Disclaimer= I do not own Hayate the Combat Butler.

The festival had long since finished. Wataru was walking Sakuya home. When they arrived at her mansion's gated entrance, she says,

"You still didn't answer my question..." Wataru is very tense.

"What was it again?"

"Why were you so generous at the festival? You bought m--" she didn't have time to finish her sentence. Wataru grabbed her and guided her towards the wall. He put his arms around Sakuya, who was seemingly confused, but not freaked out.

"This is why." Without a moment's hesitation, Wataru kissed Sakuya on the lips. When he pulled back, her eyes were wide open and she was blushing.

"Th-thanks for walking me home."

"Your welcome."

Hayate is on the top floor.

"I wonder if she is in here." He opens the door and starts looking around. He finds Hinagiku resting on the sofa.

"Hinagiku-san?" She slowly opens her eyes.

"Ayasaki-kun?"

"Why are you still here?"

"We were supposed to meet up for something?"

"Oh yeah..." Hinagiku is now alert.

"We were supposed to meet up at 9. Why did you make me wait!" She turns demonic.

"I'm sorry. I lost track of time. I wanted to meet with you, but not for the reason you think."

"I waited TWO hours for you." She pulls out her kendo stick.

"What are you going to do?"

"I was told to meet up with you for a duel."

"Huh, a duel?"

"I'm oneshotting this."

- - -

- -

-

Safety Shutter!

That move was all Hayate could say. He got something out of his pocket before Hinagiku said SS and clutched it with both hands. The flames soon engulfed him.

"What was that you pulled from your pocket?" Hayate was charred. What he was holding remained intact.

"F-for y-you..." He appeared to be fainting. He was walking backwards in a very sporadic manner. Hinagiku noticed him getting closer to the railing on the terrace.

"Ayasaki-kun, watch out!" Too late. He walked over the railing and fell down to the concrete below. Hayate stared at the sky before falling unconscious. He woke up in Hinagiku's arms.

"Are you okay?" He got up and said that he was.

"What are you holding?"

"This is for you."

"What is it?"

"Happy Birthday." He said it in a slightly perturbed tone. Hayate starts walking.

"Hayate-kun, you cannot go home like that. You need to go to the hospital."

"I'm a combat butler. I'll be okay..." He walks home, leaving Hinagiku standing there holding the present. Tears start to fall from her face.

"What have I done?"

The following morning, Hayate wakes up depressed. When he got home the previous night, he went straight to bed, without showering or changing his clothes. He decided that he wasn't going to school for the rest of the week because of what happened. He fell asleep for a couple of more hours, the got up. Hayate had sharp pains going through his shoulders and back. He headed straight for the bathroom to hit the tub. He turned the knob and set the water to warm. The clothes came off and in he went. Hayate whimpered a bit because of the pain, not just the physical part. After bathing and changing into new digs, Hayate went into the kitchen for breakfast. He was surprised to find Nagi there.

"Why aren't you at school," she asks.

"I overslept. It happens."

"You came home very late. How come?"

"I went back to Hakuou to help clean up from the festival."

"Oh, okay then. What are you going to do today?"

"I'm going to eat breakfast and then walk around for a while. The festival brought much pain to my joints."

"Okay, be back before dark."

We find Hayate downtown. He walks around aimlessly for a while until he tires of it and sits down on a bench. Little did he know that a certain video store kid sat beside him.

"Hayate, whats going on?"

"Nothing really Wataru, just hurt."

"Oh?"

"I was hanging out with Hinagiku-san late last night. She got mad at me because we were supposed to hang out a couple of hours earlier. She executed her ultimate attack and the force of the attack threw me from the terrace to the pavement below. It was not fun; very painful. I gave her a birthday present, but I left her standing."

"So why are you mad, do you like her?"

"That and more."

"Okay, so she didn't reject your present. Do you know what that means?"

"No."

"She likes you! Maybe that and more as well."

"Tell me about what happened at the festival with Sakuya-san."

"Where to start..."

"The beginning might help."

"Very well. After you left, we just talked for a bit. Afterwards we walked around for a while. Then we hit up the snack and soda spots for food and drinks. I walked her home and when we got outside her mansion gates, she asked me why I was being generous to her."

"What happened?"

"I showed her why I was being generous... by kissing her on the lips."

"Damn! Playa be mackin' it up wit all da gurrls! Ahem, how did she react?"

"From the little that I could read, I would say stunned."

"I sensed somewhat that she liked you Wataru. Whenever she was at Milady's for tea, I would overhear them gushing about boys they liked. She didn't say your name directly, but I could tell she was talking about you." Wataru's eyes widened.

"I'm serious. She is crazy about you. When you kissed her on the lips, whatever feelings you had for her that were bottled up were released right then. Sakuya-san didn't push you away, so that means that she wanted to receive your saliva. She wanted your kiss."

"Dude, you should be a romance writer."

"Haha, I guess I should."

"Anyways, I will go find Sakuya and explain to her what happened."

"Sounds good."

"What about you and Hinagiku-san?"

"I don't know. I'm sure by now that she has thrown away the present I gave her." A different voice chimes in.

"No, I have not thrown away your present, Hayate-kun." Hayate and Wataru turn around to see Hinagiku, who is wearing a cute outfit. Wataru backs up a bit.

"I'll leave you two alone. Go for it Hayate!"

Wataru walks around the park. He comes across a fountain. He tosses in a coin, makes a wish, and continues his walk. Its late in the afternoon and he sees a swing set. The flashbacks come instantly.

"The moment she handed me the envelope telling me I was accepted into the academy, I knew I had fallen for her. My feelings did not come to fruitition until last night. No one did for me what she did. I'm forever indebted to her. I hope she feels the same way I do."

"You got that right yo."

"Sakuya! How, when did you get here?"

"A minute ago. Everything you said was right on."

"What do you mean?"

"I made sure you got into the academy. You looked so sad that day. I knew that by giving you that envelope, it would bring a smile to your face."

"It did Sakuya. Your great."

"Thank you. About last night..."Wataru immediately shifted legs.

"What was that about?"

"That kiss...that kiss on the lips that I gave you... was me expressing my feelings."

"Which are?" Wataru had to say those three words now.

"I love you Sakuya." She stayed silent for a few minutes.

"You don't feel the same way. I understa--" Sakuya grabbed Wataru and returned the kiss on the lips from last night. They pulled away just a tad to touch foreheads, and resumed kissing again.

"I love you too Wataru-kun."

"I'll leave you two alone. Go for it Hayate!" Wataru runs off sporting a new diddy bop.

"Wataru sure seems happy," Hinagiku notes.

"I wonder why.." Hayate sits back down on the bench. Hinagiku sits closely next to him.

"What you did to me last night wasn't very cool."

"I'm so sorry about that Hayate-kun. I did not mean it. It was late. I was so riled up that--" Hayate put a finger on her lips. He told her to shh in an intimate way. She blushed.

"It's okay Hinagiku-san, I'm not mad. Time heals all wounds."

"You sure heal quickly."

"Did you open your present?" She shook her head no.

"Go ahead and open it. I got something big for you." Hinagiku opened up the box. There was a note inside.

It is in your desk.

"What's this?"

"It's all part of a bigger surprise. Let's go to your Student Council desk back at Hakuou."

"Alright. Isn't it ruined by now?"

"The crew repaired it fairly quickly. It was restored. Let's go."

"Okay."

Hayate and Hinagiku go back to Hakuou. They chat the entire way to her office.

"Go open your desk drawer."

"What is in there?"

"You'll see. Go and open it." Hinagiku goes to her desk drawer and opens it to find a bag. She opens the bag and finds star-shaped cookies in it.

"This is the surprise?"

"Yes, that's it." She starts turning demonic again.

"I'm really sorry. Its just that... I was never given anything for my birthdays besides cookies. My parents left me a nice little debt before they abandoned me." Hinagiku's demonic state subsides.

"Sorry about that, Hayate-kun. My body is still suffering from the effects of wielding that kendo stick. My parents left me a debt also. The Katsuras adopted my sister and I." Hayate walked towards the terrace and stared outside.

"We have something in common."

"Yeah..."

"Hinagiku-san, come over here." She was suddenly frightened.

"I don't want to go out there."

"Its okay. I'll hold you tight." Hinagiku let herself be led out to the terrace. She and Hayate stared at the distant city lights.

"This is so pretty."

"You're not afraid of heights anymore?"

"I still am, but not so much now." They held each other a little bit tighter.

"I'm going back inside Hayate-kun. It's getting cold." She starts to head inside.

"Hinagiku-san, wait a minute. " Hayate starts to pull something from out of his pocket. As he was doing that, an arrow comes out of nowhere and stabs his chest, leaving both him and Hinagiku stunned. Hayate stumbles a bit, then tumbles over the railing again, amid screams. He hits the pavement pretty hard. She rushes down to see if he is okay.

- -

- - - -

- - - - - -

- - - - - - - -

"HAYATE-KUN, HAYATE-KUN!" He didn't respond.

"HAYATE-KUN WAKE UP, OPEN YOUR EYES!!" Hayate groans a bit, but gathers himself.

"I told you. I'm a combat butler. I'll be okay."

"Oh thank goodness. Your bones must be made of steel."

"Haha, I wish. I drink a gallon of milk everyday."

"I'm just glad that you are okay. Let me carry you to my sofa. You are in no condition to go home. I'll nurse you back to health."

"But Hinagiku-san, I have to go home. Milady is expecting me back..."

"Are you saying that you DON'T want me to take care of you?!" A vein in her right temple enlarges.

"Damn, again? I mean, ouchies! I R paralyzed."

"LOL, that's what I thought you said."

"Hinagiku-san, thank you for staying to take care of me. You didn't have to."

"Its no problem. I wanted to."

"By the way, there was one last thing that I wanted to give you." Hayate struggles to reach into his pocket.

"Hayate-kun, please don't. Your arm is broken."

"I've been wanting to give what I have in my pocket to you for sometime now."

"Oh?"

"Please get it for me." Hinagiku did as she was told. She pulls out another box. Its a bit narrow, but longer than the first box.

"Go ahead and open it." She opens the box and pulls out a 48 Karat necklace with a heart.

"Hayate-kun this is so beautiful!" She starts to tear up.

"I'm glad you like it. That diamond-encrusted heart can open. Go right ahead and open it." Hinagiku goes and opens it to reveal a picture of her and Hayate holding hands. The bottom outside edge has some words etched in.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Be

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mine

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She sets it down and closes her eyes. She opens her eyes and smiles lovingly at Hayate.

"Of course Hayate-kun."

"Oh thank you so much! Oww..."

"I've been yours ever since we first met. When you held me on the terrace last night, my feelings were confirmed."

"Mine were too."

"Huh?"

"My feelings were confirmed... when you let me hold you. You felt comfortable with me, so you held me tighter." Hayate and Hinagiku didn't say anything. They both looked like they wanted to shout something. That turned out to be true. They both said the following to each other at the same time.

"I love you Hinagiku-san."

"I love you Hayate-kun." The two covered their mouths and their cheeks were flushing red. Hayate spoke first after the silence.

"I guess we both truly felt the same way since first glance."

"Yep." Hinagiku stroked Hayate's hair. He wanted to move his arm, but it would not budge.

"You mustn't move your arm. You will feel a lot of pain."

"I could have every bone in my body broken. It will not stop me from what I want to do."

"Which is?"

"Close your eyes." Hinagiku closed her eyes, and with every bearing in his body, Hayate closed in and kissed her on the lips. They held each other and watched the fire crackle in the fireplace. When the fire was out, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Students were milling about the next morning. Nagi and Wataru were walking towards the library. They get in there and see familiar figures putting books back on the shelves. Wataru excused himself, saying something about study hall with classmates. Nagi approached the figures.

"What's up Haya and Hina?"

"Oh hey Milady. We are helping the librarians by putting the books back. They are understaffed."

"Uh huh, okay. Why didn't you come home last night? Maria and I were worried."

"I did come home last night. You were asleep most likely."

"Surveillance says otherwise." Hinagiku joins the conversation.

"Hayate suffered an arm injury. I took him back to my sofa in my office to nurse him back to health."

"I see. So did you two sleep together?"

"Milady!" Hinagiku backs up Hayate.

"We watched the fire crackle in the fireplace. We fell asleep when the fire was out, in each others arms."

"Okay, it makes sense now. So what made you two cuddle?" Hayate was prepared to answer this.

"Milady, I'm in love with Hinagiku-san. I revealed my feelings to her last night, as did she."

"So you two love each other then?" Hayate and Hinagiku nodded in unison.

"Okay, carry on." Nagi exits the library mumbling to herself.

"Damn, I missed."