A/N: Archiving my stuff on this site is a pain in the ass, but hey, at least I get to inflict my stories on more people right? *evil grin* Beta-d by Nightrose.

Warnings : Alley sex! AU! Mild mentions of NaruSaku!

Pairing : SasuNaru or NaruSasu... erm, you decide?

Title : After a While

Naruto sat huddled in a corner of a coffee shop, sipping his coffee and trying to pretend that he was not upset. Why should he be? After all, his girl friend- ex girl friend- an irritating voice in his mind reminded him, whom he had just broken it off it with two days ago, was sitting a few feet away with another guy, obviously enjoying what was easily identifiable as a first date.

He should be happy for her, he reminded himself, chewing on his straw. He was the who had broken it off, he could understand if she was hurt and confused, and she had been. She had been.

The irritating voice snickered at the past tense. Of all the things Naruto expected, he did not expect Sakura Haruno to be on a date with some guy two days after they had broken up. There was an unspoken rule to wait at least a week, wasn't there? Naruto thought to himself. They had been a couple for six months, for gods sake! Half a year! So what the hell was she doing going out with someone so soon? Glowering, he hid his face in the menu as Sakura ordered for another coffee.

"Dude," came the voice from beside him, a little worried.

"Shh." Naruto whispered to his best friend Kiba, "I cant hear what they're saying."

Kiba sighed, "Remind me why we're doing this again?"

"Doing what?" Naruto said absently, his eyes fixed on the couple two seats ahead.

"Stalking your ex girl friend," Kiba said, palm supporting his chin.

"Be-cause," Naruto said as if explaining to a child. " She's on a date." When Kiba kept staring at him, Naruto scowled. "With a guy." More silence followed his declaration and Naruto made an impatient sound.

"Does it look like those two haven't met before?" He explained. "I break it off with her and a day later she latches on to this strange guy in class and the day after she's on a date with him? Sakura obviously knew him from before."

"And..." Kiba said, sounding bored.

"Why do you think Sakura was so distant these past few weeks?"Naruto said, a strange gleam in his eye.

Kiba's eyes widened, "You think she was cheating on you?" Naruto restrained himself from letting out an unmanly 'duh'. Damn, Kiba could be slow.

"Dude." His best friend had that annoying worried tone again. "C'mon. You know Sakura. She would never do that to you."

Naruto ignored him. That was what he had thought. Before he had decided to follow the couple into the coffee shop. Frankly he had never seen Sakura so girly in his life. She was toying with her hair, giggling and generally using any excuse to paw the man opposite her shamelessly. She had never been like that with him. Their relationship had just been best friends moving up to couple status, the transition had been natural and smooth. So smooth in fact, that neither of them had realized when the casual sex had turned into something else; Until one party had started to expect a little more . Then the fights began and xext they stopped having sex, the one thing they were best at. It wasn't much later that they finally broke up.

It was a normal progression of things, Naruto reasoned, except for what happened after. Excuse him for thinking that Sakura would at least take a day to get over him. And what exactly did this guy have that he didn't? He peered at the familiar face closely from above the menu. Sakura's back was to him now so he didn't have to worry about her catching him staring.

The man opposite the gushing Sakura was rather good looking, Naruto admitted. Okay so maybe a little more that just good looking. He was stunning. In fact Naruto didn't think he had seen such a strikingly handsome person in a long long time, man or woman. And not only that, but going by the nonchalance with which the man was wearing his shiny rolex- looking watch, he was also very rich and very used to it. How exactly was he supposed to compete with someone like that?

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he took in the man's appearance again. Black hair framed the aristocratic face perfectly and each feature seemed to accentuate just how much better looking than Naruto he was. Perfect eyes, Perfect nose, Perfect skin, yes he could make out from here, Perfect lips, Perfect – everything, and now he even had Sakura. Bastard, he thought.

Well, taunted the voice in his head again, he always was better than you in everything you did. Naruto glared, stomping on the traitrous voice in head as hard as he could.

"Dude." It was Kiba again. "You're wrecking the menu."

"Huh?" Naruto grunted, looking down at the almost crushed menu in his fist. Had he been that distracted?

"We should go. Now, Uzumaki." Kiba said firmly, tugging the balled up menu from his friends hands.

"No!" Naruto snapped. "That bastard could be sleeping with Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto." Kiba was giving him the 'concerned' look as well as voice. "Sakura did not cheat on you. You have no proof and for gods sake man, you broke you with her! You should be happy she's not a swivelling mess and move on." Kiba didn't say 'just like she has', but he didn't have to, because Naruto heard the unspoken words anyway. He glared at his best friend.

"Proof?" Naruto's voice was slid into high pitch territory, "I don't need proof. Look at them!"

Kiba sighed, like it was a chore to be sitting next to him, but he looked.

"See?" Naruto said, just about stopping himself from pointing.

Kiba shrugged, "So? He's explaining notes to her."

"That's just a cover," Naruto said, not caring if sounded childish.

"Naruto," Kiba frowned, like he was regretting agreeing to accompany him. "Personally, I think he looks bored."

"Bull-"

Kiba interrupted him, "Forget what Sakura is doing. Look at him." Naruto scowled. He already had. A little too much.

"All I see is an arrogant bastard."

"Exactly.I don't think Sakura is his type." Kiba was smiling.

"Whatever," Naruto mumbled, going back to his current job of scrutinizing the new couple.

"Who is that guy anyway?" Kiba asked. His voice was tinged with what clearly could be described as admiration. Any guy who reduced Sakura to her current state of giggling coyness deserved it, but it just annoyed Naruto that much more.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he answered. "Med student. 3rd year. Transferred from Tokyo University a month ago."

"Tokyo university!" Kiba was now in awe and joined Naruto in staring at Sasuke. Sakura. Naruto corrected his head. Sakura.

"Wait..." Kiba said slowly, his eyes narrowing. "How the hell did you know that?"

He was giving Naruto one of his 'I know you've been bad' looks. Like he suspected Naruto had just stolen his beer.

Naruto paused, realising that maybe he shouldn't have been that specific. He settled on, "Sakura told me. You know, when we were going out." It was a lie, which Kiba easily sniffed it out. He glanced at the table in front and then at Naruto, waiting for his friend to tell him the truth. It didn't work.

"Oh C'mon..." he complained.

"It's true." Naruto said, unable to make eye contact. He always had been a horrible liar.

Kiba gave him a wide grin and then made a move to get up. "Sakura-chan!" he teased softly, taking a half -step towards her table.

Naruto scowled, "All right, all right! I'll tell you!"He pulled Kiba back back into his seat by the scruff of his collar, not bothering to be gentle about it. It earned him a shove, but then Kiba was grinning at him again, giving him a full view of his toothy smile. Naruto took a deep breath and then sighed in defeat.

"We were childhood friends," he said finally.

"Really?" Kiba said, surprised and Naruto couldn't blame him. None of his friends knew much about his past, mainly because he chose not to say anything. All they knew was that he had been adopted by his aunt and uncle from an orphanage when he had been 14.

"At the orphanage," Naruto said, smiling slightly as fuzzy memories suddenly came into focus. Of him and Sasuke Laughing. Eating. Fighting. Living... And then He had left.

"Naruto?' Kiba said, sounding apprehensive.

"Huh?" Realising he had drifted away, Naruto grinned at his best friend, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, sorry. Just remembering stuff you know?"

Kiba nodded, a touch of impatience in his eyes. "So he was a good friend, huh?"

"His brother, Itachi, was with us in the orphanage," Naruto explained. "As soon as he turned 18, he took Sasuke away from-" Naruto paused, "the orphanage". Kiba raised both eyebrows and Naruto felt a blush rise in his cheeks. He had just about stopped himself from blurting - from me. Shit, he hadn't meant it to sound like that. He closed his eyes, surprised at how the grief and hurt of that day still made his stomach clench. He should have gotten over this a long time ago.

He glanced at his best friend, who was still looking at him suspiciously, so he gave him a wide smile. "The next year my aunt and uncle showed up,a nd the rest is well – history."

"You two never kept in touch?" Kiba asked, curious.

Naruto shrugged, "I did try to contact him, but I was starting a new life too. Plus it was like the Bastard had dissapeared from the face of the earth."

"If you knew he transferred here a month ago, why didn't you go talk to him?"

Naruto shrugged again, and was mortified to feel himself colour slightly.

"I saw him walking to the college office one day…and all I could do was stare at him as he walked by."

"He didn't recognize you huh?" Kiba was grinning.

Just when had dog boy gotten so smart?

"Well no, I was behind him, you know." Naruto said, defending himself.

"So," Kiba said after a moment, canines peeking from his uncharacteristicly shrewd smile, "Who exactly are we stalking again?"

Naruto scowled, hiding behind the menu again. "Sakura," he said firmly.

Kiba snickered, "Uh huh."

"Mutt," he snapped, eyes sliding back to the table in front.

"Not fair!" Kiba protested, shoving him. Naruto laughed and pushed back.

"N – Naruto kun?"

Both boys stopped mid shove and turned to the source of the voice. Naruto grinned, elbowing his friend in the side. Perfect.

"Hinata -chan! How are you?" he greeted. She went the predictable shade of red, and Naruto couldn't help but he pleased.

" All – all right Naruto-kun. You?"

"Oh, more than all right Hinata-chan. But Kiba- kun- " Kiba glared, "- was about to collect some notes for me. Would you mind keeping him some company?" He flashed her his most winning smile. Very few people could stand up to it and unfortunately for Hinata, she was not of those people. "He'll need some help carrying everything back here."

Kiba stared at him wide eyed, half thankful, half panicked. Naruto gave him The Smile too, nudging him harder.

"Err," Kiba began lamely, "You - you would be a lot of help, Hinata san."

Hinata looked unsure but agreed anyway, she never really had a chance. Naruto grinned as the two of them walked away, happy that he had done his good deed for the day. Now he could go back to his current job without any interuptions. He turned back to Sasuke's table and his heart stopped.

Black eyes were boring right into him, intense and amused, making him forget for a moment that he wasn't supposed to be caught staring. Shit. He forced himself to tear his eyes away and he blinked down at the menu, the words blurry in front of him.

Had Sasuke noticed him gawking? That wasn't good. Would he tell Sakura? Even worse. But the question driving Naruto crazy was : had Sasuke recognized him?

He risked an upward glance again but no dark eyes greeted Uchiha was sprawled on his chair, barely paying attention to what Sakura was saying. Once in a while he would straighten up, point out something in Sakura's book and then go back to staring at the coffee shops ceiling, looking more than a little fed up. Naruto felt himself feeling a little sorry for Sakura. It was now quite obvious that Sasuke had no interest in her. He frowned, more than a little disappointed that the Uchiha wasn't looking at him anymore. Did he want Sasuke to acknowledge him so badly that he had imagined the whole thing? He groaned inwardly. Shit. Nothing had changed in the past 10 years. Nothing.

He suddenly felt very much like a vulnerable 13 year old, and he loathed that just seeing the Uchiha could make him feel like that all over again. Bastar – Then he saw it, what he had been secretely hoping for- the casual downward sweep of eyes. One moment the raven had been enjoying the view of the ceiling, the next, dark orbs were pinning the blond to his seat; Naruto couldn't believe that he had ever doubted that Sasuke wouldn't recognize him.

He watched, mesmerized, as the Uchiha's lips twitched into a smile and his heart ached. Oh god. He didn't think that he would ever be so glad to see that painfully familiar smirk again.

He didn't even realize when he grinned back, the challenge automatically accepted. The raven's eyes slid to the right, indicating the door and Naruto nodded just a fraction. Then the Uchiha was saying something to Sakura before slowly getting up, and leaving the coffee shop. Naruto waited only a moment, straightened his orange and black shirt in a daze, dimly registered Sakura's shocked, 'Naruto?' as he passed her, and then followed his raven out of the door.

Sasuke strode out of the coffee shop, his heart thudding in his ears. He was careful to keep his steps steady and his face schooled, but that didn't change the fact that he was nervous, nervous as after ten, long years he would be speaking to his dobe again. It was hard to believe that the last time they had seen each other they had been children, too young to understand that their deep friendship wasn't as simple a bond as it appeared to be; It never had been. Sasuke had realized much later, into his late teens, that the dobe was never meant to be just a friend, and he was positive that Naruto had realized it too.

His heart beat faster when he heard footsteps behind him, and he couldn't blame it. A month ago, when he had seen the blonde man a few feet away from him, he had thought he was hallucinating. But one look at the scarred cheeks, the easy smile and the intense blue eyes, and he knew that it was him. His very own bundle of blonde and blue, his best friend and rival, Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto was the reason he could look back on those years at the orphanage and actually smile. Sure, Itachi had always been there, but Itachi was forever distant and burdened, always working to get himself and Sasuke out of the orphanage as quick as possible. He was always the big brother, always the one who scolded him when he did something wrong. As for Naruto… Sasuke smiled just a little bit. Naruto was the exact opposite. He was someone who was open to the point of vulnerability, his partner in crime, his first real friend .

He had been so sure Naruto had seen him a month ago near the university office that he had actually waited in his room for the expected call to come. It never did. So Sasuke had had to take matters into his own hands. He had done some investigating, found out who Naruto hung out with, and finally a week ago had struck gold with the pink haired Sakura. She had confessed to him how Naruto and her weren't doing too well and Sasuke had listened, at least pretended to, as he tried to hide his glee when he found out that she was thinking of breaking up with him.

Oh yes, Sasuke Uchiha had no illusions about what he wanted. He had known since he had seen the now almost shockingly good looking dobe a month ago. Who knew that the puny little blue eyed boy would grow into a 6 foot tall Greek god?Definitely not Sasuke. If he had, then maybe he would had made more of an effort to find out what had happened to his friend.

So when he had seen Naruto follow him and Sakura ( who had pestered him into coaching her for an upcoming test, though heaven knew the first ranker didn't need one) into the coffee shop, and then watch amusedly as he was stared at the whole time, he couldn't help but tease the blond a little. It had taken very little, Sasuke thought, feeling more than a little smug, to lure the blond outside. He had always been a dobe, even when they had been kids.

However, he thought, the past was history now. Their friendship 10 years ago had been only one of innocence, and Sasuke was sure that was about to change - going by the look Naruto had on his face a moment ago –, permanently.

He turned left into an alley, and took a few steps inside so he was sure that the people on the street wouldn't be able to see him. It was going to be dark soon, so he didn't have to go too far. He barely stopped a foolishly happy grin when the dobe stepped into the alley a few seconds later.

Naruto didn't stop the smile though, his face splitting with an almost impossibly wide grin. This is what Sasuke had missed. The stupidly brave willingness to get attached to people. Even someone who had deserted him 10 years ago. It was something Sasuke would never have the nerve to do, which was why he suspected he had always been attracted to the blonde, even as children.

"Dobe," he acknowledged, taking in the lean, confident form of the man in front of him.

Naruto's breath hitched. The teme's voice was deeper now, almost hypnotising in its lilt, and it served to remind Naruto just how much time had passed since they had last seen each other.

"Teme," he replied, amazed at how they had fallen back into their casual banter. But this, Naruto realized, was anything but casual, and he knew going by the small smirk on Sasuke's face, that the Uchiha understood this as well. It was impossible that he was the only one who could feel the growing heat between them, in just the one minute that they were face to face.

Just when had their friendship turned into this? Naruto wondered in awe. He didn't even know what to call it. Others might call it attraction, but that word would never do them justice. It may have done him and Sakura justice, but not Sasuke.

With Sasuke, it was something more. Something complicated, something hot, and it was making his head spin.

"What's the matter, do-be?" the Uchiha asked with a raised eye brow, leaning against the alley wall in a very deliberate gesture.

Naruto gulped, trying to brush away the little anxiety that tickled his stomach. He was painfully aware of every upturn of the Uchiha's mouth, every subtle shift of posture, and it made Naruto lose just a little more of his control. He wondered whether the Uchiha knew what effect he was having on his brain, or rather regions south of his brain. He watched the sharp bemused expression on the raven's face and Naruto knew that he knew – and was doing it on purpose. Huh, he thought. The teme had remained a bastard.

Naruto grinned, his earlier anxiety vanishing in a swirl of tense anticipation. After all, they weren't children any more and Naruto recognized a challenge when he saw one. Two could play at that game, he thought, grin widening, He would be dammed if he was going to make the first move here. This was Sasuke after all, and Naruto always did hate losing to him. He took a tiny, teasing step closer.

"Nothing's the matter, teme," he answered, his voice lowering to a husk that he knew drove his partners crazy. He was glad to see that the Uchiha wasn't immune either. He didn't miss the darkening gaze of the other man, and it sent shivers up his spine. Sasuke gave him a ghost of a leer, and Naruto prepared himself or the coming onslaught. He watched warily as the Uchiha pushed himself from the wall, his gaze predatory as he stilled, their bodies now mere inches away from each other.

"D'you think I didn't notice you staring at the coffee shop, Naruto?" Sasuke murmured, his lips barely brushing the top of Naruto's ear. He knew his dobe was ticklish and he couldn't help feel satisfied when the blond gasped in response.

Naruto clenched his fist hard enough to draw blood. Anything to stop himself from grabbing the Uchiha's shirt , pushing him into the wall and fucking him right there and then. Shit. Controlling himself was turning out to be harder than he thought. Oh well, he thought with a feral smile, he was just going to be even more of a tease than the Uchiha was now being.

"Why d'you think I was doing it?" he whispered back, turning his face so their lips were inches apart. They were so close he could smell the coffee on Sasuke's breath and it took almost everything he had not to bite down on that oh so tempting lower lip. It was a whole second before Naruto could gather the remnants of his fast fading sanity, and once he thought he had a reasonable hold on it, he slowly flicked his tongue over his own lips, dampening them and earning a low moan from the slightly taller man.

The baritone left Naruto hard, harder than he thought was possible without touching someone, and his mind hiccuped. He was just about to lean in, to admit he lost, when he felt a slightly chapped pair of lips cover his own with a force that sent him reeling backwards. He barely managed to put a hand behind himself to stop himself from being slammed into the opposite alley wall. No way he was going to let the Uchiha take total control here. He opened his mouth, letting the invading tongue to take its spoils for only a second, Sasuke had admitted defeat after all, before returning the kiss with equal vigor.

After that it was a frenzied rush of hands and lips as they explored each others mouths and bodies, neither of them caring that they were in a dirty alleyway where someone could walk in on them. Dazedly they groped for each others zippers, each letting out a hiss as their erections were welcomed by a cold evening breeze. It only made them harder.

Sasuke reached Naruto's cock first, fisting the thickness with a firm hand and relishing the strangled groan that escaped the blond's lips. He felt the blond pushing him back towards the wall but he resisted. If anyone was getting it fucked, it was the dobe, not him.

His thought, however, fizzled into nothingness as he felt Naruto thumb his slit with an expert and torturous motion. He saw stars and in the next second his back had met the wall as his mouth found the blond's neck , stifling an almost whimper. Shit. He was done for, he thought as his cock was pumped in a steady rhythm. But Naruto didn't push for anything else, seemingly content, and Sasuke relaxed, very aware that he would never have been as considerate as the dobe was being.

He sighed softly when teeth and tongue teased his neck, finding it disturbingly easy to lose himself to the frantic rhythm, hips and hands moving in unison as he rested his forehead on the blondes shoulder. A slight weight on his own meant that Naruto had done the same.

And so they went until the steady pace fractured into an faster beat, swirling them into a crescendo like a wild tribal song. It ended in fiery white ribbons of pleasure as they ground into each other. It was a few moments before both men slumped, supporting each other as their panting resided, overwhelmed by rush of emotion that niether were prepared for.

Drained and breathless,Naruto didn't know what to say so he said nothing, knowing the other man would prefer to ride out the orgasm in silence.

He felt Sasuke shift, lifting his forehead and leaning fully onto the wall behind for support as he tucked himself back into his pants. Naruto looked up and grinned, pushing his hips into the other mans so the spent Uchiha was pushed further into the wall. He received a half hearted glare in response.

"Tch. Is that supposed to mean you missed me?" The smirk was threatening to be back in full force.

Naruto let out a small chuckle, knowing that Sasuke already knew the answer to that question.

"Teme," he mumbled in reply, his lips nuzzling the nape of the Uchiha's neck. There was a pause before Sasuke smiled, only because the blond couldn't see it in the dark.

"Dobe," he said and Naruto understood that Sasuke had missed him too.

A/N : I hope you went d'awww at the end. ;)