Prudence was still. So was John. He stood at the windowsill, leaning against it. The window provided the only light in John's unlit flat, turning John into a silhouette and Prudence into a ghost.

"Prudence..." John spoke up first, but it was in vain. Prudence remained silent, sitting stiffly on the bed, her head slightly turned towards the wall. The room was quiet once again. Little crumbs of dust floated in the light from the window. John's shadow stretched across the room, over the wooden floor, part of the bed, and the wall on the other side. Prudence's illuminated face was blank.

John shifted his position, throwing his shadow over the girl. "Look, if ye won't say anythin', maybe you should go," he finally snapped, the tension in the room unbearable.

His comment earned him a turn of the head and an icy glare. John quickly shut his mouth, more uncomfortable than he had been before.

The silence itched on. John's shadow shifted ever so slightly, a sign of the passing time.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't stay here if no one's gonna talk," John spoke again, straightening up and walking towards the door. Choosing to ignore the fact that he was leaving his own flat instead of the other way around, he slipped on his leather jacket and grabbed his keys.

"See ya, Pru," he breathed, opening the door.

"John!"

He stopped, and turned back into the flat. "What?" he said, his voice softening.

He heard the march of her footsteps, and watched as she walked into the room. Her hands were clenched in fists, her brows were taught, and her eyes glowed.

"You are so selfish!" she yelled, standing up as tall as she could so she could shout right into John's face. "You take me to your place, having me thinking that everything is alright, and then you just drop this BOMB on me, and then you expect me to just say something right away, and you don't even have the decency to be PATIENT while I'm trying to figure all this out!"

"Prudence-"

"NO, John, no! I'M talking now!" Prudence waved her arms frantically as she shouted, her voice continually rising. "And you tell me that we only have one WEEK together before you have to go, and you'll be gone for MONTHS! You had to wait until we only have one week left to tell me! You're so horrible I hate you I hate you I HATE YOU!" Now in hysterics, Prudence began to bang her fists against John's chest.

John didn't move, letting her release all the pain of his announcement.

Watching Prudence in this state nearly broke him. How could he do this to her?

But it wasn't forever. He would be back.

After a few minutes, exhaustion overcame Prudence, and her violent sobbing was reduced to hiccups. She began to sway, and John quickly pulled her into him, holding her tightly against his chest.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" she whimpered into John.

"I'm sorry, Prudence," he said softly, stroking her with one hand, and squeezing her with the other. "I'm sorry. I should've told you earlier."

Prudence's hiccups were the only sound in the room. John continued to move his hand up and down her back.

"You can come with me if you want," he whispered into her hair.

Prudence shook her head, and slowly raised it to look up at him. Her beautiful eyes, rimmed with tears, looked straight into his deep, worry-riddled ones.

No matter what she would say or do, Prudence knew John would still go. She knew this was an adventure that John needed to go on, and that she would be better off home.

"Did you tell Mimi already?" she asked weakly.

John nodded with a forced chuckle. "And boy was she tizzed," he joked. Prudence smiled a little, and reached up to run her hands through his hair.

The light from the window landed on the scene: a young man, strong and resolute, and a young woman, careful and willing. The two melted into one another, a beautiful balance of cracked and whole, strength and weakness, coming from each of them.

"We still have one week," John murmured, kissing Prudence's forehead softly. "Where should we go?"

Prudence sighed into the kiss. "We can just stay here," she answered.

John smiled. "Alright."

He wouldn't be gone forever. He would come right back, and the two would pick up where they left off.

"I love you, Pru."

"I love you too, John."

{HEY GUYS
sorry it took me so long to write the chapter. I hope this will make up for it.
Happy Thanksgiving!

PEACE AND LOVE L***}