Broken Boulder i can't tell if the want justifies the need

He struggled not to flee under the weight of the silence that had settled between them, struggled not to flinch from Delight's tone when he finally spoke— he'd earned this, and he'd take it quietly, he thought. Or, try. He swallowed hard again, and did exactly that; he listened silently and let the anger cut into him.

It didn't hurt as much as he might have imagined— the anger, at least. What hurt more was the knowledge that he'd caused this; honestly, he'd only really seen Delight angry once before, and that— had also been his fault. Fuck. He blinked and averted his gaze as the last sentence hit him, focusing on some indistinct point on the ground slightly to the left. It was easier to stare at that than into Delight's anger, because he knew it was anger born of hurt, and he couldn't—

I'm sorry, The words came quietly, his voice trembling slightly, and he paused to force his gaze back to Delight. I was— I meant to come back sooner. I just needed— time away. To— think. It was more thinking than I realized it'd be, he wanted to add, but the words caught in his throat and he fell silent again.