Archive of Our Own

3.5 years after Suit 

Amanda could hardly believe the day was finally here. The day that she, and Sam, were going to see Neil Josten perform at the LoverFest Tour. Standing in line outside of the stadium with thousands of other fans, anxiously waiting to be let in, her feet were only beginning to hurt now. She grimaced, and shifted her weight. 

“Told you,” Sam said, and Amanda rolled her eyes. 

“I couldn’t not wear the boots,” she said, flashing the sparkly boots in the afternoon sun. “If Neil is wearing sparkles, I’m wearing sparkles.” 

“Your flip flops to change into are still in your bag though, right?” 

Amanda wrinkled her nose at him, “Yes, mom.” Sam huffed in amusement, and Amanda looked down at her phone. 

“Oh shit,” she gasped. Sam immediately perked up, as did a few of the other fans around them. 

“What,” he demanded, grabbing her arm, and trying to read her phone screen. “Work drama?”

“No, Neil Nation just posted that there’s apparently some huge announcement tonight,” Amanda said, a few other people around them immediately opening their apps to check out the news. 

“Oh shit,” Sam agreed. “It’s the last night of his LA leg of the tour though, so that could mean anything?” 

“Or it could mean everything,” Amanda said somberly. 

A sudden cheer distracted Amanda from scrolling more to investigate further and she glanced towards the gates. “They’re letting people inside!” she cheered excitedly. Sam shook out his legs, seemingly stiff from standing in line for so long, and the pair headed into the stadium. Neil Josten had announced that he was doing something different for his next tour and instead of traveling the country, he planned to do two month long residencies in various cities across the country. 

The Los Angeles month was finishing tonight, and then Neil was heading to New York to start rehearsing for his month-long residency there. Neil was performing every Wednesday through Sunday night during his tour and from the videos Amanda had seen online, he looked like he had never been happier. 

As they walked into the stadium, they received their bracelets which Amanda informed Sam would light up at various points in the concert. The bracelets would flash to the beat or even change colors to match Neil. Amanda made sure to get some pictures of the crowds of people milling around, taking some time to complement the various costumes she saw. 

Sam and Amanda made their way to their seats in the lower bowl, facing the side of the catwalk. “Is the end of the catwalk a giant heart?” Sam asked in amazement. 

The stage stretched across the far end of the stadium, with giant screens that stretched well over twenty meters high. Amanda had seen videos of some of the graphics that played during the concert and was excited to see them in real time. There were speakers surrounding the stage, and on either side there were sections portioned off for various band members. 

The stage had a long catwalk that took up almost half of the stadium floor, with rows of seats on either side. The catwalk ended in a giant heart and Amanda had seen that Neil spent a lot of time in the heart during the concert. Various sections of the stage floor would open like a trap door for Neil to run around under the stage or change his outfits. 

Amanda grinned at finally seeing the set up in person and turned to Sam. “Yeah, so this entire era is super pastel, and there’s hearts everywhere, and glitter, and sparkles, and it’s just glorious,” Amanda said. “Neil said that after his album reputation where he wore a lot of blacks and blues, he wanted to switch it up and his lead dancer, Dan Wilds, and his PR manager, Allison Renyolds, came up with the idea of pivoting to pastels.” 

Amanda took a breath and continued, “Lots of male pop stars would have insisted on darker colors, but Neil just rolled with it. He says he never had the opportunity to wear so many rhinestones and that he's really enjoying how glittery he is.” 

Sam stared at her. “What,” she said defensively. 

“You just know a lot about Neil,” he said cautiously. 

“I told you that he’s my favorite person,” Amanda cried indignantly. 

“No, no, I love it,” Sam said emphatically. “I’m incredibly excited to be indoctrinated into your Neil Josten cult.” 

Amanda laughed, “Honestly, be grateful my ex and I broke up so that you could be here.” Sam nodded emphatically, as the large screen behind the stage lit up. 

“It’s starting!” Sam gasped, and Amanda snorted at his excitement. 

“The show doesn’t start until 8. This is just pre-recorded videos Neil made about the behind the scenes of the LoverFest tour,” she explained. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Neil Josten’s face appeared on the screen. 

“Welcome to LoverFest,” Neil said, smiling at the camera. “I’m glad you’re here, and I think we’ll have a great time, but before we begin, I wanted to show you some behind the scenes processes that got us here today.” The camera followed Neil down a hallway to a brightly lit studio where Dan Wilds was leading a dance class. 

“This is the choreography for the first few numbers,” Amanda explained, as Neil waved hi to Dan on screen. “He talks to Dan about how she comes up with his dance routines, and how she teaches them to such large groups. She’s incredible. After that, he goes and talks to the costume designers who were really excited that he let them design typically ‘feminine’ dance outfits for him, but then he gets all confused and says that ‘clothes don’t have gender.’” 

Amanda giggled, and looked at Sam, who was staring at her in bewilderment. “How do you know all of this,” he asked. “Are these videos online?” 

“No, I watch Livestreams every night,” she said, as onscreen Neil held up some glittery costume piece to the camera. 

“Okay, love the dedication, but no more spoilers,” Sam insisted. “I want to go into this experience with virgin eyes. And afterwards,” he pointed a finger in Amanda’s face for emphasis, “ afterwards, you can tell me everything that I missed.” 

“No, that’s so fair.”Amanda groaned with a smile on her face.  “Sorry for being so obsessed.” 

“I promise it’s endearing and not at all creepy,” Sam said. Onscreen Neil laughed at something a costume designer said, who clearly blushed and looked flustered. 

“He’s very cute,” Sam said. 

Amanda sighed, “Yeah, and he’s like, disgustingly in love with his boyfriend, Andrew Minyard.” 

“Think he’ll be here tonight,” Sam asked, looking around the stadium, as if Andrew would pop up from under the seats. 

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Amanda said with a grin. “These seats look directly into the VIP tent.” 

Amanda had never been so grateful she had decided to create a Neil Josten instagram fan account five years ago. She had been able to get nosebleeds to his reputation tour, and literally screamed herself hoarse. She had created fan videos and posted content throughout the past five years of all his songs. Amanda had even gone viral a few times for her analysis of his song lyrics. 

When Neil Nation had DM’ed her about giving her and one guest free tickets in the lower bowl as a thanks for being such a loyal fan, she had nearly ascended into the heavens. She and her now ex had planned outfits, scheduled Uber rides, booked a hotel room, only for Jamie to have been cheating on her for months. After crying her eyes out to Sam at work, he had graciously volunteered to go with her. He promised to wear whatever she wanted him to wear, book a separate room in the same hotel as her and even drive them to and from the concert. 

“You can scream at the top of your lungs, and talk about Neil Josten all you want all weekend long,” Sam had said, while Amanda had dried her tears in the breakroom. “I promise to listen to every word and every theory you have about every song and outfit.” 

Amanda was glad that Sam had agreed to come with her. He had stayed true to his word and listened to every song on the drive down, had paused the music for her to explain the lore behind every song, and even asked follow up questions. When she had presented him with his costume, a shirt with a large heart and a king crown, he hadn’t even blinked an eye. 

“King of my heart?” he had asked hesitantly, grinning when she cheered at his correct answer. 

“I’m going to go get a drink,” Sam said, interrupting Amanda’s thoughts. “You want anything?” 

“Just a water, thanks,” Amanda replied, gratefully. “I’m going to stay here and take some photos and videos for content.” 

“Sounds good,” Sam said, before he ambled off.  

Amanda stood up and wandered around, talking to some of the people around her. Making friends and promoting her page. She took various photos of the stage, some people’s outfits, and made sure to get a few selfies. Before long, Sam had returned and they settled in to watch the opening act. 

Halfway through the set, Sam poked Amanda’s arm, getting her attention. “Isn’t that Andrew?” He pointed into the VIP tent and sure enough, there was Andrew standing at the back of the tent with a blank expression on his face. 

Amanda sucked in a gasp of air. “Oh my god.” Then, she noticed who was next to Andrew. “Oh my god, and that’s Kevin Day. And Aaron Minyard, and Katelyn, and Matt. Oh my god, something huge is happening tonight!” Amanda’s knee started bouncing excitedly and Sam patted it gently. 

“Please explain who half of those people are.” 

“Okay, Aaron is obviously Andrew’s twin, and Katelyn is his wife. They only go to shows when Andrew shows up, but that’s not really special because Andrew is at almost every show, but, every other time they’ve been to a show, something has happened. Kevin Day is Neil’s producer. He’s at every show, but he's usually either on stage as a band member, or backstage helping with sound. Matt is-” 

“No, that’s the one person I know,” Sam interrupted. “He’s an Olympian boxer,” he added proudly. 

“And, he’s dating Dan Wilds, and he's Neil’s best friend according to his insta bio,” Amanda added. 

“Oh, damn,” Sam said. “I’m jealous.” 

“Of who? Matt or Dan,” Amanda teased slyly. 

“Both, I think,” Sam said consideringly. “They’re both scary hot and could probably break my face in half.” 

“Yeah,” Amanda sighed wistfully. “I’m so excited for you to see Dan’s costumes.” 

Amanda watched as Aaron and Katelyn took some photos with the stage, Andrew disgustedly holding up Katelyn’s phone to snap a few photos. Katelyn gestured something at Andrew, and he scowled at her, but after a few moments, he seemed to relent and quickly took a selfie of the three of them with the stage in the background. 

Kevin was talking animatedly with Matt at the back of the tent while they sat in their chairs. Matt seemed to be listening intently, nodding along with Kevin’s rambling, while glancing at his phone every so often. Amanda watched as Andrew leaned against the barrier that separated the VIP tent from the rest of the crowds, a security officer standing nearby so no one could approach him. 

“Does Andrew really go to every show?” Sam’s question brought her out of her observations. 

“I think almost every one,” Amanda replied. “I would do though if Neil Josten had written a thousand love songs about me.” Sam snorted in agreement, and suddenly, a clock appeared on the huge screen, starting the countdown. 

Amanda shot to her feet with a shriek, along with everyone else in the stadium. Sam stood up a moment afterwards, bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation. Fog started pouring out along the bottom of the stage, covering the floor and the front half of the catwalk in a thick coat of clouds. 

“ I promise that you'll never find another like me !” Neil’s voice rang through the air, and the stadium dissolved into screams. Neil appeared in the middle of the stage, being pushed up through the floor as the first lyric finished. He was wearing a baby blue jumpsuit that cut off at his thighs. Neil’s legs were encased in fishnet stockings that appeared to have rhinestones dotted throughout the threads. He smiled at the crowd and took a breath. 

“ I know that I'm a handful, baby, uh. I know I never think before I jump. And you're the kind of guy everybody wants. ” The section of the stage Neil was standing on raised into the air as he sang the first lines of the song. He waved teasingly at the crowd, looking around in excitement. Amanda grabbed Sam’s arm, jumping up and down and screaming the next lyrics along with Neil. 

“I know that I went psycho on the phone. I never leave well enough alone. And trouble's gonna follow where I go. ” Neil winked cheekily at the last line, his face clearly showing up on the screens behind him. The platform began to lower again; most of the fog having been cleared for Neil to make his way safely around the stage. Dancers began to march down the catwalk to the beat with Neil at their center. 

“But one of these things is not like the others. Like a rainbow with all of the colors, ” Neil raised his hand in a semi-arc over his head as rainbow lights flashed through the crowds. Amanda heard Sam gasp at the visuals and tried not to shriek in excitement at him. 

“Baby doll, when it comes to a lover, I promise that you'll never find another like me-e-e, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh. I'm the only one of me. Baby, that's the fun of me!” Neil turned his back to Amanda’s side of the stadium to sing to the crowds on the right and Amanda grabbed Sam’s arm again, shrieking and pointing. 

“What? What!” Sam shouted, grabbing her arm back. 

“He has rhinestone hearts bedazzled on his ass!” Amanda screamed, pointing at Neil as he turned around to wave at their section. 

“They’re on his back pockets!” Sam shouted in confusion. 

“His ass pockets!” Amanda yelled back. 

“I know I tend to make it about me. I know you never get just what you see. But I will never bore you, baby. And there's a lot of lame guys out there. ” Neil made his way to the end of the catwalk, ending up in the center of the heart. Amanda craned her neck to see Andrew in the tent. The blonde man was still leaning on the front of the barricade, his eyes fixated on Neil with a blank expression on his face. 

“And when we had that fight out in the rain. You ran after me and called my name. I never wanna see you walk away, ” Neil blew a kiss in Andrew’s direction, making the crowd roar even louder, and made his way back up the catwalk, singing the main chorus again. The screens projected his side profile as he strutted back up the catwalk, his grin stretching across his face. When he made it to the main stage again, he turned back around to the crowd. 

“Hey, kids!” Neil shouted. 

“LA is fun!” Amanda and the crowd chanted back. 

Sam leaned in to shout in her ear, “What was that?” 

“The original lyric is ‘spelling is fun,’” Amanda explained, as Neil sang the bridge, the stage platform rising again under his feet. “But, he changed it the first night to ‘LA is fun,’ so now we all shout that back at him!” 

“You didn’t tell me this was interactive!” Sam shouted over the noise. 

“You said no spoilers!” Amanda protested. 

Onstage, Neil was finishing up the final chorus, the dancers finally all back in place on the main stage. “And I promise that nobody's gonna love you like me!” He struck his final pose with one of his hands on his hips, breathing hard on the platform. The crowd roared in excitement and Neil grinned, waving excitedly. He lifted up his microphone, and Amanda took out her phone to record his opening. 

“Welcome to the last night of the LoverFest in LA!” Neil cried out, as the audience screamed in approval. The platform lowered back down to the stage and Neil stepped off, his white sneakers standing out against the black floor. He grinned as he waved at the crowd. “I’m Neil,” he said, “and I’m so glad you’re here tonight! We have some exciting things in store for you, so let’s get started!” 

The beat suddenly dropped as Neil began the next song, strutting farther down the catwalk.. “ Fever dream high in the quiet of the night, you know that I bought it.” Amanda shrieked in excitement, her phone almost falling from her hand. Sam steadied her without taking his eyes off Neil who was still on the main stage. Neil struck a pose in the middle of the catwalk. 

A new section of the stage began to rise under Neil’s feet as he continued to sing, “ Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price. You know that I bought it. ” He waggled his fingers flirtily at the audience. “ Killing me slow, out the window. I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below. ” His cheekbones shimmered in the glow of the sunset and Amanda idly wondered what highlighter he was using. 

“Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes. What doesn't kill me makes me want you more, ” Neil sang, as he dramatically reached towards the audience with one hand. Next to Amanda, Sam was bouncing to the beat enthusiastically. 

“And it's new, the shape of your body! It's blue, the feeling I've got! And it's ooh, whoa, oh! It's a cruel summer,” Neil and the thousands of people in the crowd sang together. Amanda swore she felt the stadium shaking under her feet as the song pounded through the speakers. 

“It's cool, that's what I tell ‘em. No rules in breakable heaven. But ooh, whoa oh. It's a cruel summer with you,” Neil crooned into the microphone, pointing to the crowd as his platform slowly began to lower back down. 

“Who is this song about?” Sam shouted over the crowd, as Neil started the second verse. 

“No one!” Amanda shouted back. “He said in an interview that he made it up! He was thinking about how different people fall into relationships and situationships and wrote a song about what he thought could have happened instead!” 

“Like him and Andrew? Did he write an alternate universe about him and his own boyfriend?” Sam stared at Amanda in befuddlement, then back at Neil who was wrapping up the chorus. 

“Yes!” Amanda cackled. “We call it the ‘Cruel Summer AU!’” 

“Los Angeles!” Neil shouted from the main stage, posing with one hand on his hip. “We have reached the first bridge of the night! Should we cross it together?” The crowd roared at him and he laughed. “Let me hear you, in three, two, one, go!” 

“I'm drunk in the back of the car. And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar. Said, "I'm fine, " but it wasn't true. I don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you!” Neil strutted back down the catwalk to the beat, stomping his feet in faux anger during the last line. 

“And I snuck in through the garden gate. Every night that summer just to seal my fate.” Neil had finally made it back down to the heart at the end of the catwalk, which was lighting up in various shades of pastels, pinks and blues.  “And I screamed for whatever it's worth, "I love you, " ain't that the worst thing you ever heard?” 

Neil threw his arms open and gestured at the audience who screamed back at him, “He looks up grinning like a devil! ” Neil cheered and finished up the song on the heart, waving to the people on the floor, until he struck his final pose. The crowd ate it up, and Neil smiled again. Amanda suddenly realized that he had never really stopped. 

“Welcome, again,” Neil said, to the crowd, “to the last night of LoverFest in LA!” He waited for a few moments for the crowd to settle down. “Like I said earlier, I’m Neil,” he said, waving. “And I’m glad you were able to make it tonight. My team and I have some surprises planned for you, so don’t go anywhere!” Amanda snorted at the idea of leaving early. 

“But for now,” Neil continued, as a stagehand passed him a light pink guitar and another placed a microphone stand in front of him, “let’s keep this good energy going!” The lights in the stadium turned hot pink, and Neil began to strum the chords to the title song. Amanda grabbed Sam’s arm and shrieked. 

“I actually know this one!” Sam cried proudly as Neil began to sing. 

“We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January. And this is our place, we make the rules. And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear. Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?” Neil’s voice echoed throughout the stadium, as he looked around at the crowd, before settling his eyes toward the VIP tent. Amanda tried not to swoon as she picked out Andrew staring at Neil from just behind the barricade. 

She whipped out her phone to film Andrew throughout the song, zooming in as much as she could on her phone. She wanted to save his reactions, even if he barely made any, on the last night of the tour. Surely, whatever Neil was planning, Andrew already knew. 

In the back of the VIP tent, Kevin was swaying dramatically with Renee, both wearing bright smiles on their faces. Katelyn had wrapped her arm around Aaron’s waist, pressing a kiss to his hair. Matt was at the barricade with his phone out pointing towards Dan on stage with her dance partner. The pair were both in bright emerald green, dancing a waltz around Neil’s raised platform. Matt was grinning excitedly as Dan’s dress sailed out behind her as she was lifted above her partner’s head. 

Andrew was still leaning calmly against the barricade; his eyes never wavering from Neil’s face. Amanda dragged her camera lens back to Neil, who was smiling to the audience. His eyes continuously darted back to Andrew’s form, his smile growing more sincere each time. The dancers continued to waltz around the platform, their dresses and suits creating a rainbow of color around Neil. 

As Neil began to sing the outro to the song, Amanda zoomed back in on Andrew, hoping to get one more reaction. The blonde was still as stoic as ever and Amanda huffed in annoyance, knowing she wouldn’t have any cute new content, when she saw it. 

Andrew lifted his hand to join the applause as Neil took his first bow, and something on his finger glinted. Amanda squinted at her phone’s screen. Andrew ran his hand through his hair, and Amanda shrieked. Her voice was lost in the crowd, but Sam turned to her. 

“What?” 

“Andrew! His hand! Shiny!” Amanda was screaming and pointing at the VIP tent, as Neil was unbuttoning his jumpsuit on stage. A tank top with shades of black, gray, and purple was revealed underneath. Neil removed the top half of the jumpsuit, leaving him in his tank top and shorts. The dancers gracefully ran off stage, taking Neil’s guitar, the microphone stand, and the top of his costume with them. Neil ran a hand through his hair and waved to the audience. 

“What are you even saying,” Sam asked. “Neil is literally stripping on stage and you’re screaming about Andrew’s hand?” 

“He has a ring on his hand!” Amanda screamed. “I think they’re engaged!” 

Amanda couldn’t stop jumping up and down, and Sam was desperately trying to keep her calm. She knew that this was the surprise. Neil was going to announce his engagement at some point during the concert. And she was going to be here to see it. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” Neil said on stage, “but I’m going to take some time to run my mouth a bit. As many of you know, I am in a relationship with a guy.” He blew a kiss towards the VIP tent and the crowd’s screams somehow got louder. “And, I identify as demisexual,” he gestured to his shirt. 

“Now, I personally believe it’s very brave to be vulnerable about your feelings in any situation, but it’s even more brave to be honest about your feelings and who you love when you know that it might be met with adversity from society,” Neil calmly walked around the edge of the stage as he talked to the audience, pausing when the cheers got too loud. 

"I want to send my love and respect to everybody who hasn’t felt comfortable enough to come out yet and may you do that on your own time and may we end up in a world where everyone can live and love equally and no one has to be afraid to all say how they feel.” He strode back to the center of the catwalk, as his dancers started striding back down the catwalk to meet him. 

“And for those people who don’t agree,” he took a dramatic pause, and slyly glanced around the stadium. “You need to calm down.” The stadium erupted and Amanda felt her throat burn with how hard she was screaming. 

“You are somebody that I don't know. But you're taking shots at me like it's Patrón ,” Neil mimed taking a shot, the screens behind him picking up the flexing of his throat. “And I'm just like "Damn, it's 7:00 a.m. ” he rolled his eyes conspiratorially at the dancer next to him. 

Amanda waved her arms around as she sang along with the next lyrics. “Say it in the street, that's a knock-out. But you say it in a Tweet, that's a cop-out. And I'm just like, "Hey, are you okay?"” Neil turned to Dan Wilds beside him, who was in a spandex version of Neil’s outfit, complete with a bi flag as her top instead, and offered her his hand. Together, they began to make their way back down the catwalk again, strutting to the beat. The other dancers paired off as well, and Amanda noticed that many of them were also wearing various pride flags as their shirts. 

“And I ain't trying to mess with your self-expression. But I've learned the lesson that stressin' and obsessin' 'bout somebody else is no fun, '' Neil gave a fake pout to the audience, and then, snapping his hips to the beat he sang, “And snakes and stones never broke my bones.” 

“So, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, You need to calm down, ” Neil shook his finger disapprovingly at the audience. “You're being too loud. ” He gave a big grin as Dan grabbed his hand. 

“ And I'm just like oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, You need to just stop ,” he twirled Dan under his arm, and Sam chuckled at Dan having to comically squat to match Neil’s height. 

“Like, can you just not step on my gown? You need to calm down, ” Neil gestured in fake anger towards his boots at Dan. 

“Has Neil ever worn a gown,” Sam asked with a bit of amusement in his voice. 

“No, but the lyric is more about he should have the freedom to wear whatever he wants without people on the internet judging him,” Amanda replied without missing a beat. She waved her hands to the beat as Neil continued with the second verse. “I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he started wearing more ‘girlie’ stuff once this tour ended. Based on everything he’s been saying.” 

“You just need to take several seats and then try to restore the peace. And control your urges to scream about all the people you hate, ” Neil continued to sing in the middle of the catwalk. Grinning, he held his microphone out to the crowd as everyone shouted, “'Cause shade never made anybody less gay!”  

“Exactly!” he cried, making his way back down to the heart. “So, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, You need to calm down. You’re being too loud,” he sang again, repeating the chorus, while pointing and waving at the crowd on the floor. 

“Let me see your hands!” Neil said to the beat, waving his hand over his head to the beat, while he kept singing. Amanda and Sam waved their hands to the beat, everyone in the crowd joining them. The bracelets they had received on the way into the concert lit up in various colors of the rainbow, creating a multitude of lights throughout the stadium. 

“You need to just stop, can you just stop?” The song was winding down to an end and Neil strode back over to where he originally had risen out from the stage. “Like, can you just not step on our gowns?” His dancers flocked around him, striking various poses. “You need to calm down.” He smirked at the audience as he lowered down under the stage, disappearing from view. 

“Ooh, we’re getting to the Andrew portion of the show!” Amanda squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands together. The visuals on the screen began to flash through various cuts of a silhouette in black and white. First, it was just broad shoulders. Then, the camera trailed down a man’s back to his arms. All the while the screen was fading in and out to the beat still pouring from the speakers. 

“What do you mean? Is Andrew, like, going to go on stage,” Sam asked incredulously, craning his head to look into the VIP tent.

“What? No! Neil is about to sing Gorgeous and I Think He Knows! Andrew wrote both of those songs!” 

The screen suddenly blacked out, leaving the entire stadium in darkness. The crowd began to scream as a single spotlight fell on Neil where he was strutting out from a doorway in the bottom of the big screen. The opening notes of Gorgeous began to blare from the speakers and Neil grinned as he raised the microphone. 

“ You should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk,” he smirked at the audience, and waggled his fingers flirtatiously. “ You should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong.”  

Amanda tried to zoom in to take photos of Neil’s new outfit; a full body suit with the right leg and arm bare. Pastels of greens, blues, and golds, swirled up and down Neil’s body suit, sending off sparkles as he danced to the beat on the main stage. His boots were gold rhinestone, matching the highlights of the body suit. His dancers were wearing matching bodysuits, but Amanda had seen the behind the scenes where Dan had insisted on the dancers’ suits being short so that they could move easier to the music. 

Neil sashayed his way down the catwalk, pretending to flirt with the audience through the lyrics. All the while, new images were flashing behind him on the screen. A hand ran through short, blonde hair. A close up of a flexed bicep. A shot of a hazel eye, narrowing in a glare at the camera. Interspersed with a shot of Neil’s smiling mouth. His flaming red hair being tugged on by pinched fingers. A zoomed in shot of his eyes darting to the right, the icy blues almost popping off the screen. The visuals repeated themselves over and over; the same hazel eye and the same blue eyes. 

“The background visuals are close ups of Andrew and Neil!” Amanda screamed into Sam’s ear. “It’s because Andrew wrote Gorgeous about Neil, but now Neil gets to sing it about Andrew. Their entire relationship is based on balance and equality and I love them so much and I think they’re engaged and I hope they’re happy forever and-” 

“Take a breath!” shouted Sam, over Neil singing the bridge. Neil had finally made his way back down the catwalk and was dancing in the middle of the heart. 

“You make me so happy, it turns back to sad, yeah. There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have,” Neil jumped back and forth to the beat with his dancers, who were all laughing and smiling at Neil and the audience. 

“Guess I'll just stumble on home to my cats, ” Neil let out a heavy sigh. “Alone?” He paused for a moment and looking right into the VIP tent sang, “ Unless you wanna come along?” He winked dramatically, the screens behind him catching everything in perfect clarity. He turned in a circle, and began to skip back up the catwalk, singing the last outro of the song to the audience. Neil was clearly making sure to make eye contact with people on the floor, waving and pointing in excitement to their outfits. He hit his final pose back on the main stage, with his back to the audience. One arm was extended over his head as he popped out a hip on the final beat. 

The next song’s beat started pumping through the stadium, and Neil’s hips began to rock to the beat. His hand overhead rolled his fingers, snapping to the music. “I think he knows his footprints on the sidewalk lead to where I can't stop. Go there every night,” Neil sang into the microphone, his back still to the audience. 

“I think he knows his hands around a cold glass, make me wanna know that body like it's mine,” Neil peered over his shoulder at the crowd, a seductive grin on his face. 

“Am I attracted to this,” Amanda heard Sam muttering to himself. 

“He got that boyish look that I like in a man. I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans. It's like I'm seventeen, nobody understands. No one understands,” Neil dramatically pretended to swoon into Dan’s arms, and she playfully shoved him off. He continued singing the song on the main stage, rocking his hips rhythmically to the beat and grinning at the audience. 

The screens behind him continued to flash with a heavy looking pair of boots walking down a street to the beat. The back of a familiar blonde head turning down an alleyway. Neil’s familiar scarred fingers wrapping around a glass dripping with condensation. The screen eventually flipped back to Neil in real time; allowing the audience to see him with more ease. 

Neil stopped in the middle of the catwalk, and looked out at the audience conspiratorially. “Lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh. We can follow the sparks, I'll drive. Lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh. We can follow the sparks, I'll drive.” He walked a few more paces down the catwalk and then stopped again. 

He lowered his voice, and looked around at the audience with dramatic curiosity, “So where we gonna go? I whisper in the dark, Where we gonna go?” He grinned and threw his head back to belt, “I think he knows!” Amanda whooped in excitement; her cheers were lost in the roar of the crowd. 

Neil finished up his final notes, hitting a pose with his dancers fanned out around him. Even from their seats, Amanda could see how hard he was breathing. She once again was reminded by how much cardio Neil Josten had to do on a daily basis and was not envious in the slightest. She watched as Neil took a quick bow, as his dancers filed off through the door in the screen on the main stage. 

A crew member stayed behind to help Neil into his next outfit change, while another held a bright baby blue guitar. The crew member slid a long sleeved, floor sweeping, glittery robe onto Neil’s shoulders. Neil tied the string around his waist to create more of a defined silhouette. The robe had flowy sleeves, and a slit that went up to Neil’s thigh on the right leg. As Neil accepted the guitar from the second crew member, he leaned into the microphone in front of him. Amanda whipped out her phone to record his impromptu speech. 

“Would you all give a long round of applause to my crew? They bring me my guitars and dress me every night and haven’t missed a beat once.” He held his hands over his head, clapping with the audience as his two crew members waved, and disappeared under the stage. 

“So,” Neil began, pushing up the one long sleeve of his jumpsuit, under the robe. “Wait, shit, hold on.” The crowd laughed and cheered as Neil reached inside the robe to shove his jumpsuit sleeve up, so that it would be better hidden under the robe’s flowy sleeve. 

“That’s better,” Neil said, hefting his guitar onto his shoulder again. “I would like to point out that I really do love all my outfits, but this one is one of my favorites because look!” He waved the edge of the robe dramatically around his leg, exposing the slit that went up to his thigh. “It’s so breezy!” The crowd screamed in approval as Neil shoved his leg out of the slit in the robe and Amanda zoomed into the VIP tent to see if she could get a reaction from Andrew. 

Andrew appeared to be white knuckling the barricade, his eyes seemingly fixated on Neil’s exposed leg. She grinned to herself, knowing that she had struck gold. She could already see the edits she could create from this.

“Okay, back to our normal schedule,” Neil said, strumming his guitar. “While we have had an insane amount of energy tonight, I am going to slow it down and play my acoustic set now. One thing that’s very important to me when I’m songwriting, is that all of my songs sound good on the guitar first. I don’t write them for stadium tours, even though Kevin would love it if I did because it would make his life easier.” He grinned, and waved at the VIP tent. Amanda saw Kevin in the back of the tent give Neil his middle finger. Neil laughed. 

“I write all of my songs to ensure that they could sound good, like this,” he played a guitar chord. “Stripped down. So, without further stalling, here are a few of those songs. Sing along if you know the words!” 

He leaned into the microphone, his voice becoming low and sultry, “He said, "Let's get out of this town. Drive out of the city, away from the crowds" I thought Heaven can't help me now. Nothing lasts forever.”

“But this is gonna take me down, ” sang the audience as one with excitement. Neil grinned through the rest of the song, finishing with a large sweeping bow. The ends of the robe swirled out around his feet as he turned around to bow to the other side of the stage. 

Amanda could have sobbed with joy as Neil sang through Style, False God, and Afterglow. He twirled around the platform heart for the upbeat lyrics of Style, and slowed down for the two more somber songs that followed. All the while, his eyes kept glancing towards the VIP tent where Amanda knew Andrew was still leaning against the barricade. She wondered what it would be like to find a love like that someday. 

As Neil sang the final lines of Afterglow, Amanda cheered with the rest of the audience. “He’s about to sing Daylight,” she informed Sam, getting her camera ready. “He plays this one on the piano that he had custom built for this tour. It rises out of the platform near the edge of the catwalk, closest to the heart.” She fumbled with her phone, getting ready to capture her favorite song. 

“What piano?” 

Amanda stopped cold, her eyes darting back up to the stage. Neil was waving at the crowd and slipping under the stage, a mischievous grin on his face as the lights went black. “What’s happening?” she shrieked, as the audience around her simultaneously dissolved into hysterics. “He always plays Daylight next! Did he take it off the setlist?” 

“Is it important,” Sam asked hesitantly, flinching as Amanda whirled on him. 

“Yes! It’s the culmination of the Lover album! Everything that has been said throughout the album from Andrew and Neil wrapped up into one beautiful, heart-wrenching song!” Around her, Amanda could hear other people panicking as well. She gasped, and Sam immediately tensed.

“Oh god, what now?” 

“Maybe this has to do with the surprise,” she said, as the lights suddenly came back up in a sweeping motion across the screen. A familiar chord rang out, and Neil rose up through the platform on the main stage. The lights were positioned to show him silhouette against the screens, his frame standing out against the bright lights. 

“Our secret moments in your crowded room. They got no idea about me and you. There is an indentation in the shape of you. Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo,” he crooned into the microphone. The crowd dissolved into screams of excitement. 

“This is it!” Amanda cried, grabbing and tugging on Sam’s arm. “This is the Andriel song!” 

“It’s the what song?” Sam asked in confusion. Amanda felt a brief moment of sympathy for his confusion, which was shoved away by Neil continuing to sing. 

“It’s their couple's name!” Amanda shrieked, as Neil continued to sing on the raised platform. 

He was dressed in an oversized suit jacket that came down to about his mid thigh. His legs were covered in rhinestone studded fishnet tights, with black sparkly boots that came up to his knee. The suit was slouchy, but fitted at the waist, and it gave the illusion that Neil wasn’t wearing much underneath. 

Neil rocked his hips to the increasing beat, as his dancers filed out around his platform. “My hands are shaking from holding back from you, ” Neil continued to sing. His hand slid over his chest and hips as he made his quick, breathy moans. Amanda whooped along with the crowd, egging Neil on as he fanned his face dramatically.  

The platform lowered as Neil began to sing the chorus of the song, allowing him to tease and flirt with the audience from the stage. He slowly made his way down the catwalk, pausing to serenade each side of the audience during the second verse. Amanda brought her phone out to film him when he turned to her section. 

“I'm spilling wine in the bathtub. You kiss my face and we're both drunk. Everyone thinks that they know us, ” Neil gestured to the crowd to finish the lyric. 

“But they know nothing about! ” Amanda’s section shouted in unison, and Neil nodded approvingly, turning to start slowly prowling down the catwalk again. Amanda followed his eyes, which were trained on the VIP tent, with her phone. Andrew was still at the barricade, and Amanda suddenly realized that he hadn’t moved from his spot all night. 

Neil finally made his way to the heart at the end of the catwalk, and sang through the bridge. “Flashback when you met me. Your buzzcut and my hair bleached. Even in my worst times; you could see the best of me,” Neil pointed to where Andrew was standing, and the crowd went wild. However, the pair only seemed to have eyes for each other. 

“Flashback to my mistakes. My rebounds, my earthquakes. Even in my worst lies. You saw the truth in me,” Neil continued, smiling at Andrew. 

“And I woke up just in time. Now I wake up by your side. My one and only, my lifeline. I woke up just in time. Now I wake up by your side,” he seemed to be singing earnestly to Andrew, and Amanda caught herself holding her breath. She almost felt like she was intruding into a special moment. 

“My hands shake, I can't explain this ah, ha, ha, ha, ” Neil ran his hand down his chest and back up his throat, exaggerating his moans. The crowd rose to a frenzied pitch and he winked at Andrew, before continuing to sing. Andrew was scowling at him, and Amanda caught sight of Aaron behind Andrew pretending to gag. 

Neil walked back up the catwalk, singing, “Say my name and everything just stops.” He thrust out his hand on the last word, and the stadium lights went completely out. Suddenly, a clear, deep voice rang out from the speakers, “ Neil .” The familiar voice was tinged with fondness and a bit of irritation. The crowd screamed so loud, Amanda thought her eardrums would burst. 

The lights flew back on, as Neil continued to sing, a giant grin on his face, “I don't want you like a best friend.” 

“What was that?” Sam cried over the noise. On stage, Neil continued singing, waving to the crowds, as he started back up the catwalk. 

“It was new! But that was definitely Andrew’s voice!” shouted Amanda. The pair was absolutely up to something. This was the most interaction between the two of them that Amanda had seen at any other show. Most of the time, Neil kept his flirting with Andrew to a minimum; this was almost obscene. She was loving every second of it. 

Neil ended the song at the end of the catwalk, near the main stage. He hit his final pose, grinning excitedly at the crowd. Amanda felt a surge of despair shoot through her; there were only a few songs left. 

Almost as if on cue, the next beat dropped. Neil moved his hips to the new beat, waggling his fingers at Dan, who matched his rhythm. “I love my hometown as much as Motown, I love SoCal. And you know I love Springsteen, faded blue jeans, Tennessee whiskey,” he made a wistful face, then screwed his face up into a faux dramatic expression. 

“But something happened, I heard him laughing. I saw the dimples first and then I heard the accent,” he explained to Dan, who nodded her head in serious agreement. “ They say home is where the heart is,” Neil paused slyly, then continued, “But that's not where mine lives.” 

Dan suddenly pulled at the belt on Neil’s suit, as another dancer came up behind him. A flurry of dancers moved in front of him, covering him completely, and Neil emerged in his next outfit. Neil was wearing what appeared to be high waisted shorts, that were covered in beads and sequins. The shorts were dangerously short, and the only real length that they had were the fringed string of beads hanging off the ends. On top, he was wearing a cropped tank top, covered in matching beadings and sequins. The entire outfit was an icy blue, that even from her distance, Amanda knew would compliment his eyes. 

“You know I love a London boy. I enjoy walking Camden Market in the afternoon. He likes my American smile. Like a child when our eyes meet, darling, I fancy you,” Neil sang the lyrics with a huge smile on his face. He had reached out for Dan’s hand, and she twirled him under her arm, causing his fringe to swing out from the shorts. Amanda saw Sam’s eyebrows shoot up when he saw just how short Neil’s shorts were. 

“Why not just wear a leotard at that point,” he asked, as Neil continued to swivel his hips, fringe flying everywhere. 

“Honestly, I bet he will next tour,” Amanda replied, while she danced to the beat. “Dan and a few of the other dancers mentioned he tried on their leotards and said that they were comfier than the shorts.” 

“Oh, wow,” Sam said faintly, watching as Neil dropped to the floor, and slowly raised himself back up, shaking his hips all the while. 

Amanda grabbed Sam’s shoulder and jumped up and down screaming the lyrics. She reached down to grab Sam’s hand, squeezing it tightly in excitement as Neil finished up the song. His chest was heaving as he hit his final pose, breaking it to wave excitedly at the crowd. 

“Alright, LA,” Neil said, “Unfortunately, this is our final song of the evening, but you have been an amazing crowd. I hope you’ve enjoyed all of our treats and I hope you never forget the important things in life.” He grinned cheekily, “Shiny things and paper rings.” The beat started blaring through the speakers. 

“The moon is high, like your friends were the night that we first met,” Neil pointed into the VIP tent and Amanda saw Kevin throw up his hands in confusion. 

“Went home and tried to stalk you on the internet. Now I've read all of the books beside your bed,” Neil paused a moment to stare dreamily off into the distance, the dancers surrounding him in a circle. He pretended as if he had been startled out of a daydream, and continued to sing. “The wine is cold, like the shoulder that I gave you in the street. Cat and mouse for a month or two or three. Now I wake up in the night and watch you breathe,” he smirked and ran a hand through his hair flirtily. 

“Kiss me once 'cause you know I had a long night. Kiss me twice 'cause it's gonna be alright,” Neil jumped from side to side with his dancers to the beat as he sang. “Three times 'cause I've waited my whole life!” He pointed at the audience. 

“One, two, one, two, three, four! ” the audience shouted, and Neil grinned appreciatively before moving into the chorus. Amanda tried to capture every moment in her mind, knowing that the concert would be over soon. She tried to stop her tears, wiping furiously at her eyes. 

“Are you okay,” Sam asked, ducking down to look at Amanda. 

“I’m just so happy,” she wailed. “It’s been such a magical night. I don’t want it to end!” Sam put his arm around her shoulders in support as she tried to sing along with Neil through her tears. 

“Darling, you're the one I want,” Neil continued on stage. He shimmied his shoulders, “In paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams. Oh, you're the one I want!” he winked, the screens behind him picking up his face in perfect definition. 

Neil continued through the song, waving to the audience and blowing kisses with his free hand in between lyrics. During the last chorus, confetti rained down from the stage’s scaffolding; shot violently out from confetti cannons. Amanda jumped to grab some and shove it in her bag. 

“I want to use it to decorate,” she said to Sam, who obediently swiped some off the ground and handed it to her. She beamed at him, and turned her attention back to Neil. 

“You're the one I want, one I want! ” Neil hit his final pose, and the crowd exploded into applause and cheers. Amanda screamed her approval, and Sam stuck two fingers in his mouth to let out a piercing whistle. Neil’s chest was heaving as he gasped for air, waving excitedly to the crowd as he gave his final bow. His dancers filed off stage, still dancing to the fading music. Neil slowly sank back under the stage, lowered by one of his platforms. 

“Is he not going to say goodbye?” Sam questioned. “He just straight up leaves?” 

Amanda immediately burst into tears again. 

“No, it’s okay! I’m sure he meant to say goodbye! Maybe he just forgot!” Sam said, patting her on the shoulder, sounding lost. “You got so many great videos, and made friends, and got some merch, and got some confetti! Do you want more confetti?” He grabbed some off the ground and offered it to her. 

“I’m just so happy and so sad and I don’t even know what to do now that it’s over,” Amanda cried. “I’ve been waiting for this night for months and now what do I look forward to? I just love him so-” Screams began to rise from the audience, and Amanda looked back at the stage. 

Neil was back. 

“HE’S BACK?” Amanda shrieked, slapping at Sam’s arms. “WHAT IS HE DOING BACK?” 

All around her, phones and cameras whipped out to record Neil jogging down the catwalk. He must have appeared from the doorway in the screen. He was dressed in an oversized black hoodie that reached his midthigh; the shoulders almost falling off of his slight frame. 

“Hi!” Neil said, breathlessly into the microphone he was holding tightly in his fist as he made it back to the heart at the end of the catwalk. “I hope you haven’t left yet, because I actually have one more surprise for you!” 

The audience screamed its approval and Neil chuckled. “I thought you might like that,” he responded. “You may have noticed that I skipped a song in the middle of the set,” he grinned mischievously at the audience. “Well, what would you say about listening to that song now?” The crowd cheered, but Amanda heard the confusion ringing loud and clear. 

“I hope you don’t mind though,” Neil continued, pausing dramatically as he continued his speech. “I’m just a little tired right now, so I thought I would show you the music video instead.” He flung his hand theatrically at the screen which read in giant font, “World Premiere of the music video for Daylight.”

Amanda blacked out. When she came back to reality, she was still screaming, clutching Sam’s arms as the audience reached a fever pitch that she had never seen before. Neil was grinning excitedly down on the stage, clearly enjoying the chaos he was creating. 

“Great!” he said, settling down to sit on the stage. “Let’s watch it together then!” He gestured at the people on the floor to settle down and be quiet. Amanda giggled hysterically while watching Neil sprawl on the stage to tell people to watch the screen and not him. 

Suddenly, the giant screens began a countdown. The film was grainy and flickered, as if it was an old recording that someone had found in an attic. Phones all around Amanda were pointed at the screen, but Amanda knew that she needed to experience this with her whole body. She kept her phone in her pocket. 

The screen suddenly went black, sweeping the arena into darkness. Then, Neil’s face took up the whole screen. “ My life was as cruel as the cities I lived in. Everyone looked worse in the light,” his voice sang over the footage . Neil was calmly staring into the camera, his face was relaxed and his eyes looked curiously into the lens. He was clearly being filmed outside on a sunny day, given how bright the film had become. 

Neil’s voice continued to sing over the video, “There are so many lines that have been crossed unforgiven. I'll tell you the truth, but never goodbye. ” On the last word, a blinding grin overtook Neil’s entire face. His eyes crinkled up and he looked over the camera to whomever was filming. 

“Oh my god,” Amanda said faintly. Andrew had to have filmed this. There was no one else who Neil would smile at like that. 

“I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you. I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you.” Footage of Neil walking along what appeared to be a hiking trail flashed onto the screen. There were scraggly bushes on either side of him, and a dropoff that led to the ocean in the background. Neil looked backwards into the camera, shielding his eyes from the sun and laughed. The music playing over him blocked out any chance of the viewer hearing its sound. 

“I've been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night. And now I see daylight, I only see daylight.” Neil reached back for the camera, clearly stretching out his hand to the filmer. A sun flare made the entire shot go white, and then- 

“IT’S ANDREW!” Amanda screamed, the fans around her screaming as well. 

Andrew Minyard stared the camera down with his trademark blank expression; his arms folded in front of his chest. The background clearly indicated that he and Neil were at the same location overlooking the ocean. The entire time, Neil’s voice had continued to sing, “Luck of the draw only draws the unlucky. And so I became the butt of the joke.”  

The shot switched to a side profile of Andrew overlooking the ocean from the cliffside, standing by the barrier. “I wounded the good and I lived with the wicked. Clearing the air, I breathed in the smoke,” Andrew took what appeared to be a calming breath, and turned his head to look directly into the camera. His eyes almost seemed to soften at the edges when he looked at the filmer. 

The camera changed again to following Neil and Andrew getting into a convertible that was parked on the cliffside road. “Maybe you ran with the wolves and refused to settle down. Maybe I've stormed out of every single room in this town, ” Neil’s voice sang over the scene as the pair began to drive down the windy road. The camera followed overhead, appearing to be a drone shot; getting all of the ocean to Andrew’s left and catching Neil throwing back his head to laugh at something Andrew said. 

“Threw out our cloaks and our daggers because it's morning now. It's brighter now, now, ” the lens caught a sun flare again on Neil’s smile, and Amanda tried valiantly not to cry.  

“I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you. I can never look away. I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you. Things will never be the same, ” Neil’s voice sang over Andrew and Neil still driving down the coast. Andrew brought Neil’s hand up to his mouth, and pressed his knuckles to his lips. Neil beamed at him, and Andrew pulled off to another overlook. 

I've been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night. Now I'm wide awake. And now I see daylight, I only see daylight.” The shot changed to a close up of Neil’s face, excitement brimming from every pore. He seemed to be talking enthusiastically, gesturing animatedly at something off screen. Andrew’s gaze was fixed, unwavering on Neil’s face. He seemed to be holding on to Neil’s hand, but was keeping it continuously out of the camera’s focus. “ I only see daylight, daylight, daylight, daylight,” Andrew took a deep breath and the camera shot changed. 

The screen was showing Neil and Andrew from afar and the crowd began to scream, almost drowning out the words. “ And I can still see it all, in my mind. All of you, all of me, intertwined .” 

“He’s going to propose!” Amanda screamed, jumping up and down. Most of the crowd seemed to have figured it out with her, screams erupting from all over the stadium. Neil was laughing from his position on the stage, his eyes focused on his and Andrew’s forms on the screen. 

“I once believed love would be black and white. But it's golden, golden. ” On screen, Andrew took Neil’s hand and started to say a long stream of words that Amanda knew people would be trying to decipher for weeks to come. Neil’s face was clearly becoming more and more shocked, then excited, then to Amanda’s delight, she saw him wipe at his eyes. 

“And I can still see it all in my head. Back and forth from New York sleeping in your bed.” Andrew swiftly dropped to one knee, producing a ring out of his pocket, and Amanda lost all cognitive function. Surrounding her, the audience began to scream so loudly that she was sure it would be heard from miles away. On screen, Neil collapsed to his knees as well, frantically nodding, and giving Andrew his hand, who shoved the ring on with shaky hands. 

“ I once believed love would be burning red, but it's golden, ” Neil’s voice sang over the tender scene playing out on the screen. Andrew was shoving his face into Neil’s neck, wrapping his arms tightly around Neil’s waist. Neil had one arm around Andrew’s shoulder, his right hand buried in his hair at the nape of his neck. His left hand was extended out in front of his face; he was staring at the ring with an almost giddy expression. 

Amanda couldn’t believe Neil and Andrew had just given the world their proposal video. 

Suddenly, people were streaming by the camera, rushing to surround Andrew and Neil. Amanda caught Matt Boyd swooping Neil up into a bear hug, while Renee politely waited for Andrew to hug her first. Kevin gave Neil a tight hug, and then shook Andrew’s hand, gesturing back to the camera excitedly. Amanda wondered if he had helped film it. 

Amanda noted Andrew’s mom, Betsy, hugging Andrew tightly with Aaron at her side. Amanda saw Allison and Dan also in a brief shot hugging Neil and congratulating the pair before the camera cut again. “It's golden like daylight. You gotta step into the daylight and let it go. Just let it go, let it go, ” Neil’s voice sang over a closeup shot of his smile pressing into Andrew’s cheek. 

A voiceover spoke over the final clip of the video. “I wanna be defined by the things that I love. Not the things I hate. Not the things that I'm afraid of. Not the things that haunt me in the middle of the night,” Neil explained. On screen, he was smiling and staring at someone just off the camera. He lifted up the hand he was holding, showing off his ring in the process, and pressed a gentle kiss to Andrew’s knuckles. 

“I just think that, you are what you love, ” Neil said, the words ringing out as the video faded to black.  

The stadium lights flooded back on as Amanda tried to wrap her mind around what she had just seen. Neil and Andrew were engaged! 

“THEY’RE ENGAGED!” she shrieked at Sam. 

“You think that was real, or just for the music video?” he asked. 

Amanda let out an unholy screech at the thought. “It has to be real!” 

On stage, Neil was waving his final goodbye, standing on the platform that would lower him under the stage. “Thank you for an amazing month LA! Thank you for a wonderful last night here as well! I hope you had a great time!” As he waved, the screen behind him zoomed in on his hand. 

“THERE’S A RING ON HIS HAND NOW!” Amanda shouted, and the audience screamed as they watched Neil waggle his fingers teasingly at them. He started his slow descent, and suddenly, from under the stage, a hand snaked up and snatched at the edge of Neil’s hoodie, pulling him off the lowering platform and into someone’s waiting arms. 

Neil’s laughter rang out through the stadium, as his microphone finally cut out. “Couldn’t wait five more seconds, Drew?” 

If Andrew responded, it was lost to the roars of the crowd. Amanda collapsed in her seat. Her head was beginning to pound and she realized that she hadn’t stopped screaming and shouting since the concert had begun two hours earlier. 

“Well,” Sam said, sitting down next to her, as people began to slowly file out of the stadium. “Was it everything you wanted?” 

Amanda sighed happily, “Everything and more.”