Hell didn't break lose. He seemed to have confused Elijah more than anything else. Simon frowned at looked at him again. "No... no that's not it. I..." he shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what came over me, Elijah. I would never use you for money..." Use him for comfort and to numb that sense of loneliness for a night? Totally fine.

Elijah nodded, completely believing him. He leaned back on the sofa in thought. "Are you happy, Simon? With this person you're with? Maybe something is bothering you..and You're looking for answers with soneone.." He knew he couldn't be that answer but it was a possibility Simon was stretching.

Simon looked at the fire again. He was still surprised that Elijah wasn't telling him to go to hell or hadn't kicked him out. But he wasn't sure how to handle the questions. "When I'm with him, I am..." was he? Was he ever really happy. "I feel bad for what I've done and I can't imagine I could have and I never want to do it again. He is good. He's the better man, and I don't deserve him, and I should be grateful he's even wanted me. I don't ever want to hurt him..." And then he would leave, and it would be hard to remember any of that.

Elijah sighed and slipped an arm around Simon's shoulders. It wasn't a romantic gesture, it was a hug to let him feel he wasn't alone. "You know you shouldn't think badly about yourself. This man who you think is so much better... why do you think he cares for you? I doubt it's because you're just a guy who likes him. He sees something special in you. When I believe it. You're a good guy, but you're in a bad part of your life. You are frustrated, afraid, uncertain.. am I at least slightly right ?"

Before that day, Elijah had thought he was alone. He had heard whispers but it was rumors to embarrass someone. He had been so sure for all his life he was the only one to feel this way in town. It made him wonder who else, but considering Simon seemed to sell himself in desperation, he wasn't sure he wanted to know them.

He closed his eyes when Elijah wrapped his arm around him, cherishing the feeling of comfort, while restraining himself from doing what he always did. Simon nodded slowly. Things weren't easy now. But half of that was his own fault. He struggled with guilt and disgust, but it was his own actions that brought it on. Home was hell, but it was Simon who provoked, repeatedly, and even when father tried to talk to him, or offered mercy and a fresh start, Simon would walk away. Rose was losing patience with him, and it was because he kept lying. And so on. And in a sense, it wasn't even a stage. He had always been wicked. It had just become worse over time. Sometimes even Simon himself feared where it might end. "I want to..." He sat up more straight. "I'm going to be better."

"Simon..." He looked at him. "I believe in you. You have done nothing unforgivable. While prostitution is illegal, I didn't catch you in the act so I won't do anything. "

He smiled weakly. "You are in charge of your own life and you can make yourself better. You can turn your life around this very moment. It won t be easy but you can do it. You have people who care about you. I care about you..."

He hated to hear the word. Prostitution. It was easier to do things when you didn't think about what it was. He nodded again. Already, he was beginning to doubt his own commitment. So often he had promised himself to be better. And every time he fell a little deeper.

Elijah smiled. "You always have me to talk to if things get hard, alright ? And maybe I can try to help you find some extra work to get you that money so you can go to York. "

He moved his arm back but patted his shoulder once more. "You are probably exhausted. Want me to let you sleep?"

"Thanks, Elijah." The thought of Elijah pulling away from him and having to sleep here, alone, after all that had happened, made him want to try to seduce Elijah again - despite what he had promised himself less than a minute ago. But the reaction he had received before was still fresh in his memory. "Yeah..."

Elijah nodded and smiled. He stood and picked up their teacups, "If you need anything, I'll be in my room." He nodded to him and headed to his room, unbuttoning his shirt as he went to prepare for bed.