The Ruiz Brothers - Part 4

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「 ✦ Ongoing ✦ About me ✦ Table of Content✦ 」

Grab a seat and breathe deep—tonight’s celebration carries more than music and laughter.
Rated M - mild language, sexual content, mature themes

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Two Faces of the Same Coin

The parking lot of the karaoke bar was buzzing with energy in anticipation of the upcoming event Braydon's favorite cousin was hosting that night. It had been a while since he had hung out in San Myshuno. The city was as vibrant as he remembered it- bustling streets, breathtaking skyscrapers and foodie hotspots on every corner. Its electric yet unpretentious vibe already set the tone for a memorable night, which, despite all promises, was still not enough to lure Braydon out of his car. He sat there for a few minutes, apprehensively scanning the crowd for one familiar face. No doubt she'd be there since she was officially his brother's girlfriend.

The two of them had been dating for a few months, and as far as he knew, Lucian was over the moon while Braydon still tiptoed around her presence and the lingering ambiguity of their first meeting. The loyalty to his brother kept him from even entertaining the idea of seeking answers. He kept his distance from Kachine since that night, and intended to keep it that way.

Braydon finally cracked his door open, after tousling his hair one last time, almost as if gathering courage for the awkwardness ahead. He stepped out of the vehicle, eyes locked on the karaoke bar's entrance, just in time to catch Lucian and Kachine disappearing through the door. The plan for his evening was simple: avoid any drama and simply focus on his cousin's big night.

It was Grace's engagement party and the whole family had gathered to celebrate her and her fiancé. The overhaul sentiment was both convivial and inspiring. Deep within, Braydon felt an uneasy flicker of envy. A sincere moment of clarity piercing through the emotional fog that was his life— everyone around him seemed to be building a future with a companion while he remained stuck in place, a quiet observer of lives moving forward without him, aching for something he wouldn't dare name. Overwhelmed by a spiral of thoughts, he retreated towards the back of the bar for a quick breath. Who would've thought Braydon—the Braydon—would ever need space from social mingling? 

Soon, a familiar mellow voice, barely rising above the booming music, stopped him in his tracks—Kachine's. He hastened towards the backdoor, pretending he hadn’t heard her call out and eager to escape whatever conversation she was about to throw his way.

"Braydon!" she called out again a little louder.

He eventually turned around to face Kachine, slightly irritated. He took a beat before answering unenthusiastically.

"What's up, Kachine? This isn't a good time..."

Taken aback by his apparent crankiness she joked 

"Well someone's in a bad mood" she muttered 

"Are you running off to Tiffani? We can talk later then...?"

His voice softened—he hadn’t meant to come off so harsh 

"Tiff? No... we're not a thing. Anyways, what's up?"

Kachine looks down embarrassed by her vain assumptions

"Well, this is even more awkward, I'm sorry..."

She curls her hair back before holding Braydon's distracted gaze

"Look, I was hoping we could just… clear the air. You've been avoiding me like the plague, don't think I didn't notice. I don’t want things to feel "weird" every time we’re in the same room."

"You're my brother's girl." He said steadily letting those words hang in the air between them as an absolute.

"Yes, I know that.." She paused

"That’s why I want to clear the air. Because whatever this weirdness is between us? It’s not helping anyone.

"Things don't need to be "weird" or maybe they do because there is this thing called "boundaries". We don't need to like each other, Kachine, that's okay too.

Kachine folds her arms, eyes narrowing slightly—not in anger, but in exasperated disbelief.

“Wow. So that’s where we’re at now?”

She leans in just enough so he can hear her clearly over the music pulsing in the background.

“I’m not asking you to like me, Braydon. I’m asking you to stop pretending like I don’t exist. You act like I did something wrong, but if I recall… we both stared too long that night.”

Braydon sighed softly, visibly bothered by yet another undeniable absolute. 

"I owned up to that, what else do you want from me?"

“I don’t know… maybe just for you to stop pretending like nothing happened. Like I imagined the whole thing.”

She held his eyes.

“You looked at me like I was the only one in that damn hot tub, Braydon, why?”

Braydon’s jaw tightened. He dropped his gaze for a moment, as if hoping the ground might offer a way out of the question. But it didn’t. He tried to convince himself that he didn't know why he lingered in her gaze that night. He rationalized avoiding her every chance he got because the truth was he had been afraid of his own appetite. He could clearly see why his brother fell head over heels for her. Not only was Kachine very attractive, but she was also bold with a daring glint of chaos in her dark eyes. She was trouble, and a selfish part of him wanted to explore the cliffs that marked her boundaries. He obviously couldn't tell her the truth, even though she already seemed to know. She could see through his antics and the scariest part of it all was that she probably felt the same way as well. 

He met her eyes again, this time slower, quieter.

"I don't think we should be having this conversation, Kachine"

“Yeah? Well, we’re already having it. She stepped in a little closer—not enough to be inappropriate, but enough to be undeniable.

“You think I don’t feel it too? This pull—this thing between us that neither of us wants to name? You’ve been dodging it like it’s going to disappear if you just pretend hard enough.

She paused, but her eyes didn’t waver.

“I’m not here to blow anything up. I’m not trying to steal anyone’s boyfriend or destroy a family. But I am here—confused as hell, and tired of pretending I’m not.”

"I already told you, Tiff and I are not—"

Kachine didn't let him finish.

Without a warning, she closed the space between them, and grabbing his shirt, she pulled him into a kiss; fierce, frustrated, and loaded with everything left unsaid. 

Braydon froze for a split second, he quickly swung the nearby bathroom's door open and pulled her inside in a panic.

"Are you crazy!? What if someone saw?!"

Kachine blinked, as if waking up from a trance, her breath still uneven.

“I… I didn’t mean to do that,” she muttered, voice low. Her hands slowly let go of his shirt, but she didn’t step back. 

“I’m not even sure what I’m doing right now.”

Her warm voice echoed off the cool tiles of the dimly lit bathroom as they stood in each other's presence lingering in a mess they couldn't take back.

Braydon's breath caught, his gaze flickered across her flushed face, blinked to her lips before meeting her eyes again— dark, locked, electric. His hand hesitantly cupped her face as he urgently leaned in for another kiss. His mind was racing with every reason to stop this foolish escapade. But his body was betraying him with every deliberate press of her lips, every hungry pull of her mouth against his, drawing him deeper into an unspoken inevitable tension.

"Kachine..." He whispered against her lips "Tell me to stop...and I will."

She rested her palm on his chest, feeling the rapid thump of his heartbeat, before briefly breaking the kiss, dark lashes fluttering, she scanned his eyes for the hint of reason she already knew she wouldn't find. 

He wanted this as much as she did.

She whispered, her voice unsteady.

“I don’t want you to stop.”

🎬 (18+) Optional scene ahead, Viewer Discretion Advised. This scene is not necessary to the understanding of this chapter — click to read on Simtales After Dark

It was wrong and they both knew it. But in that moment, they didn’t care about repercussions—only about satisfying their curiosity without overthinking it. Maybe they’d never speak of it again—or maybe the only way to truly “clear the air” was to face the reflections of their unspoken truths. Whatever logic they clung to, none of it mattered now—only the quiet betrayal of their own bodies driving them over the edge with every thrust, did.

Deeply lost in each other's shaky breaths, they barely registered the door creaking open behind them, let alone the additional pair of eyes glaring at them through the mirror—Lucian’s eyes. Cold. Disbelieving. Wounded. Reality came knocking like a cold draft under the door. 

They jerked apart, hearts pounding—this time in a panic, scrambling to cover themselves, barely decent.

But it was too late. The door banged shut with a cold finality, like a silent blaze. The damage was done.

"Fuck... Fuck!" Braydon snarled, scrambling to yank his pants up.

He ran a hand through his hair, pacing in place for a beat, spiraling between guilt and panic before shooting Kachine a frantic look.

"Stay here. Let me talk to him... Fuck!!"

He bolted out the door after his brother, desperate for a way—any way—to take it all back. He finally realized the scope of his betrayal. Backstabbing. Selfish. Unforgivable. 

But it was too late. What once was a sacred brotherly bond had shattered into a million pieces in seconds. He always protected his baby brother, looked after him ever since they were children, but today he was the one stabbing him in the heart. His parents must have been turning in their graves, he had failed them, he had failed Lucian, Kachine, and himself. Which is why he did not react to the fist that drove into his jaw the moment he exited that room. He deserved it all: the punches, the rage, the slurs. He let it all play out without defending himself. Kachine, who had attempted to reason with Lucian in vain, had stormed off in tears.

The silence soon swallowed the air between the Ruiz Brothers—ripping them further apart beyond repair.

Braydon had never seen his brother so out of character, and there was no doubt he had made the biggest mistake of his life.

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