Wooow. Long chapter, hey? Oh well, what can you do, right? Anyway, don't expect Hayate to get too angsty just yet. (Sorry) He's err, stockpiling it. I'm in the process of writing that chapter now, actually. And boy, he's stuffed.

Anyway, don't want to spoil EVERYTHING for you…

*

There. He had said it. Now everybody knew. Or at least, everybody who mattered that didn't already know.

But he refused to get too depressed or guilty about it. The laws worked in his favour all the way. Some creep had gotten into a car drunk, run a red light, and smashed into the back of him. She had died just about instantly in Ryu's arms. Her body was simply too mangled for her to have survived. That was the one thing that had gone his favour that night. He didn't have to see her body. He would have cried. Even more then he had. Cried over the cheerful young blonde, who, even though she hadn't loved him, always cared for him until her last breath.

It hadn't been her fault. So he could have a clear-ish conscience. Although it was horrible that she had died, he hadn't let her death consume him.

Ryu on the other hand, had, to some extent. He managed to walk out of the crash basically physically unscathed, but an emotional wreck. After Irene's death, rumours had floated around for a while with his absence from school that he had been jailed for assault, down to attempting suicide because of her death. Hayate himself didn't believe any of it.

But both of them were okay, which was all that mattered. Surviving. To his surprise, Ryu hadn't tried blaming him once. Yes, he knew deep down that it hadn't been his fault, but if they had swapped places he probably would have wanted to blame somebody for the loss of his girlfriend. But then again, then was then. The past couldn't be changed.

He stopped thinking as the doorbell rang. Odd. They hadn't been expecting anyone. Perhaps it was one of those pushy door-to door salesmen. If it was, he was going to tell them to push off. Uncurling himself from the couch, he got up to answer the door, ready to slam it in the salesman's face.

But it wasn't a salesman. "Ryu?" he asked, surprised. "What are you doing here? I was about to slam the door in your face, because I thought that it was one of those people who try to flog you stuff,"

"Sorry to disappoint you," As he looked at his friend, he noticed that he had taken the sling off. Even he knew that for a dislocated shoulder, that wasn't the brightest thing to do, but here it was, done. "I was wondering…"

"Who's at the door, Hayate?" his father asked from the kitchen.

"Nobody important," he said, flashing a grin at his friend, who rolled his eyes back.

"What you consider important or what I consider important?" came the voice from the kitchen.

"Both,"

"Thanks," Ryu murmured sarcastically. "You make me feel so welcome,"

"My job isn't to nurse your ego, Ryu. What's up?"

There was a pause. "I was wondering if you would like to accompany me for a walk. I… I felt like talking to someone,"

"Why didn't you talk to Jann-Lee or someone?" Hayate asked. The glare he got was enough to send him cowering. "Hey, you want me to 'accompany' you, as you say, so be nice. Don't use the word 'accompany', though. Sounds like you want to court me or something,"

"Credit me with some taste," Ryu retorted.

There was silence.

"One point to me," Ryu shrugged. "So? Coming?"

"You stole my line," Hayate frowned. "I suppose I can forgive you for that… just this once,"

"Who's at the door?" It was Kasumi's voice.

"Your life-long crush," he responded, deadpan.

There was a squeal.

"Orlando Bloom?"

"Hell no," Ryu had buried his head in his hands to stop any laughter from seeping out at the wrong time. There was the sound of pattering footsteps as the young girl came to the door, and gasped as she saw who was there.

"Oh, Hayabusa! Umm… hello,"

"Good evening, Kasumi," Yep, he could tell that his friend was trying not to laugh by his tone of voice. Kasumi probably couldn't, though. She was slowly turning a nice shade of crimson by this stage, and kept shooting him daggers. He shook his head at her.

"Nice work, Kasumi,"

"Oh, shut up, brother!" she backhanded him lightly on the cheek. "You're horrible! So, umm… Hayabusa… what brings you to… umm… our doorstep?"

"Nothing painful, I assure you,"

By this stage, Ayane had come out to see what the commotion was, and taken in Ryu standing there, along with Kasumi blushing heavily and he trying to stifle his laughter, and added it up perfectly. "Oh, hey, Hayabusa,"

"Hello, Ayane. Did you enjoy the math homework?"

She snorted. "Hell no. I was hoping you could do it for me,"

Hayate raised an eyebrow. He could see what was going on.

"I suppose I could," an amused expression crossed his friend's face. "But it will cost you,"

"What is going on here?"

At the sound of his father's voice, everyone turned to see Father there, smiling. "You lot are the loudest bunch I have ever seen,"

"Don't you mean 'heard'?" he asked, ducking to avoid the good-natured swat at his head.

"Whatever. Ryu, come in. Don't just stand on the doorstep like that,"

"Thankyou, but actually Hayate and I were just about to go out. If that's alright,"

His father nodded. "Just don't be back too late. You've got school tomorrow,"

Kasumi looked rather crestfallen at this. Ayane, meanwhile, was fine.

"Bye, Hayabusa, Hayate. Make sure you come back and…" she gestured with her hand to indicate maths homework.

Ryu nodded. "Of course,"

"I was right!" he smirked as they walked down the driveway. "She does have a thing for you! Who would have thought, my two midget sisters both having a crush on my best friend?"

Ryu shook his head. "I think you are mistaken,"

He waved a finger condescendingly at his friend. "I know that I am not mistaken, Ryu. She is flirting shamelessly. Although, subtly, but shamelessly. And you're reciprocating, even if you're not meaning to,"

"You thrive on the imaginary," Ryu flicked his ponytail over his shoulder carelessly, and was about to keep on walking until Hayate gave his friend's hair a quick tug, which stopped him in his tracks. "What was that for?" he asked, turning around, emerald eyes boring into him questioningly.

"It was there and asking for it," Hayate shrugged. "It's what I do to Kasumi when she's annoying, tug her hair. Can't do it to Ayane because her hair's too short, but yours I can do,"

His friend gave him a bemused look, before pulling the tie out of it. "Don't do it again. Otherwise you leave me no option but to tug yours back,"

"Hang on," Hayate waved a hand before Ryu could re-tie his hair. "Gee. That's long,"

"Hmm," was the only comment he got as his friend tied his hair back up.

"Like, Kasumi-long,"

"Great,"

"I'll have to start treating you like my other little sister!" Hayate exclaimed, shooting a smile over at his friend.

"No,"

"Yes,"

"No,"

"Yes,"

"I'm older then you. How can you treat me like your little sister?" Ryu shook his head and kept on walking, Hayate easily keeping up beside him.

"Quite easily. You want me to show you?"

"No,"

"Yes,"

"You're so juvenile,"

"No,"

"Yes,"

"No. Say, didn't you want to talk to me about something?"

There was a pause. "Don't change the subject,"

"Well, you know I'm going to win the argument, so don't even try. But seriously, didn't you say that you wanted to talk when you came over?"

Another pause. Then finally, "Yes, there was,"

"Well, go for it. Hit me with all you got. Figuratively, not literally,"

A short, bitter laugh. "I've had more then enough of hitting people for a while,"

"Thought so. So, shoot,"

"I wish,"

Hayate stopped, observing his friend with what he wanted to be a wounded expression, but ended up being a trying-to-be-melancholy-and-failing-miserably expression. "That cut deep, Ryu. Never thought you could be as harsh as that, but you proved me wrong,"

"You'll live," was the deadpan response. "I was wondering…"

He could tell that the conversation was getting serious. "Yes?"

"Would you like to come over?"

He paused. "You know what? I think that's the first time ever you've asked me that,"

There was another bitter laugh. "Yes, that was for a reason,"

"Oh? Afraid I'll stink up your house?"

"Something like that,"

"Yeah, okay. As long as you supply the plastic gloves to stop Hayate-germs from getting all over everything,"

"Very funny,"

He didn't know what exactly he had been expecting, but from the outside it was just an ordinary house. Inside, it was a well-furnished, but ordinary house. Ryu led him straight up the stairs. Upstairs was completely different from downstairs. It was a more traditional, comfortable but formal area, a complete contrast from the modern furnishings downstairs.

"Who furnished up here?" He just had to know.

"…Mother,"

Okay. Leave that there. "It's really nice. Where's your room?"

"Just through here. I apologise for the mess,"

Or lack of. He stepped through the doorway expecting it to be like his messy, as in bomb-hit-room messy. There was basically nothing, except for a math textbook in the doorway and some other books scattered beside the bed. "Oh yeah, really messy, Ryu,"

As before, he hadn't known what to expect, but this was completely not what he would have expected. It was simple but effective, with blacks and whites mostly, the colours contrasting to maximum effect.

"Nice decorating," he mused as he looked around. Few, but not sparse furnishings. A desk in the far corner, frighteningly tidy. Bed in other corner. Stereo against wall. Big stereo.

"Thanks. Sit down," Ryu gestured, sitting on the desk-chair. He sat down on the bed.

"Hmm. Bouncy,"

"Please don't,"

"Fine…"

Silence. He took that as an opportunity to look around some more. It was strange, even though they were in Ryu's territory, so to speak, he didn't look any more comfortable. In fact, he looked slightly uneasy. Although that could just have been because of him.

"Hey, what's this?" he picked up something from the desk. Long and thin and cold.

"It bites,"

"No it doesn't," Hayate rolled his eyes. "Oh, it's…" he took a closer look. "Oh! It's an instrument! I didn't know you played an instrument,"

"Now you do," was the simple response. "We can't be too long. Father will be back soon,"

"So?" Was he missing something, or did it just seem like that? "Does that matter?"

"Yes," Ryu's voice was so soft. "Back to before. I wanted to talk to you. Is that alright?"

"Of course," he was confused by this stage. "Why wouldn't it be? I mean, I complain to you about everything. You're more then welcome to, as well,"

Ryu took a breath. "Okay,"

What he was going to say was interrupted by a door slamming shut downstairs. Ryu immediately jumped to his feet. "Oh, god. Father's back,"

"So?" Hayate still didn't get it, but he didn't have a chance to comprehend it.

"Wait here," Before he could say a word, Ryu had gone. Just like that.

He usually didn't rely on his sixth sense, but this time the feeling that something bad was going to happen was too great to ignore.

*

Hey, two lots of notes! This note is about… *drum roll* the relationship (friendship only, of course :P) between our two favourite ninjas.

It may seem a bit OOC, but I'm trying to capture what they could/would (honestly don't know) if they didn't have to put up with being all ninja-ish and cliché. And besides, it makes an interesting (albeit sometimes odd and OOC) story. Sorry if this is bugging anyone. ^^