Chapter 4: Feelings Emerge

Hayate walked out into the huge garden that was in the Awayuki Mansion. The garden was soothing, with miles of green grass, deep crimson red rose bushes and tall cherry blossom tree's all around. The sound of birds were chirping in the far distance could be heard, the sun was still shining brightly, the cool breeze had died down slightly, so the rays of the sun could be felt more.

'Where could she be...' said Hayate to himself, while looking around.

He then looked to his right and saw something orangey-pink looking sticking up from by the small pond. He knew it was Himeno straight away.

"There you are tulip head...." He said to himself quietly.

He began to walk closer, walked over the freshly cutgrass. He finally reached Himeno, who was sitting down facing the pond, but as he came closer, he could hear sobbing...

As he sat down beside her, Himeno, realising Hayate was there, quickly picked up her arm and wiped her tears away with her orange sleeve.

"What do you want?" she asked Hayate coldly.

"Nothing...have you been crying?"

"Well, yes I have rocket scientist!" replied Himeno sarcastically.

Hayate frowned. He hated when people acted sarcastically towards him. Straightening himself up, he faced Himeno properly looking concerned.

"May I ask what about?" he asked.

"About everything..." said Himeno painfully admitted "every little thing that has happened to me from becoming the Pretear, all the stress, all the danger, the fear, everything". Himeno now had tears streaming down her face, she quickly wiped them away again with her damp sleeve from when she was previously crying.

Hayate's eyes softened, he felt deeply sorry for Himeno. Though he has his fair share of stress of being a Leafe Knight, he doesn't know the pressure Himeno is under and being threatened by Fenrir.

"Well...Himeno, this is difficult for me...we need you, your cant stop being the Pretear, its your will, its your destiny, its..."

"Its stupid that's what it is!" said Himeno rationally cutting off Hayate's words. Hayate looked at her with his blue wide-opened eyes. He had never seen her this angry, and this distressed.

"Look at me now Hayate!" said Himeno, standing up hysterically with more tears falling down her pale delicate face. Her amber eyes were looking very watery and strained. "Look, whats happening to me, I never used to be this angry or sad...it's killing me, no one understands, not even talking to Sasame, Goh and everyone never helped. I'm alone...I'm ALONE!" she screamed "...the only person, who understands me probably...Fenrir" she added looking down at the ground.

"Himeno, your being dramatic..." said Hayate trying to reassure her.

"I'm being dramatic? do you know what happens to me when I sleep at night...I have dreams, of my death, my destruction, and then I see Fenrir...laughing over me, I have dreams of you all dying, my family...my friends...the world... do you know what that is like Hayate...its terrifying!"

Hayate didn't know what to say. He stood there blinking and couldn't get the right words out to say. Himeno looked at him angrily, clenching her fists.

"Why bother talking to you anyway..." said Himeno pointing at Hayate "You may have given the time of day to Fenrir or should I say Takako...it still never changed the fact that she changed into what she now is"

"Then talk!" said Hayate in a reasonable tone "Tell me how, you feel..."

"Like I said why bother" began Himeno turning away from Hayate "You don't, care, what good will it do hm? You tell me..."

Hayate looked at her weirdly. This wasn't Himeno. This wasn't how she usually acted. He got tired of trying to be reasonable with her, and trying to listen, when all she done was spat back at him.

"Fine" he said casually "Your obviously not in the mood..." Hayate turned around and was about to walk back to the mansion, when Himeno, turned around suddenly.

"Oh that's right…" said Himeno, as Hayate suddenly stopped walking "Turn your back on me, like you did to Takako..."

These words pained Hayate. He could feel it in his chest like a dagger digging deeper and deeper into his skin and into his heart. Not speaking, he turned around with a heartfelt look on his face.

"Stop comparing your self to Takako!" he spat angrily at Himeno. "Why are you comparing your self to her...she's not like you, and never was!"

"Your wrong!" she shouted back at Hayate "It's a...." but Himeno's words could not be heard, as she began to choke on her tears. She threw her hands over her face, and crashed to the ground on her knees crying loudly.

Hayate hated seeing her this way. He straightened up and walked over towards her, he knelt down besides her and was about to embrace her. Himeno looked up

"No get away!" said Himeno, shoving Hayate away from her, which he fell onto his back. She got up and moved back away from him.

"I've finally realised how Takako turned into the Princess of Darkness, the pressure of it got to her...its getting to me...how long will it be until I turn..."

"Stop it Himeno!" shouted Hayate, getting up to his feet. He wiped several shred of grass on his pants, he threw his dark hair behind him and faced Himeno. "Why? Why compare yourself..."

"She was in love with you Hayate...and you...left her with a broken heart"

"I know what I did" said Hayate with a guilty expression "But I never loved..."

"Yes you never loved her, I know the story..." said Himeno with her hands on her hips. Hayate seemed to have had enough of Himeno's attitude, from the pained look in his face.

"Yes, I never loved Takako is that what you want to hear...yes, I never loved her, and I left her there because I never cared about her. But I care and love you, let me help you" shouted Hayate at Himeno.

Hayate still had his eyes on Himeno, he never had a inch of shock or remorse on his face after what he said.

Himeno was indescribable; from the moment Hayate said, "love you", the words hung in the air like stars in the sky.

'What did he say?' Himeno though blankly to herself shaking her head. Did she imagine these words, did Hayate really say what she just heard... Staring blankly into space, Himeno could see Hayate approached her slowly. His face had softened with a vacant expression on his face, as his eyes stayed on Himeno.

"You...don't..." said Himeno speechlessly, stepping back as Hayate moved towards her.

"I do" began Hayate, looking at the ground for a moment "...and I have done for some time...I can't hide it anymore" he said looking up and facing Himeno.

"No, you just saying that to make me feel better..." said Himeno, turning quickly away from him. She looked back at him; Hayate was standing there staring back at her. He had a truthful and serious expression, which Himeno had seen several times...He wasn't lying.

Himeno seemed paralysed physically and mentally; her heart began to race faster, she thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest. Hayate, however, seemed calm and casual about this all. He moved closer towards Himeno, and she never moved.

"If..." he began nervously "I...was would I do this..."

After saying this promptly, he grabbed Himeno's face, and kissed her gently on the lips. Himeno couldn't move still...did she want to move... She never pushed Hayate out of the way, or punched him, instead she stood there with her eyes opened widely in shock, she then moved closer towards him, placing both her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, and kissed back. Hayate's eyes, which were closed, opened as she kissed back, his mind was blank as he then moved his hands away from her face, onto her thin hips. They kissed for about ten seconds when...

"Himeno! Hayate! Where are you!" a voice cried. It was Kaoru, standing outside the mansion looking around the garden.

Himeno and Hayate quickly separated, Himeno looked around for the voice, realising it was her father.

"Coming Dad" she shouted with tremble in her voice as she walked quickly away from the pond, back to the mansion leaving Hayate standing alone and not looking back.

Hayate, feeling guilty at what he did. Did Himeno return his feelings or not, or was that kiss just the heat of the moment and meant nothing to her? Besides feeling guilty, he also felt a slight satisfaction...loving her for so long and not being able to hold her in his arms, and love her like he has desperately wanted to. After staring blankly for several minutes, he quickly scratched his forehead and inhaled deeply. He then quietly walked back to the mansion, what was going to happen now?