A/N: Hello! This is my first ever Hayate The Combat Butler fic, requested by 00Mina-san. I welcome constructive criticism with wide arms. For example, "The proper syntax has not been used in line number 47", "You misspelled 'hamburger'", "The dialogue does not suit the situation", etc. Rants do not count as criticism and will not be entertained. For example, "Stfu! Athena x Hayate ftw! Die haterz!", "Go to hell! Ayumu x Hinagiku ftw!", "Rot u pig! Klaus x Tama ftw!", etc.
I apologize beforehand for any canon errors you notice in my fic. Actually, I had not read the manga or seen the anime before I received the request for this story. When I decided to give this a try, I watched the first season of the anime and did some research. My information is limited in a lot of ways. Things you need to know about this story:
-This takes place (supposedly) after the end of the manga.
-Nagi is 18 years old in this fic and still unaware that Hayate actually wanted to kidnap her.
-She may seem a bit OOC, but that's because she has matured a bit in all these years.
-She has regained the vast Sanzenin fortune.
-She broke up her engagement with Wataru.
Anyway, I hope that you will like the story. Feedback is always appreciated. Thank you. :D

Nagi (to Hayate): I should call you whenever I feel like it, right?

[Nagi speaks…]

"Let go off me, you filthy creep!", I shriek as loud as I can. But my attacker has already tied my hands behind my back. I struggle to kick him but I am too slow and he blocks me efficiently. I can't see his face which is hidden by a kerchief wrapped around it. But, I can clearly see the lust in his eyes. I flinch at the intense stare directed at me. There is no one in the alley too. My eyes widen in horror as I hear him unzip his pants. Oh god, no… Desperately, I send my SOS, "HAYATE!"
The pervert slaps me a bit too hard, "Shut up, you little bitch!". He turns me over with force and pushes my body against a damp wall. I am already crying by now. 'Hayate, please… please, save me. Hayate, please'. WHAM! I poke my head up as a familiar presence fills the air. It is him! My Hayate! I turn around to look at him. I am too stunned to say anything. So, I just watch my boyfriend beat the crap out of that jerk! Yeah! Boy, Hayate can sure be menacing when I am in danger. He is kicking and punching the lecher as if he is a frigging punching bag which you could throw on the floor and stomp on. I watch them in silence for five minutes, which is all the time Hayate consumes to knock out that creep. He turns around and our eyes meet. I burst into tears, "Hayate!". As soon as he unties my hands, I hug him tightly. "You came… you came to save me. Oh, Hayate, I was so scared!". He pats my head and tries to move away a little, "I was scared too. Are you alright, Mistress?". "I am now", I don't let go off him. But, why is he trying to move away from me? It strikes me then. I am not a little girl anymore and my breasts are touching Hayate's chest. Embarrassed, I let go of him and take a step back. I timidly look up at him and can't help breaking into a smile. Hayate looks so cute when blushing. He soon regains his composure and extends a hand towards me. "Shall we go home now?", his sincere smile. I love that smile! I nod happily.

My useless unit of bodyguards carries the rapist jerk to the police. Hayate and I sit in a black limousine which will take us back to the mansion. I watch the view outside the window. Normally, I would have thought it was boring. But after all these years, I realize that those dimly lit streets and those 'poor' areas had a much more meaningful story behind them. They were home to many. Lots of people and lots of memories. I find it very intriguing how life changes you with every surprise. A few years ago, I was a selfish, insecure, stubborn little girl surrounded by people who had devoted themselves to look after me. Nothing much has changed though, has it? It has, actually. I have learned to appreciate the small things life offers us every day. I have become so enchanted by the beauty of everything around me that I am going to join an art school this year. I have finished my university exams and it's such a relief. I am going to study at the best Art School in New York. And that too with Hayate! He is going to enroll in a business school there. Thankfully, his English has improved significantly over the years. We are just waiting for our results to be declared. Once that is done, we can apply for the Art School and the Business School. It's going to be amazing. Me and Hayate, in America.

I look back at Hayate who has been quiet all this while. I sigh and say,
"I am sorry. I shouldn't have gone out alone like that"
"This is the 17th time in this month that some pervert has tried to harass you. Your popularity among lechers and young men is growing immensely and is now equal to that of your kidnappers. You should be more careful, Miss Nagi"
"Look, I am really sorry. I just did it because that stupid Wataru said I was a scaredy cat. He said that I couldn't even get home alone by myself. I was pretty confident that my sense of direction had improved over the years, but turns out, it hasn't"
"I had told you to call me when you wanted to come home"
"I said that I am sorry. Come on, Hayate. And hey, how did you even find me?"
"It's the new Locate Miss Nagi software which Ms. Makimura has developed at the lab. Did you forget about it?"
"No, not really. Anyway, thank you for saving me again, Hayate"
"It's my pleasure. But, you really need to listen to me, Mistress. You are not a child anymore", he looked away.

He has been saying that a lot lately. Could it be that Hayate is jealous of all the male attention I am getting? I can't blame him for that. Ever since I hit puberty, I have been growing rapidly. I am now the youngest yet the tallest girl in my class. Not a midget anymore, nuh-uh. Also, my feminine assets have been developing too. And my hair has never been longer and silkier! I am pretty full of myself, I am aware of that. Yet, Hayate has not changed at all. He is 21 years old now, but he still has those girly features. But, he seems more buff than his teen years. I am just glad that he doesn't treat me like a child anymore. Losing the Sanzenin fortune was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. After Hayate, of course. We had to move into a small apartment, face hardships like normal people and learn things useful for survival! Two people never left my side even in times of crisis – my dearest Maria and my lovely Hayate. Living there with these two taught me a great deal. In fact, it has shaped me into a better person. I do feel like throwing a tantrum every now and then. But, I don't do it. Because on my 18th birthday, Hayate said to me, "You have turned out to be very mature, Mistress. And I am really proud of the person you have become". I do not want to change his opinion about that. Ever. He has been with me through times thick and thin. He even helped me regain the stupid Sanzenin fortune by finding a King's jewel, as I had broken the one I possessed in order to protect Athena. The sweetest thing is – Hayate did it for me. He did not expect any favor in return. I even told him that he was free of his debt now, but he refused to leave, just as I thought he would. So, we finally got 'home' and resumed our old lives. It still feels like a dream, but one that came true.

Meanwhile, we reach home soon and I get out of the car. "Careful", Hayate holds up my golden locks which are about to be stuck in the car door. It has been a big, tiring day. I just want to get into my jammies and doze off.

I wake up at 2:00 am, hungry and famished. I had a quick dinner and a long sermon by Maria before I went to sleep. My stomach growls. "Must… find… food", I sigh. I think about waking up Maria to bring me something to eat, but I choose not to. I am a big girl now and big girls don't depend on others for everything. They get their own food from the refrigerator! Yes. I smile. Maria will be so proud when I tell her about this in the morning. I put on my fluffy sneakers and take a step away from the bed. Ugh. My stomach hurts. I keep walking and stop only when I see a shadow. Maria's shadow. I look back at the bed to see that she is not there. What could she be doing so late at night? I move a bit forward and see that she is talking to Hayate. I quickly hide behind the door. Hayate is saying,
"I am sorry to disturb you, but I couldn't wait till morning to discuss it. It's killing me"
"I am sorry, I forgot. What is it?"
"It's about Miss Nagi. I told you"
"Oh. That…"

My heart skips a beat. Is he planning something for just me and him? That would be so awesome! I listen attentively,
"I just feel so guilty. I can't keep lying to her anymore"
"But, you are not lying, Hayate. You are just hiding the truth"
"It's wrong. Miss Nagi deserves to know the truth"

Wha… Is he going to break up with me?! But, why?!
"Look, Hayate. You know how Nagi is. She might not be a brat anymore, but she is still very sensitive. She won't trust you ever again if you tell her the truth"
"I didn't even know that was how she had analyzed our first meeting! She thinks that I love her, although the truth is that I wanted to use her…"
"Hayate…"
"I was so desperate that I wanted to kidnap her! She interpreted my words differently and saved me from my horrible life. Am I not violating her trust now, Maria? I am not who she thinks I am. I am just a jerk taking advantage of the Mistress' feelings for me. She saved me! And I just 'used' her"

I wonder if someone can pin point the exact moment when their heart breaks into a thousand pieces. I can. It was that moment for me. He said that he never loved me. Hayate said he never loved me.
"He… he never… loved me?", I murmur, over and over. I do not want to hear anything else. Tears flowing out of my eyes, I run to my room. He doesn't love me, he never did.