"Why don't you go finish your costume and let me worry about mine?" she suggested, willing her cheeks to return to their normal colour.
"Okay, hang on." He stood up and walked a couple feet away to a loveseat and picked up a red hat that had been abandoned there. He tossed it on his head, "Ta-da."
She furrowed her eyebrows as she took in his appearance. He was wearing a bright red shirt with snug, dark, jean overalls. He had found the overalls in the back of his closet two weeks ago, he hadn't worn them in a long time but when he tried them on he was able to still squeeze into them. They were actually the inspiration for his costume. The final touch was the hat on his head. It was a regular red baseball cap with a large black "M" in a white circle. She tilted her head one way and then the other. "Uh… good one?"
Nick laughed at her lack of knowledge about 80's fads, and not for the first time left in wonder that she had missed so much in her childhood. "I'm Mario," he stated matter-of-factly. She looked at him blankly. "…Super Mario…"
"Oh!" Sara exclaimed.
"There it is," he smirked as he assumed she had finally recognized the character.
"I still have no idea what you're talking about," she looked sheepish. Nick wordlessly walked over to his game system, an N-64, and picked up Mario Kart and tossed it to her. She studied the graphic on the front for a minute and he claimed his spot next to her again, throwing a lazy arm over the back of the couch behind her. "Oh… so the mustache is … intentional," she said sadly.
A frown flickered across his lips and he rubbed his hands over the lower portion of his face. "That's it? You know how long I've been planning this costume: it took me forever to grow this," he pointed at the hair above his lip.
"That was God's way of discouraging you from doing it," Sara giggled.
He looked almost hurt, "You said I looked good with facial hair."
"I said you look good with stubble, which is very true," she smiled coyly as her face heated up a bit more. Nick looked pleased with himself again. "The goatee that you had last time I saw you," she continued, "that was good too. It was getting a bit large -- now I understand why -- but it looked cute too."
"Cute?" Nick's face squished in annoyance.
"Sorry, it looked h… it suited your features." It was too awkward to tell him he how hot he looked just the other day. He had caught her initial line of thought though, and judging from the smug twinkle in his eyes he was going to press her on it, so she didn't give him the chance. "However, this mustache is hideous."
"Hideous… of course," he removed his arm from behind her.
"Oh don't be so sensitive. I didn't say you were hideous, I said your mustache is, and that is easily fixed… in fact point me towards your razor and I'll fix it right now." She moved the glasses so that they sat on the top of her head.
He looked at her warily from the corner of his eye. "I'll do it later. I need it tonight otherwise I won't look like Super Mario."
"That's the point."
"Not of Halloween." He paused and allowed a cocky smirk to return. "Don't worry, I'll be back to being hot tomorrow."
"Wow. How did you ever find a hat that could fit that big head of yours?" she laughed.
He held up his hands innocently, "It ain't braggin' if you can back it up."
"Well then back that ego train up, mister," she toyed with his words.
"Sara," he turned towards her and replaced his arm behind her on the back of the couch. He attempted to hold a sincere smile to cover the previous smug one. "It's okay to admit that you're attracted to me." He watched her expectantly. She looked panicked for a moment but quickly recollected her cool.
"Sorry, this Super Mustachio look just doesn't do it for me," she crinkled her nose for effect.
"What about the regular Nick Stokes look?" he replied undaunted. She floundered for a couple of seconds again. This time when she opened her mouth to speak she didn't know what would come out. And neither of them would ever find out because she was interrupted by a mechanical chirp. "Saved by the bell," he said as he stood and picked up one of three candy bowls on a small table lining the entrance of his house. "But don't think you're off the hook that easily," he called back to her as Sara stood up and followed him, eager to see the little kids.