ℳ⋆.˚

leader of jo nation

[ikigaijo]

⠀ ⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ 日記ᰍ໋ ۫ ♏︎  ⊹ ࣪ ˖🪽𖦹⠀𓈒 生き甲斐⸝⸝ ۫ ׅ ⟡

⋆.˚ m¡m¡ ˚. 𝟎𝟖ᵎᵎ : she╱her ⸝⸝ intp ؛༊ 𝒥ℴ♡ ⚛︎

.ᐟ 𝐟luff & 𝒂ngst .⋆♱ 𝐑eqs : 𝒐pen ˎˊ˗ 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 (..◜ᴗ◝..)

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please do not repost, plagiarise or translate any of my work

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[ikigaijo]

hi mimi !!

wanted to congratulate you for reaching 500 jokitties ♡(˃͈ ˂͈ )

here is me being proud of you

ahh junie tysm!!! you’re the sweetest ♡

and yes that is totally us

[ikigaijo]

i haven’t spoken to him in almost 2 weeks

what do i say actually

[ikigaijo]

ꫂ᭪݁ unknowingly - jo ᭝ ᨳଓ ՟

ꨄ︎ warnings : brief mentions of family issues, emotional struggle, skinship, kissing, jo is shy as hell

ꨄ︎ word count : 1.2k

ꨄ︎ author's note : finally back!!! apologies for the delay in fics, idk why i lost motivation during the summer ㅜㅜ but i’m back now and that’s all that matters! thank you for the cutesy request!! and also for 500 followers! that’s crazy. all support is appreciated, and i hope you enjoy jokitties 🪽

⠀⠀ ⠀ ⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ 朝倉穣ᰍ໋ ۫   ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𖦹⠀ 𓈒 読む⸝⸝ ⟡ 

you and jo had been friends for longer than you could remember, more years than you could count on your 2 hands. he had always been there for you - as kids, when you’d fell over at the park, crying over a graze on your knee; as teenagers, when you experienced your first heartbreak; as adults, when you were stressed over your demanding job. always. 

jo was your closest friend, and you appreciated him more than he knew. everything was perfect.

---

at first, jo felt the exact same way as you did. you were his best friend, his shoulder to lean on, his everything. you’d let him seek refuge at your place countless times when his parents would fight for what seemed like eternity, offering him a hug and blissful, comfortable silence to indulge in when it felt like his family was fallen apart. you never rushed him. never pushed for him to open up. never made him feel like too much or too little.

jo couldn’t remember a time when you weren’t there to reassure him, make him feel heard when his voice was quiet, which was most days. and to top it all off, you were amazing at cooking rice for him when he came over for dinner.

you were his most reliable friend and he loved you for that.

---

as time passed, jo eventually started noticing how his heart rate would speed up when you hugged him, how his hands became clammy every time you complimented him, how he could feel the blood rush to his ears when he heard your laugh. he felt like he was going crazy. whenever the two of you were apart, your face haunted his mind, that beautiful smile of yours always lingering in his head. 

jo’s deep-rooted love for you wasn’t simply platonic anymore. he loved you in a more intimate way, one in which he could notice your flaws and yet find them perfect, find your voice soothing to his troubles, your skin against his serving as a warmth he never knew he needed. it was undeniable that jo had fallen for you. 

---

jo was never a particularly confident or charismatic kind of guy, evidenced through his lack of experience with women. in the past, he would go out of his way to avoid talking to girls he had interest in, never having the courage to confess. and now, with you, he felt even more hopeless with his feelings, unsure of what to do or how to express his newfound crush - on his best friend of all people. however, jo was smart, and so he came up with a few ideas on how to subtly convey his feelings to you.

---

he’d begun buying treats for you more often, things you pointed out when you both hung out at the mall, or items you had shown him from your favourite brands online. when you’d ask why, he’d make excuses once he got too nervous to properly explain himself.

“oh, the makeup set was on sale so i thought i’d buy it for you. saves you the time, right?”

“my mom accidentally bought two of these shirts, and i know you like the brand. she said to give one to you.”

he’d started asking to hang out with you more, referring to them as dates, hiding his shaky hands as he watched for your reaction. he’d let out a quiet sigh when you laughed it off, a small shake of your head as you walked into your usual cafe. jo felt hopeless.

you seemed completely oblivious to his attempts. he felt discouraged that all of his effort seemed to be going to waste with each failure.

---

to you, jo had always been a sweet guy, a kind and gentle giant who was nothing short of perfect when it came to being your friend. although you had noticed a recent change in jo’s behaviour, nothing alerted you. it felt right to simply assume he was just being sweeter than usual - which you didn’t mind at all.

the underlying message of jo’s actions was completely missed, covered up by the platonic label he’d been stuck under for years. he had to do something to finally show you how he felt, before it was too late.

---

it was a typical wednesday evening when your phone dinged with a message from jo. you had just gotten home from work.

jojo :

- hey y/n

- can i come over?

it wasn’t out of the ordinary for jo to ask to come over at such hours, so you accepted in a heartbeat, thinking nothing of it.

no longer than 10 minutes later, jo was in your apartment, kicking his shoes off and sitting on the couch. you couldn’t ignore how his hands trembled on his lap, fingers pinching at the fabric of his jeans. he had anxious written all over him.

“jo, are you okay?” you asked, sitting down on the couch next to him, concern evident in your tone of voice. jo sighed.

“uh, yeah, but… i need to talk to you about something.” his eyes flickered to yours. “something i’ve been avoiding for a while.”

“oh...okay. go ahead.”

jo took a second to calm himself down before turning to face you fully, the tips of his ears already a deep crimson colour.

“the truth is that i love you. as more than a friend. i have for a long time, i think. and you know how i am, i was too shy to tell you outright because i’m an idiot and i was afraid. so i tried to hint at it by buying you your favourite things, trying to show you that i care about you but it didn’t really work. i didn’t know if you were ignoring it or just couldn’t see the truth and it was driving me crazy and i couldn't help but overthink it all-”

before jo could say a word more, you wrap your arms around him. his rambling stopped almost instantly, his body melting into yours, his hands finding their resting spot on your lower back. you could feel him sigh into your shoulder.

“i’m sorry. i was just afraid i was going to ruin everything we have. nothing went how i wanted it to.”

“you don’t need to apologise for anything, jo. it should be me apologising, if anyone. i was oblivious.” you admitted, earning a small chuckle from jo.

“i wasn’t exactly forward with my advances, though.”

the two of you fell silent, holding each other with a gentle yet heavy grip. you were first to break the silence, lifting your head from his shoulder.

“you know, i’d be willing to give us a try.” jo’s head shot up, eyes blown wide in shock. “i’ve honestly felt the same as you recently. like i wanted something more from us.”

“r-really?” he asked in disbelief. his hands found your waist, squeezing your sides.

“yes, really.”

at your confession, jo brought his mouth to yours, lips grazing each other delicately. you reciprocated, your mouth pressing into jo’s, causing him to let out a quiet noise of surprise, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. 

jo had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like years, his dream seeming impossible. but now he had you, and he wasn’t about to let you go.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ taglist: @nichozzystuffs @yumangel @seanidas @preachersdaughterx @stxrrymarsz @ssosstrange @7yataki @makizdoll @minhosimthings @starshuas @leewayout @xionvlog @smidare @fumaid @deersui @solairemelo @hironoshimura @dedlexte @yukiglow @someonerandom909 @99zspider @aurorrramal @kpoplover-00005 @eunyih @strawberory

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⊹ ࣪ ˖ @berrybittynetwork

[ikigaijo]

hi mimi!! i saw your post where ou were asking for fic ideas and i really love your fics!! so heh… what about f2l jo who is trying to be a little bit more obvious that he wants to be more than friends with reader and she just thinks he's being sweeter than usual?

hihi amelia this is such a cutesy lil prompt tysm!!! ♡ apologies for taking ages to get to it T^T

⤷ your fic is here!! hope u enjoy 🪽

[ikigaijo]

ꫂ᭪݁ unknowingly - jo ᭝ ᨳଓ ՟

ꨄ︎ warnings : brief mentions of family issues, emotional struggle, skinship, kissing, jo is shy as hell

ꨄ︎ word count : 1.2k

ꨄ︎ author's note : finally back!!! apologies for the delay in fics, idk why i lost motivation during the summer ㅜㅜ but i’m back now and that’s all that matters! thank you for the cutesy request!! and also for 500 followers! that’s crazy. all support is appreciated, and i hope you enjoy jokitties 🪽

⠀⠀ ⠀ ⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ 朝倉穣ᰍ໋ ۫   ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𖦹⠀ 𓈒 読む⸝⸝ ⟡ 

you and jo had been friends for longer than you could remember, more years than you could count on your 2 hands. he had always been there for you - as kids, when you’d fell over at the park, crying over a graze on your knee; as teenagers, when you experienced your first heartbreak; as adults, when you were stressed over your demanding job. always. 

jo was your closest friend, and you appreciated him more than he knew. everything was perfect.

---

at first, jo felt the exact same way as you did. you were his best friend, his shoulder to lean on, his everything. you’d let him seek refuge at your place countless times when his parents would fight for what seemed like eternity, offering him a hug and blissful, comfortable silence to indulge in when it felt like his family was fallen apart. you never rushed him. never pushed for him to open up. never made him feel like too much or too little.

jo couldn’t remember a time when you weren’t there to reassure him, make him feel heard when his voice was quiet, which was most days. and to top it all off, you were amazing at cooking rice for him when he came over for dinner.

you were his most reliable friend and he loved you for that.

---

as time passed, jo eventually started noticing how his heart rate would speed up when you hugged him, how his hands became clammy every time you complimented him, how he could feel the blood rush to his ears when he heard your laugh. he felt like he was going crazy. whenever the two of you were apart, your face haunted his mind, that beautiful smile of yours always lingering in his head. 

jo’s deep-rooted love for you wasn’t simply platonic anymore. he loved you in a more intimate way, one in which he could notice your flaws and yet find them perfect, find your voice soothing to his troubles, your skin against his serving as a warmth he never knew he needed. it was undeniable that jo had fallen for you. 

---

jo was never a particularly confident or charismatic kind of guy, evidenced through his lack of experience with women. in the past, he would go out of his way to avoid talking to girls he had interest in, never having the courage to confess. and now, with you, he felt even more hopeless with his feelings, unsure of what to do or how to express his newfound crush - on his best friend of all people. however, jo was smart, and so he came up with a few ideas on how to subtly convey his feelings to you.

---

he’d begun buying treats for you more often, things you pointed out when you both hung out at the mall, or items you had shown him from your favourite brands online. when you’d ask why, he’d make excuses once he got too nervous to properly explain himself.

“oh, the makeup set was on sale so i thought i’d buy it for you. saves you the time, right?”

“my mom accidentally bought two of these shirts, and i know you like the brand. she said to give one to you.”

he’d started asking to hang out with you more, referring to them as dates, hiding his shaky hands as he watched for your reaction. he’d let out a quiet sigh when you laughed it off, a small shake of your head as you walked into your usual cafe. jo felt hopeless.

you seemed completely oblivious to his attempts. he felt discouraged that all of his effort seemed to be going to waste with each failure.

---

to you, jo had always been a sweet guy, a kind and gentle giant who was nothing short of perfect when it came to being your friend. although you had noticed a recent change in jo’s behaviour, nothing alerted you. it felt right to simply assume he was just being sweeter than usual - which you didn’t mind at all.

the underlying message of jo’s actions was completely missed, covered up by the platonic label he’d been stuck under for years. he had to do something to finally show you how he felt, before it was too late.

---

it was a typical wednesday evening when your phone dinged with a message from jo. you had just gotten home from work.

jojo :

- hey y/n

- can i come over?

it wasn’t out of the ordinary for jo to ask to come over at such hours, so you accepted in a heartbeat, thinking nothing of it.

no longer than 10 minutes later, jo was in your apartment, kicking his shoes off and sitting on the couch. you couldn’t ignore how his hands trembled on his lap, fingers pinching at the fabric of his jeans. he had anxious written all over him.

“jo, are you okay?” you asked, sitting down on the couch next to him, concern evident in your tone of voice. jo sighed.

“uh, yeah, but… i need to talk to you about something.” his eyes flickered to yours. “something i’ve been avoiding for a while.”

“oh...okay. go ahead.”

jo took a second to calm himself down before turning to face you fully, the tips of his ears already a deep crimson colour.

“the truth is that i love you. as more than a friend. i have for a long time, i think. and you know how i am, i was too shy to tell you outright because i’m an idiot and i was afraid. so i tried to hint at it by buying you your favourite things, trying to show you that i care about you but it didn’t really work. i didn’t know if you were ignoring it or just couldn’t see the truth and it was driving me crazy and i couldn't help but overthink it all-”

before jo could say a word more, you wrap your arms around him. his rambling stopped almost instantly, his body melting into yours, his hands finding their resting spot on your lower back. you could feel him sigh into your shoulder.

“i’m sorry. i was just afraid i was going to ruin everything we have. nothing went how i wanted it to.”

“you don’t need to apologise for anything, jo. it should be me apologising, if anyone. i was oblivious.” you admitted, earning a small chuckle from jo.

“i wasn’t exactly forward with my advances, though.”

the two of you fell silent, holding each other with a gentle yet heavy grip. you were first to break the silence, lifting your head from his shoulder.

“you know, i’d be willing to give us a try.” jo’s head shot up, eyes blown wide in shock. “i’ve honestly felt the same as you recently. like i wanted something more from us.”

“r-really?” he asked in disbelief. his hands found your waist, squeezing your sides.

“yes, really.”

at your confession, jo brought his mouth to yours, lips grazing each other delicately. you reciprocated, your mouth pressing into jo’s, causing him to let out a quiet noise of surprise, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. 

jo had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like years, his dream seeming impossible. but now he had you, and he wasn’t about to let you go.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ taglist: @nichozzystuffs @yumangel @seanidas @preachersdaughterx @stxrrymarsz @ssosstrange @7yataki @makizdoll @minhosimthings @starshuas @leewayout @xionvlog @smidare @fumaid @deersui @solairemelo @hironoshimura @dedlexte @yukiglow @someonerandom909 @99zspider @aurorrramal @kpoplover-00005 @eunyih @strawberory

ꫂ᭪݁ if you want to be tagged in my future works, send an ask or comment under this post ་༘࿐

⊹ ࣪ ˖ @berrybittynetwork

[ikigaijo]

my mother is actually driving me insane i need to get out of here omfg

[ikigaijo]

jo fic almost done! definitely will be getting posted today (˶ˆᗜˆ˵)

[ikigaijo]

thank you sososo much for 500!! that was a lot quicker than i expected… doesn’t feel deserved because of how little i’ve written for you all recently, but i’m still super appreciative!! ♡

[yumangel]

a little secret - 朝倉穣

(1.2k words)

warnings: nothing!! pure fluff

a/n: i haven't been feeling too motivated to write lately, which really saddens me :(( but i hope you'll enjoy this one!!

there were many things asakura jo preferred keeping to himself — the ever-growing collection of rice themed plushies and figurines in his room, the way he only pretended to drink all the alcohol his friends poured him each time they had a night out. all innocent secrets, truly, meant to preserve his peace and prevent unnecessary teasing. and yet amongst those small, seemingly insignificant secrets hid one far bigger and much more serious: a relationship.

it wasn't even that he wanted to hide it from his friends, not at all; he wouldn't have minded them knowing about the feelings blooming between him and you, about the connection which has far transcended that of friendship. he would've survived the teasing and the knowing glares, the never-ending stream of little comments from yuma and maki. but jo found out that breaking the news wasn't exactly an easy task — especially in a big friend group, where each hang out consisted of one person talking over the other. and with him and his soft spoken, calm nature, it was only natural his voice would sometimes disappear in the chatter. and as time passed and his friends continued to be unaware of his relationship status, he decided it would be awkward to tell them so late.

so he kept it to himself — a sweet, little secret meant only for him and you.

but that secrecy had its downsides, too. and one of them just so happened to reappear each time you hung out with everyone else — where all of the touches, even the smallest ones, were suddenly off limits, and the lack of affection from you slowly drove jo insane. especially today.

the sun has long set, disappearing behind the horizon as the night sky spread its darkness outside the windows of jo's apartment, the living room bustling with chatter and energy as his friends brought up one embarrassing story after another, their laughter erupting with each mentioned situation. his focus was solely on you, though — sitting on the other side of the couch, in the center of all the chaos, quiet giggles escaping your lips as you listened to the stories.

you looked as beautiful as you always did — your smile bright and radiant, the sight of it enough for his heart to skip a beat. he wanted nothing more than to plop down right next to you and wrap his arms around your frame.

but he couldn't, and it frustrated him more than he would like to admit. and yet he didn't want to kick his friends out either — so he opted to sit in silence, the smallest, barely noticeable pout on his face. a pout which you would've recognized anywhere.

asakura jo was sulking.

he noticed you moving in the corner of his eye, head turning towards your frame as he watched you stand up from your seat, heading for the kitchen. but before you disappeared from his line of sight, you turned towards him for a quick second.

'could you help me get snacks from the kitchen?' you asked, trying to contain your laughter at the speed with which jo stood up from his seat. of course he would — anything to get some alone time with you, even if it'd only last a minute or two.

his arms were wrapped around you the moment you stepped into the kitchen — his taller frame towering over you as he leaned in, hiding his face in the crook of your neck.

'you're cute when you're pouty like this, you know?' you giggled quietly, words merely above a whisper. jo murmured something into your shoulder, barely audible. 'hm?'

'can't they just leave already…' he repeated, lifting his head to face you. you couldn't help but smile at him — hand reaching for his and squeezing it in a reassuring motion.

'they'll leave soon, trust me.' you whispered, planting a soft kiss on his lips. 'yuma looks like he'd fall asleep in the next twenty minutes and i heard yudai mention something about driving him home before he passes out.'

'and you?' jo asked.

'what about me?'

'will you…' he said, stopping in the middle of his sentence as if he hesitated for just a second. 'stay the night? only if you want to, of course. it's just we didn't get to spend much time together this week and i-'

'of course. i'd love to.' you cut him off before he was able to finish, the unsure expression on his face replaced by a gentle smile, a sigh of relief leaving his lips.

his lips captured yours in another sweet kiss before eventually pulling away, the boy reaching to open one of the cabinets, pulling out two bags of crisps from inside. once you arrived back in the living room, it seemed like jo's prayers have been answered — smile still plastered to his face as he noticed his friends getting ready to leave one by one, some of them already by the door waving their goodbyes.

only yudai remained in the living room — helping organize some of the mess left at the table, humming something under his breath.

'i'll drive yuma home.' he stated, catching the sight of you and jo entering the room in the corner of his eye. the space felt calmer than before, less suffocating thanks to all the people who have already left the apartment or waited in front of it. 'want a ride too? it's on my way home, so i'll be driving there anyways.'

his brows furrowed in curiosity as you shook your head, politely declining his offer.

'i'll stay a little longer and help jo clean up.' you explained, feeling yudai's suspicious stare burning holes into you. 'you guys left quite the pile of dishes in the sink, you know.'

'do you need any more people to help with-'

'no.' jo cut him off, his answer a little too abrupt, tone a little too sharp. yudai looked at him with initial surprise in his eyes — only for a knowing smile to emerge on his face as he looked between the two of you.

'alright, lovebirds. i'll leave you to it then.'

jo felt like digging a hole under himself and disappearing from this world entirely the moment yudai left his apartment, face heating up in embarrassment. you couldn't help the giggle leaving your lips at the sight of him, finding his current state adorable.

'he knows.' jo mumbled, looking like he'd just saw a ghost. 'do you think he'll tell everyone else?'

'i'm not sure.' you stated, thinking hard about your answer. 'but i don't think so. he more so seems the type to have fun watching you pretend there's nothing between us at every following hangout rather than blabbering to everyone. it's yudai, after all.'

jo knew you were right — and yet that thought didn't put him at ease whatsoever.

'we could just tell them, you know.' you murmured, hand finding his. 'you wouldn't have to sit and sulk like you did today.'

'i wasn't sulking.' he argued, turning to face you. you giggled.

'you so were. and you looked adorable while at it.'

jo couldn't help the heat traveling straight to his cheeks, his face turning a pretty shade of pink as he hid his face in the crook of your neck once more, trying to hide his embarrassment.

'we can tell them next time we hangout.' he mumbled after a little while, long arms pulling you closer to him. 'can we just… cuddle for now? i missed having you to myself.'

you smiled at his words, a small chuckle leaving your lips.

'of course. anything for my favorite boy.'

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[parchmentandpotionsx]

☘︎ ݁˖ sj⋆˚࿔ 08 : she / her…˚.นk ᵎᵎ infj-t‧˚꒰🐾୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ

✧₊⁺🕯⋆.˚୨ৎ masterlist / taglist ｡°🚂༄｡°

welcome to my blog!! i will be posting harry potter related fics and smau with the majority of characters (mainly the boys but if requested i will gladly do some for the girls)

all of my interactions will come from @preachersdaughterx

if you are interested here are my other accounts @preachersdaughterx , @yumehoonie and @ukiyoux

[ikigaijo]

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⠀ ⠀ ⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ 日記ᰍ໋ ۫   ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𖦹⠀ 𓈒 生き甲斐⸝⸝ ⟡ 

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[ikigaijo]

ok i’m happy to announce there is something in the works FINALLY

[hironoshimura]

tell me something nice ➻❥ 朝倉 穣

wherein; the only natural response to a nightmare is to call your ex in the middle of the night.

(1241 words) pairing: ex!jo x f!reader genre: angst, exes, hurt/comfort (?,) jo and reader are yearners warnings: not much! just a little sad, use of yn, little plot i just enjoyed the concept and the vibes forgive mee

a/n: hello!! i missed writing for jojo sm i really enjoyed working on this one (ㅅ´ ˘ `) i did a poll on whether this should be fluff or angst and fluff won. clearly i did not listen but i hope ygs enjoy it anyway!! soundtrack for this fic is ‘promise’ and ‘love flew away’ by laufey (and adam melchor)

the phone rang twice before jo picked up.

”…jo?” your voice came out shy, already regretting your half-conscious decision to call him.

”hello?” jo responded with a groan, a yawn peeking through his words. 

something in your brain flutters at the familiarity—jo’s voice slow and velvety as he stirs from sleep, yet to speak to anyone that day. drowsy in a way only you had heard before. 

the thought sends a guilty warmth creeping up your cheeks.

a shuffle of blankets filters through the speakers, shattering the version of jo your mind had slipped back into imagining—how he’d look when you woke up next to him on slow mornings or when you’d murmur him confessions in the dead of night. 

it reminds you why you’d called in the first place. ”sorry, did i wake you?”

”no, it’s fine.” he reassures you, though you both know you did. “is everything alright?”

you pause for a moment, toying with the tangled sheets in your hand. “i can’t sleep.”

a hum on the other line prompts you to go on. 

truth be told, you’re not sure why you called jo. you’re not sure why—when you’d woken up with tears staining your face from a nightmare where you couldn’t speak, where the world ignored you—you knew he would be the one person who’d understand.

you sniffle, “i’m sorry. i… i don’t know why i called.”

”it’s okay.”

everything was okay with jo. it was okay when you were together. it was okay when you broke up because life drove you two on paths that no longer intersected. it was okay when you said you’d moved on but you still thought of jo when love songs played.

so it must have been okay when you called your ex in the middle of the night, despite yourself, wanting nothing more than him lying next to you.

jo clears his throat, pulling you from the thoughts that stuffed your head, “did you have a nightmare?”

of course he knew.

in some other world, you would’ve been shaking him awake instead of calling him. he’d hold you, run his hand through your hair and tell you nice things. eons ago that world was real.

it was yours.

but now, all you can do is stare at his name on your phone and say, “yeah.”

”do you wanna talk about it?”

yes, you think. please.

yet you know if you start, you won’t be able to stop. the tears will keep coming, and you’ll find yourself tearing your heart out and handing it to jo, like you had so many times before.

only this time, you don’t know if you’d get it back.

you’re not sure you ever did.

”no,” is all you answer.

“okay.”

silence lingers between you, nothing but the hum of your aircon and jo’s fan blowing wind into his microphone. 

you hug your pillow a little tighter, “tell me something nice, jo.”

he pauses for a moment and exhales into the phone, thoughtful. 

“do you remember miso?”

the words make you sit up a little straighter. “the little stray cat outside your apartment?”

“mhm,” he hums. “she had kittens.”

“…she did?”

“five.”

you let out the smallest laugh. “that’s a lot.”

“yeah. i think she was hiding them for a while.” you can hear him smile. “the old lady downstairs found them behind the storage shed.”

“are they okay?”

“they’re loud.” he chuckles. “so… probably.”

another laugh escapes you before you can stop it. 

the conversation is so normal, so everyday. it’s painfully easy—the way he tells you about the kittens or his grumpy neighbors, the little restaurant he tried the other day. 

for a short while, it feels like nothing changed.

”jo,” you start without thinking.

”mhm?”

”i miss you.”

it was an mistake—to speak the very thought that’d lingered on your tongue since the line clicked.

you’re met with a pause that lasts just a little too long, you glance back over at your phone to make sure he didn’t hang up.

”…it’s okay.” his grainy voice mutters.

your chest tightens. 

“please stop saying that.”

“im sorry.” jo whispers, it squeezes your heart even more. you hear him let out a shaky breath. 

“…i miss you too.”

the words hang between you, blowing with the wind.

”i think…” he continues. “more than anything i miss taking care of you.”

your head falls back against your bedframe, blurry gaze met with the ceiling.

“i wish i was lying there next to you instead of talking to you through my phone.” he laughs softly, though there’s no humor in it. “i wish i could hold you—tell you you’re safe until you fell asleep.”

you blink, having to fight your eyes from welling up all over again. you have to keep yourself from asking why don’t you? because you both already know the answer.

everything was okay with jo. it was so much more than okay. maybe that’s what made it so hard to leave. 

sometimes you wished your relationship had ended with yelling and slammed doors.

sometimes you wished it had been a stupid misunderstanding neither of you bothered to fix.

you wished you could talk bad about him to your friends and feel no remorse because he was a “piece of shit” anyway.

sometimes you wished it had been anything else other than the bittersweet smiles you exchanged, loving each other enough to let go. you wished he didn’t understand you more than anyone else or never listened when the world spoke over you.

and right now, you almost wished you’d never called him at all.

“yn?”

you hadn’t realized how long you’d gone quiet.

“still here.” as if you weren’t sure whether that was a good thing. 

you squeeze your eyes shut, regret flooding your senses. “jo i’m… i’m really sorry. it was stupid of me to call. but thank you… for picking up anyway.”

you expect him to tell you it’s okay like he always did. tell you to go to bed. you’re ready to lay in silence and hope you forget everything in the morning, even when you know you wouldn’t.

instead, “please don’t hang up.”

the words are barely above a whisper, you think you imagined them.

“don’t be sorry.” jo’s voice is tender, nearly a plea. you can’t help but notice the tears that too stain his tone. “stay.”

you lay back onto your bed, phone next to your ear as you lay your head on your pillow. you hear him do the same.

“okay.”

just for tonight, you tell yourself as jo murmurs a thanks. you let the sound of his breathing fill the room, muffled by his microphone.

your eyelids flutter shut and you allow sleep to start taking you away.

despite the drowsiness washing over you, you know this changes nothing. 

you know that you’ll wake up tomorrow and will have to tend to the wounds you reopened tonight. jo still isn’t yours to call, he hasn’t been for a while.

but just for tonight, in this little moment shared with him and the stars that blink down at you, you rest.

jo whispers something on the other line that you don’t hear. you don’t ask him to repeat it. he doesn’t call out your name when you don’t respond because he knows you need sleep more than you need saving.

you rest and you know that everything’s gonna be okay. because, with jo, it always is.

tag list: @nichozzystuffs, @sofisbelle, @jothehirono, @minhosimthings (ask/comment/dm to be added or removed!)

[ikigaijo]

i’ve decided i actually hate the summer holidays

i’ve been bored the Whole time. pls kill me

[ikigaijo]

the joy i feel now that spain have won the world cup 🥹🙏❤️

[ikigaijo]

why didn’t we play this well against argentina i’m irritated