Ronan: To the Moon and Back

The late night rush at the Diner is finally winding down, after the drunks had their fill of cravings and coffee to sober up, and the lonely souls who just sat at their table for one. Rae relates to those souls, for her house is nearly always empty; she's always alone when her mothers at work, and even when she's not, she sleeps away her exhaustion. It takes a major toll on Rae once in a while, although she tries to keep it to herself, her loneliness does come out to scream at people for some desperate company. Which is why she is either spending most of her time visiting Ronan or out snapping photos. Besides Kari, Rae never has people visit her a while she's working until her coworker, Liz, informs her without actually informing her.

"Oh my god." Liz says breathlessly.

"What? Did Steven forget to turn off the kettle again so water spills and the smoke alarm goes off?" Rae questions flatly, flipping through the recites from the evening.

Liz snaps back to herself, shoving lightly at Rae's shoulder. "That happened once and no. That guy from earlier, the one flirting with you, came back and has been making heart eyes at you for a good twenty minutes, but you haven't noticed." Rae just shakes her head and ignores her until she speaks again after a long pause. After another costumer comes through the door and sits down at the counter.

"Oh, and Louis Tomlinson is here. D'you mind taking his order, babes?"

Rae looks up from her task, straight into the blue eyes of Louis. His smile bright and eyes a little tired around the edges. The Vans hoodie he is wearing looks a size too big, and there's a blue beanie atop his head pushing down his fringe over his forehead. Rae can't see over the counter but assumes he's wearing joggers of some sort because why would be at a diner at three in the morning and not snuggled up in his bed.

She stares blankly at him before her brain catches up with her mouth. "Are you insane?"

"Hi to you too. Yes, my night was great. Thanks for asking." Louis says sarcastically.

"Right, yes hi. What are you doing here?" She looks around for any signs of the other boys or security. "Alone for that matter."

Louis just shrugs, reaching over to grab a menu held in the metal rack. Liz, who had been casually leaning back against the opposite counter, rolls her eyes.

"I swear," She mutters, before pushing herself up. "I'm, Liz," she directs towards Louis, who waves. "Big fan, nice to meet you. I'm taking my brake, Rae. Don't forget-" Liz cuts off her sentence with a nod towards the guy at the table, then spins toward the kitchen, disappearing through the doors.

"I'll be right back." Rae informs Louis, whose eyes are not actually reading the menu, but staring at the same soup options.

Rae grabs the coffee pot on the way over to the table, watching as the guys smiles when he sees her.

"Second time you've waited on me." He states, all teeth in his smile. With blonde hair and brown eyes that glint beneath the warm lights of the diner. "I'm all flattered."

"And it'd the second time you've been in here."

"True. You just look so lovely in your uniform."

Rae can't help her little smile. "You said that earlier."

"S'true. You're the most beautiful waitress in here."

"I'm the only one in here for now." She says, just to challenge him.

"Only being honest." He says with his hands up defenselessly. "I've noticed you a few days ago, when you dropped that pie on the floor."

"I was tripped by that little bugger of a kid." Rae tells him.

"You were cute."

Rae narrows her eyes at him. "Are you just flirting to get free chips, sir? I'll have you know it takes more than that for free food."

The guy quirks his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like none of your business." But her tone is light.

"So if flirting can't get me free chips. What does a date from you take?"

"A date?" Rae blinks once taken aback.

"Coffee."

"Coffee?"

"Yes. That dark bitter liquid your currently holding a pot of." He chuckles.

She's seen to have forgotten the pot in her hand and pours some into his empty cup. Before she can stutter out a reply, a sharp ding and clutter of metal sounds behind her. She spins, alarmed, pot still in her hand like its glued there. The counter tops metal bell lays on the floor next to the stool Louis is sat in. Along with what looks like the small sugar packet holder.

"Whoops. My bad." Louis apologizes, which sounds nothing like it. "Think the bell's broke."

Rae tilts her head at Louis, shooting him a look. She hears Liz bark out a laugh from the back room, and isn't she suppose on her break and not listening in? Rae raises her free hand to point at Louis, then thinks better of it and drops it back to her side.

"Isn't that the guy from that one boy band-?" The guy, she doesn't know his name yet, asks suspiciously.

"No." Rae diverts. If word got out that a member from that said boy band was at a diner at 3am, the place would be swarmed with girls like bees on honey. "He gets that a lot though. Did you want anything else?"

"Your number?" He flashes her a smile.

The broken bell that's obviously not broken anymore due to its excessive dinging, loud and repeatedly interrupts her. Keeps her from giving an answer.

"Raelyn!" Louis calls loudly, "I know what I would like now!"

"He's quite noisy, innt he?"

Rae sighs somehow fondly. "Yes but he's a good friend of mine. Have a goodnight."

Rae walks away finally setting down the pot of coffee back on its stand just as Liz passes behind her, muttering she's got the check for the table Mr. Charming is at. When Rae gives her attention to Louis, he's siting there with a look on his face; like he's accomplished something he's always wanted to do. This little smirk playing up the corners of his mouth and those crinkles by his mirthful eyes. Rae leans across the counter forearms resting on the top.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Rae accuses.

"Did you give him your number?" Louis questions instead, voice maybe a little snippy.

"What if I did?"

Something in Louis' eyes gleams as he eyes the guy walking out of the door. "He was obviously just playing you."

"Oh? He seems rather charming to me."

"You can't be serious." Louis says exasperated. "Did you see the way he was looking at you when you were walking just now?"

"Because I have eyes in the back of my head..." Rae rolls her eyes.

"You know what I mean, Rae. You might as well be a steak the way he looked at you."

"Louis, please. He's just a costumer that was being nice."

"He was trying to hit on you." Louis glares.

"As do others...I think."

"They do!" Liz calls from at the end of the counter as she inputs the guys check. "His name's Evan, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't, but thanks." Louis answers instead. It comes out snappy and Rae is close to telling him off when Liz just laughs again.

"What's the big deal anyway?" Rae inquires, turning to grab one of the freshly clean teacups and placing it in front of Louis.

He speaks while she searches through the many verities of tea. "It just...does. They shouldn't be hitting on you, especially at-" he checks the clock on the wall- "3:27am. That just screams ulterior motives. His hair is way too high anyway."

"Oh my god." Rae laughs, finally finding the tea she wanted, placing it in the cup and pouring hot water over it. "What brings you in here then, hmm?"

Louis shrugs. "Couldn't sleep. Figured you might be working. Thought you mentioned you work late on Fridays. And could I just have the egg and bacon platter?"

Rae frowns concerned, putting his order in to the kitchen. "I some times having trouble sleeping too. A lot really. Let that seep for another two minutes. It's lavender tea, should help relax you."

Louis nods, asking "You do? How come?"

"I have dreams that I'd rather not relive." She shrugs nonchalantly.

Louis is quite while he stirs his tea, tentatively sipping to test the heat and taste. "Had a fight with Eleanor." He admits.

Rae bends down to pull wrapped up silverware from under the counter, setting next to Louis' arm. She her clears throat. "You know you can, um, talk right? To me? I mean," her voice lowers, "there's no difference between here and Hummingbird."

"You mean besides the terribly, heart wrenching obvious?"

"Yeah..." 

Louis smiles at her, rather sad by the tilt of his lips. "I know. You've yet to call though."

Rae shrugs. "Nothing's bad happened yet and I'd hope to keep it that way."

He nods in understanding, then mutters, "you can still call though."

Rae just smiles. Her attention is called from the cook behind her setting Louis' steaming food into the waiting window. She leans through the window, appearing to ask something, and gets handed a plate of hash-browns. She sets both the hash browns and platter in front of him.

"Free food for thought?" She offers, nudging the plate of hash.

Rae waits patiently as Louis sips his tea and takes bites of his food. She begins to refill salt and pepper shakers as she waits, checks the sugar packet holder for any cracks, keeping an eye on the door for any late night people craving food. She throws Liz a clean damp rag across the room so she can clean the tables, and puts a new pot of coffee for herself, since she has two and a half more hours of her shift to go. The coffee is finished brewing by the time Louis decides to speak, half of the hash browns gone and his plate cleared.

"She doesn't like it." Louis begins quietly, pushing scraps of egg around his plate with his fork.

Rae gently takes the fork from his hand and clears the plates away before leaning forward on her forearms. She waits silently, because the blue of his eyes are dimmed, and not from the lighting of the diner. He meets her own eyes, soft and opened to portray that she really does want to console him if he truly needs it.

"She doesn't like that I've been at the hospice more than going to Manchester." Louis drops his eyes quickly for a moment before looking back up. "Said that if I have so much free time, I should be spending it with her instead. I haven't even been home yet to visit me mum. Plus she's got finals coming up anyway, so it wouldn't make sense to distract her."

Rae has been biting the inside of her cheek since his first sentence, because what? She lets up on her cheek to ask, "You love her?"

"Um what?" Louis wasn't expecting that response. He was expecting her to be irked by it.

"Do you love her?"

"Uh-"

Rae spares his lack of an answer. "I won't bad mouth her for being utterly and completely stupid, because who the hell gets mad about visiting sick children? Or going to visit your family you probably haven't seen in ages and rarely get to see them. I bet you see her more than them. That's just moronic and selfish. But I won't say anything about her."

Louis cracks a small smile. That's the response he knew he'd get. "You just did." He informs her.

"Yeah well...it's fucking stupid."

"Raelyn!" Both Louis and Liz scold. Well, Liz scolds, Louis laughed her name.

"What?" Rae looks over to Liz. "You shouldn't be listening, missy, and no I will not put a pound into that little jar because you owe it at least fifty." Turning back to Louis she says "and it is. That's what you fought about?"

"I knew it'd make you angry." Louis mutters, but he is still smiling at her with this strange smile and a softness around his eyes.

"Of course it does." Rae states fiercely, "my brother lives there. So how is that fair to you to have someone like that who gets mad because you'd rather put smiles on those kids faces? Some times that's all they ever have to get through the day. It means so much to them when anyone just gives them an ounce of love. Some of them have no visitors because their families abandoned them simply because they just couldn't bother with a sick child. And some of them have parents split up because they couldn't handle the news so their fathers just fucking take off. And about your own family, Louis. How can she be angry if you want to spend time away with them only. I just don't understand-" Rae stops when Louis reaches over to pull her hand, that he watched automatically go to her chest, away.

"Sorry." She mumbles, a little embarrassed.

"You're really passionate, you know that?" He squeezes her hand.

"I don't think it's fair to you." Rae squeezes back. "Since you clearly know how I feel about it, how about you? Are you alright?"

Louis shrugs one shoulder. "I think you're right. Which is how the fight started in the first place. I disagreed with her. Said being here was a little more important than going to there where no one would leave us alone anyway. Pretty sure she's got more fans than I do."

Rae snorts but stays silent.

"I'm alright now. Was angry about it, but I'm good."

Rae leans forward again. "Are you sure? I could throw in a cupcake for you to take home."

"Yeah, good." Louis doesn't clear up his answer. There he goes with that strange expression again, beginning to be a reoccurring thing whenever he gazes at Rae.

(Liz, who finished wiping the tables sat down to observe them, noticing each and every little subconscious thing they do in response to each other. Louis' look for one, their hands which they have yet to let go of, the muted smiles. She decides to quietly sneak through the other door that leads to the kitchen, leaving the two be themselves in the empty diner.)

When Rae wraps three cupcakes into a small box, she informs Louis that she's baked them from scratch. The moist cookies and cream; chocolate with broken pieces of Oreos and vanilla buttercream frosting. The strawberry with the cheesecake filling, and the red velvet with the cream cheese frosting. It sparks a conversation shifting away from fights with girlfriends and flirtatious customers, to different passions Rae's has, to the music Louis listens too. Ranges from childhood memories and stories, to which FRIENDS character they're most like and how happy they were when Rachel didn't take that plane to Paris.

Louis makes her laughs with stories of his most infamous pranks he's pulled on tour; on the boys, bodyguards, band members and even fans at meet and greets. Rae entertains him with the stories Ronan randomly comes up with and the way he says certain words and phrases that just light up the whole playroom. She tells him that Ronan had asked for an Ironman suit one Halloween because he wants his chest to glow. How he asked Olivia to marry him just the other day. Of the pictures she took of them both, especially the ones when Ronan leaned over and bumped his lips to his pretend wife's.

"Please make me a copy of that one!" Louis laughs joyously, the sound filling up the quite diner.

"Already have a waiting list for that one." Rae smiles. "Do you want to see?"

"Show me, show me!" He exclaims.

Rae grabs her camera from her back in the back. Showing Louis the pictures causes him scroll through more, intriguing him to question Rae about her camera and how it can take both film and a memory card. When and how did she start her hobby. Why was there a picture of Liam looking close to tears. Rae explains she took the photo when she saw him looking through the window of the little twins lying in their sick bed together. She showed the picture to Liam, having no intention of posting such a personal moment. She tells Louis that Liam, along with the rest of them, don't ever seem to mind her capturing those moments and thanks Louis personally for that. Promising him she'll put them all in an album to give them later; if they wanted.

Their conversations turns to why Rae hasn't been getting enough sleep. Which prompts her to elaborate a little more on how her dreams are actually just one reoccurring nightmare, involving Ronan's hospice room and starring a dark shadow that seems to rip him away from her. She doesn't linger on the subject long, and Louis seems to understands, making her promise to call him if she has it again. She mentions it would possibly be nice since the only person she really told was her cousin, Vinny. Louis asks about him, curiously polite and only learns that they grew up together and were rather close, but she refuses to talk any further on that matter. Louis tells her of a childhood friend of his that passed, and it still gets to him once and a while. They squeeze each others hand for consolable comfort.

*

Both Louis and Rae continue talk well into the morning, in their own quiet, little bubble where it smells a little of fried eggs and coffee. Rae only breaks their conversation to serve coffee to three girls who stumbled drunk into the diner, and an older man who is a regular, giving him his usual cup to go. Soon enough, Liz comes out to tell Rae to get her hard working ass home since it's 6am. 

"I didn't realize..." Louis trails off, checking his phone for the first time. There are two text messages from Harry, and non from his girlfriend. 'Are you doing ok?' 'Where'd you go? I swear if you're playing footie at 4am. Just be careful.' 

"I am suddenly exhausted." Rae sighs. She disappears into the kitchen, only to return a minute later with that brown, ripped up bag. "How'd you get here, Louis? Do you need a ride?"

Louis shakes his head. "Drove meself. Are you alright to drive home though?"

"I'll be okay. Do it all the time." 

"In that case." Louis stands and holds open the door for Rae to walk through and walks her to her car.

The sun has barely begun to break through the dusk, the horizon just a dusting of purple and gold. The morning air is chilly, weather moving towards the beginning of November. Louis adjusts his beanie while Rae unlocks Charlie, carefully putting her bag in the passenger seat. She turns back to him, blue eyes highlighted by the fleck of gold and catching the dim light of the sun. She looks dead on her feet, yet a soft smile plays across her lips.

"Let me know when you're home, yeah?" Louis says. "So I know your coffee didn't fail and you've driven off to Neverland."

Rae laughs under her breath. "I promise. You too."

There's a moment where they both just stare quietly at each other, then they both break at the same time and lean forward for a hug. One of those hugs that spew nothing but warmth and comfort, one shared between two good friends. Rae rests her head on Louis' shoulder, his cheek pressed to her hair. She smells of the diner, but with her own scent of coconut and flowers and coffee. Reluctantly they release each other, shy tired smiles, with the sun warming the sky with colors. Louis bends into her car, taking out her camera and snaps a photos of the sunrise. He sheepishly hands it back, chuckling along with Rae.

"It's beautiful, innit?" Rae asks, looking towards the sky, the sun now lighting it up with pinks and light purples.

"Yeah..." Louis agrees, then proceeds to gently shoves Rae's arm. "Go to sleep."

"Don't push me, you twat." Rae retorts with no bite, plopping down on the seat.

Louis fish mouths. "Did you just call me a twat?"

"No. You're hearing things. Go to bed, Lou." Rae smiles sweetly. Sweetly mischievous.

Louis rolls his eyes. They bid each other goodbye, and as Louis watches her drive off and walks back to his car, he thinks of the sunrise. How he took that a picture and thinks in comparison to the sunrise, he would rather take pictures of Rae instead.

***

Notes