Quick notes again! Gouki, yup, Kasumi ran out. Here's a dance bit… they do dance! How could I not make them dance? But… next chapter, at least… don't forget Raidou, he's still got a little bit of a tricky up his sleeve… moo ha! Oh, and yes, I stole Raphael's (SCII) quote, so eat me! Actually, don't. ^_^

*

"Perhaps you were a bit harsh on her, Hayate…" Hitomi was blinking sky-blue eyes nervously, looking at him. "She only meant the best…"
"Yes, I don't doubt that. It just… probably wasn't the best thing to do, you know?"

He was hoping that Ryu and his sisters wouldn't start a fight out there, but didn't want to abandon Hitomi again. She looks absolutely beautiful. Whether or not I did actually decide to date her because she reminded me so much of Irene, she's different too. She's a different sort of innocent, a different sort of beautiful.

"Hayate?" her questioning tone brought him back to reality with a start. "The first song's about to start…"

She was blushing. He smiled gently. "Well, in that case, let us dance,"

"Arsehole," she muttered under her breath. "Just ups off and disappears. When I wanted a dance, mores to the point!"

She glanced up at the sound of footsteps.

Yeah. Arsehole. Not only does he nick off when I want a dance, he always comes back whenever I think about him. Arsehole.

He entered the room and walked across to her, making the simple walking motion seem so… scarily elegant. "Seeing as I have now escorted your sister home, we have the whole evening to ourselves, if you will it so,"

Will it so. Sounded so elegant. "Well, considering the shit you put me through, the least you can offer me is a dance. Although, you're too late. I've danced with Hayate already. So the best you do is upstage that, I guess,"

"You danced with Hayate?" A flicker of amusement flashed across his face. "In that case, I suppose that there is nothing for me to do except make him look… deficient,"

"In English?" she asked above the sounds of the song.
"Bad," he informed her as they walked onto the dance floor.

When they were out there, he paused.

"Would you like to lead?"

She was mentally grinning, but still surprised. "Why do you ask?"

He smiled faintly. "Because of your domineering nature. It would not surprise me if you preferred to take control even in dancing,"

"Well, if you insist,"

She knew it. As always, he was a good dancer. But dancing was one of her stronger points, and she could hold her own at least this time.

Yes. For once, I'm not inferior.

"One point to me," she smirked as the last notes of the song played.

He's let me take a look inside at him. Let me understand him just a little better. It's scary how much of a difference that makes to me.

And he even let me lead.

It was the next day. No more stupid formals to worry about. Two hundred and fifty bloody dollars for one measly night. And my first dance was with Hayate, for crying out loud! Damn Hayabusa had to nick off when I wanted the first dance… I guess even I can't hold a grudge against him forever. Arsehole. So perfect that even me… me! The grudge queen! Can't hold a grudge against him. Damn… I hate perfect people. Especially when we're all sleeping in the lounge room together…

Nothing erotic. Simply Hayate had invited Hayabusa to stay the night, he had accepted, and there they were, all four of them camping out in the lounge room. Her on the opposite side of the room to Kasumi, naturally. Now it was morning, and the sun's rays shone in through the window as she sat up, stretching and rubbing her eyes.

She glanced down at movement to see an unusual sight.

"Okay, what is this, mass-orgy, forget about Ayane time?" she grumbled upon seeing Hayabusa, Hayate, and Kasumi all curled up, together, mores to the point, still asleep. "Fine. I'll show the lot of you. And Hayabusa. You big fat liar. You can claim all you want, but I know. Claim, claim, claim… but you're bloody sleeping with him! And Kasumi! Dirty boy,"

The only response was a soft murmur from someone. Sounded like Hayate.

She smirked, upon re-entering the room with a big jug of cold water.

"Wakey wakey, suckers!"

"Ayane!" Hayate was glowering at her. However, she couldn't help but snicker.

"Good morning, Hayate!" she proclaimed innocently. "Why… you look all wet!"

"Very funny," Kasumi muttered, wringing her hair to get the water out of it, watching despondently as several drips fell to the carpet. "Did you have to do that?"

"Good morning, Ayane," Hayabusa said, sounding more cheerful then she had ever heard, wringing his hair. There is a political flaw with a guy having to do that… she mused mentally.

"You slept with a guy. You dirty, dirty boy," she waved a finger condescendingly at him.

Hayabusa turned to Hayate, who shrugged. "Well… it was a pretty tiring night…" Hayate started, trailing off pointedly, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, that was completely uncalled for!"

Kasumi started laughing into her hand. "Didn't have to know that,"

"Well, you asked for it…" Hayate shrugged again. "Oh well. No matter… kind of odd, actually, considering we started over there…" he pointed to the other side of the room.

"Over-avid, I suppose," Hayabusa did that genteel roll of the eyes she had seen on the first day she had met him.

"Shut up, both of you!" she roared. "I don't need or want to hear about your sex life!"

"What on earth is going on?" a voice asked from the door. All four of them turned to see a grumpy looking Ayame standing at the door. "Could you please keep it down, Ayane?"

"Me? I wasn't the one going at it until the early hours of the morning…" she muttered to nobody in particular.

"Sorry," Hayabusa said.

Hayate snorted most inelegantly.

"What?" Hayabusa implored innocently.

"Don't worry," Hayate raised an eyebrow. "I'll tell you… later,"

She narrowed her eyes.

"I wish I had never brought it up,"

"Consider it a valuable lesson," Hayabusa suggested. "The perfect incentive for you to keep your mouth shut in future, Ayane,"

"You know, I'm starting to think you two really aren't joking… are you sure you haven't taken acting lessons?"

"Whatever…"

*