{trigger warning: sexual content, mention of drug abuse, mention of suicide, mention of AIDS, attempt to make someone take drugs}

"What'd you forget?" Josh called out in question of the knock on his door. Assuming it was Colin, his roommate, he didn't bother turning around to check. Not until an unfamiliar voice responded.

"Sorry, to intrude, but... you gotta light?"

A scrawny kid that couldn't be any older than eighteen stood in the door of his studio apartment, clutching an unlit candle with one hand. He wore clothing that was definitely not suitable for December in New York- a thin grey turtleneck, high waisted black shorts, and torn metallic leggings underneath. His feet were bare, and his nails- both fingers and toes- were painted neon purple with metallic glitter. The polish was already chipping.

"And who are you?" Josh asked, setting his guitar on the table. "You're shivering."

"Oh, it's nothing. My heat won't turn on and I'm just feeling a little weak."

The boy stepped forward into the room, rubbing his free hand up and down his arm. His lips were tainted blue, yet his skin looked slick with sweat. Josh grabbed his coat off a chair and slung it over the boy, who shrunk into it and smiled gratefully. He was wearing heavy makeup.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem."

"So... can you light it?" The boy asked, waving the candle in Josh's face. "What are you staring at?"

"Oh, nothing." Your eyes in the moonlight. Josh fished a box of matches from his pocket and struck one stick on the side. A flame erupted on the tip, and he lit the wick before blowing the fire out. "You look familiar."

The boy smiled with teeth peeking through his lips, his dark eyes dancing in the yellow flame. Dark lashes, pale skin, dark eyes. His head tilted backwards, his smile turning mischievous. "Do I?"

He spun on his toes, almost immediately tripping over his feet. Josh grabbed his arm before he fell.

"Are you okay? Can you make it?"

"Yeah, sorry. I just haven't eaten much today," the boy laughed nervously. "At least the room stopped spinning."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." A beat passed, and Josh kept a hold on his elbow as he walked him to the door. "What?" The boy asked accusingly, teasing Josh with a smile.

"Nothing. Your smile reminds me of..." Josh winced.

The boy rolled his eyes. "I always remind people of someone. Who is she?"

"She died." Josh backpedaled when alarm crossed his face. "Her name was Ashley. She killed herself."

The candle blew out at the sharp exhale the boy let out, and he turned around again, holding it out in front of him. His eyes were downcast. "It's out again. Sorry about your friend."

It took Josh a moment and the candle being lit again to realize the real reason why he was upset- the boy was trying to flirt with him, and Josh essentially just told him he liked girls.

"Her girlfriend was more worse off," he said, shaking the matchstick off.

His eyes lit up. "I'm sorry for her loss too."

Josh's hand was still in on the boy's arm, who walked the two back so he could hop onto the table and be eye level with him. His lips were dangerously close to Josh's, but before they met, he jerked away, hissing.

"Ow!" The melted wax had dripped down the side and over his hand.

"Oh, the wax," Josh said, grabbing a towel to sip it away. "It's-"

"Dripping." The boy hooked Josh's fingers with his, slowly dragging their hands up to land on his inner thigh, the skin cold yet slick with sweat. "I like it between my-"

"Fingers!" Josh pulled his hand away and scratched the back of his neck, the entirety of his face burning red hot. "I figured." He turned around, hearing the boy huff in frustration and hop down off the table. "Well, you've got your lit candle and I've got a song to write. Goodnight."

He faced away from the door, trying to comprehend what just happened. That kid was two years younger than him at least and possibly a minor, what was he doing flirting with someone like Josh? It wasn't for money because he definitely didn't have any.

Drugs. Obviously. Josh was infamous in Alphabet City for his drug addiction. The boy was probably just trying to score.

Josh was wrapping his amp chord up when he heard another knock. His heart thudded in his chest, and he set the chord down.

"It blew out again?" He asked.

"No, I think that I dropped my stash," the boy groaned, carding his fingers through his hair. He started to rummage through Josh's things, setting the blown out candle on the table beside the amp.

"I know I've seen you around when I used to go out," Josh said, trying to make conversation. "Your candle's out."

The boy groaned. "I'm illin', I had it when I walked through the door."

"Had what?"

"It was pure, is it on the floor?" When he dropped to the ground, Josh froze.

"The floor?"

Josh was most definitely not checking out his legs, which were lean and tan under the leggings, and his back that arched perfectly when the boy looked back with a look of amusement on his face.

"My clients say I've got the best ass above 14th Street. Is it true?"

"What?" Josh choked out.

The boy shook his hips, the metal chain on his shorts jangling. "You're staring again."

"Oh, no. I mean, you do have a nice- I mean-" Josh looked at the ceiling. "You look familiar."

"Like your dead girlfriend?" The boy asked, still searching.

"Only when you smile, but I swore I've seen you somewhere else."

"Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club? I'm a dancer there."

Josh kneeled down, seeing a small plastic packet near the foot of the table. "Right, I played there with my old band. They used to tie you up." It turned out to just be trash, so he threw it aside.

The boy shot him a daggered stare. "It's a living," he said harshly.

"I didn't recognize you without the handcuffs."

He tilted his head to the side, smiling at Josh in a way that made his face turn hot. "Can you light my candle again? It'll help us see." When Josh hesitated, he pouted, lips glossy and dark. "Aw, come on, baby, why won't you light it?"

Josh hesitated and the boy leaned in close, their lips only an inch of two apart. He could feel the heat between them. His heart started to thrum rhythmically against his ribs, and just before their lips met, the boy pulled back, smiling in pure satisfaction.

Entranced, he took out the match box again and struck the stick on the side of box, the flame transferring to the candle wick. The boy kissed Josh's cheek, and he felt like he was going to burst into flames.

"You should forget that stuff," Josh said, continuing their search on opposite sides of the table. "You look like you're sixteen."

"I'm nineteen, but I'm old for my age." The boy picked up a piece of paper and threw it aside in disappointment. "I was born to be bad," he added.

Josh frowned. "I was born to be bad once too. I used to shiver like that."

"I told you, I have no heat-"

"I used to sweat."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the boy bristled and sniffed dramatically. "I've got a cold," he said, making himself sound nasally.

Josh raised an eyebrow. "I used to be a junkie," he said, quieter this time.

"I'm not a junkie," the boy protested, not meeting his eyes. "I can stop whenever I want."

Just as Josh was about to disagree, he spotted a small ziplock bag with white powder. "Oh, look, there it-" he stopped and snatched the bag before the boy could see it.

The boy's head spun, looking at Josh's hands, but he'd already hidden it in his back pocket. "Where?"

"It's just a candy bar wrapper," Josh lied, knowing he didn't believe him by the way his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I've heard about you," the boy said in a honey-moth, seductive voice, trailing his free hand up the slope of Josh's neck, his fingers leaving trails of fire in their wake. "The musical addict. I've heard you were great in bed too." He grabbed the collar of Josh's shirt, pulling them both to their feet.

"I don't do that anymore. I'm a year clean."

"Come on, darling, you can't go clean if you don't get well first." He leaned in close, kissing and nipping at the space between his ear and his jaw.

When Josh felt a hand pat his ass- over the pocket that didn't have the drugs- he jerked away, pulling the boy's hands off and pushing him back gently, putting space between them. The offer, as dangerous as he knew it was, was tempting. Josh shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts from his head.

"I don't do that anymore."

"Aw, come on, baby. Let's light the candle, if you know what I mean. Shoot up with me." He whispered the last sentence as he thrust the candle behind Josh.

Josh blew the fire out. The boy whined- sounding have annoyed and half sexual- and dropped the candle, grabbing him by his shoulders. He pressed his body flush against Josh's, putting a hand between his legs and rubbing him through his pants.

Surprisingly, Josh moaned low in his throat, trying to control himself, but he couldn't. Every touch the boy made burned hot, and it quickly spread through his whole body. He couldn't pull away this time, and the boy knew this, because he slipped his hand in between his boxers and skinny jeans.

"S-stop," Josh stuttered, trying to figure out how to breathe properly. "This isn't- you're too young."

"I'm of age, big boy, and I just want to feel good. Don't you? I've heard that you are so big, and I would love to find out for myself."

Josh let his head fall on the small boy's shoulders, shuddering as they ground against each other. He felt the boy kiss up the hollow of his throat and slip a hand under his shirt, cold fingers playing invisible piano keys on his skin.

"Y-you're hands are so- so cold," he breathed.

The boy smiled against his neck. "Yours are too." He pulled back completely, making Josh huff in frustration, before lacing their fingers together. "Big, too. What else is big?"

He yanked Josh to the couch near the balcony, the moonlight illuminating the boy's perfect in its absolute. Soft skin soft lips, sharp eyes.

"I don't think I'm comfortable with this." Josh knew that was a complete lie, but he couldn't have sex. He didn't want to get him infected too.

"I could always come back," the boy said, already pulling Josh's belt out.

Josh squeezed his eyes shut, unable to stop him from pulling his pants down to his knees. "I'm Josh."

He could hear the smirk in the boy's voice. "They call me Tyler. Thanks!"

"For what?"

Josh opened his eyes to see Tyler dangling the ziplock of drugs in his face, a sadistic grin on his face. "Bye bye!" He giggled, standing up and walking out, being sure to sway his hips just to fuck with him.

After a moment, Josh broke out of his daze. "Fucking tease!"

He pulled his pants back up, more upset about Tyler finding the drugs than him blue-balling Josh just to get him. But Josh knew it wasn't just a ploy to get his drugs- he wasn't the only one with a boner.