Gigi Hadid and Joe Jonas' reps keep telling us they're just friends -- and if that's true ... Joe just found a way to bust out of the friend zone, because they had a little kissing sesh in public. 

The couple was hanging in a bar Thursday night in New York City, and getting very cozy -- Gigi planted a smooch on Joe's hand while they were practically sitting in each other's laps.

They've been pretty tight in multiple cities lately -- LA, NY, Toronto, and now back in NY.

Unclear why they're not copping to banging -- this seems like the ultimate win-win -- but these pics make it harder to deny.