It was just gone 1am by the time Blake finally wandered the lonely corridor up towards Negan's room.
She had stayed up late, hoping of course to have seen in her birthday with the dark-haired Saviour himself. But despite leaving almost five hours ago now, with Simon, Arat and a few of the others in tow, there was no sign of him returning any time soon.
Blake, had intended, after finishing off her dinner alone in the canteen, to just head back on over to her room…maybe use that TV and VCR than Negan had given to her, what felt like a lifetime ago now, to watch a movie. But before she had even made it up to the second floor, she had been accosted by Frankie, Michelle and Tanya in one of the hallways, who had squealed and thrown their arms around Blake as though she had been their best-friend since childhood.
From the sounds of it, all the wives were pretty happy to see her back, telling her that the place hadn't been the same without her here, and informing her about Negan's terrible moods since she had been gone. The idea that Blake's presence here had even the slightest effect on anyone, really tugged at the back of her stomach and made her feel more happy than she had felt in a long time.
She truly felt at home here. And facts like those just helped to confirm that to her even more.
The three women had swiftly convinced Blake to come back to their plush room with them, and from there, Blake had spent the rest of the night, sitting with them on luxurious couches and squishy cushions, drinking wine and catching up on all the gossip.
Not that there had been much from this end, mind you.
"Ugh, you know what it's like here," Tanya had huffed, after Blake had enquired. "Boring as usual."
Frankie had nodded in agreement.
"Only one of us has been called up to see Negan too, since you've been gone," the red-haired woman said conversationally. "But even then, he sent me away almost straight away in a fucking horrible mood."
The women all around had nodded.
"So," said Michelle lightly, arching an eyebrow up towards Blake. "Are you and him-"
But she had trailed off before uttering another word.
Blake, however, of course, knew what she was getting at. She had chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes falling to her glass in her lap, as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I….I don't know…" she had replied in a quiet voice, her heart pounding as the words slipped from her mouth.
Blake had felt her cheeks immediately reddening.
But the wives had just smiled encouragingly.
"Listen," said Tanya, pursing her lips and placing her hand on top of Blake's. "He's a monster…and some of the things I've seen him do…."
The dark-haired woman paused, and sucked in a breath.
"…but he seems different with you. Like he actually gives a crap about you. And you should have seen the kinda mood he was in, when you were gone. I mean, all those guys downstairs had to do was breathe the wrong way, and he'd be using that stupid baseball bat of his, on them before they had time to even apologise. So don't feel guilty. Having you here….it makes life better…. for all of us."
The women had all nodded at this, and Blake had felt herself giving a relived sort of sigh, as she had brought her drink up to her lips.
The conversation soon after that, had moved onto, firstly how Blake's plan for a garden was getting on. For not having ventured outside yet, Blake was so so please to hear that the Saviours had manged to get a hold of several large greenhouses which had been assembled around the disused part of the lot. And work had also begun on digging a plot for some vegetables.
But secondly, the five women had somehow managed to worm out of Blake that it was her birthday tomorrow. And, confessing that Negan was currently out and wouldn't likely be back until late, the dolled-up women had refiled Blake's wine glass fiendishly and encouraged her to drink-up to toast her birthday, which Blake had laughingly obliged them.
And so, the six girls had giggled and joked, having a great evening. Blake finally feeling like she had some friends in this world. Women her own age. Who had totally different backstories from one another, but who had all been brought here because of one man.
Negan.
The leader…who had stepped up. Protected them all when they needed it.
For how was that any different to what Rick had done, really?
Defending his people at whatever the cost.
But it wasn't long past midnight, after a couple of swaying hugs from the scantily clad women, that Blake had given her excuses and said her goodbyes and left, promising them at their request with a playful roll of her eyes, that she would hang out with them more.
And so, she had left….heading back down the darkened corridor….And it was only when she reached the long staircase, with one set of stairs leading down to Blake's floor OR one leading up to Negan's, did she realise exactly where she wanted to be tonight.
And so, a couple of minutes later, Blake found herself here…padding down the gloom-filed hallway…her fingers trailing along the wall beside her as she walked.
She had had a few glasses of wine, but felt anything but drunk …just tired, if anything…
Her body was really beginning to ache now, feeling stiff and painful in places from the car accident the previous evening. But she needed to be grateful. It could have been a lot worse. What would have happened if those walkers had gotten in while she was unconscious…or if Negan and the Saviours hadn't have turned up when they did?
Blake gave a shallow sort-of sigh as she reached the large set of doors that stood at the end of the long hallway.
This was where she wanted to be, above anywhere else in this entire world.
The place she had dreamed of being, on all those empty nights spent back in Alexandria in that big bed alone.
And so, giving the door a gentle shove open and flipping on the light switch. Blake couldn't help but smile to herself as she laid eyes on Negan's room, still as neat and tidy as the last time she had seen it….when she had been in here with Mia in that bed…as Negan pressed kisses onto her collarbone, waking her dreamily...
Unfortunately neither of them were here with her now….but Blake hoped that soon enough Negan would arrive back….smelling of dirt and gasoline and leather…and that would be enough for her….for now at least.
Gently shutting the door behind her, Blake ran her fingers through her long hair, before walking over to the bathroom and flipping on the light.
It was quiet in here….shut off from the rest of the Sanctuary. Divided by at least a corridor and a half…and so Blake felt her shoulders un-tensing, relaxing more now than she had in weeks.
Feeling safe…..feeling protected, even when Negan wasn't here….
Strolling over to the washbasin, Blake peered up at her reflection in the large modern-looking mirror hanging above it.
There she was…looking tanned and bright (if not a little tired). A few scratches lifted her temples and upper cheeks, but they were not too noticeable now.
Blake remembered back to all those many months ago….when she had looked a whole lot different…with hollow eyes, grey sallow cheeks…worry lingering upon her features…all because of one man.
David.
He had taken years from Blake's life. So much time wasted worrying over him….fretting about what he thought…what he might say if she did this, or that…or looked a certain way…
That same man who had never even once bought her a birthday gift or even given her a card.
The first year Blake had put it down to forgetfulness….they had only been dating for a few months by that point, and Blake had shrugged it easily off. But by the following year, David had explained that birthdays shouldn't be such a big deal and he didn't really believe in celebrating them. And so again, she had gotten nothing, the pair of them treating it like a normal day.
But by the time David's birthday always came around, almost six-months later, Blake would always feel so guilty about not getting him anything, and so had always scraped the money together to buy him the watch she knew he had his eye on, or tickets to see a basketball game. But yet again….hers would soon come and go, with nothing more than a dismissive wave of David's hand and a chuckle from him, muttering that they should be happy about not wasting money on something as trivial as a birthday.
It wasn't about the gift really to Blake, it never had been, and so she had just smiled and carried on…not really worrying too much about it. Just considering it as just another day.
But now….looking back, Blake felt sad that she had gone so many years without even so much as a hastily-picked bunch of flowers, or even a homemade meal from her fiancé on her birthday. She had never wanted for much…just, well, something….
But Blake sighed contently thinking of the difference a year made.
This time last year Blake had been holed up with David in some god-forsaken warehouse with four or five others, eating cold vegetables from a can…with David not even gracing her with a 'Happy birthday'. She remembered they had just sat there in the darkness, as David had sulked, because he wasn't able to eat heated food that evening. And so Blake had sat alone, mentioning to no-one else that it was her birthday, because, of course, over years of wearing her down, David had convinced her that no one cared now about her birthday, and no one ever would.
And yet one year on and here she was….waiting here….while Negan was out getting a birthday surprise ready for her for tomorrow.
Blake had only been teasing him when she had pushed him to get her a gift…knowing full-well the response she used to get from David when she teased him on the same matter….but she never expected Negan to actually try and make an effort…for him to try and made her birthday special.
Blake rubbed at the back of her neck with her hand, kneading at her aching shoulders.
She was exhausted now….so perhaps she would just get into bed and read for a while until Negan got back.
And so, Blake peeled off her clothes, dropping them into the laundry basket behind them bathroom door….before heading back into the large living space in just a matching set of white underwear….
She threw her caramel-hair back over her tanned shoulder, before wandering over to Negan's four-poster bed and peeling back the crisp, white cottons felt cool and so inviting so her as she hopped up onto the mattress and slipped down beneath them.
And it was no more than a minute after her head fell back against the pillow, that Blake, as tired and as slightly tipsy as she was….fell straight to sleep, with the light still on.
It must have been at least 3am…
Late and silent….
Blake was deep asleep now and stirred only slightly, hearing the sound of the light-switch being knocked off, and a pair of heavy footsteps pace through the darkness, over to the bed.
She was still half in her dream-world now…letting out a long, tired breath of air and shifting her face slightly against her pillow…as she felt the mattress sink slightly, beneath another heavy weight dropping down onto the bed behind her.
She parted her lips, before closing them again, hearing the seemingly distant creak of a mattress…..as the weight shifted slightly on the bed, over her shoulder...
And a brief second later, to her sleepy delight, Blake felt a calloused hands skim over her waist, pulling her backwards, and into a strong and taut body…
...as a heady, warm, musky scent drifted into her nose...and at once Blake recognised who it was, even in her drowsy state...
Negan.
Blake smiled sleepily…feeling a scratchy beard nuzzle into the crook of her neck from behind, as the leader of the Saviours wrapped his arms tightly around her.
Perhaps he wanted sex….but right now…it seemed like something else completely…a need to be close to her…to feel her in his arms…
And Blake could only giving a small contented sigh as she felt Negan's lips reach her hair..
…as he uttered just three words into her ear….three words that made her smile widen into her pillow...
"Happy birthday, Peaches," growled Negan in a whisper…
….uttering just six syllables, that managed to make Blake feel happier than she had felt on any birthday, ever.
And it was not even another second, as Blake, smiling blissfully to herself….drifted off to sleep once again, feeling totally and utterly safe in Negan's arms. As the dark-haired Saviour, behind her, did the same….
Oh god….is it possible for something to be too fluffy?
I wasn't going to update today so I hope you don't mind another short-fluffy-filler.
Thanks to Hmc09, xojade, alliesmiley2, ElysiumPhoenix, CLTex, FriendsWithTheMonster, Becca4930, Nerdswag4life, Hannah, Guest, bookworm125 and l0velylexx for commenting! :)
Please review! :)