Animals + Promises - A Z.Tao x Reader

The Great NYC Adventure

The next day we met C:5 in the city. We had decided to walk around in the city and I was going to show them some of the cool sights there. Tao had been to the city twice since he had come to America but I had been there a lot more due to my dad's job. We had almost all day to hang around, so I made a plan in the hotel before. 

As we walked around the city, I hung out with Jianyu and Junjie a lot. Tao stayed with Huojin and the other members bounced between the two groups. The band members were dressed in casual American fashion, blending in well with the other people in the city. Houjin, Guangli, Donghai, and Jianyu were dressed in sports attire, designer sweats, and a t-shirt. Tao and Junjie were more stylish. They had white t-shirts, jean jackets, and bandanas. They had decided to match the other day just for fun, and I had done similar. A white crop top, green flannel, and some light skinny jeans. 

We had chosen a few places to go with the group and then Tao and I left them for some so they could film things without us following. After a few hours in the city, we went for food.

Tao and I sat across from each other at the end so that when the group filmed, we wouldn't be in the picture. I sat next to Jianyu and we cracked jokes with each other the whole time unless the camera was on of course. One time it even got physical and I ended up in a Jianyu headlock... Now that was funny.

After lunch, I pulled Jianyu and Houjin into a few stores, just to annoy them. Junjie and Tao, also annoyed, followed us in and left Guangli and Donghai to film a little interview while we were gone. While Junjie, Tao, and Houjin argued over the best style of jacket, I pulled Jianyu with me to check out the stuffed animals. We both chose the same favourite, a small wolf. Super cute! I challenged him to a balance contest, and we both held the wolves on our heads while we walked around the section. 

As we were walking around the corner to find the other three again, I tripped over a piece of metal sticking out from the display and fell over. Jianyu turned around after hearing my foot hit the display and tried his best to catch me before I hit the floor. Instead, I ended up falling on top of him, our faces inches apart.

Wolf pups deserted onto the floor, we both froze, taking in the situation. I shot up off of him and fell onto the floor behind me, glaring straight ahead, just in time to see Tao running out of the store, Houjin running after him. Junjie stood in shock for a second but went over to help the two of us up. 

"What happened?" he asked, as I shook my head realizing that Tao had just seen me on top of Jianyu, nothing more. 

I swore out loud. 

"(y/n)!" Junjie exclaimed and I looked up my eyes brimming with tears. 

Jianyu looked shocked. "I'm sorry (y/n)! I didn't mean to, I just wanted you to not fall." 

I waved one hand in dismissal and used the other to wipe away the start of tears from my eyes. "It's okay, I know you had good intentions. But Tao's gonna kill me..." I trailed off, staring at the door in which my boyfriend had just left. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Junjie nod and pull Jianyu up from the floor, telling him something in Chinese. I pulled myself up and brushed off my jeans. Taking a deep breath in and out, I nodded to the two guys and went towards the door, picking up the wolf pups and tossing them at Jianyu who was next to the rack where they came from. 

Walking outside I spotted Donghai, who was standing at the corner of the street. I called to him and he turned to meet me. Running over, I asked where the rest of the group was. He didn't tell me but waited for Junjie and Jianyu to come out of the building. He said something short in Chinese and Junjie nodded. "He says you should come with him" Donghai looked at me and I nodded, stepping towards him.

Donghai, silently led us across the street and into an old antique shop, completely deserted from the busy streets outside. We went to the back of the store and he placed his hand on the blackboard full of writing behind the counter. Junjie did the same and the blackboard flicked, making the writing disappear. Jianyu took my hand and placed his hand on the blackboard as well. 

The blackboard flicked back to writing again and it swung open into a full-length door. The boys pulled open the door and walked into a dark room, Jianyu still not letting go of my hand. The door swung closed and the lights flickered on. Junjie went and opened the next door at the other end of the tiny storeroom. This led to stairs, descending down to an unknown place. Donghai went first, followed by Jianyu, who had still not let go of my hand. Junjie followed down the stairs, closing the door.

The above scene was inspired by GOT7 Girl Girls Girls MV

We entered into a large room with furnished floors and a big chandelier. It looked like a large ballroom. There were all sorts of couches, chairs, and appliances on the sides. The middle though was completely clear of anything, except people. 

Guangli, Houjin, and Tao were dancing to one of C:5's songs in the middle. The song blasting from a huge set up of speakers, they were watching each other in the big mirrors on the far wall. Guangli looked up in the mirror and noticed us. Donghai put his finger to his lips to signal him to be quiet about our entrance. Nodding, the oldest looked back to the mirrors and kept dancing.

As we made our way down the stairs, I watched Tao dancing. He was so good. He could keep up with the debuted artists with no problem at all. The song they were playing in the studio was Cinema. Tao's backup dancer part was coming soon. I stopped mid-step and Jianyu stopped too, looking up at me wondering why I had paused. Tao backed up, staring hard at the space between the two other dancers on the floor. He took another step back and sprang forward. I sucked in a breath and Jianyu flicked his head to the dance floor.

I heard Junjie gasp too as he remembered that Tao had the solo moment. I held my breath as Tao leaped off and performed a perfect side flip, right down the middle of the floor. I let out my breath as he landed, a big smile forming on my face. I looked up at Junjie, who had a similar smile and then down at Jianyu who gave me a cute little knowing smirk and held up a hand, offering to help me down the rest of the steep stairs.

The song ended as we were walking down the last of the steps and the three dancers turned their backs to the mirror for the ending pose. The music faded and I jumped down the last step, landing on the beautiful floor. 

Jianyu let go of my hand and I clapped for the dancers. Houjin smiled at us and Guangli nodded in thanks. Tao was emotionless, watching my hand in intricate detail as it slipped from Jianyu's grasp. He turned his back to us almost immediately and seemed to stomp off into a small adjoining room. Huojin sighed loudly watching Tao disappear. "Goodness gracious this kid," turning to us he asked, "What happened?"

After sitting down and explaining to the rest of C:5 what happened, Jianyu and I looked at each other nervously, feeling bad about the timing. Huojin then popped the question I had been trying to avoid. 

"It seems like you have been hanging out with Jianyu a lot though, is there a reason? Tao isn't saying anything to us."

 I sighed. "So apparently you guys didn't know..." Everyone looked confused.