AllFreeNovel
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“Uh, hey! Kevin! Good to see you, slugger!” Al looked around the restaurant again, trying to hide a smile. “If you’re going to close to do whatever it is you all are doing, might I suggest actually locking the door?”
“What the fuck?” Percy’s jaw dropped. “You mean he’sreal?”
“I fucking told you!” Kevin declared in a singsong voice.
“I thought I did lock it… Huh.” Steve hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe I only thought I did and figured my body would follow my commands, like when I dream. Might be interference from the space bugs.”
“Nice to see some things are still the same.” Al chuckled.
“You remember Julie, of course,” Kevin said, hoping Julie’s memory was at least more reliable than his own. “Steve, and… James?”
“Julie!” Al gave her a big hug.
“Hey, Al!” Julie swayed a little, but she was smiling. “Nice to see you!”
Al grunted as Steve stood up to hug them both, and James politely waited his turn to be introduced. Kevin actually got a bit misty-eyed watching them interact, again overwhelmed by the simple fact that Al wasn’t just from a movie. Kevin really did have a family, and it was such a good feeling to have them all here together.
“Hey!” Kevin called. “I got one more person for you to meet.” He beamed. “Percival Pearl, my boyfriend.”
“I’ll get to him in a second. Gotta give my shovel talk and all that since he’s datin’ my favorite nephew.” Al smiled as he came around the counter, taking off his hat.
“Your only nephew.” Kevin chuckled.
“See? That’s why you’re my favorite!” Al laughed and gave Kevin a warm hug. “Come here, big guy!”
Kevin melted into Al’s arms and hugged him tight.
He wasreal.
Not every part of Kevin’s life was from some movie after all, and he thought he might actually cry from the surge of emotions overwhelming him. He really did have an Uncle Al. He knew Al couldn’t be his real uncle unless he was also some kind of wayward celestial being, and it certainly created a lot of new questions, but none of them mattered right now.
Al suddenly tensed. “You, though. You seem… different.”
Kevin frowned, his own muscles winding up now. “Uh, what, what do you mean?”
“It’s nothing big, I just…” Al’s gaze happened to move over Kevin’s shoulder to Percy, and his eyes narrowed. “You.”
“Me?” Percy asked.
“Kevin,” Al said sternly, “we may need to have a little chat. In private.”
“Is this about Kevin’s boyfriend being a demon?” Steve asked loudly, pausing to sip his margarita. “Because, like, dude. Al. We know that.”
“Sure, we do,” Julie said sarcastically. “Kevin is a demon now too, and they have a demon dog.”
“Hellhound,” James corrected, chuckling. “Who they leave at home because she’s invisible to everyone else except them and Steve.”
It was obvious neither James or Julie believed Steve’s stories as predicted, but Al had the funniest look on his face.
A look that said he just might.
Kevin frowned. “Hey, what’s up? Do you know Percy or somethin’?”
“Kitchen. Now.” Al gently but firmly dragged Kevin into the kitchen.
Kevin shot a quick, worried glance to Percy as Al pulled him around the corner by the prep table, out of sight from the others. “Al, what’s wrong?”
“I have something to tell you,” Al said, his brow pinched. “Something I don’t think you’re going to believe.” He took a deep breath. “You’re an—”
