04 
𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜

Toni Henderson had no way of going home.

She stood on Tina's front porch, the chill of the early morning air nipping at her exposed arms. The once lively party was finally dwindling down, the last few stragglers either passed out on couches or stumbling into the night. The house had fallen into a hazy, alcohol-scented quiet. And here she was, stranded, her frustration simmering like a low flame.

Toni clenched her jaw as she looked out at the dark, empty streets. Her beloved car sat just a few blocks away, but without her keys, it might as well have been parked on the moon. The thought of Steve Harrington with her keys made her want to scream. How the hell had he gotten his hands on them in the first place?

Rubbing her temples, she realized she was out of options. The only thing left to do was swallow her pride and figure out how to get a ride. Her eyes landed on Tina's house phone mounted to the wall just inside the foyer. She sighed heavily, stepping back into the warmth of the house.

With the place mostly cleared out, the muffled sounds of partygoers in the backyard were all that remained. The phone's coiled cord was tangled like it had been stretched and pulled by countless drunken hands throughout the night. Toni picked up the receiver, her fingers numb as she dialed her mom's number fr+om memory.

The line crackled, and then—"Hello?" Claudia Henderson's voice came through, groggy and annoyed. It was clear she'd been asleep.

"Mom, it's me," Toni muttered, resting her forehead against the wall as she tried to push away the exhaustion clinging to her like a second skin.

"Toni? It's—" Claudia's voice trailed off, and Toni could almost picture her squinting at the clock on her nightstand. "It's nearly 2 a.m.! What are you still doing out?"

Toni let out a long breath, closing her eyes. "Look, I, uh... I need a ride home."

"A ride? What about your car?" Claudia's tone sharpened, concern laced with that familiar hint of annoyance.

"Well, that's the thing," Toni began, her voice dripping with irritation she couldn't entirely mask. "I lost my damn keys. Or rather, someone took them. I think Harrington has them."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. "Harrington? Steve Harrington? Why would he take your keys?"

"I don't know, Mom!" Toni snapped before quickly softening her tone. "I saw him with them, but he disappeared into the crowd before I could get them back."

Claudia sighed, and Toni could hear the rustle of sheets as her mom sat up. "Alright, alright. I'll come pick you up. But, Toni, you really need to sort this out with him. If Steve has your keys, then talk to him at school on Monday."

Toni groaned, not wanting to think about having to confront Steve Harrington yet again. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just... please hurry."

"Give me fifteen minutes," Claudia said, her voice gentler now, softened by the hint of worry for her daughter.

Toni hung up the phone with a sigh, running her fingers through her hair. She leaned against the wall, the exhaustion of the night catching up to her all at once. The music had long since died down, leaving the house feeling hollow and eerie in the early morning quiet. She rubbed her eyes, blinking against the sting of tiredness as she waited for her mom's headlights to appear down the street.

The minutes crawled by, each one marked by the slow drip of water from a leaky faucet in the kitchen. Finally, the familiar, boxy silhouette of her mom's old station wagon came into view. The headlights swept across the front lawn as the car pulled up to the curb, the engine rumbling softly.

Toni pushed off the wall, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket as she walked down the porch steps. The cold air hit her like a slap, jolting her awake as she made her way to the car. Claudia leaned over to unlock the passenger door, and Toni slid inside with a huff.

Her mom gave her a once-over, eyes narrowed in that worried-mom way that made Toni shift uncomfortably. "We'll talk about this more when you're less tired," Claudia said, putting the car into gear. "But you're going to have to talk to Steve about your keys, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Toni mumbled, slumping down in her seat. "I'll handle it."

As they drove off into the quiet, dark streets of Hawkins, Toni's mind was already racing, dreading the inevitable confrontation with Steve Harrington come Monday. But she knew one thing for sure, it was that she was going to get her damn keys back.

The buzzing fluorescent lights of Hawkins High were harsh and unforgiving as students shuffled in for another dreary week. Toni made her way through the crowded halls, her frustration from the weekend still gnawing at her nerves. The leather rings she wore were now twisted out of habit, her fingers fidgeting with them as she navigated her way toward her locker.

She spotted Steve almost immediately. He was leaning against his locker, talking quietly to Tommy H. and Carol. But this time, his usual cocky grin was replaced by something more... tense. His eyes looked shadowed, like he hadn't slept much.

Taking a deep breath, Toni marched over. "Hey, Harrington," she called, her voice slicing through the noise of the crowded hall. "We need to talk."

Steve's eyes flicked to hers, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features. But instead of his usual smirk, he just looked... tired. "What now, Henderson?" His voice was sharper than usual, almost defensive.

Toni's eyes narrowed at his tone but pressed on. "I want my keys back. I saw you with them at Tina's party."

Steve let out an annoyed sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "Look, some drunk dude handed them to me. I don't even know who it was." His eyes darted away, clearly not in the mood for her usual banter.

"Bullshit," Toni snapped, stepping closer. "You had my keys, Harrington. And now they're gone. I don't have time for your games."

Steve's eyes flashed with irritation, and he finally looked directly at her. "I'm not playing games, Toni. I didn't steal your damn keys. Why the hell would I even want them?"

Toni's lip curled into a sneer. "Oh, I don't know—maybe to screw with me? Wouldn't be the first time you've messed with someone for kicks."

His jaw clenched, and for a moment, Toni thought she saw something crack behind his usually cool facade. But instead of the usual cocky retort, his voice came out lower, almost strained. "You know what, Henderson? Not everything is about you. Maybe if you weren't such a—"

"Such a what?" Toni cut him off, stepping even closer. She was practically toe-to-toe with him now, the tension crackling in the air like a live wire. "Say it, Harrington."

Steve's shoulders tensed, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. "Forget it," he muttered, turning away, but Toni wasn't done yet.

"You don't get to walk away," she said, grabbing his arm. "You owe me, Harrington."

Steve yanked his arm out of her grip, eyes blazing now. "I don't owe you shit, Toni! I'm tired of your attitude, alright? I'm not in the mood for this today."

There was a brief, stunned silence. Toni had never seen him snap like that before. Steve Harrington, always so smooth, so sure of himself, was actually rattled. But instead of backing down, it only fueled her anger.

"Fine," she spat, her voice icy. "Guess I'll figure it out myself since you're clearly useless."

"Yeah, maybe you should," Steve shot back, the exhaustion clear in his voice now. He turned on his heel, storming off down the hallway without looking back.

Toni stood there, heart hammering in her chest. The confrontation had gone nothing like she'd expected. For once, Steve hadn't been the cocky, self-assured jerk she'd always known. Instead, he seemed... broken.

But she didn't have time to think about that now. She still needed to find those damn keys. And if Steve didn't have them, then who the hell did?

The day dragged on painfully slowly. Toni's thoughts kept drifting back to Steve's outburst. It nagged at her, that flicker of hurt she'd seen in his eyes. It was unsettling, but she forced herself to ignore it. She couldn't afford to get tangled up in whatever mess was going on in Harrington's life. She had her own problems to deal with.

By the time lunch rolled around, she had practically torn her locker apart searching for any clue about her missing keys. But there was nothing. With a frustrated groan, she slammed it shut and turned, only to find herself face-to-face with Steve again.

"What do you want now?" she asked, her tone more resigned than angry.

Steve ran a hand through his hair, looking almost hesitant. "Look... I thought about what you said. I don't have your keys, but if you want, I can help you look for them. No tricks, no games."

Toni blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "Why would you help me?"

Steve shrugged, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I just... I know what it's like to lose something important." There was a vulnerability in his voice she hadn't expected, something raw that cut through the layers of bravado.

Toni studied him for a moment, her usual sharp retort dying on her tongue. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to Steve Harrington than the jerk she'd always seen him as. But she wasn't ready to drop her guard just yet.

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "But if you're screwing with me, Harrington, I swear I'll make you regret it."

Steve met her gaze, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "Wouldn't dream of it, Henderson."

As they made their way down the hallway together, the tension between them was still there, simmering beneath the surface. But for the first time, there was also something else—something that felt almost like a truce.

- IRIS

this is one of my best arguments hands down, i just had to fuck around with it but it turned out so good

im an angst whore so dont think this is the end so soon muahwahbha