Breathe In

by tani-chan

Set after the end of the series, Yuugi faces the depression after the group disbands and goes their separate ways. Sitting alone in a hospital bed, he gets visited by an odd girl on a bleak day. Maybe, he can learn to finally breathe in himself. [On Hold]

3. Recycled Air

Breathe In

By tani-chan

Chapter Three: Recycled Air

Disclaimer: If I owned YuuGiOu, I'd be animating this. And be stinking rich.

Genre: Drama/Humor/Romance

Rating: PG-15/T/M

Note: Well, this is my first YuuGiOu fanfiction. :sighs and shrugs: Not sure if I quite like it so far, but I love the original character that I made for this whole idea, and decided to try and write it out. Hate it, love it, just tell me what you think. Maybe I'll actually complete it someday. XD; (Warning: Pretty severe OOCness on most accounts. And cheesiness at times. You have been warned.)

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I had been walking around with Iteya Maigo for over an hour now, and she hasn't said a word, other than saying we're walking to a café not far from where we are currently, since both she and I were hungry.

The rest of the time we had just been walking around, which she said was for just getting me used to walking again, which I have to admit helped out quite a bit. My legs had still felt weak and slightly unstable, but weren't as shaky and I could walk pretty well on them.

"So… uh… what are we doing now?" I said, looking around at the small crowd around us that was filtering past, slightly larger than usual since it was lunchtime. "Minus going to that café and all." Maigo just shrugged and turned to smile at me, continuing walking. "Not much, at least that I know of. I was planning on taking you to the arcade, but I don't know if you're up for that yet," she said, that mischievous glint flashing in her eyes again.

I just rolled my eyes at her again, trying to focus on making sure I wouldn't trip and fall and create a semi-domino effect, considering the crowds were packed. "Yeah, right. I think most of the public would faint to see my great return to a local arcade," I said, sarcastically, at which Maigo just chuckled again.

"Actually, I don't think that would be very short of what is true to what would happen," she said, pausing for a second at a corner before turning and walking across a street, beckoning me to follow her. "Well, we're almost at the café," she said, somehow pushing herself throw the crowds which I was having difficulties with, considering I was still carrying the bag with my clothing and such, besides being the fact that I was still short.

Sure enough, right at one of the corners was a small café that was surprisingly not packed full. Maigo smiled briefly and moved into it through the crowds, quickly leading me inside the quaint little place. She quickly walked over to one of the tables in a corner, looking relieved that she could sit down. I just chuckled myself, also glad that we were out of the mad crowd for a bit.

"Well, what do you think?" she said, throwing her hand out a bit to point at the café. I just shrugged and smiled a bit, not really caring. "Eh, as long as the food is good, I'm fine," I said simply, eyeing the simple décor and how no one really seemed to care who else was in there, talking and all laughing amongst themselves.

She just grinned a bit at me, nodding as one of the waiters came over taking her order and asking for mine, which I just asked for a small sandwich. Turing around a bit, Maigo looked out the window, leaning her face in her hands, looking calmer.

"So.. uh… Iteya-san, how'd you do that with the doctor?" I said, feeling stupid as soon as I asked it, but still curious at how she had somehow contorted the doctor's words against him allowing her to pull me out of there. She just turned and blinked at me, a small, 'eh?' noise coming out of her mouth before she just chuckled, shrugging.

"I'm used to it," she said simply, looking back out the window. "Wordplay like that is somewhat… my job I guess you could say," she said throwing me a smile before sitting back up and stretching a bit as the waiter brought our food, which consisted of my sandwich and the same for her, as well as a blue coloured bottle of Ramune, which she grinned at before taking a sip.

I just shrugged and took a bite from my sandwich, raising an eyebrow at her. "And what might your job be?" I said, that itching feeling that I had heard her name before rearing its head again. She returned my look and blinked, before her eyes widened and she nearly choked on her Ramune, laughing.

"Well… uh… nothing really, but being able to do that regularly is quite helpful," she said with a somewhat joking tone, still looking like she was going to die laughing. I just gave her a small glare, knowing by now that trying to pry at any unanswered question was futile. "Well, then, I suppose we should start with the basics. You seem to know me rather well, but I don't know squat about you… minus your name," I stated, taking another bite of my sandwich.

Maigo looked like she was going to laugh again, but held it back and just smiled and shrugged at me, nodding a bit. "Alright, shoot then. I won't answer anything that you don't ask. And, if I don't choose to answer it even if you do ask, you get the idea, ne?" she said, that glint in her eyes flashing again. I just nodded, taking another bite.

"Alright, how old are you?" I said, not sure how old she would be just by her looks. She looked mature, but still retaining a somewhat youthful air about her, despite the fact that she had a slight baby face. "I'm eighteen, but I'm going to be nineteen very soon," she said, biting into her sandwich, the Ramune bottle now less than half full.

I blinked and just nodded and shrugged. Her being eighteen didn't make her much younger than even myself, since I was not that far from turning twenty myself. "When's your birthday then?"

She just took another bite and swallowed, grinning like she wasn't going to answer. "The thirtieth of March," she said, taking another sip of her Ramune. I blinked, knowing that March thirtieth was in about five days. She wasn't lying about it being very soon.

"High school then?" I asked, not sure if she was in college yet. She just grinned and shrugged again, eating a bit more before answering again. "Technically I've been in college for a couple years now, but, of course, I wasn't allowed to skip," she said simply, sipping her Ramune again. "I've been accepted into multiple colleges, but I'm going to hold off on it for a while since I've been too busy," she said simply, poking at the remains of her sandwich as if deciding whether or not she wanted to eat it.

I just blinked, a little shocked. Great, another practically genius 'friend.' Next thing she's going to tell me is she owns and runs some multibillion-dollar company and really be a female Kaiba-kun… minus most of the, at least, outer-personality. I just rolled my eyes and nodded, earning yet another chuckle from her.

"Twenty questions over?" she asked mockingly, referring to that stupid popular American game, which would have confused me if I didn't already know about it all too well. Jounouchi finding out about it wasn't exactly the greatest thing in the world. I just rolled my eyes again and shook my head, eating the last of my sandwich.

"No, after all, I still barely know who you are. We just met, after all," I said, taking a gulp of the water that the waiter had also brought. She just chuckled and nodded, getting up and leaving money for the meal.

"Alright. Then I suppose I should expect to be randomly questioned all day?" she asked yet again in her mocking tone, with that glint flashing again in her eyes. I just laughed a bit myself and nodded, returning her mocking tone with my own. "Yes, I suppose so. If that implies we're to be walking around together all day." She just laughed at me and smiled, a bit more of a true smile then her usual one. "Well, that was the plan. Up for it?" she said, grinning as she walked out the door. "Seems fine to me," I replied, following after her.

Iteya Maigo really was quite an oddball, at least in my eyes and what I knew about her so far. While Maigo seemed rather guarded about herself and whatever her 'real' personality is like, she was outwardly kind and seemed rather trusting despite herself. And I don't know what it was about her, but just being around her made me feel a lot happier; like I had found an old friend once forgotten.

I grinned to myself, feeling a lot better now that I could walk even more and I was full of good food. This morning I didn't even want to get out of bed to pee, and now I was here with a complete stranger and feeling better than I had in months. Either misery really loves company, or it was loosing a very poor battle.

I blinked as my brain pulled up another thought in reference to 'battle.' "Etto… Iteya-san," I said, having to dodge a few people as we made our way back into the bustling crowds, which now seemed to be in a bit of a hurry, since lunch hour was nearly over. She just turned somewhat to look at me, a soft questioning look forming on her face, clearly asking me to continue.

"What's your real reason to coming to visit me… besides breaking me out of there?" I asked, my eyebrow raised questioningly at her. "You're not some crazy psycho after me for some reason, other than to win the title of 'King of Games' and my God Cards?" I added sarcastically, noticing that she didn't seem to have any kind of cards or games on her anyway.

She just blinked at me before laughing loudly, making a few passerby stare as they walked by us. She just chuckled again and shook her head, smiling broadly at me before responding. "No, but I don't think I would tell you that if I was in any case," she said, her glint returning in her eyes as she quickly dodged some more people, surprising me again on how quickly she could. "I'm not one much for duels, or games, anyway," she said, laughing a bit again before smiling at me once more.

I just laughed a bit myself, feeling a little silly about asking that, but taking her word. I do know that I'm one to trust too easily, but she seemed fine. 'Besides,' I thought to myself, grinning a bit cynically. 'If she really is someone just after my title or some such, I won't be too let down. I'm used to that by now.'

She must've noticed, since she turned around and tapped me on the shoulder, shaking her head at me before continuing walking. "No more of that, Mr. Cynical-Ass. I didn't slip you out of that hospital for you to be all angsty," she said, an odd mixture of sincerity and sarcasm lacing her tone. I just rolled my eyes at her again, continuing my slow somewhat trod after her, my legs still not at full functioning level.

"Yeah yeah, whatever," I said, blinking as I finally noticed where she just might be leading me this time. "Oi… we're not going to my house, are we?" I said, my mind groaning silently at the obvious answer. Sure enough, Maigo just grinned at me and continued walking, something akin to a 'yep' being said as she just still dodged through the crowds effortlessly.

Oh, gods, I swear, I would have groaned and dropped dead right there if I had had a choice. Home, like I said, just was not a good place to be at the moment, and was one of the reasons I even willingly stayed in the hospital in the first place. At least there I could choose who most of my visitors were, unlike at home. I knew that if I went there, I would be bound to run into my dad, whom I really did not want to see at the moment.

My once semi-good mood turned sour at the thought, and I knew I must look rather pissed or just plain sick to my stomach at the moment. Maigo didn't seem to notice or care to, like she usually did when I made a face, but continued dodging through the crowds, making me glad that I was able to follow after her in her wake. I just sighed heavily and continued after her, knowing it was going to be inevitable anyway.

Ooooh, please gods, don't make me want to go back into the hospital all over again.

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w00t. Third chapter. Le shock. XD;

Sorry for the long delay on updating. I've been up to my eyeballs in just doing stuff, minus all the random lazy-ness shit I do. XD; I'll be better… or at least try to be. Merr.

And I realize it's kinda short, but I wanted to update and get on with writing it, which I'm doing currently. ;; So don't worry, I should be able to move my butt into wrting some more. XD; Bleh. No guarntees though. XD

Title comes from 'Recycled Air' by The Postal Service. Doesn't really mean anything in terms of this chapter, but I thought it would at least somewhat work… like looking out at things from a distance, which is kinda what Yuugi feels about Maigo currently. :shrugs: That and I listened to it while writing the chapter. XD

Maigo's still odd. :snorts: A bit more info on her character this chapter… sorta. Just mainly basics. Yuugi asking her about being a 'crazy person after his title' makes me giggle though. You know he'd be thinking it anyway. XD

Heh. I still find it funny that Yuugi enjoys comparing her to Kaiba. And in terms of Yuugi saying that all he's seeing is an 'outer-personality,' it could just be him over analyzing her, or really getting at the bigger picture. While first meetings have a large impact on any kind or sort of relationship, they can also be very deceiving and just part of a mask or something. Not that I'm saying crap though. xD Maigo really is somewhat like that, but yeah, she does have her secrets. ;;

And you'll get why she's snorting and laughing at Yuugi asking about her 'work' later on. XD

Also, about the whole age deal. From what I know, at the end of the series, they had gone through maybe about 2-3 years, at least, and were nearing the end of high school. I can't be sure, but this is what I'm going by, so everyone's in their twenties and late teens. :shrugs: Even if this isn't accurate about at the end of the series, that's when it's set. So shoot me. XP Bleh.

And w00t, another review.

In response to Seething-Z:laughs and hands you some: Go right ahead. More the merrier. XD

Thankies muchly. w I'm very glad that you're enjoying it:D :all glad that she has someone liking it now: XD

Hope this chapter's good, and that you'll want to read the next one as well. XD

And you're welcome. :3 Take all you want. xD

And holy crap. oo Just noticed that you favourited my story. X33;;; Big uber thank you. (And now I sound rather silly, but it's 5am and I haven't had any sleep yet. Bleh. xD)

Favourite line: '"You're not some crazy psycho after me for some reason, other than to win the title of 'King of Games' and my God Cards?"'

:snorts: I got the idea for this line while I was at an arcade with my dad, so it looked very odd when I randomly snorted loudly while winning at a video game. XD

And hell, if I was Yuugi, I'd be wondering that myself. Considering the amount of times that seemed to happen. XD

Well, that's all I really have to comment on now, otherwise I would go ranting for three pages. ;;; XD; Oh well.

Oh yes, and if anyone would like to be my beta reader, I'd love you greatly. xD; I'm not quite good at catching grammar mistakes and some input would be nice. X3; Just send me an email, or add it in a review and leave a way to contact you. I'll try to contact you back. Thanks to whomever does/might volunteer.

See you next chapter, hopefully. XD

Do note that flames will be used to toast bread and make tea.

Thank you for reading and please review.

tani-chan