Chapter Text
It's almost 4am on a Friday night, but at Ladylake Radio’s studio, the airwaves are still reverberating with laughter and energy, like a party between old friends still in full swing.
DJ Lailah is bidding a caller farewell with a last piece of kindly advice, “And remember, he will understand your feelings if you allow yourself to be open to him.”
DJ Zaveid chimes in with his best sexy seductive voice, “and it doesn't get any more open than making him a sandwich wearing an apron and nothing else.”
Lailah shakes her head and chuckles softly behind a graceful hand. Zaveid always comes across as trying too hard, but his dramatic flair is just perfect over the radio. Fans probably assume it's his radio personality to liven the mood over the sleepy early A.M. hours, but Lailah is thankful Zaveid found his true vocation. Being just a voice over the winds affords him an outlet to be as outwardly flirtatious and scandalous as possible, while maintaining an absolute wall between the world and his permanently broken heart.
Zaveid's chipper voice brings Lailah out of her thoughts, “---and our last caller before Miss Lailah flies to Italy is, Soren. How you doing Soren?”
A young, sincere voice joins them over the air, “I’m doing well? Actually, not so good…?” His sheepishness was so obvious that anyone can imagine the young man ruffling the hair on the back of his head, with a slight blush on his usually bright face.
Lailah stifled a giggle and Zaveid can be heard guffawing loudly away from his covered mic. This is the first time Lailah’s sort-of-nephew, early to bed Sorey, had called the late late night program; her other sort-of-nephew, night hawk Mikleo, calls the operator frequently but only ever requests songs. Even without the terrible pseudonym, the two adults, who watched Sorey and Mikleo grow up in Lailah's home, recognise that sunshine voice instantly.
Lailah didn't leave the air dead, of course. “Is this about the upcoming summer vacation, Soren?”
Sorey stammers “No. Yes. Yes! (Sigh) My family is going away on vacation for the whole summer and I'll be all alone.”
Lailah can only imagine her listeners letting out a collective “aww” when they hear that sweet voice sounding so sad. Sorey has always had a charming effect on people without realising it. Sorey is usually slow to realise things in general.
Zaveid offers his Sage Manly Advice™, “That sounds great! Fill the house with hotties and party till the sun comes up! You're probably even old enough to drink n-OW!---” (Lailah threw a sharp beaked paper crane at Zaveid's face) “Life is too short to brood, my man, you need to reach out and take as many babes as you can while you're young! Get to know them, in the ancient sense I mean of course.”
Lailah can't exactly disagree with Zaveid's message of “enjoy your youth”, even if she objects very much to his tone. “Soren, it will feel lonely without your family, especially if you're unused to it, but there are all kinds of wonderful technology now! I'm sure you can hold up for just three months because the love your family has for you isn't phoney
The awful pun didn't seem to cheer the young man up. “What if they don't want me anymore when they come back? What if that's why they're leaving in the first place?”
There's a lot more going on here than can be addressed over the last minutes of air time, of course. Lailah desperately wants to have that long talk with Sorey when she gets home, but her flight, and Mikleo's flight, is in a few hours.
Zaveid switches to his rarely used, serious voice, “Then you win them back. You take every shot you can and you rush at every opportunity to bridge that gap. Ain't never too late until it's too late, you feel me?”
The boys will be fine, Lailah tells herself. They were orphaned at a young age but they were raised by two entire villages, hers included. Things are awkward between Mikleo and Sorey now as they sort out their feelings for each other. But their bond goes deeper than friendship, and even deeper than brotherhood. It is her solemn vow that she will make sure they are fine, for their mothers’ sake as well as hers.
“Soren,” she adds gently, “sometimes being apart can give those too close together a unique chance to see each other anew.”
Lailah looks at the clock; they’re out of time. She adds, “I’ll end tonight's program with this final thought. A family is a hug: even with eyes closed you can feel them around you. Friendship is standing shoulder to shoulder, watching the same world over the same horizon. But lovers, they stand face to face. They carefully observe their beloved, and see a new part of themselves reflected only in their eyes. I hope everyone finds happiness, and have a fantastic summer!”
Sorey isn’t so sure that his summer will be fantastic, but he’s determined to try and find happiness. With that last thought, he falls asleep instantly from staying up way way too late.
----
When he wakes up, it was already noon, which means he had missed his chance to see Lailah and Mikleo off at the airport. He groans and sulks to the bathroom, where he discovers Mikleo had written “palm” on his forehead with a sharpie. His right palm says “foot”, and his left foot says “belly”. How dead asleep was he?! Sorey smiles in spite of himself, peels off his shirt, and finds Mikleo’s last inscription on his body, written in neat tiny cursive letters, an inch above his belly button: “see ya”.