Day One

"Take off your shirt and lay down on your stomach," Mei said not looking up. Sasuke nodded. Mei paced around the table mixing the liquids and preparing the all the required ingredients. She was completely absorbed in what she was doing, which allowed him to study her openly. She wore long-sleeved green tunic and black loose trousers, making her look messy but somehow enticing. Once again, she wore no shoes, and her small feet rushed around that table making soft tapping noises. Mei rolled up her sleeves and stretched. She wrinkled her nose as she leaned on the table. She silently stood there thinking. He wondered what was going through her head at that moment when she suddenly turned around abruptly and marched towards him. She gently pushed his head down into the pillow, as her hands scanned his back. The girl uttered a humph under her breath as she felt Sasuke's back tense. The harder she tried to make him relax the more his muscles tensed up.

"Uchiha you need to relax," she hissed under her breath. "Why are you acting like you've never felt a touch of a woman,"

Sasuke popped himself on his elbows and glared at the girl. "You need to learn how to shut up. Let us just do this in silence." He laid back down and closed his eyes. Mei bit her bottom lip and shrugged.

"Sure,"

Her hands continued exploring his back. Mei stroked his neck, gently applying force to the pressure points, she worked her way down to his shoulders, then to his back. The silence felt uneasy, but she ignored it and continued relaxing Sasuke's muscles. Uchiha felt good. Her small hands fluttered over his back, like little butterflies. He barely felt her touch, yet at the same time he felt her more than ever. It was a strange feeling that quickly circulated through his body and tingled in his limbs. Mei's grip tightened at the crook of his neck. She pressed her middle and index fingers together

]gvband slowly trailed them down his spine, stopping at every bump. At the end of his spine she made several circular motions and moved her hands. She picked up the mixture she prepared earlier and started applying it to his back with quick confident movements. She put aside the bowl. He heard her hands click as she sat beside him. Her leg touched her his almost intimately.

"I am going to start." She said quietly. "What I said before, still applies. This will hurt."

"I know. I'm ready." Sasuke responded.

Mei glanced at his muscular back one more and placed her hands over it. She closed her eyes and chanted. At first, he felt nothing, but as soon as her hands connected with his skin, he gritted his teeth. The pain was sharp, as if someone inserted a knife into his flesh and twisted it repeatedly. Mei's hands slowly entered his body. Soft blue light illuminated from the areas her hands entered his back. Sweat beaded his skin, but Uchiha remained silent. Mei sat up; her knees pressed to the side of his leg. She guided her hands through his back. Although he had no idea what she was doing, he entrusted himself completely to her. It was a weird feeling, to trust someone with your life.

She felt her hands absorb the contaminants from his body, hardening her skin. She glanced at Sasuke, who was stoically enduring the pain. Mei snickered quietly. The next half an hour was monotonous. Mei repeated the same procedure, while Sasuke lay in deep thoughts. Suddenly he felt the force lift off his back, allowing him to take a deep breath. Mei stepped away from his body and quickly rushed to a bucket with yellowish liquid conveniently situated on the table. She dipped her hands into the water and hissed in relief. With the corner of eye, she noticed Sasuke getting up.

"Stay down," she ordered. "I am not done yet. I just need to get rid of…these," she nodded at the dark spots which were covering her pale hands.

"What are they?"

Mei chuckled. "Your little friends." She washed her hands thoroughly four times and returned to the bed. He felt a damp cloth wipe his back bringing relief to his skin. A soft sigh escaped his lips. "The painful part of the treatment is done for today." She warmed up some gel in her hands and quickly rubbed it into his back. This time her hands felt different. Her touches felt more forceful and he liked it. Mei smacked him on the back and got off the bed. "Rest until the evening, we will continue later."

Sasuke got up and put his shirt back on. He felt light and refreshed.

Mei dropped on the chair next to the table with a damp cloth on her eyes. Her chest rose up and down as she continued taking deep breaths. The cut of her tunic allowed him to see the outline of her breasts. He eyed them for a while longer before exiting the room and leaving her alone.

"I don't like her," Karin said tapping her fingers on the kitchen table. Suigetsu stalked around kitchen trying to prepare an edible meal. It was his turn to cook and every time it took a lot of effort not to poison the rest of the team.

"Someone's jealous," he sing-sand.

"Shut up, nobody asked your opinion!" the hot-headed girl yelled as she jumped from her seat and threw a large potato at the blonde. He slid out of the way.

"Hahahahaham you are a loser!" he laughed pointing his bony finger at her.

"Why you…"

"Wow, you guys are so active," Mei's head popped from around the corner. She smiled and walked in. Karin wrinkled her nose and turned away. Mei smiled sweetly. "You guys fight like an old married couple. Are you two together?"

Karin's jaw dropped. She opened and closed her mouth unable to let out a word.

"Hell no," Suigetsu dropped something into the curry he was preparing, causing a small eruption from the pot. Mei looked at the gooey substance slowly flowing out of the pot, all she wanted was to do was to censor that imagine. She felt a lump stuck in her throat when she sensed the unpleasant smell that was spreading throughout the kitchen. Her eye twitched.

"What is that?" she questioned pointing at the goo.

"Dinner?"

"Okay?" her stomach rumbled, but Mei was unsure if she wanted to fill it or empty it. "How about I give you a hand?"

"Really?" Suigetsu's eyes sparkled hopefully. His lips curled into a sweet smile.

Mei chuckled. "Yeah, I like cooking. Say, have you seen Kuro?"

"Your cat?"

Mei nodded.

"He went outside with Juugo,"

Mei raised her eyebrows in amusement. "He really likes this Juugo," she mumbled. "How very interesting." She chuckled mumbling under her breath. Suigetsu watched amused. "Alrighty!" Mei rolled up her sleeves. "Let's cook."

Sasuke entered the kitchen and froze in his tracks. Mei and Suigetsu stood closely next to each other both laughing heartedly. They were completely covered in food, but they did not seem to notice. Mei dipped her finger into the green goo on her face and tasted it. Suigetsu followed her lead. They looked into each other's eyes and laughed again. Sasuke frowned. Irritation rose in his chest and he watched the scene in front of him unfold.

"What the hell are you doing?" he questioned keeping his voice indifferent.

"Mei's teaching me how to cook." Suigetsu responded.

Sasuke's cold eyes glared at the girl lightly. He did not like the lively chaos she brought into his life. He did not like her getting along with the team. He did not like the glances Suigetsu sent her when she was not looking. He did not like her relationship with Naruto. He did not like the way her tunic revealed her cleavage. He did not like her small bare feet. He did not like… Uchiha grunted in frustration.

"Sasuke," Mei waved her hand in front of his face trying to get his attention.

"What?"

"Here, drink this," she handed him a glass of mustard coloured gooey liquid. Sasuke eyed it suspiciously. "This is for treatment purposes." She smiled sweetly at him. Uchiha sighed and took the glass. He eyed the strangely coloured liquid and brought it to his lips. The disgusting taste exploded in his mouth. His face turned red, then white, then green. His eyes shot to the girl, but she only nodded with a serious look on her face. Uchiha down the liquid and rushed out of the kitchen.

"That thing was disgusting." Suigetsu said nodding the empty glass.

"Did you try it?" he nodded guiltily.

"I was curious,"

Mei chuckled.

"So, this is a part of his treatment?" he asked. Mei looked at the glass in her hands.

"Hmm…nope," she laughed. Suigetsu's eyes widened. The pot lid he was holding slid out of his hands. Mei laughed louder.

"So, you…lied?"

Mei placed her hand his shoulder. "Hey, I have to make it fun for me too," she winked and looked away grinning like a madwoman.