#Gas Fireplace Repair Near Me

[rapidchimneyrepair]

Rapid Chimney Repair LLC | Chimney Sweep | Fireplace Services in Chapmansboro TN

We are your dependable and trustworthy go-to Chimney Sweep in Chapmansboro TN. Our skilled professionals thoroughly clean and inspect your chimney, removing creosote buildup. We prioritize the prevention of chimney fires and carbon monoxide leaks, providing peace of mind for you and your family. With our meticulous approach and modern equipment, we help maintain optimal chimney performance and extend its lifespan. Moreover, acquiring our top-notch Fireplace Services in Chapmansboro TN is the best decision you’ll make. From installation to repair and maintenance, we specialize in keeping your fireplace in top condition. With us, you can create a cozy and inviting ambiance in your home. So, if you need our expert assistance, call us today.

[rayzplumbing]

Best Gas Fireplace Service In Calgary With An Affordable Price - Ray-Z Plumbing

If you are looking for the best gas fireplace service in Calgary at an affordable price with Ray-Z Plumbing. Our expert technicians provide comprehensive installation, maintenance, and repair services to keep your gas fireplace running efficiently. Dedicated to quality and customer satisfaction, Ray-Z Plumbing ensures your home stays warm and cozy without breaking the bank. For more details visit our website!

[champschimneyusa]

Business Name: Champ's Chimney Sweep LLC

Street Address: 641 Grooms Rd Suite 119

City: Clifton Park

State: New York (NY)

Zip Code: 12065

Country: United States

Business Phone Number: (518) 307-7370

Business Email Address: Champschimney@yahoo.com

Website: https://champschimney.com/

Social Links: https://www.facebook.com/Champschimney

Description: We believe in providing our customers with a great overall value. Experience matters! Established in 2001, Certified & Insured. Highly trained technicians utilizing the SureFire I-Pad based chimney tech training system as well as attending various hands on training initiatives. We offer chimney cleanings along with Level 1 and Level 2 Video inspections with the industries finest modern equipment. We specialize in doing clay flue tile repair as we are certified Heatshield dealers. We also specialize in stainless steel chimney re-lining for masonry fireplaces, wood stoves, furnaces, boilers and hot water heaters. We are dealers of the Regency, Hampton and Osburn Wood & gas stoves/ fireplace inserts brands/ manufacturers. We fix leaky chimneys.

Google My Business CID URL: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=2604152873231562373

Business Hours: Sunday Closed Monday 8:00am-5:00pm Tuesday 8:00am-5:00pm Wednesday 8:00am-5:00pm Thursday 8:00am-5:00pm Friday 8:00am-5:00pm Saturday 8:00am-5:00pm

Services: Chimney Inspection,Chimney Relining,Parging Smoke Chambers,Stove Installation

Keywords: chimney sweep,chimney service,wood stove shop,chimney repair,chimney leaks,stove shop near me

Location:

Service Areas:

[fireplaceinsp46]

Fireplace Inspections Near Me

Fireplaces are not only aesthetic additions to homes but also functional features that provide warmth and comfort. Whether you have a traditional wood-burning fireplace or a modern gas fireplace, regular inspections are crucial to ensure safety, efficiency, and longevity. In this article, we'll explore why hiring a professional for fireplace inspections near you is essential, detailing the benefits and reasons that make it a worthwhile investment in your home's safety and maintenance.

Why Regular Fireplace Inspections Matter

Regular inspections of your fireplace by a certified professional offer numerous benefits that go beyond just ensuring it looks good and functions well. Here are key reasons why you should prioritize professional fireplace inspections:

Safety Assurance: The primary reason for regular inspections is safety. A professional inspector can identify potential hazards such as creosote buildup, cracks in the chimney, or issues with gas lines that could lead to fires or carbon monoxide leaks. These inspections help mitigate risks and ensure your fireplace is safe for use.

Optimal Performance: An efficiently functioning fireplace not only enhances comfort but also saves energy. Professionals check for obstructions, proper ventilation, and other factors that affect performance. They can also advise on improvements that can make your fireplace more energy-efficient.

Compliance with Regulations: Depending on your location, there may be local regulations or insurance requirements regarding fireplace maintenance and inspections. Hiring a professional ensures compliance with these standards, which can be crucial for insurance claims and overall home safety evaluations.

Early Detection of Issues: Like any part of your home, early detection of problems can prevent costly repairs down the road. Professionals are trained to spot signs of damage or wear that could worsen over time if left unattended. This proactive approach can save you money and hassle in the long term.

Preservation of Property Value: A well-maintained fireplace adds value to your home. Regular inspections and maintenance help preserve the structural integrity of the chimney and fireplace, contributing to your property's overall market value.

Types of Fireplace Inspections

There are generally three levels of fireplace inspections defined by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), each addressing different aspects of inspection depth:

Level 1 Inspection: This is the most basic inspection suitable when no changes have been made to the fireplace system and no known issues are present. It verifies basic soundness and checks accessible portions of the chimney.

Level 2 Inspection: Recommended when changes are made to the system (e.g., fuel type, relining) or after a property transfer. It includes a visual examination, video scanning of the chimney interior, and inspection of accessible areas.

Level 3 Inspection: This level is necessary when serious hazards are suspected, and extensive access is required to determine the condition of concealed areas of the chimney and fireplace structure.

Choosing a Qualified Fireplace Inspector

When hiring a professional for fireplace inspections, ensure they are certified and experienced. Look for credentials such as Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certification, which indicates rigorous training and adherence to industry standards. Ask for references and check online reviews to gauge their reputation and reliability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, investing in professional fireplace inspections near you is not just a matter of convenience but of paramount importance for safety, performance, and property value. Regular inspections by certified professionals ensure your fireplace operates safely and efficiently, identifying potential issues early on and complying with regulatory standards. By prioritizing fireplace maintenance, you not only protect your home and loved ones but also enhance the enjoyment and comfort provided by this beloved feature of your living space.

[tradeprosinc]

Trade Pros Inc

Contact Details: Address 610 Tennessee Ave Alexandria, VA 22305 Phone 703-935-0000 Business email info@tradeprosva.com Website https://tradeprosva.com/

About Us: With over 30 combined years in the trades industry, co-owners, Brittney Workman and Debbie Schick are proud to be one of Northern Virginia’s first women owned plumbing companies. Trade Pros is sure to be your best choice for premium plumbing services. When water and drain issues arise, you can count on us to be swift with our service and honest to our customers. For more information about our services, contact Trade Pros today! Trade Pros is qualified, equipped, and eager to be your first choice for efficient and comprehensive plumbing or gas services. Located in Lorton, VA and serving the surrounding areas, Trade Pros is the plumber that you can rely on for plumbing replacements, repairs, and more. Specializing in a variety of services to meet your needs, Trade Pros is proud to be available when you need us the most. We offer water heater repairs, plumbing, drain and tankless water heater services. Whether you are having issues with your sink, toilet, or shower, look to Trade Pros to make it right.

Keywords water heater, leak repair, leak search, water heater repair, pipe repair, leaking pipe, faucet repair, faucet replacement, water heater replacement, toilet repair, toilet replacement, pip leak, sump pump replacement, sump pump repair, sewer ejector pump repair, sewer ejector pump replacement, plumber, plumbing, plumbing contractor, plumber near me, plumbing help, tankless water heater repair, tankless water heater replacement, tankless water heater installation, water heater installation, garbage disposal, garbage disposal repair, garbage disposal replacement, drain cleaning, drain clearing, clogged toilet, clogged sink, clogged drain, drain repair, gas water heater, electric water heater, snake drain, emergency plumbing repairs, unclog drain, outdoor faucet, repipe home, fix pipe, running toilet repair, gas, gas installations, gas leak, gas fireplace install, propane line installation, toilet clear, water line repair, sewer repair, sewer replacement, trenchless repairs, trenchless sewer repairs, trenchless sewer replacement, main water repair, trenchless water line replacement, leaking faucet, Fairfax County VA, Arlington VA, Alexandria VA, Prince William County VA, Falls Church VA, leak detection, repiping, camera inspections, plumbing inspections, pressure reducing valve, shut off valve

Hours Mon to Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

[fireplacegallery]

Wood Stove Service Near Me Ensuring Optimal Performance and Safety

Why Regular Wood Stove Service is Crucial

Regular maintenance and service of your wood stove offer a host of benefits that contribute to its performance, longevity, and your peace of mind:

Safety:

The most critical aspect of wood stove service is ensuring safety. Over time, creosote, a flammable byproduct of burning wood, accumulates in the chimney and stove pipes. If not cleaned regularly, it poses a serious fire hazard. Professional service includes thorough inspections and cleaning, reducing the risk of chimney fires and dangerous carbon monoxide leaks.

Efficiency:

A well-maintained wood stove operates more efficiently, consuming less wood while generating more heat. Service technicians will check for issues that may impact efficiency, such as damaged gaskets, air leaks, or clogged vents, and address them accordingly.

Prolonged Lifespan:

Regular service and maintenance can extend the life of your wood stove. By addressing minor issues promptly, you prevent them from becoming major problems that may necessitate costly repairs or stove replacements.

Environmental Impact:

A properly maintained wood stove burns wood more cleanly and produces fewer emissions, reducing its environmental impact.

Compliance and Insurance:

Some insurance policies require proof of regular wood stove service to remain valid. Moreover, adhering to service guidelines ensures compliance with local regulations, keeping your home and family safe.

What to Expect from Professional Wood Stove Service

When you hire a professional wood stove service provider, you can expect a comprehensive range of services, including:

Chimney Inspection and Cleaning:

The service begins with a thorough inspection of the chimney to identify any blockages, creosote buildup, or damage. Trained technicians then perform a meticulous cleaning, ensuring your chimney is safe and clear.

Stove and Pipe Inspection:

The stove and pipe will be carefully examined for signs of wear, damage, or corrosion. Gaskets, seals, and other components will be inspected and replaced if necessary.

Efficiency Checks:

Technicians will assess your wood stove's efficiency and make adjustments as needed to improve its heating performance.

Safety Checks:

All safety features, such as door latches, draft controls, and catalytic combustors, will be inspected and tested to guarantee proper operation.

Repairs and Upgrades:

If any issues or components need replacement, the service provider will offer repair and upgrade options to restore your wood stove's optimal functionality.

Finding the Best Wood Stove Service Near Me

When searching for wood stove service providers in your area, consider the following factors:

Experience and Reputation:

Look for companies with extensive experience and positive customer reviews, indicating their expertise and reliability.

Certifications:

Ensure the technicians are certified by relevant industry organizations, demonstrating their knowledge and skills.

Comprehensive Services:

Opt for providers offering a wide range of wood stove services to meet all your maintenance needs.

Cost and Transparency:

Request detailed cost estimates upfront and inquire about any potential additional charges.

Customer Service:

Choose a company known for excellent customer service and responsiveness to your inquiries.

For More Info :-

Wood Stove Service Near Me

Gas Fireplace Services Near Me

[gascookerinstallation]

Benefits of choosing gas stove installation

Whether you are a professional gourmet or an expert chef in a company, a gas stove can provide many excellent cooking conditions. Gas stoves are generally easier to clean than accomplices. Proper kitchen ventilation keeps your kitchen as clean as everything else in it. There are various benefits of choosing gas stove installation:

All checks

With Gas cooker installation Northolt, you can see what is in the way. From changing temperatures to reducing the need to boil water in a pot, gas stoves have earned a reputation for cooking at the push of a button.

Cooking speed

One of the advantages of gas stoves recognized by culinary experts is the ability to cook more dishes in less time. With a suitable heat source underneath, cooking time is reduced, so those with gas cooking are unlikely to return to the elective.

Ensures uniform heat distribution

Because of the central area, the gusts of gas stoves are believed to distribute the heat evenly throughout the pot or pan. Minimize the risk of making a point of choosing cookware and the ingredients it contains. Likewise, it protects the coldest places from interfering with the way ingredients are cooked, and heat distribution also plays a big role in cooking when complex recipes are constantly given.

The gas cooker does not switch off even during a power cut

Unlike electric stoves, gas stoves work even during severe power outages. It can be essential, especially if the power kicks in on a cold day, and it relieves people from the cold room temperature.

Specific ideas:

If you want to install a gas stove near me, their experts are here to help you with valuable advice, and they also generally prefer this dual fuel because it is so great in terms of cost efficiency and execution. Professionals assure customers they are well behind in solving their problems and offer simplicity and convenience.

Kitchen foundation:

Gas cooker fitter Harrow brings you the best and most influential installation organization. Their experts know all your basic kitchen needs and are aware of the latest commitments to fulfil yours. Instead of a gas stove, they understand that the kitchen produces a lot of heat, so they correctly choose the perfect place in the kitchen to serve.

Security:

Gas cooker repair Harrow offers a control unit for installing a gas stove at a distance of 2 meters from the kitchen. In either case, bipolar transformers help maintain critical weight separation by keeping a constant current, reducing the risk of personal electric shock. Skilled craftsmen use thick threads that give royal treatment to any kitchen need. These lines control the current flow rate and prevent harmful kitchen hazards. Before creating an adaptable fireplace extension, a professional should:

Gas stoves require energy

Check the cable box correctly

Check your amplifier’s rating

More control is needed for various kitchen extensions.

Favourable conditions for gas stoves:

In general, stoves are good for cooking. A gas stove provides pleasant and controllable heat, usually spreading to the pan’s bottom. Gas is cheaper than electricity, so cooking with this fuel offers a bit of a savings.  

[localizee]

Experience matters! Established in 2001, Certified & Insured.

[noravidal]

On the morning of February 14th, a note is left on Nora’s pillowcase with @ibrahim-ziani ‘s name , reading: 

Ibra, mi amor, mi ladrón precioso, 

Lo siento, but I have to ditch you on Valentine's Day. Duty calls, you know how it is. At least Beastie will keep you company today-- he’d love it if you took him with you on this adventure.

I used to celebrate the holiday just because everyone else did, with expensive red roses and cheap chocolates, but this year I’ve decided to do something else (no, you aren’t getting a giant teddy bear, hope you can forgive me). I think it’s time we picked up where we left off at Christmas-- with our treasure hunt.

All sorts of clues, riddles and notes are left on various locations around New York-- such as: a tea bodega in the neighborhood, Beast’s favorite meadow in Central Park, Ibrahim’s go-to gym and hardware store, the gas station where he buys gas most often and eventuallyhis parents’ house, where Catherine hands him over a final note. 

Congratulations Ibra(g)him, 

you’ve solved the last puzzle and therefore earned your prize. It’s an address, and there you will find a charming little cabin upstate. It won me over the first time I set my eyes on it, and it is my gift to you. I hope you make it your next project. It’s in a pretty bad condition, that’s why I got a good deal, but the foundation is solid (I’ve checked with several professionals). You will have to restore it to its former glory, though. You will have to fix it up, repair... Pretty much everything, refurnish it, paint the walls (I know Audra is looking forward to helping you with this part). Before you leave me for being a horrible girlfriend, let me tell you a bit about the interior. 

There’s a bookshelf near the window where I think all your books and comics would fit perfectly, plenty of closet space for jerseys and soccer equipment. A large kitchen with a floor-length shelf which, I imagine, would make a great spice rack. The space itself isn’t overwhelmingly large (there’s little space for dancing. ;)) but there is some space on the fireplace for a certain cherry figurine. There’s a garage, and a bike which needs to be restored as well. The property comes with a small piece of land in the back where you could grow whatever your (or Catherine’s, let’s be real) heart desires. There’s a patio which could become a marvelous reading place in nature. Not to mention a couple of great hiking trails and camping sites nearby. 

I hope this place becomes a sanctuary of sorts. I hope you make it a place where you can go to escape the rush and noise of the City, I hope it becomes a place where my masterpiece learns how to master peace. ;) Where you learn about yourself, where you learn how to love, respect and fully accept yourself-- just as much as I do. I hope it becomes a home. 

Cabrón, I forgot to leave the key with your mother. I hope you find some other way to get in. ;)

Stay for as long as you’d like, but know I’ll be home at around eight, and I’d very much love to see you later today and hear what you think. Besides, I do need help making dinner, I might need to borrow some spices from my benevolent neighbor. ;) Also, I might need your opinion on this new set of lingerie I bought, I just can’t seem to get a good view of my 🍑 in the mirror. Qué pena, mi amor.

Happy Valentine’s day! 

Tuya, Nor *a clumsy doodle of a flower*

[rayzplumbing]

Ray-Z Plumbing Has The Best Local Gas Fireplace Services Near Me.

If you need the best gas fireplace services near me. We have some Gas Fireplace Services Near You. Our technicians are well versed with your needs and they can install, maintain or repair your gas fireplaces to ensure that they are efficient and secure. With its many years of experience and commitment to excellence, Ray-Z Plumbing guarantees you a reliable service as per your specifications. For all installation needs of a new gas fireplace, regular maintenance or emergencies, we have all it takes. Come for exceptional service from Ray-Z Plumbing and experience customer satisfaction at its height. Keep warm this winter with our excellent local gas fireplace services; please get hold of us today. Visit our website

[thefinalcinderella]

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 5 - Summer Clouds (Part 1)

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. Shiso a.k.a. perilla is a plant used a lot in Japanese cuisine

2. This is callback to Chapter 4 when Nico-chan mentions “ Don’t they say that men who are bad at driving are bad with that too?”

Previous | Next

“We can’t train in this heat.”

“But if we don’t train, we won’t have a place to live…”

Kakeru listened to the conversation going on behind him while he was boiling somen noodles for lunch. Jouta and Jouji were sprawled out in the hallway by the front door, cooling off.

Ever since Kiyose collapsed, the residents of Chikusei-sou had been more careful about their health: they had all decided to get anemia tests done once a month by the neighborhood physician who had made the house call, there was a range of supplements stocked in the kitchen, and, before going to bed, there were massage battles going on in various rooms.

Even so, there was nothing to be done about the heat.

Now that the midyear exams for university were over and summer vacation was upon them, the air temperature was boiling to an almost violent degree. Chikusei-sou—of course—didn’t have air conditioning, so the front door and the doors of each room were left open. The residents, seeking a place where they could pass the time even just a bit more comfortably, crawled around the hallways like slugs.

The heat and vapor rising from the big pot instantly stuck to Kakeru’s skin and changed into sweat. He nimbly transferred the somen to a colander and ran it under running water, then put the noodle soup base, mineral water, and ice on the dining table.

“It’s done!” he called out while wiping his sweat with the shoulder of his T-shirt. The twins slowly got up.

Jouta took a look at the table and complained, “It’s so bare. Tell me there’s condiments, at least.”

“Haiji-san is picking shiso (1) in the yard right now.”

Placing the colander heaped with somen noodles in the center of the table, Kakeru struck the bottom of the empty pot with a ladle. The residents, looking like snakes on the verge of death, appeared from here and there and gathered in the kitchen.

“How much shiso is Haiji getting?”

“Shindou is not here either. I wonder what happened.”

“In any case, the landlord’s heartless. He didn’t have to get so angry.”

“I guess we deserved it, though.”

The residents sighed as they dexterously slurped their somen.

The night Kiyose collapsed, the worried landlord had tried to enter Chikusei-sou. Shindou and Musa desperately tried to keep him out, not letting him cross the threshold.

The next day, the landlord, suspicious, entered Chikusei-sou while the residents were at school. Immediately at the front door he discovered the hole in the twins’ room. The landlord’s sadness deepened at the sight of the hole in the rundown apartment he treasured like his own child, so gathering the residents, he made an announcement.

“I need money for repairs for Chikusei-sou. In order to save up money, I’m raising the rent.”

“What!”

“Don’t ‘what’ me! Didn’t you say something along the lines of ‘We’re going to do well in the Hakone Ekiden and get a powerful sponsor to set up a new training camp’?!”

“No sponsor’s gonna go that far,” Jouta, the one responsible for making the hole, grumbled, but he fell silent at the landlord’s glare.

“You all seem to have more than enough energy, so Hakone should be a walk in the park for you. If you don’t want the rent to increase, do whatever it takes to get to Hakone.”

If they provoked him any further, the elderly landlord might suddenly die from too much rage, so they could only obediently say in unison, “Understood.”

“There’s absolutely no way I can move. I want to train for the sake of leaving the rent where it is as well, but…” Prince, who was hoarding manga in his room, said. “Running in the summer is, to put it bluntly, an act of suicide, isn’t it? What do other track teams do?”

“Most of them hold training camps somewhere cool. Like in Hokkaido,” Kakeru answered.

“Hokkaido!”

Jouji became spellbound with just that word. Crabs, sea urchins, ramen…it was so easy to see what he was thinking about that it was practically reflected in the soup. Kakeru coughed, deciding that the sooner he brought him back to reality, the less painful it would be.

“It’s impossible for us. We don’t have the money.”

Right when a disappointed Jouji was gulping down his somen along with the melted ice, Kiyose and Shindou ran into the kitchen.

“You’re late, Haiji. We’re finished eating,” said Nico-chan as Kiyose pushed the shiso leaves onto him.

“Let’s escape this scorching hell called Tokyo. We’re going on a training camp.”

The twins stood. “Hokkaido?!”

“No, Lake Shirakaba.”

It lacked the impact of Hokkaido, but Lake Shirakaba, located in the Tateshina highlands, was also a famous summer retreat.

“But, what are we going to do for the lodging fees?” Kakeru asked.

“A supporter from the shopping district is going to help us,” Kiyose said. “We’re staying at a vacation home near Lake Shirakaba that belongs to the owner of ‘Batting Center Okai.’ The food for the training camp will be provided by Yaokatsu and some others, and we’ll use the Aotake van to make the roundtrip, so it won’t cost that much.”

“Don’t worry about fundraising,” Shindou assured. “We’re advertising to the shopping district and the university staff that we’re aiming for Hakone, so our sponsors will surely increase. Besides, Nico-chan-senpai’s wire dolls are selling better than expected.”

“What?” Nico-chan said, stunned. His hands stopped plucking the shiso and dividing them among the bowls of unfinished somen. “You’re selling them? Where in the world would anyone buy something like that and for what reason?”

“I had them put in the general store, and they’re popular with girls. They’re calling them things like dolls for warding off evil spirits and ‘disgustingly cute!’ and stuff like that.” Shindou smiled. “Please keep making more from now on.”

“Hooray! Training camp, training camp!”

Jouta and Jouji took each other’s hands and rejoiced. Prince had already disappeared from the kitchen; it seemed that he had gone to his room to study what manga he was going to bring to the training camp. Everyone dreamed of a fun summer training camp.

A refreshing wind blowing across the lake shore. A beautiful girl in a white dress, riding in a swan boat with her while gnawing on roasted corn. Even when autumn finally arrives, our love will never end. We promise to meet again in Tokyo, and in the middle of a thicket of white birch trees, we shed tears over our brief parting…

“That was what I imagined, but…” Jouji got a sulky look on his face. “Why is reality like this?”

The vacation home they were borrowing from the batting center owner didn’t seem to have been used in a long time and it had half rotted away.

With Kiyose driving the white van, the group arrived at the home in the coniferous forest by Lake Shirakaba and finished the first day of camp by cleaning the rooms. With the floors scrubbed, the bath polished, and the fireplace soot swept away, the log house finally seemed to come back to life a bit.

The home built between the trees looked like a log den made by a bear at first glance. Now that they had finished fixing it up, it somewhat seemed like a dwelling for humans. Relieved, Kakeru threw the gathered branches into the fireplace.

“Jouji, your imagination is too cliché,” Jouta said, his face pitch black from the soot. “I knew it was going to turn out like this.”

As far as they could see during the day, it seemed to be mostly families and old couples that came to Lake Shirakaba to escape the heat. The swan boats were drearily swaying with the ripples on the water and music was flowing out from the small amusement park by the lake.

“It is good to feel cool, though.” Musa was wearing a hoodie over his T-shirt. “It will be almost cold when the sun sets.”

When Kakeru made a fire in the fireplace, people individually came to gather around it. It was pitch dark outside the window, and all they could hear was the rustling of the treetops.

“I’ve finished preparing for dinner; all that’s left is adding the roux,” Kiyose, who had been staring into the flames for a while, said. “Before that, let’s go for a short run.”

“Curry again?”

“No! I used up all my energy for cleaning!”

“It’s so dark, what if we get hit by a car?”

Kiyose, of course, didn’t heed their protests. As though urged forward like cattle, they put on their shoes and all went out to the unpaved forest path.

“We don’t even know the route yet.” Nico-chan scratched his head. “Which way’s the lake?”

“If we go down the slope, we’ll eventually reach the lakeside.”

With Yuki’s guidance, they formed a line and started running. Kiyose, who was at the end, gave instructions.

“One lap around the lake is 3.8 kilometers. Once everyone’s done three laps, we’ll return to the cabin and eat dinner.”

“Yes!”

When they arrived at the paved lakeside road, they started running at their own pace. The souvenir shop and small art gallery already had their shutters down, and except for a couple of large hotels, there were no other buildings with lights on. They followed this brand new route to explore it, without enjoying the scenery. 

Kakeru was next to Kiyose, running along the night road that drew a gentle curve. The presence of water nearing the shore was their only reference.

Running in a different atmosphere and on a different road from usual didn’t make Kakeru feel anxious—the sense of distance was hammered into his body. If he heard beforehand that one lap was 3.8 kilometers, then he was automatically able to grasp where he was running at that moment from his speed and bodily sensations.

The elation and fun of running in an unfamiliar land filled Kakeru.

“Where’s the coach?” he asked Kiyose running next to him. “Is he still at the go parlor?”

“Who knows. He’ll join us before long.” Kiyose tilted his head to the side a little. “For some reason, the landlord doesn’t want to ride in the car when I’m driving.”

That morning, when they were departing from Chikusei-sou, the landlord saw them off in the yard. He watched with satisfaction as the food they received from the shopping district was loaded into the back of the van, but in the end did not try to get in himself.

“But Haiji-san, you’ve gotten so much better at driving.”

After he said that, Kakeru thought, Crap, that’s not a good follow-up. However, it was true that Kiyose was improving in his driving skills at a tremendous pace; some people even fell asleep on the way to Lake Shirakaba. At the time of the first TSU meet, when they were stiff in their seats or about to pass out like they were riding a space shuttle doing an acrobatic flight, they couldn’t imagine entrusting their bodies to Kiyose at the wheel and falling asleep.

“I’m a fast learner when it comes to anything,” Kiyose said matter-of-factly. “I’m fastidious, so I throw myself into studying and training wholeheartedly.”

Recalling that common saying mentioned before (2), Kakeru, feeling gloomy, said, “Eh, then, for that too...” but didn’t have the courage to ask him. 

“Is that so? I see,” he said instead, nodding.

After passing the lagging members, Kakeru and Kiyose were the first to return to the house. After running three laps around the lake, the chilliness of the damp, highland night air didn’t bother them anymore. To relax his body, Kakeru filled the bath with hot water while Kiyose pressed a plastic bag filled with ice to his right calf to prevent inflammation in his burdened muscles.

“How are you feeling?”

“There’s no issue.” Kiyose smiled. “Go ahead and take a bath.”

When Kakeru got out of the bath and took Kiyose’s place in the kitchen to stir the curry pot, everyone else returned from jogging. They took off their sweat-drenched T-shirts and trudged off to the bath.

The sounds of fighting for the shower and off-key humming could be heard even in the kitchen. Kiyose was apparently thrown out of the bath. With his hair still wet, he opened the lid of the rice cooker, and Kakeru helped him arrange the dinner dishes on the huge slab of a table.

A heap of curry, rice, and salad; milk mixed with protein powder; peaches for dessert; everything was food donated by the shopping district.

After everyone had refreshed themselves in the bath, they went to the dining table. They were just about to grab a spoon to eat when…

“Wait a minute,” Kiyose said. “There’s not enough people here.”

They looked at each other. Musa and Shindou weren’t there.

“This is strange. Even Prince-san came back.”

“I don’t think there was anyone in front of me or behind me when I was running my last lap,” Prince said, tilting his head.

“You don’t think they got lost, do you?” King stood and looked outside from the dining room window.

“Did anyone happen to catch sight of Musa and Shindou on their way back here?” Kiyose asked.

No one raised their hands. Nico-chan went upstairs, and then they heard the sound of the second floor lights being turned on to mark their spot in the woods.

“Where did they go?”

“Shouldn’t we go search for them?”

The twins made worried suggestions.

“No. It’d be bad if more of us got lost. Let’s wait for a while.”

Though he said that, Kiyose was probably out of his mind with worry. They opened the door and stared at the forest path submerged in darkness. No matter how much they strained their ears, they couldn’t hear Musa and Shindou’s footsteps. The curry was getting cold, but now was not the time for dinner.

Kakeru stood at the door with Kiyose. Nico-chan, who came down from upstairs, patted Kiyose’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, even if they have to sleep outdoors for the night, they’ll be fine.”

Right at that moment, the kitchen door behind them burst open. When they turned around in shock, Musa and Shindou were just entering from the side of the kitchen.

There was a steep, pathless slope behind the kitchen. Kakeru was stunned, never thinking that Musa and Shindou would appear from there.

Musa and Shindou started shouting.

“This is bad, this is bad!”

“TSU has also come to Lake Shirakaba!”

Collecting themselves, everyone surrounded the table. As they ate their curry, Musa and Shindou told them that TSU’s clubhouse was apparently located just further up the mountain from the vacation home.

“It’s still a new building. There were lights on, so we approached it thinking it must be this house, but we could see the TSU guys having dinner through the window,” Shindou said.

“By the way, they’re having yakiniku. I believe it is the highest-quality wagyu beef,” Musa supplemented.

King was silent, and then gulped down his minced pork curry.

“Why did you climb up the mountain?” Kiyose asked.

“It is not as though we wanted to climb it.”

“We got lost on the path because it was dark.”

Musa and Shindou both spoke quickly.

“Shindou, aren’t you used to mountains?”

“I am, but I also have no sense of direction.”

“I am the same. To the point that even in my home country, my parents warned me not to go into the savannah, even if my friends invited me.”

Kakeru spoke to Kiyose, who was rubbing his temples, in a small voice. “What are we going to do, Haiji-san? You were planning to enter Shindou-san for the Hakone mountain climb section, weren’t you?”

“Aah,” Kiyose groaned. “We might be able to see the first real-time Hakone disaster drama in Ekiden TV broadcast history.”

“They have a leading car, so I don’t think that’ll happen,” Yuki laughed scornfully. “But if push comes to shove, we’ll have to leave it to Shindou’s wild sense of smell. We’ll have him push through Hakone’s trackless mountain paths and cut ahead to Lake Ashi first.”

“Is—is that possible?” Jouji, who overheard their conversation, brightly asked.

“Of course not. If you go off the route, you’ll be disqualified,” Kiyose chided.

“Apparently someone did it before,” King said, showing off his miscellaneous knowledge. As expected of a quiz enthusiast, he had also looked up trivia about the Hakone Ekiden.

“This was in the Taisho era, when there were only about four competing schools. Apparently, the thing all the schools were most enthusiastic about wasn’t training, but finding a shortcut through the mountains of Hakone. Well, it was an idyllic time where there were no radio relay broadcasts for the Hakone Ekiden.”

“Isn’t that cheating?” Prince said while peeling a peach. Nico-chan laughed as he took a second helping of rice.

“Sounds like something a university student would think of.”

Kakeru conjured up Taisho-era students running along the animal trails of Hakone in his mind: rivals desperately competing against each other, but also trying to figure out a way to make things a little easier. The figures of silly and cheerful students hadn’t changed much from then til now.

“Let’s find a shortcut if we pass the qualifiers.”

“I said you can’t.”

“The problem is TSU. What should we do?” Yuki asked.

“We’ll definitely bump into them on the path along the lake,” Shindou muttered.

Kakeru was wordlessly filled with fighting spirit. Like hell he was going to be overtaken by a TSU runner, even for jogging.

“Don’t fight,” Kiyose cautioned. “There’s only one lake. Let’s compromise and run together peacefully.”

Everyone in Chikusei-sou covered themselves with blankets on the vacation home’s second floor and slept in a huddle, and rose with the twittering of small birds. The first thing they would do was to stretch and go for a jog in the clean air before breakfast. With that in mind, they all headed out to the lakeside path where they immediately ran into the runners from TSU. The TSU track team members, dressed in matching jerseys, had just finished their morning meeting in the parking lot of the souvenir store before it opened. About fifty of them were about to start jogging in ranks, grouped by level.

The head coach and several people who looked like assistant coaches rode separately in cars, accompanying each group. The well-coordinated TSU members started running in order of seniority. “Wow…” Jouji breathed in honest admiration.

The Kansei University long-distance track team only consisted of the ten people from Chikusei-sou. They didn’t hold a meeting before practice, and their coach was absent as usual. Their clothing was all over the place as well; the twins, for example, were wearing extremely colorful Hawaiian shirts that considerably spoiled the scenery of Lake Shirakaba.

The TSU first-year Sakaki seemed to have noticed them. He whispered something to the teammate he was running with. A murmur speedily spread through the TSU group, and they—especially the first-years—turned and looked back at Kakeru and the others one after another.

“This is somewhat tough,” Musa said, getting fainthearted. King, who got nervous easily, seemed like he was about to return to the vacation home.

“Let’s go.” Kakeru was as confident as could be; he never fell behind in running. To anyone.

“What’s with this morning energy…”

While grumbling, everyone at Chikusei-sou seemed to let themselves be influenced by Kakeru and started running.

Kiyose said, “Leave Kakeru alone. Keep your own pace.”

Kakeru laughed a little when he heard that. Even though he told them to leave him alone, sure enough, Kiyose immediately caught up to him. Ahead of them, Sakaki glanced back and beckoned them with his hand behind his back.

“Don’t take the bait.”

“I can take it and surpass him.”

“Don’t throw off your rhythm. This morning’s jog is at a pace of five kilometers in twenty minutes.”

Kakeru looked at Kiyose. Kiyose was running forward with a calm expression on his face. He looked like he was listening carefully to the sounds of his own body. The TSU group and the bikes that sometimes passed them didn’t seem to exist at all to Kiyose, who was beginning to concentrate on running; he was simply moving his body silently in the space between the lake and coniferous forest.

“Yes,” Kakeru said.

He followed Kiyose’s example and stopped caring about Sakaki anymore. Five kilometers in twenty minutes. When he ran at this speed, he was only conscious of the functioning of his muscles and heart. It wasn’t a painful pace; he had room to confirm that his blood was circulating around his mind and body.

The birds were singing with clear voices towards the sun that was actively beginning to rise, and the wind blowing from high up on the mountain made small waves on the lake surface.

What is strength? Kakeru suddenly thought about that again. For example, this calmness of Haiji-san’s. Without wavering, calmly, running in his own world. I can run with a better time than him, but I’m not sure I’m stronger than him. I lose my cool easily, and all I can think about is how I don’t want to lose.

Kakeru wanted to know. He wanted to know what strength was and what he was lacking. It was the first time he had ever felt that way. Until now, he had always been running as his body demanded—as though he was being urged on by something.

Kiyose didn’t restrict or coerce the idiosyncratic members, instead trying to flexibly guide them. Kakeru looked back: the residents of Chikusei-sou were running along the lakeside path. While their abilities still varied a lot, they had solid forms and were working hard on jogging. Even though they had complained so much in the spring, through their hard work these last three months, they had managed to end up looking like members of a track team.

Kakeru faced forward again and cast down his eyes. His consciousness was stretching around, from his toes that kicked at the ground to the flow of his fingertips as his arms swung through the air.

If I follow Haiji-san, then I’m sure I will be able to see something. Something sparkling that I’ve always wanted to see.

The TSU first-years, with Sakaki at the center, were messing with Kansei University.

When they were running on the lakeshore path, they spread out in a horizontal line to block their path. They would run and surround Kakeru as a group, putting pressure on him. They did these things behind the head coach’s and their upperclassmen’s backs, making fun of them repeatedly.

Kakeru didn’t care much about it; he had gotten used to such harassment during club activities and competitions throughout high school. If he got surrounded, he could just break free and move ahead, and if his way got blocked, he could just overtake them by going out into the oncoming lane.

However, almost all the residents of Chikusei-sou were little more than beginners; they didn’t have any strategies for running. They completely shrivelled up under the TSU first-years’ harassment and had their pace disturbed.

“They’re doing something immature.”

Even Kiyose, who had been watching the situation from the beginning, finally couldn’t keep quiet anymore. When they finished their evening jog, they went to speak to them.

There were about twenty TSU first-years, and they were hanging out in the souvenir store parking lot. Kiyose approached them without any sign of flinching. But they couldn’t let Kiyose be the only one to go through something risky, so Kakeru and the others hurriedly chased after him.

The sound of the cicadas resounded miserably in the lakeshore air. “I’d say each of us beating up two people is a good rate,” Nico-chan said, cracking his fingers, and Musa rolled his ankles to loosen them. The TSU first-years stopped chatting and turned towards them. The runners from the two schools stood facing each other in the middle of the parking lot.

“I would like you all to stop interfering with our training.” Kiyose broke the ice quietly. Sakaki stepped out from the TSU group.

“And we would like you to stop with the false accusations. Do you have any proof that we interfered with you?”

“We do,” Yuki said, then took his phone out and thrust it at them. On the standby screen, they could clearly see the TSU students running spread out across the entire path, and Kakeru running cramped behind them.

“I wanted to be able to check my form later. And when I did that, I got some interesting shots.”

“I understand how you feel, but leave your phone behind,” Kiyose cautioned Yuki. “If you run with unnecessary stuff in your pockets, it will ruin the balance of your form.”

Is that actually the problem here? Kakeru thought. He didn’t like Yuki’s actions because he was being too studious, but he was also afraid of Kiyose, who was unfazed by this and only thought about running. Even Sakaki looked astounded and uncomfortable.

Kiyose turned back to the TSU first-years.

“That’s all I have to say. I don’t want to show this out-of-focus photo to your head coach or captain if I can help it. I hope you understand.”

“Of course I do.” Sakaki smiled thinly. “TSU is seriously training to go to Hakone. We can’t be bothered with people who are running on a whim.”

“We’re on the same page, then.” Kakeru saw a vein appear on Kiyose’s temple. “It’s really annoying when people interrupt your serious practice with childish harassment.”

Kiyose and Sakaki glared at each other furiously. Haiji-san, Kakeru whispered, gently putting his hand on his arm to calm him.

“I think we have different definitions of serious,” Sakaki said in a harsh tone. “Why don’t we have a match? You ten and ten first-years from our school will run along the lakeside and compete for time.”

Kakeru’s brain seethed at the blatant challenge. He turned to Sakaki and yelled, “Let’s do this!”

He understood that Sakaki was devoted to running, but he still couldn’t forgive him for looking down on the residents of Chikusei-sou. Sakaki’s attitude was like seeing himself as he was until recently, and he felt unbearably displeased. This time it was Kiyose who grabbed Kakeru by the arm in order to hold him back, but he shook him off and continued to say, “You have something you want to say to me? If that’s the case, you and I should compete instead. Just because you can’t beat me doesn’t mean that you can drag other people into it!”

 “You never change, Kurahara, you’re as overconfident as ever.”

Sakaki also accepted the challenge without faltering. People from both schools cut in between the two, who seemed like they were about to start exchanging blows at any minute. Kakeru, with his arms pinned behind his back by Nico-chan, glared at Sakaki who was still breathing hard, flapping his legs and trying to kick Kakeru with his arms also held down by his teammate.

“Is this the time for a match?” Kiyose said quietly, as if to admonish Kakeru and Sakaki. “Focus all your attention on training.”

Sakaki’s teammate released his arms, and he straightened his dishevelled jersey. He looked at Kakeru and everyone from Chikusei-sou in order.

“Is it fun?” Sakaki asked in a low voice. “Is it fun to run with the comrades you finally made, Kurahara?”

“Enough,” Kiyose interrupted and then turned his back to Sakaki. “Let’s go back,” Kiyose prompted, but Kakeru didn’t move.

Don’t you dare use words like “comrade.” He was so angry and frustrated that the core of his head hurt. Kakeru escaped from Nico-chan’s arm bind and stood still while still glaring at Sakaki. Sakaki continued.

“Are you satisfied running around happily with a bunch of guys who sing your praises to the skies?”

“No!”

Weren’t you guys the ones who were always praising my speed? And yet, there was a bunch of jealousy and feelings of rivalry behind the scenes. I hated that high school track team. Pretending to be friendly on the surface and sabotaging each other behind the scenes, I hate you guys so much I wanna throw up.

Kakeru wanted to say that, but he was so angry that he couldn’t form the words. In a corner of his mind, he knew that there was nothing he could do no matter what Sakaki said.

Sakaki can’t forgive what I did. Endure it. Chanting that in his mind, Kakeru clenched his fists. It’s my fault he wasn’t able to take part in the last high school meet, so it’s natural he’s angry. If I just imagine it’s Nira barking, I can endure it.

“Even though you’re running around so happily now, why couldn’t you do it before? Why would you do something that invalidated all our hard work? All you had to do was endure it a little.”

I can’t, I can’t endure it anymore. Nira is cute, but Sakaki isn’t at all! Grilled by Sakaki, Kakeru easily threw away his endurance.

“I’m not much good at enduring, you know!” he hit back with a force that would make even a lion run away. I’m the one who wants to know “why”. Why did you guys just stay silent and endure that suffocating team atmosphere? The words flooded his chest, but it always took Kakeru a long time before he could say them. Kakeru’s counterattack was abruptly trampled upon by Sakaki’s vigor, which was like a marching elephant.  

“You’re pretty full of yourself Kurahara!” Sakaki said in one breath with a low tone. “I’m guessing you thought you would be the only one who’d get an invitation from the university even if you weren’t in the meet, but too bad. You, at the end of the day, are selfish and egotistical…”

“I thought I told you that’s enough.”

Kiyose’s chilly voice froze the two who had the appearance of beasts battling in the savannah. Kakeru came to his senses and stealthily peeked at Kiyose, who was standing right behind him. Kiyose was expressionless as ice. Behind him, the twins were frantically warning him with body and hand gestures: “Stop it already” and “Haiji-san’s about to explode.”

When he perceived that Kakeru had lost his will to fight, Kiyose turned his penetratingly cold gaze to Sakaki.

“I understand your own grievances. But Kakeru’s a runner for Kansei University now. I want you to stop hurting and upsetting people so excessively.”

We’re going back now, Kiyose announced, and pushed Kakeru towards the forest path. Pulled by the hem of his shirt, Kakeru started walking with him.

“What did Kakeru do to Sakaki-kun?”

“Who knows? But I kinda get the feeling he’s pretty popular?”

King and Jouta sneakily let their imaginations run wild. Come now, Kiyose said, and the residents of Chikusei-sou started leaving the parking lot.

“The rest of you better be careful, he might betray you at the last minute.”

Kiyose turned slightly and smiled at the words Sakaki cast their way.

“We’ll show you how happily and seriously we’re running in the qualifiers. Oh, but you guys have your hands full with chores and odd jobs, so you might not have the time to watch us. Well, do your best to earn a regular position.”

“Who’s the immature one here?”

“Haiji’s getting pretty nasty.”

Nico-chan’s and Yuki’s shoulders were shaking. The fight for a regular position was irrelevant to the Kansei track club, so they were carefree and at ease.

“It means that even a small club with only ten people has its good points.” Musa looked at the frustrated TSU first-years with pity.

Kakeru peeked at Kiyose, walking next to him. The vein had disappeared, but he still had a grim expression on his face, and it seemed he was deep in thought about something. He had caused trouble again. He desperately swallowed down the sigh that was about to spill out of him.

“I’m sorry, Haiji-san.”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

Thinking that he really was angry, Kakeru hesitated before rechoosing his words.

“Thank you, Haiji-san.”

“You’re welcome,” Kiyose said. The curve of his cheek was softer than before. I see, I should say thank you in times like these, Kakeru realized for the first time. Because Haiji-san stood up for me. His anger and frustration cleared away. With his feelings lightened, Kakeru started running.

“Get the bath running,” Kiyose told him, and he raised a hand in response.

Even in the highland wind that blew in from the night, Kakeru’s body remained warm.

Previous | Next

[avengerscompound]

Tradition

Tradition: A Captain America Fanfic

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers x F!Reader

Word Count:  1942

Rating:  E

Warnings:  Smut (MMF bisexual threesome, double vaginal penetration)

Synopsis:  When you’ve been alive for thousands of years, clinging to tradition becomes more important than ever.

A/N: This is a fic that was written for @thing-you-do-with-that-thing so long ago she didn’t even have her marvel blog.  It was part of the #Kari’s Xmas with Stucky Quickie and the prompt was the moodboard at the end of the fic.

Tradition

Snow fell, blanketing the ground in a thick white powder outside the cabin.  It hung from the trees, making the branches sag under the weight.  It was cold and beautiful.  It glittered as it reflected the fairy light that had been hung outside.  In the just breaking light of the sun, it looked magical.  Like you’d fallen into a fairy tale.

It was particularly magical to watch as you lay wrapped in the arms of your lovers, blankets, and quilts weighing the three of you down, and the embers of last nights fire still glowing in the fireplace.

It had been thousands of years now.  In many ways, humanity had changed so much.  Technology marched forward so quickly that it felt like you only had to blink and everything had been superseded.  The people, on the other hand, kept repeating the same mistakes over and over again.  It was frustrating to watch but you had little choice.  When you are immortal, what else can you do?

The one place where things remained the same and you can’t forget about how disillusioned you’ve become is here.  This cut off cabin in the woods.  Where you'd stock up for a month and switch off all but the very basic amenities.  It feels warm despite the cold.  But better, it feels familiar.

You had met Bucky and Steve so long ago it’s hard to remember a time without them.  They had been aware of their own immortality for at least a few hundred years before you even existed.  They were well known, the two Captains.  Protecting this planet for longer than anyone who was still alive could remember.  You grew up idolizing them.  Then one day you realized you needed them.  Everyone around you was aging and dying off and you just stayed perpetually stuck somewhere in your mid-twenties.  Much like them.

To begin with they’d been wary of you.  Not trusting you were telling the truth.  When they realized you weren’t just some wannabe superhero they took you under their wing.  Finding out you’re never going to die is hard.  They eased you through the emotional roller coaster.  Over time the relationship changed.  First becoming romantic and not long after that sexual.

The relationship changed a lot in the Millennia that followed.  You went from friends to lovers and back again.  Sometimes you couldn’t stand the sight of each other.  Sometimes the only thing you wanted to see was each other’s faces.  You came together and split apart so many times and in so many ways you’d lost track.

What had stayed constant was this. Each year the three of you came to this cabin and switched off from the world together.  It was always at Christmas.  Times varied.  Sometimes only days.  Sometimes it was weeks.  Once the three of you spent two decades locked in this cabin only seeing the people who delivered your groceries and maintained the property.

It was your safe haven.  It used a fireplace with wood.  There were books here.  Actual ones.  With paper.  Those weren’t even being used anymore when you see born.  Food was cooked on a stove or in an oven that ran on natural gas.  Sometimes if the weather allowed it you even cooked on the wood-burning barbecue outback.

The cabin had been maintained and repaired so many times it wasn’t the same one you originally started using.  But it was close enough.  It was more home than any other place on the planet.  It was consistent.  The only thing that really was.  You, Steve and Bucky change like fluid.  The way you wore your hair.  They grew beards and shaved them off. Tattoos and piercings would be had and then faded or removed.  Bucky’s prosthetic arm now looked like it was made of glowing crystal fragments and shining metal parts supported by beams of pure energy.  It was somehow both cold and hot touch.

The cabin always seemed the same.  The fire and the snow outside and celebrating Christmas the way they did back in the twenty-first century.  Or at least a good approximation with the food that was now available.  This was your one piece of consistency to anchor yourself to so that you didn’t forget who you are.

As the sunlight crept up over the trees and filled the room the two bodies near you shifted around you.  Arms tightening and moving closer to the warmth of your body.  Steve wakes first.  His eyes fluttered open and he smiled down at you.  “How long have you been awake?”  He asks.

“Not sure I even did sleep.”  You reply.

Steve frowns just a little.  “I thought we were trying to be normal here.”

You hum.  “I know.  I’m sorry.”

He runs the point of his nose up your throat.  “I know.”  He whispers before bringing his lips to yours.  You kiss slowly and deeply.  Your tongues playing over each other’s lips and swirling together.  His hands roamed up under your shirt, massaging your breasts.  You hum softly, running down your hands down his abs, exploring the hills and valleys of his body that you knew so well, resting them on his waistband.

As you kiss Bucky wakes on the other side of you.  He nuzzles into your shoulder blades and the cool heat of his prosthetic arm presses on you as he reaches over to run his hand along Steve’s shoulder blade.  “Morning,”  He murmurs, his voice still gravelly with sleep.

Steve pulls away from you just a little.  “Morning, Buck.”  He says.

Bucky starts to kiss down your spine.  “I really missed you guys this year.  You think we can stay here for a bit longer this time?  The two days last year was stupid.  I hate that’s all we had.”

“Mmm… sorry, Buck.”  You hum reaching back and running your hands through his hair.  “I think that was me.  That year was awful.  Humanity was horrific and I spent the first three months of this year locked in a dark house.  I don’t even remember if I could even be bothered eating.”

“No, I think it was all of us.  I didn’t want to be around anyone either.”  Steve says, running his hand along your jaw.  “But you need to stop doing that.  You lose your humanity and it’s harder to bring you back each time.”  He adds.  “We should stay longer.  It’s important for us this year.”  He leans over your shoulder to kiss Bucky.  They make pleased humming sounds as they kiss.  They’ve always done that.  For thousands of years now.  If they kiss and their lips part they hum happily.  You thought it would be something you’d get annoyed with, but you never have.  Thousands and thousands of years and they still show joy like that when they kiss.

You shift Steve’s boxers down.  Another consistent.  Clothing had changed, and Steve kept up better than either you or Bucky, but he still wears pale blue cotton style boxers.  Steve slowly breaks the kiss with Bucky and begins to tease the head of his cock up and down your folds.  “What do you want to do today, my loves?”  He asks.

“I think we should cut down a tree.   We haven’t had one for a decade.”  Bucky says as Steve puts his hands on your hips and sinks his cock into you.

You moan and clench your core muscles, squeezing around his him.  “Mmm… I think I’d like to collect things too.”  You say humming as you relax again.  “Make garlands.   When was the last time we did that?”

“God.  It must have been a century.  You’ve been fixated on lights and tinsel the past hundred years.”  Steve says as he slowly rolls his hips against you.

“Snow globes too.  How many do you own now?”  Bucky asks, as his hands roam over you and Steve, making your skin break out in goosebumps.

“I am scared to count at this point.”  You say as you feel the press of Bucky’s cock against the entrance to your cunt.

Steve lets out a low moan.  His hand tightens in Bucky’s hair.  “Hot chocolate.  That’s what I want.  With candy canes.”  He says, his voice almost a growl.

You and Bucky both whine.  “It’s not the same anymore.”  You say.

“They taste weird.”  Bucky agrees.  He pushes into you, his cock squeezing in against Steve’s filling you completely.  Connecting the three of you.  Three bodies made one.  You lean your head back with a moan and Steve takes the opportunity to try and suck a hickey onto your skin.

“I want it anyway.”  He murmurs.  “Things change.  But it’s enough that I’m reminded.”

You start to move together.  You swirling your hips as Steve and Bucky rut into you.  This is the tradition.  Every year going back for almost longer than you can remember.  You each show up late just before Christmas and sleep wrapped in each other’s arms.  The next morning you wake to make slow love, before spending the day remembering.  Remembering what it’s like to be human.  To get excited about trivial human things.  What it’s like to love not only another person but a task, even when it’s been performed a thousand times.   The holiday does that.  Even if it doesn’t mean what it used to or what it’s supposed to.  It means something to the three of you.  It’s important.

You move together, kissing from one to the next.  The scratch from their stubble leaves your skin prickling.  The way their cocks stretch and fill you is something that you love.  Sometimes you feel yourself craving it, and you start counting the days until you see them again.  Your hands travel over them, teasing their skin, digging into their flesh, pulling them deeper into you.  All the things you’ve experienced and endured start to fade and all you are and all you’ve ever been is what’s happening now, with the only people you can remember ever loving.

Bucky’s arm curls around your waist and the cool heat of his fingers touch down on your clit, circling and buzzing against it.  It drags an orgasm out of you and your cry out clutching at your lovers as your cunt spasms around their cocks.  Bucky bites down on your shoulder with a moan as he finds his release in yours.  “Oh, that’s it, doll.”  He moans.

A few short thrusts later and Steve comes too.  He buries his face in your neck making a ragged moan.  The three of you stay like that as your breathing regulates and your pulses calm.

Bucky slips from you followed by Steve.  The sun is well and truly up, and snow has started to fall outside.  You smile and start untangling yourself from them.  “Tree first?”  You ask as you sit up.

Bucky wraps his arm around your waist and kisses your back.  “Mmm… breakfast first.  Pancakes.  You need to remember food again.”

You nod.  “Pancakes sound good.”

“Maybe we should try staying together this year.  Not just here.  Back out there too.”  Steve says getting up.

“They never trust us when it’s all three.  They’ll try something again.”  You warn following him.  Bucky whines and rolls over chasing you with his hand and trying to catch your fingers.

“It’s been half a century since we last tried.  Maybe this time they’ll realize we’re no threat to them.”  Bucky says.

You hum.  You know he’s wrong, but here is where you hope.  Besides, maybe it will be worth it.  You’ve spent too many years alone and using the morals for comfort when they just keep disappointing you.  Regardless, it’s the holidays.  It’s time to pretend you’re normal and to be with your boys.

[fromthedust]

1964 Mercury Marauder aka “Moby Merc”

My girlfriend’s car when we were students in Art School in the early 1970s. At the time I drove a ‘68 VW Bug with a sunroof and which usually had the front passenger seat removed so I could haul sculpture materials — and the sunroof often had various lengthy materials poking out of it. Because of this when we went out on dates we usually took her car because it was much more comfortable than my bug.

Moby had a V-8 so it guzzled gas like crazy, but it had no problem pulling a (rented) half-ton trailer full of chunks of marble from Marblehill Quarry or the Nelson scrapyard down to Atlanta many times. 

After we married and became a two car family Moby was used when its space and power were needed, while we would drive the VW to school to save on gas. One time just before we graduated I was lucky to make a sale of a piece of sculpture that was in our senior exhibit in the Memorial Art Center Galleria (now the Woodruff Art Center). It was a great place to have an exhibit because the Atlanta Symphony, The Alliance Theatre, and the High Museum used the Galleria as their anteroom so it was highly trafficked with potential art-buying patrons. The client had seen my work and called me to inquire about purchasing it. We discussed the price which I would not lower but I said for no extra charge I would deliver the piece to her home and install it however she desired. So Moby hauled a trailer containing the finished 1100 lb. marble sculpture, my portable steel A-frame with a 2-ton chain hoist, and my handtrucks to the Mill on Howell Mill Road. I had to park it on the street — on a curve — because they had no driveway (just a little gravel parking area big enough for a ‘53 T-Bird and XJ type Jaguar).  Moby and trailer were parked over an hour on the curve while myself, a friend, and my wife worked to unload the sculpture. We had to set-up the A-frame and chain hoist on the street over the trailer so we could lift the sculpture above the trailer. Then I pulled Moby and the trailer out from under the dangling sculpture and parked it with the trailer on a side street. We lowered the sculpture onto the padded handtrucks, strapping it in place. Then my friend and I carefully rolled the handtrucks with sculpture down three stone steps onto the entry level patio of the house, then rolled it up one step onto the front porch over the threshold into the house. Through the hallway about ten feet, and then into the 2-story high living room (what had originally been the mill-room) across a huge thirty-foot wide oriental rug to place the sculpture directly on the floor near the walk-in sized stone fireplace on the far wall. My sculpture — the largest piece I had ever carved as yet —  was absolutely dwarfed by the fireplace and size of the room, but it was in good company art-wise. On the rough-hewn stone walls were a couple of Vasarely paintings, a drawing by Giacometti, and a small crayon drawing by Picasso among others. The client who had purchased my sculpture was fflorence may (she insisted on lower case with the double f) went on to become my patron for a time, purchasing 5 other sculptures from me in as many years. But that is another story . . . or ten.  

Below are images of the front and back sides of the marble sculpture as installed in fflorence may’s living room.  PINK FORM  - Etowah Pink Georgia Marble on weathered wood base - 1975  The block was obtained from Georgia Marble Company’s Marblehill Quarry in Spring of 1974, worked on during Fall 1974-Spring 1975. The finished stone measures  34"x 34"x 16" with an approximate weight of 1,100 lbs. There are casters and a swivel plate fitted to the underside of the wood base so the work can be rotated 360 degrees.

Moby served us well after we graduated and we got part-time jobs so we could have time to make our artwork. For a time we worked together on a route delivering the local daily newspaper and using the Bug. But after a few years of that we realized we needed more money than that, so we each took on other jobs, which necessitated each of us driving our separate vehicles. I drove my Bug and my wife drove Moby to her workplace(s) for several years until one day she was T-boned in it (passenger side). No one was hurt in the accident, and Moby was still driveable, but the insurance company totaled it giving her less than $250 for repairs. Rather than spend the money on bodywork we ended-up selling it ‘as-is’ for what she had paid for it when she bought it — $300. The kid that bought it was planning on restoring it completely. Hope he did.

[izzy-b-hands]

Winter In The Bones

We just had a blizzard, and I’m in my feelings tonight, so here’s Sledge and Snafu and snow. 

Quick edit, made a winter playlist while writing. It’s pretty Me-specific, but it might be cool to listen to while reading this for some of y’all too: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5eGIyIyDvKYhmpTicVn5Wr?si=1BX8YHrsTQ2hP-M8oGL5HQ

He wouldn’t call it good or bad, where they’d decided to travel to. It was, however, a definite choice he had made to take Snafu on a trip in December to a random state that they knew would assure them snow, purely so that they could experience a truly cold winter together. 

Which was why he was watching Snafu drop face first into huge drifts of snow in front of their rented two bedroom house in North Dakota, only to immediately emerge, giggling, before doing the same thing in a different drift of snow. For the first two hours, it hadn’t been a problem, but he was slightly worried about things like frost bite and hypothermia now, as the temperature dropped with the sun. 

He bundled up in what in retrospect would never have been a warm enough coat for the winter that greeted them their first day in the state with a snow storm, and headed out. 

“Havin’ fun?” 

“We gotta buy Ack Ack some of those shoes that guy at the gas station mentioned. He’d love playin’ out here,” Snafu grinned, snow falling out of his curls. 

Eugene thought of the dog, comfortable in front of the fireplace in the house, the cats all snuggled up beside him. “Maybe. Once the road is cleared out a bit, we’ll have to head out and see about it. In the meantime, how about coming inside for some coffee? You’ve got to be froze.” 

“I am, but I like it. Refreshing,” Snafu smiled. “Think the Pacific ruined me for heat. I can deal with it, don’t mind it back at home. But it feels so good to be in the cold. No goddamn crabs surviving in this, that’s for sure.” 

“True. But you’ll only survive so long in it too. I’ve got soup and coffee on, if you want to take a break.” 

“Sounds good. But only if you promise to come back out with me afterwards,” Snafu said, dropping one last time back first into a snow bank. 

“It’ll be pitch black out here by then. Shit, it’s only six now, and it’s dark,” Eugene replied. It didn’t help that they were out on the outskirts of the nearest town, where the city lights couldn’t pollute the sky. But that also meant that when it got dark, it got truly dark, the same sort of dark they’d seen while in their foxholes. A dark you could only see through after you’d been sitting in it for an hour, eyes struggling to adjust to it, jumping at every little sound until then. 

“I know, but that’s part of what makes it fun. What other time would you wanna go outside in the dark and fuck around?” 

“You have a good point. Alright then, you come inside and warm up, and I’ll come out after with you and freeze,” Eugene laughed as Snafu popped back up, flinging wet snow as he tromped over to hug him. “You are soaked through. Gonna take days to dry your clothes out, you know that, right?” 

“I do, and I couldn’t care less,” Snafu pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Because after we get back inside later, I don’t intend on spending any time in them, or you bein’ in yours.” 

“That sounds amazing, but for now let me get a towel,” Eugene pulled him inside, the snow crusted in Snafu’s hair and clothes started to melt as it hit the warm air of the house. 

Snafu ate that way, wrapped in towels, sitting near the door, refusing to even so much as take his boots off. “I do that, and you’ll say that’s a good enough reason to stay in. You haven’t had any fun out there in that mess yet, and you oughta.” 

Eugene sat beside him, getting up only to retrieve more of the soup the owners of the house had made up for them. A regional dish, called knoephla, that was essentially just a broth of mostly cream, and dough. But it seemed made for the cold weather, sitting warm in his stomach even as they stepped back outside into the snow. 

And he knew for sure it was truly very cold, with their hosts leaving them notes to mind the wind chill and how much colder it would make an already cold day feel. The wind chill as it was at that moment put them into the negatives. 

Yet he felt it less as Snafu pulled him close, then dragged him into a snow bank. 

“It’s so soft,” Snafu murmured. “If the temperature had been a little bit higher, it might have been ice instead, and it would hurt like hell to touch. Instead it’s this. What the hell.” 

“Glad it isn’t ice,” Eugene said. “Bad enough driving up here with it all over the road. Never been so happy to have as many weeks off as we do for this. Maybe by the time we go it’ll be melted some.” 

“I’ll drive, whether it is or isn’t. You drove us up here on it, only right I drive us back outta here,” Snafu sighed, cuddling against him. 

“Sounds good to me,” Eugene replied, pressing a kiss to Snafu’s forehead. His skin was icy cold, but he paid it no mind. He knew his was just as bad, since they’d been out for a good ten minutes, which was all it took with as much snow and cold as there was. He couldn’t imagine how silly it would have looked to anyone who might drive up, but despite the cold it was comfortable, huddling together, looking up to the night sky. The stars were visible out here, twinkling and brighter than he’d seen before. 

It was a moment he didn’t want to end, even as he found himself falling asleep somehow. He knew it couldn’t last forever, but he tried to embrace it, etch it into his mind, letting the cold preserve it. The feeling of the snow around them, the sound of the wind whistling in the few trees in the nearby tree row, the feeling of Snafu’s wool coat under his fingertips, the scent of the cold mixing with the familiar scent of Snafu. 

“We’d better get inside,” Snafu said softly. “You’re gonna fall asleep on me if we stay out any longer. Was gonna do more, maybe a snowman, but...so damn comfy just sittin’ here with you.” 

“We got three weeks left, plenty of time to do that. Maybe do this again. After we warm up from this time, at least.”

Snafu stood first, and pulled him from the snow bank. Snow fell off of them in clumps as they walked back to the house, ice cracking beneath their boots. 

Inside, they stripped right away, clothes and boots laid out on towels to dry near the front door. Snafu retrieved the blankets they’d brought from home to wrap up in, while Eugene made hot cocoa and checked the fireplace. The cats and dog wouldn’t (and as far as they were concerned, shouldn’t) give up their prime space right in front of it, but they shared it as they settled down, with warm blankets and mugs.

Eugene hoped the three weeks would pass slowly. He wanted more of it, craved the strange isolation of being out so far in the dark, cold feeling of nowhere, with only his husband and pets and no worries or responsibilities in sight. He was eager to take Snafu to bed, to warm him up in a way that would leave him gasping and moaning, to wake up beside him, cuddled close together so he could bury his nose in Snafu’s curls and breathe him in, take in each moment and hold it as tight as possible so none would slip away. To be childish and sweet outside together, making snowmen and running through the snow with no care for who might see or hear them. Retrieving what was left of their shattered innocence, and repairing it with the memories they’d make now. 

Outside, the winter wind howled, and he swore it sang of love. 

[oceanbreezehomes-blog]

664 Barberry Way Nipomo CA 93444 | Blacklake Golf Course Home for Sale

Embrace the best golf lifestyle in this property near the Blacklake Golf Course

Exceptional community amenities, a stunning park-like backyard, and a genuine sense of tranquility are just a few of the attractive advantages on offer at this updated Blacklake property which offers a relaxed and serene lifestyle in an idyllic golf community setting.

Nestled on a tranquil location, this 1,970 square feet Nipomo home features 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

The owner has adored not only the home but also the close-knit community and its many activities; however, the time has arrived to move and she is ready to sell.

Enjoy the well-lighted interior of this spacious Nipomo CA golf home

Beautifully maintained, the interior features a neutral color palette which provides a visually pleasing backdrop to everyday living. 

The home unfolds into your choice of three living areas, with the living room extending to the right of the foyer, and the formal dining room, kitchen, and family room extending to the left side. 

Plantation shutters grace the windows, giving you better control of privacy while allowing plenty of fresh air and natural light inside the house. An inviting gas fireplace in the living room offers warmth and comfort.

The owner loves to cook and entertain, hence the large kitchen and formal dining room. If you love to entertain, you’ll truly appreciate this dining room that can comfortably seat 12.

The huge eat-in kitchen is perfect if you also enjoy cooking and baking. This kitchen has newer appliances so you won’t have to worry about repairs or replacement for a few years. Large cabinets provide plenty of storage space for your kitchen appliances.

Along with the tile countertop, there’s also a good-sized island for additional counter and storage space. A breakfast nook is set by the side of the large windows, providing you a view of the lush backyard as you enjoy your meals.

Having a family room ensures there’s plenty of space to entertain and unwind. The glass sliders conveniently open to the patio, a natural indoor to outdoor transition.

Three bedrooms provide privacy with the master bedroom serving as the ultimate retreat. This spacious room guarantees that you wake to peaceful views with large windows revealing a portion of the well-maintained garden.

An ensuite with upgraded shower and countertops add to the appeal of this master bedroom. Cabinets were also added during the upgrade to ensure you have more storage space.

This golf home also has an office space so you can conveniently work on your business.

Complete relaxation and serenity are yours in this golf home’s stunning backyard

A perfect outdoor oasis is waiting for you in this home in Nipomo.

Outdoors, there's plenty of space to relax and unwind. The outdoor patio with trellis has a park-like feel with its plants and flowers. Set it up with an outdoor barbecue grill, and you have a fun outdoor living space where you can also entertain.

Completing this Blacklake Nipomo home package is a 3-car garage with a section for a golf cart

Look forward to an amenity-filled lifestyle in the Blacklake Golf Community

If you love well-maintained homes and you enjoy joining social activities, you'll enjoy living in the Blacklake golf community.

This community is well-known for exceptional amenities, beautiful landscape, Blacklake golf course, and proximity to conveniences. Living in this community means being able to play a 27-hole course whenever you like. All you need to do is drive your golf card to the first tee and you're set to play.

As a resident, you have easy access to the clubhouse, bar and grill, pro shop, and RV storage spaces.

There are several retail stores and restaurants in Downtown Nipomo, eight minutes away. For more choices, you can head to  Santa Maria, 16 minutes away.

This community is only two miles to Monarch Dunes Golf Club, seven miles to Highway 101,  and 12.5 miles to Pismo Beach.

Experience golf lifestyle at its finest in this pristine home in Nipomo, priced at ONLY $625,000.

For more information about this home or other homes for sale in the Blacklake golf community,  visit http://www.OceanBreezeRealEstate.com

Call me, Margaret Morris, at 805-709-8535 to schedule a private showing of this gorgeous home.