Nice Day Out [Debra]

[Walter Jenkins]

Every Saturday, Walter and Debra would drive into town and go to the same little coffee shop and talk about their week. Even though they worked in the same place, they didn't actually see each other all that much. And when they did, they had a rule to not bring their work home with them too much. As much as either of them could. Sometimes they were especially frazzled during the week and coffee and pastries would be followed up by Stupid Movie Day. Walter liked them mostly because Debra thought they were funny. Sometimes they would watch the old Star Trek movies, or Plan Nine from Outer Space. Usually they would also watch Tangled and--if they were feeling particularly sentimental-- Up.

But later plans for the day could wait. For now: coffee and delicious pastries. Walter crossed one leg over the other at the knee and sipped at his coffee. "So how was your week?" He asked, as per usual, "I had to deal with that pyrokinetic boy insisting he was dying to try to get out of his literature test." He shook his head, equal parts amused and exasperated, "I almost sent him to the on-call doctor, just to shake him up a bit, but I doubt that would have helped."

[Debra Jenkins]

Debra liked this time she spent with Walter. For one, it was on Saturday, which was her favorite day of the week. Forget Friday. Fridays were just for shaking off the stress of the week. Saturdays were for peaceful moments, fun, and storing up energy for the week ahead. Relaxation, that was they key.

So she was happy to ease back in the seat, enjoy her pastry, talk to her husband and sip her tea--she picked a new one every time they were there because they had such a variety. Today's was White Peach. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. Sugar probably should've been added to make it better, but she'd refrained for the sake of understanding the tea in it's natural state (and her diet. Mostly her diet).

She smiled at the statement. "Is this the same one who keeps bothering you? Walter, one day you should send him to the doctor. Or better yet, agree with him and do all sorts of tests to confirm it." She grinned, then laughed. "No. You're far too nice to him. Wasn't he doing something earlier last week? To get out of PE? But I had a nice week. The students were, um, relatively behaved. And I gave them a pop quiz. You know. Just to keep them on their toes." She took another sip of her tea, then wrinkled her nose. "Mm. I don't know about this one."

[Walter Jenkins]

"I think it was math that time," Walter said with a laugh, "I know, I know. One day I'll call his bluff on it. Or tell him he has some horrible illness, just to call his bluff." Of course, Walter would do no such thing, but there was no harm in joking around with his wife. Walter didn't really hold much stock in fancy teas. Sometimes he would drink Earle Grey, or chamomile. During December, Walter would drink peppermint tea sometimes and joke that it got him in the mood for the holidays. But really, he liked coffee, and that was his usual beverage of choice.

"You are cruel," He said with a grin, "I'm sure you never look back on your time with Hammel and think 'oh, I just loved pop quizzes'. Those poor kids." He took another drink of his coffee.

At Debra's tea scrutinizing, Walter made a sympathetic noise and leaned over the table, "Lemme try?" He didn't think he would like it, but he was curious

[Debra Jenkins]

“No you won’t.” Debra, who also had her legs crossed underneath her usual bright and long skirt, shifted one so it rubbed against her husband’s leg. She propped her chin up on her folded hands and smiled at him. “But that’s why I love you. Because you’re far too good for me. As obvious by my giving pop quizzes.” She giggled. “But they all did so well! And I gave them two freebies. They don’t hate me too much for that. I hope. Besides, a bit of surprise in their life is good for them, don’t you think?”

She passed over the cup willingly and shook her head, leaning over to steal a bit of his pastry. “You’ll have to let me know what you think. I know it’s not your usual, but it’s a little…bland for me. By the way, you have wonderful taste in pastries, did you know?”

[Walter Jenkins]

Walter smiled, lifting a foot to tap the bottom of Debra’s shoe, completely unashamed to be playing silly footsie games with his wife. “I love you too,” He replied, “And I most certainly am not too good for you. You forget the part where I am secretly evil.” Walter lifted one hand to twirl an imaginary moustache, unable to keep a grin off his face.

He laughed, taking a healthy bite of his Danish. “Oh, see, you’re a saint then,” Walter reached over and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes with a quiet smile, “You gave them two freebies! That makes you the best teacher, obviously.”

When Debra stole some of his pastry, he laughed, “Don’t eat it all. But yes, I happen to be a pastry expert.” He gave her a mock-smug grin before sipping her tea. He let the tea rest in his mouth a little bit, frowning slightly. His face turned pensive before swallowing, “It’s all right. I think I’ll stick with coffee though.” He handed back the cup, “It would taste better with sweetener, I think.”

[Debra Jenkins]

Debra was completely unashamed of playing footsie with her husband. Sure, they’d had their rough spells, her husband and her. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy this moment. She laughed as he twirled his moustache, and grinned at him. “You know I love the evil men,” she said. “That just makes you more irresistible to me and you know it. You could grow a moustache, you know. You could get back at your students that way. And I think you’d look sexy that way.”

She tilted her head into his hand and smiled at him, not as subdued as his, but then it never was. She didn’t know how he could be so quietly happy about everything. When she was happy, she had to share it. But she supposed she was learning. “I wouldn’t go that far. But maybe second best?”

She blinked innocently at the statement and shook her head. “I’d never do something like that.” She took the cup back with a nod, then sighed and looked down at it. “Oh, all right. I give in.” She rose to fetch some sugar, then sat back down as she idly stirred it in. “How’s everything else? No unusual burns on anyone, I hope?”

[Walter Jenkins]

Walter laughed before waggling his eyebrows at Debra, “Oh, a moustache? Would that do it for you?” He laughed, “Honey, I think I would look terrible with a moustache. I’d be the laughingstock of the whole school.” He waved his hand expansively before grinning, “But, of course, for you I would moustache.”

“Nope,” Walter disagreed with a laugh, “The best. I should know; I am a completely objective, neutral third party with no bias whatsoever.” He rubbed a thumb over her cheek affectionately before pulling away. Walter had the completely biased opinion that he was married to the most wonderful woman in the world, so there was more than one grain of truth in this banter.

“Of course you wouldn’t,” Walter said with a grin. Once Debra came back with sugar, he gave her a slightly apologetic expression, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to derail you from your diet.”

In answer to her question, Walter shrugged, “Oh, it’s all right. More or less the same old thing. Thankfully with the blessed lack of unusual burns. Seriously, I think Hammel supports the market for burn salve more than anything else.”

[Debra Jenkins]

“Oh, I think it would,” she teased back, then giggled and shook her head, leaning forward to experimentally run her hand down his cheek, then pulling back to think about it. “Well I wouldn’t go as far as laughingstock, and you already know I don’t mind facial hair on you at all. But I see your point. No moustache for now.” She shook her head. “Such a shame.”

Her smile widened again, turning fond. “And that is why I still say you’re too good for me. Besides, you know I don’t really want you neutral. You’re my knight in shining armor, aren’t you? You gotta be on my side.” Her look turned thoughtful. “Except when I’m wrong. Then…well, I trust your judgment.”

Idly swinging her legs under her chair, she nodded. “I agree. It’s scary what students can get up to. Then again, I guess the whole idea of Hammel can be scary if you think about it—but somehow, we both survived. I’m glad it wasn’t too busy of a week. And never worry about my diet.” She flashed him a smile. “Let’s face it. I’ve never been able to keep to it well. I am just terribly jealous of your trim self.”

[Walter Jenkins]

Walter laughed, leaning over slightly to nudge his wife’s hand, “Yes, no moustache for now.” He caught her hand as she pulled it back and held it gently, rubbing a thumb over her knuckles, “I think you’ll survive.” He flashed her a grin.

“I will always be your knight in shining armor,” Walter said with an earnest smile and nod, “Even when you are so wrong. Always on your side.” That was one of the promises he made when he married her after all.

Walter nodded with a huff of laughter, “It’s true; whose great idea was it to shove a bunch of kids who can set things on fire or explode things in one place and call it school?” He took a bite of his pastry and shook his head fondly, “And yet we still keep coming back.”

“Oh please,” Walter affectionately smiled at Debra, “I think my wife got all the looks in the family. She’s very beautiful.”

[Debra Jenkins]

“I don’t know about that,” she said, eyes curling up into a smile in spite of trying to keep her lips in a straight line. Well, sometimes it worked. Not usually around Walter. He always knew anyways.

“Now you know that’s not a good idea.” She wagged a finger at him sternly. “Being on my side can lead to serious problems. Wasn’t an example of that when I talked you into that roadtrip to Washington and we broke down somewhere in one of the Dakotas? That was a bad idea. You should’ve talked me out of it.”

She laughed. “Of course we keep coming back! We love it. We can’t help ourselves. Just because they’re crazy doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy it. Maybe we’re sick and like the insanity. It’s always a possibility.”

Her smile widened at the compliment, and she rested her chin on her folded hands again. “You know how to flatter a girl, Walter. But I’m the one who has to peel the other women off you with a stick. And I think you don’t even notice.”