Disaster • Arctic Monkeys Fanfiction

[sixty nine]

Indi's POV

I winced as Alex dabbed my knee with peroxide, freezing completely when he stuck the bandage over the scrape.

Not because of the pain.  But because he left his hand there on my knee for a moment, before sliding it up a few inches to my thigh.

I doubt he even knew he was doing it.  I was sitting on the toilet and he was kneeled down in front of me.  His free hand was still fiddling with the bandage wrapper and he was focused on throwing it in the bathroom trashcan.  

But seeing and feeling his hand there, wrapped over the top of my thigh, did something to me.  

He had to lean on me to put the peroxide back on the counter, causing his grip to tighten on my leg.

I gulped.  

"So, disaster girl," he said, his attention still elsewhere.  "What are we doing today?"

"I dunno," I said, trying to make my voice sound normal.  Casual.  Like Alex's fucking hand wasn't creeping up my fucking thigh and driving me insane.

He looked over to me then.   He seemed to notice his hand on my leg, but to my surprise, he left it.

The bastard had to know what he was doing to me.

"What do you want to do?" I asked him, trying to get my mind off of his hand.  "I've been dragging you all over the city.  Tell me what you want."

The corner of his mouth turned up.  "If I told you what I wanted, you might punch me."

Yep.  He definitely knew what he was doing to me.

"Do you want to see a movie?" I asked, trying to change the subject.  "We could go to a show, or something.  I don't know.  What do rockstars do besides shoot drugs and fuck girls?"

He thought for a moment.  "I want to go to the zoo."

"The zoo?"

"They are called zoos over here, aren't they?"

"Yeah," I said quickly.  "I just.. never pictured you as a zoo guy, I guess."

"Well I am," he said, standing up.  His hand left my thigh and I was more disappointed than I care to admit.  

"Alright," I said, a bit wearily.  "Zoo it is then."

He flashed me a smile.  "Get ready, then.  We don't have all day."

• • • • • •

The day had grown hot by the time we made it to the zoo, which was located in the middle of the prettiest park in town.  It was one of my favorites places, because it didn't even seem like you were in the city anymore.  

It stretched out for a couple square miles or two, and flowers grew everywhere and there were always families walking around with strollers.  There were a few ponds and play areas for kids.  But my favorite part (besides a small train that rolls around the park for tours) was the Rose Garden.

It seemed to catch Alex's eye as we drove past it for the zoo parking.

"What's that?" he asked me.

"It's the Rose Garden," I told him.  "Some guy planted a garden of just roses after his wife died because she loved them.  My mom used to tell me that he sat there every day, writing poems for her until he died."

"Hm," Alex murmured.

"Could you imagine loving someone so much?" I said, more to myself than him.  "I don't think that love like that exists anymore."