Author's Note: Finally, the kinda sorta sequel to Smoldering Flame. My computer was apparently in cahoots with the devil because it absolutely refused to cooperate for the past few weeks. Anyway, I hope I took reviewer Broken Headphones advice the right way and improved this a bit. Please enjoy.

Random Note: Since I can't find any smashups of their names, I've decided to call this pairing Jucell since Cruto sounds...crusty.

Playing With Fire

Juto stood beside me, a petulant frown on his face. "You can't use your fireball, it's unfair."

Before I could stop myself, my eyes were rolling and I was getting back into my combat stance. "Really? Why is it so fucking unfair, Juto?"

His sword dropped, burying the tip into the hard compact dirt. "Because you're using magic while all I have is a sword. It's an unfair advantage with your range."

"Fine, Juto." I unstrapped my fireball and rummaged through our weapon supply until I found my favorite set of knuckles. If he wanted a fight, I'd give him one. "If you wanna be a baby about it, I'll switch to my secondary weapon, and still kick your ass."

A now-familar lecherous smirk stretched across his lips. "I'm sure there are a lot of things you'd like to do to my ass, Cro."

I tried to ignore the shiver that ran down my spine at the sultry tone of his voice. Ever since that day in Abazet, he had been working tirelessly to not only free Lanzheim from Schuenzeit, but also find out everything that made me shiver, made my toes curl, and made me tick. He knew how hard it was for me to resist him when he spoke like that.

"How 'bout you shut the fuck up, and come on?"

He ignored his sword in favor of stepping closer to me, almost invading my personal space. He was so fucking close. I could smell the familar oceanic scent that always hung around him mixed with sweat and something that was inherently, and deliciously, masculine.

He smiled that smile that always made me weak in the knees. "I'll be coming soon, Crocell. So will you for that matter."

Another step, and his solid chest was pressed firmly against mine. Roaming fingers were slowly wrapping around my waist and I was slowly but surely losing this uphill battle.

"We're uh..." I paused to lick my suddenly dry lips and I didn't fail to notice his intense eyes following the action. "We're supposed to be sparring, Juto."

I felt his laugh rumble against my chest. "I think we've fought enough for today, don't you?" His hands began playing with the hem of my small black tank and for the first time, I began to regret ditching my hotter than hell, but more importantly cumbersome jacket at the beginning of our sparring. "I think we've earned a little...reward."

One hand splayed against the small of my back, pulling me closer, while the other fell to caress my behind. I groaned as his sinful fingers trailed up the crack of my ass. "Fuck."

After what seemed like ages of just touching, he finally dipped his head and pulled me into a kiss. I let my knuckles slip from my grip and clank to the ground as Juto tilted his head just so, deeping the kiss. A soft nip had me opening my mouth, instantly submitting to his tongue's assault on my mouth. A probing tongue licked along my own writhing muscle, and my knees crumpled. My hands shot out to grab at his shoulders, his shirt, anything to keep me upright.

Juto chuckled against my lips, and I growled, tangled my hands in his bi-colored hair and pulled. He gasped jerking his head away from mine, a puzzling expression on his face.

After one...two...three heartbeats, he dove back into the kiss with more fervor than I thought he had in him. He murmured something against my lips that sounded suspiciously like my name before he walked slowly forward, pinning my back to a tree. His hands were sliding across my chest, tugging at my nipples, dipping below my waistband, and pulling me into a lusty haze until something dawned on me.

I jerked away as best I could with a tree at my back and tried to slow my thundering heartbeat. Distantly, I was amazed at how easily I fell apart when Juto was involved. The oblivious hero continued rutting against me, probably believing I just needed to catch my breath after such a lengthy kiss. Rolling my eyes at his eagerness, I shoved him off, clutching at my still racing heart.

"You fucking idiot, we're out in the open. Anyone could see us. Fuck Ju, you know how nosy Celestine is. What if she'd dragged the unit out to find us and they'd...found us?"

My mind reeled at the possibilities and my vision began tunneling as I realized how careless we'd been. We'd been doing everything from kissing to full out fucking anytime we had more than five minutes to ourselves and I felt almost nauseous at all the close calls we'd had.

"We could have been caught so many fucking times..."

"That's part of the thrill of it, isn't it? Knowing anytime we're together, there's a chance we may be caught. That what we're doing is forbidden."

I looked up at Juto, completely confused. Instead of being on the edge of a breakdown like I was, he was leaning calmly against another tree, his toned arms crossed against his broad chest. I had to admit, as I looked at his state of utter calm, I did kinda like the fact that what we were doing was dangerous and that Juto was always up for a little danger. But there was the little fact that we could be caught.

"What if they actually found us, dumbshit?"

He shrugged, calmer than I'd ever seen him. "I leave, and I take you with me. If they don't like it, we could always make money as mercenaries and set up shop in Cota Mare, now that we're on good terms. We have a pretty decent reputation as Southern Army soldiers, and we're the two strongest members of the unit anyway."

I closed my mouth quickly, to avoid looking like an idiot, and openly stared at Juto. It's not like my staring was something he was wasn't used to.

He said he'd leave and take me with him. Somehow, the idea that he didn't want to leave me behind surprised me, and I found myself embarassingly choked up. No way I was gonna tell him though.

"Yeah, right. Who says I'd go with you?"

A bright smile - his perfect smile - adorned his lips as he pulled me into his arms. "Your eyes do, Cro. You can try to hide how you feel all you want, but your eyes," he paused to stare into my amber orbs, "tell me everything."

My eyes narrowed and I prepared to shove him off, just to prove a point, when he pushed me against a solid tree trunk, pinning me between it and his immovable chest.

"Right now, they're telling me how badly you wanna kiss me, even though you don't wanna say it. They're telling me you're glad I'd take you with me and drop what little I had in this place if it meant I could stay with you. They're saying you love me as much as I love you."

I stared, open-mouthed, at Juto as he gazed at me with something I hadn't been able to identify before. Was that what love looked like? My face felt like it was catching fire as he just...looked at me.

I pushed at his arm in an effort to free myself. "So...we should get back to sparring in case anyone comes looking for us."

"Nope." My eyes snapped up to meet his and I found myself getting upset.

"What do you mean 'nope'?"

He planted his hands beside my shoulders, leaning closer to me. "I believe we were in the middle of something before your little...episode."

The words were barely out of his mouth before he attacked my lips again, sliding our tongues together, coaxing sounds out of me that I'd remember to be embarassed about later. His large battle roughened hand was rubbing me through my pants and I panted in to his mouth, silently begging for more. Without a word, he deftly unfastened my pants, leaving them pooled around my boots, and knelt in front of me, a sly smile on his lips.

I gasped as I realized what he was preparing to do, and a protest was on the tip of my tongue. The trees didn't provide much cover, and if they really wanted to, the rest of of our party could easily spot us. The mere idea of Zephie seeing her precious Juto on his knees in front of me of all people spurred me to action. I opened my mouth, fully prepared to voice my concern, when his hand wrapped around my hard member, causing my mind to go blissfully blank.

His supremely talented tongue licked a wide swath from my balls up to the tip of my cock, and I groaned, letting my head fall back against the tree. He was far too talented with his mouth for it be legal, and I was sorely regretting not letting him do this before. He bobbed his head once, before grabbing my hands and placing them atop his thick head of hair. Moans and whispers of his name passed through my lips unbidden, as he moved.

Already weak knees almost buckled when Juto briefly sucked one of my balls into the wet heat of his mouth. A particulary hard suck and hollowed cheeks had my eyelids fluttering shut, only to promptly snap back open when Juto smacked my hip, silently requesting that I hold eye contact with him.

Doing so almost made me come undone. The sight of those liquid blue eyes locking on mine as his perfect mouth wrapped around my prick was almost too much for me to take. I gasped in surprise when a single finger slipped into my entrance seeking the one thing that he knew would make me lose it almost instantly. With practiced ease, his finger pressed against my prostate and my legs finally gave out as I groaned out Juto's name and came down his throat.

As I sat, catching my breath, Juto righted my trousers, then pulled me back against his chest, pointedly ignoring his prominent erection pressing into the small of my back.

"What about-"

"Forget it. Just sit here with me."

Heeding his request, I relaxed against the solid and wonderfully warm body behind me, gazing up into the tree canopy.

The way I figured, being exiled to Cota Mare wouldn't be so bad, as long as I had Juto with me.

Ending Note: Once again, a HUGE thank you to Broken Headphones for the supremely helpful review. I hope you can tell that I took your advice to heart while writing this.

Anywho, any reviews or criticism would be greatly appreciated.