lovefool // niall horan spy au

i. here we are, with nothing but this little spark

There's a sort of tension in this room.

Conference rooms are generally a bit daunting, but Sameera's always done well in meetings. She's always been a people person; after all, she's met quite a few of them in her twenty-four years. The best thing about them is that they're all different. The sheer range of personalities one could find is absolutely fascinating and Sameera loved getting to know them, loved analyzing what made them tick. It could be quite challenging, but it's always a challenge she's up for.

Despite all of that, though, some people...well, they can be a bit terrifying.

Among these terrifying people is Hodges, her boss, who's currently watching her carefully as he sits blank-faced at the head of the table. Hilton sits beside him, relaying the current mission plan in his deep, monotone voice, and every word that comes out of his mouth has Sameera's lunch turning in her stomach. She's not completely sure why she's so nervous because she's been working on this case for months now.

The thing is, it isn't not knowing that she's afraid of, it's the part that involves the whole covert mission and posing as an undercover spy that has her worried. She's never done any sort of spy work before, despite having some training for it, and the fact of the matter is that there are so many other people on their team that are better equipped for this specific job.

"This is mental," someone is muttering somewhere to her left. It probably wasn't meant for the entire room to hear, but with the drop-dead silence in the room, it's a bit hard to miss someone speaking under their breath.

At the sound, Hodges hunches forward with his hands joined together on the table, and it seems to be the first time he's even moved since they've stepped foot in this meeting. "Mr. Horan," he starts, slowly and deliberately, and it feels like all the air in the room gets vacuumed out from his voice alone. Everyone freezes, and Sameera knows that she's not the only one who feels like her blood has just iced over in her veins. "Is there a problem?"

It doesn't sound cold, and Hodges doesn't sound particularly upset, but Sameera can't help but think that if she were in Niall's shoes she'd have probably cried from the stress Hodges caused her alone. From her peripheral she can see Niall's shoulders heave as he sighs and he shifts a bit in his chair, adjusting his blazer before speaking. "No, sir. It's just—I rarely go on coverts unless it's with my partner, Liam, sir. And at this point in time, I don't particularly feel comfortable posing as—as a married man."

Niall doesn't sound nervous, but anyone who has an inkling of the things happening in his personal life can feel the weight of his words. Sameera and Niall aren't friends, so it's not like she's heard much, but she managed to catch bits and pieces from Liam in the odd moments when she'd catch him in one of the copy rooms. From what she gathered, none of what happened was particularly pretty.

"Mr. Horan," Hodges begins again, but when Sameera looks up at him, he's already resumed his position of leaning back in his chair. "You've been working on this case for the past year and a half. I was under the impression that you'd be the first to jump at this opportunity."

Niall is quiet for a few moments, and Sameera wonders if he's really going to turn down a mission that he's already poured two years of his life into. "You're right, sir," is what he ends up saying, and for some reason, Sameera feels like everyone in the room, including herself, is holding their breath. "But, I'm not exactly undercover material without my partner."

"Nonsense!" Hodges exclaims, and Sameera nearly jumps out of her skin because she's never heard him sound so animated in the time she's known him. "You know more about this case than anyone here, Mr. Horan. If anyone is fully capable, it's you. I'm sure Mr. Payne won't mind someone else joining you for a while." Niall isn't able to get another word in because Hodges is suddenly turning his attention to Sameera, and she hopes her nerves aren't visible on her face as he watches her carefully. "Ms. Wajid. What do you say to joining Mr. Horan? The team has talked it over and agreed that you would be excellent."