Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ If I Should Fall ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
If I Should Fall
By Angel of the Deceased

Disclaimer: *Sigh * Do you honestly think I own RK? I'll give you a hint-I don't. I also don't know anything about boxing, so please forgive me if I get details wrong. The rating is mostly for language, suggestive themes, and some violence. (it's about Rurouni Kenshin and Boxing. Of course it's going to have some violence!)

(Clear throat) Well, I just have to promote my website every chance I get, so please visit http://get-me.to/anywherebuthere , my Seta Soujiro/Okita Souji fansite, and http://devoted.to/peacemakerkurogane , my Peacemaker Kurogane fansite.

Speaking is in "" Quotes, thinking and discussions with alter-egos are in '' Apostrophes. Song lyric quotes are in - - dashes.
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Chapter 1

-Somewhere there's speaking
It's already coming in
Oh, and it's rising at the back of your mind
You never could get it
Unless you were fed it
Now you're here and you don't know why-

Soujiro Seta wasn't your average boxer. Perhaps that was why people liked him so. Perhaps that's what gave him his fame. He didn't stand in the corner dancing around like a bull on steroids. He didn't throw punches like he was fighting an invisible man. He took deep breaths, walked slowly, remained calmand smiled. It was his trademark. His short height might make his opponent's over-confidant, and his smile was sure to throw them off guard, but he was much more powerful- and merciless- than he looked. He remained standing sedately in the corner, wrapped tightly in a royal blue robe till a few seconds before the bell rang.
Yes, that was what gave him his fame.
"You fought well tonight."
Soujiro glanced up at his manager, then back down to his hands as Yumi unwrapped them, remaining silent.
"I scheduled you to fight with Orian on the twenty fourth, so you get to stay here for another week. We've got a promo tomorrow, so you need to get some sleep."
Soujiro sighed as he listened to Shishio. Yumi finished unwrapping one hand and turned to the other. She had just begun to unwrap it when Soujiro jumped up and ran in to the bathroom, barely in time to throw up into the toilet.
Shishio sighed. "I thought I told you to see a doctor?"
"I'm fine." Soujiro said quietly as he slowly stood, ripped the rest of the wrapping from his left hand, threw it away and walked to the sink.
"No, you're not."
"It's just stress." 'No, it's not you idiot! It's side effects from those damn anti-depressants!' 'Oh, shut up. I'm certainly not going to tell Mister Shishio that.'
"I certainly hope so. But if this keeps up, I'm taking you to a doctor."
Soujiro said nothing as he swished out his mouth with water.
"You can have the afternoon off tomorrow, after the promo."
"Thank you."
"Yeah. Now see to it that you get some sleep." With that Shishio turned and walked out, Yumi following close behind, leaving Soujiro staring hatefully at his own reflection.
He splashed some water on his face and headed in to the bedroom in his suite, adjacent to that of Shishio and Yumi.
"Meow."
Soujiro looked down at his feet and smiled. He bent down and scooped up the beautiful Siamese stray - Isis, he called her- that had adopted him during a fight in Toronto.
"You know it's the meds, don't you?" He asked her quietly as he scratched behind her ears. "Someday I've gotta tell Mister Shishio. They've got me on so many medications they all counteract each other and I've got side-effects galore."
Isis regarded him calmly.
"But you know that, don't you?" He smiled and walked over to the radio, still holding Isis. He put on a CD and stretched out on the bed, with Isis purring, curled up on his chest.
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Kaoru grinned and waved happily when she saw Soujiro walk in to the café.
"I was beginning to think you weren't coming!" She said as she jumped up to give her brother a hug.
"Sorry, the promo ran late."
"Would you like another ice tea?" A waitress asked Kaoru as she stopped beside the table, carrying an armful of plates.
"Yes, please."
The waitress nodded and turned to Soujiro, who waved a hand dismissively. The waitress continued to the kitchen.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't able to catch the fight last night. How did it go?"
"Fine. I won. As usual."
Kaoru smiled. "Well, that's good." She noticed his melancholy expression. "Isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"What's wrong, Sou?"
He looked up sharply and smiled. "Nothing. I'm just tired."
"You sure?"
He nodded. "So how's your boyfriend?"
Kaoru grinned. "He's doing great. We went to dinner and the movies last night."
Soujiro chuckled. "What did you see?"
Kaoru blushed. They really weren't paying too much attention to the movie, they were more interested in each other. "Um" She desperately tried to remember the title. "um, that new thriller that came out"
"You went and saw a -thriller- on a -date-?"
Kaoru nodded. Soujiro rolled his eyes. Kaoru smiled. She got out of that one.
"So when do I get to meet him?"
"Soon. We talked about that last night, actually. You got to let us know when you have a free night, we can all have dinner together."
Soujiro nodded.
"So when are you gonna get a girlfriend?"
Soujiro shrugged. "When I meet a girl I like."
A smile played on Kaoru's lips. She loved teasing her brother about girls. "Sowho do you like here in this restaurant?"
Soujiro sighed and played with his water glass as he looked around. After a few moments he finally nodded to a young woman sitting all lone in a corner. "She's kinda cute."
Kaoru looked over her shoulder to see whom he was referring to.
Kaoru nodded. "Yeah, she's pretty. You ought to go over there and introduce yourself."
Soujiro desperately wished he had some food to throw at his sister. Kaoru burst out laughing at Soujiro's expression. He shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Sou, I just can't help it. You're so fun to tease!"
"Yeah, apparently."
"So when's your next fight?"
"The twenty-fourth."
She nodded. "I'll try to be there."
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Soujiro slammed his gloved fists into the punching bag to the beat of the music.
He hated his life. To everyone else, it seemed so glamorous. No one knew what it was really like. No one knew what he had to go through to get where he was. No one knew what he had to do to maintain his fame.
Yumi walked in with Soujiro's robe and slippers- something he insisted on wearing after a training session-and absent-mindedly turned the CD volume down. It was far too loud, and she needed to talk to him about his new medication.
Soujiro wheeled around, fixing Yumi with a death glare. "Do not -EVER- touch my CDs AGAIN!!"
Yumi blinked at Soujiro's sudden outburst and took a step back, watching him as he ripped off a glove and turned the volume back up.
"I'm...I'm sorry..."
Soujiro resumed hitting the punching bag, hitting harder and harder.
"I've never given you permission to touch my things." He growled through clenched teeth.
Yumi stood with her mouth agape. True, he had never directly given her permission, yet he was constantly ordering her to bring him this and fetch him that. If he did not want her to touch his things, why did he ask her to bring them to him?
"Well, are you just going to stand there?" Soujiro's icy voice cut through Yumi's thoughts. He now stood in front of her, with his arms crossed, glaring at her.
Yumi glared back as she handed him his robe and slippers. She knew better than to say anything to him while he was in this sort of mood. After all, there was indeed a valid reason for the doctor to prescribe him tranquilizers.
"I'm sorry." She murmured as he accepted his robe and slippers.
Soujiro quickly turned and stalked out of the room to change, leaving Yumi standing alone. She shook her head and sighed. He was becoming progressively more violent, and it worried her.

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Soujiro muttered to himself as he loaded a new CD into the stereo. 'Damn bitch, turning the volume down. She never had any right to do that.'
'Oh, relax, she just wanted to talk to you and she couldn't do that very well over the CD. What are you getting so worked up about?'
Soujiro stopped what he was doing and blinked. What -was- he getting so worked up about?
"Meow."
Soujiro looked down and smiled at Isis, who was rubbing against his leg. "Hey, baby. You want to be fed?" He cooed gently to her.
"Mrreooww."
"Hang on baby, I'll feed you in a sec." He turned back to the stereo and turned the CD on, then bent down and scooped Isis up in his arms.
"What do you want tonight?" He asked her as he walked over and opened a cupboard filled with canned cat food. "We've gotchicken and cheese, tuna, beef"
"Meow."
"Beef? Okay." He set Isis down and opened up the can and dumping it in her dish. Isis began eating it up with joy. "Mister Shishio says I spoil you. I don't think I do. What do you think?"
No response from the cat.
He began stroking her soft fur, but cringed when the phone rang. He hated phones. He had to talk to Yumi about having it removed.
With a sigh he stood and walked over to it, hesitating before answering.
"What?"
There was a pause on the other end before his sister's voice spoke up. "Jeez, that's a snotty way to answer the phone."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you."
"Well, obviously."
"I'm sorry, Kaoru. Why were you calling?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me."
Soujiro thought about that. They had had lunch together earlier that day. She must be pretty lonely. "Umyeah, okay. Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, fine. Why?"
"Nothing. Why don't you come up to my suite? We can order up Chinese food or something."
"Okay, I'll be over around eight."
"Okay."
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"I'm getting worried about Soujiro."
"Mmmm? And why is that, luv?"
"He's getting violent."
Shishio chuckled. "My dear Yumi, he's always been violent."
"No, I mean, he's more violent than usual."
"Now, now Yumi. You know how possessive he gets."
Yumi sighed and curled up against Shishio. True, he was possessive. But he had never taken it to such extremes before.
"Stop worrying, Yumi. He'll be just fine."
"I'm sure you're right, darling."
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Thank you for taking the time to read this story! I know whenever you click on a title there is a chance you could be sorely disappointed by what you read. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you.
To me, this chapter seems too rushed. I feel I jump around too much. What do you think?

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