11
“He’s sweet.”
“I know.” It hadn’t taken long to bring Tesh out on dates. Spending normal time with him was more wonderful than I could have imagined. It didn’t matter to him where we went or what we did. Selkies, it turned out, didn’t need nearly as much as humans did to survive. And as they banded together in family groups, they were relatively safe.
I hadn’t introduced him to many people I knew yet. It had only been a few weeks, even if it felt longer. But today I’d wanted to go where he hunted and the path he showed me led past my favorite coffee shop. It was actually the first place we’d met, a fact that was not lost on me. Even though I’d been going there for years, we’d never passed each other before.
If that kid hadn’t stolen his pelt, I might never have met him. I couldn’t believe my soul mate might have just passed me by. I might have told Tesh I didn’t believe in fate, but that sort of evidence was incredibly convincing.
“I’m glad you’ve finally started dating again.” Tor might have been a barrister who I didn’t know personally, but our shifts always seemed to collide. They’d been making my coffee for so long now it was a strangely unique relationship. Some days, I felt like they were my only friend. I’d never told Tor that and probably never would. It was a little too embarrassing.
When Tesh had asked about my family, Tor was the only person I could think of. At least in the short term. My family didn’t exactly like staying in one place and none of us were close.
“Don’t give me too much shit about it, ok?”
Tesh was already heading toward the ocean while I waited for my drink. He moved slowly, taking his time to stare curiously at different shop windows. He might live among humans, but a lot of our everyday life eluded him. Selkies didn’t eat our food and their bodies insulated better against the weather than ours. If they were really in a bind, there was nothing stopping them from donning their pelts and moving on. Tesh mentioned they had only planned to stay in this town till one of his family had had their pups.
When I’d asked him when he would leave, my heart stuck in my throat. Tesh had blinked slowly at me. He would move into my house now, was his only response. I’d felt relieved and stupid in one breath. It was very overwhelming.
Tor winked as they handed me the coffee. It wasn’t hard to see how much fun they were having with this. It was seeming more and more like they had pegged me as an eternal bachelor. To be fair, I had as well.
Tesh had changed all that in just two weeks. Now I couldn’t imagine not having him in my life. The Selkie said that was just the way it worked with supernaturals. Like giving them an up on humans because of all they had to do just to survive in a world where science and greed ruled. Here was a way to easily find your soulmate, and Tesh didn’t need to question anything. After the first week, I’d stopped bothering to as well.
I was as much Tesh’s as he was mine. I may as well enjoy the ride at this point.
“I would never tease my favorite customer.” Tor had no class, and I rolled my eyes. They were forever going to tease me. About everything, if I was being honest. “But you better catch up. He’s ready to get to the beach ahead of you.”
It might have been coming into autumn, but the nippy weather didn’t bother Tesh. His pelt hung off his shoulder like an expensive faux fur coat, but otherwise he was in old jeans and t-shirt that barely fit him. I knew now it was all about being easy to get in and out of for the supernatural creature. He wore just enough to keep the humans happy. His whole life was in his little rucksack, though he hadn’t brought it with him today. Today I would protect his clothing while he swam.
The cold Tasmania weather kept most off the beach, but Tesh pulled me away from the jetty. It was the only populated place; a few grizzled ex sailors casting lines, hoping for a little fun. One tipped his hat Tesh’s way as they headed past. I shouldn’t have been surprised when Tesh gave the old man a sassy salute. I could hear him laughing away when I cuffed the flirt across the back of his head.
“Careful,” he teased softly, teeth flashing in the late morning sun. “You might be the one who enjoys a spanking.”
I was glad for my baggy cargos, and scowled at him as grumpily as I could. Tesh didn’t believe it one bit and laughed, dancing away from my reach.
When he finally stopped, we were holding hands again and could no longer see the jetty behind us.
“This is my safe spot during the colder months.” I didn’t want to think how far he went during the summer months. It wasn’t like this small town ever had a lot of tourists, but there were certainly a few beach goers when the weather was warm enough. I’d have to get a car, so he didn’t have to come so far home.
The thought that Tesh was now my home warmed more than the coffee I’d been sipping sparingly. I would need it while I was sitting alone on the sand.
“You won’t be too cold?”
Naked Tesh was a mesmerising thing. He was more seal than human right now, and I could only nod. There was a lump stuck in my throat. I’d never seen him in the sea before, but the realization that he could just leave was overwhelming. There was nothing anchoring the Selkie to the land and watching him walk into the water was overwhelming.
The change was fast. I couldn’t even imagine the amount of times he’d done it; one moment standing and the next diving into the waves. Tesh was glorious in the water, a large silver and brown seal slicing through the swell. He even showed off, forcing his body up and into the air, barking at me to watch.
His joy was a balm over the anxiety, and I settled in to watch him. My boy didn’t keep me long, even though I had all day free to just be with him. The thought stretched out, revealing all the days ahead of us. All the nights curled up in my warm bed just like that first night. I had a future with Tesh, one I’d never expected, but there was something about all this that I could tell he was here to stay.
Tesh hadn’t said it, but I knew he’d give up the ocean if I asked. Luckily, he didn’t have to worry about that. I had said nothing, but the best thing about being in construction meant the insider's information about properties in the area. I’d already put a bid in for a seaside cottage a little further up the coast. With a quiet stretch of beach, that would be just ours.
Maybe I’d take up swimming just to be out there with him. I was sure Tesh would love teaching me the ‘proper’ way to swim.
Not to mention how he’d feel taking my dick in the waves.
“Do I want to know what you’re thinking about, old man?”
Tesh laughed when I jumped. He was quiet on the sand, and the oil in his pelt meant he was mostly dry. Tesh barely dripped, but I still handed him the towel I’d brought, and he rolled his eyes, humoring me. Tesh might not worry about being seen naked on the beach, but that didn’t mean I had to. At least till we had our own place on it. Then he would be naked all the time.
I would make sure of it.
“I got you something.” Tesh needed nothing from the human world, so I was surprised. He didn’t quite seem to get ‘gift giving’ when I’d spoken of it earlier. Not to mention, he was naked, so I couldn't imagine what he might be planning.
“I love your dick. But you gave that to me this morning.” I was still full of his cum, and that was not a complaint.
His barking laugh was adorable. “I’m going to have to teach you how to understand me. My family would have known the moment I walked up.”
Again, the years ahead stretched out before me. The things we would teach each other. The home we would have.
There was no way I could wipe the dorky smile off my face, and Tesh rolled his eyes. It was his favorite human expression, and he knelt in front of me, digging a little in the dry sand. The sun was past midday, and the dunes sheltered us, shading us from its harsh afternoon rays. My heart stopped as those bottomless eyes looked up at me, so serious but so warm that I could have swum in them.
“I thought,” he sounded a little meek, sweet even, as he reached out, pressing metal into my hand, “I should do it the human way, too.”
I looked down, and it was a ring. Old and dark grey. Something he had found in the ocean but polished up as much as it could be. It was studded with little gems that I couldn’t tell what they might be because of the age but my heart swelled and tears spiked at the corner of my eyes. He didn’t even know how to give gifts, but Tesh had found and kept this. For me. Just because he knew it was important.
I didn’t even need to ask if he knew what he was doing. His full eyes said it enough. I could tell he understood the importance with the shivers that ran over his skin.
Tesh wanted us to be together, in all ways, forever.
“Thank you,” I croaked, shakily putting the ring in place. It only went to the second knuckle, but it was perfect. “I do.”
He didn’t understand, but he still barked and squirmed in his happy way when I launched myself across the sand and into him. We would be later back into town than I’d first expected, but it didn’t matter.
We had forever anyway.