“It’s the heat of the moment, heat of the moment” the alarm didn’t get to go a third time. That was enough. It was a classic Asia song but he was starting to get sick of waking up to it. Maybe that’s what made it the best alarm. The icemancer rolled over to the other side of his bed and kissed the forehead of his girlfriend, Cora. ”Morning beautiful.” Sam yawned and pushed himself out of bed the spot he once held was quickly filled but both of his pets. His cat went straight to the pillow and his dog curled up where his body was next to Cora.

With a yawn and a stretch he peered through the thick curtains to see the sunlight just barely popping up. Few hours of sleep but he felt more refreshed than usual. ”Got a warm up then a lesson. You want to grab breakfast after?” he asked curiously doubting she had to be up this early, ever.

He got his answer from a grumbled response which caused the icemancer to laugh heartily before nodding his head. ”Yeah, yeah, my treat.” Sam threw on a change of clothes and exited his room shutting the door behind him quietly so the rest of the bed dwellers could get back to sleep.

-----

The class went well, a couple close calls with a fireball and some singed arm hairs but other than that he was feeling great. His stomach let out a roar when he opened the door to his bedroom a few hours later. As soon as he opened the door Bruno leapt from the bed and jogged to the nearest exit meeting up with the other mansion dogs who had one thing in mind. ‘Whats outside this morning?’ closing the door behind him he took off his shirt and tossed it to the dirty clothes bin and started to go through the motions of showering.

”Care to join me?” the icemancer asked when he saw movement in his bed.

Cora wasn’t always a fan of staying at the mansion, but it did beat waking up in her empty bed. Between the animals and having the contact of her boyfriend, she was willing to tolerate being surrounded by so many other mutants. She kept to the room in the morning, having learned her morning demeanor was not ready to encounter the stray staff member or student before she had caffeine in her. Especially since Evelyn had caught her once in the past, and loudly declared EXACTLY what she knew Cora had been there doing.

Nope, she didn’t need that first thing when she woke!

But, there was a kiss today, and a compliment that made her smile. Bruno was like a cuddly heater until he disappeared, then she had more reason to venture from the bed to the promised shower.

”You didn’t get stink bombed by any students today, right?” Cora opened one eye and lowered the blanket. Her hair stuck up in all direction, and she gave a reading sniff. No skunk smell. Seemed safe. She yawned and sat up the rest of the way, wearing a lose T she had stolen from Sam.

The icemancer turned his head and smirked, ”Really smelled that bad didn’t I?” he walked into the bathroom cranked on the hot water, ”Just soot today maybe a little burnt hair, swear these kids are getting stronger, good thing I’m so cool about it though.” he said starting the puns early this morning as he struggled with the removal of his pants.

Walking back out into his room in his birthday suit he grabbed an extra towel for Cora and held it up. Noticing her shirt or rather his shirt. ”God I love that band.” before attempting a lazy wink. ”Come on. Make it worth your while.” he grinned before disappearing into the shower.

The shower had been a nice little pick me up. Better than a cup of coffee however now he needed one for if anything Sam was a creature of habit it was one of the few things he knew he could control when he was a kid. ”Where do you want to stop? You riding or riding?” the icemancer asked Cora as he put his pants on one leg at a time. His classic band t-shirt went over his head and he let out a little yawn.

”I mean, you could always just leave your bike here if you are planning on crashing here again.” the icemancer smirked.

Cora tried to smile at the ice pun, but it was still early, and she didn’t have coffee yet. She made a little face at the memory of the last time he returned from a class after being hit by the stink bomb—or whatever that kids power had been. ”Mutant kids can create a whole new category for smells, sorry.”

Making a dramatic display of leaving the bed, she finally joined him for the shower. It had, in fact, been worth it. Changing into the clothing she brought she dried her hair, leaving it sticking up in all directions until she managed to brush it back down. ”We can leave it here for now. As ‘cool’ as your ice sidecar looks, it’ll probably be easier to take your shortcuts,” she decided quickly. She made no promise to stay again but that was enough to hint at it. Sometimes life needed a little mystery.

The icemancer grinned at his girlfriend who made ‘cool’ joke. His legs iced over slightly as he pulled her into a one armed hug. A little more dignified than carrying her, every now and then he got the feeling she didn’t like to be carried but he didn’t voice the question. Instead he kissed her on the head and launched them both up and forward catapulting them into the air waiting till they started to fall then kicked the ‘slide’ into motion.

Despite the season it was getting to be a pretty fair day as weather goes. A bird was passed by them and turned it’s head and bawked at them before veering off. Sam smirked and turned when they got to the city. ”How soon you got to get to work? It might change where we are going.” Sam said his stomach already growling.

”How’s dad?” the icemancer asked as he lowered to the restaurant noting the amount of traffic for this early in the day the flashing traffic light didn’t help any. ”Could have been you.” he said with a laugh.

Cora had gotten used to the sensation of her stomach lurching when Sam used his powers to take them somewhere. It had a thrill similar to a roller coaster. Which, of course, she didn’t mind. Heck they would never need to waste cash on theme park tickets if they didn’t do it someday just to say they did.

”I only need to check work later to see how the new rock wall is coming along. So no rush.” The staff knew better than to plan something first thing in the morning anyway.

The restaurant was one Cora knew pretty well. Honestly it was a personal favorite, since they had generous portions and thick, hickory smoked bacon. Good bacon was a must for any breakfast joint, in her opinion. She rolled her eyes at the traffic, ”I mean, since I am a much more traffic law abiding citizen now I guess that could have been me... I try not to race cops tooooo often to get through rush hour,” she nodded.

Inside, they got a table and Cora got her promised coffee. She waited for Sam to order and got her own waffles and bacon with extra bacon. And eggs. And toast. You know, the usual breakfast fixings.

”Hopefully they don’t get off to a rocky start.” the icemancer said opening the door for them and following Cora in to the breakfast joint. ”I mean, I could probably get you out of one ticket. I’d owe someone a favor for sure.” he said thinking about it. Hopefully it didn’t happen anytime soon. The icemancer hated making appearances at kids birthday parties sober and now that he wasn’t drinking… he’d take a fire any day.

”Three eggs, over-easy. Bacon, rye toast and a big plate of corn-beef hash. God I love me some breakfast.” the icemancer said to the waitress who was surprised with the amount of energy he put into ordering breakfast. She wrote both orders down and nodded her head poring both of them a large cup of coffee.

Did they have regular status here yet? Sam looked around the smell of bacon in the air while a small fire erupted in the back. The heat distracted him for a moment and he turned his head quickly. It was just a quick fire that was smothered even quicker. Good, he didn’t want to slow their food down by freezing everything.

”How is that going the new rock wall? Think it’ll give you the edge to beat me to the top?” Sam asked Cora with a grin as the coffee mugs were placed in front of him. When it came to climbing Cora could climb circles around Sam sure he could climb but without the help of his powers he was just average at it. He neither had the skill nor confidence to climb like her.

A couple behind them by the counter started arguing while a baby cried. The woman was clearly tired yelled, “I swear it’s in here.” The husband who was also clearly tired held the kid and tried to shush him to no avail. “How did we leave it at home?” “We were in a rush because your parents are there.”

Cora didn't have to attend birthday parties to get out of tickets, given she usually just erased memories of her high speed escape. But, traffic cameras could be a bit harder to escape. If she ever went speeding, that would be what caught her. She wondered who they would have to bribe in that case.

Too sleepy to consider it much, she started drinking her coffee. The question about the rock wall required more of her focus. "It might actually be to your advantage. Since mutants are a large part of the customer base, this one is designed as a sort of 'create your own handhold'. Sort of in the testing phase though. First time a kid tried to fashion rock handholds it busted the base and we spent a month revising it." Cora rambled a little then drank more of her coffee. Mutant proof materials were hard to come by, and the goal wasn't to make it unbreakable, exactly, just, flexible? The wall had to hold up to some use of powers but also allow mutants with claws and spikes to make it up the surface. She generally left those complications to the pros.

She listened to the couple arguing and tried to tune out the baby crying. But her eyes were following a few threads running between them. Ah, that was a soap opera. Wife didn't like the mother-in-law, son probably didn't have much time alone with wife given he kept forming lust threads to anything that went by....Cora did a glance at Sam, finding it hard to suppress the sensation of paranoia things gave her. There were still a few frayed threads he had from the night before. She frowned again.

"I may have cut too deep on that one..." she remarked, touching the thread that was reforming. It was dark, one of the darkest he had. But it was causing the nightmares the previous night, and just cutting them a bit seemed to lessen his discomfort. Given it was reforming this late made Cora wonder if she overdid it.

The baby crying only distracted Sam for a moment his instincts was to comfort it but he had to remind himself he didn’t have a kid normally he wouldn’t think too much on it but her comments made him think harder on it. Was that one of the threads she cut? The icemancer looked over the thread while Cora eyed it. It was dark and made him anxious so he dove into his mug of coffee instead. Sam knew whoever was attached to the other end of the thread would be remembered soon.

Sam reached out and grabbed Cora’s free hand and squeezed it. ”I’m sure whoever it is will be remembered shortly. Hopefully it isn’t anyone who will notice.” he said with a small smile. He had too many skeletons in his closet the fact that Cora was willing to deal with him still. He’d always be grateful to Cora for the moments of peace especially when he slept. ”The last thing we need is any trouble.” he said nodding his head into the coffee.

Sam brought the topic of the climbing wall back up because well, he thought it was cute when Cora rambled about her interest. The icemancer did the same thing when he discussed different martial art techniques.

”Sounds like you need to employ some earth specialists. I got a list of them somewhere at home, couple kids go tot eh school even. Might make it easier to repair it if you got them working for you. Just do a reset like I do with my ice golems and clones. Or a plastic manipulator? Never sure what those walls are made of.” he said glancing at the food appeared in the window.

Cora never felt worried when she cut threads in the past. Generally she just regarded her own sense of justice as enough to warrant her actions. But with Sam, he mattered. She felt very anxious when she altered any threads, especially when they seemed to have a more lasting impact than just helping his sleep. What had this thread been? Why did it upset him so much? And what could it mean if that person noticed the thread had vanished...

"I'm not sure if you've realized, but all we ever seem to find is trouble..." Cora mused.

She drank deeply from her cup and listened to his suggestions. She nodded to herself in agreement, "We thought about trying to hire on an earth specialist. It would be more beneficial in the long run to repairing the walls. We have used some plastic in the past, a mix of metal, but actual rock would be more realistic."

She tried not to dive in too quickly when the food was placed in front of her. She ate ferociously regardless of the amount of time it had been since last eating. There was always that sort of rush to finish food and get on the move, and she never quite got the nack of slowing down when she ate. Three slices of bacon vanished without much effort. She forced herself to slow only at the main portion of the dish.

The icemancer smirked into his coffee. He had noticed, to him it was more of a normal. More than he wanted it to be. Cora had seemed to be okay with it so far. Something else he was grateful for. His younger self did great setting them up. ”Heh. Yeah, doesn’t mean I want more. Less would be ideal.” he doubted that would happen any time soon. Neither were planning on making drastic changes in their lives. At least he wasn’t.

When the food was placed in front of them Sam stared at his plate and nodded slowly. This was what he looked forward. Breakfast. He took one final sip of his coffee before starting into his plate. Cora seemed to dive right in and he almost laughed. ”and easier to repair.”

When Sam was a kid he was never sure on his next meal or what was about to happen after the meal it was better to eat it quickly, it took him years to grow out of it. Now he didn’t have to worry about it. Knifing the yolk of his eggs into the hash he started to mix everything then went to town. Only stopping for a coffee break.

After a sip, ”Do you… want to know who the thread belongs to?” he asked curiously because at the moment he didn’t know and he couldn’t remember if Cora already knew. Sam didn’t keep secrets from her he knew that. It’s just he didn’t offer up any information typically unless asked. ”You know, once I know who it belongs to.” he smirked as he started to scarf his food again.

Cora glanced at the thread again, focusing a bit more of her powers on it. Other than being dark, it had a strange sort of translucency typical of older threads. It was negative, old enough to stay around even after time. Strong enough she only frayed it and didn’t sever it completely. Most negative threads didn’t resist. She chewed more bacon and thought about it.

”It gives you nightmares sometimes. Something that happened a while back but still kinda haunts you. I think....I think it is Amanda. I just, I don’t think I was supposed to make it noticeable if I cut it...”

Cora knew they didn’t want Amanda to notice tampering, although the reasons were still a little vague. There was mind control involved, and the family Sam sometimes still thought he had. Cora mentally cursed herself and kept eating. It would be fine. It was just a bad connection from the past. Why would someone pay attention to their memories of Sam that closely anyway?

>>>”It gives you nightmares sometimes. Something that happened a while back but still kinda haunts you. I think....I think it is Amanda. I just, I don’t think I was supposed to make it noticeable if I cut it...”

The icemancer sipped his coffee after a moment and nodded his head still chewing the meal. ”Could be.” he recalled the name and knew he wasn’t supposed to say it. Kind of like that volderguy guy he watched in that one movie. It attract the wrong kind of attention. Her attention.

”Sorry…. I know it can be a lot to deal with sometimes…” he sipped the mug again and set it down or rather threw it down. Standing up and turning he raised his hands up and forced a bunch of cool blue from his hands.

A large Escalade’s engine revved as the front of the vehicle pierced through window of the diner. Something went wrong, his ice didn’t do what he wanted it to do, not everything. The family was safe, they were knocked away after the car hit the ice covering them. He and Cora however were pinned. ”Cora!!!!!!!” he yelled as he tried to struggle free. The ice started to push the car off of him. He was crying.

-----

His eye snapped open when he heard his alarm. “Heat of the moment, heat of the moment!” his heart was racing and he didn’t know why. Smacking the snooze button on his phone he went through the motions of getting out of bed starting with kissing Cora good morning. ”Morning beautiful.”

I know it can be a lot to deal with...

For a moment, they were just a normal couple having breakfast together. Cora was opening her mouth to tell a joke when there was a crash. Ice and glass intermingled, raining through the diner. Cora didn’t remember if she screamed, she only remembered her powers latching onto Sam’s thread like an impossible lifeline, as pain hit.

She saw crimson. There was blood, and ice, and the dark thread she was desperately wrapping her hand around. Forgotten breakfast, heart thundering with an effort to work but it couldn’t. Flatline, darkness, her name sounded farther and farther away....

———————

Cora felt a kiss and a smile answered in response. It was a calming touch pulling from what must have been a fitful sleep. Her heart was racing suddenly, her powers lashing out and making the thread between her and Sam visible, like they were trying to force the thread to be real, tangible. Well, for her it was. She could feel the comforting connection as she rolled and pulled Bruno close, filling the emptiness where Sam had gotten up.

Control training with a student

Shower with Cora

Ice slide to breakfast.

Rock pun.

The door to the diner opened with a ring from the doorbell above and they headed over to an empty spot in the diner. Something seemed a little off. Sam wasn’t sure what it was but couldn’t put his finger on it. Again he didn’t bring it up, maybe he was just being paranoid again.

Burying his face a little in his coffee he took a big whiff and then ordered the usual after Cora ordered hers. ”How is that going the new rock wall? Think it’ll give you the edge to beat me to the top?” he looked down at his coffee. Did they already have this conversation?

Sam started to look around the diner getting distracted by the baby and the arguing couple. His eye studied the window behind them and he saw the traffic and then looked back to Cora.