Drabble: School Days

[starsandsea]

Title: School Days
Rating: PG
Characters: Pieter, Michael, Bruce, Clark, Diana, Alan, Ted, Karen, Guy
Word Count: 475
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: Inspired by the AU meme from a while ago. I asked jen_in_japan for DC characters as school teachers, and was then inspired to write this from her response! Betaed by jen_in_japan too! :)



Pieter yawned as he stepped into the staff room. It was still dark outside, thanks to the clocks changing, but the sun would be up soon enough. He moved to the coffee machine, going through the motions of the day. Michael would be in soon. So would the others. Alan was already here, he had seen his car in the car park. But he would be making rounds of the school as he did every morning.

Pieter was normally the first in. He was always the first one awake, too, he knew. He needed to exercise Charlie. His owl was really very fussy.

Pieter had just taken his first sip of coffee when the door opened, and a bright-eyed Clark walked in, followed by a bleary-eyed Bruce. Pieter suppressed a smile, and quickly moved away from the coffee machine. Everyone knew not to get between Bruce and coffee, especially in the mornings. And at the end of the day. All the time, if they were truthful. The times that Bruce had been deprived of his beloved coffee...well. Pieter shivered. That was not something he, or any other sane person, wanted to experience twice.

"Morning!" Clark's voice and disposition were sunny, as always. Pieter saw Bruce shudder out the corner of his eye and hid a smile. Clark and Bruce were like night and day, yet they were best friends.

"Good morning," he replied to Clark.

"How's Charlie?"

Pieter nibbled on a biscuit. "Fussy." Before Clark could respond, Diana walked in, quickly followed by Alan and Michael. Pieter moved into a corner and reviewed the day's schedule, before Michael joined him. Karen and Ted came in, arguing as usual. Guy would come in at the last second, of course.

It was relaxing, in its own way, this familiar routine. Clark and Diana talking, Bruce making sounds that sounded slightly more human with each sip of coffee, Alan and Karen talking, Ted interjecting, he and Michael sitting together, not speaking, just enjoying each others' company, Guy then charging in, complaining, then being on the receiving end of one of Bruce's glares when he dared approach the coffee machine.

Perhaps that was why Bruce was such a good math teacher. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of one of Bruce's glares. It was a very useful weapon to have, especially when they were taking the students on a trip somewhere...

Everyone, grumbling, settled down, Bruce not leaving his spot by the coffee machine. Alan got everyone under control quickly enough. He didn't need to glare at you, he would just look at you and you'd instantly stop whatever it was you were doing. Even Guy.

Pieter smiled, seeing the sun come up out of the tiny window. It was going to be a wonderful day.