Phew! On a roll… DEDICATED TO 'STUCKBEINGRACHEL' for being plain awesome, and literally forcing me back into writing jara, thank you so much! This is for you!

Enjoy!

Jerome raised on eyebrow quizzically "What?"

Mara looked down at her hands, which were shaking "I know you like her," she turned her head to glare accusingly at Willow Jenks, the ginger wonder who had appeared out of nowhere, and suddenly stolen the spotlight. "And…I shouldn't get in the way of that," she had rehearsed this speech fourteen times in the mirror, and she was not going to cry.

"Mara-"

"Jerome." She managed to look up at him, her eyes almost watering, as she continued "You say you can't function properly without me…but Willow's right, you don't need too. You're perfect just the way you are. I shouldn't have to be there so you work right, you work right without me!"

"I don't want Willow, I want you," he cried earnestly, Willow frowned, not believing the words as he pleaded to Mara.

"I saw you," Mara had to wipe her eyes here "I know, and it's okay. Jerome, it really is okay. When you're with me, it's always fighting, me yelling at you, and you never being comfortable with me. But…" she turned to look at Willow, and almost smiled "When I saw you two together the other day…you looked so happy…Jerome, I've never seen you look happier," Mara sniffed, the tears were pouring down her face and Willow wanted to hug her, and make it all better, just like Jerome did. "Please….just….be together, don't let me stop you," Mara turned, rushing from the room, not completing her speech, too distraught.

Jerome watched her leave heartbroken, and was about to run after her when Willow gripped his arm "Jerome," she warned "She wants us to be happy," her voice was sincere and trusting "And we do have fun together, you said it yourself…and you find me pretty, what with my, sparkly eyes," her cheeks blushed.

Jerome looked down at her torn….when he realised. He realised and everything clicked into place. He liked Willow Jenks, he liked her a lot…but compared to Mara, his Mara Jaffray she was absolutely nothing. He just liked the attention Willow gave him. He just wanted to feel wanted.

Jerome ripped his arm from her grip, and in a rough voice whispered "I'm sorry,"

Line Break

"Stop crying," Jerome whispered softly, as Mara wept into her knees outside in the rain. "You'll run out of tears," he knelt on the muddy grass beside her, wrapping an arm around her freezing body. "Jaffray?" he nudged her slightly, but she shook her head

"Come on Jerome, it's ov-"

"No it's not," Jerome sighed, and for one of those rare moments, he was the intelligent, clever, responsible, sane one. "Because," he pulled Mara in for a hug, her face buried in his chest as his now dripping cheek rested on her damp hair. "Because I love you, and you make me the person I want to be. Without you I am nothing, and when I am nothing…I'm sad. You make me happy. And yeah…Willow…she's good to have around every now and then, I like to feel wanted, and sometimes….you don't make me feel like that,"

"I'm sorry," Mara whispered, clutching at his shirt "I'm so sorry,"

Jerome laughed lightly "Mara, just promise me….that every now and again you….you let one of my mistakes slide….because if I keep getting dumped by you, and having to jump through hoops to be at your side again….I'm gonna take the easier option."

"The terms of love," Mara murmured, she leaned up, pressing her lips to his, her promise, that because he had always tried for her.

It was time she tried for him.

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