Disclaimer: I don't own New X-Men.
"Josh? Josh, what's wrong?" Laurie's voice is sweet in his ear, and her hair smells like roses. She tilts her head to the side and looks up at him, worry clouding her cornflower eyes. Her hand feels small and delicate in his own, and soft. Flesh. He glances down at their intertwined fingers, his golden silk and hers peachy cotton. Then he pulls his own hand away and holds it up to the sky, watching the way light slashes across his knuckles.
"Josh, please, tell me what's on your mind. Please. Josh, I just want to help."
He glances at her, sidelong, and his mind pictures her with auburn hair, tanned skin, eyes like grass. It takes him a moment to realize he's superimposed Rahne over Laurie, and he shakes his head to clear his sight. Laurie's hand comes to fall on his shoulder and she turns him so she can look into his eyes. "Josh."
A breeze picks up around them, as Josh waits for Laurie to continue and Laurie waits for Josh to change. Her grip shifts imperceptibly, and he steps back.
"I don't want to talk about it." His voice comes out gruff, but it's the first thing he's said this afternoon that isn't a lie. He really doesn't want to talk about what's wrong, because what's wrong is Rahne, and Rahne broke up with him.
Laurie smiles up at him, a burst of sunshine, and he catches the scent of fresh rain wafting off of her. He wonders if she's doing it on purpose, then dismisses the thought. Laurie doesn't stab people in the back like that.
"Josh, okay, that's - that's okay. You don't have to tell me." She sounds fragile, like she's on the verge of breaking, and Josh winds their hands back together.
"Yeah," he murmurs, and for an instant he's compelled to tell her everything - tell her about Rahne's hair sliding through his hands, about her lips on his, about her hands warm and soft and completely different from Laurie's - but he doesn't. Instead, he just smiles wanly and murmurs, "I won't."