Steve and Dustin's Stranger Things Friendship Wasn't Planned

WARNING: This story contains spoilers on Stranger Things 2.

In addition to more gore and sci-fi suspense, Stranger Things' second season delivered some truly heartwarming moments, especially when it came to its unexpected pairings. There was Chief Hopper and Eleven, Lucas and Max, and even Joyce and Bob (RIP). They were all great, but let's be real—they were no match for Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson.

Netflix

A chance encounter at the Wheelers' house ended with the show's most lovable Demogorgon-fighting buddies, who bonded while trying to capture Dart and fight off other demo-dogs. Dustin helped Steve stay occupied after his split with Nancy, and in return, Steve gave him dating advice, hairstyling tips, and a free ride to the Snow Ball.

Fans fell in love instantly.

And it turns out their match-up was as much a shock to the showrunners, the Duffer Brothers, as it was to viewers.

"That’s my favorite thing this year. Or my favorite surprise, because it was never planned," Matt Duffer told Vulture. "When we went and pitched the season to Netflix, that was never part of it. It’s just something you discover along the way."

Netflix

Though unanticipated, their pairing makes sense. Steve had just gone through a breakup and Dustin was feeling distant from his friends. They both needed companionship, and found it in each other.

"Steve was kind of getting sidelined because Nancy dropped him for Jonathan, and he didn’t have a lot to do," Duffer added. "We wanted Steve to have something more to do. At the same time, Dustin was really abandoned by his friends, and [Steve] could help. Then we just fell in love with the idea of the pairing, because they were both dealing with heartbreak."

What makes Steve and Dustin's newfound bromance even better is their real-life friendship. Joe Keery and Gaten Matarazzo have had some adorable moments together, which they've documented on social media.

And they've bro'd out on the red carpet, too.

Getty Images

Getty Images

Getty Images

We don't know what to expect from Stranger Things 3 yet, but it better include a lot more Dustin and Steve.

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Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. 

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