The sun was hot in the sky, and Blake stopped to take a long drink of slightly-warm water, as she wiped at her perspiring brow.

By the time she had emerged out into the lot to grab some fresh air, she had been surprised to find that work had already begun on making the area into a self-sufficient garden of sorts, under her orders from yesterday.

This was obviously Negan's doing. And Blake hadn't been able to help herself from smiling at the idea of him actually valuing her opinions.

He was the first man in a long time who had, that was for sure.

And so Blake, eager to help in whatever way she could, had soon got stuck in, clearing the yard of debris and helping to pull down the broken and disused fences than lined the interior of the medium-sized lot.

With a little compost and ground work they could easily lay the foundations for a plot of land suitable for growing basic vegetables…maybe plant a couple of fruit trees even.

Today Saviours of all shapes, sizes and status had been roped in to help. Some voluntarily, and some under Negan's direct orders, that was obvious.

But Blake today, had already met an older man in his late fifties who had used to own and live on a farm a few miles from here. Had had been working for points here, at the Sanctuary, for about fourteen months now and, as he had told Blake, was more than happy to help out organising people where he could. Had had informed her that this work would suit him far better than his previous job here, working in the laundry room down in the deep basements of the factory.

It was all progress as far as Blake was concerned. Not just with the gardens itself, but with giving people here, a better way of life. A purpose, if they were not able to go out there and fight on behalf of Negan, at least.

And it showed already.

The people she had seen just a week or so ago, sitting miserable and quiet in the courtyard around the corner, had all come over, smiling happily, patting Blake on the back and giving her water whenever she was low.

She guessed very rightly that they didn't do the same to Negan.

Of course they were scared of him….and rightly so…..but with Blake…..they respected her in a different way…

….just like they would have a queen….

Blake had smiled on thinking about this….a queen was only what Negan had made her into….giving her this position here at the Sanctuary.

She could quite easily have still been in that cell, or forced to work for him for points. But that soft spot had for her, definitely helped matters, that was for sure.

But soon enough, the time would come where she would go back to Alexandria…where she belonged…..

Because that had been the goal all along…right?

David had left this world….and it had been his choice to come here, never hers anyway…

So eventually she would leave….like she had originally planned.

But even just the thought of going back there made her stomach churn…

What was pulling her to say here? Keeping her from leaving?

Not one part of her wanted to admit that it might be Negan!

But, speaking of which, as Blake paused in her work….thick gloves on, as well as a pair of shorts, boots and a blue shirt…she glanced over her shoulder, to see a person striding causally across the yard towards her, Lucille swinging from his hand easily, as he walked.

But it was what the dark-haired Saviour was holding in his other hand, that made Blake's stomach do a small flip.

She rolled her eyes smirking to herself, as she placed down her water and peered up at him, folding her arms across her chest.

Here he was.

Negan.

Clothes now on. Leather jacket still shucked over his sloping shoulders, despite the heat.

Today he had on grey pants, biker boots, and a grey t-shirt peeking out from the neck of his jacket, and to Blake, his black and grey peppered beard seemed to look even longer than it did, since she had seen him this morning.

He grinned as she approached her, parting the silent and nervous Saviours around him as he went.

But Blake did nothing in return but tilt her head in his direction, smiling as he reached her…

…..before he suddenly and with much cockiness…..held out a small posy of haphazardly-tied flowers, towards her….

Blake raised an eyebrow looking up into his chocolate eyes suddenly…

"And what have I done to deserve these?" she asked in a quiet sort of voice, never in a million years expecting to get given flowers today.

In fact, Blake couldn't quite remember the last time she got given anything that half-resembled a bunch of flowers…it must have been a long time even before the apocalypse anyway!

But Negan just smirked back at her.

"Well, I mean, goddamn, Doll-face," he said in an incredulous voice. "It's not every mornin' I get given my own private fuckin' strip-tease right there in my fucking shower. Thought I should say a proper thank you."

Blake rolled her eyes, looking at him half-scolding, but she softened.

David had never, ever given her flowers, saying it was a waste of money, so right now, this gesture meant a lot more to her than she was ever about to reveal back to Negan.

"It wasn't a strip tease," she reprimanded, pursing her lips, trying to stop the butterflies that were dancing about inside her stomach. "I was actually already naked when you decided to join me."

A couple of skinny-looking Saviours, in grey moth-eaten clothes, standing nearby, looked up at Blake wide-eyed, looking slightly horrified as she spoke.

She immediately reddened and snatched the flowers from Negan's grasp giving a tut, before turning her back to him and walking away.

She knew for a fact, of course, that Negan was likely to follow her.

And he did, strolling around her easily, as she came to stop next to a rusty old bench that she had earlier had been helping to unscrew from the ground.

She bent down to pick up a large, heavy wrench.

"You know if you play your cards right," began Negan with a half-sigh, gesturing to her with the dull end of Lucille. "You could be sharin' more than just a mornin' shower with me, Peaches."

And with that, much to Blake's annoyance , Negan sat himself down easily on the bench that she had been trying to remove.

She let out an immediate irritable huff, and glared in his direction.

"So….what? We just get married…live happily ever after?" she began in a slightly simpering, amused voice, cocking her head to the left. "What happens to your other wives in all this, hmmm? Do we all just sit around waiting our turn?"

There was a heat in her voice….a sarcastic tone that the dark-haired Saviour, of course, picked up on…

He leaned back in his seat lazily, giving her a hungry, dark sort-of grin.

"Oh, no, no, no." he uttered in a low drawl. "A queen like you deserves a special fucking seat, Peaches. On. my. throne."

He suddenly pointed down to his lap, patting his knee.

Blake felt herself getting suddenly hot again, but this time it had nothing to do with the sun, now high in the sky above.

"Very tempting," she just about managed to utter, in a simpering tone, trying as hard as she could not to let him win this one.

And with that, she tossed the flowers suddenly back down onto his lap, staring at him for a long drawn out moment….before turning on her heel and walking swiftly away once again.

He was getting to her today. She could feel it.

This morning she had wanted nothing more than for him to advance on her on that bed….rip both his t-shirt and her panties off of her, and screw her brains out….but he hadn't taken the bait…

Not that she had wanted him to of course….

This was all just a game…

An aim to rile up the annoying leader of the Saviours' as much as she possible could.

That was all it was…

Right?

Even Blake herself wasn't so sure nowadays.

She half expected him to follow her again, but before she he could do so, Blake noticed Arat stalk hurriedly past her through the lot.

"Negan," said the curly haired woman in a loud, respectful voice, keeping her chin lowered.

Blake's eyes followed Arat as she went, watching as she stopped just a foot or two away from the lounging Negan, staring down at him, her jaw tensed.

"Thought I'd let you know…we found a small group about thirty miles out," she said curtly, explaining, tossing a knife back in forth between her hands as she spoke. "They tried to fight us…and most of them escaped, but a couple of them, the ones we manage to capture, well, they led us to a huge weapons cache they've been keeping. Must have about forty guns….a lot of ammo….maybe more…..we brought back some of it…but there's more…at least another couple of truck loads…"

Negan almost instantly grinned that usual arrogant grin of his.

"Good job, Arat. Might be worth us all takin' lil drive then, huh…" he said with a nod, narrowing his eyes in Arat's direction, before his chocolate orbs flickered suddenly over her shoulder, landing instead on Blake.

"What do you say, Buttercup?" he asked her suddenly raising his voice. "You up for a road trip with yours truly?"

And with that, Blake's lips twitched up into a grin almost before she could stop herself.

She looked back at Negan for a long, long moment, before giving a nonchalant shrug.

"If you want me there so badly….I guess I could come along," she uttered in a teasing voice. As Negan leaned suddenly forwards in his seat, clapping his hands together.

"Then it's a date…." he said raising his eyebrows and pulling himself to his feet with a small groan.

Blake rolled her eyes obviously in his direction, as she pulled off her gloves, watching as he walked towards her.

"Wow, flowers and a date, all in one day," she uttered in a cool voice, as Negan closed the gap between them, strutting over, ignoring Arat as he went. "Don't I feel special?"

But the tall, dark-haired Saviour merely leaned in towards her, pressing the flowers back into Blake's hands, his lips grazing ear as he spoke.

"Well, I don' know about special …" he uttered in a low, husky tone, which made Blake feel a sudden warmth spread between her legs. "…but let's give it til' tonight, Darlin', an' I could easily be fuckin' you up against a wall, if that's the kind of special you're lookin' for?"

And with that, he shoved slowly past her, bumping her shoulder as he went…

Knowing exactly what he was doing…

…...leaving Blake standing there, wide eyed and gaping….rooted to the spot….breathing hard….

Fuck….

She really was screwed, wasn't she?

Negan had certainly won this round…that was for sure….

Sorry that was another filler chapter, but there's exiting things to come soon…..

Thanks to Hmc09, JasminJW, JudithMosalii, Dollfacex94, MisfitCarter, Xmidniteangel15X. Croxs101, FriendsWithTheMonster, Booboo, PokemonTrainerDecember, Keward2592 and xojade for reviewing.

I hope you're all still enjoying this and would like me to carry on?

Please review! :)