The sun was covered by dark gray clouds that gently sprinkled snow down on to the world, the frigid air nipped at Zaliver’s skin.  He heard dogs barking in the distance and people shouting in the park beside him as he burrowed his nose further into his jacket and pushed forward, already seeing the dark long alleyway come into his view. 
The image of a young boy practically jumping out of his skin with excitement flashed before Zaliver’s eyes-- the young man holding the boy’s hand looked over smiling down at the boy.  His son.  Zaliver couldn’t help but be jealous of the young carefree boy he once was before everything.  He shook his head before quickly leaning against the wall, his stomach was a mess of nerves for the upcoming event tonight.  He carefully searched his surroundings before slipping into the dark alleyway.  Rushing down the small path to the metal door awaiting his and many others’ arrival tonight, he hastily knocked and anticipated the scratchy sound of metal rubbing against metal.  Instead, the slide at the top of the door jerked open with force as a pair of unforgiving hazel eyes stared back at him, narrowing slightly.
“I thought you weren’t going to show up today,”  the gruff voice stated, scanning over Zaliver’s appearance.  Zalvier just shrugged slightly as he looked down the alleyway into the street behind him, he can’t turn back now.  This was no time to become cowardly and duck out of his commitment, he thought to himself.
“I changed my mind last minute if I don’t do it today Ryan will never let me be, even after I leave this all behind me,”  Zaliver told the man, looking up and meeting his eyes. 
He heard the slide creak shut before the door swung open with force and Zaliver cautiously walked inside.  The door slammed shut behind him, immersing him in complete darkness.  Zaliver began to move forward as his eyes adjusted and he started to see the lights surrounding the ring.  The ring was projected upward on a platform surrounded on the outside with chairs for the spectators.  The rubber ropes that were supposed to protect you surrounded the ring, four on each side, but being a part of a fight club meant no real rules were followed, nor penalties given: especially when Ryan is in the ring. 
Zaliver started making his way to the locker rooms to prepare for tonight; tonight was the night that will make or break him.  He pushed open the locker room door as shouts bombarded his ears, typical locker room argument it seems.  He made his way to his locker and quickly opened it, staring at the picture inside of his father and mother, reminiscing on those lucky years he got with them, and his final commitment to his father.  While laying on his deathbed in the starkly clean hospital room, his father had made Zaliver promise to achieve his dreams and make his life worth living.  With tears forming in his eyes, Zaliver nodded vigorously as he held his father’s hand and he took his last breaths.  The heart monitor went flat.  Who could believe that a car accident did in one of the world’s most famous boxers and his wife?  Zaliver learned then that life is unfair and short, but he is still trying to fulfill his last promise-- no, obligation-- to his father, which he believed was to become a famous boxer and follow in Father’s footsteps.  That’s the only thing that could truly give him happiness and make his father proud.
He shook off the memory before grabbing his small duffel bag and slamming the locker shut.  He hurriedly wrapped his hand with the white tape, beating his hand against his palm and then shoving it into the boxing glove before repeating the same process on his other hand.  He looked over all the other boxers here tonight, some won’t even get to fight, he thought as the numbers grew, but really, they were lucky to not have to fight tonight.  They were lucky if they never had to fight.  He walked out of the locker room to go to his and Robin’s usual meeting place, in the small closet that’s hidden at the back of the building and slipped in stealthily.  He turned around to be met with Robin’s icy glare.  Unfazed, he slumped against the wall and stared back at her.  The tears welled up in her eyes as she looked away.
“I was really hoping that you actually bailed tonight and would never come back to this Godforsaken place,” she whispered, her voice cracking.  Zaliver looked at her before heavily sighing and pushing off the wall, pulling her into a hug.
“You know why I have to do this,” he whispered in her ear.
“No you don’t!” she suddenly shouted at him, all her emotions boiling over as she felt complete and consuming frustration with Zaliver, pushing him away slightly to stare into his eyes.  “Just because your father started out here and became a world famous boxer doesn’t mean this is where you will find your ultimate goal and promise!  He became famous by pure luck and you need to get that through your thick skull!” She continued on, her chest heaving by now with all her pent up anger; she will not risk her best friend getting hurt over some stupid fight because he promised his father that he would keep pushing for his dreams.  She honestly didn’t believe for one second that Zaliver wanted this as his career, he had always wanted so much more out of life until his parents died. 
“You know why I have to do it this way!  There’s no other place where a talent scout could possibly show up and see me fighting.  I need to keep going here in the hopes that I will get noticed by someone!”  He shouted back, equally upset that she didn’t seem to understand his vow, that he promised this to his father on his deathbed. 
Robin looked him over before sighing dejectedly.
“I just don’t want to see you get hurt like last time this time it could entirely end your career.  You should start thinking more about your future.  There are other ways to get noticed Zaliver and other careers to fulfill your father’s final wish.  It’s supposed to be what makes you happy, not what you think he wanted,”  she said before slowly taking his hand and looking down as tears burned in her eyes, fear consuming her as it had last time when he was carted away in the ambulance. 
He set his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.  And they stayed that way for a minute, just staring, before he muttered, “I won’t allow myself to get hurt this time I promise you Robin. Okay?”  He released her chin and slowly backed up again reaching for the door handle.
“I’ve got to go I’ll see you after the fight, I promise.  This is it, I can feel it.”  He smiled at her and opened the door enough for him to slip out and shut it.  His escape was so abrupt, that he didn’t hear Robin mutter under her breath the three words she’s been holding in or to hear her heart wrenching sobs from just picturing him as he had looked last time he fought with Ryan.
Zaliver slipped on his shorts and set his mouthpiece in properly, setting his duffel bag in his locker.  This roller coaster of emotions started to devour him.  He felt so much anger right now: infuriated that his parents were taken from him,  sullen that he can’t seem to become a professional boxer and be happy finally, irritated at Robin for telling him the cold hard truth, but mostly he felt anger towards himself.  He felt bitterness that he had made a promise that he couldn’t seem to keep, no matter how hard he tries.
He gruffly shook his head before walking out of the room, trying to leave his emotions behind.  He walked out to the check-in post and quickly gave his name to the attendant there, before standing around waiting for the fights to begin.  His fight was first.  Zaliver looked at all the faces surrounding him and thought about all the times he would go to the boxing matches with his father, his first boxing lesson and how horrible he was, yet his father promised him that he that he would improve, and he did.  But was his devotion to happiness a promise or an obligation?  Zaliver felt that he was fulfilling an obligation to his father: that he would become a professional boxer, but in his heart he didn’t feel right about any of this.  He thought he was doing all of this because of this ‘promise’ to his father, but really he had said he would be happy in life. . . Was he happy? Can he finish what he has started, given the risks?  Or should he tell Robin how he feels and leave this behind for his real happiness, for her? 
At that moment, he saw Robin walk in and take her seat in the back row.  He examined her face and saw the fresh tear marks and he realized it hurt him too.  It hurt more than anything in this World to know that he made her cry by trying to fulfill this obligation he feels.  Does he want this? 
Just then loud shouts and cheers were heard as Ryan made his way to the check-in attendant, smirking slightly at Zaliver as he passed him.  Zaliver, finally getting hit all at once by the nerves that were congregating in his stomach, he realized he had to make a choice now.  He looked over at Robin once again, her heart-shaped face and ice blue eyes that he sees when he closes own his eyes.  Her mouth, as it curved up into a smile, her laugh filled his ears, and while he thought of everything he loved about her, everything that made him happy, she met his eyes in one last silent plea.
He looked over at the ring again as Ryan climbed in, he looked back over at Robin, the woman he now realized he loved.  He had to make a decision now, and it was going to be something that made him happy, as he had promised to his father.