Disclaimer: I don't own 'Kuroko no Basuke'. Rika is my OC, and such, belongs to me.

Deep Down

The rain came light at first, a light drizzle that meant little to Murasakibara. He certainly didn't care about getting wet, as he was wearing only his school uniform and carrying nothing more than a plastic bag of sweets.

It was Rika, however, who did care about the rain. Likely, it would come pouring down soon. Her hair, her clothes, her school bag; all of that would be soaked. Unlike Murasakibara, who was ambivalent towards it all, Rika found herself rather excited. She loved the rain.

"Hey, Atsushi?"

Atsushi Murasakibara continued to chew on the chocolate bar in his mouth. Rika caught the glance he cast her way and took it as permission to continue.

"I watched you practise today." She declared.

It was true. Rika attended Yosen High, a second year along with Murasakibara, and if it hadn't been for that they probably would never have met. Their relationship had always been sustained by two things; that they walked home the same way, and that she worked at a bakery he liked to visit. Since the beginning of their precariously undefined friendship, Rika had been in attendance at almost every game of basketball that Murasakibara played in.

She especially liked it when he tied his hair back.

"I know you did." He replied tonelessly.

"You're pretty scary, ya know?"

Murasakibara took a bite of his food.

"And also kinda cute." She supplied.

The giant man felt inclined to stare at Rika. It hardly seemed possible for those words to fall from her lips. She was Rika; infamously violent and heartless. But then, and he noted this absently, she had penchant for adorning her hair with flowers.

"Hm." It would be the only reply Murasakibara would offer. That, and the remains of the chocolate bar in his hands.

Rika lifted her hands up, not to him, but to brush back the slick black of her wet hair. "Not today." She refused him coolly.

"I have more." Murasakibara argued passively, rustling the bag in his hand.

It was true, as they had stopped at Rika's work, a bakery beloved by her sweet-loving friend.

"It's fine." She dismissed, a smile creeping onto her lips.

He seemed to nod. Rika ran a hand through her hair, pushing away what wasn't caught in the floral decoration, towards her left. When with Murasakibara, she hardly seemed to care about her makeup. Already, there were smudges of mascara around her brown eyes, and the layer of makeup that hid her few freckles was stripped from her strong features.

But for the rain, it was quiet.

"Atsushi?"

"Hm?"

Rika held her hand out to him. Her fingers wriggled in the air, skin slippery from the rain; it was easy to slide her fingers against his. If anyone asked, Rika wondered what she would say. Holding hands was not something typical of friends.

"All of that bread will get wet." She explained, pulling him forward, "I don't like wasting food, especially since I helped you pay for it."

He might have replied, only Rika couldn't tell over the ever-increasing thunder of the rain. Small puddles had gathered in the dips of the road. Like a game played by children, Rika led the two of them around them, hoping Murasakibara would follow.

A friendship with him was not the easiest to understand. There were those he considered weaker than him, pathetic, and he treated them harshly. It was perplexing that Rika was not labelled one of these people.

Perhaps, though she could never conclude her guesses, it was because she was tall, and had a disposition that seemed generally intimidating. The foundations for their odd, mutual respect may have begun with her reputation, which was none-to-good but pleasing to Rika anyway; her penchant for fighting had grown so infamous that it had even spawned a fan-club at Yosen High, titled the Rika Is So Hardcore Club and rather stupidly shortened to the unpronounceable 'R.I.S.H.C.'. Unsurprisingly, it had only three remembers.

Rika still couldn't decide why Murasakibara seemed to have such an inane, unfounded respect for her. He even let her lead him around puddles.

"Atsushi."

"Hm?" he replied, having been caught mid-bite of his chocolate bar.

Rika's grip on his hand tightened, and she flashed him a smirk. He didn't suspect her or her intentions, and for good reason. Rika hardly seemed like the type to know what 'fun' was.

In his misjudgement, Murasakibara didn't think, and so it was that he was firstly, surprised, and secondly, wet.

Rika stood in the midst of a puddle, her shoes and socks soaked in the aftermath of her jump. He looked at her, staring in wonder, as he realised that the reason he too was soaked was because Rika loved the rain, and loved jumping in puddles. She giggled, though it didn't seem like she would be the type.

"Don't like the rain, Atsushi?" she teased.

"I thought you didn't want me to get wet."

"Yeah, right," Rika scoffed, "I said I didn't want the food to get wet."

As she watched, his lips formed a childish pout that should have seemed misplaced on such a tall man. Rika would have disagreed; 'cute' was a far more accurate description.

He seemed to think for a moment, tilting his head in consideration. "Wait." He ordered, and Rika listened.

It very quickly became clear why she waiting; so Murasakibara could finish is candy bar. Rika watched as he swiftly finished the treat, before depositing the wrapper into the plastic bag in his hand. A shiver raced down her spine as the cold began to sink in.

"Atsushi?" she at lasted asked, becoming impatient.

"Don't move."

"Why? I swear-"

"Close your eyes."

"If you're going to kiss me, in the rain, I can already tell you that that is the worst idea you've ever had." Rika offered her advice snappily. She continued to stare up at her friend, grateful that she had someone to even stare up at. So many of the boys she met were shorter than her.

His violet eyes gazed back, unblinking yet still perpetually half-lidded. More often than not, he looked like he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. The competition continued for a few more seconds, before Rika let out a long sigh, blinked, and then shut her eyes as requested.

"Just hurry up." She commanded.

Other than the splash of falling rain, there was silence. Rika waited blindly, not knowing what Murasakibara's intentions were until it was too late. His hands secured a place under her arms, and within a matter of seconds, her feet had been lifted off the ground.

The sight of Rika being lifted up like a child must have been amusing for Murasakibara, but for Rika, it was terrifying.

She yelped before she could stop herself. In a panicked attempt to force him to let her go, Rika clutched his arms and used her nails to dig into his skin. But Murasakibara was not that weak.

"Atsushi-! Eeep!"

A disgusting, wet, feeling enveloped her feet and ankles. She just barely remained standing, as chilly tickles racked her body. When Rika opened her eyes, she saw exactly what Murasakibara had done.

"Shit." She muttered.

It was his payback, and he seemed rather pleased with the outcome – he couldn't stop smiling at the sight of Rika standing ankle-deep in dirty rain water.

"Atsu-kun." She began, overly sweet.

His smile persisted, steady and slight, yet just enough that Rika felt her threat die on her tongue. He didn't even have to try; Rika just found it impossible to remain angry at him for very long.

She hung her head in defeat. "The food's getting wet still." She offered blandly.

"There's a bus stop close by." Murasakibara clued in.

"Good. We can wait there for the rain to stop."

"Mm."

The conversation fell short, but not from lack of interest. Rika marched out of the puddle, figuring she might as well stamp about in it so that she might; one, splash Murasakibara back, and two, wash the mud from her school shoes that had been so persistently stuck there.

It was Murasakibara who took the lead this time, as it was he who had suggested the temporary destination. Rika fell into step alongside, wincing with each step. She could feel the water sloshing about in her shoes, although most was absorbed by her socks.

"This feels disgusting," she complained, "I'd destroy you if I only I didn't like you so mu-"

Rika stopped short, realising a moment too late what she had just revealed.

Her eyes stuck the back of Murasakibara's head. She waited, and waited, and he said nothing. With a long, reluctant, breath, Rika decided the moment had passed. She would always remain ignorant to the smile she couldn't see.

The bus stop was visible in a matter of seconds. Rika hurried towards it, shivering as the cold and rain insisted on seeping through her clothes and towards her bones. Murasakibara reached the glass island of safety at almost the same time, and one look at him was enough to make Rika realise he could have touched the roof if he wanted.

He slumped onto the seat as if he had been standing all day. His eyes strayed to Rika, unusual in their violet colour.

Understanding his silent question, she turned and sat herself down right beside him.

"You're cold." He pointed out obviously.

"What a genius you are." Rika responded blandly.

Murasakibara didn't grace her with a worded response. Instead, a weight settled over her shoulder and she fell sideways. It didn't seem to bother Murasakibara, though Rika felt her cheeks flush – she never thought he would hold her like this. His arm around her waist was both a comfort and source of warmth.

"Better." He muttered, though it was unclear whether it was as a question or statement.

Lips pursued, Rika settled against him. Her head came to rest just below his shoulder, and since he made no objection she remained there.

"Better." She confirmed.

For some reason, Murasakibara continued the aimless conversation. "…I want to sleep."

"Then sleep. Not like there's anything stopping you."

He was quiet – no way would he admit that she was distracting him.

"Seriously?" Rika sighed, "You're two metres of muscle who does nothing but eat and sleep. You can't say that the one time you want to sleep, you can't."

"I want to sleep but I can't."

"Idiot."

"I'm trying." Murasakibara admitted, ending the talk abruptly.

As silence descended, Rika found other things to focus on. Nothing was more prevalent than the weight of his arm against her. While he sat straight, Rika was curled into him. Her waist had proved the perfect place for his hand to settle. After a moment of indecision, Rika decided to press her luck and throw her legs over his.

Murasakibara did nothing but let his fingers twitch against her waist.

"Stop, it tickles!" whined Rika.

"I'm trying to sleep." Murasakibara argued, coming as close as he ever would to admitting she was important enough to get in the way of it.

"Then don't tickle me." She retorted, nudging him with her elbow.

The returning peace lasted only a few minutes, while the rain continued thundering down for longer. Given the racket the weather made, Rika was surprised that she was even able to hear her phone ring. However, when it vibrated in her pocket she noticed it.

Lazily, she pulled it out and answered. "Hello?"

"It's Daichi."

"Oh. What do you want?"

"You could at least address your older brother with a little more enthusiasm. I was wondering where you are."

Daichi had always been the one to worry, his desire to protect her having developed when they were just children. Rika hated phone calls from him, if only because he nagged at her more than usual. Otherwise, as a person and as siblings, they got along great.

Beside her, Murasakibara stirred slightly. His attention was piqued, and he listened closely to what he could discern.

"…Yes, I know." Rika was saying into her phone. "I'm with a friend."

That irked him. Murasakibara grew a little more invested than usual in this one-sided conversation.

"No! Dai-kun, it's not-" She was cut off, only to soon after whisper, "Sex?"

There was silence for a long while. Murasakibara kept his eyes closed, which made it so much easier for him to focus on just how close he was to Rika. He could feel her every move against him.

"Oh, piss off…yes, I'll see you tonight. As soon as the rain stops…Don't bother, and please get out of my room…I know it's raining," she paused to scoff, "Of course I have protection, I just don't use it."

He had to wonder what they were talking about, and who this caller was. It didn't make him happy to hear her call them 'Dai-kun'.

"…Yes, I love you too."

For as irritated as Rika sounded, it was no comparison to Murasakibara's own anger. In whatever context foreseeable, there was no other way to describe this unchangeable feeling – he was, unquestionably, jealous.

Without hesitating a second longer, Murasakibara snatched the phone from her fingers. She let out a defiant cry, surprised, but it didn't stop him. He was sick listening, sick of waiting, sick of sitting there and hoping it would be something else. Before Rika could even begin to protest, he had hung up.

"What was that for?" she exclaimed angrily.

"I didn't like it."

"What the hell is that meant to mean?"

"I didn't like it." Repeated Murasakibara, wondering how it could be less complicated than that.

Rika stood from her seat, and her absence was felt immediately. "You're a jerk, Atsushi." She decided, arms on her hips.

He gazed at her levelly, before his eyes dropped to her lips – he bet she tasted sweet. "You're cute."

He didn't seem to understand her anger, much like a child, and neither did he seem to understand the definition of cute. Rika was flustered by the comment, and remained in stubborn denial.

Her lips were contorted, her harsh features pulled into a dangerous scowl. Black hair hung damp and clung to her skin, just as her uniform did to her body. Rika did not think she looked cute, but it didn't stop her from blushing and it also didn't make Murasakibara change his mind.

In a way, it was his version of an apology, since the word 'sorry' was never likely to leave his mouth.

"What?" Rika gaped.

His lips remained sealed. For someone of his height and power, his personality was overtly childlike. Violet eyes wandered sideways, and his embarrassment made her laugh.

"Atsushi," she giggled, "I think you're the cute one."

In a second, faster than it would have appeared, he was standing. Though he towered over her, Rika didn't move.

She remained as still as ever, even as he leant in closer, his lips brushing against hers with surprising gentleness. She could barely even think to breathe, and refrained from moving except only to stand on her toes and kiss him back.

"Sweet." Atsushi mumbled, ending the kiss.

Rika agreed with a hum. Her eyes opened only with a realisation. "Atsushi?"

"Hm?"

She recalled her last words to Daichi. "You weren't jealous, were you?"

"Yes."

Again, she was laughing. Put off, Murasakibara asked, "What?"

"Daichi-," she struggled to pull herself together, "Daichi is my older brother. The thing about protection was an umbrella, as in protection from the rain, and when I said sex," she felt her cheeks glow, "He was insinuating that you and I were…"

Murasakibara nodded to show he understood, though kept his relief better hidden. "Good." He declared, and with another step towards her, Rika stepped out from under the bus shelter.

The rain was lighter now, just by a little. It hardly bothered them as their clothes were still soaked. In a second, Rika had her arms around his shoulders – amazing him that it was possible – and pressed herself closer. In quiet acceptance, he returned the embrace. When Murasakibara went to kiss her again, she turned her head to the side so he instead missed and kissed her cheek.

"I only kiss people if I'm going out with them." She explained, recovering a little of her lost attitude.

Atsushi hardly reacted, would not have if Rika hadn't felt his grip on her waist tighten. "I am your boyfriend." He decided, right then and there.

"You're an idiot," Rika argued, "But I guess I'll let it slide."

She was on her toes again. Murasakibara was guided into the kiss by hands either side of his hair, fingers in his hair. She was tall enough that it wasn't annoying for either, suiting them just fine. The rain continued pouring, soaking them deep to the bone. There was also that feeling everyone talked about, the butterflies, but Atsushi brushed them aside. He could think only about the sweetness of her against him.

Rika realised they were kissing in the rain, an idea she had condemned not too long ago – it was stupid, but she was smiling regardless.

This took way too long to write :(

But, it's finished! Finally - and as a brief note before you head on to review and favourite (hopefully) 'Rika' will not just be making an appearance in this piece. I have finished writing what will probably be the only multi-chap story I ever complete (just one and a half chapters to go!). It's an Aomine/OC, which had been posted under the title 'Something' and I'm sorry for the shameless self promoting this is.

Thanks for reading I appreciate you all!