Broken Boulder spin for you like your favorite records used to

A voice startled him and he looked up, immediately met with grey eyes. Something sharp and white-hot arced through his chest at Delight's greeting; he had been too wrapped up to notice his approach, and was at once overwhelmed by his friend's presence. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to him— the opposite, in fact. He needed the company far too desperately right now, and in this state, could not trust himself. There were a million ways it could go wrong, a million reasons to make some excuse and slip off, a—
Hi, Alarian offered, trying to mask the nervous edge to his voice. He moved to close the remaining distance between them, tail swishing slowly despite the tightness in his lungs. Um, nothing.
He reached desperately for something else to say— and came up blank. Shit, shit, shit, stop being boring— Ummm, what's up with you? Lame. He resisted the urge to look away from his friend, wishing he could sink into the ground right then because there was no way Delight didn't think him dull. Who wouldn't?