Sense memory was a funny thing. Merely sitting on the bed they'd so recently shared was enough to remind Crowley of the silken feel of Ellie's bare skin beneath his fingertips, the taste of her mouth, the scent of her hair...

He curled his fingers into a fist, trying to exert some control.

"Ellie, I... Well, I fucked up, plain and simple." It was a difficult admission to make, but she deserved the truth. "I pissed off Aphrodite and I was too damn smug to worry about the consequences. I never thought she'd screw around with anyone else to get back at me." Crowley knew the technique, of course, but he generally preferred to deal directly with the person he had an issue with rather than drag in all and sundry.

When he spoke again, his voice was soft and hesitant. Uncertainty didn't suit the serpent, but there were times for the sword and times for the apple...

"If it means anything to you, I would never have ever approached you on my own, but I'm not sorry that it happened - even if she had no right to pull that shit."

He chanced another look at Ellie. "And, uh, depending on how you feel, I'm not adverse to... continuing. As friends." That much should be made pretty clear up front, Crowley figured. He didn't want to lead her on.