Toxic Innocence

FIFTY THREE

The snippets of something strange lingered the air the second U stepped in. The home was eerily silent, as if none resided there by the near past even though it had only been couple more hours than a full day after he had locked Althea up.

Althea-

Immediately he ran and ripped the door open to her room to witness a fort of red paper cups tumbling down as she gasps aloud, balled fists to her chest with her puppy eyes trained on her destroyed craft then slowly moving onto U.

"You" She points her finger fuming suddenly "will pay for this"

U- Rare to such accusation walked in, one doubtful step at a time. He then neared as Althea glare diluted wondrous stare. Checking U out like he was a fine piece of her favorite cake in glass displayer.

"Black makes you look sexier- I look like a clown even dressed in best" she shrugs as if stating the fact and patting her fresh blue halter neck top and black ankle jeans. She was prepped and dressed building plastic towers in her room while U had a complete diverse scenario for when he came back to see her.

It was then U noticed the yellow cone hat that sat atop of her head and Glitters on her lap, who as per natural instinct meowed at U.

U- Remained neutral and confused to the situation at hand before bottle of liquor rolled by in sign next to her as she shifted collecting the paper cups. U crouched to inspect and went rigid when it finally hits him that Althea's ass was drunk enough to openly call him sexy.

Which was a rarity.

Simultaneously a rush of excitement and guilt engulfed him. So alien the feel of how easy was for him now was it to understand and express what he felt.

"You ate?"

She pouted at the empty ziplock bag that he had left her food in. sandwiches and her favorite candy jar with two bottles of water. The food bag was empty, with just its crust coating the film while the water remained full.

U had fair idea that her liquid consumption had been the large bottle of wine for her small stomach.

"What had you been up to?" He asked sitting cross legged on floor next to her as she ignored him and kept building her fort.

"How was your day?" he asked, repeating himself despite how irritated he usually would get if he had to. But with her, he was so willing to invest all of his energy and strategy just to get her to speak. Hear her answer him. Look at him with those warm hazel eyes. Welcoming and friendly. Not the intoxicated and far gone as of then.

"I tried to teach Glitters to call me Momma"

She replied right when U gave up hoping. But he wasn't prepared to reply to what she said as she expectantly gazed at him, childish joy in her smile which forced U to ask-

"Did she?"

What the f-ck.

"No"

"Should we try again?"

I am going crazy.

"You try" her smile and eyes competed saucers as she pushed the cat to his face. An in that moment if one had asked U what his universe looked like- he would've unconsciously narrated about her. He got up suddenly, offering her a hand as quizzical she twitched her lips.

"Take my hand. I am taking you out" his command had a filter effect on Althea as her brows pinched. She thought harder about something she had forgotten, then her jaw fell open as she tried to stand. Glitters jumped from her embrace and sprinted away.