Selkies were creatures that most thought were purely mythical- half-human, half-seal beings who could shift forms by putting on or taking off their seal skin.

Johnny had thought the same thing of selkies as most people had, believing they were simply creatures of myths and children’s stories. He’d recently had to retire from his position in the SAS after his most recent mission in London- The doctors said it had been a miracle he’d even survived the injury, so he’d gotten himself a little place in the Northern Isles, isolated and far away from most people, the floors and counters cluttered with a million little hobby items to keep himself occupied now that he wasn’t constantly out on the field.

One misty morning when he’d been out on his daily jog, he’d stumbled upon you, soaking wet as you climbed out of the cold ocean- he’d initially thought you were just a regular seal until he’d spotted a pair of legs and watched as the short, round snout and long whiskers slowly morphed into unmistakably human features as you removed your seal skin, laying it out on one of the large rocks on the shore before laying next to it, seemingly not yet noticing his presence as you basked in the warm sunlight, as bare as the day you’d been born.

He balked for a moment before letting out a choked sound, watching as you jolted up on the rock at the sudden noise, your hands scrambling for your seal skin. As soon as you started moving, Johnny held up his hands in a placating manner, speaking in a soft, shaky voice, “Woah- Woah there- ‘S alright. I’m not gonna do anythin’, swear it.”