I'm starting to think Hata ships these two... I don't think I like the thought, but maybe it's somehow related to the plot thing we'll be getting soon.
Don't appreciate the blatant fanservice, but I guess it's just to set the two up for the next chapter.
About Hayate being better in the past - it was certainly different, more fast-paced about the jokes and with a different drawing style. Right now HnG is the kind of the manga you really appreciate when reading several chapters at once and the art style complements that perfectly. Previously it was about having fun with a single chapter but it was a bit messy because of that. So it's not exactly worse, it all depends on how you look at it and what your tastes are.