Chapter Time! Not much to say this AN. Y'all can thank Samster85 on Ao3 for the update! Enjoy everybody!

~!~

Derek pulled Stiles by the hand. He was going to get a drink, but now didn't seem a good time to leave Stiles alone to get tangled in his thoughts again, so he went with him over to the ball racks.

"So, um, what weight do you like?" Stiles asked, obviously trying to eat the silence as the both of them looked for a good fit for themselves. Derek smiled at Stiles' fidgety nature.

"Depends. Usually a 15 or 16." Derek answered, casually, checking a couple balls.

"What." Stiles deadpanned. Derek wouldn't have known he was genuinely shocked if it wasn't for the loud clack the ball down the way he was holding made when he dropped it back on the rack. Derek looked over concerned for a second something else was wrong. He didn't know why else Stiles would be so shocked. He was around 180 after all.

"What?" He asked, when Stiles didn't explain his reaction. Stiles shook his head.

"Uh, what? Nothing. It's nothing." Stiles muttered, going back to looking for a ball, subtly taking a step to his right, closer to where Derek was. Derek rolled his eyes.

"Stiles."

"Hm?" Stiles answered a bit high pitched,

"I'm twice your size. You don't have to switch weights to impress me…"

"Ummmmmm…." Stiles gave a fake cough.

"What do you use? A 12? 10?" Derek tried to guess, just to reassure him he didn't care. Stiles put the ball he was testing down just to stare at him with a skeptical look. "Seriously, do you think I'm going to judge? Just tell me what you usually use." He insisted with a laugh.

"You know…. An 8…." Stiles finally said. Derek nodded. Sure it was a bit light, but for a teen with low muscle, who probably doesn't bowl much, it wasn't at all odd. It was probably too light for him, really but- "Occasionally... maybe a... 6..." Derek stared at Stiles, trying to discern if he was joking. Stiles just kept looking very intently for a ball.

"Babe, I don't want you to take this as mocking in the slightest, but…. When was the last time you went bowling?"

"My dad and I went for my birthday…." Stiles sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Derek nodded, smiling, unable to help himself.

"When you were….?" Derek couldn't help but snicker when Stiles glared over at him, mouth agape.

"Oh, now I'm definitely dumping you!" Stiles scoffed, giving a small laugh of his own, signifying he was probably joking. Or at least he hoped so.

"I'm sorry it's fine it's just- You know you're supposed to use a ball that's kinda hard to lift? So the weight knocks down the pins?" Stiles rolled his eyes, picking up a marbled blue ball, and rolling it from hand to hand, testing the feel. It reminded Derek of the marble he'd brought to Peter earlier that day.

"Yes, I know. I've gone at least twice a year since I could walk. Pretty sure my mom proposed here. It was our family thing. Well, this and chess. And shitty joints. Which is why light ball." Stiles said, thankfully not sounding too annoyed.

"And… how many strikes have you gotten?" Derek was always one to push his luck and he wasn't about to change his ways now. Stiles glared dully at him again. "Just saying, it's next to impossible to get a strike with a ball that light. Unless of course you have super strength." Derek smiled over at Stiles. If Stiles tried to glare any more he'd have to shut his eyes.

"Well, we'll see about that..." Stiles grumbled. Derek gave one last chuckle before Stiles turned to go join the others, looking back to him a second to see if he was going to follow. Derek picked up the ball he'd chosen, following along, catching up to take Stiles' hand. Stiles shot him a dirty look, but gave his hand a squeeze. As they both neared the lane, they heard a sharp, quick series of claps. Three if he counted right. When he looked over, it was Lydia, pointing at the set up screen. Derek gave a fake groan.

"I can't think of a name." He admitted. Stiles lit up.

"Oh, really? Mr. Bowling Expert doesn't even have a bowling name?"

"Yeah, ha ha." He rolled his eyes, smiling faintly. "You wanna help or not?"

"And you're asking me? Talk about poor life decisions." Stiles laughed. Lydia clapped again, more hurriedly this time. "Fine…. Derek Hall? Derek Ball? Derek Flail? Derek Fail." Stiles listed off ideas rapid fire, with varying levels of enthusiasm, seemingly most proud of the last one. Derek gave him a dull 'come on' glare, not wanting to keep Lydia waiting too long. "Sourwolf." Stiles teased. Derek rolled his eyes.

"What? The most clever man in town doesn't have a single good name idea?"

"Rude!" Stiles huffed. "How about… Sterek?"

"What?" Derek asked, not seeing what the hell that was supposed to mean.

"Strike+Derek, Ste-rek." Stiles offered, seeming like he thought it was clever. Derek found it too cute to break his heart.

"He might not be willing to tell you that sucks, but I will…" Lydia interrupted.

"Uh…. Yeah, sucks dick because it'd great…" Stiles argued back.

"Don't feel bad, Stilinski, not all of us can be professionals. It was at least cute." Jackson offered, smirking.

"I will smothe-" Stiles started to threaten, locking eyes with Jackson. Derek interrupted, knocking Stiles' ball gently with his own to get his attention.

"I'll 100% be Derek Fail if you'll do Stink-linski."

"You absolute monster…" Stiles said, smiling. "Really?"

"Yeah, if you wanna. Could be cute."

"Alright then, yeah…" Stiles agreed in a tone almost similar to Allison's lovestruck giddiness, then took his hand from Derek's and held it out between them. "I'll put your ball on the return, you hit concessions?" Derek tried to smirk but it turned into a smile.

"You sure?" He said in the most endearing voice he could manage. Stiles seemed taken aback and offended by the sudden return to the teasing and Derek laughed again as he was glared down.

"That's cute, you think I won't fight you because you're handsome and you're the only guy that's kissed me since seventh grade. That's adorable, really." Stiles said, struggling to sound unamused. Derek smiled purposely this time.

"I know you are, but what am I?" He joked in return, handing Stiles his bowling ball carefully, honestly a bit genuinely concerned if he could carry it. Stiles arm dipped a bit as he took on the weight, but he seemed to handle it fine as he walked towards the ball return. "I'm off. You want anything?"

"Um…" Stiles contemplated, turning around as he walked. "Oh, yeah! A boyfriend who doesn't torment me relentlessly and unfairly on my genuinely adorable and innovative quirks?" Yep, probably time to stop the teasing then. Fair enough.

"I'll see what they have." Derek assured.