I've seen your posts about Kali x Steve pairing and I'm not against the idea, but I'm having a hard time comprehending what exactly would make them fall for each other. Steve's not a lab kid like she is, so he's not in a position to understand her struggles as well as others could (unless there's something about that regarding him yet to the revealed on the show). Do you have any ideas on the foundations that any potential relationship of theirs might have? Parental issues? Leadership pressure? Looking for a peaceful life?
Also Eleven almost certainly is more experienced in relationships due to her being with Mike, and I can't get the image out of my head of Kali going to her asking for tips. The idea of the older sibling asking the younger sibling for romance advice really cracks me up and feels super sweet.
Anon, I love this message. Thank you for giving me an excuse to think about Them.
I tend to see it as Steve basically falling in infatuation at first sight without even knowing who she is, and shooting his shot with his affable doofus charm. She is unimpressed at first (though secretly attracted to him) and she always makes sure to keep a straight face even when she finds his silly jokes funny, cause even though she has stopped murdering people and is trying to be a better person, any show of interest is vulnerability to her and vulnerability is off limits.
She would be very standoff-ish for awhile with him. Finding out she's El's sister, and about her history, would only make him fall for her even harder. The depths of her rage would scare him sometimes, but ultimately he would love her strength and conviction. The longer she stays in Hawkins, the more she is entranced by the way he takes care of all the kids, how maternal he is. She only has a few blurry memories of her own parents from before she was taken, and watching him with them always brings them back stronger than ever. On Kaliâs side, it would be a slow burn. She didnât trust anyone when she first arrived in Hawkins, even El, but Steve wins her over without her realizing it is happening. He would accept pretty quickly that she doesnât seem to reciprocate his feelings and he would happily be her friend while pining away, just like he did with Nancy. It would take a long time, but she would be the one to initiate the first kiss.Â
The thing I see that connects them is they share a desire for a calm stable home life. It's canon for Steve that a loving family is his priority. I think for Kali, the fact that her life after the lab essentially became her collecting her own found family and being their self-appointed caretaker indicates a real yearning for connection & intimacy she can't find through vengeance.Â
When it comes to Steve not understanding her past, I don't think that's necessary. As much as I love a little shared trauma, I feel like that's not something either Steve or Kali needs in a relationship. They are both people who need a fresh startâsomeone who meets them where they're at, instead of being bogged down by whoever they were in the past. For Kali in particular, I think what she needs most is someone who will listen, believe & validate the depth of her trauma, and do their best to comfort her in every possible way. And I think Steve would not only want to be that person, but he would be really good at it. Â
I think it would be years down the line before Kali would become a person who would even be willing to go to anyone for advice, but I agree that her asking El for help in planning the perfect anniversary date or something would be amazing. She would be so out of her depth, especially because Steve is such a romantic he would always be doing little and big things for her and she probably would feel like she needs to match his gestures in some way (even though he doesn't need that at all).
