UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH. My hard drive died a while back and ate my planning document, so this chapter isn't everything I wanted it to be. However it's not a huge loss, because I only had up until the next big plot point planned, and I've been considering cutting down on a lot of the chapters I had planned that I was only really going to write to cover what happens in the show, even though not a lot is changed. I had like 5-6 chapters planned for one episode when I really only need 1-3 to give important plot differences… Instead of novelizing everything I'm probably just going to summarize what happened between chapters unless I feel super inspired to write some of the more frivolous stuff. This way we'll be able to get through the plot a bit faster and focus on the important stuff more. This is it for what I have pre-written, gonna have do planning and writing from here on out! So there might be some revamped writing coming soon. Also some longer waits, maybe, but hopefully not.

But enough of that, chapter thanks go to Micky, DreadPirateWombat, Heccate, and Moondust_Yikisoul, all on Ao3 for commenting.

I think you guys will appreciate the fluff here. Here it be!

~!~

Jackson was laughing, already. Stiles couldn't do much more than run his hand over his face to keep the headache at bay that was telling him to lecture Scott for lying about his bowling ability, but he figured the shame and mild teasing was punishment enough.

"Jackson. Mind shutting up?" Allison huffed. Jackson, of course did not, but tried to tame his laughter at least a bit.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" He paused to giggle. "I just keep flashing back to the words, 'I'm a great bowler'." Jackson said finally getting a few deep breaths without laughing, but getting Lydia to give a bit of a chortle rather than the slightly cruel amused smile she'd been sporting.

"Maybe he just… needs to warm up a little." Allison said optimistically.

"Or the kiddy bumpers?" Jackson suggested jokingly, like the asshole he was.

"Just, aim for the middle, Scotty." Stiles tried to encourage, but most of the time he was any good felt like sheer luck, and honestly a small part of him felt like Scott deserved to suffer just a little.

"Aim for anything but the gutter and I'm sure you'll at least do better." Jackson seemed to at least somewhat mean that as consolement. However it ended up just sounding dickish.

"Just-" Allison sighed a bit. "Just let him concentrate." Allison insisted. They both shut up, although Stiles was pretty sure Jackson had guessed well enough this wasn't a matter of concentration. Just as they waited for Scott to roll, Derek plopped back down beside him, and something dropped into his lap. He looked down as Scott flung his ball, stupid butterflies kicking up in his stomach as he saw the bright red package of Skittles.

"You're the best." Stiles exclaimed in a hushed voice, and kissed Derek's cheek, ignoring Jackson laughing again.

"So are we dating again?" Derek asked with a grin.

"Abso-fucking-lutely, thank you."

"Welcome…" Derek murmured, a bit more loving than genuine.

"Oh, g-… Great job, McCall..." Jackson reassured a bit sarcastically, as Lydia nudged him a bit. "You are a pro…" Jackson said lightheartedly. Derek, mistakenly, tried to help, as Scott rolled his eyes at Jackson, going back to sit down.

"Jackson's right, Scott, that wasn't bad, if you'd thrown a bit harder you might've gotten a strike." Derek held up his palms defensively as Scott responded by glaring at him. "Just trying to help."

"Honestly would rather get coached by my dad than you..." Scott tried to say with a limited amount of burning hatred in his voice, probably not wanting Derek to think it was ALL directed at him.

"I-" Derek tried to speak but, Stiles cut him off as his confused voice set him, Lydia, and Jackson all on edge immediately

"Uh, long story short, Scott's dad was the worst." Stiles explained. Derek seemed to take the hint that it was a subject to be otherwise avoided but Allison either didn't get it or she let her curiosity take precedence.

"Was? What… happened to him? Did he die?" Allison asked, seeming to limit her worry as she realised what 'the worst' implied.

"Might've. He did go missing after Stilinski's mom beat his ass that time he came to the school…" Jackson answered with a slight tone of admiration.

"He just left…" Scott said, quick and defensively, dropping the hint that they shouldn't dwell on it. Jackson shook his head.

" 'Ight, fine. Just saying seeing her cold clock that asshole was like the best day of my life. I aspire to be that badass." Jackson conceded despite not letting it go.

"Same…" Scott said, tone equal parts awkward and depressed.

"So uh…" Derek cleared his throat. "Is it my turn or Stiles'?"

"Stilinski's of course. Ladies first after all." Jackson answered, smirking at Stiles. He gave a sarcastic chuckle along with a sneer.

"How dare you assume me anything even akin to a lady." Stiles joked, not much caring about the gendering jab, but wondering now how much from their interactions Lydia relaid to Jackson, if anything.

"My sincerest apologies." Jackson said with a heavy tone of sarcasm. "Should've said Hooligans before Ruffians. Excuse-moi."

"And don't you forget it." Stiles answered, a bit more amusedly as he got up and went to get his ball, trying to keep the tone friendly. Stiles had intended to do his best to try and get a strike his first roll just to show Derek up, but the topic had seemed to pass, and doing well would only make Scott-

"Try not to pull anything, babe." Derek's gloating voice called as he got his ball comfortable in his hand. All niceties left Stiles' mind as he turned to glare at Derek unbelievingly, only getting a good natured kiss blown at him in return. Stiles shook his head as he turned back onto the approach, not listening to whatever Scott was murmuring to Derek. He took a breath to gain his composure, then took two steps, and backhand-whipped the ball up the lane. It cracked like thunder as it hit the wood before it sped off. The ball obeyed his direction, and the pins fell. Not all at first, but the ones that had rolled into the ones that hadn't, and in a couple seconds the public score screen congratulated him with the "Strike!" animation. He tried not to celebrate with too much jubilee, wanting to play it cool.

"Oh… Yeah, no, Stiles is really good at bowling…" Scott said casually to Derek, as if what had just happened didn't prove as much already.

"I… can see that." Derek replied, obviously a bit stunned. Stiles ignored it, turning his attention instead to high fiving Allison as he came back to sit down.

"Fucking nice, Stilinski!" Jackson laughed, clapping, apparently also a bit surprised. "I didn't know you were that good. Why didn't you ever play for the JV league?"

"Uh," He quickly tried to think of an equally valid reason that wasn't the truth. Preferably an honest one. "Um, bad joints, can't handle it for extended periods, wrist starts to hurt." Jackson shrugged, apparently accepting that excuse.

"That's a shame. Don't think I've ever seen a ball go that fast." Jackson said, letting it go surprisingly easy.

"Your turn." Stiles happily changed the subject, kissing Derek's cheek again. Derek nodded, returning the gesture before getting up.