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1.
The first time it was a professional setting. It had actually been the first time Mitchell had met Gideon not including the brief glimpse of him in Korea. Mitchell had just been introduced to him by Irons, stating that he would be the newest member of Atlas. Gideon had looked him up and down, blue eyes slowly scanning him from head to toe. He had actually felt slightly nervous under Gideon’s gaze.
“Name’s Mitchell.” He coughed extending his hand.
Gideon furrowed his brow. “What? No first name?”
“Jack Mitchell.” He sighed.
“Jack?” He repeated and Mitchell couldn’t help but take in a breath when the captain had said his name in that accent of his. “Fuck it. I’ll just call you Mitchell.”
He shook his hand and that was the end of it.
2.
The second time was when they had been in an abandoned hospital looking for Hades’ second in command, Dr. Danois. It had seen better days and any step could mean a fall through the ceiling. And that exact thing happened to Mitchell as he and Gideon went down a hall. The floor gave underneath him and he tumbled to the ground. Almost instantly, that floor caved and Mitchell went spiraling down a dark hole into the basement.
Gideon hurriedly told him to find his way back up and they’d regroup somehow. And, as a good soldier, Mitchell followed his orders.
After dodging patrols and unstable flooring, it had been an enormous relief to see Gideon waiting for him outside. It had actually felt like too much of a relief when he locked eyes with the captain.
“Though you’d been compromised, Jack.” Gideon smirked.
A slight tingling spread across Mitchell’s chest but he quickly squashed it down to say, “I won’t go down that easily.”
3.
The third time had probably been the worst. It was in that moment that Mitchell’s heart had split into two. It occurred only moments after Ilona had told them the startling truth about Irons. Mitchell had been knocked to the ground and Ilona was held at gunpoint. After Irons spouted out nonsense about how Hades’ recording was a fake, Mitchell watched in horror as Gideon moved to the man’s side.
“He said it was a fake.” Was all Gideon said. He locked eyes with Mitchell and if the private could project all of his sadness and betrayal onto his captain he would in a heartbeat.
This decision wouldn’t have affected him as must if it hadn’t of been for Mitchell’s realization about his feelings for Gideon that had happened only moments earlier. It had just been Gideon looking into his eyes that made him see what was hiding from him. The joy that surged within his heart was incomparable to anything other than love. But now…
“Sorry, Jack.”
And that felt like a hammer to his chest.
4.
The fourth time happened after Gideon joined up with Sentinel. Mitchell had found him in the activity lounge leisurely playing pool by himself. The two locked eyes when the captain looked up and Mitchell couldn’t quell the subtle bubbling of his stomach. His captain straightened up, moving the pool cue to lean against his side.
“Sorry, Jack.”
Those had been the same two words Gideon had said to him before he disappeared with Irons. The first time it had stabbed Mitchell in the back but this time it was different. This time it was…soothing. Especially after Gideon had relayed to them why he had stayed with Atlas.
“I should have told you somehow. It—”
“It’s fine.” Mitchell interrupted. And it really was. “You did what you had to. Why are you even apologizing to me anyway?”
Gideon set the pool cue down and bit his lip. He shrugged as he said, “I don’t fucking know. You just looked like I had hit you across the face when I stayed with Irons.”
Because he practically did.
5.
The fifth happened almost immediately after the Golden Gate bridge collapsed overtop of a ship. Mitchell had nearly fallen with it but managed to hang onto the edge with a police officer. He helped the man up and pulled himself a safe distance from the edge.
“Mitchell? Mitchell?” He heard Gideon yell over the radio.
He didn’t bother answering given the fact that the captain was beside him almost instantly.
Those dazzling blues looked over him hurriedly before the man said, “Thought I’d lost you there, Jack.”
Mitchell grinned as that same familiar feeling sizzled in his chest. “And me you.”
Gideon smirked and held his gaze for an ungodly amount of time. It was only an explosion on the carrier below that ripped their eyes from each other.
6.
The sixth time was the one Mitchell would never forget. The two had just escaped death and ended Jonathan Irons’ life. They were stood in Mitchell’s room at Sentinel HQ just…staring at each other. Under the dim lighting, he could see the rough beard at Gideon’s chin and neck, following it down to the Union Jack tattoo on his right. It was as if the flag was telling him to go for it. And, for a fellow Jack, he’d comply.
He stepped closer until he could feel the heat radiating off of Gideon’s chest.
“I—”
“Mit—”
The two stopped and blinked at each other silently. Then, suddenly, they both laughed.
“It’s like we’re two fucking school girls.” Gideon sighed as he ran a hand over his face.
The laughter died down until only their steady breathing could be heard. Mitchell couldn’t help but follow Gideon’s tongue as it swiped over his lips.
“Look. I’m not going to serenade you with a fucking long ass poem like I’m Shakespeare or some shit.” The captain said almost hurriedly. “I’m just going to come out and say it.”
Gideon took in a deep breath before saying, “I fucking love you, Jack, and I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to say it.”
Mitchell then surged forward and kissed him. Gideon didn’t waste any time kissing back, placing his hands around the private’s waist and pulling him closer. They remained like that for an unknown amount of time, locked in each other’s embrace.
They finally separated for air and Mitchell leaned down to press a kiss to the Brit’s tattoo before being pulled onto the bed by Gideon.