A/N: This is a Common People fic. If you don't know what that is, it's when an author writes about the average people who are mutants in Marvel's universe. For more info or fics, head to http://www.subreality.com/cfan.htm.

Disclaimer: Marvel isn't mine nor is the idea of TCP.

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Being able to negate friction was a simple thing. At least from his point of view it was. He'd amused himself with it often.

Many a person walking by had fallen prey to the powers of friction boy. He chuckled to himself at the name. It'd been a long time since he'd had a right to the title of boy. The laugh turned into a cough. His feeble lungs, after many years of abuse, weren't up to the strain.

A young woman walking by gave him a dismayed look but he ignored her. What did she think he was going to drop dead on the park bench? He was entitled to sit on this bench. He'd paid taxes for it for over seventy-two years.

He'd rested on the bench more often lately. His old bones weren't up to the long sustained walks he had until recently taken in the company of his wife. Much less the fast jog he'd run in his youth.

He missed Marie. His wife had encouraged him to continue walking, for his health, despite the fact that hers was fading away. It was getting harder to get out of bed each day. Why face the world when she wasn't in it? He shook his head to clear it. Depresssion wasn't good for the soul, no matter how much he wanted to wallow in it. Life had been good to him. Even being a mutant had never caused him trouble. He should focus on that and stop worrying. He would be with Marie soon enough.

His problem resolved for the moment, he stood and took a deep breath. A beautiful girl skated by on some rollerblades. On a mischievous whim, he negated the friction around her hair tie. The girls beautiful blonde hair came flowing out behind her and he nearly chuckled in glee as she stopped to pick up the tie and stare at it suspiciously. He turned toward his home and began walking, thoughts of a long ago physics class floating through his mind. In a perfect world, there is no friction…