Endless || Jonah Marais ✓

♪ TWENTY-NINE ♪

Despite it being nearly four in the morning, Aurora stands outside of a fifties themed diner with her hand clasped tightly in Jonah's, a sad smile splayed across her lips as she watches the customers and workers interact merrily.

The bell above the door signals their arrival, and nearly everyone turns around to see whose walking in. Aurora's breath catches in her throat and she waves timidly, not sure what sort of reaction she'll receive.

"I had a feeling we'd be seeing you tonight," Charlotte, the diner's manager, speaks up cheerfully from behind the counter, her eyes briefly glancing to Jonah. "Your usual booth is open. I'll be with you in just a moment."

"Thank you," Jonah answers for Aurora, noticing how her smile didn't leave but the grip on his hand had tightened.

Aurora walks past the counter, silently waving and smiling to the people greeting her as she leads him to a red and white booth in the back of the diner. Jonah claims the seat opposite her and picks up a menu as she gazes out the window, clearly lost in thought.

If he was being perfectly honest, Jonah didn't have a clue as to why Aurora insisted on coming here after waking from a nightmare, or why everyone seems to know her. The girl has been uncharacteristically quiet, but he didn't want to pressure her with questions. Though it hurts him to not know how to help, Jonah knows she'll explain everything when she's ready.

Charlotte appears at their booth, placing a chocolate milkshake and fries in front of Aurora before pulling out a small pad of paper and pencil. She raises an eyebrow, glancing to Jonah expectantly.

"A cheeseburger and vanilla milkshake," he answers her unasked question swiftly, snapping the menu shut.

"Coming right up," Charlotte says, jotting it down before turning her attention back to Aurora, placing a consoling hand on her back. "We've missed seeing you, doll."

"I've missed being here," Aurora admits, her mood brightening considerably as she takes a sip of the milkshake. "And Maurice's milkshakes."

"I'll pass along the compliment," she laughs before bustling away to clear a table.

"These milkshakes are the best you'll ever have," Aurora brags, dipping a fry into her's. "It'll completely ruin any other restaurant's milkshakes for you."

"Even Dairy Queen's?" Jonah asks dubiously, an amused smile appearing.

"Even Dairy Queen's," she responds seriously. "It's what keeps me from doing something to get banned from here."

A comfortable silence falls amongst the couple as Aurora enjoys her food. Jonah chuckles to himself, happy she's back to normal.

"Thanks for bringing me here," she states offhandedly as Charlotte delivers his food. "I know how important your sleep is to you."

"I'm willing to be sleep deprived if it means spending time with you," Jonah admits, placing a kiss against her hand before trying his milkshake.

His eyes widen dramatically as he takes his first drink, causing Aurora to giggle.

"I told you! It's amazing, isn't it?"

"It's the best milkshake I've ever had."

Aurora grins triumphantly, stealing one of his fries as she finishes her own.

"I guess I owe you an explanation as to why I wanted to come here," she sighs, glancing around the nearly empty restaurant nostalgically.

"Not if you don't want to talk about it," Jonah reassures her.

"It's Mark's birthday," Aurora says, ignoring his comment as she grows lost in a memory. "We found this diner when we first moved to L.A. When our careers first took off, we had wildly different schedules and hardly saw each other. So, since this place is open 24/7, we'd find a time when we were both home and make plans to catch up and eat here at least once a week." Her voice catches in her throat and tears threaten to fall, causing Jonah to move into the seat next to her and pull her into a hug before she can continue. "It's just been really hard to come back ever since- since he died."