"I've been thinking about what i have said last night," Jayden began, carefully choosing his words. "I want us to move past it, Antonio. We can't keep letting it come between us."

Antonio snorted derisively. "You think a dinner and a few apologies can erase everything that's happened? That's rich, Red. Real rich."

"I never said it would be easy, but we owe it to ourselves and the team to try," Jayden persisted, his voice tinged with frustration.

Antonio leaned back in his chair, his expression guarded. "And what if I'm not interested in playing nice, huh? What then?"

Jayden's gaze hardened, his resolve unyielding. "Then I'll keep trying until you are. We're a team, Antonio, and we need to be united if we're going to face what's coming."

A heavy silence settled between them, broken only by the faint hum of conversation from the other diners.

The weight of unspoken words hung in the air, a palpable barrier between them.

"I didn't ask for any of this, Jayden," Antonio finally spoke, his tone laced with resignation. "I never wanted things to get so complicated."

Jayden's frustration simmered beneath the surface, but he kept his voice level. "This affects the team, Antonio. We can't keep going on like this."

Antonio scoffed, his gaze finally locking with Jayden's. "And whose fault is that, Jay? Remind me again who decided to call our night together a 'mistake'."

"Stop it, Antonio," Jayden retorted, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm just following your lead, Red," Antonio shot back, his tone sharp. "You want me to treat it like it never happened? Fine. I'm just doing what you asked."

Jayden clenched his jaw, the hurt in Antonio's eyes cutting deeper than any blade. "I didn't mean for things to turn out like this. You know that."

"Know it, sure. Understand it? That's a different story," Antonio replied, his voice heavy with resentment.

Regret and determination battled within Jayden's chest as he looked across the table at Antonio, the man who had once been his closest friend.

"Antonio, please," Jayden said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Tell me what I can do to fix this. I can't stand seeing us like this—seeing you like this."

Antonio's laugh was short and devoid of humor. "Oh, now the mighty Red Ranger wants to fix things? You're a little late to the party, Jay."

"Antonio, you know how much responsibility I carry. It's not just about leading; it's about protecting everyone. Including you," Jayden implored, the urgency clear in his voice.

"That's just it, isn't it? The great protector," Antonio replied, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Too busy saving the world to care about the little people. About me."

Jayden winced. "That's not fair, and you know it. I do care. I care about you more than you realize."

Antonio's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward. "Do you, Jay? Because from where I'm sitting, it seems like you only care when it's convenient."

The accusation stung, but Jayden couldn't deny the truth in Antonio's words. "I made a mistake, okay? I shouldn't have called that night a mistake. I was scared, Antonio. Scared of what it meant for us, for the team."

"Scared?" Antonio scoffed. "Scared of letting someone in? Or scared of what people would think if they knew the Red Ranger had a thing for his teammate?"

Jayden's jaw clenched. "You know it's not like that."

"Do I?" Antonio challenged. "Because here's what I know: you broke our childhood promise. You hesitated to let me on the team when I came back, even though you knew I was ready."

Jayden bowed his head, the guilt of that memory heavy on his shoulders. "I know, and I'm sorry. I was trying to protect you—"

"Protect me?" Antonio interrupted, bitterness tingeing his voice. "Or protect yourself? From having to deal with your feelings?"

"It's not that simple, and you know it," Jayden countered, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"Nothing ever is with you," Antonio shot back.

Jayden winced, the barb hitting closer to home than Antonio could know. "I'm serious, Antonio. I... I regr-"

Antonio's eyes narrowed, the metallic shine of his Gold Ranger morpher catching the light as he fiddled with it, a reminder of the bond they once shared. "A bit late for regrets, don't you think? After all, you're the one who's been too busy leading the Power Rangers into battle to care about little old me, the 'civilian.'"

Jayden's fists clenched under the table.

The words stung, especially because there was some truth to them. "I do care, Antonio. I always have. That's why I want to fix this."

Antonio leaned forward, his eyes sharp with unspoken hurt. "Is that right? You think an apology is going to patch things up? After everything?"

"It's a start," Jayden pressed, his gaze never leaving Antonio's. "I can't change the past, but I can work on the future. Help me make it right, Antonio. Please."

There was a long pause where the only sound was the murmur of the other diners, a stark contrast to the tension at their table.

Antonio's expression softened for a moment, a flicker of the friendship they once shared shining through the bitterness.

But then, as if a switch had been flipped, his walls slammed back into place, the hurt in his eyes giving way to a steely resolve.

"I may have let the broken promise slide, but calling our night a mistake? That is something I will never, ever let go," Antonio declared with a firm and authoritative voice that Jayden had heard him use with their mentor. "Now this conversation is over. I have some fish to catch."

With that, Antonio rose from his chair and strode out of the house, leaving Jayden sitting alone at the table, grappling with the weight of his mistakes.

As Antonio exited the Shiba House, the cool night air wrapped around him, offering little comfort for the turmoil raging within.

He found himself walking along the familiar paths of the compound, his steps heavy with the burden of unresolved emotions.

"I can't believe him," Antonio muttered to himself, the bitterness and frustration evident in his tone. "After everything that's happened, he thinks a few words can fix it all? He's got another thing coming."

He wandered aimlessly, the memories of their shared childhood and the broken promises echoing in his mind.

Each step seemed to carry him further from the present, deeper into the tangled web of emotions that had defined his relationship with Jayden.

"I gave him a chance, and what did he do? Brushed it off like it was nothing," Antonio muttered, his voice tinged with a mix of anger and disappointment. "He's always been the mighty Red Ranger, too busy with his duties to care about anyone else. Well, I won't stand for it."

As he walked, his thoughts drifted to the day he had returned to the Shiba House, eager to join the team he had once dreamed of being a part of.

The sting of rejection and the long road to earning his place as the Gold Ranger resurfaced, fueling the fire of resentment burning within him.

"He broke our childhood promise, left me out in the cold. And now he thinks he can waltz back in and make it all better?" Antonio muttered, his steps faltering as the weight of his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. "No, I won't let him off that easily."

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a silvery glow over the tranquil grounds of the Shiba House.

Antonio found himself drawn to the edge of the training grounds, the familiar sight of the sparring area a bittersweet reminder of the battles they had fought side by side.

"He's got the whole team wrapped around his finger, but I won't be just another pawn in his game," Antonio mused, his voice sealing a promise.