Jake and Peyton, also known by their portmanteau Jeyton, are a relationship on One Tree Hill, portrayed respectively by Bryan Greenberg and Hilarie Burton.
After Peyton started babysitting for Jake's baby daughter Jenny, the two formed a bond until Jake had to leave with Jenny to escape from Nicki (Jenny's mother), who wanted Jenny's custody, until he returned to Tree Hill and started living with Peyton, who was going through a hard moment, after being called by Lucas, very worried about her. The two took care of Jenny together and then they started a relationship. Eventually Jake had to go to jail and, when he came out, Nicki took Jenny away, causing him to decide to leave Tree Hill and a broken-hearted Peyton in search of her. After some months, Peyton travelled to find Jake in Savannah, where he had moved, and they spent one last weekend together. She proposed to him, but both had to face that she still had strong feelings for Lucas, so she needed to understand whom her heart truly belonged to. In the end, Peyton left and came back to Tree Hill to figure out if Lucas was the one for her: Jake told her that if things hadn’t worked out between the two of them, she would have known where to find him, but Peyton leaving was the end of their relationship for good because, once she got home, she realized Lucas was the one for her.
Relationship arc[]
Season 1[]
Peyton begins spending more time with with Jake during the love triangle mess with Lucas and Brooke. The two soon become good friends. Peyton grows close to his baby daughter, Jenny, and Jake trusts her enough to ask her to babysit him, something he's never done before outside of his family. Later at a party, Peyton and Nicki, Jake's ex and Jenny's mother, get into a fight. The season ends with Peyton helping Jake to escape from Nicki, who tries to take their daughter from Jake's grasp.
Season 2[]
Hope comes for a depressed, unsure Peyton just as she is about to fall off her mantle and buy some cocaine: in fact, Lucas, since he can't be the one to be there for her considering the hard time he and Peyton are going through, calls Jake and asks him to come back, knowing that he would have had a positive effect on her. This proves to be true, sparking a turnaround for Peyton. Soon after, she and Jake start a relationship, but this happiness is very short-lived because Nicki comes back again, wanting the custody of Jenny. She eventually takes her daughter away from Jake and runs off, causing him to decide to follow her, leaving a broken-hearted Peyton again.
Season 3[]
Peyton hears from Jake after months of silence when he calls to check up on her after learning she was injured in the school shooting. Peyton's father tells her to follow her heart and listen to it, so Peyton, tired of being alone, decides to give Jake a visit in Savannah, where he's moved, and then rekindles her relationship with him: she feels safe with him and thinks this will be enough to be happy, so she goes far enough to propose to Jake, who gladly accepts. However, he immediately overhears Peyton saying "I love you, Lucas" in her sleep. She is then forced to confront him about what happened between her and Lucas on the day of the shooting and how she feels for the two guys: Jake understands Peyton is just trying to run away from her true feelings because of Lucas still dating Brooke, so he tells her to go back to Tree Hill to find out who she’s truly in love with and, if it’s not Lucas, he promises to still be there, waiting for her. Peyton does as Jake has advised and eventually realizes that Lucas is the one for her, marking the definitive end of her and Jake's relationship.
Memorable episodes[]
- 1x10 - Jake and Peyton first show some interest in each other.
- 1x16 - Peyton babysits Jenny for the first time, bonding with Jake.
- 1x21 - Peyton and her dad help Jake leave town to protect Jenny.
- 2x10 - Jake, called by a worried Lucas, comes back to Tree Hill to look after Peyton in her time of need.
- 2x14 - Jake and Peyton share their first kiss and begin their relationship.
- 2x16 - Jake and Peyton have sex for the first time.
- 2x18 - Jake and Peyton say "I love you" for the first time.
- 2x22 - When Nicki takes Jenny away, Jake leaves to be with her daughter, ending his and Peyton's relationship.
- 3x20 - Peyton, feeling alone, goes to visit Jake and Jenny in Savannah. The two rekindle their relationship. She wants to stay and proposes.
- 3x21 - Jake learns that Peyton is still in love with Lucas, so he refuses to let her stay and tells her to go back to Tree Hill, insisting she must resolve her feelings for him and, if she will realize Lucas is not the one for her, he will be there, waiting for her. This, instead, causes the end of their relationship for good because, once Peyton gets home, she decides to stay, realizing that Lucas is the one for her.
Timeline[]
First relationship:
- Began: "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" (2x14)
- Ended: "The Tide That Left and Never Came Back" (2x22)
Second relationship:
- Began: "Everyday Is a Sunday Evening" (3x20)
- Ended: "Over the Hills and Far Away" (3x21)
Trivia[]
- Jake is the second boy Peyton has slept with and Peyton is the second girl Jake has slept with.
Brooke and Julian • Brooke and Lucas • Brooke and Nathan • Clay and Quinn • Clay and Sara • Jake and Peyton • Lucas and Lindsey • Lucas and Peyton • Nathan and Haley • Nathan and Peyton
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