A/N: This is a ones-hot I was inspired to write after a push into writing more single stories. I promise I am still working on One Thousand and Counting (Part 3 has 10 chapters and 33000 words already, and I am, maybe, half way. Alas.), but I wanted to put something small out, mostly to prove to myself that I can, without turning it into a thirty chapter epic. Gods know I don't need more fanfiction to write. Thank Tzu Zu Mia for putting the idea out there for me to write this.

"Hm." Itsuki mused aloud, as he watched Kyon from the clubroom window. Kyon was walking with Miss Asahina, the time-traveler, helping her carry a stack of books down in the courtyard below, doubtless something Mikuru herself got roped into for her class for some class project, the poor doormat.

Club activities had just ended, Haruhi left ten minutes before. Miss Asahina, who'd had cleaning duty so hadn't changed into a costume, leaving shortly after with Kyon. Itsuki stayed behind and was planning on doing a little shopping in the area near the school, so he'd let the others filter away. He didn't strictly need to do the shopping, but he wanted to watch the two of them leave, if only to figure out which way they were going.

Already, Itsuki was envisioning a world where Haruhi sees Kyon helping Miss Asahina and becomes upset. If he was lucky, it would just mean a few extra hours of lost sleep, as Haruhi tossed and turned at night. Of course, it could end up being something even more complicated. The esper sighed and shook his head. "Why does that boy keep falling for her wiles? I mean, I am a teenage boy too, but it's not like the world revolves around women."

Itsuki was not strictly talking to an empty room. Nagato was there, reading her book in silent vigil. Itsuki wasn't strictly talking to her, either.

He was just exasperated at Kyon's inability to simply see the obvious. Kyon literally kept the world from being destroyed and remade with a kiss to a young woman who was, potentially, a deity. And yet he still seemed stupidly unaware of how Haruhi felt.

"Honeypot."

Itsuki blinked, looking for the source of words and finding them to have come from Nagato. Her dark eyes seemed to reflect overhead fluorescent lighting as she stared at him her book open in her lap.

He asked politely, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Itsuki had probably exchanged no more than fifty words with Nagato outside the influence of club activities. Now, that isn't to say he didn't speak to her. In fact, during the early days of the transfer, he spoke quite a bit directly to her, in order to try to set up some sort of friendly relations with the Integrated Data Thought Entity. Most of the Agency believed it would be good to be on the good side of each facet of Haruhi's factions.

Of course, the treatise ended without much interesting success, as Nagato spent most of the time nodding, and added a simple phrase of, "I do not speak directly for the Integrated Data Thought Entity. I will relay your words. As long as you do not interfere with our research, I expect an indifferent answer."

Of course, Nagato was not quite the same girl she was at the beginning of the school year. Summer had changed her, understandably. And then there was the big event during December that she nearly rewrote the world on her to her own desire. It being January, Nagato seemed a little more herself than before December, but she still was a wildcard in his mind, and Itsuki liked to keep an eye and mind on her where he usually dismissed Miss Asahina. Like right now, as Nagato volunteered an answer where she was normally silent.

Nagato repeated herself, "Honeypot."

Itsuki smiled, though he tried to keep it from being his toothsome false smile, "Honeypot, you were saying?" Itsuki was half expecting her to nod and return to her book, unwilling to explain further. He knew the term, but he was hoping to engage Nagato, rather than answer for her.

He hid his surprise well as she actually continued with a nod, "It is an espionage term, used in reference to spy using sexual attraction in order to win the sympathy of opposing faction's member. Mikuru Asahina is highly suited for this exact task."

Itsuki was intrigued. He wasn't expecting an explanation from the resident alien. "She definitely has the… assets to fulfill the task." He sat down at Kyon's usual spot to face Nagato.

She tilted her head a little, her book now closed in her lap, "I am not specifically referring to Mikuru Asahina's physical appearance, although that is certainly an important factor to account for. She is perfectly suited for the task because she can be programmed to be enticing and alluring, without breaking cover, as she herself doesn't know that she is an agent of influence. Because she actually has very little agency, and a very specific task, it makes her job easy."

Itsuki raised his eyebrow, "And you know what this task is?"

Nagato nodded, "I do, though it is rather unnecessarily complicated."

He motioned for her to continue, "Care to elaborate?"

Nagato shook her head, "It is too complicated explain offhand. As generally as I can describe it, the universe corrects for incidental paradox all the time, but she and her group attempt to correct incidences they perceive as major via direct intervention."

Itsuki found himself a little transfixed by this chatty Yuki Nagato. Was this some side of her that she usually showed only Kyon? Sure, she was an excellent source of explanation for when Haruhi begins editing the world or during other strange occurrences, but this was a little more personal than that.

"I will be frank, I didn't know that your faction put this much thought into this sort of thing."

Nagato shook her head again, "The Integrated Data Thought Entity doesn't care. These are my own observations."

Itsuki chuckled, and asking, "Then may I ask why you are being so candid with your opinions today?"

"Haruhi Suzumiya's path will intersect with Mikuru and his path in approximately thirty seconds. Previous records indicate that this will create a flare up in her emotional state due to her direct attraction to him. This will precipitate creation of more than usual closed space tonight than usual. According to my mapping as well as correlations related to Haruhi's recent research, I expect the biggest event will happen around nine o'clock tonight around the Osaka International Airport."

Itsuki had blinked when she said that Haruhi would meet up with Kyon, and took closer measure to the buzzing in the back of his head.

Being able to feel someone else's emotions was sort of a bizarre sensation. A little like a buzz in his ear mixed with the sensation of trying to comprehend the color of the inside of his eyelids when he closed his eyes. He could sense Haruhi's state of mind, a calm white noise, without it disrupting his own thoughts, unless she was particularly excited or angry. Those emotions kind of came in like a freight train, like someone flashing a huge light in his eyes and a louder, warbling buzz.

It wasn't a good comparison, but metaphor was a little more Kyon's shtick anyway.

He grabbed hold of Haruhi's emotions, relatively calm, contemplative and a little bit sad. Nothing yet. It took him another few moments to process the rest of what Nagato said.

"Wait, you can predict where the closed space develops?"

Nagato nodded but didn't say anything. This was good because just as he was about to ask for more detail, his emotional connection to Haruhi went haywire. She was suddenly filled with emotions of surprise, disbelief, and, not long after, a great deal of anger. Itsuki's previous fears made manifest.

Itsuki sighed, as he predicted the conversation that shortly followed, just based on the emotional reading.

Haruhi confronts Kyon. Mikuru jumps and gets scared, hiding behind Kyon. Kyon acts indignant. Haruhi gets angrier. Kyon gives flippant remark. Mikuru daintily steps out from behind him, trying to explain. Haruhi gets even more angry, seeing Mikuru's hand on Kyon's arm, before storming off.

Itsuki's phone buzzed once in his pocket, a warning from one of his cohorts at the Agency, probably the start of a report on what just happened. He'd read it later.

Rubbing his temple and sighing, he started again, "You called it. She definitely saw them. What were you saying about predicting closed space?"

Nagato put her book to the side, still studying him with an uncanny focus that she usually reserved for special events, like during the movie-filming, or when she was studying the SOS Brigade logo. "I came up with focused algorithm for predicting where Haruhi's closed space might manifest, as long as it occurs within the city. Using unutilized data collected on your organization's movements gathered by the Integrated Data Thought Entity, and a study of Haruhi's current research on the computer, I suspect that she will manifest closed space at the airport, sometime between nine and eleven PM."

Itsuki had no idea that the IDTE tracked them so closely; it would be something to be taken not of in the future. Of course, if Nagato was the only one using the data, he was slightly assuaged, if only slightly. "That's pretty impressive. May I ask why you are telling me this?"

"Companionship."

Itsuki blinked, "I'm sorry? I don't mean to make you repeat yourself so much, but I must admit, you are throwing me off far more than I am used to dealing with. Did you say companionship?"

Nagato opened her mouth, but seemed to consider answering before, finally saying, "Yes, companionship. I have found myself rather in need of someone to… socialize with. None of my fellow humanoid interfaces have the same issues that I face in feeling lonely, afraid, or happy, or any other near-human emotional analogs. I cannot discuss this with them. I cannot discuss this with Kyon, for the same reasons that his continued close interaction with Mikuru are an issue. He is…"

She paused, a shadow of regret and something angry in her eyes, "He is not available. You and I are in a similar situation. I hoped that we could become closer in spite of our differences."

Itsuki leaned back in his chair, to mull on this whole thing. Nagato was obviously a valuable asset to the team, and having her become closer to him might be an important card on the table. He didn't quite feel bad about being so pragmatic about this whole thing. but it could very well be to his benefit, even if he could just get Nagato to share when and where the bigger flare-ups of Haruhi's actions might be.

He could easily spin it like that to the rest of them, his allies, some of whom do not trust the aliens in the least. Besides, something about this more-involved Nagato attracted his attention.

"That makes perfect sense," he answered amiably, quickly, with barely a moment's passing. "I do like to consider you my friend, after all, and we have dealt with quite a bit over the last year. Being your friend would be my honor. Although I am not sure I understand what you mean about us being in a similar situation."

Nagato shrugged, saying, "I am not able to pursue my… interests in Kyon. It would not be unreasonable to say that I have been undeniably turned down." There was an interesting hard edge to her voice right here, much like that emotion that flitted across her face earlier, that regret and anger, "I am not interested in pursuing companionship with a chained puppet, for Mikuru would either be programmed to be receptive or reflective. I like those that are thoughtful, well meaning, empathetic, and capable. You are likewise unable to pursue your interests, currently. You like people who are honest, headstrong, forthright, and talkative. Unfortunately, Haruhi has no interest in you, except as an oddity and a yes-man, while Kyon is not interested in boys."

Koizumi could see her logic, but it felt a little sore when she pointed out his absolute zero chance with Haruhi. He did hope some day that- wait, "Kyon? I like girls, Miss Naga-" He found himself caught again mid-sentence.

Nagato had the face of someone who had raised an eyebrow. It was uncanny. She seemed her usual self, completely unreadable, but he could just tell that she was conveying skepticism with every curve of her face.

Did she always have such emotion resting in the lines of her face, was he just now noticing, with all his sudden focus on her and her alone?

She continued, before he could, "Liking women is not to the exclusion of liking men… But I understand if I am being too forward. I can leave right now if you like. I would rather not ruin our current relationship as casual acquaintances with similar goals if my proposition does not interest you."

It's funny. Itsuki was so used to being the talkative one, able to talk circles around a topic until nothing meant anything at all. Now, when faced with the blunt spear of Nagato's words, he found himself punctured for words. He decided he ought to remain direct.

"What would it mean if we continued down your proposed path?"

She spoke plainly, "I propose a date. If you will arrange transportation, I will pay for a meal near the predicted point of incitation. We can talk."

Koizumi smiled at this, broader than before, "How good are you at small talk, Miss Nagato?" Something about this was greatly amusing, and downright interesting. It was true that Miss Nagato was very attractive for a young woman, albeit one that wasn't quite a woman at all. Sure, his attention was rather usually focused on another woman in particular, but its not like she had any return interest. He knew this for a fact. Haruhi's emotions were very clear on this point.

Nagato asked, "How about the weather... What is going on with those Hanshin Tigers… What do you think about Immanuel Kant's aesthetic theories?" She clearly spoke the first two questions with barely suppressed disdain, while the last question did have a little more life to it. It was at once entertaining and strange, coming from the usually humorless humanoid interface.

Koizumi laughed, "Well, I could bore you with my interpretations of his work through a modern lens, I hardly consider that small talk, Miss Nagato."

"You may call me Yuki. And you hate small talk."

Koizumi did. It was needlessly empty, and while he acted that way around Kyon, it was mostly due to his role rather than personal preference. That Nagato had noticed meant she was not quite as oblivious to the world as she appeared most days. And Miss Mori had been encouraging him to stop fawning so much over Haruhi…

His phone buzzed again, more insistent.

Koizumi nodded to nothing in particular. "Alright. Let me make a few calls. We can try this out. Miss Nagato."

"Yuki."

He smiled again as he stood up and pulled his phone out. "Yuki."

Chuckling at a small private thought, he dialed a number and stepped out of the room. Itsuki didn't necessarily expect anything to come of it, but it might be fun. Maybe Yuki would like to see what the inside of closed space looks like. Or maybe he should save that for the second date.