Okay. A few author's notes for this chapter. Firstly, this chapter (well, the fight-scene bit of the chapter) is dedicated to LC Wolf and anyone else who is a Hayate fan and reads this story, and wanted him to get his hands dirty. Probably now is a good time to re-state that this story is mainly about Ayane and Hayabusa, and perhaps anything eventual happening between the two, and Hayate's actually only in this story because you can't have a story with Ayane and Hayabusa without Hayate, but you guys wanted it, so you guys got it.

A fight scene, with Hayate. Sorry if it's short, but I wrote it in about fifteen minutes, so it's allowed to be. Yeah? And there will be more Hayate fighting later… as always. When it happens it happens, but not until then.

Another thing… the cussing takes a step up in this chapter. I doubt the rating needs to be changed or anything like that, but the swearing will get gradually worse from this chapter on. Darn Lexy used it once and it's popped up more and more ever since. So.

Sorry if I sound a bit bitchy, by the way, it isn't supposed to come across that way. Just I'm feeling a little bit, umm… 'blergh' because school starts tomorrow. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

*

"Okay," she stated, turning to both Ryu and Hayate. "It's like, the day before this gay formal thing or something. I haven't got a dress yet. Apparently I'm going with you, Hayabusa. So it is your honourable duty to come along and help me pick something to wear, otherwise it's the garbage bag,"

"Personally, I'm going for the garbage bag," Hayate said seriously.

"You're coming, dickhead, so don't get cocky," she snapped.

Hayate's eyes, chocolate brown in the light, widened. "Me too?"

"Uh huh, you too. Come on, bitch. I hate shopping, so we can all have a time of hell together. Meet you at that weird formal shop downtown after school, okay? I need to go and have a ciggie before we get there. Stupid hole,"

He was walking back to his house the long way, through the town, not quite ready to face his father again just yet after his outburst. He glanced at his watch. There was enough time for him to have a bit of a stroll before he 'had' to be down helping Ayane buy something for the formal, and he was in the right area, basically. Forgot about that. Won't have to go home just yet. Ryu should be coming soon. Wish he would hurry up. It's kind of lonely walking along by yourself; even though he doesn't make the greatest conversationalist, he's better then nothing, which is what I have right now. Nothing and no-one…

He had forgotten that the street, or alley, he was walking down, although a short-cut, tended to draw thugs and the like. 

"Money for the poor," a teenager, dressed up in leather clothes and spiked hair interrupted his thoughts, sticking out a hand in his face.

"You have clothes. Be grateful for small mercies," he muttered and went to head off.

"No, pussy. Money for the freaking poor. You haven't given me money," a hand grabbed his shirt. He grabbed the teenager's wrist and twisted it around, tearing the hand off his shirt.

"You're fooling with the wrong person. I'm in a bad mood and wouldn't hesitate to bash you,"

"Hayate?" Ryu's voice surprised him. Obviously his friend had caught up, having ducked into a shop somewhere to get… something. He didn't know what.

"Who's this? Your boyfriend?" the teenager asked, sneering. He didn't have to turn around to feel the withering look that his friend would have plastered on his face at this moment in time.

He narrowed his eyes. "I've told you, whether it chooses to sink into your thick skull or not. I am not in the mood, and quite willing to beat you up here and now. Got it?"

"You try it," Three more equally leathered and spiked teenagers appeared next to the first, one carrying, and flicking, a pocket-knife. "Try it and you'll be screwed before you can cry mercy. Just give me your money and then you can go,"

"Go fuck yourself," he hissed. Wow, must be in a bad mood if I'm sounding like Ayane. Worse, even. Before any more rational thoughts could come into his head, he lunged at the knife guy.

"Hayate…" he made a face. Great. What's the bet Rachel's going to hear about this, too?

"Ryu, don't just stand there, you lazy ass, help!" Hayate yelled, before dropping to the ground like a stone as the knife whizzed harmlessly over his head. Lucky for him he has good instincts and reactions; otherwise he would be less a head.

Another of the teenagers went over to help the knife-guy, and he mentally winced as two of them stopped in front of him. What did I do?

"You're going down, shit-head," the first teenager said. He narrowed his eyes at them.

"So eloquent, I see. Are you planning on using the money to get an education?"

"Shut the hell up!" A fist flew harmlessly past him. They've probably managed to survive on brawn most of their lives. But they lack any real skill. Not that I'm overly skilled, but…

Meanwhile, Hayate was doing something more then nothing, having just kicked the knife-teen to the ground and ground his foot into the teenager's stomach.

"Just stop it, asshole!" he grabbed the teenager's knife hand, wrestling the knife to the ground, before grabbing the wrist and hitting it against the ground so that the teen lost grip and the knife slid harmlessly out. He seized it and turned to face the other teenager who had been trying to sneak up on him. "One wrong move and this will be in your stomach. I swear,"

The teenager ignored him, swinging a fist. He quickly moved out of the way, and the first teenager ended up punching the second.

"You dick! What the fuck did you do that for?"

"The little shit moved! Not my fault!"

"Yeah, sorry, it was mine," he quickly stepped in next to the arguing teenagers, smirked, before grasping their heads and whacking them together with a solid thump. Both of the teenagers instantly fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish," he muttered, opening the nearest bin, dropping the pocket-knife into it, before turning back to see exactly what Ryu was doing.

Darn it… his hair fell forward into his face. Tossing it back in annoyance, he only just had time to duck. A second later and he would have been hit in the side of the head.

Suddenly, he heard a voice calling his name. Hayate.

He ducked again, before feigning left. The first teenager moved, and it was then he was able to seize the teenager, before pushing him backwards, straight to Hayate. A cocky smirk adorned his friend's face. "You're going down,"

With that, Hayate simply used both fists to punch the first teenager, sending him stumbling backwards into the second. They both fell down in an ungainly heap, before getting up furiously, pride hurt more then anything else.

"Now what?" he had moved backwards, so that Hayate could hear what he was saying, even though he was speaking softly. His friend looked at him sceptically.

"What do you think we do? We beat them!"

The first teenager lunged at Hayate, the second one bellowing and charging towards him. Before the youth could lash out at him, however, he simply flipped up, vaulting over the teenager's shoulders, before grasping the youth's neck, jerking it backwards and letting him fall to the ground, out for the count.

"Ryu! Over here!"

Hayate did a spinning kick, one that sent the teenager sprawling. As the teenager made to get up, his friend dove in, and with two swift punches sent the teenager sprawling, straight towards him. He jumped backwards, so that the youth fell at his feet, before seizing the nearest leg and using his body weight to push it backwards.

Silence, as both of them stood, quietly observing the fallen teenagers.

"We probably should go, now," Hayate offered finally. "Before anyone comes,"

He nodded. "Off to the formal dress shop,"

Hayate laughed bitterly. "Just another chapter in my life,"

Well, there he was at another formal dress shop, with not only Ayane trying on dresses, but Tina and Hitomi giving advice as well.

"Hmm…" Tina mused. "You have to make sure it's the right colour purple, otherwise it'll clash with your hair. Badly,"

He glanced across at Hayate, who was examining the dresses.

"What about this?" his friend asked, holding a blue strapless dress. Tina shook her head.

"You want to look for something mild, that brings out the colour of her eyes and doesn't clash with her hair. I'm surprised that the school hasn't said something, actually. They don't usually allow, err… purple hair,"

"Oh well. I must be special," Ayane said airily. "Besides, Hayate, that dress is too long. I'll trip on it. Remember, I am shorter then you,"

"God, Hayate!" Tina laughed. "Ay would need to grow about eight inches before she'd fit into that thing!"

He blinked, before backing away suddenly as an evil smirk made its way onto his friend's face.

"Don't even think about it,"

"You're about five ten, aren't you, Ryu?" Hayate asked innocently.

"Umm, Hayate, you have missed one factor in the equation, I'm not female. That's a dress. Dresses are for females," he protested. "Hayate!"

"Have a bit of fun once in your life," his 'friend' laughed, as Tina and Ayane began egging him on. "Yeah, go on, Hayabusa. I'm sure you'd look cute!" the blonde laughed.

"Yeah, have a bit of fun, you dork," Ayane added.

"No, no, and no," he said, backing into the wall. Damn. This is unbelievable! Not only do I get put through formal dress shopping again, Hayate wants me to have some 'fun' by putting on a dress, and two out of the three girls agree with him! He turned to Hitomi pleadingly, but she simply giggled.

"That'd be funny,"
No… he dropped his head into his hands. Somebody save me!

"Err, that shop assistant is looking at us strangely," he blurted out.

"Go ahead if you really want, sir," she said, a bemused smile on her face.

Damn, damn, DAMN!

"Pay me twenty dollars," he said finally. Hayate was so unyielding with money; there was no chance of him handing it over…

Hayate proffered a twenty dollar note. He swore aloud, much to everybody's amusement.

"You're not supposed to do that!" he exclaimed in frustration. He turned back to the shop assistant, who was now trying to hold in her laughter. "I don't want to. Can you stop them?"

She simply smiled at him. I think she's enjoying my discomfort, he thought bitterly.

"Fifty dollars," he said finally.

Hayate made a face. "No way. Wait…"

"Hang on," Tina said, fishing in her pocket. "I'll chuck in ten,"

"Me too," Hitomi added. "What about you, Ayane?"

He looked over pleadingly at her. Please don't, Ayane, please don't…

"I can't believe this," she muttered. "Fine, I'll do ten,"

"No!" he shouted. "You're not supposed to do that!"

*