Negan and Blake drove along the back roads….alone and silent, as the rain softened a little…the sky growing ever darker, as the night began to draw in.
The had been driving for at least forty minutes…seemingly going nowhere…both of them still obviously seething a little from their argument, just a little while ago.
Blake was sat on the far passengers seat, the furthest she could get from Negan, staring out of the window beside her, at nothing but the overcast woods that lined the road.
She felt sad…
Broken and hurt.
She knew all the stuff that Negan had said was true, and that he had only done all that because he was trying to help her. But that still didn't stop it hurting.
But Blake's tears had long dried now….feeling herself calming a little.
Although she was soaked trough to the skin still….the rain having drenched her from top to bottom….as it had done Negan.
She chanced a glance over at the bearded Saviour….as silent as ever.
In fact this was the longest they had gone without sniping at one another. Which Blake would have normally taken as a victory. But not now.
She turned back to the window, but as she did so, she felt the truck slowing…
Blake gazed up, watching as the vehicle ground to halt in the middle of the large dark road, that stretched out far ahead of them.
The pitter-patter of tiny droplets of rain on the windshield being the only sound they could hear.
Negan turned off the engine, and in-turn, the heaters that had been warming Blake's cold wet form up, even just a little.
But it was a long moment or two before he finally uttered anything, leaning back in his seat.
"I hope you realise," uttered the dark-haired Saviour giving a small, silent sigh. "…that you are the only person I let talk to me like you just did back there, Peaches."
That name…that name he used on her all the time.
The name that told her everything was ok.
She had abandoned the knife back at the outside of the store…not bothering to pick it up. For she didn't want to use it again. Not on Negan. Not now….after everything.
But Blake remained silent, her eyes falling down into her lap. She couldn't look at him right now.
Negan gave another sudden, more audible, sigh, running his hand down his stubbly face.
"Look, I know I acted like an asshole," he said, placing his tongue to his back upper molars tiredly. "But in the fuckin' stupidest way possible, I was only tryin' to make you see that you are more than just ol' Davey boy's fuckin fi-an-cée."
Leaning up against the driver's window beside him with his elbow, Negan turned to face her. His gaze serious.
"Look, I know I'm not innocent. An' hell I've done some things I ain't proud of, to get where I am today-"
At this, Blake scoffed, leaning against her own passenger door, mirroring his stance and staring over at him , raising her eyebrow in an unimpressed fashion.
But Negan ignored her, continuing.
"-an if he's what you want…what you really want…then I ain't gonna argue," he said in a growling voice. "But I swear to god. If he, or anyone else, lays another fuckin' finger on you, then there will be hell to pay. We clear on that princess?"
Blake eyed him for a second.
"You ain't mine," Negan muttered, his eyes suddenly flickering over, out onto the raindrop covered windshield. "But that soft spot I got for you ain't goin' away any time soon. An if your precious Fi-an-ce wanted you both to come an' live with us, then he is gonna have to abide by my rules."
There it was. As simple as that.
Blake stared up at Negan for a long moment….a feeling of relief washing over her…letting a small breath escape her lungs…
She felt grateful.
She managed a nod, tugging at her lips with her teeth for a long second, before-
"Thanks," she finally uttered, her eyes drifting too, to the raindrops, slipping down the dark glass ahead of them.
Night had passed over their heads, and outside the sky was now dark and ominous out there.
"Holy shit, buttercup," said Negan giving a sudden chuckle, his fingertips reaching his lips. "Did you actually just thank me for something?"
Blake gave a smile, her eyes flitting over to him.
"You must have been hearing things," she muttered back, catching his gaze momentarily.
And for the slightest of seconds, Blake felt her breath catch in her throat…her heart pounding.
But she pushed these feelings hurriedly away…
What was wrong with her tonight?
She looked back down to her knees and rubbed at them.
Her jeans were sodden and her skin beneath her clothes was now freezing cold.
She let out a small, involuntary shiver, as Negan sighed beside her, patting his hands on the steering wheel.
"Alright then," he said with a nod. "Air fucking cleared. Maybe we can get back before the rain comes in again."
Blake looked at him.
Was that it? Was that why he had really brought her all the way out here?
Blake wasn't too familiar with the roads in this area, but she knew that this was still miles out of the way from where they had just come.
Negan grasped the keys and turned on the engine.
But it gave a cough and a splutter, but refused to turn over.
"Come on you, piece of utter shit," he said, bashing his fist against the steering wheel and trying again, as Blake frowned over at him bemusedly.
But the vehicle, to their dismay, would not start.
"We should have taken the other truck," she said in a mocking sigh, wrinkling her nose, knowing what Negan's reaction would be.
And, as expected, he shot her a faux-warning look in return. "Yeah, yeah, hindsight is a goddamn wonderful thing."
Blake bit her lip.
"So is a working truck," she replied goadingly.
And Blake had to withhold a laugh ,as it was Negan's turn to now roll his eyes, giving a gruff tut.
He bashed on the steering wheel once again as the engine gave another loud splutter and died completely, before suddenly snatching up his radio from the dashboard.
"Simon? You read me?" he uttered in a low voice, his finger on the button.
But there came only static.
"Arat?" he tried again, holding the device up…
But the loud static just hovered there for a long moment before falling silent once again.
Negan looked annoyed, flinging the radio down once more onto the dashboard and giving a huff.
Blake looked at him.
It was a rare sight to see Negan like this…so at a loss…with things so out of his control.
But Blake liked that…she gave a smile.
"So we're stuck?" she said in a an incredulous voice.
Negan slowly licked his lips and looked back at her.
And upon seeing her grin, his lips curved up into one to match.
He puffed out his chest, taking in a long breath. "Looks like it, Doll-face," he muttered matter-of-factly in that drawl of his. "Might as well try and get comfy for the night."
But Blake gave a frown.
"Here?" she said looking at the inside of the small cab and out at the dark, rain-sodden windows beyond.
"Unless you've got a better idea?" said Negan shifting back in his seat and surveying her from across the way.
Blake looked about. It was freezing in here, and the only sort of supplies they had with them, was a radio, a bottle of water and Lucille.
With the heaters now also off, Blake knew it wouldn't take long for temperatures to drop dramatically. And that was something she just could not afford in her cold and wet state.
She gave another shiver, rubbing at her arms, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.
But Negan was always quicker that she expected him to be, and raised an eyebrow up towards her.
"You cold, Peaches?" he asked her.
But Blake shot him a cool look.
"I'm fine," she lied, folding her arms across her chest nonchalantly.
But this only caused Negan to smirk and shrug, poking out his tongue between his line of white teeth.
"Y'know," he began after a brief moment or two of silence, as he placed one hand on the steering wheel. "I was gonna take you back to that camp of yours tonight. Back to Rick and those other pricks back in 'Pleasant-as-shit-sville'."
At his words, Blake looked up at him.
She felt her heart pound, but for a different reason now.
"An' I still can...if that's what you want?" Negan offered, something about his tone softer than before. A hint of something human within him.
Blake's lips parted as she looked over at him. His face fixed, serious and unreadable.
Blake could go home. Back to her people. The people she cared about…
But was that what she wanted? What she really wanted?
It wasn't just her fiancé's presence back at the Sanctuary that was making her feel this way…oh no…there was certainly something else right now. But that something, she just couldn't quite seem to put her finger on just yet.
Her heart thudded inside her ribcage…and she pushed a small shallow, shaky breath from her lungs….her eyes locking finally with Negan's….
"No," she said in what was not much more than a whisper.
And that was all she needed to say, as Negan let out a slow, understanding nod, his gaze never leaving hers.
She had never expected this. Not from him.
After all this…
After everything…
…he had given her a chance to leave….
"This really is like Beauty and the Beast," she said a after a long second, breaking the tension slightly, her face falling into an amused sort of smile and letting a small, breathless laugh escape her lips. "You gonna offer me a magic mirror too?"
She raised an eyebrow up at him teasingly, unable to stop herself.
But Negan gave a chuckle in return.
"No. But I can always get Dr Smarty Pants to try and knock you one up, if that's something you think you'd want," he swiped back with that same old Negan cockiness that merely made Blake roll her eyes and shake her head.
The pair were silent for a long moment, Blake watching as her breath before her, turned to steam in the cold.
She gave another shiver…rubbing at her knees trying to warm herself as best she could, as rain fell against the window beside her.
The temperature had fallen in the minutes they had been chatting, and with the engine off, the truck had started to become a hell of a lot colder.
Blake trembled slightly, jiggling her knee, trying to warm herself…
Negan looked over towards her, smirking.
"Peaches, now I know that you're definitely cold now," he said giving a her a told-you-so look, which made Blake grit her teeth in annoyance.
"I'm fine," she lied once again.
But Negan just smiled that irritating smile of his…all smug…...flashing his straight white teeth at her.
And with that, he suddenly lifted his right arm up and raised both his eyebrows in her direction.
Blake pursed her lips, frowning.
She knew what he was doing…
But right now Blake found herself so terribly cold…it was almost unbearable.
Her clothes and hair were soaking wet and clinging to her trembling form.
She gritted her teeth, staring over at him.
Was she really going to do this?!
God, had she pictured this just a few days ago while having dinner with Tara and Rosita back at Alexandria, she'd have thought she was going crazy. And yet here she was about to share her warmth with the head of the Saviours himself.
She tutted, lowering her eyes suddenly to the space in between them, and shot Negan a look.
"Well you gonna move that thing then?" she muttered a little defensively, her arms still folded across herself.
But Negan, obviously never expecting her to agree to this, grinned, his chocolate eyes twinkling.
"Now, now, Doll-face," said Negan in a taunting voice, lifting his chin slightly and gazing at Blake devilishly. "That thing, is Lucille. And she deserves some respect…"
But Blake titled her head slightly, offering him an unimpressed look.
"Really?" she said with a small sigh, knowing for fact he was messing with her.
God, he annoyed her so much!
Negan gave a chuckle, pulling on his bottom lip with his teeth before picking up Lucille, and dropping her down to his other side, neatly.
"There," he said promptly, his eyes meeting with hers again…with something in them that Blake didn't want to read too much into right now.
She was doing this because she was cold, and there was no other reasoning behind it.
And so, with faux-reluctance, Blake slowly shifted across the wide tan leather seat, coming to sit beside the tall, bearded man, as he settled his arm around her shoulders.
Instantly, his warmth hit her…along with his heady musky scent…which made her breath catch slightly in her throat.
Negan shifted slightly in his seat, pressing himself into her and pulling her close.
"Now this ain't so bad, is it?" he suddenly uttered in a husky voice, his lips hovering just a breath away from her neck, which caused another kind of warmth to spread its way inside of her.
Blake gave a gulp, but she wasn't about to show that he was getting to her. No way.
"I mean I'd prefer to be back there with those walkers," she said in a sarcastic tone. "But we can't have everything, can we?"
Negan let out a small, impressed laugh, into her ear.
"Oh Peaches," he said in a low growling tone. "Now you have got to watch that smart-mouth of yours at such close proximity. I mean, you do not know just. what. you. do to me when you say stuff like that."
Blake smirked, shaking her head, but she didn't dare turn her face to look at him fully, for she knew just how close he was to her now…
She let out a long puff of spiralling air into the cold atmosphere of the cab, as the rain pitter-pattered once again on the windshield ahead of them.
Blake crossed her legs, placing her hands into her lap as silence fell over the pair…the only sound being that of their own breathing.
But it felt comfortable and natural…more than Blake had first thought it would be.
After a few long minutes had passed them by, Blake parted her lips, suddenly leaning her head back against Negan's shoulder.
Almost immediately, she heard him let out a small chuckle.
"You mind invading' my personal space just a little bit more, Peaches?" he said in a sarcastic voice, into her ear, mimicking Blake's words from earlier today, back to her.
Her lips curved up into a wide smile, blinking down at her thighs.
But she didn't grace him with a response. Instead she just remained there, comfortable….as she shifted herself slightly, turning her body in towards the tall, dark-haired Saviour, and resting her head in the tanned crook of his neck.
But stil she didn't look at him…..feeling his thumb begin to rub circles against her shoulder, without another word from his lips.
She felt guilty…thinking of all the men and women that Negan must have killed…including the ones she knew…..Abraham…Glen and Spencer to name just a few…but this…this was for survival, right?
She was freezing….and even if she didn't die of cold waiting out here for God knows how long…she could certainly get sick, catch the flu and THEN die...without the proper meds to save her.
Blake tugged at her lips with her teeth.
Ok, it wasn't right….but what in this world was anymore?
She shifted herself slightly, her eyes flickering up over to Negan's driver's-side window, staring out into the darkness.
Everything was silent and calm and in that moment, everything was right in the world…even while they were stuck out here alone.
Here, Blake felt her thoughts of David, and every other care she seemed to have, just drift away, as Negan rested his bearded chin suddenly on the top of her damp head.
But she didn't flinch or shift away at this, like she might have done just a few days ago, but instead turned her body slightly into him, her knee brushing his, as she closed her eyes tiredly.
Here she felt safe. Oh-so utterly safe.
And a long moment or two seemed to pass, before Negan suddenly spoke, his hand shifting down her arm slightly, and a chuckle slowly escaping his throat …Blake feeling it shudder out from beneath her resting head.
"Y'know, if you're in the mood, Doll-face," he said a in a slow, purring voice. "I might know a way we can get a little warmer, if you catch my drift…"
But Blake merely smiled, giving a hearty sigh. It had only been a matter of time.
"No…I think I'm good, thanks," she uttered in a firm tone, keeping her eyes closed as she spoke.
But Negan just chuckled again, just as a sudden crackle emitted from the radio.
"B-Boss?!" came an intermittent voice.
Blake opened her eyes, pulling herself from Negan, as the tall leader of the Saviour's sat up and reached for the device.
"Si?" he uttered, his thumb over the hold button. "Listen we've broken down just off the 373 over near Berry. Fuckin' thing might be outta gas."
There was brief moment of silence before the radio hissed again.
"We doubled back, boss," came the, again, crackly voice of Simon, over the radio once more "Hold tight and we'll be with you in ten."
And with that, the device went dead, as Negan let out a short sigh, chucking the device back onto the dashboard once more, as silence fell over the cab again.
Blake opened her mouth as if to say something but changed her mind, shifting back over to far end of the cab, feeling her face reddening.
Alright ,nothing had happened between them…but she still felt embarrassed…her stomach lurching slightly, as she felt Negan's gaze flicker back over to her.
"You tired of cuddlin', Peaches?" he said, poking his tongue of out through his teeth teasingly and looking her over, titling his head back.
Blake ran her fingers through her hair, before pushing her long damp caramel locks back over her slender shoulder.
"I am now that I know we're gonna be rescued in ten minutes," she uttered, grinning back at him.
Negan gave a pout. "Well, you know, ten minutes is still enough time for-"
But Blake stopped him, knowing exactly what he was going to say.
"Like I said," she murmured, cutting across him in a slow mocking voice, narrowing her eyes goadingly in his direction. "I'm good, thanks."
Negan licked at his lips.
"You know, that's why I like you," he said after second or two. "You're not afraid to say no to me."
Blake gave a bemused frown. "Lots of people aren't afraid to say no to you, Negan. Difference is, you usually use Lucille on them when they do."
Negan grinned. "Well would you look at that. You used her name," he muttered proudly, causing Blake to shake her head, looking away from him and staring out of the windshield ahead.
How the hell could one person annoy the hell out her so much?
She was about to snap back with a cool sort of retort, but before she could, a sudden face pressed itself to the glass beside Blake, causing her to jump almost out of her skin in fright.
She clutched at her chest.
"Jesus!" she uttered, staring at the looming walker, standing the other side of the glass, pawing at it, snarling and snapping at her.
She slid back over to the centre of the seats away from it, coming to sit next to Negan once again
Negan raised his eyebrow and opened his mouth as if to speak, but Blake just pointed at him threateningly.
"Just don't," she uttered in a deadly voice, pre-empting Negan's reaction.
And the bearded Saviour just gave a hearty laugh and settled back against the tan seat behind him, gazing at her admiringly.
"I didn' say a word, Doll."
I really hoped you like that! I'm loving writing Blake and Negan at the moment. More to come soon if you want it?
Thanks to ElysiumPheonix, bhanna, AngyDent13, Dollfacex94, leahscil, rawbsten, FriendsWithTheMonster, XMidniteangel15X, JudithMosalii, shaywilliams4151, Keward2592, schick12 and whereshadowplays for reviewing.
What did you think of that chapter? Let me know what you thought and whether you'd like me to continue.
Please review! :)