Notes: Finally, Playing With Fire has its sequel! I've been sitting on this idea for some time now and have finally come around to putting it together. I just couldn't leave the 'Teller's Lovelies' universe alone, especially not with how Chibs left Juice at the end of Playing With Fire, and this little eight chapter story was born.

Plus, the even more exciting news, there's actually a third part to this Teller's Lovelies series featuring a new pairing I have yet to write up to this point. I'm very excited to put the third story together, especially because while it's set within the Teller's Lovelies world, it will easily be able to stand on its own with its new pairing. Keep an eye out for that once I've finished posting this one.

The story title comes from the chorus lines of the Killswitch Engage song, "This Fire."

Disclaimer: I did not make a profit off of this story. I do not own or know anyone or anything relating to Sons of Anarchy. This is a work of fiction.

*Cross-posted on AO3*

Chapter One

The blazing midday sun is high overhead and Chibs, Tig, and Clay are drenched in sweat. It's the middle of summer, their busiest season of work, and their schedule is packed with various road repairs on the country roads leading out of town. Charming City Council had offered Morrow Road Repair a handsome sum to fix the deep potholes dotting the country roads, and as the summer progresses, the tiring work only seems to drag on.

For the moment, the three men have taken up residence under the shade of a lone tree at the side of the road. The shade hardly provides any cover from the scorching sun, but they decide a little shade is better than none and lean against the wide trunk, their drinks and lunch in hand. Chibs hungrily takes a bite of his sandwich, then raises his hand and wipes the sweat from his brow as he chews. Next to him, Tig and Clay are discussing an upcoming job, and not for the first time, Chibs wishes he'd gotten into a different business. The pay is usually well under Morrow Road Repair, especially when the small town of Charming doesn't have many options for hire, yet the sweltering heat of the summer sun mixed with hot tar often proves nearly unbearable. Many days, he finds himself daydreaming of long rides on his motorcycle after work, and on those days, he wishes he'd gotten into the motorcycle business.

Today is one of those days, and it takes him a minute to process that Tig has been trying to get his attention. His friend calls his name, and after having no luck pulling Chibs from his thoughts, Tig resorts to flicking bits of grass at the Scotsman's face.

Chibs jumps when a small stick mixed with the grass bounces off his nose, and he turns to meet Tig with a startled gaze, "What're trying to do, ye shite? Cause me to piss me'self?"

Tig grins and motions towards the small pieces of grass stuck in his friend's hair, "Nah, took you too long to notice."

Chibs shakes his head and watches as grass rains to the ground. He turns back to meet Tig's smirking stare and though he tries to be gruff, he can't mask the humor in his voice, "Well whadda'ya want then?"

"I've got an announcement to make." Tig checks to make sure both men are paying attention. Both Clay and Chibs are watching him expectantly, so he continues, "You all know I've been dating Venus for about two years and well..." he pauses, unable to stop the smile that breaks out across his face, "Last night I asked her to marry me!"

Chibs can't help but grin, and Clay lets out a "hoorah!" and claps Tig on the back, "She said yes, then?"

Tig nods happily, "Yeah." The man is all smiles, and it's obvious how happy he is to finally tie the knot with his partner. Tig has said for awhile that he'd love to marry her, and it sounds as if his plan finally gets to happen.

"Great, that's great!" Clay grins back at him. "Hey, you know what, let's celebrate. The three of us will go out tonight to dinner. You can bring Venus along, and I'll bring Gemma." Clay then looks at Chibs and nods in his direction, "And grumpy over there can bring, uh, what's your girlfriend's name again? Whitney? Waverly? Uh -"

"Winona," Chibs rolls his eyes, cutting him off, "An' the crazy bitch an' I broke up."

Next to him, Tig laughs and says jokingly, "What was it this time? Did she catch your house on fire?"

"No," Chibs answers dryly, "That was the last one."

Both Clay and Tig start laughing, and Chibs glares at them. The Scotsman has attempted dating multiple women off-and-on over the course of the past year, and each one has proved just as crazy as the last. All of them start out fine, beautiful, good in bed, but then things always quickly turn south, and he realizes they're not what he's looking for. Then, when he tries to explain that they're not 'the one,' they have a habit of getting angry and destroying things.

"Eh, you'll find one eventually," Clay finally says good-humorously as the laughter dies down, "You've just got to keep looking."

"Won't do him any good if he keeps looking in the wrong spot," Tig adds with a grin.

Chibs shoots him a murderous glare, but Tig only smiles innocently around the mouth of his drink as he takes a sip of his soda.

The implication is not lost on Chibs, however, and Tig had been sworn to secrecy to never bring the subject up around Clay, work, or anywhere else, for that matter. Chibs had made it very clear that he wasn't interested in what Tig is referring to, that one blow job from a highly attractive male stripper means nothing in terms of his relationship preference - even if so far he's had no luck in finding a woman to keep around. Juice had been an accident, something he should never have let his lust-filled brain sink into, and he has no intention of ever bringing the subject up again.

Even if the blow job had been the best he'd ever had.

Still, the hidden meaning behind Tig's words is lost on Clay, so the man just continues as if Tig's statement is normal, "I'm sure Chibs is looking everywhere."

"Hmph," Tig grins and bites back a laugh as Chibs sends him another silencing glare.

Despite the lack of a girlfriend, Clay and Tig insist Chibs join them for the dinner celebration, and Chibs reluctantly finds himself agreeing. At the moment, he feels more like a long, relaxing ride on his motorcycle, but seeing as Tig is his best friend, he can't help but agree to go. The three agree to meet at an upscale restaurant in the center of town at eight o'clock that evening, and then after the plans are made, they return to work to finish out the day.

By the time work is over, Chibs is already beginning to regret agreeing to go to Tig and Venus's engagement celebration. He's drenched in sweat, is craving a cold shower, and would much rather climb on his bike for a long ride than make small talk with the guys and their dates. However, once home, he allows himself a long soak in the icy water of his shower before cranking up the heat and finishing off in the steam. He stares longingly at the keys to his motorcycle after changing into a clean set of clothes, but instead of grabbing them and heading out to his bike, he opts for making himself a bowl of cereal to tide him over until dinner.

He takes a seat at the kitchen table with a spoon and bowl of Frosted Flakes and slides the evening newspaper over to read as he eats. The sweet, crunchy cereal is oddly refreshing, and he relaxes back against the chair as he enjoys his food. The kitchen is calm, and he finds himself beginning to not mind the later invitation out to dinner, when his phone begins vibrating in his pocket. He starts slightly, not expecting the sudden buzz against his leg, and he quickly pulls his phone from his pocket. Out of habit, he goes to swipe the screen to answer, when he catches sight of the name on the caller I.D. Winona.

Chibs lets out an irritated sigh and tosses the phone against the table. He frowns at the device, annoyed that his ex-girlfriend has the nerve to call him, and debates going ahead and answering just to tell her to piss off. He reaches out towards the phone, fingers reaching for the cell, but finally drops his hand as he decides to let it ring. The vibrating finally stops, and Chibs lets out a sigh of relief. Though he's tried dating many women in the past year, none of them have had the spark that he's looking for, and he has no interest in listening to his ex try to persuade him into getting back with her. He's not exactly sure what it is he wants, but none of the past women have been it, and he's getting tired of the seemingly endless dating. A small part of him wishes he'd find someone to settle down with, but at the moment, that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon.

Ignoring his now silent phone, Chibs turns back to stare at the newspaper when something at the bottom of the third page catches his eye. His jaw drops and he nearly drops the paper into his cereal, but he manages to catch it before it soaks in the milk. His heart begins racing in his chest, and his eyes wildly scan back and forth across the page as he takes in what caught his attention.

The small section in the bottom corner is titled 'TELLER'S DRAWS LARGE CROWD FOR CHARITY BASH' and the words are set over a picture of two young men standing in front of the town's only male strip club, Teller's Lovelies. The first one, a tall, smiling, handsome blond that everyone knows as Jax Teller has his arm around the second, a thin, yet muscular young man covered in tattoos including two dark tribal tattoos on either side of his Mohawked head.

Chibs stomach does a backflip.

Juice.

The caption underneath the picture reads, 'Teller's Lovelies owner, Jax Teller, stands with his partner, Juice Ortiz, in front of the strip club after a successful night of fundraising.'

The words blaze across Chibs' vision, and his stomach does another lurching backflip at the words, 'his partner.' His mind quickly pushes the strange feeling off as surprise that Juice would be dating the owner, but subconsciously, he can't help but feel almost disappointed at the caption. The reasonable side of him tells him this feeling makes no sense, so he brushes it aside, and instead returns his gaze to the picture of Jax and Juice despite the gnawing discomfort in the back of his mind.

His eyes are drawn to Juice, and where Jax is smiling, seeming to hug Juice close, Juice appears distant. The tattooed young man almost seems bored, and the small smile on his face doesn't seem to reach his eyes, not like the wide, happy grin Juice had once given to him.

"This is the man I was telling you about."

Chibs remembers Juice's words clearly, the boy breaking into a smile as he nudged the stripper named Half-Sack and motioned towards Chibs as the older man appeared next to them. Half-Sack had given him a grin of his own and had flirtatiously agreed with Juice that Chibs was sexy, then had left the two of them standing there. Chibs had felt awkward, unsure of why he'd come, but Juice had grabbed his hand, had pulled him to the back room and given him his own private dance - a dance that went much farther than Chibs had ever planned.

For the third time, Chibs' stomach does a leaping backflip, but this time it seems to be out of excitement of the memory. He narrows his eyes, confusion settling in as he wonders what is wrong with him, and he crumbles the newspaper in his hands. His brain clearly has an answer, one that seems happy to point towards Juice, and he pushes the wrinkled paper away in disgust.

"I'm not a fucking queer," he grumbles to himself and returns to his cereal.

xxx

The restaurant Tig and Clay had decided on is more up-scale than what Chibs usually attends, and when he steps into the candlelit entryway, he can see he's clearly underdressed. He'd chosen a simple black t-shirt to wear under his leather riding vest and a pair of dark jeans, and the clothes are out of place among the other dinner guests. Tig raises his eyebrows as he sees Chibs walking towards him. Tig is dressed in a more presentable black silk button-down and dark pants, and he debates poking fun at Chibs for his outfit but decides to keep his mouth shut. Still, his eyes shine humorously.

Next to him, Venus wears a long, shimmery, cleavage-revealing dress, and she smiles at Chibs when she spots him. "Chibs, darling," she breathes, eyes alight, "You look...comfortable."

Chibs holds out his hands defensively and grins, "Comfort over fashion any day, my dear."

She shakes her head with a laugh, "Naturally."

"We're still waiting on Clay and Gemma," Tig adds as he wraps his arm around Venus' waist and hugs her close.

Chibs spots the large diamond engagement ring gleaming on her left ring finger, and Venus catches him staring at it. She holds it out proudly, "Isn't it gorgeous?"

"Aye," he agrees, and Tig beams next to her.

"Hey! There's the happy couple!"

Chibs, Tig, and Venus turn to see Clay and Gemma walking towards them. Clay is dressed more casually, but Gemma looks stunning in a form-fitting black dress, and not for the first time, Chibs wonders how Clay ended up with her. Clay's age is beginning to show, and he's not the trim, healthy man he once was, even if he tries not to show it, and Gemma has aged much more gracefully. Yet, Gemma can also be difficult, though she's incredibly loyal and treats her friends like royalty. The two have their quirks, but they love each other dearly and complement each other well.

The host appears next to them and leads the group to their seats. They're seated at a circular table in the center of the room, and the table is topped with a white silk tablecloth and tall candlesticks in crystal holders. Overhead, a large golden chandelier burns brightly, giving the room a warm glow. Other tables surround them, all filled with well-dressed groups and couples, and for a moment Chibs feels out of place within the room. He reaches for the menu, again beginning to wish he'd declined the invitation, and busies himself in deciding what to order.

Venus and Gemma order champagne and delicate pasta dishes while the men opt for beer and expensive steaks. While they wait for the food to arrive, Tig and Clay begin discussing work, while Venus and Gemma excitedly talk wedding plans. Chibs frowns at the tablecloth, takes a long sip from his beer, and wishes he had a date to talk to.

When the food arrives, Chibs is happy to at least have something to distract himself. The steak turns out to be excellent and while his friends chatter around him, he digs into the food. He's hungry and his stomach rumbles, though he won't admit he also still feels uncomfortable from the newspaper article earlier. He becomes absorbed in trying to distract himself from his own thought when to his right, he hears Venus suddenly gasp.

Without thinking he turns to look up at her. Venus claps a hand to her mouth and Chibs catches her eyes dart to something off to the side, then turn to meet Chibs in an uncomfortable stare.

"What?" he mouths, feeling his stomach begin to knot again.

She doesn't speak, but again her eyes dart towards the entrance to the dining area of the restaurant, and Chibs slowly follows her gaze. He catches sight of what drew her attention, and his heart lurches in his chest.

The restaurant host is leading a couple towards a table on the other side of the room. The man, a handsome blond, rests his palm at the small of his partner's back, and his partner glances up at him with a small half-smile. The host motions towards their table, and the blond pulls out the chair for his date. His partner takes a seat, the blond smiles, and then proceeds to sit in his own chair across the table.

Chibs recognizes them immediately.

Jax and his partner.

Juice.

Chibs frowns, scowl crossing his features though he doesn't even realize what he's doing. He turns back to meet Venus' sympathetic gaze, and grumbles under his breath, "Not a problem."

He doesn't know if his words are for her or to convince himself.

Suddenly, Chibs isn't so hungry and his steak tastes bland. He swirls the meat on his plate like a toddler might play with his food, and before long, Tig calls jokingly at him, "You got a problem there, Chibby?"

Before Chibs can answer, Venus nudges Tig's side and nods her head in the direction of Juice and Jax's table. Tig spots the two of them, both now settling into an expensive looking meal, and he turns back to look first at Venus, then to Chibs. "Oh."

His simple response doesn't make sense to Chibs, but Chibs chooses to ignore him and returns to swirling the steak around his plate. A growing feeling of anger is building within him, and as the food twirls and swirls faster and faster across the plate, he can't seem to push the bubbling anger down. Finally, he slams his fork to the table a little more forcefully than he'd meant, rises from the table, and announces that he has to go take a piss. Clay and Gemma raise their eyebrows at the statement, but Tig and Venus don't look surprised. Their lack of emotion is beginning to annoy Chibs. It's as if they know something that he doesn't, and he can't wrap his head around what it might be. For a second, he debates starting an argument with them, but then something else catches his attention entirely.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Juice turn his head, and without thinking, Chibs turns to stare in the direction of Juice's table. Now that Chibs is standing, it's easy for Juice to see him, and the boy's eyes widen in surprise as their eyes meet across the room. Chibs frowns, once again feeling the horrible sensation of his stomach twisting in knots, and he drops his gaze. "Hmph," he huffs grumpily and makes for the bathroom.

The bathroom is empty, and after Chibs has taken care of his business, he moves to the sink to wash his hands. His stomach still hurts, and when he looks in the mirror, he's surprised to see that his face has gone pale. He huffs grumpily again and shuts off the water, then steps over to dry his hands on a fluffy white towel.

The bathroom door opens.

And in that moment, Chibs feels his heart stop entirely in his chest.

Juice steps quietly into the bathroom and lets the door shut gently behind him. A small blush tinges his cheeks, and when he turns to meet Chibs' shocked gaze, it's obvious the boy intended to meet Chibs there.

"Did ye follow me on purpose?" Chibs wants to be angry, but his voice comes out soft. He tosses the hand towel back to the sink as if to show some rage, but when he meets Juice's eyes, his expression once again softens.

Juice's cheeks darken and he lowers his eyes in embarrassment. "Yes," he admits honestly.

"Why?"

They boy's eyes remain trained on the floor and his voice comes out weak, "You never came back."

Chibs eyes flash angrily, though his stomach does a backflip at the words. He doesn't have to ask what Juice means - he knows the boy means Chibs never returned to the strip club after their encounter in the back room. He clenches his fists, feeling the anger bubble upwards again, and before he can stop himself he roars, "I told ye lad!" He can't stop the ferocity of his voice, doesn't know why he's so angry, "I'm not fucking queer!"

"I...know." Juice awkwardly returns his gaze to Chibs, "I just...hoped you were wrong."

Wrong. Could he be wrong? Chibs heart summersaults and again he scowls angrily, "No."

Juice lets out a deep sigh. He straightens, the blush gone from his cheeks. "Okay."

Okay. Just okay?

For some reason, the simple acceptance bothers Chibs more than the accusation that he could be wrong about his feelings. It's as if his mind doesn't want Juice to accept defeat. It's as if he wants Juice to chase him.

Chibs decides to change the subject. He swallows, forcing the anger down, and says casually, "I saw yer picture in the paper. With Jax." He doesn't like the sound of Jax's name on his tongue, and he unconsciously frowns when he says it.

"Yeah," Juice replies, "That's why we're here. Celebrating the success of the charity event."

"Hmmm."

Juice shifts awkwardly on the spot, "We're dating now."

Chibs narrows his eyes, "I saw."

"He really likes me. He treats me well."

The older man noticeably grimaces at the words. He forces his voice to keep still, "That's good."

"I don't know if I feel the same."

Chibs snaps up to searchingly meet Juice's gaze, "Hmm."

Juice can't stop the blush that once again creeps upon his cheeks, but he doesn't lower his eyes, "I just can't stop thinking about someone else."

Chibs licks his lips nervously. His stomach is all knots and butterflies and a strange, overwhelming feeling of possession and desire has come over him. He thinks he knows where this is headed, but he can't seem to shut his mouth. "Why don't ye go after the person, then?"

"Because," Juice holds Chibs' gaze, "He likes to pretend he doesn't like me back."

Again, Chibs' heart seems to stop in his chest. Is that really it? Does he really not like Juice?

Chibs doesn't know what makes him say it. The words spill out before he knows what he's doing, "Maybe he's wrong."

Juice's eyes widen in surprise, but Chibs pushes past him, reaching for the door. The older man is done with the conversation, the conflicting emotions within his head too much for him to process at the moment. He grabs the door handle and yanks the door open, then catches sight of Jax sitting alone at the table. He pauses, turning back to Juice and with an angry frown snaps, "Yer boyfriend is waiting." He watches as Juice's face falls, and then Chibs is out the door and heading back to his own table.

His four friends stare up at him curiously when he appears. Tig glances over at Jax sitting alone at his and Juice's table, then says to Chibs with a grin, "Did you take care of your business?"

Chibs scowls, the expression beginning to become a permanent feature. He reaches into his pocket and digs out his wallet, then fishes money out for his meal and throws it to the table. "Happy engagement," he tells Tig and Venus, ignoring Tig's question.

His friends stare at him in shock as he storms away from the table. He shoves past the host and forces himself not to glance in the direction of Jax and Juice's table. His stomach is still in knots, his chest feels heavy, and he can't shake the feeling of hatred and happiness both swirling around his head. His motorcycle starts easily beneath him, and he sucks in a breath of the now cool night air as he takes off into the darkness. The familiar buildings of Charming pass him, and soon, he's left the town and driven past his house. He's looking forward to a ride, desperately craving a long journey through the cool wind to clear his head.

Because right now his world makes no sense.

His stomach hurts, his head hurts, his heart is a mess. He's surrounded by this odd feeling that he can't seem to shake, yet he's beginning to realize what it is.

He just hasn't felt this way in a long time.