Modern Family: More than Family

By the end of the month, Haley had effectively claimed part of Gael's apartment as her own.

It happened gradually.

First, it was a toothbrush.

Then makeup left beside his sink.

A hoodie hanging over one of his chairs.

Hair ties appearing everywhere like some kind of territorial marking system.

"This is how it starts," Gael said one evening while holding up a bottle of expensive shampoo she'd left in his shower.

Haley looked entirely unbothered from the kitchen island.

"You're welcome."

"You've colonized my bathroom."

"You have three bathrooms."

"That's not the point."

"It kind of is."

Gael failed to suppress a smile.

That was becoming a problem around her.

She made him laugh too easily.

Tonight the apartment felt different again:

music playing quietly from the speakers,

takeout containers scattered across the counter,

Haley sitting cross-legged in one of his oversized shirts while stealing fries from his plate.

Comfortable.

Lived-in.

Not lonely.

Gael leaned back in his chair while scrolling through market charts on his laptop.

Bitcoin was still under ten dollars.

Every time he saw that, part of his brain short-circuited.

It felt like cheating.

Because he already knew:

what would explode,

which companies would dominate,

which crashes were temporary,

and where the next decade was heading.

He'd already quietly started positioning money:

Tesla.

Amazon.

Netflix recovery.

Apple expansion.

Bitcoin accumulation through private wallets.

Not enough to attract attention yet.

But enough that future Gael was going to become obscenely wealthy.

Haley watched him from across the counter.

"You're doing rich people wizard math again."

"I'm buying the future."

"That sentence made you sound evil."

"Reasonable concern."

She slid off the stool and wandered over toward him barefoot.

Gael barely noticed anymore how naturally she moved through his space.

Which was probably a sign he was in trouble.

Haley stopped behind his chair, resting her arms loosely across his shoulders while looking down at the laptop screen.

"I still don't understand crypto."

"Neither do most people investing in it."

"That's reassuring."

Gael smiled faintly as her fingers played idly with the collar of his shirt.

Simple touch.

Constant now.

They'd fallen into physical familiarity surprisingly fast:

hands finding each other automatically,

casual kisses while passing each other,

sleeping tangled together most nights she stayed over.

Nothing about it felt awkward anymore.

That part caught him off guard the most.

"You know," Haley murmured near his ear, "you spend way less time pretending to be mysterious now."

"I was never pretending."

"You absolutely were."

Gael tilted his head slightly toward her.

"And now?"

"Now you act your age sometimes."

That earned a quiet laugh from him.

She wasn't wrong.

The more comfortable he became around her, the more the eighteen-year-old side of him surfaced:

competitive streak,

sarcasm,

impulsive spending,

random late-night drives,

making out with Haley in elevators because she dared him to.

Not exactly corporate professionalism.

Haley pressed a quick kiss against his cheek before stealing his phone off the desk.

"That's dangerous," Gael warned.

"You have three unread texts from my dad."

"…Why?"

Haley opened them immediately.

Her laughter exploded through the apartment.

"Oh my God."

"What?"

She turned the screen toward him.

Phil: Hypothetically if I buy bitcoin now do I become Batman later

A second text:

Phil: Claire says this is a scam but history hates doubters

Gael physically covered his face with one hand.

"He cannot be allowed near financial markets."

Haley collapsed against his shoulder, laughing harder.

"You encouraged him!"

"I answered one question!"

"That's how cults start."

Gael grabbed the phone back while Haley remained half-draped over him, still laughing into his shoulder.

The sound filled the apartment warmly.

God.

He was addicted to that laugh already.

His phone buzzed again.

Claire.

Interesting.

Haley noticed the name instantly.

"Ooooh."

"That reaction is becoming concerning."

"She calls you a lot now."

"That's objectively false."

"Mom barely calls me."

Gael frowned slightly while answering.

"Hey."

Claire's voice came through calm but distracted.

"Hi. Sorry, quick question."

Haley immediately leaned closer, trying to listen.

Gael lightly pushed her forehead away with one hand.

She bit his shoulder in retaliation.

"You still alive over there?" Claire asked dryly.

Gael snorted.

"Barely."

"I'm trying to print fundraiser invitations, and Phil somehow connected the printer to the television."

"…I have several questions."

"So do I."

Haley looked deeply pleased by the conversation already.

Gael leaned back in his chair.

"What exactly happened?"

Claire sighed audibly.

"I pressed print, and suddenly the living room started playing nature documentaries."

From the background, Phil shouted defensively:

"Technology evolves through experimentation!"

Gael laughed before he could stop himself.

And on the other end of the line, Claire laughed too.

Not polite laughter.

Real laughter.

The kind that slipped out unexpectedly.

For a brief second, neither of them spoke afterward.

Then Claire cleared her throat lightly.

"Anyway. Phil said you'd probably know how to fix it."

"Yeah, I can stop by."

Haley raised an eyebrow immediately.

"Wow," she mouthed silently.

Gael ignored her.

"You sure?" Claire asked. "I know you're busy."

He glanced around the apartment.

At Haley.

At the abandoned takeout.

At the city beyond the windows.

Then smiled faintly.

"I can make time."

After the call ended, Haley stared at him dramatically.

"You're becoming family tech support."

"That's not a real role."

"It absolutely is."

Gael stood, grabbing his keys from the counter.

"You coming with me?"

Haley grinned slowly.

"You say that like I don't already live here half the week."

Honestly?

She wasn't wrong anymore.