So I started watching glee again after a loooooong break of just not watching it, and I completely fell in love with these two characters and their relationship that I felt like I needed to write something and get it out of my system! Hope you all like it, It may be lame because I haven't written anything in a while but reviews would be much appreciated!

Jake couldn't believe that he had finally reached his senior year at McKinley, mainly because he saw it as an achievement that he managed to stay in one school for over two years without being kicked out, but also because it only felt like yesterday that he was the new kid, labelled as a 'womanizing bad ass with a chip on his shoulder'. But that all changed once he was introduced to the glee club, and when a certain blue eyed girl walked into his life.

That girl happened to be Marley rose, one of his very close friends, which is unusual for Jake since he never really had close friends who were girls before Marley, but she wasn't always just a friend. In their sophomore year Jake and Marley dated for a while and even though it didn't last as long as he hoped it would have, he cared about her... a lot; he would even go as far as saying he loved her, but would never openly admit that to anyone now. Their relationship ended not long after Mr Shue's and Miss Pillsbury (not so successful) wedding, why he did it and what he told Marley however where two completely different reasons. After finding out about Ryder kissing Marley, Jake found himself not feeling angry or betrayed, but guilty. Guilty because he let Ryder think of all the ideas, and even pay for one of Marley's Valentine's Day presents and guilty because he knew he could never treat Marley as well as Ryder could. His guilt ate away at Jake, until finally one day when they were alone on the bleachers; he decided they needed to talk.

FLASHBACK

"Uh, could you sit down here for a minute?" Jake asked as he looked up at Marley whilst fidgeting with his hands, brushing them against his jeans.

"Sure" Marley replied with a smile on her face as she sat down beside him, looking at him with those big beautiful eyes, "What's up?"

Jake wouldn't look at her in the eyes, he couldn't. How could he look at her knowing that in a couple of seconds, what they had would be over, and that she would blame him for it.

"Listen, I'm only gonna say this once so I need you to really listen and try to understand me right now okay?" He said building up the courage to look at her and taking hold of her hands that were rested on her lap.

Marley didn't speak; she just bit the side of her lip slightly and nodded for him to continue.

Jake gave a loud exhale as he began to talk, "Okay, first I just need to you to know that no matter what I'm about to say and the outcome of it, that I will always care about you Marls okay? I need you to understand that." When she didn't reply again, Jake took it as his cue to carry on.

"These past couple of months with us have been... amazing, I never thought that one person would have such an effect on my life, like the effect you've had on me. You make me a better person, every single day I am a little bit better because of you. But after Shuester's wedding I realised a few things."

He paused for a moment to just take everything in, he realised that this was probably going to be the last time he'd be this close to her, to be able to hold her hand and look at her the way he was now. It made him want to back out and not go through with it and just kiss the girl who was sitting next to him, the girl he had fallen completely in love with. But Jake knew she deserved better, that she deserved Ryder. Ryder who would show her in every way possible how much he liked her, who could offer her things that Jake might never be able to offer. He carried on,

"I realised, that I'm not ready for this... for us, to be together like this. Everything has just become so intense so quickly and I feel like I can't breathe anymore." He hated himself for what he was saying to her, he wanted to just get it all over and done with before she could get the chance to say anything, because he knew that it would just make it that more harder if she began to protest.

Marley shook her head in disbelief, "Is this about the kiss with Ryder, Jake? Because I swore to you it meant nothing to me!, you're the only one I want to be with, and it's been that way since we first spoke in this very same spot on the bleachers."

Jake could see the tears begin to form in those crystal blue eyes of hers and if there was one thing he could not do right now, it was watch her cry over him. He brought his hands too her face and spoke softly, "It's not about the kiss okay? I promise you it's not about that. I just... I can't do it anymore marls; I'll only let you down." He said looking at her with a sad look painted across his face

She turned her head away from his hands and shook it, "Don't do this Jake. Please don't do this." she whispered trying to hold back the tears that were falling from her face.

Jake clenched his jaw wanting to punch himself for making her cry, but he knew in the long run that this would be better for her, that she'd be happier without him even if he couldn't say the same for himself. He brought his forehead to the side of her head breathing in her flowery scent and gently whispering into her ear, "I'm sorry... but you deserve better." He finished and closed his eyes and inhaled one last time, before using all his strength and will power to pry himself away from her and walk away, walk out of her life.

FLASHBACK ENDS

It was safe to say that he and Marley didn't really speak much for a while after he ended things, not that he could blame her. But finally she came around near the end of their junior year, and broke the ice by challenging him to beat her new high score at bad biggies while they were sat in the cafeteria. Of course by that time she had already moved on and to no surprise it was with his best friend, Ryder Lynn.

Ryder had asked Jake if it was okay with him the day before they broke up for the summer, a part of him relieved that he would not have to see much of them as a couple in school since they were close to their summer break, but the majority of him still felt that gut sinking feeling when Ryder had asked him. Jake just kept reminding himself that it was for the best and that he and Marley were simply just friends now and she no longer held those feelings for him, even if he couldn't say the same.

To his delight, he didn't see much of them together when they were on their break, he seen them a few times at a couple of parties, but mostly he'd see them separately when he and Ryder would go round to each other's houses to play video games, or when he and Marley would hang out at the park or breadstix and just talk. But he knew that it would all change again now they were back at McKinley for their final year and he would have to get used to seeing them walking down the corridor holding hands, singing duets together in glee club and possibly showing public displays of affection, which honestly made Jake feel sick to his stomach thinking about.

After walking to his locker, he decided he'd head to the choir room since he had a free period on his hands. Since first joining two years ago, he'd now come to really love and appreciate everyone in the glee club, after the remaining "originals" as he and Marley liked to call them left, and winning his first of two national trophies, he realised what a difference it had made in him.

He walked into the not so empty choir room and stood at the door frame listening to the chords being played on the piano by a brunette that he knew all too well, a couple of feet in front of him.

"Wow, you're really coming along huh?" he said slowly walking into the choir room and stopping before the girl in front of him turned around.

Marley was taken aback by the person behind her speaking and quickly turned her herself to see the face that matched the voice. Her face formed into a wide smile as she saw Jake Puckerman standing there with his signature leather jacket and backpack,

"Hey Jake"

"Hi to you too" He said giving her that smile that people say he only used when he was around her, "Feels like it's been a while since I last saw you, where you been rose?" he asked with a smirk on his face sitting himself down on the piano's bench next to her.

Marley let out a slight chuckle, "Well, it has been nearly 3 weeks since we last saw each other, I could ask you the same question Puckerman." She retaliated as she turned back around and began looking through her music sheets once more.

Jake couldn't help but smile to himself as she retaliated. Marley had grown up a lot too since sophomore year; she was no longer the wallflower girl with the eating disorder like everyone used to see her as. She was still the same in ways, but now Jake could see that there was a lot more confidence in her, confidence that he only used to see when they were alone, but now everyone seen it and now she was just Marley, the girl that could sing.

He turned around to join her and looked over at what she was doing, "Sorting out songs for glee club already I see?" he said bringing himself just a little bit closer to see what songs she was going through.

"Yeah, I seen Mr Shue earlier and he mentioned wanting us to all sing solo's each when we get back, just expressing how we've been feeling at the moment, an easy way to get us back into the routine of things really-." She replied quickly as she turned round to face him to carry on talking but stopped dead in her tracks as she realised how close their faces now where.

Jake swallowed hard as Marley turned round, he wasn't quick enough to react and slide himself a bit further away from her. He blinked his eyes dazedly, trying his hardest not to get lost in those eyes of hers like he often found himself doing when they were together, but you aren't together so stop staring at her you look like a weirdo, he thought as he quickly blinked again and cleared his throat whilst edging slightly away from Marley.

"Oh yeah? Sounds good." He said rather enthusiastically trying to diffuse any awkwardness that could have come from that situation. "What are you thinking about singing then?" he asked

Marley exhaled and brought her lips together tightly as she started going through her music sheets once more and trying not to think about what might have just happened, "Ummmm, I'm not sure yet, I think it's going to be a toss up between Stay by Rihanna, or Explosions by Ellie Goulding." She replied nodding her head to herself and refusing to make any sort of eye contact with him as possible.

"Why those two in particular?" Jake asked intriguingly

"Well... Stay was the song that was playing in breadstix when Ryder and I went on our first official date..." Marley said and paused hesitantly not sure whether to carry on since she had brought Ryder up. Even though they hadn't dated in two years and he told Ryder he was fine with it, whenever it came to them two and Ryder being mentioned, things for her just felt awkward.

Jake noticed the paused and laughed slightly, "It's okay Marls, he's not Voldemort, you can say his name around me y'know. Okay, so, why explosions then?"

She sighed feeling rather silly that she thought he'd have been bothered over her and Ryder being together. She shook her head and replied, "Oh er... I just really like the song is all. Anyway what about you? What are you thinking on singing?" She said trying to divert the questions away from her

"Oh you know me, I'll probably just think of whatever comes to me at the time" He said looking at her

"Well you better think of something fast, because you'll be singing it right after lunch." Marley said turning and looking at him, letting their eyes meet for the second time.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, I'll have one ready," Jake said as he stood up and pulled his backpack over his shoulder, "And it will be awesome." He said with a cheeky grin plastered on his face

Marley laughed slightly, "I'm sure it will be. I just hope mine will turn out okay... whatever song I choose."

Jake stuck his head out slightly and spoke in a whisper, "I'm gonna let you in on a secret okay? Whatever you sing Marley Rose, it always turns out perfect" He said with a smile on his face. He cleared his throat once more and spoke again, "Anyway, I gotta run, Mrs Pizer will have a field day with me if I turn up late for another one of her lessons. See you after lunch?"

Marley lowered her head trying to hide her slightly reddened cheeks, "You have to say that, you're my friend." She replied with a soft giggle. "Yeah sure, I'll see you then I guess."

"See you then Marls." Jake said with a smile as he left the choir room and began walking back through the halls unable to wipe the stupid smile off his face. He missed speaking to Marley and he knew that if he couldn't have him in his life as his girlfriend, then he would damn sure have her as a friend. Singing a song of how he had been feeling over the summer though, was proving to be more of a challenge than he expected.

Okay so that's the first chapter! Next chapter will be up sooner rather than later hopefully. I just thought I'd add as well that some chapters might be from Jake's pov, like this one and some might be from Marley's and some might even be from both! :)