003

                                    

                                          
            His best friend was decidedly not human. 
                          
            It was more of a hunch than actual fact, his dull senses worked against him most of the time, but there was simply no way that Flint Moore wasn't at least a halfie. They'd met their first year of college, stuffed in a tiny dorm with barely enough space for the two beds and desks that the housing department provided. They'd become fast friends, Flint's own serious personality complimenting Knox's passive nature quite well. 
                          
            Despite their closeness, Flint was a jaded person. Really, Knox just assumed that they were close, it was difficult to tell what the other man was thinking. He could barely get Flint to talk about how his classes were going (he was a law major, something he'd learned after months of living together), let alone how he felt about their friendship. Regardless, they met up every Tuesday at a café on campus, and Flint listened to Knox complain about his terribly boring life over coffee the other had paid for. He couldn't imagine the arrangement was beneficial to Flint in any way, but nevertheless their tradition persisted. 
                          
            "Wait, what?" He asked, sure that he hadn't heard his friend right. 
                          
            Flint shifted in his chair, almost like he was uncomfortable, though that was impossible because the man was like an unmovable force. He'd chosen a window seat as he always seemed to do on rainy days, but Knox could almost swear he saw the glimmer of scales flashing on his arm from what little sunlight was peeking through the clouds. Perhaps it would have gone unnoticed by any other human, but Knox had grown up seeing gleaming scales almost exactly like that. 
                          
            There were a number of supernatural creatures that had scales, most notably sirens and mermaids as well as other aquatic beings. Flint didn't fit those criteria though, he avoided water like a house cat. Even with just the threat of rain looming in the dark clouds, he already had a rain jacket and umbrella resting in the chair beside him, ready in the event of sky water. Knox remembers that he'd taken incredibly short showers too from when they'd lived together. Besides his lack of gills on neck was the main giveaway. Most creatures with aquatic genes had them, and they often kept their hair long to cover them in human settings. Flint's hair was short. 
                          
            Knox could probably look further into the matter, but he supposed Flint would tell him in due time. Maybe. At the very least, Flint didn't pose any sort of threat. If he had wanted to eat some helpless human, he'd had plenty of chances over the past two years. 
                          
            "I asked if I could come to your apartment?" He repeated, voice deep and eyebrows scrunched. Maybe he's embarrassed? 
                          
            "Yeah- I mean if you want to, of course I don't care. You've just never asked to come over before, you caught me off guard. I don't have any more classes today and I don't work until later, so that should be fine." 
                          
            Flint merely nodded, moving to stand and shrug on his rain jacket. Their coffees still sat half full on the table, and Knox fought the urge to pout. He really wanted to finish his drink, but this was nearly a once in a lifetime opportunity. When they'd first moved out from their shared dorm, Knox had invited him over plenty of times. His ex-roommate would always come up with some sort of excuse, or just flat out reject him, so eventually, he stopped trying. 
                          
            They left the coffee shop together, Flint geared up for the impending rain while he just wore a thin jacket.
                          
            The walk to his apartment is quiet. Knox had already complained about his life for their allotted time together, and he hadn't prepared himself for this unexpected outing. Flint didn't seem at all uncomfortable by the silence, so he tried to not let it get to him either. Once they reached his apartment, he went in immediately, but Flint lingered in the doorway, looking around as if in search of something.