Ashuri: I'm sorry. I took too long in doing a new chapter. I was so busy. And kind of idea deprived. OMG! 101 reviews! This has gone on further then I thought it would. Whoa. And so now here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

Hao: she does not own shaman king.

Chapter eleven: Valen lovers day thing.

After about a month, thing's started to look up for Ren. He was seeing the shrink less and less and having fewer nightmares, he wasn't having as many desires to kill people, through there was still a lengthy list of people he would get eventually, Jun, the rabbit and so fourth. However even all these accomplishments couldn't mask the growing anxiety of February the fourteenth.

He had told Jun, which he realized after he shouldn't have, that he didn't want gifts given to him, and that he didn't want to have to buy gifts for anyone either. Jun replied, "But valentines day is for couples and your supposed to give gifts."

"I'm trying to get out of it," Ren had said.

"But I thought you had come to term with your feelings?"

"That's not it!"

Supposedly you could say he came to term with his feelings, but he defiantly would have found it embarrassing to say the least, if Horo gave anything, on Valen lovers day thing, as he called it now, considering he still hadn't forgotten about the first rabbit dream and the supposed futures. He didn't want any of it to come true, so on February the fourteenth, Ren awoke way before Horo, precisely at dawn, and tried to quietly hunt down any trace of a gift. He searched the whole house and didn't find anything, so he returned to bed, feeling slightly better and a little bit foolish.

The next time he woke up, it was around ten, he could smell breakfast, which meant that Horo was up. He rolled off the bed, literally, and went down to see him. He was making pancakes, in the shapes of hearts no less.

"Morning," Ren said.

"Morning," Horo said and bounded over to him. He was so bouncy this morning. His arms went around Ren and it seemed more like he was choking him then hugging him.

"Horo!"

"Yeah?"

"Air!"

"Oops. Sorry!" He released Ren and he gasped for air. "Happy valentines day Ren!" Horo then said happily.

"Happy valentines day," Ren said with a slight smile. They stood there. What? Is he waiting for a hug or something. Ren thought. O-Kay this is awkward. He sighed. "Horo...the pancakes!" Horo spun around freaking out. He managed to save his Valen lovers day pancakes and they didn't taste that bad.

Afterwards, Ren found out that Horo did have a gift for him, and Horo explained that Jun had told him that he didn't want any gifts so Horo hid it in a place that Ren couldn't even find them. He hid them in a cereal box. Amazed with Horo's sudden streak of brilliance, Ren was stunned. He just sat there for a while staring at the gift of delicious looking chocolates before speaking.

"What's this?" Ren asked, knowing only too well that he was playing right into the supposed futures hands.

"Chocolate," Horo said.

"I meant like what's it for?" he replied wondering why he was going along with this, even though he spent a week trying to stop it from happening. Maybe he did secretly want a gift, and it was so secret that he didn't even know he wanted it.

"Valentines day," Horo said going slightly red.

"But I thought that on Valentines day, women give chocolates to men, so that they would see them as potential girlfriends. And a month later men would give gifts back to women?" Ren said lifting up the box and looking at it and then at Horo who blinked and turned redder. "Thanks Horo," Ren said opening the box.

At that point Ren didn't know whether he wanted to eat them or throw them at Horo. He pondered it for a minute before deciding to eat them. And he was glad he did. They were really good. When he started to eat them he saw Horo relax as though he was afraid Ren would throw them at him.

Ren smiled slightly and picked up a chocolate and held it in front of Horo's mouth. "Eat," he instructed. Horo opened his mouth and ate the chocolate right out of his hand and kissing Ren's finger tips afterwards. A smile still playing at his face, Ren remember a time when he would have killed Horo for doing that. But not now, as long as Horo didn't get carried away.

They didn't do much for most of the morning, except sit around and eat chocolate and discussing little things, like would Ren allow Horo to buy him another gift and so fourth. Around noon, they went to Yoh's cause Ryu and Chocolove were putting on a valentines day play. It was strangely disturbing and Ren probably would have had Horo do all the dastardly things in his brain to him rather then see the play again, and that's saying something.

They stayed there after the play for awhile, watching Anna try to murder them and then Ren

took over and almost succeeded but Horo intervened and told him he should stop or he would have to go back to the shrink- "No!"- and Yoh locked Ryu and Chocolove in one the rooms for two hours. Around dinner time when they couldn't take anymore of the play reciting, which Ryu and Chocolove were doing after they were released, they excused themselves and went out to a restaurant for dinner, which was so full of couples that Ren almost turned around and walked right back outside.

Horo somehow managed to persuade him to stay. They didn't get stared at as much as Ren thought they would, however, much to Ren's displeasure, they ran into his shrink. Ren had tried to hide behind Horo to avoid being seen, however, she was always able to find him. Thankfully they were outside of the restaurant and he was saved some embarrassment.

"Well, I didn't know you were gay Ren?"

Ren mumbled something along the lines of, "I'm not," and "Its none of your business."

"What was that?" Ms. Oken asked.

Ren shook his head violently glaring at her. Horo made the point of staying between Ren and her just incase Ren decided to kill her.

"You know Ren, there was something I didn't get around to saying then last time we met," she said.

"Yeah what's that?" said Ren seething.

"You are very self-conceited are you not?"

"I am not self-conceited!" Ren said indigently.

"Actually, you are," Horo muttered and Ren glared at him instead.

"Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction. Remember that," Ms. Oken said turning away and leaving.

"I am not self conceited!" he yelled after her. When she was gone Ren turned to Horo. "Thanks Horo. That was wonderfully helpful." He turned and started walking toward his home.

"Oh come on, Ren. I was just stating the truth," Horo said running after him.

"The truth! Do you think I need to or want to hear the truth! I've been trying to fight the truth for three months! And do you think it's helped? Not in the least! The truth is good for nothing! All its does is spawn more lies and-"

Ren's ranting was cut off because Horo pulled him into his arms and kissed him. When they were done Ren said. "I guess that means I should stop huh?"

"Yeah it does."

"Ok." replied Ren and he kissed Horo again. And when they were done that, Horo dragged Ren to a movie rental store to rent some movies. Browsing the sections, Ren couldn't decide on what to get, so in the end he ended up siding with whatever Horo wanted. Which was, some random horror flick, Star Wars, and Phantom of the Opera.

When they got home Ren made popcorn and they sat down to watch their movies. Star Wars wasn't bad, however when they got to the horror flick, Horo got really freaked out at an intense part and started to grip Ren's arm to the point where it went numb. Besides that, he found it kinda cute that Horo was scared, he wrapped his arms around him and said he would protect him from the nasty movie, and maybe it was a good thing he did that as Horo didn't seem quite so scared after wards.

Why Horo rented Phantom of the Opera was beyond him. It was a love story, full of obsession and stuff like that. Ren didn't like love stories, due to the fact that he was still trying to get out of the love story he was already in. The movie wasn't bad, but Horo kinda ruined it by singing one of the songs in his ear, after the song was over.

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime, say the word and I will follow you, share each day with me, each night, each morning, anywhere you go let me go too, that's all I ask of you."

"Horo you're ruining the movie."

"Sorry."

When the movie was over, he continued to sing the song, or rather parts of it to the point where Ren told him to shut up or Horo would end up sleeping on the couch or in the spare bedroom. Horo whined no, and stopped. When Ren went to wash the dishes from breakfast and the popcorn bowl, Horo wandered around, this time humming the song.

Ren sighed annoyed and tried to ignore him for the time being. It didn't work very well, as soon Horo was beside him singing it again. Before he could say anything, Horo ended up turning him around and pinning him against the counter. He then started kissing him gently and Ren was awfully tempted to put his cold hands on Horo's back, but decided against it. Later, when the mini kissing frenzy was over, Horo just looked at Ren for a while, before saying. "I love you Ren."

"I-I," Ren tried. "I know."

He looked down and turned away. "Why can't you say it Ren?" Horo asked.

"I-I don't know. I just can't," Ren returned to washing dishes.

"Do you have feelings for me? Or has this all been an act this past month?" he asked placing his hands on Ren's hips.

"I do feel for you Horo. I just can't say those words," replied Ren. "Its not a natural thing...too me."

"I know. I just wish you could. Because its making me doubt your feelings." Horo pulled away from him.

Ren didn't like how he emphasized feelings. "Okay. Now your making me sound like a bad person just cause I can't say it," he said turning to see Horo stand near the entrance to the kitchen.

"No I'm not," Horo said defensively. "I just said its making me doubt your feelings, cause you can't express them." He paused and added in undertone. "Or lack there of."

Ren didn't like the way this conversation was heading. "Your just being stupid then," he said not really meaning too.

Horo rolled his eyes. "Oh yes. I'm always being stupid. And now your going to say that every argument we've had its my fault."

"No I'm not you," he said, recalling that in a early conversation, Horo blamed Ren for their arguments.

Horo glared at him. "Whatever. I give up. There's no point in arguing with you anymore."

"Yes cause your eventually going to lose."

Horo rolled his eyes again and started to walk toward the front door.

Ren's mouth went dry. Great now Horo was going to leave. No his sanity! He abandoned his dishes and followed. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere I'm appreciated and not called stupid 24/7."

"You're getting too worked up about all this!" Ren said strangely high pitched, which he was now prone to doing along with whining when nothing went his way.

"Yeah you say that now, but then later it'll be Horo your stupid. You get worked up over stupid things," he said trying to imitate Ren.

Ren stopped walking Horo opened the door. "Fine you-you just go away. See if I care."

Horo turned to him. "You couldn't last five days without me. You need me. Remember." And with that he turned around again and left, heading, Ren suspected, to Yoh's.

Ren slammed the door shut, fighting the impulse to go get him. This sucked. He hadn't walked five paces toward the kitchen before realizing he was stuck in the house with the rabbit. "Horo..." he said also realizing that what Horo had just said, was quite true.

Be that as it may, Ren was too annoyed and too upset to really do much about it. One thing for sure was that he was going to avoid that rabbit at all costs, and try to prove to Horo, Jun, and the stupid shrink, that he didn't need to be with Horo to be sane. It didn't work very well. By the next morning Ren was in a state of shock. Or more so a certain case of growing fear.

He managed to survive most of the morning alone, that was until shortly after he decided to eat something, and as soon as he sat down on the couch, did the insanity kick in. The shock, or growing fear, was his mind figuring out the complicated equation of how he stood with Horo at the moment in time, and the fact that he highly believed that Horo wasn't going to come back. Ren rocked back and fourth, his arms tightly clamped around his legs, amber eyes full of dread, trying to remain calm and fighting the impulse to go out and bring Horo back.

Honestly, why did Horo have to make such a big deal out of it. Just because he didn't say it now, didn't mean he wouldn't eventually say it.

After a few more hours the rocking wasn't helping much, so Ren subconsciously started singing to himself cause he couldn't think of anything else to do.

"Down once more to the dungeons of my black despair, down we plunge to the prison of my mind, down that path into darkness deep as hell."

And he just repeated it over and over and over again. The hours continued to fly by and they became unbearable to the point where he wouldn't answer the phone, in fact he pulled the cord out of the wall, and he wanted to break something, so he swung his arm around and knocked over the glass side table lamp, which fell to the floor and shattered, yelling "Burn in hell Horo!"

Ren didn't regret saying that at all, he didn't even regret breaking the lamp he had gotten for his birthday, and it was a really nice lamp too, all he cared about was now he had a mess to clean up. So he got down on his hands and knees, and began to pick up the glass with his hands. He got to the point where he cut his hands several times before he went to get a vacuum.

Still bleeding, which he didn't notice, Ren sat down on the couch again, rubbing his shoulders, trying to reassure himself that everything was going to be ok. Then he clasped his hands firmly together and placed his head on his arms, and eventually dozed off. The sound of the doorbell awoke later on. He groaned. Who was coming over at this time. It was 11:00pm. Whoever it was, was repeatedly pushing the doorbell.

"Alright, alright. I'm up." Ren climbed off the couch and answered the door. It was Horo. "Horo..."

"I've just come to see if your alive as Jun was freaking out because you wouldn't answer the phone," Horo said coldly.

Ren stared at him. He didn't know whether or not he wanted to hit him or hug him. He settled on both.

He moved closer to Horo and then pounded on his chest with the sides of his fists saying, "Horo you idiot. How dare you leave me." He then desisted and placed his head on Horo's shoulder occasionally hitting him on the other shoulder. He felt incredibly childish and foolish, not to mention stupid.

"Ren..."

"I know I'm a self-conceited, inconsiderate jerk and I am so sorry," Ren mumbled closing his eyes. He half expected Horo to get made at him again.

"I forgive you Ren. But that doesn't stop me from being quite mad at you," Horo said and Ren nodded. Horo then placed his hands on Ren's shoulders in a slightly calming way. They stayed there for a little bit, not saying much, and shortly Ren stared to shiver. The February wind was cold and it struck his bare arm's and legs, send cold jolts throughout his entire body, besides all he was dressed in was a pair of Horo's shorts and a t-shirt, and Horo wasn't providing warmth at the moment. Eventually Horo backed Ren up into the house and closed the door.

He placed his jacket on the couch and wandered over to the phone where he plunged it back into the wall. Horo then noticed that the lamp was missing. "Ren, what happed to the lamp?"

"I um broke it," Ren mumbled.

"Why?" Horo asked turning to him and Ren shrugged. "Ren...your hands!"

Ren looked down and spotted his blood stained palms, which he hadn't noticed hours ago. "Oh, well that's what I get for picking it up with my hands."

"You picked it up with your hands, Ren." Horo said walking over to him and looking at his hands.

"But then I used a vacuum," Ren said.

"You are completely helpless." Horo sighed, dragging Ren upstairs to the bathroom. There he washed and bandaged Ren's hands. "There, now don't go picking up anymore glass with your hands. Who knows what you may cut next time," said Horo sternly.

"Oh like what?" asked Ren fiddling with the bandages.

"Like oh lets see, your veins."

"Oh, right." Silence fell and then Ren clung to the front of Horo's shirt. He was actually very afraid that Horo would leave him again. "I am so sorry," he mumbled again.

He could tell that, as Horo stated downstairs, that being angry, he was reluctant to hold Ren, even though Ren practically threw himself at Horo since the moment he rang the door bell and was trying to stop him from going anywhere. But he did place his hands on Ren's upper back in a small comforting way.

After a while Horo pulled Ren's hands off his shirt and held them in front of him. "I'm going back to Yoh's now." He released Ren's hands and left the room. Ren spun in circles and followed.

"But why?"

"Because," Horo said pulling on his jacket and opening the door.

"Why?" Ren asked again.

"Because I want too," Horo said sighing.

"But Horo I don't want you to go," Ren said latching on to him.

Horo turned and placed his hand on Ren's. "Ren."

"Your supposed to love me. People help those they love," Ren muttered.

"I do love you. But sometimes-" Horo started. "-sometimes I think you just want me around so you can get better."

Ren mumbled something along the lines of that's not it into Horo's shoulder.

"And I know things have been getting better. But this," Horo said patting Ren's hand and trying to remove it from his arm. "This was one time to many." Horo sighed again when Ren wouldn't release him. "Being mentally unstable or not, doesn't give you the right to be even more of a jerk then you already are."

"Please Horo I don't want you to go," Ren whined. "Please don't go," he then begged.

"Let me put it this way." Horo pried Ren's fingers off from around his arm. "How many times do you expect me to come back to you, after the way you treat me, just because you beg?" Gazing into Ren's slightly stunned face Horo shook his head and left.

Ren stared at his retreating back then walked to the door frame and looked out. He called his name, "Horo!"

But he didn't turn or say anything. He just kept on walking. Ren whined and Horo sped up knowing far too well that he would give into the whine after a couple minutes, and disappeared around the corner.

Ren then ducked inside and slammed the door shut. He leaned against the door feeling, angry, childish and stupid still. "Horo you-you-" he couldn't think of anything to insult him with. Besides it was his fault that Horo left in the first place. His fault that Horo didn't want to be around him anymore, him and his stupid mentally unstableness. And him ruing Horo's valentines day, after it had started out so good.

He slid down the door and placed his head on his arms. He knew, though he didn't want to admit it, that this time, Horo wasn't coming back.

Ashuri: ooh, bet you didn't expect that to happen, well neither did I but it came to me after I got ideas from two people. Thank you so much. It helped. Really. But now I have a question:

What dastardly evil thing do you want to see happen to them?

Yeah I want something bad to happen but not sure what so what would you like to see? You can leave a review with your answer, or email me, or those select few (3) who talk to me on msn, if you see me you can tell me then too. Please RxR will you at it though.

Songs from above: Phantom of the Opera.