That wasn't it, of course, not at all. Aziraphale stopped and impulsively reached out to touch his friend's shoulder. "Crowley..." Distressed, he ran a hand through his hair, searching for words. "Of course I'm not washing my hands of anything. It's just never easy to know where the boundaries lie with you, or when I'm overstepping them. Even after all this time."
He drew a deep breath, uncomfortable as always with expressing these things out loud. "You've seemed so happy the past few days, and you have no idea how glad I have been to see it. Truly. You obviously like Ellie, and she seems to genuinely like you." That much about the succubus, at least, he unreservedly approved of. "I could be wrong; it certainly wouldn't be the first time. If you feel that's the case, or that all Aphrodite did was give you a push in Ellie's direction, then...well, that was still a rotten way to go about it, obviously, and no doubt for all the wrong reasons. But for Someone's sake, don't let my prattling spoil a good thing for you."
He made a palms-up gesture. "Just, try to understand my position. Please. That woman has been known to foul peoples' lives up horribly on a whim, and I can't see inside your head." Not without violating the Arrangement, Crowley's privacy, his own conscience and the rules of civilized behavior in general, at least. "If I stayed silent and it turned out she'd tampered with more than your hormones..."
He shoved his hands in his pockets, eyes on the floor. Crowley unhappy with him, that he could live with. Crowley ensnared in some sadistic game, his heart made into a plaything to be carelessly bruised or even broken (again)...no. Not in any circumstance, but especially not if he could have prevented it. "I'd never forgive myself," he concluded simply.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-10-18 07:57 am (UTC)He drew a deep breath, uncomfortable as always with expressing these things out loud. "You've seemed so happy the past few days, and you have no idea how glad I have been to see it. Truly. You obviously like Ellie, and she seems to genuinely like you." That much about the succubus, at least, he unreservedly approved of. "I could be wrong; it certainly wouldn't be the first time. If you feel that's the case, or that all Aphrodite did was give you a push in Ellie's direction, then...well, that was still a rotten way to go about it, obviously, and no doubt for all the wrong reasons. But for Someone's sake, don't let my prattling spoil a good thing for you."
He made a palms-up gesture. "Just, try to understand my position. Please. That woman has been known to foul peoples' lives up horribly on a whim, and I can't see inside your head." Not without violating the Arrangement, Crowley's privacy, his own conscience and the rules of civilized behavior in general, at least. "If I stayed silent and it turned out she'd tampered with more than your hormones..."
He shoved his hands in his pockets, eyes on the floor. Crowley unhappy with him, that he could live with. Crowley ensnared in some sadistic game, his heart made into a plaything to be carelessly bruised or even broken (again)...no. Not in any circumstance, but especially not if he could have prevented it. "I'd never forgive myself," he concluded simply.