We're nearly finished! I don't know about you, but I am sad to see this nearly finished, but at the same time happy because of the current percentage I have of finishing stories… it isn't very high. Gouki, sorry, but I wrote this story a while ago and can't really change it now… maybe I'll write an alternative ending with a bit more originality ^^;

They both pounced on him immediately the minute he stepped foot into the courtyard.

"Where'd you go?" Ayane asked. "You idiot," she muttered under her breath.

"What's going on?" Hayate demanded. Ryu held up his hands in protest.

"You wanted to speak to me about important business, didn't you? How is anything like this important?"

Those were exactly the wrong words to say. Ayane grew still, and Hayate looked down at his friend in surprise.

"You tell a girl you love her then say it isn't important? You don't do that, Ryu,"

"What would you know about love?" Ryu retorted. "The only people who have ever loved you are either dead or you've thrown their love back in their faces," he snapped, thinking of the orange-haired kunoichi who had been banished from her clan by the person who he she had run away to find and avenge.

The courtyard fell silent. Even the birds stopped chirping. Ryu felt a sudden pang of guilt at what he had said but this soon disappeared with the anger that Hayate expressed and vented at him.

"You wouldn't know much more then I would, after letting your girlfriend die, I would say that I know more then you. And she was probably the only person that even gave a damn about you in the first place,"

The words hit Ryu like blows raining down on him. He flinched before opening his mouth to make an even more cutting comment, but before he could, he was interrupted.

"Cut it out!" Ayane exclaimed, her voice audible in the silence. "Shut your holes, both of you!"

Ryu was sorely tempted to turn on her, but he didn't. He was still furious, and yes, upset by the comment that Hayate had made. Even though he had been the one to open his mouth first.

"Ryu," Ayane said softly, with more sincerity then he had ever heard from her before. "Stop it. Why are you acting like this?" There was an undercurrent in her tone which he noted but didn't understand what it was.

"…Why?" he asked obstinately. Hayate had his arms folded, the picture of stubbornness. Ryu carefully avoided looking at him again. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No, not really," Ayane said. "Your expression is exactly the same as it always is,"

Oh. Well, who really cared? He wasn't here to get his expression judged by the world to see how much emotion it expressed, or some rubbish like that. He had told her as close to how he felt that he could, and she had told Hayate, which had made the whole incident into a much bigger mess then it could have been. Emotions do make you weak. I was right all the time. I should just stick to the personality required for my day job. He thought to himself bitterly.

"What about Irene?" Hayate asked the question he had been waiting for, for so long, still with a note of anger in his voice. But at least now, now… he finally had an answer to it.

"Irene… is dead. I will never forget her because she was my first love. But she wouldn't want me to mourn her and not get on with my own life. She would want me to live my life for the both of us, and enjoy it. So I am going to try and do that as much as I possibly can," he said softly.

"So does getting on with your life mean dating Ayane?" Hayate asked, his bad mood disappearing instantly. Ayane tried to avoid eye contact with either of them while Ryu flushed slightly.

"If she is willing," he said finally. No use in denying the feelings the whole world seemed to know. She looked up at him in surprise. Obviously she hadn't been expecting him to say that.

"You know, for a stuck-up, cliché, emotionless little ninja, you're not bad," she muttered.

Ryu was going to retort 'For a bitchy, menstrual, revenge-crazy kunoichi you aren't either' but thought that it might have a bad effect. Not to mention Hayate would have a field day. He decided to keep his mouth shut on that question, responding only with a simple "Thanks," and thinking how can she call me little when I'm about eight inches taller then her?