I'm (Not) Giving Up On You

Every Little Thing

"Shit! No—c'mon reload! Reload!" Scott yelled as he furiously mashed the triangle button on his controller.

"It's too late Scotty boy!" Stiles laughed, "My planes are on their way!"

"Fuck fuck fuck!" Scott jumped to his feet, aggressively pushing his control stick forward, "Run you bastard run!"

The screen of the television lit up with graphics of an explosion. The game declared a "Game Over" as Stiles laughed and Scott groaned. When the option for another round came up Scott sighed and dropped back to sitting next to Stiles.

"We haven't played in weeks, why are you still so good at this?" Scott said, a slight pout pulling down his lips.

"We've been playing for 10 years, why are you still so bad at this?" Stiles countered. Scott shoved him playfully, causing Stiles to roll on to his side. They each chuckled quietly as the adrenaline from the round slowly subsided in their systems. Scott looked down at Stiles. His face had smoothed out and his eyes looked at Stiles with intensity.

"Please tell me you have pizza rolls," he said with all seriousness.

Stiles sat up on his elbows and returned Scott's gaze, "What kind of bachelor would I be if I didn't have pizza rolls."

The two stared intensely and without blinking at each other for a very tense moment. Then they started to laugh once more.

"C'mon," Scott said as he stood from the floor, "I hunger for fake pepperoni."

Stiles nodded and accepted Scott's outstretched hand. Scott hauled Stiles up to his feet and the two walked the small way to the kitchenette.

The apartment itself was only a few hundred square feet, but it did the job for a single college kid. There was a single bedroom and a bathroom with a shower. The living area was moderately sized and connected to a small kitchenette that had an older, gas stovetop oven. The ceiling had a few water spots, but the rent and utilities were affordable on his part-time salary.

The apartment was on the south side of town. Another draw for the housing was its proximity to the college Stiles was attending. It was only a thirty minute drive from town to campus so commuting wasn't a problem. He was still looking around for the right program, but at the moment he was knee deep in the folklore, classics, and sociology departments.

Scott had continued his education in the field of animal medicine as well. He was studying under Deaton and also getting a degree online. There was an animal hospital a few towns over that offered the courses. He loved it and couldn't be happier with his decision.

Stiles pulled the pizza rolls out of the freezer and turned the knob on the oven for preheating. He then returned to the fridge and pulled two beers out of the door. Scott caught the tossed can and nodded appreciatively. When he popped the top it fizzed slightly before Scott took a long swig from it.

"God dude," Scott winced slightly, "You have awful beer."

"Some of us don't live with our parents anymore and can't afford to splurge on alcohol," Stiles replied with a dramatic eye roll. He popped the tab on his own drink and sipped it.

The oven beeped, alerting them that the preheating had completed. Stiles arranged the pizza rolls on a cookie tray and slid it in on to the rack. He grabbed the Lucky Cat shaped egg timer and twisted it to time 13 minutes. Its hand started to wave as it ticked off the seconds.

Scott leaned against the counter as Stiles sat down at the little table. The chair scraped against the cheap linoleum floor when he moved it.

"So what do you want to play next?" Stiles asked, "Want to go another round? Or would you rather we switch genres?"