A/N: Finchel and their future. Pic here: bit dot ly/MCExZp

the forward

"Rach?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Reading the map."

Finn snickers and adjusts his bag on his shoulders. "OK."

His girlfriend is convinced she knows how to read maps and he doesn't have the heart to tell her otherwise. He turns to the side and pulls out his phone and it tells him that they're about 15 minutes from the motel they're staying at. He tucks it away and turns back to her.

He's not going to say anything to her, she has this look of determination he's used to: eyebrows furrowed, tongue stuck out at the side of her mouth and she looks so adorable he just wants to kiss her.

She's concentrating though, so he doesn't.

"Alright. The exit is about three minutes that way to the left." She looks back to her map and nods confidently. "Then our motel should be about twenty minutes away if you don't walk like you're strolling in Central Park."

She looks up at him with a smirk, tucking her map back into her pocket.

He chuckles and takes her hand, tugging her along with him. This was her idea, well, actually Kurt's since he was the one who convinced her to take the summer off from auditioning and running herself tired and just to enjoy a summer in college. He wasn't complaining, he'd had enough of summer school and this three-week trip was worth it. Another week in Italy before they head back to school and work.

Rachel loved it here, giving them a detailed history of her father's family who had immigrated so long ago, practicing her accent (he was horrible and she was flawless as usual) and finding new dishes (vegan, of course) that he'd never tell her he didn't like. She was happier than he'd seen her in a long time, relaxed and carefree without the stress of auditions and classes.

They walk in silence for about three minutes before Rachel tugs on his hand, pulling him to a stop. "Finn."

He looks back at her.

"Do you like it here?"

She's here, of course he does. "Yes. It's so different from the city, it feels like a whole new world." He smiles, the side of his mouth pulling up as he looks down at her.

She beams up at him and pushes herself onto her toes to kiss him.

"You know what we should do?" She whispers. He rubs his thumb over her bottom lip, titling his head to the side as he stares into the chocolate brown eyes he fell in love with maybe since the first time he saw her.

"What?"

"Elope."

She stares up at him, her smile wide and blinding and she's completely serious.

"Really?"

Rachel nods. He grins, and then frowns.

"You know Kurt will kill me and then you, right?"

She shrugs like that's unimportant.

"We can have another ceremony, once we've graduated and I'm already on Broadway and you're teaching. But, this trip has been nothing but incredible and I'm really glad we came and I know it's probably ridiculous but I feel like -,"

He cuts off her rambling with his lips, smiling as he drops kiss after kiss on her lips.

"Is that a yes?"

"Rachel Berry asking me to marry her? HELL YES!" He shouts, grabbing her by the waist and twirls her around, his voice and her laughter echoing in the tunnels around them.

He kisses her again, feeling his heart swelling in his chest. He'd always dreamed of the day when he'd propose to her, with his mother's ring, preferably in Central Park on some summer's day but this was infinitely better – even if was on the other side of the world inside ancient tunnels.

"I love you." He whispers against her lips, staring into her eyes, not wanting to let her go so soon.

She presses her palm against his cheek and nods. "I love you too."

Reluctantly, he sets her back on her feet, linking his fingers with hers as they walk. The tunnel exit is a couple yards away, bright sunlight beckoning them. He looks down at her, her face radiant as she peeks up at him.

Leaving one adventure, walking towards another.

A/N: I need to write better Finchel proposals.