When You're in the World

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, I don't own G Gundam, who the hell cares, don't sue me, whatever.

A/N: Hey G Gundam fans! At least, I hope you are, otherwise, what the hell are you doing here? Anyways, this is my first fanfic outside of the InuYasha category, so I hope it's satisfactory. The main (and probably only) couple in this story is Chibodee and Allenby, cuz I read another fic about them, and I thought they were a really good match. At first, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but I think I'll extend it a few chapters.

BTW, if you think that this fic is even a little bit good, then please read my other ones (if you're an InuYasha fan, that is). And if you like this story, please say so in a review! If you don't like it, or find something about it that's bugging you, then I'd like a review from you too. As long as it's the "constructive" kind of criticism, and not a flame, because I believe that only stupid cowards send those.

I'd like to give credit to Allenby Beardsley, the author of "When Chibodee Met Allenby," a really great Chibodee/Allenby fic. She inspired me to write this, and I tried to make it original, but I think there are a few parts in the story that might remind people of her fic. For this I am very sorry, but I promise that the rest of this story will be all original.

Wow! This is a really long A/N, so I hope I haven't lost anyone's attention (as if you were actually reading this, anyway). Please enjoy!

Chapter 1: Absolutely Nothing

The stars are so pretty tonight…

Allenby was sitting on a bench in the middle of Central Park. Probably not the best place to be after 10 pm, but she just felt like wandering. She had been doing that a lot lately, since sleep could offer no condolence to her.

…they remind me of that day.

Her frosty blue eyes looked to the ground as this memory entered her mind.

The day she let Domon go…

The day he chose Rain…

And why wouldn't he choose her?! she thought bitterly, as she wiped away a tear. She's older, prettier, and smarter! I know he's better off with her, but why won't my pain go away?

Allenby broke down crying and covered her face with her hands.

What's wrong with me?!

"Hey, you shouldn't be out here so late, little missy," said a deep voice.

Allenby, completely shocked, jumped and fell off the bench. She didn't even notice that there was someone sitting next to her!

"Allenby, is that you?!" the man asked, looking over the side of the bench.

"Ch-Chibodee?!" she screamed, still sitting on the ground. "Why the hell did you scare me like that?!"

"Sorry. Didn't mean to," he chuckled, offering his hand to help.

Allenby grabbed his hand and pulled herself up. She avoided looking into his eyes, so he wouldn't notice that she was just crying.

But Chibodee did notice. He saw the bags under her eyes, the paleness of her face, the jumpiness that overcame her. She was also shivering from being out in the cold so long.

Allenby pulled her hand out of Chibodee's grasp.

"Well, it was nice to see you again, Chibodee!" Allenby tried to cover her voice in false cheerfulness.

She turned her back to him, and started walking back to her hotel.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked.

Allenby stopped.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, trying her best to keep her voice from shaking.

Immediately afterward, she realized how false her answer was. She hadn't had a full night's sleep in weeks. She hardly did anything but sit around and mope. No matter how much she told herself that things were now for the best, her heart would not stop aching.

Allenby suddenly became aware that she was shivering almost uncontrollably. Since she left her hotel in a rush, she forgot to put on a jacket.

Don't show Chibodee any weakness, Allenby reminded herself. He'll just smirk and act like he's my hero.

"Can I walk you back?" Chibodee asked, a concerned look in his eyes.

"If you want," she replied, and continued to walk out of the park.

She felt a heavy material drop onto her shoulders. She turned to see Chibodee's jacket on her.

"Uh…thanks," she mumbled, her cheeks turning red. It seemed that her "macho" act wasn't working. If he could see through that, what else did he know?

"Allenby, do you want to talk…" Chibodee began.

"No, actually, I don't," she interrupted, walking down another street.

"Umm…Where are you going?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"To my hotel, why?"

"Well, I think you're going the wrong way."

Allenby looked around. Hmm…the American seemed to be right. She didn't recognize any of the signs or buildings on this street…

Without even looking at the sign on the building, she walked inside a door on her right.

"I just decided to come here, instead," Allenby explained, in a matter of fact tone.

Chibodee looked around and smiled. "Uh…Allenby, I don't think you should be in here."

When Allenby looked around, she gasped. They were in a very poorly lit room, with a long counter on one side, and tables and chairs on the other. Every single person in there was drunk.

"A…bar…" Allenby choked out.

Chibodee chuckled. "So, what's a 17 year-old got to do in a bar, huh?"

Allenby felt her pride being tested.

"I've come to get a few drinks," she said, crossing her arms and tossing her head.

Chibodee, enjoying Allenby's obvious embarrassment, decided to see how far she would go.

"Yeah? Well, I can use one myself. I'll buy," he insisted. He grabbed Allenby's arm and sat down at the bar.

Allenby gulped mentally. Would she actually get drunk, even thought she was under-aged? Sure, she wasn't exactly the best behaved girl around, but this was going too far, even for her.

Well, it's not like she was alone. Chibodee wasn't quite 21 either. But he seemed to be used to doing this kind of stuff.

"Excuse me. I'd like to order," Chibodee called to the bar-tender.

A short, balding man walked over to the pair, and said in a gruff voice, "What do ya want?"

"I'll just have a beer, and she'll have…" Chibodee looked over to Allenby, that mischievous smirk still on his face.

Allenby hated that smile. She would do anything to prove it wrong.

"…I'll have the same," she said, nose in the air.

Chibodee stared at Allenby with wide eyes, his smile gone. It was as if he hadn't expected her to be that daring. The little man shrugged and walked away to get their order.

Allenby didn't change her position. That American wants to test me, huh? she thought. Well I'll show him I'm no coward!

Once Chibodee got over his shock, he did his trademark laugh. This girl's got guts, he thought.

He couldn't help but wonder how this girl, who never seemed to even be inside a bar, would take to a few mugs of beer.

"What are you laughing at?" Allenby asked, finally daring to look at him.

"Nothing," Chibodee smiled. "It's just I was thinking you had lotsa spunk."

Is that a compliment? Allenby thought.

She decided that it was, and after that she warmed up considerably towards him.

"That's kinda funny coming from a guy who dyes his bangs pink," she retorted, grinning.

"Hey! It's all natural, I swear!" Chibodee began to pout, and touched the pink parts of his hair subconsciously.

Allenby laughed at this, which caused Chibodee to laugh too.

"You've got a very contagious laugh, little girl," he observed.

"Who're you calling 'little girl'?" Allenby asked, cracking her knuckles playfully. "I doubt that you're even five years older than me."

"You're right," Chibodee agreed, grinning again. "I guess you're more mature than people give you credit for."

What is with this guy? Allenby wondered. He just keeps dishing out the compliments…and I actually like it…

She stared out in space, for at least five minutes, wondering how this Gundam fighter had cheered her up so quickly. After nearly a month of absolute solitude and depression, in one night, one person made her feel like her old self again.

"Hello?! Earth to Allenby?!" Chibodee said in a sing-song voice, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Huh?" Allenby said, startled out of her trance.

"I asked you what you've been doing since the Gundam fight," he said.

"Oh, well the scientists are giving me some time off," Allenby explained. "So I thought I'd play tourist and go to places I've wanted to see since childhood."

"How much have you seen?" Chibodee asked.

"Um…nothing much, really."

"What?! But it's been almost a month! You should've at least gone to see the Statue of Liberty…or what's left of it," he exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, I just haven't felt like it lately," Allenby mumbled, looking down at her hands on the counter.

"Allenby," Chibodee whispered gently, also looking down at the counter. "This isn't because of Domon Kasshu, is it?"

Allenby looked at Chibodee with fearful eyes, as if he had just struck a soft spot in her heart. All the happiness that he had filled her with earlier that night seemed to pour out of her in one mighty swoop. Her mouth opened and closed, as if searching for the right words to say, and her heart beat faster than ever, as she tried to decide if she could tell this man of all the pain and suffering that she had gone through in the past few weeks…

"Here," the little bartender had come back with their drinks (finally).

"Thank you," Allenby said, all to quickly. She grabbed her drink and gulped it down. Chibodee gaped at her until his senses seemed to take over.

"Whoa! Little missy, you better slow down! At this rate, you'll be drunk before me!" he warned. "And trust me, I'm a legend at this bar."

He winked and smiled. Allenby finally put her mug down (only a quarter of the way full), and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"So, you never told me what you were doing this past month," she exclaimed, with false interest.

"Nothing much," Chibodee admitted, watching Allenby carefully. "Just been hangin' out with my girls."

"Do you know how girly that sounds? It's like there part of your 'clique'," Allenby smirked, trying desperately to change the subject and mask her feelings at the same time.

"Well, they are just my crew," Chibodee said defensively. "It's not like I hang out with them cause I want to."

"Oh, excuse me?!" said a female voice from one of the tables. "I guess the man doesn't need us around to put curlers in his hair anymore, girls."

Both Chibodee and Allenby whipped around. Chibodee had a shocked expression on his face, while Allenby looked amused. Chibodee quickly turned on his charming smile.

"Girls!" he exclaimed, his arms out. "You know I didn't really mean it, right?"

"Oh, no Chibodee," said the red-headed Shirley sarcastically. "We know exactly what you mean."

"Uh…" Chibodee faltered. "What are you girls doing here?"

"We could ask you the same question, Chibodee," Bunny giggled.

Now blushing, Chibodee sheepishly looked at Allenby from a sideways glance. "Yeah, I guess so!" he exclaimed, and covered his embarrassment with a false laugh.

Allenby, immensely amused at this whole show, smirked at Chibodee from his side. It amazed her how these four young women could control one of the strongest Gundam fighters in the world.

"Um…curlers?!" Allenby repeated, already chuckling.

"Yes, curlers. You didn't think that his hair was naturally wavy, did you?" Shirley asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well, I knew about the pink, but I can't believe the curlers!" Allenby grinned.

Everybody laughed at this, save Chibodee, who was now blushing a much darker red than before. He tried to change the subject.

"Um…well, girls, this is Allenby," Chibodee motioned to the girl with the teal hair. "And Allenby, they're Shirl, Cath, Janet, and Bunny."

"Nice to meet you guys," Allenby nodded to the crew.

Each girl said the same in her own way, and the small talk began...

~~~A few hours later~~~

Allenby burst out laughing, then buried her head in her arms on the bar.

"Yeah! *hic* And then he woke up the next morning, wondering why he was wearing Cath's lingerie!" Bunny managed to say, before breaking down in laughter herself.

All the girls laughed at the memory, while poor Chibodee tried to change the embarrassing subject.

"I *hic* can't believe that *hic* Chibodee gets so crazy when he's drunk!" Allenby exclaimed, quite oblivious to the fact that she was hammered.

In fact, everyone, save Chibodee, was drunk. It was a wonder they were still conscious, let alone still functioning properly. The girls talked about the most embarrassing memories they possessed of Chibodee.

I can't believe they're doing this to me! he thought. Especially in front of a fellow Gundam Fighter!

"I know!" Janet said, still giggling. "And then, there was this one time in Hong Kong…"

"Whoa! I think it's time for you ladies to get home!" Chibodee exclaimed, looking at the spot on his wrist where a watch should have been. He was definitely going to stop this story. "It is way too late for five drunk women to be hanging out! Especially in New York…"

Everyone let out a moan, saying stuff like "Chibodee swears like he's our dad…". But the girls all got up, grabbed their stuff, and tried to get out of the bar without falling flat on their faces.

The chatter about Chibodee continued until they reached Allenby's hotel. Chibodee's crew promised to come by and visit Allenby sometime, and they waited in the lobby while Chibodee walked Allenby to her room.

They were alone in the elevator, which was a good thing, because Allenby insisted on pushing every single one of the numbered buttons. It was a 30 story building (A/N: hey, I can dream, can't I?), so it was going to take them a while to get to Allenby's room on the 28th floor.

"Allenby, remind me never to take you drinking again," Chibodee groaned.

"Why not?" she asked innocently. "I think it was really fun. 'Sides, you liked it! All we talked about *hic* was you."

"Yeah, I gotta admit, I like to be talked about by five pretty women," Chibodee grinned.

"Pretty?" Allenby repeated, looking up into his green eyes. Even if she was drunk, it didn't take her long to figure out that he was paying her a compliment.

"Yeah, pretty," Chibodee assured, taking a step closer to Allenby, as if entranced by her stare.

What am I doing?! She's drunk, for God's sake! he thought, as he tried to fix his mistake by scooting away again.

But, being the extremely drunk 17 year-old that she was, Allenby wrapped her arms around Chibodee's waist, laid her head on his chest, and whispered "Thank you."

Chibodee nervously put his arms around Allenby, trying to tell himself that it was just a friendly gesture.

"You know, it shouldn't be news to you that you're good-looking," Chibodee whispered into Allenby's soft, blue hair. "Don't tell me that's the first time you heard it."

"Well, it is," Allenby said, closing her eyes. Even though her mind was all fogged up, she somehow remembered…that no one…not even Domon…had ever complimented her like this. It kind of made her feel…loved…

After one night?! her common sense asked her. After one night of talking to this man…I can actually love him?!

Yes, you can, said another part of her. What's wrong with that? You've heard of love at first sight, Allenby Beardsley, so what's wrong with this?

"Nothing," Allenby said out loud, eyes still closed.

"Hmm?" Chibodee looked down at Allenby. "What's wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing," Allenby snuggled against Chibodee's warm chest, finally finding the sleep that had abandoned her…