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milliebrown580k · 4 months ago

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Everything You Need to Know About Trailer Van Rentals

Trailer van rentals offer a unique and flexible way to travel, providing the comforts of home while on the road. Whether you're planning a weekend getaway, a family vacation, or a cross-country adventure, renting a trailer van can be a cost-effective and convenient option. This guide covers everything you need to know about trailer van rentals, from choosing the right vehicle to planning your trip, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience.

The Appeal of Trailer Van Rentals

Flexibility and Freedom

One of the biggest advantages of trailer van rentals is the flexibility they offer. Unlike traditional travel methods, trailer vans allow you to create your own itinerary and change plans as you go. You can explore off-the-beaten-path destinations, stay longer in places you love, and move on whenever you feel ready. This level of freedom is perfect for those who enjoy spontaneous travel and want to make the most of their journey.

Comfort and Convenience

Trailer vans are designed to provide a comfortable and convenient travel experience. Most are equipped with essential amenities such as beds, kitchenettes, dining areas, and storage space. Some even include bathrooms with showers and toilets. This means you can enjoy the comforts of home while exploring new places, without the need to constantly book hotels or find restaurants for meals.

Cost-Effective Travel

Renting a trailer van can be a more economical choice compared to traditional travel options. By combining transportation and accommodation costs, you can save money on hotel stays and dining out. Additionally, having a kitchen on board allows you to prepare your own meals, further reducing expenses. Trailer vans also provide the opportunity to stay in more affordable campgrounds rather than expensive hotels.

Immersive Travel Experience

Traveling in a trailer van allows you to immerse yourself in nature and local cultures. You can camp in scenic locations, wake up to beautiful landscapes, and engage with local communities. The ability to stay closer to nature and explore remote areas enhances your travel experience, offering a deeper connection to the places you visit.

Choosing the Right Trailer Van

Selecting the right trailer van is crucial to ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable trip. Consider the following factors when choosing a vehicle:

Size and Layout

Trailer vans come in various sizes and layouts. Consider the number of people traveling with you and the sleeping arrangements required. Some vans have fixed beds, while others offer convertible seating areas that turn into beds. Choose a layout that suits your needs and provides adequate space for comfort. If you’re traveling with a family or a group, a larger van with multiple sleeping areas might be necessary.

Amenities

Check the amenities provided in the trailer van. Essential features typically include a bed, kitchenette with a stove and refrigerator, dining area, and storage space. Some vans also offer bathrooms with showers and toilets. Decide which amenities are important for your comfort and convenience. If you plan to travel in remote areas without access to campground facilities, having a bathroom and shower on board may be essential.

Driveability

If you are not accustomed to driving larger vehicles, opt for a smaller, more maneuverable trailer van. Practice driving the van before your trip to get accustomed to its handling, parking, and navigation. Ensure the vehicle is in good condition and familiarize yourself with its controls and features. Smaller vans are easier to drive and park, especially in urban areas or narrow roads.

Budget

Determine your budget for the rental, including the daily rental rate, insurance, fuel, and additional costs such as campsite fees. Compare different rental options to find the best deal within your budget. Consider off-peak seasons for lower rates and better availability. Make sure to factor in all potential costs to avoid any surprises during your trip.

Planning Your Trailer Van Trip

Proper planning is essential for a successful and enjoyable trailer van trip. Here are some key aspects to consider:

Research Destinations

Decide on the places you want to visit and plan your route accordingly. Research the attractions, activities, and scenic spots along your route. Determine the driving distances and allocate enough time to enjoy each location. Popular destinations for trailer van trips include national parks, coastal areas, and scenic byways. Make sure to check the accessibility and regulations of each destination for trailer vans.

Reserve Campsites

Campsites, especially in popular destinations, can fill up quickly. Make reservations in advance to secure your spot. Look for campsites that accommodate trailer vans and offer necessary amenities like hookups for water, electricity, and sewage. Consider dispersed camping options on public lands for a more remote and solitary experience. Having a mix of booked campsites and flexible options can add variety to your trip.

Pack Efficiently

Space is limited in a trailer van, so pack wisely. Bring essentials such as bedding, cooking supplies, toiletries, and weather-appropriate clothing. Use packing cubes and storage containers to stay organized. Don’t forget important documents like your driver’s license, rental agreement, and insurance papers. Carry a first aid kit and basic tools for minor repairs. Efficient packing ensures that you have everything you need without overcrowding the limited space.

Food and Supplies

Stock up on non-perishable food items and plan your meals ahead of time. Many trailer vans have limited storage space, so think compact and efficient. Reusable containers and collapsible kitchenware can help maximize your storage. Purchase fresh produce and perishables along the way as needed. Planning meals and packing accordingly can save time and money on the road.

On the Road

Driving and living in a trailer van requires some adjustments and considerations. Here are tips for a smooth journey:

Drive Safely

Driving a trailer van is different from driving a regular car. Stick to speed limits, especially on winding or mountainous roads. Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and be mindful of your height when passing under bridges or through tunnels. Use mirrors frequently and drive cautiously, especially in unfamiliar areas. Take breaks regularly to rest and avoid fatigue.

Conserve Resources

Trailer vans have limited water and power supplies. Be mindful of your usage to ensure you don’t run out unexpectedly. Conserve water by taking shorter showers and using campground facilities when available. Use solar panels or portable generators to maintain your power supply if needed. Being conscious of resource usage ensures that you can comfortably sustain your trip without interruptions.

Respect Nature

Practice Leave No Trace principles by cleaning up after yourself, properly disposing of waste, and respecting wildlife. Trailer vans allow you to immerse yourself in nature, so it’s important to preserve the beauty of the places you visit. Follow local guidelines and regulations to minimize your impact on the environment.

Interact with Locals

Engage with locals and fellow travelers to gain insights and recommendations. They can offer valuable tips on hidden gems, lesser-known attractions, and the best routes. Local interactions can greatly enhance your travel experience and provide a deeper connection to the places you visit. Being open to local advice can lead to unique and memorable experiences.

Maximizing Your Experience

To get the most out of your trailer van rental, consider these additional tips:

Embrace Flexibility

One of the greatest advantages of trailer van travel is the freedom to change plans on the go. If you find a particularly enchanting spot or decide to stay longer in one place, having a trailer van allows you to be spontaneous and adaptable. Don’t hesitate to alter your itinerary to make the most of your journey. Embracing flexibility can lead to unexpected and rewarding adventures.

Explore Off the Beaten Path

While iconic destinations like national parks are a must-see, don’t hesitate to explore lesser-known areas. Smaller state parks, local trails, and quaint towns often offer unique experiences without the crowds. Use your trailer van to venture off the beaten path and discover hidden gems. Exploring less popular destinations can provide a more intimate and authentic travel experience.

Enjoy Outdoor Activities

Use your trailer van as a base for outdoor adventures. Hiking, biking, fishing, and stargazing are just a few activities you can enjoy. Trailer van trips provide a wealth of opportunities to connect with nature and stay active. Take advantage of the diverse landscapes and outdoor recreation options available along your route.

Capture Memories

Document your travels through photos, videos, and a travel journal. Capturing your experiences allows you to relive the memories and share them with friends and family. It also helps you appreciate the journey and reflect on the places you’ve visited. Consider creating a travel blog or social media account to share your adventures with a wider audience.

Challenges and Solutions

While trailer van travel offers many benefits, it also comes with its own set of challenges. Here’s how to address common issues:

Limited Space

The confined space of a trailer van can be challenging, especially for longer trips. Stay organized and keep the living area tidy. Use storage solutions like packing cubes and hanging organizers to maximize space. Consider traveling with fewer items and focus on essentials. Efficient organization can help you make the most of the limited space.

Weather Conditions

Weather can be unpredictable, and extreme conditions can affect your trip. Check the weather forecast regularly and be prepared with appropriate clothing and gear. In hot weather, park in shaded areas and use reflective covers to keep the interior cool. In cold weather, ensure you have enough heating options and warm clothing. Being prepared for various weather conditions ensures your comfort and safety.

Mechanical Issues

Mechanical problems can occur, even with well-maintained vehicles. Carry a basic toolkit and familiarize yourself with common issues and their solutions. Knowing how to troubleshoot minor problems can save time and stress. Having a roadside assistance plan is also beneficial in case of breakdowns. Regular maintenance checks and being prepared for emergencies can prevent and address mechanical issues effectively.

Connectivity

Remote areas may have limited cell service and internet connectivity. Download maps, guides, and entertainment ahead of time for offline use. Embrace the opportunity to disconnect and immerse yourself in the natural surroundings. Use offline navigation tools and plan your route in advance. Being prepared for limited connectivity can enhance your overall travel experience.

Conclusion

Trailer van rentals offer an exceptional way to travel, combining the freedom of the open road with the comforts of home. Whether you're embarking on a weekend getaway or a cross-country journey, a trailer van provides the flexibility, convenience, and immersive experience that make for a memorable adventure. By choosing the right vehicle, planning your trip carefully, and embracing the unique aspects of trailer van travel, you can create an unforgettable journey filled with exploration, relaxation, and connection with nature. Renting a trailer van opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to discover new destinations, engage with local cultures, and experience the joy of travel in a whole new way.

#trailer van rental

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carolperkinsexgirlfriend · 9 months ago

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Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 84

Part 1 Part 83

Eddie drives. He’s got no destination in mind, but away. Away from the screams. Away from the trap Steve had sprung. No, no, not Steve. Never Steve. That thing inside of him that hijacked his body and has been taking it for a joy ride. Away from the bodies that thing had left behind. Just –

Away.

His hands are shaking enough that the car shakes along with it.

***

His hands are shaking. There’s so much blood. What did he do? There’s so much –

***

“Eddie, sweetie.” He darts his gaze to the side quickly before pulling them back to the road. Mama Byers hovers in the space between driver and passenger seats, hand outstretched like she wants to put her hand over his on the wheel. “Pull over, okay?”

Eddie nods, jerky, wheel jerking with it, but it takes a minute before he can get his foot to move from gas to brake pedal. It’s an abrupt stop.

He doesn’t even pull to the side. Just, stops.

For a second, he thinks the car is still moving. The road in front of him shakes and blurs, like an earthquake in rain, but it’s Eddie shaking. Mama Byers uses soft fingers to brush tears away, smiling up at him even as new ones take their place.

“Let me drive for you,” she says, quiet. “Okay, hun?”

Eddie nods – doesn’t move. He continues to not move until Mama Byers reaches down and pulls him up, small arms straining to pull him to the back and settle him down on the carpet.

He doesn’t want to be back here, with a Steve who both is and isn’t. But he sits, letting Will snuggle into his side like they’re just in the trailer for another movie night. Eddie keeps his eyes closed and lets himself imagine.

They’re sitting on the couch, fighting over overdue video rentals, slapping them out of each other’s hands, hoping none of the plastic cracks on impact.

They’re cuddled up on the couch, and Steve is still Steve, and they’re tossing popcorn into each other’s mouths, movie forgotten entirely.

Steve and Will are asleep on the couch, heads and bodies pooling onto Eddie as he tries his best not to move. Sleep never comes easy to any of them anymore.

They’re safe. Danger looms behind them, not in front.

But then Will says, “where are we going?” and Eddie opens his eyes.

Steve’s not looking at him. He’s looking up past the dashboard like he’s trying to answer that same question.

Uncle Wayne grunts out a quiet, “don’t say it aloud,” before levering himself up to kneel in front of Steve.

***

Blink. Give them proof of life. Just – blink. Do something. Do anything. It’s so dark. Please

***

Shrugging his favorite red flannel off his back, Wayne uses the sleeves to tie it securely around Steve’s head, obscuring his blank eyes. “Soon as he knows, he’ll lead ‘em right atop us.”

“A spy,” Will says, nodding like it all makes sense. Eddie still feels his brain just ticking and stalling. A spy. “If Steve knows, he knows.”

Wayne nods. Mama Byers drives. Eddie stalls out.

It’s the Byers house they end up at, gravel crunching beneath their tires. Once the car is parked, and turned off, silence bleeds into the spaces between them. No one moves. What’s the point? When there’s no action plan, no moves to take. Nothing to send them propelling forward.

No life-saving throw of the dice to pull Steve back into himself and yank the shadows out.

So, they sit.

And they wait.

It’s Will who moves first. He rushes out of the van and into the house without a word. They all just stare after him.

“I’ll go check on him,” Eddie says, sighing as he shuffles, hands and knees past the bench Steve sits atop, and out the same door Will had left ajar.

But Will comes rushing back out before he makes it to his feet, dashing back to the van and sliding over and past Eddie, knee hitting him painfully in the hip.

“Watch it!”

“Sorry,” Will replies.

Eddie turns, laying on his back on the hard metal of the van’s floor. Even the creature comfort of a scratchy carpet denied to him at this, his lowest of lows.

Will’s hovering in front of Steve. There’s a familiar walkie talkie now sticking out of his pocket, and a pair of bulky headphones in his hands. He settles them gently over Steve’s ears. Even in moments like this, Will’s the gentlest of them.

Will switches on the off-brand cassette player he’s got in his hands. Steve jerks as something moody and too-loud blares out from the headphones.

“You’re gonna make ‘im deaf,” Wayne says, but he doesn’t move from his spot on the bench across from Steve.

“Better deaf than dead,” Will says, but he’s grimacing looks he’s not sure if that’s true. “Now, he can’t hear what we say.”

Steve’s gone placid again as the music washes over him. Eddie can’t help but wonder if music, the most human thing of all, could bring Steve back into himself. But then he recognizes the sound of The Clash, and the thought falls right back out of his head. Even if the transformative power of music could save Steve from the abyss, he wouldn’t be caught dead listening to this moody shit.

“We should still plan our next moves away from him,” Mama Byers says, punctuating her words by opening the driver-side door and stepping out.

Everyone else scrambles out after her. Eddie takes an extra second, staring at the little bit of Steve’s placid face that’s visible past the make-shift blindfold and headphones.

He studies the shape of his mouth, the curve of his cheekbones, the breadth of his shoulders, memorizing his shape, as if everything that is Steve Harrington isn’t already branded into his mind. As if Steve Harrington hasn’t made himself home in his heart and mind, rooted deep enough that Eddie couldn’t carve him out even if he wanted to.

“Ed!” Wayne calls.

Eddie goes.

It’s quiet. Eyes shifting back and forth, placing pressure on person to person to come with any sort of plan for this.

“We should call Dr. Owens,” Mama Byers says, looking at Wayne already, like Eddie and Will’s opinions are the lesser in the situation.

“No way in hell!” Wayne snaps, glaring. “You think they’ll take kindly to that boy when they realize he led so many of their own to their deaths?”

“It wasn’t him!”

“I know that!” Wayne replies, heated the way he only is when he’s worried about his kids. “Do you think a bunch ‘a government goons are gonna give two shits?”

It’s like every planning session they have, they’re working to beat the last one for the worst ideas in the world. Or in the case of not having any ideas at all, passing off the responsibility to someone they in no way should.

Eddie tunes it all out, looking back toward the van, pulling, pulling, pulling on the line between them. It’s still there. Steve’s still there.

“He tried to save us,” Eddie says, quiet voice cutting through the arguing. He doesn’t look to see what everyone’s face looks like, too afraid to find pity there. Or worse, sympathy. “He tried to save us.”

He’s looking at the van, swears he can see Steve sitting, bound, and blindfolded, and deaf to the world around him, even through all that metal.

“He’s still in there.”

Something settles into him like conviction.

He storms to the van, ignoring the calls to stop, to explain. It’s like he’s being pulled to where he belongs – at Steve’s side. Always. ‘til death do they part.

Steve’s cheek is scratchy beneath his palm, the way he never lets it get. Not since being trapped in the Upside-Down with no usable water or razors. He rubs his fingers against it, watches the skin redden.

He leaves the flannel where it is, sleeves trailing down and tickling his arms. He takes the headphones off, doesn’t turn the player off, just lets it ring quietly through the van, a terrible soundtrack to this terrible moment.

“Remember that first night?” Eddie says, clutching Steve’s face harder, trying to push the memories back into him. “You saved me from the Demogorgon, pulled me into your bedroom, and hid me away with you.”

He ignores the sounds of the rest of the group clattering into the van behind him. They’re not here at all. Neither is he. Steve and Eddie are still in that closet, tucked away and safe from the dangers of the world.

Eddie smiles, undeniably fond of what had then been the scariest moment of his life. “Even when you were an asshole, you were still a good dude.”

Will moves up beside him, pushing him to the side and sliding one of his hands beneath Eddie’s so he can cradle the left side of Steve’s face while Eddie cradles the right.

“Remember when we first met?” Will asks, quiet, reverent. “You saved me from the Demogorgon, too.” He bumps his shoulder into Eddie’s but doesn’t look away from Steve. “Guess that’s just something you do.” He laughs, wet but real. “And then you just kept saving me.”

As if the weight of the words are settling too heavily into him, Will’s head drops down, chin settling onto his own chest, free hand clenching uselessly. “Now it’s my turn, and I don’t know how to save you.”

***

“– to save you.” The words echo through him. There’s reverb through his whole body (How does he know that word? How does know that voice? Who is –

***

There’s a flicker, so faint Eddie’s not sure he felt it at all. But Will gasps, hand clenching his sternum in the same place Eddie feels the connection between them all.

“Steve?” Eddie calls, breathless. It doesn’t flicker again.

Wayne drops down, bullying his way between them to look up at Steve’s obscured face. “I remember the first time I saw ya,” he says gruffly. “You were half-dead, and still kicking up a big ol’ fuss.” He clears his throat. “I knew right when ya opened your eyes in that hospital room that you were as good as my own boy.” His voice breaks around the word boy, and Eddie’s heart breaks along with it.

***

“—as good as my boy.” …who?

***

Flicker. Tug.

Mama Byers kneels slightly behind Will, the room in front of Steve all taken up with their bodies stacked one on top of the other. “You saved my Will,” she says with that quiet conviction that always rings through her voice when she knows she’s right. “You’re a sweet boy, and you need to come back. Okay?”

***

“—come back. Okay?” Where? It’s dark. Where is he supposed to go?

***

Flicker. Tug.

Eddie scoots impossibly closer, Steve’s knees digging uncomfortably into his ribs. He wants to kiss him. He wants to merge their bodies until they’ll never be separated again. He wants Steve back. He just— wants.

“Angel,” he says, voice thick with all the things he’s never said. “I have loved you—”

***

“—I have loved you—”

***

“—since the first time I thought I’d lost you.” He hears Will’s quiet gasp. The words had come out, truthful and sure, but he wonders, just for a second, if this is the moment he loses Will. But then he remembers the reverence he’d looked up at Steve with when he’d been bathed in all that light. The way he talks about Mike Wheeler of all people like he hung the moon in the sky.

Wayne leans into him on one side, Will on the other, Steve in front, and he lets that pressure settle into him. Enough that he opens his mouth to continue speaking.

“I never want to lose you again,” he chokes out, warbling over the words as the tears, never far from his eyes these days, spring free once more. “Please.”

***

“Please.” He wants to go to the voice, that begs in the dark. Wants to…wants to…but it’s cold. And he’s lost.

But someone’s thrown him a line, no two. They’re glowing, a beacon of light in the darkness. Something to hold onto. So, he does. He takes hold and pull, hoping against all that cold nothing that it’ll lead him home.

***

“No, it was even before that.” Eddie says, smiling despite it all. They’ve always been the people to find that bright spot of light in all the darkness, him and Steve and Will. It’s a skill they curated in the musty red of a world they’d been sent to die in. They’d had to.

“You remember when we saw the lights in the Upside-Down for the first time in Mama Byers house?” Everyone’s quiet breathing shores him up, lets him linger in that bright spot of ethereal joy. “They surrounded you, like you were on fire.”

He hears a grunt from Will, wonders if he’s picturing that moment, too. If he can remember the way the light had haloed Steve’s face just as clearly.

***

“You looked like an angel, Stevie.” Stevie? He follows the line, follows the voice, wants out of this darkness. “I’ve been falling—”

***

“—for you ever since.” The words linger. Eddie lowers his hands, Will’s coming down with it, to look up at Steve’s inflamed cheeks, wishing it was a blush from Eddie’s words and not his body heat burning him up.

He wants Steve to say it back, to tell him he doesn’t feel the same, to punch him in the face, anything as long as it’s Steve. But he doesn’t. Because Steve’s still not there.

***

That voice. That— Eddie? He repeats it like a mantra, never wanting to forget again. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. The words are warm, they linger. Reverb in this dark place. He clutches the ties that bind and holds on. Eddie, and…

And…

But then the warmth fades. It’s dark. And cold. And he’s so very alone.

Part 85

Taglist: @deany-baby @estrellami-1 @altocumulustranslucidus @evillittleguy @carlprocastinator1000 @1-8oo-wtfbro @hallucinatedjosten @goodolefashionedloverboi @newtstabber @lunabyrd @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @manda-panda-monium @disrespectedgoatman @finntheehumaneater @ive-been-bamboozled @harringrieve @grimmfitzz @is-emily-real @dontstealmycake @angeldreamsoffanfic @a-couchpotato @5ammi90 @mac-attack19 @genderless-spoon @kas-eddie-munson @louismeds @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @pansexuality-activated @ellietheasexylibrarian @nebulainajar @mightbeasleep @neonfruitbowl @beth--b @silenzioperso @best-selling-show @v3lv3tf0x @bookworm0690 @paintsplatteredandimperfect @wonderland-girl143-blog @nerdsconquerall @sharingisntkaren @canmargesimpson @bananahoneycomb

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #my fic #steddie upsidedown au #will byers #really had fun with the formatting and incomplete nature of this one. everyone say thank you steve!

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steddieas-shegoes · 1 year ago

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Hello my love! ❤️

Another for you, if you’re still taking them, though of course feel free to ignore this for any reason (or even no reason) at all!

I would love to see what you can do with Steddie and James Arthur’s “Car’s Outside”. I feel like this is one Eddie would write for Steve, maybe after an argument..? 👀

I had to look this one up because I’d never heard it before and this is some emotional stuff I wasn’t prepared for but should’ve been when you said maybe after an argument 😭

Touring the country had been his dream for so long that when it became a reality, he forgot what was most important.

It happened to a lot of rockstars.

His reality check came like lightning, fast and sharp.

“I’m just trying to understand, Stevie. You wanted me to do this. You told me to go on the tours and record the albums. You supported me. What changed?”

“You did.”

That was the last thing Steve said to him over a week ago.

All he knew now was that Steve was back in Hawkins staying with Wayne and hadn’t told him much other than he wouldn’t take up too much room for long.

Wayne didn’t tell him anything except that Steve was alive and safe, but didn’t seem to be taking care of himself well.

The first two days, all Eddie felt was anger. He was full of contempt for Steve suddenly changing his mind about Eddie’s life and dreams.

But the third day was when it hit him that Steve left.

He’d avoided everyone after that, only answered the phone in case it was him calling and hanging up if it wasn’t him.

He barely got out of bed, barely ate, didn’t even go into the bedroom converted into a music room to play his guitar.

The next tour was set to start in two weeks and he didn’t think he could go, not like this, not without Steve here waiting for him.

- - - - -

Wayne called the night before he was leaving for the tour, said he needed to come to Hawkins, but wouldn’t say why.

“Are you sick or hurt?”

“No, Ed.”

“…is Steve?”

“Just get here.”

So Eddie did.

He called the guys and told them he would meet them at their first stop in New York in three days, that he had a family emergency and couldn’t travel on the bus with them.

When he got to Hawkins, he felt like turning right around and leaving.

He hadn’t been back in years; Wayne always came to see them for holidays and visits.

Nothing has changed, not even the trailer Wayne insisted on still living in, even when Eddie offered to buy him something nicer.

Steve’s car sat in the driveway next to Wayne’s truck, just like it did before they’d moved to Chicago to try to make Eddie’s dream happen.

Eddie parked next to him, the rental from the airport much cleaner and nicer than anything else around here, but not in a good way.

It clicked suddenly, that Eddie wasn’t the same. That the guy who used to drive a beat up van and live in this trailer and loved Steve so much it felt like a physical ache when he wasn’t around wasn’t here.

He walked up to the door, knocking like this wasn’t his home just five years ago.

Wayne answered, sullen face making his chest tight with worry.

“Where is he?”

“He’s asleep finally. Come on in, son. Have a seat.”

“What happened?”

Wayne sighed.

“He’s been overworking himself and not sleeping or eating, and it finally caught up to him. He’s had a migraine for three days now, longest I’ve seen. Can barely sit up to sip water but begged me not take him to the hospital.”

Eddie’s fists clenched.

“Why wouldn’t he go?”

Wayne blinked at him.

“Son, you’re not an idiot despite the way you’ve been actin’ for a while. Think about it.”

Wayne walked to the kitchen and started packing his lunchbox.

“Where are you going?”

“I got a shift to get to. Steve shouldn’t be alone.”

Eddie stayed on the couch for the next two hours, his brain shifting through thoughts that quickly turned into song lyrics.

He wrote them down, but barely focused on what he was writing. Now wasn’t really a great time to be producing something new.

He heard a groan from his old bedroom and shot up from the couch, making his way to the end of the hall and entering the room without a second thought.

Steve was sitting on the edge of the bed, body hunched and eyes closed, pain a physical presence through every inch of him.

“Stevie,” Eddie choked out.

Steve’s head shot up. He winced in pain, but the tears in his eyes didn’t seem to have much to do with that as Eddie got closer.

“What are you doing here?”

“Wayne called.”

“And?”

“If you need me, I’m gonna be here.”

Steve looked away, his eyes closing as he turned his head.

“That’s not how things have been.”

It hurt, but he was right. It hadn’t been how things have been. Not for a while.

“I know. I…I don’t think sorry is enough for any of it, but I am. I’m sorry. So sorry, Stevie.”

Steve looked at him, the haze of the migraine keeping a lot of emotion off his face.

“Yeah. Okay.”

It wasn’t forgiveness, and forgiveness wasn’t deserved yet, but it was a start. And when Steve let Eddie get him water and medicine, and play with his hair, it felt like a start.

- - - - -

Eddie had to go.

If he didn’t go, he’d miss the first show of the tour.

He’d be in deep shit, and the guys would hate him, and he would never make music again.

His manager called him every four hours at Wayne’s asking when his flight would be and he always said “when things are right with Steve.”

It started to feel like that might not happen.

But something about the way Steve was slowly letting him in, allowing him to care for him more every day, gave him hope that he could get him back, get them back.

Wayne didn’t say much to him, didn’t have to. The way he watched was enough to know how Wayne felt about him, this situation.

But he didn’t go.

Steve’s migraine was gone, but he still needed Eddie, still needed to see that he was the priority.

Eddie needed to show him that he mattered more than his band, because he did. He always had and always would.

He missed the last flight that would’ve gotten him there on time.

He called the guys to let them know, to apologize, to tell them that he had to do what was best for him.

They understood, but told him their manager was livid and probably would try to replace him instead of postpone the tour.

He didn’t care at this point.

He’d gotten his taste of fame and it was bittersweet.

Steve stood in the doorway when Eddie hung up the phone, watching him with his arms crossed as Eddie covered his face in his hands.

“You’re not going?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Eddie dropped his hands and sighed.

“If I have to pick, then I pick you. I’ll always pick you.”

Steve’s brows furrowed.

“You think I want you to pick between me and your career?”

“Yes. That’s why you left, isn’t it?”

Steve shook his head.

“I left because you forgot that I was a choice at all,” Steve’s voice sounded choked. “I left because I didn’t even think you’d care if I did. You didn’t seem to care much about leaving me anymore.”

Eddie’s heart couldn’t possibly break more.

“Sweetheart, of course I care. I’m here because I can’t lose you. If it’s you or the band, then it’s you. Always.”

Steve let out a sob.

“I didn’t want you to choose me instead of your career. I wanted you to recognize that choosing your career didn’t have to mean not choosing me.”

“Oh, my love.”

Eddie pulled Steve against him, holding the back of his head against his chest, other hand running up and down his back slowly.

“You’re always my first choice. I’m sorry I forgot to show you that. I’m sorry you ever had to feel like you weren’t even an option. You’re the most important choice I’ve ever made and I’m going to keep choosing you every day. Even if it means giving up the band. None of that means shit to me if I don’t have you.”

Steve nodded against his chest.

They stayed like that for so long, Wayne came home, nodded and smiled from the doorway of the kitchen.

- - - - -

Steve came with him.

He called his manager the next day, said it was non-negotiable that Steve be with them for this tour.

The band was on his side, of course. They loved Steve and they loved Eddie and the last thing they wanted was to see either of them hurting.

The first time he performed the song he wrote while he was in limbo with Steve, he let the crowd know what was most important in his life.

“Gonna slow it down a bit for this next one. Sometimes this life has some downsides, hard to believe, right? It’s hard to maintain who you are when you’re being pulled in so many directions. But I’m lucky to have someone who keeps me grounded. Leaving them for tour wasn’t an option this time around, and I’m glad they’re here with me. I wrote this a couple weeks ago when we were having a hard time. I wasn’t being the partner they needed, and I wasn’t showing them that they’re the partner I want. I’m not loving you from afar anymore, sweetheart.”

Steve watched from his spot backstage, like he did every night.

He didn’t feel like an option anymore, he felt like the choice.

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #headcanon #rockstar eddie munson #angst with a happy ending

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batty4steddie · 10 months ago

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Can I Keep It?

Chapter 2: Stupid Hunk

The early afternoon at Family Video was so boring. No one was coming in to rent or return movies. Steve had finished all the grunt work. Rentals that came back that morning were rewound if the customer hadn’t done it already. Everything had been put back in its place, and he had straightened up the store.

Usually, Steve enjoyed the free time getting paid to do nothing, but he was feeling listless about work and his love life.

Now, he was just leaning against the counter, playing with Eddie’s skull ring. He had been keeping it under the counter for when Eddie came back to return A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge or if he saw Dustin.

Steve found it fit perfectly on his ring finger and considered not giving it back.

He had a date tonight. He was taking Brenda to the basketball game. He wasn’t sure about her. She was gorgeous but even denser than him. Maybe it was the blonde box dye that had fried her brain.

The game was almost more exciting than the prospect of getting laid. He’d totally fucked up the year before and had lost state for Hawkins. It had been the cherry on top of not getting into college. Steve was looking forward to redemption for the team and a win for Sinclair.

When the phone rang, Steve answered it within a few rings. It was Dustin wanting him to come play D&D. Yeah, right. He would never socially recover from that.

Steve looked at the ring, spinning it around with his thumb. It chafed a little that Dustin thought he was jealous of Eddie. He absolutely was not. “I’m not cancelling my date with Bombshell Brenda. Sorry, Dustin. You and the freak can have fun without me.”

Steve was relieved when two hot customers walked in, giving him a reason to hang up.

Eddie sat on the bus. It was the last one running, and nobody else was on it except himself and the bus driver. He’d abandoned his van back at the trailer—too conspicuous. What happened was fucked. It was so fucked.

He made a noise of distress, picking his feet up off the ground and curling up into as small a ball as possible on the dirty carpeted seat. His eyes went glassy, locked wide in fright. The driver gave him a wary glance from his rearview mirror.

Twenty minutes later, Eddie had barely moved. The bus lurched to a stop, and the driver cleared his throat. “End of the line,” he said.

A few seconds passed. There was no motion from the back.

“Hey!” he said louder. “I said end of the line. You gotta get off, kid.”

That jolted Eddie. He stood on wooden legs and stumbled to the side door, pushing it open and stepping outside. The doors hissed closed, and the bus chugged away and turned around the corner, leaving him alone on the barren road.

There were no streetlights here. Nobody was around.

Eddie started walking briskly, glancing over his shoulder constantly.

When he reached a fork in the road, he stopped and stared into the depths of the woods. Cutting through it was the closest way to his dealer’s house. It was the only place he could go that he knew would be safe from the cops, who would no doubt be coming after him for the fucking death of Chrissy Cunningham. He didn’t know if it would be safe from whatever the fuck had attacked Chrissy.

Eddie stepped off the road and onto the dirt with a trembling breath.

The branches of the trees were long, spindly, and black. He should have heard the rustle of animals scurrying around and insects buzzing. He should have heard the wind off the lake. It was too quiet and too still. He could only hear his breath and the soft whimpers rising from his throat that he couldn’t control.

He started to run. He ran faster than he ever had before. He ran like somebody was chasing him because it felt that way. It felt like he was being watched, hunted.

His lungs gave out long before he did. Eddie was dripping sweat and heaving when he finally reached Rick’s place. The security light was on and casting a cold glow on the ground that wasn’t very welcoming, but at least he was out of the dark.

Eddie didn’t have a key to Rick’s house, and he didn’t want to break in and leave evidence that he was there or risk someone seeing him. A key to the boathouse was hidden in a flowerpot on the back windowsill. Eddie went around, grabbed it and jammed it in the door, having to try three times before he unlocked it because his hands were shaking so badly.

There was no light inside, except for the scant amount coming from the windows and the moon off the lake. Eddie whimpered again, every creak in the floor and every shadow on the walls making him jump.

“Fucking relax, you coward,” he said hoarsely. The volume of his voice almost made him jump, too.

Miracle of all miracles, he found a case of beer on one of the shelves. He drank two of them. It didn’t do much to calm him. Mostly, it just made him feel nauseous and dizzy.

He still saw Chrissy’s body levitating in the air, her bones cracking to unnatural angles, her eyes sucking back into the caverns of her skull.

Eddie climbed into the boat and curled up under the blue tarp, scrunching his eyes shut as he tried to force the images away. The tarp made crinkling noises as he continued to shake, but eventually, his breath slowed. The adrenaline crash hit him, and he passed out.

But he wasn’t out for long, plagued by nightmares that made him toss and turn in the boat, getting twisted up in the tarp. The third time he woke up screaming, he stopped trying to sleep.

Eddie didn’t do much of anything when morning came. He tried to calm himself by going outside and sitting on the dock. It was a sweet relief to feel the warmth and safety of the daylight, but since it was the weekend, there were people out boating, and he had to retreat to the darkness.

He looked through Rick’s things and took an inventory of everything there. Most of it was junk and fishing gear, but there was a first aid kit and some old food in a cooler he could survive on. He couldn’t risk going to a store. He should have packed a backpack, but he hadn’t prepared anything. All he did was run. All he did was leave Chrissy.

Eddie hacked open a can of expired SpaghettiOs when his stomach started cramping, scarfing them down ravenously and cutting his tongue on the jagged tin. He devoured a Big Hunk bar, saving the other two for later like they were precious gems.

Looking at them reminded him of the video store and Steve. To think, he had been worried about finishing his trig homework. When now… now , look where he was. Eddie buried his face in his hands with a hysterical laugh.

That night, Eddie started hallucinating. The isolation was getting to him.

Chrissy’s deformed body kept manifesting in different places. Once on the ceiling, another time in the boat with him under the tarp, and another time while he was outside taking a piss. She tried to talk to him, but her jaw was broken, so it came out like a long, guttural groan. Eddie had never started sobbing with his dick in his hand before. That was a first he wished never to repeat.

When the sun went down and the darkness hit yet again, Eddie was so delirious he could barely differentiate the floor from the ceiling. He heard voices yelling outside.

They sounded, strangely, like his Hellfire Club gang. That sounded like Dustin’s voice. But that couldn’t be. It was a trick. It wasn't real.

Eddie broke one of his empty beer bottles on the side of the boat and then jumped into it, hiding under the tarp.

So, not only had Steve’s date been a total flop, but he’d been roped into going to Lover’s Lake and aiding in the search and rescue mission of Eddie Munson.

He wasn’t sure that Eddie was innocent in all of this. Of course, Steve believed in all that constitutional shit—innocent until proven guilty—but the freak thing he couldn’t shake despite Eddie’s sweetness and sweet tooth he had witnessed the other night in the store.

Still, he didn’t put up too much of a fight. He’d help. He always helped.

When they arrived at the boat house on Lover’s Lake, Dustin rang the doorbell in quick succession. Steve was more than willing to walk away when they didn't get an answer—mainly because it was super spooky, and it felt like they shouldn’t be there.

Dustin wasn’t willing to give up that easily.

Something was trying to get Eddie. Poking, prodding—one smack would have landed right on the family jewels had it been just an inch to the left. Eddie remained silent as the voices continued. They changed to a buzzing drone that grew louder and louder in his ears.

The poking stopped.

Mustering a burst of courage, Eddie sprang out of the boat and backed his attacker up against the wall, shoving him there and pressing the jagged glass to his throat.

Steve couldn’t feel the pain. He was too frightened. He tried not to breathe because the broken glass was too close. His eyes were wide as he watched Eddie. Eddie tightened his grip, which scared him more, and it got harder for him to breathe. He couldn’t believe Eddie was about to stab him in the throat.

One second, Eddie was holding what seemed to be a normal person, then it was Chrissy and her black hole eyes, and then some indiscernible creature barring its teeth at him. He pressed the edges of the bottle harder against its neck until Dustin convinced him they were who they said they were.

A scent invaded Eddie’s nose. He smelled… coconut?

Everything came into better focus, along with the frightened expression on Steve’s face. Chrissy and the monster temporarily vanished. Eddie could feel the frantic pulse beating away in Steve’s neck under his fingers, but he was still suspicious and let them all know it.

It took some more convincing from Dustin, Robin, Steve, and the redhead, Max, whom Eddie recognized as Billy Hargrove’s sister, who had moved in next to them with her mom after Billy died in the mall fire.

Finally, Eddie let go.

He slowly slid down the wall. His hands were trembling again. Dustin reached out to take the bottle from him, face morphing into something sinister. Eddie flinched as it quickly disappeared, and he was just Dustin again, the goofy, smartass little sheep Eddie had herded into his D&D club.

Steve stuck his hand in his jacket pocket and gently thumbed Eddie’s ring, trying to calm down after all that. He didn’t feel like giving the ring back anymore. If Eddie knew he had it, there was a possibility he could think Steve had stolen it. Then maybe he actually would kill him.

Eventually, Steve calmed as the others got Eddie to tell them what had happened.

Eddie tried not to cry as he attempted to keep his fragile hold on reality. There was no way they'd believe him if he told them the truth. They would probably pretend they did, and then, as soon as they had his guard down, they would knock him out and take him straight to the police station.

His eyes went glassy again as he started telling them everything. Even the part where he was a fucking coward who ran.

Then he learned about the Upside Down.

Monsters were real. Monsters were actually real, and they were way less cool than they should have been. Eddie was still trying to wrap his head around it while the three questioned him.

Robin was watching him closely, and Eddie felt exposed. He had a real-life encounter with something otherworldly, and “run” had been his final choice. He’d failed, and the princess had died.

Nearly getting his throat slashed had shaken Steve up. After a little while, he felt grounded again. Especially once he heard what happened to Chrissy. He kept his arms crossed as he watched Eddie and listened to him tell them what happened.

It was harder to hear than he expected. What Eddie witnessed was brutal. There was literally nothing he could’ve done about it. He knew if it sounded this awful, seeing it in person must have been terrifying. Steve didn’t understand why Eddie was beating himself up for leaving her there. He didn’t know what it was, what it was capable of or if it was coming for him next.

That didn’t change the fact that he was suspect number one. Steve was glad they didn’t bring the police into this, even though he had suggested it earlier.

The sting of Dustin favoring Eddie over him lingered from earlier, but Steve chilled out. While it seemed like and felt like Eddie was going to kill him, he hadn’t, and he wouldn’t have killed Chrissy. He had been scared and was too sweet… like the candy he’d bought at the video store the other night. It was clear the Upside Down had gotten to her somehow in the form of a killer monster.

Now that they had found Eddie and figured out what had happened to Chrissy, they could make a plan. Unfortunately for Steve, the first plan involved babysitting, and this time, it wasn’t the kids.

They were leaving when Dustin asked Steve to stay with Eddie. “If I can’t stay, you should. Seriously though, fuck this. Mom will be fine. She won’t worry if I don’t come home for one measly night.”

That was a lie, and his shifty eyes said it all.

“Dustin, look, man… Eddie is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He has a weapon that he almost slit my throat with, remember? You think he needs a babysitter?” Steve shook his head. Technically, he was already babysitting Dustin and Max. He had to make sure they got home safe with this Vecna creep going around breaking people’s bones and killing them. “We can come back tomorrow. We’ll bring him some stuff he needs, like food and water. He can’t live off beer for long. Plus, we’re the only ones that know he’s here. He’s safe for now.”

Dustin accepted his no since Steve promised they’d come back. Part of Steve did feel bad for Eddie.

Eddie’s cheeks burnt as he overheard their conversation through the open door.

While he appreciated that Steve had saved face for him, it was humiliating for Dustin to suggest it. For a kid to think someone younger than him needed to keep watch over him. Babysitter? Fuck. Even worse, Eddie’s heart was pounding again, and his breath quickened because he was about to be alone again.

Robin was still watching him with her observant owl eyes. When he looked at her, she handed him her flashlight with a sympathetic smile before joining the group outside. Eddie clutched it too tightly and gave her a half-hearted salute, grateful for the small comfort.

After the door shut, he heard the engine rumble as the car started and the quiet as the noise moved further and further away.

“Don’t,” he told his tear ducts fiercely because they were welling up again. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

This was all just… way too fucking much.

Eddie returned to the boat with the flashlight, sitting cross-legged with it in his lap for a few long minutes as he got his sniffles under control. The flashlight flickered, making his heart flutter, but it stayed on after he smacked the base violently with his palm.

Steve seemed like a brave dude. Braver than him, at least, to have been dealing with this other world for so long, these real-life fucking monsters, all while he lived his everyday life and worked at the video store. He was more than just the vain bully of a jock Eddie had pegged him as. Maybe. He bet Steve wouldn’t have let Chrissy get put under a curse. He would have done something to stop that from happening to her.

Eddie picked up a Big Hunk bar and opened it, drowning his feelings in corn syrup and peanuts. “Stupid hunk,” he muttered, taking a big bite, “being all hunky and brave.”

Eddie finished the bar, throwing the wrapper overboard. His head suddenly dipped as exhaustion hit him. He was close to tipping over when he caught himself and cursed, forcing his eyes back open as the boat swayed on its chains.

He wondered if Steve would have stayed and kept him company if Eddie hadn’t almost killed him. It had been an accident, but he hadn’t apologized. Shit.

The next time Eddie’s head dipped, he fell back and let sleep take him.

Eddie jerked awake to noise from outside. He vaulted out of the boat, bottleneck clutched in his fist as he peered out the window, panting with adrenaline. It was light out again, so he had actually gotten some sleep, but he wasn’t focused on that. Someone or some thing was there. The floorboards creaked.

Or not.

His heart had barely slowed before the door clanged open, revealing Dustin, Steve, Robin and Max.

Eddie’s shoulders slumped. He glared balefully at them, but it didn’t last long because he was glad to see them. “Knock next time, or I won’t be tipping,” he told Dustin.

“Uh, I’ve earned a tip for stellar customer service with a smile, thank you. No take-backsies.”

Eddie cleared his throat as the munchkins started unloading the grocery bags and making themselves comfortable. He set down the broken bottle. Robin leaned against a steel shelf and looked out at the water, which was peacefully still without any wind.

Max opened a bag of chips, and Dustin scolded her as she shoved a handful in her mouth. “Those are for Eddie ,” he said, way too overprotectively if everyone’s expressions were anything to go by.

Max shrugged. “Eddie can share.”

“Course I can. I’m not a chip hog. Unless those are Bugles,” said Eddie. Putting Bugles on his fingers like claws was always a tasty and perfectly on-theme accessory for Hellfire nights.

Fuck, was he ever going to have one of those again?

"We got Buges!" Dustin said. He was already helping himself to the chips, arm stuck in the bag, while Max rolled her eyes at him.

Eddie was hungry, but there was something he had to do first. He reached into his pocket, sweaty hand wrapping around the wrapper of his last Big Hunk bar. It turned out the information he’d filed away about Steve liking them would come in handy now. Hopefully.

He nodded at Steve, stepping towards him while everyone was all distracted. He held the bar out as a peace offering. “Hey, dude, um. I’m sorry about last night. You know, the whole…” he trailed off, motioning towards Steve’s throat with his other hand.

Steve wasn’t expecting an apology from Eddie. Nearly getting attacked had left him full of adrenaline after he’d gotten home. It had taken a while to wind down and fall asleep, especially after Eddie had horrifyingly recalled what had happened to Chrissy. Steve hadn’t known what Eddie was capable of until he had been in the thick of it. Eddie was strong and very threatening. Getting an apology made Steve confident that Eddie didn’t have it in him to physically harm him or anyone else. He was probably all bark and no bite.

As Steve listened, he smiled a bit, remembering it almost fondly as he lightly touched his throat. He looked down as the apology hit him and made him bashful that he was even getting one.

“I was kinda worked up. Hadn’t slept much since Friday. Which is still not really an excuse, I know,” Eddie rambled, “So, just—”

This was going swell.

Steve gave a casual shrug of his shoulders and then looked back up to catch Eddie’s eyes.

“Sorry,” Eddie repeated, clapping Steve on the shoulder and giving it a warm squeeze.

It felt like Eddie was looking directly into his soul. Their eyes connected for an abnormally long beat. The intensity made Steve’s eyes drop to Eddie’s lips, and he immediately felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise just like they had when Eddie had the bottle to his throat.

Eddie’s stomach stole the show by rumbling like an angry bear, interrupting Steve’s weird physical reaction to the apology and touch. Steve nodded, understanding. “It’s cool,” he said, brushing it off. He had been over it after Eddie told them about Chrissy, anyway.

Eddie nodded, annoyed at his stomach for no discernable reason. Steve had accepted his Big Hunk and his apology.

Moving away, Eddie sat down and started ripping open the bag of cereal. The smell of the Honeycombs invaded his nose. He was shovelling them into his mouth between sips of sugary sweet Yoo-hoo when Dustin told him the bad news. He always went with the bad news first.

It didn’t surprise him that the police were looking for him and that he was the only suspect, but his lips still trembled, and his appetite vanished, a nauseous feeling replacing it.

The entire town would be lighting their torches and sharpening their pitchforks. Many people already had a problem with him, especially the members of the church, so hunting him down was going to be like Christmas morning for them. He didn’t see any way this could end well for him.

That was until Robin informed him that this wasn’t their first otherworldly rodeo. They had been through this kind of shit before.

Eddie glanced at everyone in the room, lingering on Steve until he nodded in confirmation.

Eddie's eyes bulged as they tried unsuccessfully to reassure him, and his eyebrows lifted. Jesus Christ. Right, there was nothing to worry about. Nothing whatsoever. And a girl with superpowers, so what? That was totally normal.

Sirens sounded nearby, making them all go on high alert.

“Tarp!” said Robin urgently. “Tarp, tarp!”

Eddie ducked under it, pulling it over himself. He clenched his eyes shut as they waited and whispered the chorus of Leper Messiah to calm his racing heart. “Time for lust, time for lie. Time to kiss your life goodbye...”

Fuck, this was it. He was going straight to the big house. He would be reunited with his dear old man, who would be thrilled to see him, especially after their last conversation where Eddie told him about his big plans. About how he was really going to buckle down, graduate school this year, and get his diploma. Hell, maybe even get into a college.

Dad had laughed his ass off, sporting a wide grin through the plexiglass. " You really think you can get into one of those smarty-pants schools?"

It was said with affection, which made it hurt even more.

Steve followed the others to the window as soon as Eddie was out of sight. He hung back slightly. They watched the cops speed right past the boathouse.

Once the sirens dissipated, Steve felt a slight sense of relief. Eddie was still wanted, but at least they wouldn’t have the police snooping around with him only hidden under a tarp. It was the most obvious hiding place. When Steve originally started poking around with the oar, it was clear to him then. Not only that, but Eddie’s broken bottle was no match for a policeman’s gun.

It was only a matter of time before someone else figured out he was hiding here at Reefer Rick’s. They had to prove Eddie’s innocence sooner rather than later. While Dustin made it sound totally plausible, they had a lot of work to do.

“They’re gone. For now,” Steve said, grabbing the top of the tarp. He pulled it back just enough to free Eddie’s face. He still looked terrified. That made him feel bad. Steve didn’t want to leave him here all alone again, so he thought quickly.

“We need to get you out of here,” he told Eddie. Steve’s house was in the direction of where the police were going. No one would expect Eddie to be there. “We’re going to take you to my house. My room is in the basement. My dad is out of town, and my mom is probably passed out on the couch. It’ll be easy to sneak you in. I do it all the time with my dates. What do you say?” Steve thought it was a pretty good idea.

Robin’s eyebrows slowly climbed into her hair. She gave Steve a peculiar look, unseen by Eddie.

Eddie’s brain was now short-circuiting from a completely different reason other than fear. Not even in his wildest dreams would he think he would be offered shelter from Steve Harrington. At the very most, he should have been offering Eddie a hiding place in his dusty pool shed or something—not in his very own, very personal bedroom in his basement.

Eddie’s stomach was unexpectedly flipping the fuck out as he looked up into Steve’s, also unexpectedly, kind brown eyes. “Um…I…are you—”

—really sure you want me there? He didn’t get to say because Dustin interrupted him, slapping Steve on the shoulder. “Great idea, Steve! Then we won’t have to ride out so long to bring him things.”

Robin’s eyebrows said it all. What was Steve thinking? She was surprised. Steve was, too. He had just invited Eddie to stay at his house… in his room.

Whatever, it wasn’t that big of a deal. And there was no taking it back now.

“Can we leave now?” Max asked. She was rubbing her temple, her forehead creasing like she was in pain.

Steve looked at Max. She had really been worrying him. It sounded like whatever had gotten Chrissy was after her now, too.

Eddie sat up quickly, moving the tarp off himself and jumping out of the boat so he didn’t miss his ride out of there. “Well, I’m not going to miss that thing one bit,” he said honestly. Anything would be an upgrade from the boat.

His mind was already off to the races. What would Steve’s bed be like? Hard? Pillowy soft? Would Eddie be sleeping on the floor? Maybe Steve had a couch in his bedroom. Rich people had other furniture in their bedrooms, right? Why would Steve’s mom be passed out in the middle of the day? How many dates did Steve sneak into his bedroom on a weekly basis? Why was Steve doing this for him?

Steve nodded, “Alright, let’s go. The quicker we get Eddie to my house, the quicker we can find out what the police are after.”

Steve led the way out of the boathouse. He got in the car first and waited for everyone else to pile in before starting it. As he backed up, he caught a glimpse of Eddie in his rearview mirror. He seemed less rattled, which made Steve feel better about his decision

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #steddie fic #steddiebang23 #gifs by me #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #stranger things edit

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trivialbob · 7 months ago

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My city has a biennial "Curbside Cleanup" event in April. People can set out large items for a special trash collection. We put things out starting on a Thursday. They are collected by trash haulers on Saturday.

In the days leading up to the collection people ("scavengers" we call them) drive slowly through the neighborhoods looking for scap metal or items that are perfectly usable. It's kind of fun to watch the procession of beat up pickup trucks, U-haul trailers, and small cars with stuff tied to the roof.

Sheila and I sometimes host a watch party in the driveway. This year her brother grilled his Billy Burgers (amazing smash burgers) for all of us while we drank beer and waived at the drivers.

This year I got rid of an office chair, a couch, an ottoman, a usable vacuum cleaner (I left a sign on it stating that it worked), and a broken carpet shampooer. All but the couch were taken by people before the city came by on Saturday.

One year I put out a different couch and ended up helping a guy load it into his van. He didn't look poor. I asked what he was going to do with the couch. Perhaps it would go in the basement for the kids to use while gaming and eating chips?

"I own some rental properties. I like finding usable furniture to put in them." I got rid of something I'd replaced with a new couch, he got a couch for free. Nice how that works out because the couch didn't (yet) make it to the landfill.

Something inevitably seen on every block are office chairs set of for collection. Two years ago I put one out at the curb. Two years before that was another one. This year my current chair's "leather" was cracked. The latch or gear that can be set to not allow rocking or reclining sometimes worked. More than once I'd lean back and exclaim "oh shit" as I fell backwards. My neck and shoulders were starting to hurt when I worked.

That's no way to live.

This afternoon I went to a business that sells professional office furniture. The showroom is open to the public. A guy asked me some questions about how I sit, where I keep my keyboard, and so on.

He showed me two not inexpensive chairs. I loved the first one I sat in. I did try the other one. Then he said I could look around the used furniture showroom. I saw some decent, heavy-duty chairs there, but that first one I sat in, the new one, was perfect for me so that's what I bought. It will pay for itself because I won't be buying Target/Costco/Staples office chairs every other year.

My desk right now is from Ikea. It's held up okay, maybe 6/10 in how much I like it. New desks at today's store were very sturdy and high quality.

And expensive.

But I saw some used desks that had a few dings or scratches that cost lest than my Ikea desk. They looked like they'd last a lifetime. I wish I'd shopped here earlier.

#My chair has a 10 year warranty #which is longer than I plan to work #It can be fixed right at that warehouse if that is ever needed #And thank goodness I did not have to f'ing assemble it

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theradicalscrivener · 7 months ago

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Big Changes: Field Trip

Troy needs some time to get out of his head and out of the shed. This sounds like a job for a forklift and a heavy duty trailer!

(P.S. Ya boi's got Linktree and Bluesky now)

[First Chapter] || [Previous Chapter] || [Series Index] || [Next Chapter]

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Troy squeaked.

“Of course!” Mike said

“Yeah. You said you wanted to get out of the house for a bit,” Ike added.

“Yeah, but…” Troy murmured and gestured towards his cock which he was currently sitting atop. “Shouldn’t we get a tarp or something?”

The twins looked at each other and then back to Troy before responding in unison, “nah.”

“Everyone can see it!” Troy whined.

“That never bothered you before,” Ike replied.

“That was before it was bigger than a car!” Troy protested.

“Yeah? Now there’s more to flaunt,” Mike replied.

Troy let out an incomprehensible sound that was somewhere between a dog whining and a troll gibbering.

“Here. You’ll want to wear these,” Ike said, handing Troy a pair of goggles and a scarf.

“Keeps the bugs out of your eyes and mouth,” Mike explained.

Troy grumbled but dutifully geared up. For a moment, he could almost pretend that he was preparing to go for a ride on a motorcycle… except that his “motorcycle” was a mini-van sized schlong which was now resting atop a flatbed trailer being pulled by a truck.

Getting Troy’s cock and balls on to the flatbed in the first place had been an ordeal. His cock was too massive to lift, and that was not even factoring in his swelling stones. The twins had had to rent a forklift and hoist Troy’s bait and tackle onto the flatbed one piece at a time!

Once Troy was fully geared up, Ike hopped in the driver’s seat of the truck, and Mike hopped into the bed so he could watch Troy as they made their way across town.

Troy hated to admit it, but it felt great to be out of that rental silo if even just for a little bit. He missed the sun and the breeze on his skin, and to a lesser extent, he missed being around people other than just the twins. Still… he wasn’t thrilled about being exposed like this. He was clad in just a shirt, goggles, and scarf. His face was covered, but that did nothing to keep him anonymous. There was only one guy out there with such a huge cock!

Troy had become a little bit of a local celebrity. People had accepted that he was too hung to cover up, and they had even turned a collective blind eye to when he doused places with his spunk, but that didn’t mean that people weren’t keenly aware of who it was that was gunking up the city.

Now that Troy was out in public, he found himself the center of attention. Other drivers would roll down their windows and gawk at the massive cock that was being paraded around town like the Weinermobile. They may have known that Troy had a huge dick, but until today, only Troy’s streaming fans knew about his recent growth spurt.

Troy tried his best to keep it casual. He tried his best to act like he wasn’t mortified to be displayed like this, but he was trembling like a leaf from nerves. To make matters worse, his immense cock was fully boned the whole time. Pre dripped from his colossal cock head!

As they made their way through town, traffic seemed heavier than normal. It wasn’t rush hour, and yet, traffic had crawled to a halt. Was there something going on in town? Well… something other than a parade float sized schlong, anyway.

Traffic slowly inched forward. The axles on Troy’s flatbed groaned in protest. Troy’s fully boned cock was so huge that the tip of it now extended past his flatbed and rested on the tailgate of the twins’ truck. Pre dripped from his cock and splashed down into the bed of the truck, thoroughly soaking Mike’s shorts as he sat back and watched.

Troy’s arousal slowly started to overtake his nerves. His mind started to feel hazy. His cheeks felt warm. His cock felt amazing. He was so overwhelmed that he didn’t even realize that the tip of his dick had extended into the bed of the truck.

Mike pulled open the rear window of the cabin and quickly scurried in and took a seat beside his brother. The two of them exchanged a few hushed words before Ike pulled off of the main road and took the cock-wagon down the side streets.

Mike leaned out the passenger window and crawled up onto the top of the cabin. By this point, Troy’s cock was so huge that the tip of it now extended past the bed of the truck and was pushing against the cabin. Mike found himself surfing atop the truck and staring down the steadily swelling slit of Troy’s massive cock.

The twins were fascinated by this growth. Other than the week or so that they had left Troy alone, they had never known his cock to swell like this. Still… Troy’s current size was nothing compared to the hangar-filling phallus they had witnessed upon their return home, but if things continued, it wouldn’t be long before he reached that size once more.

Mike leapt up and grabbed a handful of foreskin in each fist and pulled himself up and over the pre-oozing head of Troy’s cock. The warm, viscous fluid seeped out and completely coated Mike’s body as he scrambled over the tip of Troy’s cock. Part of him wanted to stay there for a second and enjoy the warmth and wetness, but even as he held on, he could feel Troy’s foreskin thickening in his hands. If he didn’t hurry, Troy’s cock would be much more difficult to scale.

Mike quickly scrambled across the length of Troy’s swelling cock. At this point, the beast was so huge that Ike had to straddle both lanes to make room for the truck’s over-sized load. Troy’s cock alone more than filled a single lane of traffic, and his nuts had swollen so huge that they bumped against various vehicles that were parked alongside the street. With each foot the cock caravan progressed, car alarms blared and trash cans were shoved aside.

Mike scurried up to where Troy was seated, knelt down, and gave Troy’s cheeks a quick pat to try and slap him awake.

“Mmm? Huh?” Troy murmured.

“Snap out of it. We need you to keep it together for a bit longer,” Mike said. His voice was uncharacteristically serious.

“Keep it? What do you…?” Troy murmured, but his eyes slowly began to focus. As they did, his jaw dropped, and his massive cock gave a lurch of excitement. The sudden lurch was so intense that it almost sent Mike toppling.

“What. The. FUCK!?” Troy yelped.

“Oh… you probably didn’t even notice this last time,” Mike said.

“LAST TIME!?” Troy squeaked so loudly that his voice broke.

Mike looked to his side as if waiting for someone else to give a follow-up comment but quickly realized that he was flying solo for this.

“Oh… um… So, when we got back, you were much larger than this, but! Don’t freak out. It went back down. So…” Mike explained.

“Don’t freak out!?” Troy squeaked.

Mike paused for a beat to let his absent twin chime in before stepping up to speak. “It should go back down once you cum. Just try and keep cool until we get out of the neighborhood,” he said.

Troy was sweating bullets as he glanced around. He was so high off the ground that he was looking down at the roofs of the nearby houses. His cock was now larger than a city bus! His balls alone were the size of bungalows. His bait and tackle barely fit down the two-lane road.

Mike could hear Troy’s breath getting shallower. He could even hear Troy’s heart pounding. If this continued, Troy would have a full-scale panic attack before they got to safety, and given everything going on, there was no telling what would happen then.

Mike scooted over so that he was behind Troy, swung his arms around Troy’s shoulders, and rested his chin on Troy’s head. “Just relax…” Mike said softly as he pulled Troy in for a hug.

Troy tensed up, but as Mike held him, he slowly began to relax. His heartbeat steadily slowed, and his breathing became more regular.

As Mike rested his chin on Troy’s head, he stared out ahead. He could see that they were coming up to the end of the street. A T-intersection loomed ahead of them. On the opposite side of the intersection was a large, open field. The city park! That may just be large enough for them to help get Troy down from his latest surge! … hopefully, anyway.

Ike drove through the intersection and onto the sidewalk. The axles groaned in protest and the bottom of the flatbed trailer scraped the road below and then ground against the curb. Troy had far exceeded the maximum weight capacity. It was a miracle that the flatbed hadn’t completely shattered under his swelling mass, but they weren’t out of the woods yet.

The twins’ truck struggled and strained to drag Troy’s mass across the grassy field. At this point, the flatbed was offering little to no support. They were effectively dragging Troy’s cock and balls directly across the dirt. The act left a massive trench dug into the grass behind him… a trench that was getting wider and deeper with each foot that the now overburdened truck struggled forward.

Once he reached a seemingly central location, Ike put the truck in park, hopped out, and began scrambling towards Troy’s nuts. Troy’s cock was now so large that there was no good way to scale it. Ike’s best course of action was to use the loose skin of Troy’s sack to give him enough purchase to scurry up and over. Unfortunately. Troy’s nuts were now as tall as a two-story house!

Ike was in great shape, but even he was starting to feel the strain as he grabbed handful after handful of thick scrote and pulled himself hand over fist up the side of Troy’s colossal balls. By the time he reached the top, the layer of sweat covering his body caused his clothes to cling to him like a second skin.

Once up top, Ike quickly began peeling off his soaked clothes and took his place beside his brother. Mike glanced over at his brother, noticed that Ike was nearly nude, gave a nod, and then began to strip as well.

Troy, realizing that Mike was no longer holding him, started to come back to reality. He glanced around curiously and noticed that his cock was now the size of a row of townhouses, and his balls were the size of water reservoirs.

“W-what the f-!” Troy began to yelp, but before the final word could get out, the twins stepped in front of him clad in nothing but their birthday suits. Their firm bods and fat rods were openly on display. Troy balked at the sight. His colossal cock gave an enormous lurch of excitement – a lurch that was so intense that it sent the twins staggering like Star Trek extras on the bridge. The twins barely managed to maintain their footing.

“Like what you see?” Ike asked playfully.

“But… what about…” Troy murmured in a half-hearted attempt to protest, but his eyes were transfixed on his smoking hot friends.

“Shh… let us take care of that,” Ike replied in a soothing voice.

“All you have to do is sit back,” Mike added.

“Relax,” Ike added.

“And cum,” they said in unison.

Troy gulped. His eyes started to tunnel vision on those two hot bods and their amazing cocks and heavy balls. Troy was so horny that he couldn’t think about anything other than how hot the twins were or how much he wanted to cum.

The twins stepped forward so that their rigid dicks were aimed directly at Troy’s face. Troy was too far gone to protest. He reached out and grabbed a thick dick in either hand and began to stroke the shafts. He pressed the heads of the twin’s cocks against his face and nuzzled up against the pre-drooling slits, painting his face with pre in the process. The feel of it was mind-blowing. Their cocks were so firm, but the heads to soft. The warmth of their pre cascading down his chin. The taste of it oozing into his mouth. The smell of cocks and pre flooded his nostrils. Troy was in heaven. He was so enthralled that he didn’t even realize that his cock and balls were still growing.

The twins reached down and ran their fingers through Troy’s hair as Troy greedily licked at their cocks. Usually, they were the ones taking the lead, but today, Troy was absolutely ravenous. It was so rare to see him like this that the twins had to struggle to keep from cumming before Troy did!

“Oh… H-he’s good,” Ike muttered.

“I taught him that…” Mike replied.

“You wish…” Ike moaned.

Troy was running on autopilot. He was so horny that he just wanted cocks in and around him. He moved on from just licking at them to taking the head of the twins’ cocks into his mouth one at a time. He’d suck on one, pull back, and then focus on the other one, keeping both bros on edge the whole time.

“We… taught him too well…” Ike gasped.

“… plan B…” Mike responded.

Troy let out a pitiful whine as the twins stepped back and pulled their cocks out of Troy’s grasp. The twins exchanged a quick glance. In that split second the twins locked eyes, they carried out a mental round of rock-paper-scissors to decide who got which end.

Ike stepped forwards and put his cock where Troy could easily reach it. Troy happily wrapped both hands around the thick shaft and began to suckle the tip. Meanwhile, Mike side-stepped troy and knelt down behind him.

While Troy greedily slurped at Ike’s cock, the twins gently coaxed him into position. Soon, Troy was on his hands and knees atop his own cock and balls. His face lifted towards Ike’s cock and his ass raised towards Mike’s.

Mike’s cock was so slick with pre and spit that he didn’t even need to prep. His cock slid smoothly into Troy’s greedy hole as his brother’s dick dug into Troy’s hungry mouth. The twins pumped in and out of their mutual fuck-buddy while Troy’s cock and balls swelled beneath.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”Troy was so horny that it didn’t take long for him to blow. This was fortunate in part because his cock and balls were beginning to spill out of the borders of the city park and in part because the twins were already so close to cumming that if they didn’t get Troy off soon, they’d blow before they could finish the job!

The trio called out in unison. Troy’s colossal cock shuddered and lurched as he felt Mike’s warm, thick spunk flood his ass and tasted the rich tang of Ike’s spooge filling his mouth. Massive, thick geyser bursts of hot cum erupted from Troy’s cock. He came again and again and again. Each spurt as large as the one before. He was cumming so much and so hard, and yet, it didn’t seem like he was making any headway! His nuts were filling so fast that he was just treading water! And at the rate he was cumming, he wasn’t going to be the only one treading! The pool of spooge on the ground was growing deeper by the second! The storm drains had already overflowed. The streets now ran white with cum! And yet, Troy kept spurting.

It was hard to tell how long it took Troy to come down. The twins were spent long before Troy was. Both brothers slumped down beside their buddy and snuggled up against him as Troy continued to whine and moan and cum and spurt. Eventually, however. Troy’s dick fully deflated.

“I don’t think we’re getting the deposit back on the flatbed,” Ike muttered.

“Do you think the insurance will cover this?” Mike asked groggily.

Ike was too winded to reply so he just shrugged.

The three lay there in each other’s arms atop Troy’s colossal cock and balls. Troy’s bait and tackle had shrunk back down considerably… and yet.

Mike and Ike glanced out at the tip of Troy’s cock and then back to each other. Troy’s cock head now rested solidly in the bed of their truck. It had gained probably another 5 feet.

“We’re gonna have to tell him,” Ike said.

“Wait until he wakes up,” Mike replied.

Ike nodded in reply, and the trio went back to their mutual afterglow cuddle puddle. They laid there for a bit, blissfully unaware of the crowd that had gathered until a particularly terse voice split the air.

Troy sat up groggily, rubbed his eyes, and looked down at the cum-flood he had caused. His eyes quickly fell upon the lady that had called up at him. It was the doctor who had been overseeing Troy’s treatment and testing. She was an intense person on a good day, but today she was especially terse.

“Miquel!” She shouted.

Mike sat up, looked sheepishly down, and replied, “… yes, mama?”

“Inigo!” She shouted.

It was now Ike’s turn to sit up. “… yes, mama?” He replied just as sheepishly.

“Wait in the car,” she said.

“… yes, mama…” the twins replied in unison.

Troy watched his friends, awkwardly shimmy down the side of his schlong, and bashfully cover their exposed cocks with both hands as they dutifully ran towards a familiar car down the road.

Troy then turned his attention towards the lady. “Uh… hi, doc…” he said, nervously.

[First Chapter] || [Previous Chapter] || [Series Index] || [Next Chapter]

#hyper #hyper cock #hyperphallic #cock growth #dick growth #story tag

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atltrailerental · 1 year ago

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vhub · 2 years ago

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tgcommercials · 2 months ago

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chrislaplante · 3 months ago

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𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖛𝖆𝖓

Seance's means of transportation & living quarters while on tour (if h/motels aren't affordable). a 2019 chevy express (explorer limited, x-se), hi-top, 12 passenger, silver/gray. at the end of 2021, when they finally decided to venture on a first tour, kay went to his uncle sam (samuel, no military relation), no relation to pascual, & his used-car dealership, where former rentals were an emphasis. from the handful of van selections, this "family vacation" ex-rental convinced both kay & matt. to date, they're still making payments. it was until their second tour, in 2022, they were able to acquire a cargo trailer for their equipment & merchandise (scroll down to view) & so the cargo space ("trunk") in the van was left unoccupied. chris took it over.

the van's "trunk" is where chris spends his time while on tour, whenever possible. a multitude of blankets, comforters & pillows run awry into what he calls his "nest" (his girlfriend / @bornhngry calls it his "coffin"). though there is plenty of space, with multiple double seating, chris likes to hide in the posterior if given the choice. he's often spotted, sitting there, back doors open, drawing or writing.

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖑𝖊𝖗

Seance's priceless possessions & the necessary tools to put on a show. their gear & merch loaded into this 6x12ft trailer, obtained during the summer of 2022 for their second tour. there isn't much to say about this cargo storage other than its usual location: in tow behind the band's van, or parked behind venues & bars.

#🕯 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔 👁 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖇𝖞𝖊 𓏴 hc.#🕯 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔 👁 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖇𝖞𝖊 𓏴 seance.

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polijakefim · 1 year ago

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Outside Magazine, November 2016 | Travis fimmel, Vikings actors, Happy play

Travis Fimmel’s Minimalist Broasis

Vikings star Travis Fimmel has exactly three possessions: his trailer, his pickup truck, and his horse

I’d been told to meet the Australian actor Travis Fimmel, best known for his role as Norse warrior Ragnar Lothbrok in the History channel’s Vikings series, at his ranch outside Los Angeles. Given the popularity of the show—four seasons, an Amazon Prime release, and season five in the works—I had assumed that Fimmel’s pad would be some secluded midcentury hideout with a well-stocked kitchen and a gym worthy of a broadsword slinger who’d also recently anchored a Warcraft film adaptation that made nearly half a billion dollars worldwide

But the address led to a dusty outdoor riding arena just off the highway, where Fimmel, barefoot in a pair of camo cargo shorts and a surf tee, greeted me from the back of his 15-year-old chestnut quarter horse, Wanker.

“I’m just getting him warmed up so he doesn’t buck you off,” says Fimmel, who is 37 and was raised on a dairy farm in Echuca, Australia. He grew up working in his family’s cherry orchards, camping and fishing with his two older brothers, and surfing behind dirt bikes in irrigation canals. He came to L.A. when he was 21, after being scouted by a modeling agency and dropping out of architecture school. Almost immediately, he was stopping traffic on billboards modeling Calvin Klein underwear

"Among a generation who’ve shunned material possessions, Fimmel has achieved an advanced state of stoic minimalism."

Still mounted, Fimmel led me in my rental car up to his broasis, which, it quickly became clear, was actually a dilapidated 18-foot beige and white Nomad travel trailer parked permanently in the shade of a pepper tree between a water tank and the tack shed.

“Got it real cheap, over in Phelan,” says Fimmel. “Towing it back, the side panels were flapping, and the back door fell off.” The ranch belongs to longtime stunt coordinator Walter Scott. Fimmel showed up in 2010 looking for riding lessons ahead of a big-screen remake of the 1960s TV show Big Valley. Most of the work around his family’s farm was performed on ATVs, so he was a novice horseman.

“Just ask me about when I first met him,” says Scott. “He says he knew about horses—everything he learned right here, on that horse. Roping and everything. Him and another guy came. He never left.”

The film went down in flames after the director was convicted of committing tax-credit fraud on a previous project, but Fimmel stuck around the stable and now squats there when he’s not traveling. “Out here it’s just good people. No industry,” Fimmel explains. “Just the stunt boys.”

Among a generation who’ve shunned material possessions as barriers to life experience, Fimmel has achieved an advanced state of stoic minimalism. According to him, his only worldly possessions are Wanker, the Craigslist trailer (which now has air-conditioning), and a red 1982 GMC stepside pickup with a ’73 bed (which does not). Before the trailer, he lived in an old Ford Econoline with a pop-up bed.

“It got taken off me,” he says. “It wasn’t road worthy.” Unlike the cool kids who gussy up Sprinter vans and Westfalias, Fimmel only recently upgraded from a flip phone to an iPhone 4, does no social media, and rarely checks his e-mail. “I’m always getting texts asking why I’m not responding on Instagram or Facebook, and I’m like, ‘It’s not me. You’re writing to some stranger.’ ”

Fimmel helped me into the saddle, and we headed out for a hack on a trail behind the property, him riding Scott’s horse Josey. It was hot, and Wanker wanted to stop in the shade. Fimmel’s ultimate goal is to save as much money as he can and end up back in Australia on a nice spread—“with three or four wives,” he jokes, though at the moment he says of the opposite sex, “They all hate me, although it’s not for lack of trying. When you do a lot of traveling, it’s hard.”

He eats what he wants, works out only when he’s forced to, and does his drinking at the local VFW hall. But for a guy who regrets his modeling days and says he wasn’t looking to get into acting—“Still not looking to, mate”—he’s stripped away everything else. If he could, he’d spend three months studying for each of his parts. “You get sucked into it, trying to be good at it,” he says. “I wish you could make money and people never saw what you did. Then you could relax and not care about how bad you are.”

It’s the proper amount of self-hatred for an action hero who’s actually good at his craft—more Viggo Mortensen than Chris Hemsworth. He starts shooting a blockbuster bank-heist film, Finding Steve McQueen, in September, starring alongside Kate Bosworth and Forest Whitaker.

Fimmel is extraordinarily soft-spoken—introverted, even—for a guy at risk of being typecast as a barbarian. At an interview with three of his Vikings castmates at Comic-Con in July, Fimmel managed to get through the entire Q&A saying exactly zero words. But he’s only now being tested in parts with more range, like his supporting role as a bearded-hipster pickle entrepreneur in the 2016 romantic comedy Maggie’s Plan and a loving, alcoholic father in an adaptation of the horse-racing novel Lean on Pete that was shot in Oregon and wrapped this summer. On that project, he ducked out for a few days to reel in his first steelhead with a friend at the mouth of the Chehalis River.

It was nearly 100 degrees on the trail. The Blue Cut Fire had just broken out in San Bernardino, and disaster-relief crews were a constant presence on the highway. Each of the past three summers, Fimmel has escaped this kind of heat, shooting Vikings in the cold mists of Ireland. The Ragnar role even landed him an endorsement deal as the face of high-end down-jacket company Canada Goose, which photographed him earlier this year among the icebergs of Newfoundland.

Here, though, it was just really hot. We put the horses up, Fimmel hosed Wanker down, and we went for a Bud Light at the VFW. If any of the vets and bikers recognized him, they didn’t show it. This time next year, it may not be so easy.

Lead Photo: Jeff Lipsky

#polijake_fim #travis fimmel #ragnarlothbrok #ragnar lothbrok

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