Belated Secret Santa (now a Valentine's Day?) gift for Naomi, based on her prompt. Happy.. February, love! ;)
It's a hard day for all of them, this last first day of the last week of their last year together. They've grown from a group of strangers so preoccupied by social status that they wouldn't risk socializing with anyone outside their respective leagues.. to a family. But it's especially hard for Finn and Rachel. Because this is the place where they found each other, and, consequently, themselves. Even when they were outsiders in this very place that brought them together, even when they had no friends in their own sanctuaries, they had each other. Glee's a symbol, a metaphor, and saying goodbye to all you've known for so long is.. well, hard.
He knows it's fruitless to try to drag her away from the group for even a minute, so he waits until school is over. She lets out a scream when he blindfolds her and muffles her noise with a kiss. "It's me, Rach, calm down! I just want to show you something, okay? It's a surprise."
She's on guard at his suspicious behavior, but perks up immediately at the word "surprise." He just smirks, because of course she would become compliant for a surprise, and takes her hand. A short walk later, he opens the door, cringing when its loud groans fill the hallway, and leads her carefully into the auditorium. Rachel is surprisingly quiet once the door opens, perhaps with anticipation, and he draws in an anxious breath as he wonders, not for the first time, if she'll like what he has done.
His internal musings are cut short, though, when a soft voice deadpans, "Please don't run my face into a wall."
Finn stops walking to look down at her, thoroughly amused at her greatest concern of the moment, but winces when she walks right into his back and lets out a little squeak. He laughs sheepishly as she takes her hand from his and opens her mouth, ready to give him a piece of her mind. In an attempt to avoid a surely playful, yet no less indignant, lecture, he swoops down to capture his lips with her own, murmuring an apology against her mouth. She lets out an exasperated sigh, and he's pretty sure he can see her rolling her eyes even behind that bandana, but then she stumbles a little and he has to grab her shoulder to steady her, and he can't resist a chuckle when she responds with a self-righteous "hmph." He has to stop himself from gently ruffling her hair, as that would definitely get him a lecture that no kiss could prevent, and instead just draws her into his side, placing a kiss on her forehead.
Judging from the way Rachel melts right into him, and the little smile on her face, he gathers that her momentary annoyance has faded, and as he looks away from her, he remembers what they were doing in the first place.
"You ready, babe?" He's getting restless, and he just wants her to see the final product of his late-night stays at the stage.
Rachel nods her head emphatically and squirms out of his grasp. "I'm ready! Let me see, let me see!"
With a grin, Finn gently removes the bandana covering her eyes, and steps away to gauge her reaction. He sees big, brown eyes widen and sparkle as they take in everything before them, full lips open in shock, then delicate eyebrows furrow as long lashes flutter with confusion. The confusion is replaced almost instantly with another expression of awe, and she seems unable to stop her body from running towards the masterpiece. As he watches her stare curiously, he lets out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
Rachel turns back to him, brow still wrinkled and mouth still agape. "Finn? What is all of this?" Two quick strides later, he's by her side, and has once again taken her hand. "Well, I'm glad you asked, Miss Berry. Allow me to give you the grand tour!"
He leads her up the stairs and stops at stage right. "This, babe, is Seventh Avenue. I did my research, so I know I'm not very fashionable or anything, and a lot of fashion icons come from here, or something like that, but we're going to pretend this street is me, okay?" Finn touches a cardboard building lightly. "I even included Rockefeller Center, because ice skating is really awesome." Rachel's lip twitches and she nods, eyes still glued to the display. "Now, this, over here, this is Broadway. Obviously, this is you. Look, here's Gershwin Theatre and some other musical things.
"Over here is where they sell really cheap tickets for Broadway shows and all kinds of other things. I figured this would be an important place to remember for when we're poor college students. And remember these red stairs from when we went there?" Finn gets another mute nod, and continues on after kissing Rachel's hair.
"This is the most important part. Well, my favorite part, at least, because this is where Seventh Avenue and Broadway come together, and it's kind of like you and me coming together. I know these two streets aren't really as different as we were when we first met, but it's still kind of like two worlds clashing, you know? But then these two separate streets meet and make something awesome together, Times Square. And really, what's better than Times Square?"
He gently turns the pseudo crystal ball marking the center of the square, and looks down to see Rachel watching it in a stupor. "Ready to keep going, Rach? There's more." He earns yet one more nod.
They walk to a cardboard rendition of Sardi's, and he crouches to her height. "See the picture on that wall? That's you. Or, well, my stick figure Rachel that I painted, but one day, that's going to be a real picture of you, because you'll be a huge star and people will be begging to include you on their walls of fame."
She lets out a gentle laugh at his honest, but terrible, attempt at painting a person that resembles her in any way, and continues to follow him downstage.
"So we're going to leave the crazy busy area now and take a little walk to Central Park. When I was waiting for you that day, I scoped out this perfect place that we're totally claiming as our spot. There's this huge tree so there's shade when it's too sunny but there's enough grass to lay out, and I think you'll really love it. I really think we should just carve our names into the trunk so it can be ours forever." Finn gives her an excited smile, and her heart turns a little in her chest. She shakes her head and smiles back at him, sitting down beneath his painted elm tree. He eagerly lays next to her, resting his head on her lap, and she can't resist affectionately running a hand through his hair, styling gel be damned.
He grins widely at her, looking every bit the high school boy he is rather than the man he's about to become. "See, Rach? Totally perfect. It'll be so much better with real grass and real sun and, well, a real tree in real Central Park, but you get the idea, right?"
She only laughs at him, still, shockingly, unable to put her thoughts into coherent sentences. He bounces to his feet, pulling her up onto hers as well, and almost dragging her to the final destination. He crosses it first, stopping halfway, and beckons her to follow suit. He smiles a little when she glances warily at the contraption, uncertain if it will be able to hold their weight.
"And now, Rachel Berry, we have reached the last stop on our New York City tour. I thought it would make sense to finish up here, because this bridge symbolizes a lot for us. I like to think that it was kind of the end of the bad stuff and a new start to the good stuff. I mean, I know you kind of rejected me at the end of our date, but this is still where our second, or third, I guess, chance began, and all the mistakes we've made and every time we've hurt each other is just water under the bridge. Under the Bow Bridge."
She lets out a watery giggle at that, and he flashes her a bright smile, reveling momentarily in his wittiness. He takes her hand and continues.
"I know I messed up a lot, Rachel, we both messed up, and I know how lucky I am that we're back together. Last year kind of sucked, like really, really sucked, but I think I might go through all that crap again if it meant getting here. I like here. I like how I feel about us now. I don't think we were grown-up enough before to handle a serious relationship. We were too together, but I think we're better at the balance now. We don't really get jealous anymore, or insecure, and I just feel really happy about us, you know?
"So first, I just really want you to have this." He pulls out a paper, rolled up with a ribbon, and hands it to her. "It's the sheet music to 'Pretending'. I told you once that I don't give up that easily, but then I did, I gave up on us, and I just hated myself for it. Then when I realized how stupid I was, I promised I wouldn't let you get away again, and I like to think this bad boy had something to do with winning you back. Plus, that kiss was just really awesome. It should totally have more YouTube views, if you ask me.
Rachel holds the paper to her heart, oblivious to his humor, and just stares at him. "I don't even know what to say, Finn, this is all so beautiful.."
Gently cradling her face, he just shakes his head slightly. "Let me finish, Rach, I want to say a little more. And I think you'll find some words by the time I'm done." He takes in a large breath, lets out a sigh, and takes her hands back into his.
"I know I'm kind of an idiot, and sometimes I still can't believe you took me back, but I promise you will never regret it. I mean, I know I'm not really smart or anything, and I don't even really know what I want to do in college, but I know I love you, and I know that I can't see my future without you. You're everything to me, Rachel, and all the other girls and all the stupid things I did.. none of it means anything. To me, you're the smartest, you're the most talented, you're the most beautiful.. not any of them. No one else even compares. No one makes me feel the way you do, no one makes me feel like things will be okay or like I'm actually good enough. It's like, I know I'm not good enough for you, but for some reason, you think I am, and that means so much to me."
Finn drops her hand to fish something from his pocket, and Rachel's eyes grow wide at the sight. When he lowers himself to one knee, he's pretty sure she looks about as ready for a panic attack as he feels, and he forces himself to keep talking.
"I don't want a future without you, Rachel. I want to be with you, to explore New York City with you.. I want to come to all your performances and yell really loudly when you bow at the end and brag about being your husband on the red carpet. I want to have kids with you, a little girl first, and she'll look just like you and be just as stubborn as you and be just as much of a daddy's girl as you are. Of course, you have two dads, so you didn't have much choice, but.. anyway. And we'll all go to Central Park and play by our tree, and then we can have another kid, a boy, and I just.. I see it all. It kind of freaks me out sometimes, but then I remember it's you, that you're the girl I want to do all this with, and it's just okay again. I mean, we've made it a full year, Rach, without any problems, and it might not be that long to other people, but I think this shows that we can really do it.
"So.. I know it's not much, and don't freak out, it's not a marriage proposal or anything, but it is kind of a proposal that you'll let me stay by your side. That we'll always try our hardest and not let little things get in our way. I think we can really make it through anything, and one day when we're ready, we can get engaged and then married, and all the other exciting things because I know I'm only eighteen, but I'm positive there's no one else I want to share my life with. If you'll let me, I promise to be around forever.. what do you say, Rachel Berry?"
She's looking at him in utter shock, eyes glistening with unshed tears. She shakes her head at him in disbelief, and a tear slips down her face, followed by another, and then the whole dam breaks loose and he's not sure if she can even see anything anymore. He bites his lip, not sure if her tears are good or bad, and just hopes that she'll be able to say something between her sobs. She manages to quickly compose herself, and, voice wavering, leans down on her knees, places a hand over his, and smiles warmly at him.
"Finn.. Oh, Finn. I've known since the first day I ever saw you that you're special. That you're better than all of them. Remember that? And I know you don't believe me when I say that, but you know what? I finally believe you when you tell me I'm beautiful and that you truly love only me. I've always been so insecure, and I've never been the pretty one, but I believe you when you tell me I am. And I think part of why I love you so much is because you've helped me love myself. That's what a relationship should be- not changing each other, but accepting each other, and by loving me for my flaws, you've taught me to do the same. And one day, Finn, you are going to realize that you are not just good enough, that you're better than good. Somewhere between an engagement, a wedding, Broadway, and children, you're going to realize just how wonderful you are. I don't care if it takes the rest of my life, I will gladly spend it with you, showing you how special you are and how much you mean to me. So to answer your question, Finn Hudson, I say yes. A big, loud, resounding yes."