Title: Glass Slipper
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Rating: G
Length: 997
Content notes: Peter/Stiles, AU
Author notes: this was fun.
Summary: A sorta Cinderella AU. Stiles leaves his phone behind.



Derek gives Peter a trademark Hale eyeroll. "You can't be serious. Peter, just take the phone to the lost and found and let's go."

"You didn't see him. He was perfect." Peter knows he's close to waxing poetic but for once he doesn't care. "If this phone is the only way I'm going to see him again, then I'll just hold on to it."

Derek snorts. "It's not a glass slipper and he is not Cinderella."

"No, he's Stiles," Peter says with a smile. "And soon he'll be mine."

---

The night was boring at first, just another gathering of the who's who of Beacon Hills ready to pat each other on the back. Peter sometimes finds amusement at the events, but usually he finds them dreadfully dull.

He was having yet another dull evening when he caught the fresh scent of a nervous young man. Everything about his scent was enticing, from the freshly laundered clothing to the slight hint of nervous sweat, and under, something spicy-sweet in the man's base scent.

Peter turned and immediately found himself looking into eyes brown like a doe's but mischievous like a fox's. He was smitten.

Of course he talked to the young man, as well. He wasn't about to let the moment pass without seizing it.

Stiles was as quick and sharp as Peter, and that made Peter's wolf want to howl with joy. Finally, a worthy mate. Someone to court and cherish as his own.

But Stiles had to leave at midnight, something about getting a car back to a friend since his own beloved Jeep was in the shop.

And so the perfect man slipped through Peter's fingers… except for the phone Stiles accidentally left on the table. And now Peter is holding onto it like a lifeline.

---

Peter arrives back at the hotel, the venue for last night's party, early in the morning. He talks to Amanda, the front desk manager, with a smile on his face. In case Stiles calls first, Peter tells her about the man he met last night. He can tell she's taken with their story. Another romantic, Peter figures out just by talking to her for two minutes.

Amanda agrees to direct Stiles to the front lobby if he calls. Peter sits down and begins his wait.

At first he just sits, but soon his foot is tapping and his eyes are roaming to the entrances over and over again. He stands and begins to pace between them. Once he realizes what he's doing, he sits again, and takes out the phone. It's got a fingerprint lock on it, with no way of digging through, which is both smart and frustrating at the same time.

He thinks back on what Derek said the night before, about how the phone is not a glass slipper. Well, Peter thinks it's a fitting allegory. He's the prince searching for his mate, and with the fingerprint ID, it will only fit the right one.

He feels quite clever to have fit it to the fairytale, but thinking about it doesn't take nearly enough time. The wait is torture.

He rehearses what he will say. He'll be charming but not smarmy. Witty, but not obnoxiously so. He'll ask Stiles out to breakfast or lunch, depending on what time he shows. Peter will take him to a bistro — nothing too fancy, but somewhat polished. The trick will be striking the perfect balance.

Maybe Peter is worrying too much about perfection, but he wants their second meeting to go well.

Amanda answers the phone. Peter can hear Stiles's voice on the other end. Amanda smiles and gives Peter a thumbs-up signal. Peter grins.

Stiles shows up half an hour later. His clothes — jeans and a flannel over a Star Wars t-shirt — are wrinkled and the man looks like he's having a bad day. Peter's heart stutters in his chest when he sets eyes on Stiles.

Stiles hurries to the front desk and Amanda smiles and points out Peter.

Stiles's eyes light with recognition. "Peter," he says. "You have my phone?"

Everything Peter rehearsed flees his mind. He's left smiling helplessly and nodding. It's very unlike him and he gives himself a mental kick. "I waited for you because I wanted to see you again." It's not what he meant to say, but at least it doesn't sound too bad.

"You waited… for me?" Stiles sounds confused.

He will not tell the man he'd wait much longer for him, or forever, or anything ridiculous. But he nods and hands over the phone. "It was locked so I couldn't program my number in."

Stiles blinks, checks it, then hands the phone back, unlocked. "You can now."

Peter feels like he's lit from the inside. He's probably beaming but he can't seem to help himself. "Thank you," he murmurs, and enters his number and name. He looks up when he's done and says, "Can I take you out to lunch?"

Stiles gives a disappointed hum. "I can't today. But definitely another time."

"I'll hold you to that."

Their gazes meet and hold. Stiles's eyes are more golden than Peter originally saw. "I really have to go." Stiles points with his thumb behind him. "My ride is waiting. I need to get my Jeep out of the shop and then I've got a thing with my dad…" He starts walking backward though Peter can see he's reluctant to go.

"Wait." Peter holds out the phone. "Don't forget this."

Stiles huffs a laugh and reaches out for it. Their fingers touch. It's magical.

Peter's going to be beside himself until Stiles calls or texts him. It'll be torture waiting.

"Thank you for holding on to it for me." Stiles grins and shakes his head. "I've got to go. Thanks again."

"Your very own glass slipper," Peter murmurs.

Stiles raises his eyebrows, obviously confused. But he has to leave and Peter would only feel ridiculous explaining.

Maybe one day.