Told you there might be more parts. I wanted to make a long fic out of this but since I'm usually unable to finished multi chapter stories I'm going to stick to one-shot chapters that can stand alone but are inter connected. That said, cliffhangers are gonna be rare. Also I realised that last chapter I accidentally tagged it High School AU when its actually a college AU. My bad.

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

Chapter 2

Cafeteria Conversations

"This is such a mess…" Hiyori groaned, tugging slightly at the collar of her turtle neck shirt. The heat wouldn't have bothered her nearly as much had she worn something else, not that she could, not with the bruises that littered her pale skin since the day before. A worn out text book clutched to her chest, she stalked down the halls of the engineering block for the third time in thirty minutes. Her brows were pulled together in frustration and she could feel the telltale heaviness of an oncoming headache.

She had never really been to this block of her college. At least not for longer than a few minutes while Yama chatted up her (future) boyfriend. Even then, she would stick to standing outside and waiting for the girl to be done with her daily quota of flirting.

In retrospect, she should have left the book where'd he'd forgotten it. He'd probably even gone back to retrieve it when he realised it was missing. Her cheeks flushed at the memory from the evening before the last. She wasn't exactly sure why she had allowed the situation to get so out of hand but it had. The book in her arms felt heavy, and she wasn't sure if she could really face him if she did, in fact, find him.

Like it wasn't embarrassing enough that she had basically thrown herself at a complete stranger, she had also made off with his textbook.

One he had been studying from for a test that very day. Hiyori whimpered and the students scattered in the halls looked at her in confusion. Maybe if she found him before classes started he could do some last minute reading before his test.

"I feel horrible!" She muttered to no one in particular, scanning the crowd for the familiar blue eyes and the mop of black hair. She found lots of black mops but no blue eyes.

Her face fell when the sharp bell rang, signalling the start of the first period. She was late for her own class and she had no idea what his schedule was. She realised with dawning horror that she probably wouldn't find him soon enough and his failure would be all her fault.

Well it was his fault first. Her mind defended weakly. It didn't matter who started it, she shouldn't have picked up his book after the little blonde boy had barged in on them. He'd scowled at Yato for a moment before his face flushed redder than the girl thought possible. Then he'd just grabbed the older boy by the back of his shirt and dragged him off while yelling about perverted old farts. Yato probably hadn't realised that his book was still lying there next to Hiyori's leg, while he kicked and screamed about how she started it.

Once the shock gave way to shame and embarrassment she had dusted her jeans silently, picked up his book with all intention of returning it the next day (and none to do with scribbling horrible insults in it for him).

And then she had gone and forgotten all about it.

That was one of the issues with her condition, she always ended up forgetting things. Sometimes it felt like she was living in a daydream; everything would be fine but then the world would distort itself around her, wrapping her in a comforting haze and then she'd blink back to reality.

That's usually when the anxiousness would settle in.

A body bumped into her from behind, and she lurched forward, heart thudding in her chest painfully, she barely felt the grip on her arm that stopped her from kissing the tiled floor.

"Are you okay?"

The voice was low and comforting, easing her out of her daze, she struggled to keep her knees locked under her. She took a deep breath and turned to look at her savior.

Green eyes blinked at her from behind rectangular glasses, face pulled in a concerned frown, his other arm raised but not yet touching to support her in case she fell again.

"I'm fine, Kazuma-kun." She smiled brightly, swallowing her anxiety. "Just panicked a little."

He smiled at her warmly and gave her a curious look.

"Are you lost?"

Hiyori blinked and then shook her head rapidly.

"No. No! I was looking for someone." She watched his brows crawl up and mouth open in a silent 'oh'.

"Do you need any assistance?"

Here he was, so cordial and formal and well behaved. And he was friends with that mannerless freak? Truly an odd pair.

"Uhh yes actually." She beamed at him, holding the text book out to him with her head bowed in gratitude (and exhaustion).

"I believe this belongs to your friend."

Kazuma took the book from her hands gently, (why is he always so careful? She wondered), he flipped open the book and his eyes flashed with recognition. Glancing up at her he gave her an odd look.

"This is Yato's."

She couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement so she simply nodded. His eyebrows shot up into his hair, dread coiled in her gut.

"Wait...are you Ikki Hiyori?"

"You sure you're okay Hiyori?" Ami asked, voice laced with concern. "You seemed really flushed in the morning."

Hiyori just waved awkwardly at the girls leaning over her desk. She did get most of the class to come up with an excuse for the third degree her friends were going to give her.

"Yes, I was late and had to run all the way to class." Which honestly wasn't a lie. She was already running late when she met up with Kazuma-kun and had literally bolted screaming something about missing her lecture. Not only had she ended up five minutes late anyway she had also been panting and dry heaving when she finally got to her class.

"You don't usually sleep in Hiyo-chan." Ami looked somewhat worried. They had been friends since middle school and the two girls knew Hiyori better than she would have liked.

"Though I guess that's mostly because you keep falling asleep all the time anyway." Yama giggled, patting Hiyori's hair as if she were some silly child.

"Just some reading." Again not a lie, she had spent hours trying to figure out the chicken scratch that she assumed was Yato's handwriting. She'd given up, concluding it was some alien language and decided to just go look for the guy in the Engineering block.

"I probably shouldn't have stayed up so late." Hiyori giggled. "Sorry for worrying you two."

"Just look after yourself Hiyo!" Ami sighed. Yama fanned herself with her notebook and groaned at the heat. The temperature had shot up suddenly that day and Yama was already easily irritable to begin with.

"Sheesh its like an oven in here." She turned to look at Hiyori in annoyance. "Why in the world are you wearing a turtleneck?!" She reached for the collar of the brunette's shirt to make her point but Hiyori yelped out in panic, gripping the collar, trying (and failing) to fight off her blush.

She was however saved by the door sliding open. The tall bearded man walked in and roared at the class to settle down. Kuruha sensei was one of the few professors who (with varying degrees of success) treated the college students more like unruly middle schoolers. He put on a gruff façade but everyone knew how easy he was to manipulate. Hiyori almost felt sorry for the man.

Her mind drifted back to her meeting with Kazuma-kun. He had known who she was. And he'd figured it out when Yato's name came up. Does he know? Did that jerk tell him? Hiyori flushed at the thought. She hadn't thought about it before but now it gnawed at her. She didn't want to be labelled as the easy freshman. She knew Kazuma-kun wouldn't tell anyone, or at least she hoped he wouldn't. Yato on the other hand… she shivered at the thought.

She had to talk to him. She had to clear things up before word spread.

I wonder what he told him.

"Miss Ikki. Are you alright?" Kuruha-sensei's voice boomed out in the now silent class and Hiyori's flush spread down her collar covered neck. "You look flushed."

"Y-yes. I'm alright!"

This is all that jerk's fault!

Of course he's easy to find when you aren't looking for him.

She spotted Yato across the cafeteria, sitting at the empty table, a coke in hand and a bag of chips lying untouched on the table, next to the elbow propping up his chin. He was fiddling with his phone. An old flip model Hiyori remembered her brother using back when she was starting high school.

She had never seen him in the cafeteria before then but then just shrugged.

"Well I guess this is it." She mumbled to herself. Hiyori hadn't felt up to the task of accompanying Yama on her daily visit to the Engineering wing. She honestly didn't want to run into either Yato or Kazuma-kun. But obviously the universe was against it.

Tossing the discarded wrapping into the trash bin she finished her meal. She picked up her book-bag and walked up to his table. He didn't seem to notice her when she kept her bag on the table top. His blue eyes fixed on the phone screen. The glow from the screen reflecting off his eyes making for an eerie effect. He chewed on his bottom lip in thought, obviously distracted.

"Excuse me. Yato?"

It took him a moment to fully acknowledge her, but when he did his eyes widened in recognition.

"Hiyori?" He sounded genuinely surprised but his lips pulled back in a crooked grin. "How may I help you?" He said flipping his phone shut as she took a seat across from him.

"We need to talk." She stated gravely but his grin only widened.

"Are we breaking up already Hiyo-chan?"

"What?! No!"

"So we aren't breaking up then?" his grin slipped into an infuriating smirk.

"We aren't dating!" She nearly screeched at the boy who gave a light chuckle at her expense.

"You wound me Hiyori!" He grabbed his tee shirt in mock agony. Face burning in anger and embarrassment Hiyori glared at the boy who finally sighed, still smiling faintly.

"Okay...what is it then?"

"Well...first of all, did you get your book?"

"Yes, thank you by the way." she nodded at him faintly.

"So…" she rolled the words in her mouth, testing how they sounded before she spoke. "Did the test go okay?" She winced when her voice turned into a squeak at the end.

"It could've gone better." He answered plainly.

"So you'll get a passing grade at least right? I feel horrible about taking your book." Hiyori sighed. "I had meant to return it yesterday but I forgot."

"Hey what do you mean passing grade?!" He wailed haughtily, "I'm the great Yato! I did well. I could have done better."

"I can see why your head is so big. Must be the ego."

He opened his mouth to retort when his phone buzzed loudly, immediately he flipped open the small blue phone and studied the text with oddly intense eyes. Hiyori caught the subtle change in his mood, corner of his mouth quirking up in a smile as he tapped out a reply. His gaze shifted back to her and he grinned again, this time more genuine.

"Don't worry about it. Shit happens."

She nodded and looked down at her hands for a moment, unsure of how to approach the subject. She took in a breath to calm her nerves.

"I-"

"Why are you wearing a turtleneck?" He cut her off and she flushed, hunching in her seat. "Aren't you hot in that?"

"That's your fault!"

"Heh?" She clenched her teeth and refused to look up at his face.

"Y-you should…" Hiyori looked at her her hands fisted on her lap, face flushed. "I mean I…"

Yato waited patiently or maybe it was curiosity, his gaze fixed on her face, a brow cocked up but he remained silent and for that she was grateful.

"I'm not that kind of girl!" Hiyori blurted out, scrunching her eyes shut in embarrassment, shoulders hunched further, clearly uncomfortable.

"Umm...okay?"

She opened one eye and peeked at him through the curtain of her bangs, his brows furrowed as he kept looking at her face in confusion.

"No!" She cried out. He flinched slightly and she flushed when the students on the right looked up at her in surprise before turning back to whatever they were doing. His phone buzzed again and he glanced at it but didn't reach for it.

"I mean...I'm not the kind of girl who...ya'know…" she whined, hoping he would get the gist.

"I really don't actually…" he trailed off into a nervous chuckle. His gaze flickered around the cafeteria and she wondered what the scene looked like to others. Intent on getting it over with she clenched her fists tight and gritted out in a harsh whisper.

"I don't go around making out with random people I just met."

"I noticed." And he's smirking at her in that infuriating way that makes her want to punch him in his pretty boy face.

"I don't…" she trailed off, not sure what to say to him. But he beat her to it anyway.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about." His voice is surprisingly gentle and she feels just a little bit better.

But then this is Yato, so of course, he just had to ruin it.

"Welcome to the world of One Night Stands."

"One night- what?!" She sputtered at him, livid and red faced.

"There was no one…" she halted in her cry and looked around, hair whipping around her shoulders before leaning down and whispering to him angrily. "There was no one night stand! Nothing happened."

Her eyes focused on his face, taking in his shit eating grin and his infuriatingly bright eyes. He shrugged one shoulder and went back to sipping his coke.

"Okay."

She bristled at his tone but decided to drop the subject. She stood abruptly, around them eyes flickered to the pair when the chair scraped against the floor loudly. She straightened her back and sniffed at him, turning her back to him and stalking off to meet up with her classmates.

"You're a jerk."

"Bye Hiyori-chan!" She saw his reflection in the vending machine directly across from her, his arm extended in an exaggerated wave with a wide pasted on smile. Her cheeks burned and she buried her head in her shoulders.

"I'm going to Jungle Savate him some day. I swear on Tomoe-sama's name I'll do it."

Next chapter will be Yato centric and will most definitely involve my baby, Yukine! That may take some time though since I'm not very confident about my Yato POV. Besides that I did kinda fall sick anyway so typing out stories is a little difficult.