(A/N: I had this idea a short while back, after recalling a currently small collection of alphabet oneshots for Timon x Shenzi from The Lion King. I decided to do that for my OC x Canon OTP, Shenzi x Chuckie. The idea for this first one was given to me by celrock when I was stuck. Thanks, celrock! And enjoy this first oneshot.)

A: Apples

Summary: In the fall, loving couple Shenzi and Chuckie pick apples together.

16-year-old Chuckie Finster waited patiently outside a house, while sitting in his car. He had a date with his beautiful girlfriend of almost a year, and she seemed to be running a little late. They were going to pick apples at a nearby orchard, since it was a perfect day for it. He was wearing a white ringer t-shirt, grey jeans, classic Converse mid-tops, and a cobalt blue zip-up hoodie for the fall weather. Like how it had been his whole life, his red hair was all over the place, reaching his shoulders as his purple rectangular eyeglasses rested on the bridge of his nose. Freckles dusted his cheeks as well, and he wasn't muscular in the slightest. He didn't know how he was able to receive such a wonderful girlfriend, but he did, and he wasn't letting her go anytime soon.

His head snapped up when the front door of the house burst open, and rushing footsteps pounded the porch and sidewalk. He smiled when freshly-turned-16-year-old Shenzi Tuck ran up, and hastily entered the vehicle. "Sorry I'm late," She panted, "I couldn't find my basket anywhere." She briefly held up a black wire basket for emphasis.

"It's okay," He smiled at her, and kissed her cheek. This is the girlfriend mentioned earlier; The love of Chuckie's life, his reason for living, you name it. She had flawless, light purplish-grey skin that seemingly never broke out, flowing black hair that reached her lower shoulders, large eyes that sparkled in the sun and moon, and a lovely personality. For their date, she was wearing black jeggings, a cobalt blue leopard-printed sweater, black mid-calf Converse sneakers with white laces, and a red apple necklace. In her hair were extensions that faded from black to red, and a single, royal blue extension was clipped on her long bangs, which covered her left eye. It even covered the left lens of her black cat-eye prescription eyeglasses. He didn't think that she needed to cover her face (she was bullied for her different-colored eyes; her left is blue, while her right is green), but he respected her decision.

Chuckie dated girls before Shenzi, and they just didn't work out, for different reasons. Either they were too snobby, too dumb, or even both. But when he went on a date with his best friend Shenzi Tuck, it just felt right. "You look ready for apple picking," He remarked.

"I am," She blushed, "Apples are my favorite fruit. But the best part of this day will be that I'll be picking them with you." She kissed the side of his head.

"That's the same reason I have," Chuckie smiled lovingly at her, "But with you." They shared a kiss for a second, before he started the car engine. "Let's get to it." He started driving to the orchard that his parents recommended, with Shenzi reading the directions out loud for him. After a while, he parked the car in front of a small hut. "Here we are, Shen." The couple jumped out, and were prepared for picking apples by the man in charge of the orchard.

As they walked, Chuckie let his thoughts occupy him a little bit. He couldn't help but smile as Shenzi swung his arm back and forth absentmindedly, while looking for the perfect fruits to pick. She didn't seem to have a care in the world. That was one thing he admired about her; She stayed positive and upbeat whenever she could. Chuckie didn't know how anyone could be so heartless, breaking her spirit and insulting her. His heart broke just from imagining her crying, never mind witnessing it. He wanted to wipe and kiss her tears away whenever she cried.

He always did that for her when it was needed. He also brushed her hair from her face when she slept. He tickled her sides when she needed a good laugh. He rubbed or scratched her back, or stroked her hair to help her relax. Basically, he did everything he could to show her just how much he loved her. She was the most amazing girl that he ever had the pleasure to know. It seemed like every time he looked at her, she would be moving in slow-motion with an imaginery breeze blowing her dark hair and clothes back. She was the most beautiful girl in the whole world; He wanted to run his fingers through her silky soft, ebony tresses forever. He wanted to lay his fingertips on her smooth, blushing cheeks. He constantly desired for her soft, tiny lips to be on his. Long story short, he wanted her in his life forever; And he would make sure that would happen.

"Ooh, those look good!" Her lovely voice snapped him out of his trance. He watched her reach up to the apples she spotted, and blushed when her small sweater rose up with her arm and her jeans lowered a bit, revealing soft skin on her flat tummy. She almost always wore shirts like that, but they made his face flush every time. She seemed oblivious to the effect they had on him. "I, I can't reach them," She stammered timidly.

"Here, I'll get them," Chuckie smiled down at her, "Which ones do you want?"

"Those ones up there," She pointed to some red and green apples that looked flawless.

"Okey-dokey then." He was able to pick them with ease, due to his recent growth spurt, and carefully set them in her basket after she held it out.

"Thanks Chuckie," She smiled up at him after he grabbed them all.

"My pleasure," He kissed her forehead, "Let's look around some more."

"Okay." The loving couple walked among the trees, hand-in-hand while Shenzi held the basket. "It's a nice day, isn't it?" She remarked, while brushing some hair from her face as a breeze blew by.

"Yep," He agreed with a slight nod, "Perfect for a stroll and fruit picking." She giggled when he held her closer by her shoulders, and laid his head on hers. "And I bet our families will love the apples. My mom makes a mean apple pie."

"Ooh, cool," She smiled, "My mom makes some really great apple crisp."

"That sounds good."

"Oh, it is. Maybe you can try it sometime."

"I'll try," He shrugged, "And maybe you can try my mom's pie."

"I'd love to," She smiled. "Ooh! There are some good ones!" She was just barely able to reach one, but needed Chuckie's assistance to grab the rest. After the apples were set in the basket, the two looked back and admired the red and golden trees before them. The sun was starting to set behind them. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Shenzi remarked.

"It sure is," Chuckie nodded, and turned to look down at her, "But... not as beautiful as you." He gently turned her head to face him, and leaned in so his lips connected with hers. Her free hand laid on his shoulder, as he tenderly cupped her cheek. He normally didn't believe in any so-called "signs" from cheesy romance movies that his sister and female friends enjoyed, but whenever he and Shenzi kissed, he felt sparks fly. He was internally amused when her soft lips tasted like green apples; She was clearly dedicated to this date. He hated to break away, but they both needed to breathe, so they separated after a few seconds. He kept his hand on her blushing cheek as he smiled down at her with pure love in his eyes. She smiled back up at him with as much love in her eyes as his, with her arm now around his neck. She laid on his shoulder, and cuddled into his soft sweatshirt a bit. Chuckie's smile grew as his head laid on hers. The breeze made their hair and clothes blow around a bit as they enjoyed their moment together.

"I love you," He heard her quiet, shy voice after a few seconds of silence.

"I love you too," He held her closer, and kissed her silky hair. "You want to see if there are any more good apples here?"

"Sure," He felt her nod her head, before she reluctantly stepped away and they continued their walk. They were able to find a few more apples that they decided were perfect, and stashed them in the basket. At one point when she reached up to grab an apple, Chuckie gently grabbed her wrist and sneaked a quick kiss on her tiny hand, getting infectious giggles out of her.

They were at the orchard for around an hour or two in total time before their basket was full and they decided to head home. After paying for the apples, they sat in Chuckie's car and made sure the heat was running after the vehicle was turned on. "You cold, Shen?" He asked her when she was rubbing her arms.

"A bit," She admitted. She was surprised when he started taking off his hoodie. "Oh Chuckie, you don't have to. Won't you be cold?"

"I'll be alright," He assured her as he slipped out of it, and gave it to her.

"You sure?" She asked him.

"Positive," He nodded, "You need it more than I do."

"Well, o-okay then." She pulled her arms in the sleeves, and relished the heat that Chuckie's body had provided to it. Her hands were almost completely concealed in the sleeves, and one of the shoulders was close to falling down her arm but she didn't mind. She did admit that she felt a lot better with it on, but she still worried about Chuckie as he drove. She wore a sweater, while he had a t-shirt! How was he not cold? Did boys have a high tolerance for the cold?

She loved Chuckie, and wanted only the best for him. She had been in love with him since their preteen years, maybe even before, but was afraid to tell him. They had such an amazing friendship, and she didn't want to give it up by admitting her feelings for him. Because what if he didn't feel the same way? Then they would never be friends again. But when he told her that he was in love with her, and asked her out on a date, she replied with "yes" over and over, along with blurting out her feelings for him. Their date went very well, and after a while, he asked her to be his girlfriend, and she eagerly said yes. That was almost a full year ago, and their love was still strong as ever.

She cuddled into his cozy hoodie a bit as flashbacks of their first date entered her mind. He took her to a carnival that had been in town, and they had a blast together. They won fun prizes for each other, rode on rides, even the scary ones, admired the booths, and ate classic carnival food. It was among the best days of her life, no joke. A few weeks after that was when Chuckie asked her to be his girlfriend, while they were at the mall. She said yes, and they had been together ever since with no problems. At her request, they kept their dates casual and inexpensive, since she didn't want him to spend a buttload of money on her, and vice versa.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the car stopping in the Finsters' garage. "I thought we could give apples to my parents first, and then yours," Chuckie told her.

"That's a good idea," She nodded, and followed him outside with the basket, and into the house.

"Mom! Dad!" He called out, "We brought apples!"

Chaz and Kira Finster met them in the kitchen as Shenzi set the basket on a chair. "Ooh, these look delicious," Kira smiled at them, "You two did good."

"Well, Shen found them," Chuckie shrugged, "I helped her grab any that were too high up."

"That was very nice of you, Chuckie," Chaz remarked.

"Yes it was," Shenzi laid on her boyfriend's shoulder for a second. "So um, we decided to divide them up evenly; Half for you guys, and half for my parents."

"That sounds fair," Kira agreed as her son and future daughter-in-law divided the inventory in two equal halves. "I just might make a pie with these when I can."

"Awesome," Chuckie smiled.

"I was told that you make a very good apple pie," Shenzi chimed in, "Maybe I can try a piece."

"That would be very nice," The Japanese woman nodded, "We'll save a piece for you."

"Thanks," The spectacled teen girl blushed shyly. After a few minutes of hanging out with her boyfriend's family, the two headed for the Tuck residence. "Well, it seemed like your folks loved the apples," She remarked.

"Yep," Chuckie agreed, "You sure have a sharp eye."

"Thanks," She blushed again. They arrived at her house after around a minute of driving. She jumped out of the car with her loving boyfriend following, and entered her home through the front door. "Mom! Dad! We're back!" She called out. Like before, they all met up in the kitchen.

"Ooh, these apples look great," Frankie remarked.

"Some of these will be great in a crisp," Felicia added as she washed them, "The rest can be eaten."

"Hey Mom? Um, can you take out all the apples you need right now, ahead of time?" Shenzi timidly requested.

"You want to eat these with Chuckie?"

"Uh huh."

"Alright then." Felicia took out the required amount of fruits from the basket, and placed them in a bowl. She then put the rest back in the basket after they were clean. "You kids enjoy them."

"Thanks, we will," Shenzi grabbed the basket, and sat on a swing hung above the porch with Chuckie. "Apple?" She held up a red one to him.

"Thanks," He accepted it, and took a small bite. "Wow, that's great," He remarked after swallowing, "You did good, Shen."

"Aww," She blushed, while grabbing another red one, "Thanks Chuck, but you deserve credit too." She took a small bite out of hers.

"Thanks Shenzi, but you found them all."

"Not all of them," She shrugged, "Just some."

"Most," He smirked.

"Okay most," She giggled, and laid on his shoulder. They threw the cores in the trash can by the porch steps, narrowly succeeding. "Today was fun, Chuckie. Thanks for the date."

"You're very welcome," Chuckie kissed her forehead over her bangs, "I was a bit hesitant at first, because I wasn't sure if picking apples was really a date, but I decided to at least try."

"Well it was wonderful. Why wouldn't it be a date?"

"Honestly... before we started going out, I attempted to ask out Samantha Shane with the apples idea, but she thought it sounded "boring", so we went with something that left me with almost no money."

"Aww," She frowned sympathetically, "That sounds selfish of her. She should've experienced the apples idea before judging it. I for one found it very enjoyable, and... romantic." She snuggled in his shoulder. She then remembered. "Oh! Um, d-do you want your hoodie back?"

"No thanks," He shook his head, "I'm fine."

"You sure? I don't want you to feel cold."

"Positive. I'm alright."

She felt more sympathy when he shivered a bit. "You don't look alright to me. You're shivering; Here." She set the basket next to her on the swing, carefully sat on his lap, and firmly embraced him after setting the basket in her lap. "At least let me warm you up."

Chuckie's face blushed shyly from the sweet gesture, and the warmth radiating from her body to his. "Th-thanks," He stammered, and hugged her back. After a few seconds, he gently tilted her head up with his fingertips, and kissed her lips sweetly. She kissed him back as her hands landed on his upper arms, and his free hand rested in her hair. They tasted the apples on each others' lips as they stayed in place for several seconds. It was another perfect moment for them as the sun was close to being completely concealed by the buildings and foliage. They separated after seemingly an eternity passed; Chuckie gazed into Shenzi's eyes, or eye, as they/it sparkled in the leftover sunlight. His hand rubbed her blushing cheek as his thumb rested under her eye, feeling her long eyelashes. "You're so beautiful," He whispered lovingly, before pecking her lips.

She shyly averted her gaze as she gently held his wrist. "Am I really?" She quietly asked him.

"Yes you are," He nodded, "Any princess, queen, and supermodel in the world pales in comparison to you. Now, say it."

"Say what?" She raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Say you're beautiful," He clarified. When she looked hesitant, he brushed her silky locks affectionately. "You can do it."

"I..." She paused, "I'm beautiful."

"There you go," He stroked her cheek with his thumb with a loving smile. He gently rubbed his nose on hers, so she blushed deeper and reciprocated the romantic gesture. "I just wish you wouldn't let anyone's insults get to you, and that you wouldn't put yourself down. It just breaks me to think that you believe that you're anything but the prettiest girl in this whole, cruel world."

"I don't mean to," She mumbled timidly, "It's just hard to ignore them."

"I understand," He assured her, "But... maybe you can try? For me?"

She stayed silent for a few seconds, before speaking again. "I, I'll try."

"Atta girl," His smile grew back, as he rested his forehead on hers. "Like I said, you're the loveliest, prettiest girl in the whole world. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise."

"I won't," She assured him with a genuine smile.

"Good," He smiled back, before they kissed for almost a full minute. Her soft, tiny hands laid on his blushing cheeks, as his laid on her shoulders. After they separated, he noticed how late it was getting. After Shenzi shifted off his lap, he stood on his feet. "I uh, I have to get going."

"See you later," She smiled up at him, with the basket on her lap as she took off his hoodie and gave it back to him.

"You too," He grabbed a green apple out of the basket, and prodded her nose, making her giggle. "Remember what I said; Don't let anyone put you down. I don't know what I'd do if you change yourself. You're the apple of my eye, and always will be." He winked at his pun, getting more cute giggles out of her. He kissed her cheek, and brushed her chin affectionately. "Bye, Shen." As he bit into the juicy fruit, he walked away from the house, and in his car before he drove away, waving to his lovely girlfriend along the way.

Shenzi sighed dreamily as she waved at Chuckie, and watched him drive away. She grabbed a green apple out of the basket, and smiled down at it. With a loving smile, and a delicious bite in her mouth, she walked back in her house.

(A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this first story. You know the disclaimer.)