depends on what part. I’d say it’s still a work in progress. My next project is to build a greenhouse for species that need more temperature control. Everything you see around you was the result of the last ten years.”

That’s impressive, he’s a really good owner. Minato felt his heart flutter. Why is that so attractive?

“We’re here.” On the last door was a wooden sign that had Thanatos printed on it. “You might want to stay by the gate to be safe.”

“I’ll be fine.” Minato rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. He dealt with animals for a living, he could handle whatever Thanatos was.

Ryoji shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He held the door open for Minato and they both entered Thanatos’ cage.

There were several tall trees planted in this one providing a thick layer of foliage for a predator to hide in; based off the size of them, Minato assumed that this space might have been the first one Ryoji built.

There were also large boulders, a pond with fish swimming idly in it, and several fallen over trees to create natural perches. Minato could see the remnants of several enrichment activities like a rubber tire and a soccer ball scattered about.

Ryoji took two rabbits out of the cooler and walked over to a boulder with a flat top that was covered in bluish gray feathers and dried white bird poop.  

Ryoji let out a sharp whistle between his fingers. “Thanatos!” He called out. “I’m going to put your dinner on your favorite rock so don’t rush –“

A rustle in the trees was all the warning they got before the biggest bird Minato had ever seen in his life was careening towards the unsuspecting ornithologist.

“Ryoji –“ Minato called out, taking a step forward to help. Ryoji tossed one of the rabbits straight into the air; the bird caught it between massive talons and batted his large wings a few times to land gently on the rock.

“Scree!” Thanatos screeched at his owner and began tearing into the rabbit.

“I said not to rush me.” Ryoji scolded the bird. Thanatos pecked at Ryoji’s head and went back to his meal. “Gross.” Ryoji grimaced and wiped blood from his forehead. He caught Minato’s gaze and waved him over.

“A bit scary, isn’t he?”

“He’s gorgeous.” Minato said in awe. Thanatos was a huge bird, at least over three feet tall, with dark gray plumage and a white belly. His talons were longer than Minato’s hands and his crest stood straight up giving him the appearance of wearing a crown. “What is he?”

“A harpy eagle.” Ryoji said proudly. “They’re known as the ‘kings of the canopy’ since they’re the most dominant bird of prey.” He pointed at Thanatos’ claws. “He’s strong enough to crush bones. In the wild, they hunt monkeys and sloths. Thanatos here must make do with rabbits and mice though.”

“Scree!” Thanatos complained. He’d finished the first rabbit and was working on pulling apart the next one.

“We’ve been together for a long time.” Ryoji put his hands on his hips. “He’s what sparked my interest in birds of prey. My mother brought him over illegally as an exotic pet.” The ornithologist frowned. “She didn’t care for him properly. Once she lost interest, he got really sick and lost all his feathers. It looked like he was dragging coffins on his back. I learned all I could about eagles to help him get better… and before I knew it, I was making a career out of these misunderstood creatures.”

“Those are the hardest cases.” Minato said sympathetically. “It’s really hard when you see an animal suffering from their owner’s decisions.”

Ryoji nodded. “Yeah, the cruelty of humans knows no bounds sometimes.” The taller man shook his head. “Anyway, that’s ancient history by now. He can’t be released since he’s too familiar with humans, so he helps me teach bird handling now.”

He raised his arm straight out and gave a quick command. Thanatos tilted his head and hopped onto Ryoji’s arm. “See? Scary, but very docile.” Thanatos rubbed his bill on Ryoji’s head. “I think he might think we’re from the same clutch.”

“I can see the resemblance.” Minato teased. Thanatos’s eyes snapped to Minato. He clacked his beak together a few times and coo-ed softly.

Both men blushed. It was a very similar call to one a bird would use to attract a mate. “W-Well! I think dinner might be done cooking now.” Ryoji gave another short command and Thanatos relocated to one of the fallen logs with a powerful flap of his wings. Ryoji took out the rest of the contents of the cooler and scattered them around the enclosure for Thanatos to ‘hunt’.

They headed back into Ryoji’s kitchen. Koromaru was sitting patiently by the stove panting softly.

“Did you have fun exploring, Koromaru?” Minato asked giving the dog a quick scratch.

“Arf!” Koromaru kicked his foot against the ground.

The pair of adults ate dinner at the kitchen table, exchanging more information about themselves, and sharing soft smiles.

This is almost like a date. Minato thought, his toes curling in his socks.

xXx

It’s like we’re on a date. Ryoji thought, watching Minato eat everything on his plate with pleasure.

He’d been a little worried about introducing Minato to Thanatos, but that went better than he could have ever hoped… even if Thanatos hit on Minato before Ryoji could.

Birds have it so much easier. Ryoji moped in his mind. At least now I know he’s single, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s looking for a partner this season.

He did seem to like the aviary Ryoji built, could he count that as approving of his nest building capabilities?

Wait, but we’re both male. Ryoji looked down at his plate furrowing his brow. What would a male bird find impressive…? Tail feathers I suppose.

Did he have a good ass? He’d never had to think about it before.

Maybe I should do more squats. Ryoji decided.

That would have to come later, for right now, he needed to continue being a good host to Minato. It might be the one and only time the other man came over to his house.

But too soon their plates were empty and Koromaru was falling asleep between their feet.

“Do you want me to walk you home?” Ryoji offered walking Minato down the far – too – long driveway to the front gate.

“It’s fine, I don’t live too far.” Minato waved his offer away.

Ryoji nodded. “I had a really good time.”

“Me too.” Minato scuffed his foot against the ground.

They lapsed into silence.

Say something dummy! Anything would do. He cursed at himself.

“Um, Pharos’ side healed completely.”

Minato raised an eyebrow. “I saw.”

Okay maybe not anything. He groaned mentally.  Ryoji looked down and made eye contact with Koromaru.

“So, Koromaru lives with you now?” He asked.

A tiny smile spread on Minato’s lips. “Turns out you were right.”

“I’m glad, it’s nice to have someone waiting for you at home.” Ryoji rubbed the back of his neck. “Koro-chan is probably a better cuddler than Thanatos is.”

Minato tilted his head, brow furrowed. “You can cuddle Thanatos?”

“Oh.” Ryoji dropped his hand. “Not really. Birds don’t have the same pack drive domestic dogs do.”

“Makes sense.” Minato put his hands in his pockets. The sun was setting in the distance, it would be dark soon if the veterinarian didn’t leave soon.

“Um, guess this is goodbye.” Ryoji said awkwardly.

Minato nodded and didn’t say anything else. Ryoji squatted down to Koromaru’s level. “Night Koro-chan.”

“Arf.” Koromaru said sleepily, pushing his head into Ryoji’s hands.

Farewells given, Ryoji turned on his heel to trudge back to his house and settle in for a long night of short naps broken up by feeding Pharos and lesson planning, along with his own research progress.

“Ryoji.” Minato suddenly blurted out before he got too far.

“Yes?” He turned back around, heart in his throat. “What is it Minato?”

The veterinarian was staring at the ground, his bangs hiding his expression from view. “I’m on a shift rotation so if you want… I can come over again… t-to help with Pharos I mean. I named him so I’m… kinda like his parent too. I should pull my weight, raising chicks works best in pairs.”

“O-Oh.” Ryoji felt his stomach explode into butterflies. “If you’re sure…”

“I am.” Minato said firmly. His gray eyes had lifted from the sidewalk to bore determinedly into Ryoji’s.

“Alright.” The ornithologist smiled gently. “Let’s exchange numbers then. Just call me when you’re planning to come over,” so I can clean!! “so I can unlock the door for you. I don’t always notice text messages.”

Minato nodded and they tapped their phones together to exchange information. Ryoji glanced down to his phone’s screen – Minato’s contact was a cartoon cat. How cute!

“Have a good night.”

“You too.” Minato said. He left quickly after that – practically bolting down Ryoji’s street. Ryoji watched from his gate until he couldn’t see the other man anymore then jumped for joy like a happy bird.

“I got his number!” For Pharos-related matters but still!! Ryoji held his phone to his chest. “Maybe he was impressed by my nest building.”

Ryoji would still do the extra squats anyway.

Just in case.

xXx

Minato thought it would be difficult to suddenly adjust his schedule to accommodate another person after years of solitude – but it really wasn’t.

Ryoji’s home was comforting; the other man tended to hum and whistle while he worked so it was like listening to a songbird outside to Minato. Ryoji wasn’t always in the living room with Minato – they’d relocated Pharos to one of the smaller cages in the aviary to help prevent him getting too used to humans – but he could feel his presence around him anyway.

The college professor had been reluctant to leave Minato alone at first, guilty over putting ‘too much on Minato’s shoulders’ but the veterinarian was insistent that Ryoji get enough sleep to function. He’d made his initial offer to help after he saw how deep the bruises under Ryoji’s eyes were; getting closer with the handsome man was a bonus.

Their new routine was that Minato would come over just before he left for work to take over from Ryoji and let him get some sleep, then Minato would set up everything Pharos needed during the night and hang out in Ryoji’s living room until he had to leave for his shift. Ryoji had rigged a camera in Pharos’ cage so that Minato could monitor what Pharos was doing and wake the sleeping ornithologist if needed. They’d trade jobs when Minato went back to his apartment to sleep until the cycle repeated.

It felt … kinda … like they were dating. Minato knew that when he opened Ryoji’s door the taller man would be there with a bright grin and be genuinely enthusiastic to hear about Minato’s day – what did he do, who did he see, how did he feel, what did he want to do together…

Ryoji was everything Minato hadn’t known he wanted in a partner and he could feel like crush bloom into full infatuation. Ryoji was so full of life and seemed to be without an ounce of judgement in his body. He didn’t care if Minato went silent or didn’t smile – he understood him in a way that no one else ever had before.

He also cared for Minato nearly as much as he did his beloved birds. The college professor had convinced Minato to just bring his dirty laundry with him for Ryoji to wash so he didn’t have to go back to his apartment to get clean clothes and even cleared out a guest room for Minato to use if he didn’t feel like going back to his apartment to sleep.

He also went out and bought the exact same brand of dog food for Koromaru that Minato himself used. One day Minato came over to find a dog-door had been installed in Ryoji’s kitchen door. Koromaru had spun in excitement and spent the next thirty minutes exploring the outside of the aviary under Thanatos’ watchful gaze.

Thanatos was another source of delight he hadn’t been expecting. The eagle had taken very strongly to Minato and was constantly following him around his enclosure when he was helping Ryoji clean up, cooing softly and trying to preen his hair.

If only your owner liked me this much. Minato thought amused at the large bird of prey.

The clinic gossip mill was on fire with the elaborate homecooked meals Ryoji sent Minato to work with every day and the number of times they caught Minato smiling down at his phone.

(Kenji, especially, was thirsty for info. He kept inviting Minato out to drill him for details – a fact that made Ryoji’s face go a little funny when Minato told him about it during their shared meals.)

It was a perfect bubble of domesticity that Minato knew had to pop eventually.

xXx

Minato opened the window to his office to let some of the balmy nighttime air in. Once he sat back down at his desk Koromaru immediately trotted over to curl up at his feet.

“Only a few more hours left, Koromaru.” Minato leaned down to give the Shiba Inu a gentle scratch.

“Arf.” Koromaru agreed with a sleepy bark.

Minato was planning on writing up chart notes for their overnight patients until his shift was over. Tonight they had three – a bunny, a turtle, and a pig – but they were all doing well and sleeping peacefully in their cages.

Minato was anticipating being able to send them home with their owners in the morning.

He was deep in documenting everything he had done for Peppa the Pig’s post-surgical care when Koromaru suddenly perked up at his feet.

“Hmm?” Minato looked down. “Is someone here Koromaru?”

Koromaru tilted his head, his ears flicked back and forth as he was listening, then he climbed to his feet and walked over to the window. He rested his front paws on the ledge and gave a soft bark for Minato to come over to the window too.

Minato walked over; he peeked out into the undeveloped land by the vet clinic but didn’t see any car headlights or what had caught Koromaru’s attention.

“Koro-“ then he heard it. The same screech he’s heard Pharos practicing for the last couple weeks.

Barn owls.

Koromaru sat back down and wagged his tail happily. “Good job.” Minato patted the dog’s head. “Let’s see if we can find them when we’re off.”

“Arf!”

xXx

Koromaru found them a ten-minute walk from the side of the clinic. They were nested high up in the hollow of a dead tree near the edge of the clinic’s property before it turned into brush land. When Minato approached the tree, a pair of white masks popped out to stare and screech at him in warning.

“What do you think Koromaru? Should we call in an expert?” Minato asked, taking his phone out.

Koromaru did a quick spin and sat down under the tree. “Arf!”

The expert picked up after the first ring. “Minato! Good morning! Did you just get off work?”

“Good morning.” How Ryoji was always so chipper Minato would never know, but it was something he admired about the other man. “Koromaru found something you might be interested in.”

“Oh!” Ryoji chuckled. “He did? What a good boy. What is it?”

Minato pulled his phone away from his ear and put it on speaker. He lifted his phone up to the tree’s hollow and set off another round of screeches.

“Barn owls.” Ryoji said immediately. “A nesting pair?”

“Arp!” Koromaru agreed.

“They’re in a tree near the clinic. I thought they might be able to foster Pharos.”

“Yeah… you’re right.” His voice sounded subdued. “Are you able to see any chicks?”

Minato squinted up at the tree; the hollow was at least three times his height in the air. “It’s too high for me to see. I can get a ladder and go check if you want.” He offered.

“No, it’s fine.” Ryoji said warmly. “I’m sure you must be tired. The department has a ladder I can borrow and bring over this weekend.”

“Ryoji, I’m literally right here.” Minato rolled his eyes. “I can have one of the technicians hold the ladder for me while I look in the nest.”

“Kenji?” Ryoji said quickly.

Minato paused.

Why is he bringing him up?

“No, I don’t think he’s in today. I’ll probably just ask Rio.”

“Oh, okay – if you’re sure.” Ryoji mumbled something under his breath like, thank god. “I appreciate you doing all this for me.”

Minato bit his lip, starting to walk back to the clinic and leaving the barn owls back in their tree. “Well, it’s not just for you.”

“Hmm?” Minato could picture Ryoji tilting his head like one of the birds he loved so much.

“I want to make sure my foster son is taken care of too.” He grumbled ignoring the heat on his cheeks.

Ryoji chuckled warmly in his ear. “Yeah, let’s get Pharos back with his own kind.”

xXx

There were two chicks in the nest. Minato could see the remnants of some broken eggs at the bottom.  In the end, Ryoji advised him to just try and use his phone’s camera to see inside the nest instead of upsetting the parents and getting pecked or clawed.

“Your boyfriend is going to bring by the chick?” Rio asked after Minato climbed back down the ladder. Koromaru was napping in a patch of sunlight nearby.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Minato mumbled.

Rio rolled her eyes. “Fine, the hot bird guy is going to bring the chick?”

Minato nodded. “Yeah, he’ll be by after he’s done teaching for the day.” Minato checked the time on his phone – he should be able to head back to his place and squeeze in a quick nap before Ryoji brought Pharos.

Minato didn’t need to be there necessarily, but he wanted to make sure the little chick was accepted by his new family.

It was also an excuse to see the handsome ornithologist again.

“So… are you going to ask him out, doc?” Rio nudged Minato with her shoulder. “I mean, once you’re done helping him care for the owlet you might not see him again.”

Oh.

Minato stopped in his tracks.

Would he see Ryoji again after this?

All their meetings had been by chance; Pharos was the main thing tying them together. Ryoji’s only pet was Thanatos and he was well-equipped to care for him without Minato’s intervention.

He knew where Ryoji went to feed birds to relax but wouldn’t he think Minato was creepy if he kept showing up in hopes of meeting the taller man?

He supposed that if Ryoji found another injured bird he would bring it to the clinic, but there was no guarantee that Minato would be the veterinarian on duty and he’d hate to see some innocent animal hurt just so he could flirt.

Well. Attempt to flirt.

Minato’s attempts at flirtation were more cat-like, such as voluntarily standing closer than necessary and giving him slow blinks, than bird-like so Ryoji hadn’t picked up any of them.

Koromaru whined at Minato’s feet, sensing the negative turn of his thoughts, and brushed up against his leg warmly.

“What is it Koromaru?” Minato asked.

Koromaru ran forward a few steps then dropped down into an invitation to play. “Arp! Arp!” His tail was wagging rapidly.

“Seems like Koro-chan wants you to go for it.” Rio giggled, holding the clinic door open for Minato.

The vet dropped to one knee to scrub at Koromaru’s ears. “Alright, I’ll do my best.”

xXx

Ryoji climbed up the ladder, one glove covered hand carefully wrapped around Pharos’ fuzzy body. Their mutual charge had just barely grown in his signature mask-like face feathers the day before. Ryoji slipped Pharos inside the nest and climbed back down quickly before the mother bird could discover him when she returned from getting food.

Minato would keep an eye out on the nest for the next couple days to make sure Pharos wasn’t rejected, but he was hopeful for the little guys’ chances.

“Well, I guess that’s it.” Ryoji put the Pharos’ old crate into the back of his truck and slipped off the heavy-duty gloves he used for bird-handling. “Thanks for everything. You were a great partner.”

He leaned against his truck and looked over the blue-haired veterinarian warmly. The past few weeks with Minato were like a dream; the other man shared his love of animals and was so gentle with the baby barn owl.

He even called Pharos their son!

Ryoji knew that Pharos needed to be in the wild and had a better chance of survival with a pair of foster owls than foster humans… but he was also glum at not being able to see Minato anymore.

He could bring Thanatos for a wellness visit, but it wouldn’t be fair to stress the eagle with a car ride just to flirt … and Minato knew that Ryoji could care for him on his own so his intentions would be obvious.

Ryoji rubbed the back of his neck. Wouldn’t Minato get upset if he kept showing up to his work just to bother him?

“You too.” Minato responded. The vet had his hands in his pockets, scuffing the gravel of the parking lot under his boots. His loyal partner Koromaru was panting happily at his side.

“You helped a lot too, Koro-chan!” Ryoji squat down to give the Shiba Inu some pets. Koromaru put his front paws on Ryoji’s thigh and gave him a few dog kisses. “Oh, thank you.” Ryoji made sure to angle his face so the affectionate dog didn’t get him in his mouth.

When he looked up, Minato was watching them with a warm look in his silver eyes.

He’s so beautiful, Ryoji thought to himself, not for the first time. He’d never met anyone as gorgeous, inside and out, as Minato.

Ryoji gave Koromaru a final pat and straightened back up. Knowing the kind vet, he probably only took a short nap after his shift and desperately needed to get some rest.

“Guess you’ll be happy to have less feathers in your clothes.” Ryoji joked.

“Nah, I’m used to getting covered in fur and poop.” Minato deadpanned. Koromaru whined and put his paws over his face.

“Oh, right.”  Ryoji rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling lightly.

“Will Thanatos be lonely?” Minato fiddled with his bangs.

“Um.” Ryoji looked back to the left as he thought. Thanatos had tolerated the Pharos like a broody teenager with an annoying toddler. “He’ll be happy to have less noise around the aviary.”

Minato nodded.

The two men lapsed into silence.

He wanted to see Minato again, but he wasn’t as well-versed at human courting rituals as he was in birds.

Should he take a page from Thanatos’ book and offer to build a stick nest together? Maybe he could drop off fresh meat for Minato to show his worthiness as a provider.

You’re so creepy!! Ryoji hissed in his mind, biting his lip and squeezing his hands together. What kind of psycho drops off dead animals to a vet?!

xXx

Humans make mating so complicated. Koromaru thought, looking back and forth between Minato and Ryoji.

It was obvious they wanted to raise a litter together.

Koromaru had been doing his best to help the pair of silly humans out, but he wasn’t sure what the hang up in their courting process was.

They’d already shared Ryoji’s den multiple times, so Koromaru assumed that Minato liked Ryoji’s scent well enough, which was one of the most important things to the canine. You could tell a lot about someone else from their scent!

For himself, he liked the warm scratches and thorough brushes the taller man gave him. Thanatos and Pharos had informed Koromaru how well their owner took care of them and that he would be a good mate for Minato.

Koromaru tried to show Minato what to do next, but his partner hadn’t gotten the hint and thought he was just expressing his own affection for Ryoji.

“I’ll get out of your hair now.” Ryoji said warmly with a sad look in his eyes. “Thanks again for all your help, maybe I’ll see you around?” He unlocked his truck and opened the driver’s door.

“You know where to find me.” Minato’s eyes were troubled, Koromaru could guess at the self-deprecating words that were running through his head.

C’mon Minato, you can do it! Koromaru pushed the thought at Minato, trying to meet his eyes with a determined look.

Ryoji nodded and lifted his foot into his truck. Minato clenched his fist behind his back and started to turn away.

Don’t worry. Koromaru readied himself to intervene, I’m not going to let you miss your chance Minato!

“Mina –“ / “Ryo –“ Both men started up, turning back towards each other and walking closer together.

Now!

Koromaru darted towards Minato’s legs and tripped him on purpose, causing him to fall towards Ryoji’s chest.

Ryoji caught Minato around his waist like Koromaru knew he would. “Careful! Are you alright?”

“Yes, Koro –“ Minato’s hands landed on Ryoji’s pecs, his head lifted up towards Ryoji’s in surprise at the same time Ryoji dipped his head down in concern and like Koromaru hoped –

Their lips locked together in a kiss.

Koromaru sat down at Minato’s feet panting happily – a job well done!

xXx

His lips are so soft.

Minato tightened his grip on Ryoji’s shirt.

I should pull back … but he’s not pulling back either.

The vet cracked one of his eyes open, Ryoji’s were closed in apparent bliss. Minato tilted his head and deepened the kiss; the taller male dragged Minato closer until their bodies were flush together.

When he ran out of breath he pulled back from the kiss, panting lightly. Ryoji blinked his eyes open looking dazed.

“Can I bring you a nice stick?” Ryoji asked dreamily. Minato could see the moment his own words registered with the bird brain because he flushed a deep red and hid his face behind his hands. “Please forget I said that.”

Minato gently lowered Ryoji’s hands. “How about we start with dinner before thinking about nest building?”

“Dinner works.” Ryoji smiled brightly, squeezing Minato’s hands between his larger ones. “How do you feel about meat?”  

xXx

“- and that should be it.” Professor Mochizuki handed over the spare key to his home. “Do you need me to repeat anything?”

“No,” Chidori responded, lifting her phone slightly. “I’ve been taking notes.”

They were talking in the large aviary the professor had built behind his house. Thanatos was on a perch nearby grooming his feathers idly and seemingly listening in on the instructions his owner had been giving her.

Chidori, as one of his most senior graduate students, had been entrusted with house – and – eagle sitting while her mentor enjoyed his honeymoon with his new husband.

She was determined to make him proud.

“How long will you be gone for again?” Chidori pulled up the calendar on her phone.

“Three weeks.” Professor Mochizuki replied, giving Thanatos some gentle scratches behind the feathers serving as his crown. “My dearest and I will be doing some sight-seeing in South America, like the Iguazu Falls and Uyuni Salt Flat. When it’s wet, it’s supposed to turn into a giant mirror. I want to take pictures of Minato there.” He said dreamily.

Chidori hid her giggles behind a cough. Her professor blushed and ducked his head.

“A-Anyway, we have a secondary purpose while we’re there. I got a call that there’s a wildlife rescue who may have a female harpy eagle that unsuitable to be re-released into the wild. Minato is going to help me perform an examination; if Orpheus is fit for travel, then we might be able to bring her back to be Thanatos’ mate and start a breeding program for the species.”

He crossed his arms and gave Thanatos a wry look. “Then maybe you’ll leave my mate alone, huh?”

Thanatos snapped his beak in Professor Mochizuki’s direction, then retreated into one of his nests where Chidori could barely make out a sweatshirt that had ‘Veterinary Medicine’ printed on it laying inside.

“That bird.” Her professor sighed. “Sometimes I can’t tell who likes Minato more, me or him.”

“Probably him.” Chidori teased.

“Hey!” Professor Mochizuki fake grouched. “Minato is the one asked me out for your information.”

“Sure did.” A dry voice said from outside the aviary. “Must have gotten some screws loose since you’re clearly a bird case. Fighting with Thanatos again?”  

Chidori watched amused as her professor’s face lit up like it was Christmas and his birthday at the same time. “Mina!” He bounded out of the aviary to meet his husband and their dog outside.

When he reached him, he wrapped his arms around him and rubbed his face into his blue hair in a slightly embarrassing display of affection not too dissimilar from the birds they both studied.

“Hello Dr. Arisato.” Chidori greeted politely. “I wish you safe travels on your honeymoon.” She bent down to give her greetings to Koromaru as well. His tongue lolled out happily as she pet his neck and back.

“Yoshino-san.” Dr. Arisato nodded his head in greeting. He was trying – and failing – to extricate himself from his husband’s talons. “Thank you for helping us. Let Ryoji know what kind of souvenirs you like.”

He turned to his husband. “Since you’re hanging onto me like this, I suppose you’ve finished packing?”

Professor Mochizuki paled and wouldn’t meet Dr. Arisato’s gaze. “Y-Yes?” His voice squeaked at the end.

Dr. Arisato sighed. “Go pack. Junpei is coming by early to take us to the airport and you’re going to be grumpy if you forget one of your camera lenses.”

“You’re right, thanks Mina.” He pressed a kiss to his husband’s cheek. “Come on Koro-chan! Let’s make sure you’re packed up too.”

“Arp!” Dr. Arisato’s Shiba Inu barked in agreement and followed Professor Mochizuki into the house.

The veterinarian watched them go with a soft smile on his face. When the door closed again, he turned back to Chidori. “I hope you don’t mind, but I asked Junpei to check-in on you a few times while we’re gone. Three weeks in a long time to house sit by yourself.”

Thanatos screeched in his nest. Dr. Arisato rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, I know you’ll look out for her too, Thanatos.”

Chidori hugged her arm to herself, blushing slightly. “Is his last name Iori?”

“Yes.” The blue-haired man seemed surprised. “You know each other?”

“We’ve met a few times when I’ve been at the mall drawing.”

Junpei was an energetic elementary school teacher who coached little league baseball; his jokes were totally lame and Chidori found him endlessly charming regardless.

Dr. Arisato settled a warm hand on her shoulder. “A bit of advice then – just ask him out for coffee, don’t try to bring him dead mice.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Chidori said confused.

“I know,” Dr. Arisato chuckled. “but Ryoji once –“

“Only the males bring prey. It’s more impressive if he does a mating dance or shows me a good nesting site.” Chidori tilted her head. “Do they not teach that in veterinary school?”

The veterinarian blinked his eyes a few times in surprise before he burst out into laughter, bending over and clutching his stomach. “N-No, they don’t.”

“Well, they should.” Chidori responded, unsure of what he found so funny.

Dr. Arisato stood up and wiped a few tears from his eyes. “Yeah, they should, would have made things a lot simpler.”

xXx

 

 

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This fic has been converted for free using AOYeet!

Notes:

Let me know what you think or if I need to update the tags! :D Koromaru suffers so much secondhand embarrassment in this fic lolol pls pray for him he's doing his best.

Also RyoMina move hella fast in this fic. Don't build someone a dog door in your house in case they bring their dog, that's what regular people would call creepy.

Inspiration for this fic came from when I saw a picture of a barn owl and thought, huh, that kinda looks like the Nyx Avatar if you squint and boom. birb fic. I originally wanted to include more cute Pharos chick interactions but you actually can't interact that much with wild animals if you want to keep them wild :'( sad.

Here are some links to what harpy eagles and newborn barn owl chicks look like!!

EDIT: AbsoMaddo has drawn the boys!! Please check out this link to their profile and this link to the art!

Until next time!! :D