Does it still count as a cliche if I'm actively ignoring the hallmarks that make it so? Oh well, still vampire fic.
Since Itachi is in college now, Mikoto insists that Sasuke will go with her and the neighbourhood children or not at all. It's her turn to take them around, so it's not like he has anyone else to go with.
Sasuke has appropriated Itachi's old ninja costume, with a few additions weapons-wise, and he wishes it were enough to keep the girls from watching him. He is more than a little tired of them.
Ino is dressed as Sleeping Beauty; she explains this loudly and with very pointed glances in his direction. Sasuke thinks that if she truly was she should fall into a ditch somewhere and shut up. But he can't say it with his mother right there telling the stupid twit she is a perfect little princess. Naruto, who decided to be Robin Hood, is trying to show off his nonexistent archery skills to the irritated Strawberry Shortcake.
Sasuke decides his father is right and he is too old to go trick-or-treating.
Any other time Mikoto would not have bought it, but she just read a column that said the younger sibling always feels he must fight for his parents' attention and she must be careful how and when she argues with her son, because she might subconsciously be comparing him to his brother. So when all the other children are ready, she sticks a feathery witch hat on her head and ushers them out of the house with only one backward glance. Sasuke can hear the cries of disappointment fading with distance. He goes into Itachi's room and turns on his PlayStation.
Fugaku hands out candy with indifference, and when he finds the last bag is half empty, he calls Sasuke down and gives him twenty dollars and instructions to go get some more. The store is only a few blocks away, and Mikoto should have more faith in blood than books. When he was twelve, if his father had needed more cigarettes he would have been quite happy to walk half way across town, after dark, in the rain to get them.
The only bags of candy left are the ones full of wrapped, round, colored plastic. The school admissions office has a bowl of them and Sasuke is quite sure they have never ever needed refill it. He takes two sacks, because the late-comers don't deserve decent candy, and he's not about to waste his time trying to find any.
Hinata is trying very hard to be polite, but she is finding it rather difficult to get the express lane clerk to accept that she does not want to sign up for a Club Card. She can't actually say that she doesn't have a real home address and she doesn't remember her birthday. She doesn't have a social security card and valid photo I.D. is absolutely impossible.
She must be very new. Hinata shops here quite often, because the night shift guard who monitors the security video was quite easy to hypnotise. It would be rather awkward if he noticed Nobody paying for groceries and he probably wouldn't have believed it. The disbelief makes it quite easy to insert little suggestions.
She feels a familiar presence behind her as the cashier puts her purchases into a bag.
"Oh, hello." She tilts her head and smiles down at Sasuke. Not as far down as last year, he is pleased to note. Her bag only has a light bulb and a pack of batteries.
Sasuke doesn't know why, but he finds it much easier to talk to Hinata than any other female except maybe his iguana. He brought Chidori in for the class' pet parade, and none of the girls would get closer than a foot to him. It was great.
"Vampires are supposed to be able to see in the dark," he tells her.
"And ninjas aren't supposed to be seen," Hinata replies playfully. "So I won't tell if you don't."
The cashier grins indulgently at them. She thinks it very sweet of the girl to be playing pretend.
Hinata waits for him to finish paying to walk out with him. They go a block together in friendly silence and part ways by the empty ramen place. She flaps her fingers good-bye before melting into the night, plastic bag and all.
