found || mitch twdg
pairing: mitch x fem!reader
summary: a year ago, Marlon gave you away to the raiders alongside Minnie and Sophie. Mitch helps Clem and the others get you back so you can finally reunite.
w/c: 3.8k
spoiler warning: loosely based on season 4, episode 3, 'Broken Toys'
requested ✅
It was supposed to have been just like any other supply run.
When Marlon had came up to you that day, asking you to go with him and the twins, how were you meant to say no? For starters, Marlon was your leader and you felt it wouldn’t’ve been the best idea to go against him. Secondly, Minnie and Sophie were some of your closest friends, and safety in numbers, right? So, like the naive, trustful girl that you were, you agreed.
Marlon and the twins were already waiting for you at the gate. You were running quite late since Mitch had chosen that exact morning to be stubborn and hold you captive in his prison. By holding you captive, you mean cuddling. By prison, you mean your bed. Now, not that you minded — after all, he was incredibly warm and comfortable — but you had some serious things to attend to.
To this day, you wish you hadn’t.
“5 more minutes,” he murmured, voice husky as a result of having barely just woken up.
You tried to escape his grip, yet his arm only tightened around you in response. “Mitch.” You sighed. “I told Marlon and the twins I’m going on a supply run with them today. They’re probably already waiting.” Once again, you tried to get up, but your boyfriend refused to budge. “I swear to god, Mitch, if you make me late—”
Mitch cut you off with a snore, a very fake one at that. You could tell by the smug little smirk on his face, a telltale (ha, get it?) sign that he was very much awake and very much aware of what he was doing. All you could do was just sigh again, having been left with no other choice but to endure his behaviour.
Though you couldn’t complain much. You enjoyed the way your bodies fit together, your head resting on his toned arm, which wrapped around you to bring you impossibly close. The warmth of his skin seeped through your shirt, and your scent almost overwhelmed his senses. In a good way, the best way, of course.
Your moment of peace was short-lived, however.
A red-headed figure burst through the door, causing both you and Mitch to jump up, immediately alert. Mitch’s hand reached for the knife he always kept under his pillow, ready to strike whoever it was before they could reach you. Until he realised who it was. Minnie. The tension in his shoulders dissipated almost instantly.
You, on the other hand, indeed did not relax. Because you knew you’d messed up big-time. You flashed her a sheepish smile, knowing there was no way out now. “Sooo, Minnie, y’know, about that supply run—”
“Y/N, we’ve been waiting for you literally forever!” Minnie neither looked nor sounded impressed. “So, care to explain why you’re here with loverboy and not out there, where you should’ve been about… 15 minutes ago?”
You groaned internally, knowing you really didn’t have any justification, at least not one up to Minnie’s standards.
Not long after that, you were being dragged along to the gate, where Marlon and Sophie waited. Marlon, you noticed, seemed a little off. He was rather quiet and had planted himself a couple of feet away from you, avoiding eye contact at all costs. But you just chalked it up to stress. What else could you have possibly thought? That he was about to give you away to some group of raiders whilst you were all completely unsuspecting?
“I didn’t even get to say bye to Mitch!” you complained, making sure to stare at Minnie while you did. She knew what she’d done. You shot her a glare, though it was only playful. You weren’t actually mad at her.
“I’m sure your boyfriend will be just fine without his goodbye kiss. We won’t be long anyway, about 2-3 hours tops,” Minnie said in response.
Boy, did you wish it’d taken only 3 hours.
Marlon took the lead, saying he’d seen a new place not far from the school. Again, he remained mostly quiet, only speaking to give directions or one-worded answers to your questions. It was strange, the way he refused to look any of you in the eye, as if doing so would completely and utterly destroy him. Yet, none of you thought much of it. Leading a group of kids placed all sorts of stress on you, especially when you were just a kid yourself.
Suddenly, he came to a stop.
“Marlon?” Sophie called, stepping forward to get a look at his face. Before she could, a woman dressed in military-style clothing blocked her way.
The woman’s hair was brown with a hint of grey and short. It looked like someone had hacked her hair off with a saw rather than cut it with scissors. “So, these are the recruits, I take it?”
At first, you weren't sure who she was addressing the question to, but when Marlon simply nodded, it all clicked into place. He was giving you away to these people. But why? And recruiting for what, exactly?
The woman nodded at the rest of the raiders, and they immediately understood. You saw them grab Sophie and Minnie, both of the twins yelling for the other. That was when you felt someone grab you from behind. You brought your boot down on their foot, making sure to apply pressure. Yet, they didn't let go, only let out a noise of what sounded like pain, or even frustration.
Next thing you knew, a sharp crack echoed in your ears. A dull throb started in the back of your skull and quickly escalated to a blinding headache. Ringing filled your ears like white noise, blocking all other sounds out. Your vision blurred, and the last thing you saw was Marlon's guilty expression, then… darkness.
A year had passed since then, or at least you assumed so. Nobody really kept track of time anymore. All you knew was that you missed your boyfriend and you had to get as far as possible from the Delta. But you also knew you couldn’t. When the twins had tried, only one of them had made it back: Minnie. This place had changed her completely, and it certainly was not for the better.
You refused to let it transform you, however. You continued to latch onto the hope that one day, you’d be able to leave this place and finally reunite with Mitch and the rest of your friends. This whole soldier thing wasn’t you. It wasn’t who you were. Though if you dared even utter such nonsense to the Delta, you were sure to pay the consequences.
Bang!
Your heart skipped a beat as a shot rang out somewhere on the boat. But it didn’t stop there. Shot after shot was fired, piquing your interest. Looking through a small window nearby, your eyes set on what it was. It was rather hard to miss a herd of zombies heading straight towards the ship that you were currently on. That wasn’t all, however. You could make out a couple of other silhouettes — people, not undead.
There was a little voice in your head which told you it was Mitch and your group coming for you, despite the fact you couldn’t actually see who it was. That little flicker of hope you’d held onto for so long began to glow brighter as if newly ignited.
You began to imagine Mitch’s reaction to seeing you; his green eyes widening in disbelief, his breath hitching. You imagined the way his lips would part, the way his expression would falter between heartbreak and relief, before he inevitably stormed forward and pulled you into a bone-crushing hug.
But you didn’t have time to get lost in that fantasy. Not yet. Not when Dorian was right behind you watching your every move, as if she still didn’t fully trust you. And rightfully so.
Her attention shifted to Minnie. “Minerva, focus.” Then, she turned back to you because, of course, she couldn’t look away from you for more than a couple of seconds. “You too, Y/N.”
Your mouth opened in an attempt to respond, but before you could get a word in, Minnie spoke. “I… I have a little brother. Short, scarred-faced. Is he… he’s not out there, is he?”
“Look, we’ve discussed this. Your family is Delta now. There ain’t no room for anyone else.” Dorian seemed annoyed at the fact that Minnie would even suggest she had family outside of the Delta, who really weren’t much of a family anyway.
“Yes, ma’am.” Minnie sounded almost… defeated, but it was as if she tried to hide it with faux confidence. Seeming content with the response, Dorian walked off, leaving you and Minnie alone.
You could only frown as your mind drifted back to Mitch. If Minnie thought it was a possibility that Tenn was out there, then it wouldn’t’ve been that far-fetched to believe the same about your boyfriend.
Unbeknownst to you, hiding behind a crate near the stairs was your boyfriend, who’d been watching and waiting for the right moment. When he’d climbed the stairs with Clem, AJ, and Violet, he’d never expected he’d find you right there, so close yet so far. All it would’ve taken was a few steps, and you’d finally be back in his arms where you belonged.
A year ago, Marlon had came back to the school alone, you and the twins nowhere in sight, and told everyone you were dead. Devoured by walkers. Mitch had felt his entire world collapse. The moment Marlon spoke those words — that you were gone, that there was nothing left — Mitch had punched a hole through the wall of the dorms and hadn't spoken to anyone for a week straight. He’d refused to believe it at first. Then the grief turned to rage. Not just at the world, not just at the raiders, but at himself.
He should’ve stopped you. He could’ve stopped you. If only he’d held on a little tighter that morning. If only he’d followed you to the gates. If only he hadn’t let Marlon get into your head. A thousand “what ifs” had haunted him every night since.
Now, you were right there.
Vi had to physically hold Mitch back because she knew the moment she let go, he would run straight to you and instantly blow their cover. Mitch bit back the urge to cry out your name. Clem glanced at him before her eyes flicked back to where you and Minnie were, before approaching. She revealed herself, bow pointed straight at Minnie.
Minnie, in return, pointed her crossbow right back at Clem. “Get. Out,” Minnie commanded, and you began to wonder if perhaps she knew who this girl with the cap was. It seemed like they had some sort of history, though you wouldn’t know. You’d never met her, and Minnie had never mentioned her.
“Not without our people.” As Clem said that, the others came out of their hiding spot and to her side.
Your breath caught in your throat.
There was a little boy no older than 5, and Vi. But next to Vi stood… Mitch.
You didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or run into his arms. Maybe all three. Maybe more. For a moment, all sound around you dulled. You didn’t hear Minnie shout something. You didn’t hear the groaning of the approaching walkers outside, or the frantic footsteps of soldiers rushing through the halls of the boat. All you could focus on was him.
Mitch.
He was staring at you like you were a ghost. Like if he blinked, you’d vanish, and he’d be thrown right back into the hell he’d been living in for the past year. His chest rose and fell rapidly, jaw clenched like he was holding something, everything, back.
Then he took a step forward.
“Mitch—” Violet hissed, grabbing his arm, but this time, he shrugged her off.
You didn’t know who moved first. Maybe it was him. Maybe it was you. Maybe it was the universe deciding that enough was enough and pushing the two of you together. Either way, the next thing you knew, he was in front of you, arms wrapping around your body so tightly you swore he’d never let go.
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, his voice breaking as he buried his face in the all-too-familiar scent of your hair. “You’re real. You’re actually—fuck, you’re alive.”
Your arms clutched at him like your life depended on it. “I’m here,” you whispered, tears slipping silently down your cheeks. “I’m here, Mitch. I… I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
He pulled back just enough to cup your face, his calloused hands gentle and trembling all at once. His green eyes searched yours desperately, as if trying to make up for the last year of believing you were gone. “I thought you were dead,” he said. “Marlon… that bastard said you were dead.”
“I know,” you nodded, throat tight. “I know. I wanted to come back, Mitch, I tried, but I couldn’t—”
His lips crashed into yours with a kind of desperation you’d never felt before. The kiss wasn’t perfect. It was messy, shaky, soaked in grief and soaked in longing, but it was yours. His hands framed your face like he was afraid you’d disappear again if he let go. It was as though, through that kiss, he was trying to make up for every day, every hour, every moment you’d both spent apart. You kissed him back with equal urgency, one hand gripping the back of his hair, the other his jacket, as if that alone could keep you tethered to this moment, to him, forever.
When you finally pulled apart, breathless and dazed, your foreheads touched. “I don't care. You’re here now. That’s all that matters,” he said, still somewhat catching his breath.
Mitch didn’t care about the walkers or the raiders rushing to subdue the intruders. His entire world had narrowed to the space, or rather lack of it, between you and him. Your presence was the first real thing he’d felt in a year. After drowning for so long, the air had truly returned to his lungs.
Clem’s voice broke the moment. “Mitch, Y/N, we need to move. Now.”
You turned to face her, quickly wiping your eyes with the back of your sleeve, while Mitch positioned himself slightly in front of you instinctively, in between you and Minnie. You couldn’t help but glance at Minnie, who stood frozen a few feet away, crossbow still held loosely in her hand. Her face was unreadable — shock, confusion, conflict all swirling beneath the surface.
“Minnie,” you said softly, almost a plea. “Come with us.”
Her expression twisted, exhaling through her mouth as she remained silent. After a few moments, she muttered, “Shit.” That was when you knew she couldn’t refuse you. “Fine. I’ll help you get everyone out. Then you take my brother, and run. Get him back to where it’s safe.”
Mitch nodded, his jaw set, grabbing hold of your hand like it was a lifeline. You could feel the tension in his fingers, his silent promise that he wasn’t letting go again, ever. There was so much he wanted to say; questions to ask, apologies to give, more things to hold you for, but right now, survival had to come first.
So, you got everyone off of the ship: Omar, Aasim, and Louis. You and Mitch also made it off but Clem, AJ, and Vi didn’t. Something inside urged you to go back, to get them to safety, except Mitch held you back.
His grip on your hand was iron, but it wasn’t just about keeping you safe anymore. It was fear, pure and undiluted. Fear of losing you again.
“Let me go back,” you urged, attempting to tug your wrist away from his hold. “They’re still in there!”
Mitch shook his head, looking at you as if you were crazy. “No. No way.” He couldn’t swallow down the fear that was creeping its way into his words. “You just got back to me, Y/N. I’m not risking losing you all over again. I can’t.” His tone was almost pleading now.
You looked at his face, seeing the way his brows furrowed ever so slightly, the way his jaw clenched. “Mitch—”
“Just trust me. If there’s anyone who can make it out of that hellhole, it’s them.” His voice cracked as he added, “Please. Don’t make me lose you again.”
The fire in your chest fought the panic that bloomed in his. You wanted to argue. You wanted to scream. But before you could do anything, a giant boom sounded from the ship. It’d exploded.
The blast lit up the night sky, a searing flash followed by a wall of heat and a deafening roar that knocked the breath from your lungs. You barely had time to react before Mitch’s arms were around you again, pulling you to the ground and shielding your body with his own.
Debris rained down around you. You couldn’t see anything, just smoke, dust, and the blinding orange glow of the fire. But you could feel Mitch over you, his entire body tense, braced against the shockwave, protecting you with everything he had.
A second blast rocked the earth, smaller, but close enough that your ears rang and the air itself seemed to disappear for a moment. Then silence. A sick, suffocating silence broken only by the crackling of flames.
Mitch didn’t move.
You were pinned beneath him, his face buried in the crook of your neck, the weight of him both terrifying and comforting. It wasn’t until you felt the subtle shift of his breathing, the sharp, ragged pull of air into his lungs, that you realised you were both still alive.
“You okay?” His voice was hoarse, close to your ear. There was a rawness in it, laced with panic he was trying and failing to bury. He picked himself up, rolling over to sit beside you.
“I think so,” you managed to whisper, though your whole body trembled. “You?”
“Yeah,” Mitch said, but it wasn’t convincing. You lifted your head, just enough to look at him properly. His face was streaked with soot, a gash bleeding near his temple. “You’re okay. That’s all I care about.”
You started to push yourself up, coughing as the smoke invaded your lungs. “The others—”
“No,” he said firmly, helping you sit. His hand gripped your wrist tightly. “No, Y/N. You can’t go back there.”
You turned to look at the boat. Or what used to be the boat.
Flames devoured it, the hull now a shattered skeleton swallowed by fire and black smoke. Screams and groans had ceased, replaced by the low, endless roar of fire consuming everything. You searched desperately for silhouettes, for anything resembling Clem, AJ, or Vi. But there was nothing. Just fire.
Some minutes later, you learned they were, in fact, alive. They had all made it off, maybe not necessarily safely, but they’d made it. That was all you cared about.
As soon as everyone was back together, you headed back to the school. You and Mitch sat a little apart from the others, his arm draped around your shoulders. The rest of the group looked just as worn out as you felt: bruised, bloodied, eyes hollow from smoke and grief and relief all tangled together. Clem had a bandage wrapped around her arm, AJ clung to her side. Vi looked like she’d seen a ghost — maybe she had. You figured you looked no different.
Mitch hadn’t let go of you once. You didn’t blame him since you were doing exactly the same thing he was.
“I thought I’d never get to see you again,” you whispered, staring at the stars littered across the night sky.
Mitch turned to look at you, his green eyes scanning your face. For a moment, he was silent, as if considering something. “When Marlon told us you were dead, I—I didn’t want to believe it.” He looked away for a second, like the memory physically hurt to relive, then glanced back, his voice lower, rougher now. “But after a while, I started thinking… maybe you were. And if you were, then what was the point of any of this? Fighting, surviving, all of it felt… empty without you.”
You turned slightly, grabbing his free hand. “You kept going, though. You didn’t give up.”
“I almost did.” He threaded his fingers through yours. “Willy pulled me back a few times. So did Aasim. And Louis, in this weird way. But every night, I still looked at your bed, half-expecting you to walk through the door. Like maybe Marlon had been lying,”
Your chest tightened. You’d imagined so many times what he might’ve gone through, but hearing it out loud made it real in a way you weren’t prepared for.
You scooted a little closer, as if that could close the gap all that time apart had carved into both of you. “I thought about you every single day,” you admitted, voice soft and raw. “When things got bad, when I thought I couldn’t take another second in that place… I’d picture your face. I’d remember your voice. I’d replay that last morning in my head, over and over again. That was the only thing that kept me from losing myself.”
“I should’ve gone with you. I should’ve—”
“Don’t,” you cut him off gently, your hand tightening in his. “You didn’t know what Marlon was planning. None of us did.”
“I still should’ve known. I should’ve followed you. If I had, maybe—”
You leaned forward, placing your forehead against his. “Stop,” you whispered. “We’re here now. That’s what matters.”
He closed his eyes, breathing you in like you were oxygen. His hands found your waist, grounding himself in the feel of you. “I don’t wanna waste another second.”
You pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. “Then don’t.”
And with that, he kissed you again, slower this time, less desperation, more certainty. This kiss was different. It was soft, deliberate, heavy with all the things neither of you had said yet. His hand slid up to cup your cheek again, thumb brushing beneath your eye like he could erase every tear you’d shed in the Delta. You responded in kind, your fingers tangling in the fabric of his shirt, needing to feel him, needing to anchor yourself to this moment.
Someone nearby coughed loudly and obviously. You both pulled away, breathing a little heavier. You turned to see Louis watching with an exaggerated smirk. “Get a room, lovebirds,” he said, though his teasing was gentler than usual. “Seriously, though… I’m glad you’re back, Y/N.”
You rested your head against Mitch’s shoulder. His arm slid around you instinctively, drawing you into his side like you were a part of him, like you always had been.
“Thanks, Lou.”
