persona || paige bueckers

Chapter 22

12th of March. Or was it December 3rd? Actually, it could be an 8, not a 3...making it August?

Kazzi squinted, tilting her head here and there to try and decipher the bloody smatter on the concrete wall. It was very poorly written, coloured in a deep wine red under dim lights – the dripping effect not helping with coherency.

Paige paced the room, trying to peek through the door gap to no avail. They tried shouting, and could hear muffled voices from the other end, but definitely not enough to communicate effectively.

They hadn't been there for a long time, but Kazzi could already feel the tension in the room rising. She didn't know how long they needed to stay in here, having never asked Liam what the time limit for the escape room was – it had to be at least an hour. Kazzi should really start asking more questions.

Paige stopped in front of the decapitated head, nudging it with her feet as it wobbled from its position on the floor. Kazzi couldn't hide her grimace.

"Scared?" Paige asked, tone light.

Kazzi kept a wary eye on the head, shuffling further away, "Yes. I mean...look at it."

Paige chuckled, causing Kazzi's eyes to flicker upwards. Kazzi swallowed as Paige smirked, "You keep looking at it though."

"I gotta make sure it doesn't–"

Kazzi then let out a loud, blood curdling scream as Paige lightly kicked the head in her direction, the former almost jumping onto the walls in order to escape despite the head rolling barely two feet.

Paige doubled over in laughter as Kazzi tried to catch her breath, the latter narrowing her eyes at the blonde, "Paige! Don't do that!"

"I'm sorry–" Paige wheezed, "It's still like two meters away from you!"

Kazzi tried to regulate her heartbeat, the beginnings of a smile starting to stretch across her lips as she protested, "It's not funny! Stop laughing!"

Paige had a breathtaking smile on her lips, eyes glancing up to lock with Kazzi's. Kazzi felt like the floor had fallen away under her, eyes wide as she stared unabashedly at Paige – in awe.

The blonde's laughter died, cocking her head as she straightened up to make her way over to Kazzi. 

Kazzi only jerked back into the present when she realized Paige was barely a foot away.

She's really here, Kazzi thought dumbly, eyes roaming the blonde's face as if she's trying to burn it into her memory. She wondered if this was the last time she would ever hang out with Paige, and then shamelessly hoped that the escape room time limit was longer than anticipated.

The room suddenly felt electric. Paige's eyes were half-lidded, looking down as her tongue flickered out to wet her bottom lip. Kazzi's eyes immediately latched onto the movement, causing the corners of Paige's mouth to curl upwards.

"We need to talk."

Kazzi resisted the urge to close her eyes and sigh, embarrassment bubbling inside her gut as she muttered, "About what?"

"You know what it's about. No more playing dumb, Kovers."

"I'm not..." Kazzi murmured, refusing to meet the blonde's eyes. Why was this type of thing so hard to admit?

Paige took a step forward, and Kazzi stumbled away, back hitting the wall – she felt boxed in with no escape. The glint in Paige's eye showed that she intended for this to happen.

"I would like to start off..." Paige mumbled, leaning closer and closer to Kazzi, "By apologizing for the other night. I was too forceful and probably scared you. I'm sorry."

"Okay..." Kazzi replied shakily, holding her hands up to try and placate Paige's approach.

"I shouldn't have done that, and it won't happen again."

Isn't it happening right now? Kazzi thought, heart threatening to jump out of her chest as Paige lowered herself to Kazzi's level, face inches away.

"Do you forgive me?" Paige whispered, voice soft with her light breaths brushing Kazzi's cheek. Kazzi gulped, trying to merge with the wall as the blonde showed no signs of moving away.

"Okay, okay. I forgive you. Move away please–"

"I'm not done."

Kazzi swallowed a whine that threatened to escape.

"Although my way of approaching the matter might not have been the best, I think you are equally in the wrong."

Kazzi opened her mouth to rebuke that statement, but was promptly shut up by a hand curling around her waist.

"Do you agree?" Paige simpered.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Kazzi realized she was being seduced into submission, but she could really care less when Paige's hand rested at the curve of her hip – an anchoring weight.

"Okay. Yes, it's my fault as well–" Kazzi rambled, placing her hands on Paige's shoulder to try and place some distance between them. She felt boneless – though – so there wasn't really much effort in pushing Paige away. "You can back away now–"

Paige then proceeded to lean impossibly closer, face disappearing from view as her exhale carrassed Kazzi's skin. Kazzi shivered, legs almost giving out as Paige's lips brushed her ear, a low murmur making goosebumps rise along her arms.

"So you admit you have a twitter fanpage dedicated to me?"

The million dollar question, and the answer was lodged in Kazzi's throat. She whimpered, head lolling back to thump against the wall as Paige pressed closer, other hand sliding up to cusp the other side of her waist. Kazzi was dying.

"I–" Kazzi swallowed her words, tongue-tied.

"Hm?"

Kazzi felt faint, breaths starting to come labored as Paige started drawing circles on her hips. The proximity was suffocating, and Kazzi was drowning in Paige's scent, her touch, her everything–

She didn't know how, but before she could register it, she had already whispered the answer.

"Yes."

Paige paused her ministrations, and Kazzi felt like she was going to throw up when the blonde pulled away. Kazzi closed her eyes, unwilling to see the expression on Paige's face after her confession. Her throat constricted, and she flinched when she felt a soft thumb stroke her cheek.

"Look at me..."

Kazzi jerkily shook her head.

"Please?"

Heart stuttering, Kazzi opened her eyes, she was a weak woman.

She then registered the endlessly soft expression on Paige's face, eyes sparkling and lips pulled into an endeared smile. Kazzi frowned, confused.

"You aren't mad?" Kazzi mumbled, eyes disbelieving as they scanned the blonde's face.

"No," Paige chuckled, leaning forward to thump their foreheads together. Kazzi's jaw went slack, head swimming with a million questions.

"I thought–"

A thump, and then a loud voice erupted from next to them.

"Oh my fuck! We managed to get it open– Hey, Liam! It's right!"

Paige jerked away, and Kazzi scrambled to get out of the blonde's hold, heart racing a mile a minute. It took a second for her to regain her bearings, but when she did, she realized that Bea and Liam had managed to open a small slot in the wall that allowed for communication.

"You guys are there, right?" Bea distinct voice floated from across the wall.

"Yeah," Kazzi replied breathily, nerves singed from the events that occurred prior.

Bea didn't seem to notice, but Paige did. The blonde snickered, hand covering her lips as she grinned.

"Let's get out of here first, Kovers."