Title: Scrapbooking the Pieces

Pairing/s: Lelouch/Kallen.

Relevant notes: Alphabet themed collection of one-shots. POINTLESS FLUFF (and maybe the occasional angst) and general lightheartedness! Stories are not connected or in order!

A/N: I have a few stories planned out, but there are still a lot of letters that I'm stuck on ideas for. If you have a suggestion, please let me know! My profile has a list of unused letters and I'm writing from all points of the series, so anything goes. :)

Summary: An apple a day keeps Kallen away.

Relevant notes: Takes place sometime in season one.

page one

A is for Apples

"Blame It On Gravity"

After Milly had announced the first day of the Apple Appreciation Festival would be spent at an apple orchard, Kallen had considered taking the day off school. In her frail girl persona, she wouldn't be able to climb trees like everyone else, and she'd be stuck picking apples off low branches by herself. It would definitely be worse than spending the day at the Black Knights' headquarters, making stupid bets on events like when the Tabasco sauce would run out, or when Tamaki would realise Inoue had destroyed all his adult material.

It hadn't occurred to her that Milly would want her help at the event; Milly was a one girl powerhouse, after all, and what was there to do once everyone started apple-picking? Resigning herself to a frustrating day, she joined the buses of students to the massive orchard, where the Student Council helped divide people into groups before sending them off to different areas. A couple of girls in Kallen's group immediately clambered up into the trees and everyone else had followed. They'd realised quickly enough that Kallen couldn't join them and had apologised, offering to return to the ground. Unwilling to spoil their fun, she'd refused their offer and wandered away to pick the fruit alone.

It was depressing. She could see dozens of temptingly shiny apples far out of her reach and she was itching to climb up for them. She did have one option: the closest border of the orchard was far enough for her to avoid all the other groups, and she knew no one had been assigned there. She could take a risk and climb trees in that area. Kallen mused over the idea as she finished filling a basket full of fruit. She set it down and eyed the dull-looking apples inside.

It made the decision for her. After making sure her group was occupied, she hurried away to the orchard's edge, climbed a tree and began picking.

Bliss. It was pure bliss.

Kallen took her time choosing her apples. The view from the tree was absolutely beautiful and the crisp, clean smell of the air was already lifting her spirits. Nothing could ruin the moment, except-

There was a rustle as someone pushed aside a few branches and strode past her tree. Craning forward, Kallen recognised a very familiar black-haired student and froze.

Except maybe Lelouch, she finished.

He seemed to be talking to someone on his cell phone. He looked oddly intense and focused on his call, but she knew that at any moment, he could look up and spot her. She'd already nearly blown her cover once around him- how could she ever have thought Lelouch was Zero?- and she couldn't afford to risk it again. It had been stupid of her to climb the tree in the first place, she admitted, but mostly her current problem was Lelouch's fault. If he hadn't come along, she wouldn't be worrying about anything!

'No one can know about this,' Lelouch was saying, his voice carrying in the silence. 'Understand?'

Kallen frowned. What was he talking about? Did he have a secret lover?

'No, I'll see you later-' Kallen leaned forward, trying to stay quiet, and attempted to make out the words- 'You better not-'

His voice had lowered to a whisper and in her attempt to hear him, she leaned so far she nearly fell out of the tree. Her squeal of surprise at the near-accident was automatic, and Lelouch's head instantly tilted back to look at her. His eyes widened in something like surprise, or horror.

Shit. Kallen's hand strayed to the knife pouch hidden in her jacket pocket, even as her mind worked frantically for a cover story. If she couldn't talk her way out of it, then...

'Kallen?' Lelouch called out. His expression was neutral now and his phone had disappeared; she guessed he'd tucked it away. He peered up at her. 'It's odd seeing you here.'

'Is it?' she asked, with a sickly sweet smile. 'We were on the same bus together, weren't we?'

'Oh, I wasn't referring to your presence in this orchard. No, my surprise is in the position you find yourself in right now.'

Kallen understood the emphasis he'd placed on 'position' but she couldn't help thinking there was something unusual about the weight he'd added to the entire sentence. She puzzled over it for a moment and then realised he was waiting for an answer.

'My position?' she repeated, feigning confusion to buy time. 'I don't understand what you mean.'

'Well,' he said, walking closer, smiling serenely at her, 'I seem to recall Shirley saying you were so ill that even a game of table tennis was too much for you. And yet, here I find you separated from your group, apparently having climbed a tree alone. How did you manage that?'

With my arms and legs, she snapped mentally.

'Adrenaline?' she offered out loud, and then cursed herself for sounding so unsure. Kallen continued, firmer. 'I saw the most beautiful apple up here and something simply overtook me! Before I knew what was happening, I'd climbed the tree!'

Lelouch's eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch and she could see the amusement spreading across his face. It was the worst cover story she'd ever told, but truthfully, there was no talking herself out of this mess. Maybe she should have just knifed him straightaway. She gripped the little pouch tighter.

'I see,' he said. He nodded slowly, like he was actually taking her explanation seriously. 'May I see the apple?'

Kallen was so taken aback by the question that she gaped at him for a full thirty seconds. He wanted to see the apple? She didn't have an apple that would inspire a rush of adrenaline so great she could climb a tree with it! More to the point, why ask to see the apple when it was obvious she was lying?

'I... I haven't picked it yet,' she said in a rush. 'But it's right here!'

Kallen reached for a relatively healthy-looking apple to her right, making sure to grip the branch she sat on for balance. In her panicked and flustered state, she held onto the branch with the hand still holding the knife, felt it poke her, hard, dropped it instinctively and nearly toppled off the tree in the process. Luckily, Lelouch was so distracted by the fact that she'd almost fallen- again- that he didn't see her pouch.

'Careful!' Lelouch exclaimed, making a forward motion as she lost her balance. 'I don't think Milly would be too pleased if you broke something.'

'I don't want to break anything either,' she muttered, discreetly searching the ground for her pouch. 'But I'll break you in a second.'

'What was that, Kallen?' he asked.

'Nothing!' She smiled brightly at him. 'I've just lost the apple I liked, that's all.'

'Oh.' Lelouch came right up beneath her tree and surveyed the apples carefully. 'You were reaching over there before...' He walked around, to see the section better. 'I think that-' He broke off.

'What's wrong?' she asked.

'Did you drop anything? There's something pink over here. It appears to be the pouch you asked me to pass you in the shower, during your welcome party.'

Kallen almost screeched out loud. If he decided to be a little curious, he could easily see the knife in her pouch and she would definitely be screwed then. Launching herself into action, she twisted an apple off the tree and lobbed it at his head. It met its target perfectly.

'Hey!' Lelouch turned around, scowling at her. 'What was that?'

'I'm so sorry!' she gasped, widening her eyes and letting her lips part in a silent cry of horror; she wondered if she'd been an actress in a previous life. 'I moved to see what you'd found and the apple fell off!'

'The apple fell off.' He looked at her, his disbelief evident. 'And it conveniently fell right onto my head.'

'Conveniently?' Kallen repeated. 'I don't understand... Are you accusing me of something that's clearly gravity's fault?'

Lelouch glared at her for a second and then his face cleared. He smiled at her, looking contrite. 'Of course. My apologies, Kallen. I doubt even you can manipulate nature like that.'

She nodded. They watched each other for a moment before Lelouch turned again, telling her he was going to fetch her pouch.

Not again! Kallen reached for another apple and paused. It was convenient that the apple had hit him, and he wouldn't be stupid enough to believe the same story twice. Quickly, she tipped herself forward and shook the branch.

'Lelouch!' she shrieked. 'I'm going to fall!'

Lelouch spun around and for one bizarre instant, it seemed like he was about to laugh at her. The moment passed and he stepped forward rapidly. He positioned himself under her, ready to catch her if she fell.

'Are you okay?' he asked as she pretended to find her balance again.

'Yes, I think so.' Kallen let out a breath, closing her eyes in exaggerated relief. 'It's so dangerous up here!'

He regarded her briefly and Kallen could have sworn she saw his face light up. He glanced away, in the direction of the other groups, and turned back looking solemn once more.

'You're right, Kallen. I don't understand why I didn't consider this before: How are you going to get down?'

'W-What?'

'You said adrenaline took you up. It would be far too much to assume you could climb down safely, now that you're back to normal.'

'No, I'm sure I-'

'Really, Kallen, I'm disgusted by how inconsiderate I've been. You must be terrified.'

Lelouch backed away from the tree and pulled out his cell. He dialled quickly as she watched, helpless to stop him. In a second she realised what he was doing: he was calling Milly and asking her to bring a few students to help Kallen down.

'No, Lelouch!' she protested. 'I don't want to cause any trouble!'

He finished off the call. 'Your safety comes before everything; you know that. I'm sure everyone's eager to help.'

He was right. In a matter of minutes, a crowd of students appeared. Boys threw up their hands and offered to climb up and carry her down. Girls shouted out encouragement and praises of her bravery. It was a sickeningly embarrassing scene and Kallen was fuming by the time she'd been lifted down. She hated Lelouch so much. The asshole was in the back of the crowd, observing the scene with a smirk. He even had the audacity to tell her on the bus trip back that he believed he could have helped her alone, but wanted to leave it to stronger people, just in case. Kallen's knife was back in her pocket- she'd had to distract everyone by knocking over a basket of apples before retrieving it- and she would have stabbed him had he not moved to another seat.

For the duration of the festival week, while Ashford Academy devoured apple tarts, cakes and loaves, Kallen stormed- in a meek, passive way- around school. The merest mention of the incident left her twitching.

She refused to touch anything that contained apples for another week after.