Testosterone permeated through the air like steam in a sauna as darkness stared into light. Hinata was almost sure she'd be swallowed whole if she stood there long enough - the tension was just that thick.
Neji was the first to break the silence, since Sasuke made no attempt to answer his question, luminescent eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly with impatience. "Well?" he prompted, broad shoulders squared like a hungry lion waiting to pounce its prey.
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Sasuke questioned, nodding his head towards the fair-skinned girl standing off to the side.
Hinata stilled, the apples of her cheeks staining pink at the unwanted attention. She met Neji's hard stare with a meek one, wanting nothing more than to curl into herself and disappear; yet, she stood her ground, despite the jittery feeling coursing through her veins when Sasuke glanced at her. "I-It was a misunderstanding, Neji-nii-san. Sasuke-san d-did nothing wrong."
Neji directed his gaze back to the aloof freshman and sized him up. "And the thorns?"
"I woke up to smell the roses," was Sasuke's reply, as dull and as uninterested as his expression.
Honestly, it wasn't that he was intentionally trying to piss off the upperclassman, even though he could care less whether the guy got angry or not; he was having a bad day - a really bad day - and so he felt the need to vent his frustrations, granted, Naruto or Itachi would take the brunt end of it all later. Being chased by a hoard of hormonal females after declining an empty confession, hiding in a thorn-infested rose bush, only to be punched in the face would put anyone on edge.
Truth be told, he just wanted to go home - go home and sleep off his headache. But, no; he was being interrogated by a guy who insinuated that he took advantage of this girl. Sasuke was a lot of things - rude, stubborn, ill-mannered, temperamental, unfriendly, entitled, etc. - but perverted? He was not. And to be accused of such infuriated him. He'd sooner beat up a pervert than be one himself.
Things were sure to take a sour turn now, especially since Hinata just saw Neji's eye twitch. So, she stepped forth, not wanting the already bruised Uchiha to take on even more wounds for something that wasn't his fault, even if he was being… less than pleasant. Neji was over-protective, with a penchant for overreacting over the smallest of things. And she was a bad liar, but helping Sasuke out of this situation was the least she could do since she was the cause of the problem.
"I accidentally tripped him in the rose bush," she replied hastily, proud that she hadn't stuttered. It was usually what gave her away. Both boys looked at her, one in slight surprise and the other in clear disbelief, but neither said anything.
Eventually, Neji closed his eyes, lips pressed together in a thin line. "I see. Very well, Hinata-sama," he replied, dropping his hands to his sides. "I trust your judgement." He then turned to Sasuke, nose upturned. "Have a pleasant evening, Uchiha," the elder Hyuga said in a clipped tone.
The word 'whatever' danced on the edge of Sasuke's tongue like a swimmer preparing to dive (because this guy was really pissing him off with the way he said his last name), but before he could say it, Hinata offered him his backpack, something he wasn't even aware he'd left in the bushes. She looked about ready to say something, but she didn't; she merely offered him a shy smile, accompanied by a polite bow when he grabbed it, and moved towards Neji.
"Thanks," he grunted, feeling as if he owed her that much.
Hinata's eyes lit up in return and she stuttered, "Good-bye, S-Sasuke-san," before she set off with her pale companion. Sasuke stood there, nose twitching at the stench of flowers, hoisted his book bag on his shoulder, and started his journey home, completely unaware of the salve Hinata had slipped into his backpack.
note1: Special thanks - sunnyseaforever and PF.