Jojo was in a poor mood. It was going on several days at that point.
There was just… something about the changing seasons that was especially hard this year.
The weather had grown so very warm, it was finally summer. It was time to shuck off the last of the heavy clothing under the intense rays of sunshine.
It was finally time for the professor to tuck away that odd-looking hat of his.
He was not hiding boundless, bountiful locks beneath his hat. If anything the boundaries seemed to shrink a tiny bit further and further away from the edge of his beanie every year. But the short, dark, wavy locks were enough of a change to give most people a moment of pause whenever they saw him.
Their chest grew tight whenever they watched, his gawky sense of humor met with far more charity than before.
They weren't dense enough to be unaware of what these feelings were. But all they could do was bury them deeper and deeper down whenever they bubbled up. They were friends, nothing more.
Just friends, they told themself, looking away as yet another resident smiled with far more teeth and coy giggles than usual at the professor's conversation.
What bothered them most was how shallow it all felt. As if a simple woolen hat was too surmountable of a barrier of entry. The fact that it appeared to be open season as soon as it was tucked away especially perturbed them.
It had been especially bad that day, they had to see someone else grow so bold as to tousle the professor's hair while he joked about him finally tucking away his little woolen abomination.
Jojo couldn't keep watching, they excused themself and retreated back to the study. It was bright out, and they wanted to do some tidying up, was their excuse.
At the cusp of sunset.
Laventon found them right where they'd said. The piles of papers and books were shuffled around again, really the best they could do with so much clutter. "Is everything okay? You've been out of sorts for a few days now."
They didn't turn around. They didn't have the strength to be face to face with his worried look, his frown, or his knitted brow. "Just… a little tired is all.
"Is there a reason it feels like you're upset with me?"
"Sounds like a you problem," they muttered under their breath.
"Jojo."
Their self-restraint buckled, just a little. They sighed. "You know… even after all this time I still can't tell when you understand and when you're just playing along."
"...about what?"
They dragged their hands down their face. "Please tell me you haven't been completely oblivious to everyone's flirting," they muttered.
"Flir–? P'shaw. Poppycock! It's nothing but playful ribbing! I do wear my hat quite often in the cold–"
"Oh my god," muttered Jojo. "He was playing with your hair," they emphasized.
"It's just teasing–"
"Describe what you think flirting looks like."
"Well that's simple. It– well, it's– you see– …………ah." He looked positively mortified. He'd thought it was a little bit odd, all the touching and whatnot he'd suddenly received. He'd just assumed it was a sign of the pleasant outlook for the village, everyone finally able to relax as they coexisted peacefully with pokemon.
With that mystery solved, there was still something that was bothering him. He stared at them for a couple minutes longer, the gears turning in his head. Laventon snapped his fingers. "It's jealousy, isn't it?"
Jojo's heart dropped. "Wh–what are you talking about?"
He gave a self-satisfied grin. "Ahhhh, it's obvious my dear Jojo! You're jealous that I'm the one getting all this seasonal affection."
Their stomach twisted, even if his misunderstanding was to their advantage. Jojo gave a half-hearted laugh. "Y–yeah, you got me! I'm… jealous you're the one getting all the attention…"
He shook his head with a soft laugh. "Don't worry about it so much, I'm positive your time will come! I bet at the next festival you'll have many a person swooning over you. You cut quite the dashing figure in a suit," he praised.
Their chest felt fit to buckle. Please stop talking, they thought. "S–sure," they mumbled.
"You don't sound enthused."
"I– I'm just not good at being fawned over," they stammered.
"Everything gets easier with practice, look at me."
"You didn't even realize it was flirting. I bet you'll stumble now," they muttered.
"Bet you're wrong," he retorted.
"Yeah yeah…"
"I'll prove it. Go ahead."
They gave him a look. "What, by hanging around until someone flirts with you again?"
He paused. "Ah, no I meant–"
Jojo froze for a split second.
This was a terrible idea. "It would be a biased test. You know I'm not being sincere, and I wouldn't be being sincere," they argued.
"Aw come on, I bet you're a great actor. Go ahead."
They swallowed nervously.
Laventon continued to wait patiently with an expectant look.
Jojo sighed and stepped up to the taller professor, their fingers gently tracing his jaw. "Honestly it all feels a little shallow, everyone fawning over you without your hat. What's hair got to do with you being handsome year-round?" Their stomach sank almost as soon as the words left their mouth. That was far too much.
Laventon's cheeks went a subtle shade of red as he quietly stared at them for a minute, before he chuckled and stepped back. "Putting it on a little thick, aren't you?" He laughed, wiping his eyes.
Jojo gave a half-hearted laugh in reply. "Told you… it wouldn't be believable…" they mumbled.
"I don't know about that. I think I felt my heart skip for a moment," he joked.
"Mmmhmm," mumbled Jojo. God, let me die already, they thought.
“Ah nevermind, it’s irrelevant.”
“Whatever you say.” Please let it drop already.
"However, I still think all you need is some practice," he said.
"Yeah yeah," mumbled Jojo. "If you say so."
Laventon chuckled softly, moving without really thinking about it. "Here, let me show you." He stroked back their short hair and cupped their cheek. "Your eyes are quite beautiful, an extraordinarily striking blue," he said, staring right into them with a smile.
To their horror their cheeks immediately bloomed with red. They slapped his hand away and stepped back. "Don't."
"Ah–"
"I'm gonna take a walk. I need some air," muttered Jojo, turning and leaving without another word.
The pier.
What was it about Prelude Beach?
It just… seemed to be the one refuge that was still technically in town.
Jojo let their head sink into their hands as they sat at the end. "Fuck…"
It looped over and over and over in their head. How quickly it had all gone to shit.
They should have just grit their teeth and beared it.
Why did they have to ruin a good thing? He'd never look at them the same now. They might as well just walk off into the wilds and end it all.
"Ahem."
Their stomach managed to sink a couple feet lower.
"May I take a seat?" Asked Laventon.
"...sure," replied Jojo in a quiet voice.
He sat down beside them with a grunt, crossing his legs.
He wasn't brushing against their side, but it wasn't a particularly wide pier. He sat in silence for a while, unsure what exactly to say.
"I wasn't the one you're jealous of, was I?" He eventually asked.
Jojo sighed, their head sinking lower in their arms. "No, I'm not jealous of you," they replied in a truly miserable tone.
"I thought not."
They could feel the knife, twisting into their gut as he circled around the topic at hand. Just kill me already.
"You were jealous of the other people flirting with me."
Their sigh was far more exasperated this time. "Yes." Why did he have to talk out each and every step?
"You… want to be the one flirting… with me."
They groaned. "Oh shut up already Laventon! You know exactly what it means! Stop making me feel like an even bigger pile of shit," they snapped.
He fell silent again at that.
"Goddammit," Jojo mumbled. Their throat burned and tightened as the tears began to bloom. They shuddered as they squeezed themself tighter and tighter.
"Jojo."
They froze but they could still feel the tears, bubbling at the edges of their eyes. Their vision blurred in a stinging, spiteful smear.
He wrapped his arms around them without a second thought.
"D–don't…" they muttered. They didn't have the strength to push him away. "S–stop it…"
"It's fine."
An indignant sob burned at the back of their throat, begging to spill out. Why would it be fine?!? They wanted to scream out. They could feel the pity in the air. They wanted to push him away, to shove him into the water and flee.
But.
They were weak.
His arms wrapped around them so snugly. They wanted to be selfish and savor this intimacy, even if it was pity.
"It's fine. I feel the same."
Their heart stopped for a horrifying moment. "D–don't patronize me…" they muttered with an embarrassing sob.
Laventon took a breath. "I love you too," he replied, firmly.
Their shoulders shook as they bit back another sob, shaking their head. "Th–this isn't funny," they sniffled.
“I’m not joking, Jojo.”
They froze. “W–why…” they mumbled.
He sighed and rubbed a couple soothing circles to their back as they shuddered. “It just seemed to happen.”
The same way it had happened to them. All that time spent together recording and analyzing the observations the scouts brought back. The nitpicking handwriting and spelling. Something else had begun to grow, aside from the piles of papers on the floor.
They finally took a long breath, shuddering one last time. “I guess I believe you,” Jojo mumbled. They didn’t know what else to say.
Laventon sighed, a relieved smile on his face as he watched them uncurl and sit up properly. “That’s a relief to hear.”
They scoffed and finally met his eyes. They were a mess. Their cheeks were still wet with tears as their eyes still shined. The corners of their mouth, while curled into a smile, still wavered tellingly.
"And I thought I was the crybaby here," he chuckled.
"Shut up. You're an awful influence," they muttered, wiping their face on their arm with a sniffle.
"I'm sorry."
"Asshole," they mumbled, no bite behind their cursing.
Laventon chuckled. "I definitely earned that."
Jojo let out a snorting laugh, as awkward as it was impulsive. Even so, they couldn't help the small, sensitive knot in their heart. "...why did you laugh at me earlier?"
Laventon paused. "I… wasn't certain if you were joking again or not."
They scoffed.
"And I was wrong! I admit it," said Laventon, his palms raised to show he wasn't hiding anything.
Jojo stared at him for a very long minute before rolling their eyes and leaning against his shoulder. "Alright."
He let out a sigh of relief, smiling fondly as he nuzzled his head against theirs.
Jojo pretended not to notice, trying somewhat in futility to wipe their eyes with their hands.
“Here, let me.”
Jojo sat still as he helped clean up their face, unsure where to look.
He cupped their cheeks, gingerly wiping their eyes with his thumbs. "You truly do have such striking eyes…" he murmured.
They grimaced for a moment, avoiding his eyes. "Don't tease me…"
He frowned before he leaned over and kissed their forehead. "I sincerely mean it."
They shivered and turned away. "Why am I so weak to you?" They mumbled under their breath.
"Thanks?"
Jojo snorted and faced him again. "How bad is it?"
He gave them a weak smile. He was terrible at acting. "...just a little bit puffy."
"Dammit." They glanced back at the path. "I really don't want anyone else seeing me like this…" they muttered.
Laventon shrugged. "I suppose we have no choice but to wait a little longer then,” he replied, his arm subtly wrapping around their back.
They scoffed as they eased into his embrace. “I guess so.”