Eddie enters middle age first but it doesn't hit him until much later. He's happy with the life he's built: a good enough job, a partner he's still deeply in love with, hobbies that bring him joy (Corroded Coffin never made it big but they still get together to jam at parties or over holiday weekends). It's not until Steve starts to freak out that it hits him.
Steve isn't even to his mid-forties when his midlife crisis hits. His hair had started to grey a decade earlier but it's when his hairline begins to recede, deep at the temples so his characteristic floppy style can no longer mask it, that he panics. Then he notices the other things: the lines around his eyes and forehead linger long after he's relaxed his face; the pudge at his middle that he can't shift no matter how many runs he goes on or crunches he performs; and finally, his always bad vision worsening until he needs progressive lens.
So like a cliche, Steve gets a sports car. Okay, maybe not a sports car but a BMW Convertible. Suddenly, he feels like a teenager again, energized and electric. With the wind rushing through his hair, he doesn't worry about the signs of age on his body, he just allows himself to be. It's all fun and games at first, convincing Eddie to skip work so they can go for a drive and foul around in the woods like they used to. Until Eddie starts to have trouble keeping up, the decades of cigarette and pot smoking reeking havoc on his stamina and refractory period. Does he quit smoking or even cut back? No.
Instead, Eddie gets his motorcycle license and buys a used hog. Steve rides on the back of the bike once before he insists Eddie get rid of it. Eddie is already a speed demon, but at least in his shitty van, he's protected on all sides by metal. On the motorcycle, he's totally exposed. A fight ensues, probably their worst yet, dragging on for weeks. They alternate turns sleeping on the couch, avoiding each other's eyes as to not provoke another round, until Eddie relents, listing the objectionable thing for sale the same way he found it.
In the end, Steve ditches the convertible too. It's not a practical daily driver and the roof leaks when it rains for more than 5 minutes, not to mention the disaster his hair becomes after even a quick drive with the top down. Instead, he doubles down on his skincare and looks into hair regrowth treatment. And he and Eddie get matching bicycles so they can still go for rides to feel the wind in their hair and maybe foul around in the woods halfway through. As a result, Eddie finally quits smoking. He really needs the extra lung capacity if he's gonna keep up.
dailybridgerton
janainaart
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