salute ➳ 〚h.s.〛 〚a.u.〛

the one with the gift exchange

One Direction was like a big family and that wasn't as clear to Piper ever before as it was right in that moment. Crowded into the living room of HQ, everyone was exchanging their Christmas gifts by the light of the huge Christmas tree set up by the window. They were laughing and joking with each other, telling embarrassing stories from years earlier (Liam and Harry, who had apparently known each other since uni, had the best embarrassing tales about each other and Piper was learning a lot about her new friends). Eleanor was there too, sipping on a mug of hot chocolate as she watched on. It was the first time Piper had seen her without her usual professional attire. Instead she was lounging in pyjama pants wearing a pair of Louis' socks, her hair thrown up in a bun. It made Piper feel less self-conscious about the leggings and baggy jumper she'd worn for the occasion.

She sort of felt like she didn't belong here. This wasn't her family, not yet. It shouldn't be her celebration either, but when Harry had burst into her flat and insisted she get dressed and bring the presents she said she'd bought for them, she hadn't wanted to be argumentative so she'd packed herself up and followed him out. He'd been so excited on the drive over which was a little out of character for him so Piper was more amused than anything for almost the entire car ride. She quickly learned why when she got to HQ with Harry.

Food. Everywhere. So many yummy snacks and treats that Piper didn't even know where to start. There was a huge bowl with English Christmas punch in it — a mix of rum and red wine plus other delightful things — and Niall and Louis had already been drinking liberally by the time Piper and Harry had arrived.

She felt a little uncomfortable at first because the guys began ribbing Harry the moment he arrived, greeting him fondly. Apparently his first stop after arriving back from Venezuela was Piper's flat to pick her up. Hearing that always felt surreal. She loved being someone's first stop. It also felt a little strange though because it led to jokes at her expense and lewd insinuations, mostly from Louis, about why Piper had been the first stop. Harry told all of them to fuck off while Piper turned bright red.

They all talked and laughed and ate, and then presents appeared from nowhere. The guys seemed to have organized some sort of Secret Santa because they all ended up with only one gift each. Piper couldn't believe what was being revealed as ribbons were chucked off, as paper was torn away. It seemed that all of them had commissioned Q branch to make some special toys. Louis got a smart watch that was synced to his brick of a mobile phone which was his mobile control centre. Immediately, Louis was enamoured, already going through the set up process. Niall unwrapped a portable satnav system that was the most high tech and digitally friendly that Piper had ever seen. Zayn was gifted with a self-destructing tracker that would disintegrate — literally disintegrate — if it was discovered. Of course, Liam got a gun that had both bullet and taser capabilities and was coded to his palm print. His eyes lit up like a little kid getting a toy train and he immediately took it apart right in front of them and then put it back together in, oh, about 30 seconds. Mad skills.

Harry beamed brightly when he unwrapped his own gift, a pair of aviator sunglasses. "What are they?" Piper asked as she leaned over toward him to get a better look. "Infrared? Optical head-mounted display? Has someone invented x-ray glasses?"

"Nah, they're just sunglasses," Harry told her as he slid them on, grinning in her direction. "What do you think?"

"I mean, they look good," she said, frowning a little. How disappointing that they weren't special sunglasses. "Are you sure they're just normal sunglasses?"

Harry laughed at the sad expression on her face, nodding. "Yeah, I broke mine when I was over in Dubai. I've been meaning to get a new pair. Thanks Zayn." It was Zayn who had given them to him, and the other agent just nodded sagely in acknowledgement. Of course Zayn would know about something as innocuous as Harry breaking his sunglasses. Zayn knew everything.