Written for the five times Finn wanted to propose, and the one time he did prompt at finchel-prompts.
Previously found on my tumblr.

hey baby, i think i wanna marry you

i.

The first time he considers asking her to marry him – for real, not just in passing – is the day of their high school graduation.

It's right after they throw their caps in the air, right as she runs over to him and hugs him and whispers, "We did it," in his ear. He suddenly just sees their future, the both of them in New York, and he knows that she's his forever.

She beams at him, and the words almost tumble out of his mouth, words something along the lines of "I-just-really-love-you-and-you-look-so-pretty-and-even-though-we're-only-eighteen-and-we-just-graduated-high-school-do-you-want-to-marry-me?" But he knows that her answer would be no – and not because she doesn't love him, but because it's too soon and she still has so much she wants to accomplish.

So he manages to reel his unspoken words back in, and just smiles back at her.

"What are you thinking?" she asks.

He hesitates, then just says, "I'm really excited for our future."

"Me too!" she squeals, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugs him tightly once more. "It's gonna be so great, Finny, just you wait and see."

He squeezes her back. "I know," he says. And he really does. Everything's going to be perfect.

ii.

He doesn't really seriously consider marriage again until they're twenty, and they attend Mr. Schue's wedding. It's the summer between their sophomore and junior years of college, and she gets a week off from the coffee shop she waitresses at to go back to Lima with him.

They're watching Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury (er, Mrs. Schuester) have their first dance to "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. Finn glances over at Rachel and sees that she's singing along, and he wonders what she'd want for their wedding song. He's kind of pulling for some classic rock – maybe like "Open Arms" by Journey. He smiles.

"It's so romantic," Rachel sighs.

His heart pounds, and he really really really wants to just ask her. No, he doesn't have a ring. No, he doesn't have a grand scheme or an especially romantic way of asking her. But the words are literally on the tip of his tongue.

But then he thinks about Mr. Schue and Ms. Pills – Mrs. Schue twirling out there on the dancefloor, and he wonders if he'd be, like, upstaging them at their own wedding if he proposed to Rachel. Plus he'd be, like, mortified in front of literally everyone he knows if she says no.

Everyone starts clapping, and he realizes that the song is over, and Mr. and Mrs. Schue are now heading back to the head table. The DJ starts playing something by, like, Ke$ha, and Rachel tugs on his arm.

"Dance with me, Finny!"

He sighs but he follows her onto the dancefloor, trying desperately to pretend that he doesn't have two left feet. He fails miserably. Rachel just giggles and doesn't say anything when he steps on her toes by accident, and this right here is why he wants to marry this girl, really. She just loves him – no matter what.

iii.

It's later that summer that he almost asks her again. They're moving into their new apartment just outside of the NYU campus, and she's lying on their hardwood floor, surrounded by boxes, in a tanktop and a pair of booty shorts. The window is open, but it's not doing much. Her skin is sticking to the floor because it's so muggy, and the guy isn't coming to install their air conditioning until tomorrow.

"Finny," she murmurs, sounding as if speaking too loudly will literally cause too much effort. "Come lay here with me?"

"Don't you want to lay on the mattress?" he asks. "I set it down in the bedroom."

She shakes her head. "Too hot to move."

He sighs, lying down next to her.

"Too many clothes," she mutters, and she reaches over to tug on the bottom of his shirt. He is feeling the heat, so he shrugs it off. Part of him's hoping she'll want to christen the apartment by having sex right here on their hardwood floor, but she just lies on top of him instead.

It really is too hot anyways.

He plays with her hair a little bit, and he can't help but imagine their future. It seems he's been doing that a lot lately. It's just so easy, with her, though.

"Hey, babe?" he asks.

"Hmm," she mutters sleepily.

"This is a new chapter of our lives, isn't it?"

He feels her nod against his chest. Sure, the apartment's a little small, but they're just starting out, and he feels it's actually kind of perfect. You know, minus the not having air conditioning.

And if this really is a new chapter, shouldn't he make it even more meaningful?

"Rach," he says quietly. "I have something I need to ask you."

"Later," she mutters. "Sleep now."

He sighs, but he kisses the top of her head. He needs to relish this moment anyway. They have time to discuss marriage. He's not in any rush.

iv.

He's actually planned out a proposal this time. He takes her to Times Square to watch the ball drop, and he's going to ask her once the minute countdown starts. He expects everything to go perfectly, really, because it's Rachel and Times Square and New Years Eve and how could it not be?

Of course, everything falls to shit.

First of all, Rachel invites Quinn and Puck to go with them. They come in from Ohio and everything, so he can't just say no. He figures it'll just mean they get to witness the moment though, so it's not that big of a deal.

What he definitely doesn't count on though is Puck stealing his thunder. Everything's going perfectly: He makes sure Rachel only has a few glasses of wine (because he knows she can't hold her liquor at all and the last thing he needs is for her to be totally wasted when he proposes to her) and he makes sure she's having the time of her life.

"This is fantastic," she breathes with five minutes to go before the ball drops, and he leans down and kisses her lightly.

"Save that for midnight, mister." She winks, and he smirks, because he has something a whole lot better saved for midnight.

It's almost a minute 'til, and he thinks, This is it. Just as he turns to Rachel and opens his mouth, Puck sinks down on one knee next to him.

"Quinn, I know this hasn't been an easy road…"

No. No no no fucking no goddamn Puck can't be stealing his fucking proposal. This can't be happening.

He doesn't hear anything else because the crowd starts chanting, and, right when they start the final ten countdown, he sees Quinn nod her head and Puck stand up and then they're hugging. And he knows everything – his entire plan – is shot.

The ball drops, and Rachel wraps her arms around his neck and pulls his face down to meet hers. He kisses her, but she's frowning when she pulls away.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

He shakes his head, plastering a grin on his face. "Nothing, baby." And, as if to prove his point, he leans down and kisses her again.

Everything is wrong, though. This was his chance to be romantic, and fucking Puck rolls in and steals his thunder.

Sometimes he hates his best friend.

v.

His mom asks him the day after they graduate from college when he's planning on making an honest woman out of Rachel. It takes him a second to figure out what she means.

"I've been trying," he answers honestly.

"Trying how?" she asks.

And he finds himself telling her about all the times he's tried to ask her, and all the times his plans have been foiled. She listens intently, because if his mom is good at one thing, it's listening. She's, like, the best listener ever.

"So, yeah, I just don't know, Mom," he finishes, sighing and leaning back in Burt's favorite recliner.

She sighs. "She's gonna say yes, Finn, no matter how you ask."

"I want it to be perfect," he says quietly.

"Want what to be perfect?"

He looks up to see Rachel in the doorway, an inquisitive look on her face. He glances back at his mom, and she's giving him this look that says "ask her right now" and he knows his mom would, like, die of happiness if she got to witness him getting engaged.

He clears his throat. "Oh, uh… Just my job interview on Thursday. You know, at that school downtown."

She nods. "You'll be great, babe." She turns to his mom. "I've been giving him practice interview questions. I feel he's quite well-prepared."

She keeps talking, but he can't focus on anything besides the fact that, once again, he chickened out of asking her. He's going to do it, though, and it's going to be perfect.

vi.

He manages to put the plan together in three hours. He's pretty impressed with himself.

He's just finished setting things up in the auditorium when she walks in, her polka dotted dress hugging her every curve just so.

"Finn?" she asks. "I got your note… What's all this about?"

He grins. "Come up here."

She walks down the aisle, and he helps her up the steps to the stage.

"Where did you get this table?" she asks. "And the candles?"

"The old coffee shop on Vienna Lane closed down, and Burt snagged a table. And the candles were just some my mom had lying around."

She smiles. "I see. And what's on the menu, Mr. Hudson?"

"Well, Miss Berry, only the best." He winks, pulling up a picnic basket. "Real cosmos this time," he tells her, pulling out a thermos and two plastic cups.

She giggles.

"And some lovely peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. That I made myself."

"Bringing out the big guns," she laughs.

They eat their meal while having comfortable conversation. One of the great things he loves about Rachel is that he never runs out of things to talk about with her.

"This entire night is lovely, Finn," she breathes. "Completely perfect and lovely."

He grins. "We haven't even had dessert yet."

He takes out a platter he managed to convince his mom to let him use. She crinkles her brow and looks at him. "Cheesecake," he tells her. "Vegan."

She smiles shyly at him. "Finn…"

"Just… lift the lid, Rach."

She narrows her eyes, but then she does as she's told, and suddenly she's screaming and practically flying across the table to hug him and smother his face with kisses.

"Wait, I didn't even get to give you my speech yet!"

She laughs, wiping at her eyes, and she sits back down. "Okay, okay, tell me your speech."

He rolls his eyes, but he takes her hand. "I love you, Rachel. I love you so, so much. I literally can't imagine my world without you in it. Ever since we were fifteen, you've been the girl for me, and sure, we've had our ups and our downs, but we always manage to overcome everything and just… the point is, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, will you, Rachel Barbra Berry, do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She tackles him all over again. "Yes!" she squeals. "Of course, a thousand times, yes!"

He reaches over to take the ring off of the piece of cheesecake and slips it onto her finger. He has to admit, he really likes the way it looks there.

"This is way better than a proposal in Times Square, Finn, it really is! I'm so glad you waited to do this."

He gapes at her. "Wait. How do you know about that?"

She ducks her head sheepishly. "I… I may have overheard you and your mom talking yesterday." She looks at him from under her lashes. "You really tried to propose that many times?"

He nods. He literally can't speak. She knew. She knew. God, she really is a good actress.

"Honestly, I thought you would ask me right then, after I walked in," she says quietly.

"Honestly? I thought about it," he admits.

She grins. "I'm glad you waited. This is… this is simply wonderful, Finn. The best, actually."

He grins back. "Yeah?"

Her eyes mist up. "Yeah," she whispers. "I love you, Finn. And I can't wait to marry you."

He kisses her then, and he really wonders how he got so lucky. When he breaks away, he keeps his forehead pressed to hers, and he sighs. "Mrs. Hudson. It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

She giggles. He takes that to mean she approves.

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