Steddie meet-cute where Eddie gives rockstar!Steve his number at a concert and against all odds, he actually calls to invite him up to his hotel room. it's painfully awkward first-date energy--- Eddie doesn't want to come off like a tabloid reporter by asking any personal questions, but also doesn't know what he could possibly say about his own boring life that would be worth talking about.
So they decide to ask all the normal first date questions but fabricate everything. make up absolute nonsense answers, the more outlandish the better.
Eddie learns that Steve is eight feet tall and his blood type is chocolate milk. Steve learns that Eddie has a girlfriend in Canada and a secret family in London. Eddie learns that Steve has six adopted children and won't stop til he hits double digits. Steve learns that Eddie is allergic to strawberries and has a tattoo of Garfield on his ass. Steve learns that Eddie once hot-wired a police car and tried to break his dad out of prison. Eddie learns that Steve once fought a monster from a parallel dimension. Steve learns that Eddie did, too. Eddie learns that all Steve wants is to be well-loved, not just well-liked. Steve learns that Eddie has never been in love, but if somebody gave him a chance he'd never stop trying to love them well enough to be worth keeping.
It's not until Steve is face-to-face with that Garfield tattoo that he starts to question if maybe, both of them were telling more of the truth than either of them realized.
Steve, raised since childhood on a strict diet of tax forms, utility bills, and neatly labeled folders, handles Love with capital L the only way he knows howālogistically.
So the moment he realizes things with Eddie are serious-serious, he doesnāt make a big speech or even breathe a word.
He just quietly opens a joint savings account.
Then a trust fund.
Lists himself as Eddieās emergency contact.
Buys a gold ring (simple, tasteful, suspiciously the right size). He knows Eddie likes silver, but that's not what it's for. Gold is in any case an investment in the future, if something happens.
Andābecause, well, theyāve survived four apocalypsesāhe updates his will.
Steve wrote it after Apocalypse #2.
The BMW had been bought with his money and, should anything happen, was legally designated to go to Dustin.
Everything elseāhis personal savings, the shared funds, and whatever compensation the government might cough up for the next end-of-the-world scenarioāwas to go to Eddie.
Nobody knows this but Steve. Itās filed in a folder marked ājust in caseā.
Eddie, on the other hand, doesnāt do paperwork.
When he realizes things are serious, he gives Steve his favorite band t-short. Then changes the tires on Steveās BMW from summer to winter without being asked. Fixes the bookshelf Steveās been threatening to burn for a month. And starts making him sandwiches in the morning ā the kind his mom used to make for him, with just the right amount of mustard and that one slice of tomato Steve always forgets he likes. Uses his entire vocabulary of cute nicknames on Steve and comes up with a couple of new ones.
Miraculously, it works.
Because Eddie gets this strange, unfamiliar feeling of being safe. And Steve? Steve finally feels understood. And cared for, in a way he didnāt know he needed.
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Six months. For six months Steve has been listening to this radio show and not ever one time did he expect to hear the host, Eddie Munson, growl out the words āHawkins, Indiana," but here they are. The name said.
Steve stops the car dead in the middle of the road, canāt hear anything aside from the radio show host listing Hawkins facts in his sonorous voice.
He should have known. Like rationally, he should have considered it a possibility that Hawkins might come up on this late night talk radio show called Hellfire about monsters, cryptids, folklore.Ā
Itās just. He thought. Hawkins hadnāt exactly made national news, and what had was about a toxic gas leak and a government coverup, not exactly this showās focus.Ā
But enough, apparently. Obviously.Ā
Eddie starts talking about the disappearance of Will Byers, and Steve lays his head on his steering wheel, tries to ignore the way his hands tremble.Ā
For six months Hellfire brought him comfort and companionship as he roams the dark street of Hawkins on what Robin calls his patrols. Itās not like he can sleep, not anymore, so what better to do than make sure everyone is safe? That thereās no signs of the Upside Down? That the gates are still closed?Ā
Hellfire has been his companion through it all and nowānowā
Eddieās talking about the Department of Energy, MK Ultra, a fake body in the quarry.Ā
He could turn it off. Or better yet, go home. But he sits in his car out by Loverās Lake and he listens to Eddie detail the rumors and speculation. Listens to the callers who share their two cents and conspiracy theoriesānone close to the truth.Ā
The thing is. Heās becomeāfond of Eddie, of Hellfire. He doesnāt care about cryptids, isnāt interested in Big Foot, but he was captivated by Eddie. Not just him, though, itās the whole thing with his producer, Gareth, and his two other best friends who pop in from time to time. Theyāre funny, nerdy, love that dork game the kids play. And if the low resonance of Eddieās voice makes him a little melty? Well, thatās between him and 3am.Ā
Steve calls in, sometimes. Has called in. Just, you know, once a week or so. It's not like he knows anything about the monsters, but he asks questions, likes to listen to Eddie talk no matter if he understands.
They finish with a caller and Eddie says, "unfortunately, we'll probably never know what happened."
And Gareth cuts in to say, "Hawkins is only an hour a way. You know. If you find that interesting."
"What are you saying, Gar?" Eddie asks. "That we should go?" He laughs.
"Why not? We could do our own investigation. Maybe we'll find something the authorities don't want us to."
"Hmm, what do you think, listeners? Should we don our adventurer caps and head into the unknown?"
He doesn't remember putting the car into drive, but he knows he's speeding toward the little two-pump gas station on the edge of town and the deserted pay phone there.
The line beeps and beeps when he dials. He tries again and again, until finally there's a click, and Eddie's radio voice booming in his ear.
"Thank you for calling Hellfire," he laughs, manic. "You're--
"You can't go to Hawkins," he interrupts.
"Sweetheart," Eddie croons. "Haven't heard from you in a while. How are you?"
"I'm Fine. Stay out of Hawkins."
"You gotta ease into it a little, baby. Little small talk first."
"Eddie..."
"What do you know about Hawkins?"
"N--nothing. I've heard bad things about it. Cops."
"Cops," Eddie snorts. "I'm not afraid of Hawkins PD. Are you calling because you're worried for my well-being, sweetheart?"
"Yes." Steve doesn't hesitate.
"You're my favorite listener, you know that?"
"I'm being serious."
"It's cute."
"It's a really bad idea to go to Hawkins."
"Do you know what's funny? You didn't know what a chupacabra was, but you know about Hawkins."
"I--" he swallows. "Have specific interests."
Eddie laughs. "What do you know about Hawkins?"
"Nothing," too quick.
"Are you lying to me?"
"I can't say."
"You just keep getting more and more mysterious."
"Please, stay away. It's--there are things, people--you don't want their attention. Just, please. Trust me."
"I'll agree on one condition. Tell me how you know this."
"I can't," he whispers. "That's why you need to trust me."
"What's stopping you?"
He flashes back to an interrogation room, Hopper's stern face, the even sterner ones of the government agents, the four-inch high stack of papers to sign, again and again and again.
"NDAs."
Dead silence on the other line until Eddie asks, "wait, PLURAL?" excitement spikes through the speakers.
That's when Steve hears the distant click down the line, knows it isn't him or Eddie, knows--
The line goes dead.
"Fuck."
He goes straight to the cabin. It's late enough in the morning now that he's unsurprised to see the glowing ember of a cigarette near the porch steps.
"What'd you do, kid?" Hopper asks when Steve gets out of his car.
"Called into a radio show about monsters."
The chief sighs, drops his hands to his sides, muttering. The crunch of gravel way up the long drive has them both turning.
"Guess we're in for a long day." Hopper stomps out his cigarette.
---
Steve isn't allowed to listen to Hellfire anymore. Is forbidden from calling in. And he gets it, okay, he knows. He said too much on the radio, but he hopes that he didn't get Eddie in trouble, that they don't try to come to Hawkins.
He gets a late start on his patrols one night. Took the kids to the movies, caved within minutes when they begged to go for ice cream after, Robin giving him a fond eye roll when he stops.
It's late, summer sun set for hours already, and he's driving on backroads behind the lab. And it's been--it's been a few weeks, okay, since the last call, long enough that he's stopped thinking Eddie will show, so when he sees the van on the side of the road--when he sees the van he doesn't stop right away.
It's tan and white or maybe grey, old, from the 70's or something; spiky black lettering on the side. It says Hellfire.
Steve slams on the breaks so hard the tires squeal, car skidding. He parks haphazardly on the side of the road, only grabbing a flashlight before hurling himself into the woods.
He figures Eddie and the guys will be easy to find, bumbling through unfamiliar forest, but minutes pass with nothing but his own feet crushing through the underbrush. He's afraid to yell, afraid it will draw the wrong kind of attention, but he does a kind of hoarse whisper, knowing it's not enough.
There's a small rock formation that he skirts past, mind everywhere but on his surroundings. He hears a rustle, he thinks, turns, and in the space of a breath, collides with something distinctly solid, warm, and judging by the pained grunt, human.
"Fuck. Gareth?" A very familiar voice asks.
"Eddie??" He responds. His fingers scrabble for his flashlight, illuminating the leaf strewn forest floor and some nearby tree roots.
A beam of light illuminates his chest and face, forcing his eyes down. "Who are you?"Eddie demands.
Steve finally grabs his flashlight, points it at Eddie's middle. Has a second to take in his long, curly hair, his cut-off t-shirt, pale skin and the swirl of inky black tattoos. "I'm--I--I called into your show. I--I told you not to--"
"Oh," Eddie's breath hitches. "Sweetheart. You said not to come to Hawkins and then you--you--" He blinks, seems to struggle to find words. "I didn't expect you to be so beautiful."
He smiles. "i--your show, I loved it. I miss listening to you. I miss--" He takes a step, closes the distance. Eddie smiles and it grips something in his stomach, doesn't let go.
Over Eddie's shoulder, there's a flash of movement, catches in Steve's periphery. It's an unfurling, an opening, there's a shine of saliva, teeth.
Steve sneaking Eddie into a drive-in movie (he hides in the trunk)
Eddie annoying Steve at Family Video by coming in and eating candy of the sales rack and then not paying. "You have to pay for that, Munson." "Make me, big boy." (cut to Steve stealing a kiss for payment. "Dinner at mine, Munson. Bring me flowers." "Yes, sir.")
Shotgunning smoke. Lazing by the pool. Steve showing Eddie his shotgunning beer technique (he ends up failing and spilling all the sticky beer onto Eddie's naked torso) - they "clean up" in the shower.
Hot tub.
Skinny dipping in a lake (Lover's Lake perhaps)
Classic old Steve shows up to pick up one of the Party members, but he's wearing a Metallica t-shirt that he for sure didn't buy
Going camping at Steve's parents' lake house and sharing sticky s'mores by a fire, rubbing sunscreen on each other's backs, moon gazing and giving each other hickies as they lay out on a picnic blanket
Fishing with Pa (Wayne)
Homoerotic wound care
Eddie watching Steve deepthroat a popsicle (and other sexual crises)
Eddie coming over to Steve's, not getting an answer at the front door and instead going to the back porch where he sees Steve tanning naked in the sun; squeaks and tries to cover it up, but Steve hears him, acknowledges with, "See something you like, Munson?" "Dick." "Christ, you're more of a disaster than meāand that's saying a lot, just ask Robin."
Scoops Ahoy! (ice cream on melted fingers and stupid sailor hats and ordering the flavor with nuts even though you're allergic to nutsāaka Eddie being a gay disaster)
Water balloon fight with Steve and Eddie on opposing teams. Steve likes the way Eddie's white t-shirt goes sheer
Steve in a crop top mowing his lawn and Eddie being a literal Looney Toons character (awooga eyes, drooling tongue, heart beating out of his chest)
Pool sex.
Lastly: Eddie finds out Steve sleeps naked through the summer heat (they'd been sharing a bed in a "platonic" way, but Steve still wants to share a bed. "It's not that weird, Eddie. I used to be around naked guys all the time in the locker room." "I used to skip gym, Steve." "Oh...well...who cares? Dudes being bros." It was, in fact, not dudes being bros.)
Hello yes this is getting way more attention than I anticipated and I just wanna say it's important to make bad art to eventually make better art thank you goodbye
me: no. like cursed object passed between hands for centuries, they are cosmically linked, probably bonded by blood ritual, I think theyāve fought in a war together in at least three lifetimes, and their souls make direct eye contact every time they breathe in the same room
everyone sees steve crawling out of the back of eddie's van at the end of his lunch period every day his last sememster and it starts two rumors:
the first is that eddie and steve are fucking.
the second is that steve is addicted to drugs.
the truth is that eddie found steve asleep on his park bench in the middle of the fucking woods the first day back from Christmas break and was like, "dude, no. what the fuck."
so now eddie spends his lunches eating sandwiches in his driver's seat, mumbling to himself and trying to ignore the sleeping jock in the back.
What is my favorite Steve Harrington moment? Thank you so much for asking. It's "Oh..."
When Robin comes out to Steve, there is a moment where we're unsure about how he'll respond.
"But...Tammy Thompson's a girl."
"Steve..."
It's tense. He thinks for a moment, realizes what she means, and responds "Oh..."
There are so many ways that tiny little line could've been delivered. It could've easily portrayed disgust. It could've sounded surprised or confused or angry. It even could've been played for a laugh.
But somehow, Joe Keery managed to deliver that line in a way that is so unbelievably full of tenderness. It is soft and surprised, yes, but also comforting and apologetic. It's like he's realizing there's this whole part of her that he hasn't even noticed. It is understanding. It is empathy.
Every time I watch this scene, I can feel the tension that Robin is feeling, but I can also feel the relief that follows after that one little "Oh..." It's a far cry from the way we see Steve interact with characters in vulnerable positions like that in earlier seasons. Unbelievable amounts of growth are shelled in that "Oh".
How ridiculously impressive on Joe Keery's part that he was able to tell such a convincing story from one little sound. One of the most impactful examples of platonic love that I've ever seen in media. Maybe It sounds silly or like I'm reading too much into it, but I've always felt it so deeply no matter how many times I watch the show. It is so earnest.
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