HnG Fanfiction

"Nggh...umm...ah..."

Once again, Hinagiku woke up in the middle of the night, with surprise. She was having yet another weird dream earlier. It was frustrating, she thought, and she began to wonder if she picked the wrong food yesterday; and it is not just the dream; she suddenly realized just how hot the room was, and how sweaty she had become because of it.

Sadly, she found herself unable to return to sleep again, no matter how hard she tried. She wanted to shout in frustration, but quickly she reminds herself that it was midnight and screaming will attract unwanted attention.

Hinagiku lay on her sheets again and stared blankly on the ceiling, and she started contemplating. And then she remembered how she became a resident of the Violet Mansion in the first place.

That day, a little girl suddenly appeared at Hakuou Academy, and without explanation, the little girl points at her and calls her "mama." Needless to say, it caused quite an unwelcomed commotion among those present, especially to Izumi and Risa. And to add to the embarrassment, she called Hayate—her love interest—as "papa." And his jokes afterward didn't help to clear the confusion; it only serves to further her embarrassment.

What's more, the little girl requested that she lived with her for three months in the same place where he stays. Of course, she refused, primarily, if they have to live at the same place, she was afraid she had to go through that embarrassing moments again, just like when he stays at the Katsuras' house. She cringed at the prospect. And she didn't want him to know about her feelings, not right now.

And actually Hayate almost convinced her with his sweet words—but as usual, he botched it by mentioning her sister—and it fails spectacularly. This angered her considerably, for he was being seemingly insensitive towards her feelings. But what angered her the most was the fact that she has been blackmailed, by a six years old girl, the same girl who asked her to live with her for three months.

"Come to think of it, how does she knew that I like Hayate-kun anyway?" She thought. That girl, Alice, threatened to spill that secret to him if she refused her request.

And speaking of the devil, Hinagiku quickly noticed that Alice was gone. She looked around the dimly lit room just to be sure, and sure enough, she was not there. It seems she has left the room.

Somehow, Hinagiku suddenly felt an urge to find the little girl and to bring her back. So with this, she rose from her sheets and stepped outside quietly.

After a while, she found her outside at the backyard, sitting on the porch and staring at the moon. It was a full moon, and it shines brightly that night.

Hesitantly, Hinagiku took a seat near her. Alice looked a bit surprised to see her there, but in an instant that look was gone.

"Hello; I guess you can't sleep just like me?" she asked.

"Ye-yes..." Hinagiku replied. Alice scoots closer to her, bringing herself next to her.

"The moon tonight was stunning, don't you think so, Hina?" Alice asked. Yes, she stopped calling me mama, Hinagiku said to herself. But it doesn't really matter.

"Yes, they are." She replied.

There was a silence afterward, with both only stared into the night sky without saying anything. It was not only the moon that shines that night. The night sky was filled with countless stars, which illuminates the night.

"This starry night is also beautiful; they're just like an ocean on the heavens...and that reminds me..." Alice said mysteriously.

"...Reminds you of what?" Hinagiku asked with curiosity.

"You're as beautiful as this moon and this starry sky when they're shining."

"Wh-I...I am not..." Hinagiku blushed; she was also shocked, not expecting that she said that.

Alice chuckled at her reaction. "Yes...you are. After all, that was Hayate said to me when we spent a night together." She said casually, ignoring Hinagiku's obvious embarrassment.

"Wh-wh-what?" Hinagiku's blush deepened as soon as she heard that.

"Yes, he said that, pretty loud and clear. If only you smile more, he adds."

Hinagiku felt her heart racing; It's not that this was the first time he praised her, but this was still enough to make her blush.

Then she remembered, what Hayate said to her before on his "confession"; that he would feel very happy when he sees her smiling. Does this mean he wasn't really lying at all? The love part might be a lie, but this one isn't?

"What's wrong? Your face is all red. Oh, nevermind, I knew why." Alice said teasingly. Hinagiku wanted to glare at her for that, but in the end, she simply wanted to vanish right away. That's before she felt someone tugging on her pajamas' sleeve.

"You will stay here with me, won't you?" Alice looked at her with expectant eyes. "Please, Hina—No, not Hina—Mama?"

And there she called her "mama" again. If she started referring to Hayate as "Papa" she might die because of embarrassment.

The moon didn't seem to be gone anytime soon, and both girls are still unable to sleep, so they decided to stay there on the porch, and besides, the temperature outside was considerably less hot than the interior of the mansion.

"Mama, why did you like papa?

Yep, she said it. She asked that same question that Ayumu asked back then. Hinagiku decided to answer truthfully. After all, she promised not to tell him if she stays with her.

"I...you know...it was a love at the first sight. I...can't tell you further than that..." She replied almost the same reply she gave to Ayumu.

"I see..." Alice turned to stare at the sky again, her face indicates she was deep in thought.

"It took me long enough to realize that I was in love with him... It happens on my 16th birthday when he took me to the

balcony and showed me the view of the city. It was beautiful." Hinagiku said as the scene vividly replayed on her mind.

"I wonder...why you never wanted to tell him anything about your feelings. At least you will be free of one burden if you did." Alice said.

"...It's not that easy...I...I was afraid I'm going to lose him...afraid he's going to disappear from my life...And if that happens, I don't know what I should do..." Hinagiku sighed.

"And after all, he might be still thinking about his old girlfriend by now; how could I possibly take her place in his heart?" Hinagiku said, trying hard to hold a single tear as the scene on Athens replayed against her will.

"Mama, if someday he loves you back, it doesn't mean you have to take his former girlfriend's place. That place is hers, and for you, there will be another special place set aside just for you." Alice said.

Hinagiku was thoroughly surprised. "I...never thought that way before..." she admitted.

"So, it is too early to give up, mama," Alice said. Hinagiku remembered that Ayumu once said something so similar to console her broken heart. At this moment, with these words, her fondness to this little girl began to grow.

"Do you really think papa has no feelings for you? You're mistaken. Maybe not now, but one day, like you realize that you loved him, eventually he will realize his own feelings. The rest is up to you, whether you want to make it right or not..."

"I...I don't know, really..." Hinagiku stuttered. This revelation made her heart jumped in joy, but then it also gave her worries. What if Alice was wrong? She did seem wiser than her age may suggest, after all, she already managed to blackmail her.

"I...didnot know if I could ever tell him..." Hinagiku finally said after a long pause.

"Okay, it's up to you..but trust me, I knew him better than you imagined. Better than he himself, even." Alice said, smiling for seemingly the first time.

"Th...thank you..." Hinagiku replied softly.

"Hinagiku-san? A-tan?"

Both turned around and saw Hayate, who was smiling at them.

"How surprising to see both of you this close. But I suppose it was a good thing. Both of you can't sleep, huh?"

"It's hot inside, so we're cooling ourselves here...and we're watching the sky as well," Hinagiku explained, hoping the blush on her cheeks won't be seen by him.

"Join us here, you won't regret it, papa." Alice beckoned him to come and sit beside her.

Hayate's smile fades a bit, and his expression changed into a surprised one. But his smile returns quickly as he sat beside the little girl, and Hinagiku herself was trying to bring her heartbeat back to normal.

"The sky was stunningly beautiful tonight," Hayate commented as he too gazed skywards.

"Yeah, we already know that," Hinagiku replied.

"They're beautiful...just like someone...I wonder..." He said again. This caused Hinagiku's heart to beat uncontrollably again, just as she managed to calm down.

"Pa-pardon me?" She asked.

"Sorry, just a slip. I'm sorry, Hinagiku-san. Saying things without thinking."

Hinagiku decided that this is already too much for her to bear, and she concludes that she needs to get out of there as fast as possible.

"Sorry, you two, I need to go now." She stood up abruptly, covering her mouth with her palms, and swiftly went inside.

"What's wrong with Hinagiku-san?" Hayate said quizzically.

Alice didn't reply; instead, she stared at Hayate and his puzzled face. "I want mama back." She said. Hayate looked at her. "Go bring mama back here, papa."

Hayate's eyes widened, but soon he puts a determined look and said reassuringly, "Yes, right away." This brought him the memory of chasing her throughout the streets, also on Alice's command.

Meanwhile, Hinagiku stood in front of her room's door, flustered. She wanted to enter, but she felt bad for leaving Alice there.

'But Hayate is with her,' she said to herself.

'She wants to be with you.' a soft, gentle voice said.

"Ha-Hayate-kun!" Hinagiku almost jumped in surprise when she heard him spoke.

"A-tan...wants you to return." He said again.

"I...I...can't..." She looked hesitant; this started to look like that day, she thought. It didn't feel good.

"I...I...can't..." she said weakly.

"...why...?" He asked.

'What a dense thickheaded fool.' Hinagiku is starting to get increasingly irritated.

For the longest of time, neither was able to say anything, Hayate still waited for her answer, and she couldn't answer without embarrassing herself. So, in the end, there was only awkward silence between them.

"What took you two so long?" suddenly Alice appeared, breaking the silence.

"Come on, papa, mama, let's go back outside." She took both of their hands with hers. Hayate and Hinagiku looked at each other, and blushed; it seems that they have to go through that couple game again this time.

And so the three of them sat on the porch again, under the starlit sky, with Alice still holding onto their hands tightly, like a lost little girl who has found her parents. Only God knows what she's up to now.

"I think I want to sleep here tonight, under the stars and the moon..." she said with a big yawn and lay on the hardwood surface.

"Hey, don't sleep on a hard surface. I'll go get you a pillow and some sheets." Hayate said as he tried to stand up.

"No need to. Stay here." Alice tightened her grip on his hand, preventing him from standing up.

"And mama too, stay here with me." She also tightens her grip on her hand.

"Very well...I guess I'm going to sleep here tonight as well." Hinagiku also lay beside her. It doesn't feel uncomfortable, for some odd reason.

"And papa, this is your bedtime as well, so go to sleep," Alice said to Hayate.

"I guess so...I'm a bit tired..." He said as he too lay on the porch.

"Well, then...goodnight," Alice said.

Before the two are able to reply, suddenly both felt the other's hand on their own; Hayate and Hinagiku looked at their hands and saw their fingers linked together. They also saw Alice's little hands, and they concluded that this must be her doing. Alice herself was sleeping with a contented look.

"A-tan..." Hayate blushed fiercely. Hinagiku was left speechless.

"I'm sorry...Hinagiku-san...I don't think I can let go without waking her up..." Hayate said.

"..Don't...don't worry about it..." Hinagiku replied.

"I guess...tonight was okay...then..." Hayate said they looked at each other. As the night was bright, both could see the blush on the other's cheeks clearly. Hayate subconsciously tightened his grip on her hand.

Hinagiku smiled at him at him, which he returned.

"Yes, tonight...was okay."

"Good night, Hinagiku-san."

"Good night, Hayate-kun."

Note: This is an old story I made years ago, now reposted for archival purposes.