During S4, episode 4 after Jake breaks up with Kitty (for Marley)
He regretted saying no the second the words were out of his mouth. He knew they were the wrong ones even before her smile wavered and this unfamiliar band tightened around his chest when the crinkles beside her eyes released a little but he was too high - on adrenaline, freedom and the look she was giving him, like he was more than dirt under the heel of her shoe - for it to bother him at the moment. He was too elated about the other things he'd said and meant, about taking his chances with Kitty's wrath.
Whatever she would do, it couldn't be worse than the disappointment and scorn in Marley's eyes leaving the restaurant the other night.
He almost said yes to her, when she asked to go over sheet music with him, reflexively because he wanted to spend as much time with Marley if he could get her to bite her lip like that again, but righted himself before he would do something they all regretted. His grades weren't great but he wasn't stupid, he wasn't going rush headfirst into this especially not after watching those other relationships around them drop like flies.
The only reason he turned Marley down when she offered to go over sheet music with him was because if she didn't stop talking and smiling like she was, he might kiss her. Which, hey, wasn't very surprising because she was a pretty girl and he was, well, him. But she was also Marley who wanted to fit in just as bad as he did, understood where he was coming from and turned down everything glee club meant popularity wise and joined for the singing anyways.
She was everything he wanted and everything he wanted to be. The strength he tried to emulate with all his tough words and rougher attitude actually burned behind her eyes, her pretty, crinkly eyes - exhibit A of why he turned away.
Because when he said he couldn't go over sheet music with her, he didn't want to see her second guess him. He'd just stood up for her, he'd gotten rid of one of the cables holding him back from being himself, being comfortable with himself and it made him elated, made him feel like a man like no other back door hookup or punch driven by blind anger that, let's be honest, had been more anger at his pretense he had to keep up, at himself, had.
That's why he hadn't lost his temper at Kitty when he was finally giving her the boot. He had every right to, now that he was letting go of whatever social protection she'd given him, but he didn't want Marley to think that maybe it hadn't all meant something, that she hadn't meant something. As was the Puckerman way, he played his cards close but the way she was dragging secrets out of him lately, about his mom and his dance lessons to name a few, he figured it was only a matter of time before his feelings for her slipped out there, one way or another.
But it would not be today. The best he could do that day was try not to stare at her mouth for too long and pray to a god he didn't believe in that no one noticed.
A/N - I'm sorry about how bare bones it is, I actually wrote this so fast. But it's okay, you know? I kind of like it anyways, if only because Jake and Marley are the cutest fucking couple on that show and my heart doesn't stop hurting no matter how many times I tell myself they're endgame. They are the only reason I'm watching Glee anymore, oh my god, I'm sorry but it's true.
Anyways, tell me what you think! Or don't. I appreciate you reading it anyways.