Om Nom Nom, Hamster-chan!

A Hayate the Combat Butler fic

By

EvilFuzzy9

A/N: So. It's been a while. I've kinda been busy with other fics, and sorta lost some of my interest in this one. I'll be honest with you - I don't remember half of the plot for this, and that is probably for the best. This was getting too unwieldy due to how many different ideas I was trying to cram into it, with the result that it was simply getting too difficult to write.

SO. I've said I wouldn't abandon this, and by God, I meant what I said. Even if I have to abandon half of the plot threads in this tangled mess, even if I have to cut down the chapter length to just ~1k words per chapter and still only update once a month, I will finish this fucking thing. Because, dammit all, I've already invested too much time and energy into this fic to just let it die.

Also, if you get the chance, check out my pervy Hayate the Combat Butler one-shot collection, HnG: Ecchi Gaiden.

Last time on 'Om Nom Nom, Hamster-chan!':

Sighing morosely, doing her damnedest to shake off those depressing thoughts, Yukiji wandered down the hall in search of a bathroom to wash up in and a Hayate Ayasaki to fetch her a clean change of clothes.

Now, for the next installment of 'Om Nom Nom, Hamster-chan!':

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Chapter Eighteen:

It's Like a Soap Opera in Here!

Hayate blinked, straining his eyes to make out something other than the blinding glare of white, white, and more white.

Where was he? He couldn't remember... Was it his bathroom, still?

No, it couldn't be... Or could it?

He groaned. It hurt to think.

He heard someone gasp. The sound was distorted and sort of muffled, like there was cotton in his ears.

"Oh my — ! Is he really — ?" he heard one voice say.

"It looks — it." he heard another reply.

" — thank — !" the first voice exclaimed, before Hayate suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso. He felt something soft pressing against his chest, and a pleasantly warm weight settled on his chest.

"Don't — him — " Hayate heard a another voice say. It was quiet, but it sounded male, which contrasted it with the other two.

Groaning weakly, the butler sat up, rubbing his head. He felt the arms let go of him, and the weight leave his lap. He heard the first two voices cry out sharply.

"Ha—n!"

"Haya—un!"

"Hayate-kun!"

Hayate blinked, wincing as he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his ears. It felt like having them popped, but now he could hear properly, at least.

Blinking and rubbing his eyes, trying to get them to see something other than that damnable white, Hayate looked around blindly.

"You alright, kid?" he heard the vaguely familiar male voice ask, a hint of humor in his tone.

"I can't see...!"Hayate rasped, his voice slightly panicked.

"Hayate-kun..." he heard the second voice say, recognizing it now as Hinagiku. "That would be because of the bandages..."

Hayate blinked.

Oh. That made sense, then. At least, it would explain why it had felt so odd when he had rubbed his eyes...

Sheepishly, Hayate scratched his chin.

"Oh," he said, and he then flinched at the sound of his own voice. It was hoarse and scratchy, sounding like it had not been used in ages. "Where am I?" he asked, his throat sore as he spoke.

"The hospital," said the first voice, and Hayate could tell now that it was Nishizawa-san. "Ohhh, we were so worried, Hayate-kun!"

"You looked awful, when you Sis found you," Hinagiku added hoarsely. "I thought... I almost worried you were already dead."

"Technically, he was," the male voice interjected conversationally. "The doctors barely even managed to bring him back at all, you know. Took 'em a whole seven tries to restart his heart. Said that if he didn't suffer severe brain damage, it'd be miracle."

Hayate could hear the man's smile.

"Congrats, kid," he said. "Your continued survival defies the explanation of all known medical science. You're a regular abomination."

Hayate scowled at the man's cheerful tone. He heard a smacking sound, and a growl.

"Don't talk like that!" Hinagiku snarled. "The doctors said they didn't want us worrying him!"

"Hey, you're the one who started it!"

"Do you want to be hit again?" Hinagiku said dangerously. "Just... just go. Get out, before I decide to really hurt you."

"Fine, fine," the man grumbled, before muttering, "I suppose I should go and get 'her majesty', anyways..."

Hayate frowned as he heard the man leave.

"Who was that?" he asked, his voice rasping less than before.

"..." the girls were silent for a moment.

"He's...uhhhh... ... ...huh. You know what...? I don't think I ever actually got his name..." said Ayumu, sounding slightly sheepish.

"..." Hinagiku didn't say anything, for a moment, before muttering, "Well... I don't think it's his actual name... but I think he put down his name as 'Nezumimaru Mizune' in the visitor register."

Hayate frowned slightly. Something about that name was niggling at him, but he shoved it aside for later.

"Can one of you help me with these bandages...?" he asked, reached up to try and undo them.

Before he could try to remove them, however, his hand was stopped by a smaller, softer one, and a familiar, girlish voice.

"Hayate..." he heard her say, her voice choked. It sounded like she was just barely holding back a deluge of tears.

Her hand let go of his, only for her to wrap her arms around his chest and bury her head in his shoulder. He felt the dampness on his bare skin, and heard the sobs.

"Hayate, you dummy!" cried his mistress Nagi as she wept unabashedly into his shoulder. "Don't you ever do anything like that again!"

She began hiccuping as she continued, wailing, "I thought — I thought — I thought you said you were gonna take care of me, no matter what!"

"Milady..." Hayate murmured hoarsely, as he found himself saying, "Why are you crying over someone like me? It's not like... I'm not..."

"You could have died, stupid, and you... you're my... of course I'd cry over something like that...!" Nagi sniffled nearly incoherently, lifting her head from his shoulder and wiping her runny nose on her sleeve.

Then, eyes hardening, she pointed at him and declared, "You still have to pay back all that money you owe me, you idiot... So don't think I'll let you go off and die just like that! Not until you've paid me back!"

Nishizawa and Hinagiku scowled darkly at Nagi for her callous way of putting things, while Maria and Nezumimaru silently watched the proceedings from the doorway.

But Hayate smiled, tears glistening in his eyes before he wiped them away with his hand.

"Milady..." he whispered weakly, "...thank you."

Stats prior to updating:

Hayate the Combat Butler - Rated: M - English - Humor/Adventure - Chapters: 22 - Words: 125,965 - Reviews: 47 - Favs: 36 - Follows: 40 - Updated: 4-23-12 - Published: 2-27-10 - Ayumu & Hayate

And additionally:

Hits: 15,643

C2s: 3

Chapter Added: 8-17-12 [August 17, 2012]

TTFN and R&R!