Archive of Our Own ^beta

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-Joe’s never been interested in romance; it always seemed like too much trouble when he already had a bunch on his plate, and after a while he found he never felt that type of love to begin with

-however, he’s subtly (or sometimes not-so-subtly) nosy about other people’s relationships, especially those of his friends

-good with all animals except for cats. which is fine because he’s not too fond of cats either

-I see him as Afro-Latino (if he has a canon race/ethnicity, please let me know)

-loves cuddling with Yuri’s dog

-in his younger years he expected he’d live and die alone. after the series, he realizes that’s not true anymore, and he couldn’t be happier about it

-never thought anything of the words “platonic soulmate” until Yuri happened. they shared life-altering moments together, and no one can better understand their fire than each other

-didn't know the word for his romantic identity until Yuri told him. Joe didn't see it as a huge deal--he was already confident in himself even without the "aromantic" label--but he did find it more convenient to explain what he was in one word

-Joe’s prone to doing stupid things either for the hell of it or for the adrenaline rush. thank god he’s a tank who can take a ton of damage

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-Naturally, due to the match with Mac, Joe’s popularity skyrocketed again

-At the school Sachio goes to, some people find out he knows Joe, and they ask if Joe’s single. Sachio just stops and stares for a minute because, for the life of him, he can’t imagine Joe in a serious romantic relationship

-Tabloids speculate if Joe and Yuri are dating. Used to rumors, Yuri’s more annoyed on his friend’s behalf, but Joe just thinks it’s funny and jokes about it

-(Santa writes some strongly worded anonymous letters to those tabloids. He claims it’s because their articles are garbage)

-It’s not uncommon for people who don’t know Joe to think he’s flirting with them. The guy’s a natural charmer, and he has this way of putting his attention on you that makes you feel special

-He’s always polite when rejecting dates (unless they’re dicks about it, in which case he’ll roll his eyes and walk off. Also anyone who tries to annoy Joe should beware the horde of children who can and will bust kneecaps to protect him)

-Joe’s not repulsed by sex, but he couldn’t care less about it. There are a bunch of other things he’d rather do

-He’s not oblivious to romantic/sexual stuff, although he does have the occasional “oh right that’s a thing people do, huh” moments

-When Sachio, Bonjiri, Santa, or Oicho start their dating lives, Joe is right there to give friendly teasing and advice–despite never having dated in his life, which they all remind him

-That being said, if they genuinely are having a hard time with that stuff and Joe feels out of his depth, he asks Yuri’s and Yukiko’s opinions. Yukiko usually gives the better answers

-Once he’s able, Liu visits Team Nowhere occasionally. Other than boxing, he and Joe don’t have a whole lot of interests in common; regardless, they often end up in debates or conversations they get invested in. They sort of egg each other on, and how intense they get over something like “eggroll vs. spring roll, which tastes better” is a sight to behold

-On the other hand, Yuri’s visits are usually a quieter, peaceful affair. Joe loves his responsibilities as Team Nowhere owner and unofficial big brother to all the kids, but it’s still nice to have times where there is no pressure, and the only person he can really chill with in that way is Yuri

-Some things never change. Joe always spoils Yuri’s dog with pets and treats. Yuri comments that Joe seems happier to see the dog than him