Have any of you noticed that none of my one-shots ever stay one-shots? I don't know what that means...I guess I'm good at leaving you begging for more, or something. In any case, due to popular demand, I've decided to add more chapters to this story. So, this is how it's going to work. Read this part: This chapter will be about Hiei's reaction to what Kurama did, and I will write two more chapters about Hiei giving his heart to Kurama and Kurama's reaction. 'Kay. You can stop reading my note now if you want to. Once again, I want to apologize for my Mukuro meanness. I know I should be more sympathetic towards her, given her past and all, but she's still just naturally kind of creepy. To be honest, I guess I don't really hate her, I just needed a reason for Hiei to need to find the Crystal Heart. Anyway, forgive me? I hope so. So...um...yeah! ON WITH THE FIC!!!

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Hiei stared in shock at the fallen form before him. The puddle of crimson on the floor slowly spread outwards, licking his boots. He didn't move, just stared in wide eyed silence.

'What...? Why...? Kurama...' Hiei's mind tried to make sense of what he had just seen. Kurama lay stretched out before him, the Crystal Heart still clutched in his cold hand. Hiei's eyes moved to it, seeing the blood stained face of the gem between his friend's fingers. Friend. Was that really all Kurama wa--had been to him? Obviously, Kurama thought differently.

Hiei became aware that his legs were shaking and before he could stop himself he had sunk to his knees on the wet carpet. He could feel Kurama's blood begin to soak through his pants. Hiei's eyes shifted to fall on the fox's face. He couldn't see Kurama's face as it was hidden behind his hair.

Slowly, in a jerky, mechanical fashion, he turned Kurama over and laid the kitsune's head in his lap. Kurama's cold, lifeless eyes were still open, and Hiei looked away as he closed them gently. When he turned back and gazed at his friend's dead face, he felt something kindle in his heart. Something that made him forget all about Mukuro and the Crystal Heart Kurama had sacrificed himself for.

"Kurama..." Hiei managed to whisper out loud. He heard a soft thunk beside him and turned to see a black teargem laying on the bloody carpet. He reached a hand up to feel his wet cheek in amazement. He hadn't even realized he was crying.

"I...I'm sorry, Kurama," Hiei choked as more teargems fell to the carpet. "I....I...." he tried to say something else, but his voice had frozen. What could he say now? He had realized how wrong he had been about his feelings, but what good did it do now? Kurama was dead, and it was all his fault.

"Your happiness is all I ever wanted."

Those had been Kurama's words. He had died to make Hiei happy, so Mukuro wouldn't reject him. But Hiei could never be happy now.

"Baka," Hiei muttered as he hugged Kurama's body closer to him, burying his nose in the crimson locks that still smelled faintly of roses. "Couldn't you think about yourself, just once?" He squeezed his eyes shut and said in an almost child-like whisper, "I love you. Please don't leave me alone."

The teargems were cascading to the floor unchecked now, but Hiei didn't care. The puddle of blood on the floor had now soaked through his clothing completely, but Hiei didn't care. The Crystal Heart, the thing Hiei had been so determined to have, lay forgotten on the bloodstained carpet, and Hiei didn't care.

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Mukuro turned as the door to her chamber opened. Hiei stood there, but she barely recognized him. His head was bowed and he was covered in blood, blood that didn't smell like his own. His right hand trembled, something clutched in his bandaged fist.

"Hiei...?" she asked. She hadn't expected him to return, or at least not so soon.

"I told you I'd bring it to you, and here it is," Hiei growled so low she barely caught the words. She sidestepped as something whizzed past her head, shattering against the wall behind her. She turned and gasped as she recognized the blood red shards on the ground. She looked back at the door, but Hiei was already gone. This time, she knew he wouldn't return.

With a sigh, she turned back to the remains of the Crystal Heart on the floor behind her. Vaguely, she wondered who it had belonged to, and how Hiei had gotten it.