I kicked the door shut with my heel, letting the slamming sound ring around me. It was dark, the last of the day's light casting very little glow around. I glanced around the flat I loved so much; not because of its physical appearance, that is. The apartment was pretty much what you'd expect of student housing. It was small and cluttered, second-hand furniture filling it. There was a small living room-type area, and an even smaller kitchen area. The two  were divided by a counter stretching from one wall halfway to the next. Two doors sat opposite the counter's edge - one leading to a tiny bathroom and the other to a bedroom. Yes, it was pretty much what you'd expect of an apartment used by college students, and that wasn't the reason for the love I held for the place. That came from the sentimental meaning it held. This tiny, messy apartment meant the world to me simply because Gerard and I rented it together. After we finished high school, I sold the house I'd moved into with my dad all those years ago, and Gerard and I had decided to start a new life here. He was studying hard at an art college nearby, and me? I was taking a medical degree. It wasn't something I'd envisioned for myself in the past, but it was what I wanted. I planned on working hard and becoming a qualified psychiatrist. The workload was heavy and intense, but I enjoyed doing it. I felt like I was making something of myself. I looked around, and noted again that the apartment was dark. "Gee?" I called out, flicking on lights. "In here!" His voice floated to me through our bedroom door. I followed it and stepped into our room to find him hunched over his desk, scribbling furiously at a drawing he was working on. I stepped up behind him and put an arm around his shoulders, noticing how tense they were. "Gee, why are you sitting in the dark?" I asked. He shrugged and carried on shading. I kissed the side of his neck. "Have you even eaten?" I asked. He had to think a minute before saying, "No." I rolled my eyes. "Come on, give work a break," I urged, tugging his hands. He let himself be led to the living room where I pushed him onto the sofa. I grabbed the bag I'd brought in with me and, with a flourish, produced Chinese takeout food.he laughed warmly at my dramatics and took his food from me, digging in. I raised an eyebrow and said "for someone who forgot to eat you're really hungry." He flipped me off and carried on chewing. Unsurprisingly, he was done before me. He sat back and watched me as I finished eating, which was kind of unnerving. I looked at him questioningly, but he ignored me - he was doing that a lot today. I shrugged and carried on eating, glancing at him between mouthfuls. He seemed... different tonight. On edge. Usually he was laid-back when we spent time together, he would fire up a conversation or something like that - but tonight he was silent. None of his usual joking around. And did he look... nervous? Tense, definitely, but I wasn't sure. I brushed off my thoughts, told myself to stop being such a drama queen, and finished the last of my food before facing him. "Gee, are you okay? You seem to have something on your mind." He smiled sheepishly. "Am I that obvious?" He asked. I smiled too, and touched his hand. "Only because I know you so well," I assured him. "So, what's up?" He grinned at me, and I saw mischief in his eyes. "Do you love me, Krissy?" He asked suddenly. I was shocked by the sudden turn in direction. "Of course I do!" I answered instantly. His smike grew wider. "How much do you love me, Krissy?" I grew more and more confused. "Gerard, what-" he cut me off and repeated himself. "How much do you love me?" I rolled my eyes. "More than anything else in the world," I told him. His impossibly huge smile managed to get even bigger. "Well, in that case, I have a question for you." His tone was playful, but I read doubt in his eyes. He was trying to cover it up, though, so I didn't point it out. "You already asked me two," I returned, smirking. Once again, he ignored me, and suddenly climbed off the sofa to sit in front of me on the floor. I frowned. "What are you-" I stopped when I saw the black velvet box in his hand, and my eyes bugged out. Oh. "Krissy Ann Palmer, will you do me the intense honour of being my wife?"

Notes

So, here it is. The much-awaited sequel. It's gonna start off pretty slow, but it'll pick up, I promise. It probably won't be as good as the last one, but hey, I tried. By the way, Krissy going to med school isn't important to the story. I just wanted a bit more setting, and since I want to study the exact same thing it was just an obvious choice. It's something I've already researched and I know enough about it to write it realistically. No relevance to the plot whatsoever. Thanks for reading, anyway! And if you're on twitter, I co-own the account @mychempictures and would love for you guys to check it out. Paranoia Violence out xø