A/N: Hey! I have a slight obsession with AUs, especially high school ones. I hope y'all like it.

Ichabod sped up his already quick long-legged gait to make sure he got to the bus stop on time. His backpack thumped against his thin back as he hurried along. His father's white Prius passed him, headed the same way the school bus would go, and he waved. He had declined a ride to school that morning, forgoing the silence of a teenager-less environment for the ultimate luxury: being near Abbie.

They had been sharing shy smiles at their shared locker for three weeks before Ichabod practically begged the secretary in the front office for a bus permission slip, something he should have been four months too late to obtain. But the silver-haired secretary, Mrs. Dixon, had taken pity on his smitten face and given him one. It took him a week to work up the urge to sit beside her, but he hadn't sat anywhere else since. If he was being perfectly honest, he had no idea who else rode the bus with them because Abbie was his sole reason for riding.

He reached the street and stood at the bus stop, shrugging his backpack off his shoulders just as the bus approached. It pulled up to its stop and the doors opened. Ichabod climbed in and smiled at the cranky bus driver, Mr. Corbin. "Good morning sir."

The man smirked at the teen's chipper expression then grunted a reply as Ichabod passed. He went to their usual seats near the back and sat down, setting his backpack in Abbie's place. Her stop was closer to the school than his so he always had a few minutes to get himself together before he saw her. Once he overcame his original nervousness, a strong desire to impress Abbie took over. He had spent the better of two weeks telling her his best jokes and to his delight, she seemed as enamored with him as he was with her.

He pulled out the figurine searched for for her over the past week and examined the unicorn closely. She had told him they were her favorite animal, using their status as the national animal of Scotland to prove its existence. Ichabod argued that he had been to Scotland many times as a child and never seen one, but Abbie had argued with him until he'd relented. He wanted it to be perfect, to earn one of her soft shy smiles. She smiled often with him, but there was a certain smile—one that he knew was just for him—that he'd gotten the first time he called her beautiful. He'd never forget that day.

xXx

One Week Earlier

Abbie had twisted her hair into a braid around her head, and Ichabod had found himself enamored with a neck for the first time in his life.

She sat beside him unsurely, her eyes flickering to his a few times before she spoke. "What?"

His face went hot, and he momentarily cursed inheriting his mother's fair skin because he knew he was beet red. He quickly looked at his lap and swallowed hard. "Nothing. You just look nice today. I mean you do every day but you look exceptionally attractive today… Beautiful, I should say."

She didn't reply for a moment and he finally lifted his eyes to her face. She was blushing too, one hand raised nervously in search of the curls that normally framed her face. It fell back to her lap and she intertwined her fingers. "Nobody's ever called me beautiful before."

"I cannot imagine how such is possible," he replied. "You are undoubtedly the most beautiful girl on which I've laid eyes."

She blushed and smiled, quickly looking away from him, then slowly turning back. Ichabod shyly looked away, giving them both a moment to stop blushing, but found no relief as her fingers gently intertwined with his on the vinyl seat between them. He only dared the briefest glance and found her looking out the window. He could see her reflection biting her bottom lip and smiled at their kindred nervousness.

xXx

Ichabod perked up as the bus rounded the corner before Abbie's stop. It amazed him that he was still excited to see her every day after a month, but there he was, on pins and needles as the bus approached the stop and she came into view. He could see that she wore a dress, a white dress sprinkled with red flowers. He smiled as she climbed onto the bus, her backpack in her hand. She made her way to their seat and Ichabod quickly moved his backpack to make room for her.

"Good morning sweetest Miss Mills," he greeted with a smile as she sat beside him.

"Hey," she replied. She looked at him with a sweet smile as she opened her backpack and produced a two pack of Twinkies. "Want one?"

Ichabod smiled. "I do not believe such a question is necessary."

Abbie opened the package and handed him a Twinkie. He took it and she smiled as he leaned back on the seat and ate it greedily, getting the cream filling on his wispy mustache in the process. Abbie smiled as she leaned over to wipe it off but Ichabod quickly leaned back, expecting her to tweak his nose the way she loved to. Abbie smirked. "Come here. You've got something on your face."

"I imagine so," he replied, not believing her.

Abbie sat up her knees and again reached for his face. "Stop being silly."

"I'm afraid I cannot, Abbie. I am aware of your tricks."

"Is that right?" Abbie raised an eyebrow at him.

Ichabod nodded. "You have abused me too many times."

"Oh hush. I only pulled your hair cause I like you." Her cheeks burned. She hadn't meant to admit something so private so candidly.

"You like me? I hadn't the slightest inkling." Ichabod smiled, blushing too.

Abbie smiled slowly. "Yeah. Now how can you not trust me to clean your face?"

He threw his hands up in surrender and Abbie leaned over to wipe the cream off his lip. Ichabod licked the sweet confection off her finger then looked up at her seriously, reaching out to twirl a fallen curl around his finger. "I am quite enamored with you. Very much so. I wish… I would like to honor your feelings, to give our relationship an official title."

She stared at her lap for a long moment then looked up at him with that secret smile that was all his, all theirs. "How about we say we're happy?"

His hand moved to hold her head, his thumb gently flicking over her earlobe. A tingle of anticipation ran up Abbie's spine when she realized he was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes just as his lips touched hers, tasting of the sugary treat he'd devoured. He smiled at the dazed expression on her face when he pulled away, confident he'd kissed her starry-eyed. "I take your delighted expression as confirmation of my kissing skills."

"What?"

"You appear quite smitten," he replied with a silly grin.

Abbie rolled her eyes, a reluctant smile on her face. "Whatever."

"You should speak to me with more care. I am quite the catch if the school gossip is to be believed. In fact, you should consider yourself quite lucky to have a man of my particular skill watching over you."

At this, she laughed. "Looking out for me? You've probably got me by like 20 pounds. Plus you're so thin, I could probably take you out if I wanted."

Ichabod laughed. "Well I possess a great deal of heart."

"You'd do better with, like, biceps."

"Unfortunately heart is all I have to offer."

Abbie leaned over a kissed him again then smiled. "It's okay. I'd take heart any day."

A/N: Don't forget to review! XOXOXO