Steve, like everyone else, assumes Eddie's parents were junkies who OD'd. The truth is Eddie's Mom is French (or can be any random European identity), got knocked up in the USA, hated America, and decided to leave without Eddie. His Dad left too. So, yes, they're fucking shitty people and parents but not the stereotypical impoverished dead drug addicts that everyone assumes. Maybe they're actually quite middle class, university professors or something. His Mom went back to Paris/wherever and Eddie tried to get back in touch with her, desperately hoping she'd want him now (maybe some time during his middle school years - before high school? Or maybe during early high school years but being a 'freak' no one noticed his absence) but was rejected again and could hardly survive in Paris/[x] alone at the age of 14. Plus he missed Wayne, he can't speak French/[x] very well, etc.
Steve is fascinated when he finds this out and decides to help Eddie with embracing this part of his life. He tries to learn French (just to stress this: it doesn't *have* to be French so feel free to swap it for German/Norwegian/Polish if you like), cook the national dish for Eddie, buys maps for Paris/the capital city to help them plan a road trip one day, learns about the hobbies, interests etc of that particular nation and so on.
Eddie goes through a range of reactions to Steve from anger at thinking Steve is mocking him to being quite touched by how thoughtful and sweet Steve is trying to be, even if it is a little clumsy at times. Can be platonic Eddie and Steve or romantic Eddie/Steve.
Eddie, Steve, platonic or romantic, Eddie's parents, nationality/identity crisis, humor/fluff
Steve is fascinated when he finds this out and decides to help Eddie with embracing this part of his life. He tries to learn French (just to stress this: it doesn't *have* to be French so feel free to swap it for German/Norwegian/Polish if you like), cook the national dish for Eddie, buys maps for Paris/the capital city to help them plan a road trip one day, learns about the hobbies, interests etc of that particular nation and so on.
Eddie goes through a range of reactions to Steve from anger at thinking Steve is mocking him to being quite touched by how thoughtful and sweet Steve is trying to be, even if it is a little clumsy at times. Can be platonic Eddie and Steve or romantic Eddie/Steve.