Free Step Dodge

No, because loyalty and undying affection doesn't mean romantic feelings all the time

Yes yes. When it happens, she'll be the man of the house in secret and he will be maid of house.

incest huh?

Agreed. Ayane loves Hayate as a brother, the same way Kasumi loves him as well. In the earlier games, this brotherly love to Hayate as well as her jealousy towards Kasumi was what made her Kasumi's rival in my opinion.

Romantic feelings, no

Whoever of the cast, he'll still be maid of the house.

There definitely used to be sexual tension in the early games but not in 5. Instead TN are trying to(and awkwardly) ship her with Eliot.

Hitomi however? All she does is gush around Hayate and call him Ein by mistake.

Hmm, here most opinions seems to be towards no, but on other places, the incest belief was stronger. I'm honestly not sure what to think, and this is a thing that will make me either main her or drop her entirely.

On the blunt side, you shouldn't drop a character based on character direction in resulting factors (unless there is valid reason that goes against you completely in regards to playstyle with a complete change all together). It hasn't even happened yet so I wouldn't go that further in progress.

Well, I think your "main" in a fighting game should be a character that you like completely right? Fight style, design, character archetype and so on? Having incestuous feelings, which may or may not have been shown in the franchise already is a big NO to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9fs-mAfdFs

they're turning away from it now, but it did definitely used to be a thing and when you consider how Ayane grew up you can see why.