Archive of Our Own ^beta

No one despises the tabloids as much as Link does. He talks to Rhett most nights while he's on tour. There's nothing like getting off the phone with your boyfriend and checking twitter before bed just to find twenty different articles on who else your boyfriend could be seeing. Rhett is patient with Link's frustration and occasional jealousy and he's so good about reassuring him he's the only one in his life.

That's why it's suspicious when Rhett asks him not to come to a certain concert. Link thought he could join him at the second to last stop on the tour so Rhett wouldn't have to deal with him at the last concert which tends to be more stressful. But a few weeks before, when Link proposes it, he says no. Rhett asks him to come to the last one. It doesn't mean anything and Link shouldn't be bothered by it, but he already had a hard week at work so it feels like just one more thing to worry about.

Their conversations the next couple of nights are more tense than usual until Link finally brings it back up.

"Why do you want me to come to the last concert instead of the one before? Won't it be more stressful for you?" Link asks. His tone conveys that there's more to it than just concern about Rhett's stress.

Calm as ever, Rhett says, "I just want you at the last one 's all, baby. Nothing's going on, it's that simple."

A feeling of guilt washes over Link at the accusation he basically leveled, but he's still concerned. "I'm sorry I'm being so paranoid. I just miss you and you know how I get up to overthinking."

"Blue eyes, I want you at my last concert of this tour. It's gonna be a fun night. I love you and only you."

Link sighs and smiles despite himself. "I know. I love you too, Rhett."

His excitement at seeing Rhett overtakes his nagging paranoia. Rhett is fully deserving of his trust and he has to give it to him. He gets to the venue about two hours before the concert, grinning like an idiot because he’s so excited to see his boyfriend. More than that, he’s excited to have him to himself for a while afterwards. Link makes conversation with some crew members and someone finds him a spot to wait backstage while Rhett finishes a sound check. He can hear his boyfriend’s voice through the walls and his mind drifts to moments by a fire where Rhett sang for him and only him.

“There you are.”

Link looks up to find Rhett walking down the hall toward him and his chest swells with untamable elation. They embrace in the hallway as if they haven’t seen each other in months when really it’s only been a few weeks.

“I’ve missed you,” Link says once they finally pull back enough to look at each other.

“I’ve missed you too, blue eyes,” Rhett says. He leans in closer to his ear and whispers, “Been thinking back to that night in Mississippi a lot today.” His hand sneaks down to give Link’s ass a squeeze.

Link laughs and color comes into his cheeks, “How about we do something tonight to top it?”

Rhett smiles with a knowing look in his eye, “Oh, I think we will. I have a front row seat for you.”

“Perfect, I don’t want to miss any of this.” He runs a hand down Rhett’s chest and kisses him with a little more heat than a moment ago. “Whatcha wearing tonight?”

“Nothing special. I’ve been told it matches my eyes.” Rhett kisses his cheek and jaw a couple of times before backing up a step, slipping a hand into Link’s. “Come sit with me for a few minutes before I have to get ready. I need someone to help me relax.” He winks and Link is laughing again, easily being pulled into the dressing room.

A heavy makeout session and some sweet words later, Link is in his seat in the auditorium. At the other shows he joined Rhett on tour, he was either backstage or more in the wings to watch the show. He didn’t mind at all, but he appreciates Rhett making this last one special.

The venue isn’t as intimate as the Ryman, but Link’s seat is in approximately the same area as it was there. He recalls memories of that night as he waits for the seats to fill. The couple sitting next to him recognize him and thankfully they don’t ask a bunch of questions about Rhett. They are both musicians themselves so they have a nice conversation about that. On his other side is a group of teenage girls who are delighted when they realize who he is. They aren’t overbearing and Link learns all their names and gives them a few nuggets of information about Rhett just for fun.

The opening band is good, but just like the first time, Link mostly just wants them to be done. When Rhett walks out on stage, he feels the same as he did all those months ago. Rhett looks so good in that olive green shirt. Different from the first time, though, Rhett meets his eyes right away and gives him a smile. Link replies with a thumbs up.

It feels like the concert is just for him. Link is pretty sure Rhett’s makes eyes at him way more than he should and his manager will probably get onto him later, but it doesn’t matter. Most of the songs he sings are from his album Blue Eyes. The show is drawing to a close and Rhett lets the audience know he has one more song for them. Link is absolutely delighted when it begins. It’s the first song on the Blue Eyes album “Eyes in the Crowd.” As Rhett’s silky voice sings out a retelling of the night they met, tears come to Link’s eyes. The first time he listened to one of Rhett McLaughlin’s songs, he had no idea he’d even like the singer. When he went to that concert he didn’t know he’d meet him. On that first date they had together, he didn’t have a clue that he’d fall head over heels in love with him. But that’s where he is now, the love of his life sitting on stage in front of a crowd of people singing just for him.

The final chord fades and the crowd goes wild and Link’s grinning ear to ear. Rhett doesn’t look back at him quite yet, though. “I told y’all that was my last song, but there’s one more thing I want to do tonight.” The crowd cheers louder even though they don’t know what he’s talking about. “About nine months ago, I did a concert at the Ryman.” Some people from Tennessee yell particularly loudly, including Link, and then the crowd falls quiet to hear what he has to say. “That night there was a man in the front row with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.” Rhett walks over to stand in front of him, now with the intention of never looking away. “I might have snuck him in the back afterwards. You know the story, I just sang it for you. I lost fans for telling the world I love this angel of a man, but honestly I’d hand over my whole career if that’s what it would take for him to be mine. Come up on stage with me, Link.”

The crowd’s encouragement pushes him up the stairs. Rhett gives him a reassuring kiss and pulls him to center stage. “I think I fell in love with you that night when we sang in the alley. You know my songs better than I do. Over these past nine months, Link, I realized that all the love songs I’ve written were just me searching for you. The album was only a small example of how much I love you. I want every song I write for the rest of my life to be for you.” He drops to one knee and Link feels a few tears fall. The crowd is deafening, but Rhett might as well have been the only person there because he’s all Link can see in this moment. “Will you marry me, Blue Eyes?”

“Yes!” Link shouts, wrapping his arms around the man as he stands back up. After squeezing the life out of each other and sharing a deep kiss, Link steps back and lets Rhett put the ring on him. Link laughs as Rhett makes him take a bow, nerves at being in front of this many people starting to break through.

“Have a good night everyone! I know I will!” Rhett says before leading him off the stage and into his dressing room for a quieter moment. He wipes the stray tears off of Link’s cheeks with his thumbs and holds his face in his hands. “Was that okay?”

“It was perfect, Rhett, so perfect. I love you so much. Now kiss your fiance.”

He doesn’t make him ask again. That night definitely tops the one in Mississippi.