⭐ JANUARY – MARCH 1986: THE STEVE + LIZA PRE-SEASON LOVE STORYLINE

⭐ JANUARY 1986 — “Something is Starting”

• January 4 – Family Video

Liza has just started working part-time at Family Video, covering weekend shifts. Robin immediately decides she likes her and drags her into her and Steve’s chaotic “duo energy.”

Steve acts cool… but everyone sees the way he keeps glancing at her.

• January 10 – The First Shift Together

Robin “accidentally” schedules Liza and Steve on the same shift.
They spend four hours talking between customers:
• favorite movies
• childhood stories
• Steve trying (and failing) to alphabetize a shelf while distracted

Liza leaves that night thinking, he’s sweeter than people say.

Steve spends the whole night thinking, she smiled at me like that??

• January 17 – The “Not a Date” Hangout

They grab dinner after work. Both insist:

“It’s not a date.”

Robin calls it a date.

They share fries.
Steve opens doors for her.
Liza blushes.
The waitress calls them “you two.”

Steve becomes a little obsessed.

• Late January – The Slow Burn
• They start calling after work
• Steve drives her home when it’s icy
• Liza lends him a book she loves
• Steve tries to read it (and pretends he’s not into it, but he totally is)
• Liza learns Steve’s soft spots: kids, friendships, loyalty

By January 31, they’re both obviously into each other but neither makes a move.

⸻

⭐ FEBRUARY 1986 — “Okay… this might be something”

⭐ • February 1 – Movie Night

Steve invites her to watch a movie at Family Video after close.

Robin tags along.

Liza sits next to Steve anyway.
He offers her his jacket in the cold aisles.
They laugh at the same parts.

Steve drops her home and sits in his car afterwards whispering:

“I’m screwed.”

⭐ • February 7 – Hawkins High Basketball Game

Lucas insists they need support, so Steve drags Liza to the game.
• Liza meets Dustin properly
• Dustin instantly adores her
• Steve gets flustered
• Robin whispers, “oh he’s gone.”

At halftime, Steve buys her a hot chocolate.
Their fingers brush.
Neither pulls away for a few seconds.

⭐ • February 12 – The Snow Day

Hawkins gets hit with a big snowfall.
Steve picks Liza up in his Beemer and they go wandering around town drinking hot cocoa.

At one point, Liza slips on the ice — Steve catches her, hands gripping her arms, faces inches apart.

She stands there, cheeks pink, breath clouding.
Steve says softly:

“You okay?”

She nods, breathless.

This is the moment Robin later says they should’ve kissed.

They don’t.
But the tension is unreal.

⭐ • February 14 – Valentine’s Day

Steve panics and doesn’t ask her out… because he doesn’t want to be “too much.”

Liza assumes he’s not interested.

They end the night awkward.

Both go home thinking they ruined everything.

⸻

⭐ MARCH 1986 — “This is real now”

⭐ March 1 – The Almost-Confession

Liza finds Steve shelving tapes and blurts:

“Did I do something wrong?”

Steve nearly drops a whole stack.

He quickly explains:
• he didn’t want to scare her
• he didn’t want to rush things
• he wanted to do it right

Liza smiles, relieved.

Robin walks by like:

“FINALLY, GOD.”

⭐ March 5 – The First Kiss

After work, Steve drives Liza home.
They sit in his car outside her place, talking in the warm glow of the dashboard.

She thanks him for being so patient.
Steve’s eyes soften.

He asks quietly:

“Can I…?”

Liza leans in before he finishes the sentence.

The kiss is soft, warm, gentle — the kind that feels like everything finally clicked.

Steve walks into Family Video the next morning with the stupidest grin Robin has ever seen.

⭐ March 7 – Official

Steve asks her:

“Can we be, um… us?”

Liza answers by taking his hand.

They become official — still new, still a little shy, still figuring each other out — but perfect for each other.

⸻

⭐ By mid-March (start of Season 4):
• Liza is fully in Steve’s circle
• Dustin and Robin both adore her
• She grounds Steve emotionally
• They’re in that sweet, new-love, still-butterflies phase
• Not overly lovey-dovey yet, but clearly bonded
• Just in time for the Hawkins horrors to begin