Finchel drabbles- # 3
Asked by: anon
Prompt: "Finn and Rachel telling Rachel's dads they're engaged! :O :D."

"I can't do this." Finn turned around and walked down the street, nearly dragging Rachel with him.

She tugged on his arm. "Finn! Come on, we have to. It's been over a year. They have to know."

"I like being alive, thank you very much. I'm not ready to say goodbye to chocolate cake and sex with you."

He nearly smirked at the hot, red blush covering his girlfri— fiancé's cheeks. She stepped in front of him and put her hands on his chest, successfully stopping him. Well, more like he let her stop him. He was taller and stronger than her and could push past her if he really wanted to. This was such a bad idea.

"You know what we should do?" He asked her, remembering a similar conversation so long ago.

"Tell my dads we're engaged?"

"Elope."

She smiled slowly and shook her head, smacking his chest. "Hush, you! I was nervous around you back then and you wanted to go bowling and…stop distracting me!"

He grinned.

"We have to tell them. How come we could tell your mom but you don't want to tell my dads?"

"Because my mom wasn't holding an ax ready to murder me when we told her?"

She rolled her eyes. "My dads don't hate you…especially enough to murder you, stop being ridiculous." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Mr. Hiram maybe but Mr. Leroy gives me these funny looks sometimes that make me feel like I'm in an episode of Dexter."

"I told you to stop watching so many episodes at a time; you get too paranoid over things like that."

"Says the girl who sleeps with a nightlight on after we watch a horror movie." He tickled her sides and she giggled, batting his hands away.

"We're adults, Finn." She captured his hands in hers. "We can do this, you can do this."

Finn sighed softly, shifting on his feet.

"Fine, but you're standing in front of me the whole time like a shield."

O0o0o0o00

Dinner had been great. The Berry's had made a vegan lasagna that didn't taste like cardboard…so Finn was overall impressed. It wasn't that often that Rachel made it home from college to visit so her dads were doting on her like she was still their seven year old princess. He smiled softly as Rachel gushed about her upcoming performance, as the leading lady of course, and a little bit about the pressure of her classes. But she was doing well, as usual. He expected nothing else from her.

Her dads were intent on everything she was saying, pausing only to glance at each other (pride shining in their eyes) as they held hands on the table.

Unfortunately, of course, questions started to flutter to him. Yes, he was still in college in New York, not that far away from Rachel's school and their apartment. Yes, he had finally decided he wanted to go into something business related. No, he wasn't sure what yet. Yes, he still made time to sing as part of the small singing club his college had. Yes, he watched Rachel perform every chance that he got. Yes, he visited home as much as he could and kept in touch with Kurt.

Yes, he was still part of something special, because he was with Rachel. That question wasn't asked, but he said it anyways.

Rachel smiled at him, a satisfied blush brushing over her cheekbones.

"So…you two have an apartment together?" Mr. Leroy said casually, looking at Rachel and then to Finn.

She sighed. "Yes, daddy. I told you, Finn was looking for us last semester. He finally found a cheap one right inbetween our schools. It's a great find for New York living. It's so hard to find a decent apartment."

"It's just you two seem a little young—"

"Leroy." Mr. Hiram lightly scolded, taking a sip of his wine.

Rachel glanced over at Finn and he comfortingly took her hand under the table. "I'm twenty years old, dad."

"We know, sweetie." Mr. Hiram tried to soothe things over from Mr. Leroy's implications. "Your birthday is on our calendar with all of our other special events." He winked at her.

Finn nervously ran his thumb over Rachel's hand.

Mr. Leroy shook his head, suddenly angry. "You're still my baby, and I should have a say in the type of man you choose to live your life with!"

Mr. Hiram's eyes widened so far that it looked like they were about to pop out of his head.

"Dad!" Rachel cried, embarrassed and hurt.

"Leroy—"

"Don't 'Leroy, pumpkin pie, sugar muffin' me, Hiram. This boy has broken our daughter's heart more times than I can count and you're just perfectly peachy keen with letting him live with her in New York?"

Finn swallowed thickly. "I'm sitting right here."

Mr. Leroy's eyes shot to him. "Yes, thank you. I can see that."

"If I could just…explain…" Finn tried.

"No! You shouldn't have to, Finn." Rachel stood at the table, Finn's hand holding hers loosely at her side. "Every couple has its rough spots. Do I need to bring up the fights you two have had?" Rachel's voice hit a high octave. Finn swallowed and winced as china plates shuddered in the wooden cabinet on the wall behind her.

"Rachel, sweetheart, please try and calm down." Mr. Hiram stood, trying to reach over and touch her hair.

"No. I'm not going to sit here while you insult my fiancé."

Finn's eyes widened as Mr. Leroy dropped his wine glass. Rachel stormed off in typical Berry fashion into the kitchen.

Both of her father's eyes fell on him.

He cleared his throat. "Did I mention the lasagna was really good?"

0o0o0o0o0

"Please don't bury my body where no one can find me."

Mr. Leroy raised his eyebrows as he cleaned up the spattered wine off the carpet. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing." Finn swallowed and glanced towards the kitchen where Mr. Hiram had gone after an upset Rachel. He'd give up his two thumbs to be in there instead of where he was.

Mr. Leroy set the wine soaked paper towels onto the table and looked at Finn. "When exactly had you proposed to my daughter? Ever heard of asking the father for permission?"

He swallowed. Shit, fuck, damn. "Uhm," He muttered. "Well, it was kind…of spur of the moment?"

"So you think something as serious as this should be rushed?"

"No! No, Mr. Le—I mean Berry. Mr. Berry." He swallowed. "I…it was the beginning of senior year. I was," He cleared his throat. "It was more of a promise ring, than anything else. I promised to love her, only her, for the rest of my life."

Mr. Leroy took a long sip of wine out of his lover's glass. "I see. So you've kept this from us for over a year."

Finn closed his eyes. "We didn't mean to. Rachel kept bringing up talking to you two…we just wanted to make sure we were all settled in New York and college and…she was scared."

"She was?"

"We both were. More me than her, I guess." Finn swallowed thickly, wanting a sip of water so badly.

"And her ring?"

"It's in her pocket. She took it off before she came inside." Finn glanced at the kitchen. "It's not very big or impressive…"

"Rachel doesn't need bright, expensive, extraordinary jewelry. She enjoys simple things."

And because of that comment Finn didn't mention that Christmas list Rachel had given him one year. He looked at her father. "She does though, deserve it, I mean. She might not enjoy a bunch of flashy gifts but…she deserves extraordinary things because she's extraordinary."

Mr. Leroy held his eyes for a long moment before taking another sip of wine.

"I just meant…that the ring pales in comparison to what I actually want to give her. So I consider what she has now to be an engagement ring. I'm saving my money for her wedding ring." Finn wasn't sure where this newfound confidence was coming from but he continued to roll with it.

"Rachel is the most…" He started and looked up into Mr. Leroy's eyes again. "She's the most...perfect person I've ever met. I don't need to tell you how strong she is...and beautiful. I'm honored that she thinks I'm worthy enough to love."

Finn looked down at his hands, twisting his fingers nervously.

"Because we both know she deserves someone better than me. But I'm not going to tell her who to love." Finn said simply…waiting patiently for some sort of adverse reaction because of his honesty.

Mr. Leroy was…smiling. It was a slow smile, thoughtful. Finn considered the wine had had a big part in that but he also thought that at any moment Mr. Leroy was going to stab him with the spatula in the lasagna bowl.

He heard footsteps approach the dining room again and turned to see Rachel carrying in a plate full of brownies. Her cheeks were pink and her lower lip was red from biting it nervously, over and over again. The skin under her eyes was still wet from the tears she had shed.

"Brownies for dessert." She said softly. She set them on the table, not even looking up at her father.

Mr. Hiram passed Rachel and sat down at the table, snatching his wine off of his husband.

Finn stood and went over to Rachel, gently running a hand over the back of her shoulders. He kissed her head, wrapping a strong arm around her frame. He felt her lean into his chest, her arm loosely resting on the back of his waist.

"Well," Mr. Leroy said. Finn watched Rachel close her eyes, like she was preparing herself for another verbal beat down on her life choices and fiancé. "When can we see this ring?"

Her eyes snapped open and she looked at her fathers. "You…you want to see it?" She stuttered, caught between excited and surprised.

Mr. Hiram smiled at his husband, rubbing an open palm over his leg. "Of course we do, sweetie. Let's see it!"

Finn smiled as Rachel beamed up at him, taking the ring out of her pocket. Finn gently took the ring from her hands and slid it onto its rightful place on Rachel's finger.

He watched Mr. Leroy clasp Rachel's tiny hands into both of his, before kissing her cheek and whispering congratulations.

Finn figured that wouldn't be the last time where he'd have to prove himself; prove that he did in fact love Rachel, regardless of how much he thought that he didn't deserve her. But he'd do a million times over. Every time.