Summery: Ren wants more than anything to be with Horo, but he is cursed, and knows that he could never have a real relationship. The darkness threatens to engulf him every day, and showing his feelings makes it even worse. That mark on his back is more than an ordinary tattoo, for when he shows emotion it grows, and love just happens to be one of those emotions.

Everybody at the Inn had gathered together and were planning a fun night for just the guys. It was sure to be a great time, but Ren, who was not even paying attention to their talking, had other things on his mind. Starting with the Ainu, who he would have given anything to not have to be around at the moment.

It is coming back again, but this time there is no way to stop it. I told En that I did not need his help this time, but I know it will have been too late anyway, whether I tell him or not. I thought that I had this taken care of, by defeating him, but I can tell, it is coming back.

Ren looked at his arm, only to find a small, round, black mark in the middle of his arm. It always started at his arm, but the worst it had ever gotten was as far as his shoulder. Now it was advancing towards his chest and legs, threatening to engulf him.

"You alright, Ren? You look a little pale." Horo asked him. Ren quickly looked up, genuinely surprised by the Ainu's concern. He wanted him to care, but part of him did not want him to. Because, when he did, his smile showed, especially when Ren says that he is alright. And Ren did not want to see him smile, for it just made him love him even more.

Ren had never believed in love, especially when it was Horo that he loved, but there was something about him that made Ren feel as he had never felt before… happy. When he was with Horo he felt as though nothing else mattered, and that he could just cast away his problems and live each moment without thinking of what it would do to the future. Horo merely looked at him and smile, just like had done in the past.

No, not that smile again. I have been taught to never love, and this time should be no different. But, that smile…

"No… nothing is wrong." Ren said, knowing that he was just lying to Horo so as not to worry him.

I know he could never like me back, but still, I can't help but wonder… but no, it would never work. I am, was always, since birth, cursed. I will not fall in love, because I can't. If only that baka knew, but it isn't his fault, it's mine, for being so soft. Maybe… maybe I can still…

All of a sudden, Ren felt a sharp pain shoot through his entire body and, looking down at his exposed arm, he saw the dark spot spread slowly, creeping across his whole arm and down to his torso.

Ren ran up to his room, not looking back, not even when he heard Horo shout his name. He finally turned around when he got to his room, making sure that his door was locked before stepping away from it. Then he looked back down at his arm, seeing the black spread even more, burning into his skin. He followed the thin line of black up and over to his back… to his tattoo. It had been like this for some time, whenever he decided to show his feelings, even through thought, the mark would spread. And there was a penalty once it came over his entire body… death.

Ren's breathing was shallow, and as he looked in the mirror, he realized that he was sweating and he had dark bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. He had been up late at night for days on end, searching constantly for a cure to his curse, but none so far. Seeing himself in the mirror, it was no wonder the others were worried about him. But Horo, he seemed to be the most concerned, which was worse for Ren. He wanted to go back home, and leave Horo behind so that his mark would not grow any further, but home was not safe now; En was still angry, and Ren would most certainly be killed if he ever returned. It would be much better to die with Horo than because of his own father.

Ren heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and knew right away to whom they belonged, he just hoped that he was wrong. But sure enough, he heard Horo's voice from the middle of the stairs as he was coming up.

"Ren, are you sure you're okay? You just ran off like that, is there something you want to talk about? You can tell me. I just hate seeing you like this. What's wrong?" Horo's voice was not full of the usual comical air, but he spoke softly, in a tone of deep concern. But he had done nothing wrong, so why should he care?

"No, nothing. Just… just go. I'm fine, I don't need your help." Ren told him from the other side of the door. He tried to seem fine, with his usual tone of hate in his voice, but he could not pull it off. He was not angry, nor could he ever be at Horo.

"Just let me in, I'm sure there is something I can do." Horo said, still not giving up on Ren, for he knew how stubborn he could be.

"I can't," Ren said, fighting back tears in his eyes as he backed away from the door and into a corner, his voice getting more distant and harder to make out, "you can't, no one can. This is my problem, and I do not want you involved. I will be fine, I-I…" but Ren could not bring himself to make that promise, because he knew that no matter what anyone did, he would not be fine.

Ren heard Horo's footsteps back away from the door, but where they went he did not know. He did not even listen for a response from Horo, he just backed away farther into the corner of his room, adjusting his eyes to the darkness as the night went on, and cried the night away, watching as the mark on his arm grew, all night and into the morning.

When Ren awoke, he found Horo sleeping outside of his room, waiting for him to come out. Ren smile a bit as he took Horo to his own room, laying him on his bed, but quickly his smile faded. His eyes slipped out of focus as he watched a large portion of his arm turn jet black. Ren just barely managed to make it back to his own room when he collapsed on his bed, the pain was just too much for him to handle.

Ren did not blame Horo, he did not despise him, he loved him, and that was the source of his pain, his curse. He knew that he would die broken, cursed, alone, but at least he had the chance at feeling what it felt like to actually live, to be in love.

But the worst part came when Ren awoke to find none other than Horo, standing over him. And Ren also noticed something else, something worse, Horo had seen the mark, and the mark had spread to his legs.