Days often seemed to pass by slowly at the Sanctuary.

Sometimes it felt to Blake that time did not quite exists here, in this space outside the realms of a normal existence. Like this was a different universe, prone to making minutes feel like lifetimes. And hours feeling like an eternity.

Negan had only been gone just a little under a day. But the looming factory building seemed to feel a lot different without the dark-haired leader here.

Not that Blake missed him or anything…

…of course not.

It wasn't as though she had spent the entirety of this morning glancing over at the fenced gates that led into the Sanctuary or anything…

…not at all.

After all that had happened between them over this past week or so, it felt good to be back on fairly good terms with Negan.

The air felt clearer between them now…and perhaps Blake had been right with what she had said, perhaps the two of them were just never meant to work out…

Blake couldn't have that happy life. It just was never meant to be for her. She wouldn't have kids, she wouldn't have Mia…and now she had come to terms with the fact that maybe she wouldn't have Negan either…but that was ok.

That decision was probably best for both of them.

This way, Negan could be with his wives, and Blake, well, Blake could just be here…living….

…for in this world…that should have been a good enough reason for survival as anything else.

Although all this reasoning with herself, all this telling herself that this was the right thing to do, did not stop her heart aching for him, even now.

It was early afternoon, and after spending a long morning in the garden outside in the hot-morning sun, Blake had come inside and taken a long cooling shower, washing herself perfectly clean…feeling more like herself again that she had in days.

Blake had never in her life done any sort of gardening, sticking to office work all of her adult-life and living in a city with barely any green space.

She had always been much more of a lipstick and high-heels kind of girl, rather than an outdoorsy type.

So it had been a surprise, even to herself, that she had taken so well to working in this garden of hers.

One of the older guys, Frank, who helped out down there too, had even called her a natural, but Blake felt like she was still far from that at this time.

But there was something about this work that she certainly enjoyed….but often did not want to dwell upon.

For gardening was about growing something…urging something from the ground up and attempting to make it as perfect as she possibly could…which was really what Blake had always wanted to do…if she had been able to have a family to do so.

But with two miscarriages, it would never happen for her. And so, this, growing, plants and crops and vegetables…this was the closest she would get to creating something good in this world. Something that she could be proud of.

Blake was, at this current moment, stood in her room up on the second floor, as the sun shone in through her large window, in just a white fluffy towel, her slightly damp caramel-hair clinging to her shoulders.

Plucking a matching pair of clean white underwear from her drawer, she paced over to her bed before removing her towel and shucking the lace panties and bra over her smooth curves.

She already had a fresh set of denim shorts, a black vest and a flannel shirt laid out on the bed before her, and it didn't take her long at all to pull them on, before stepping eagerly into her tennis shoes.

These clothes were indeed a far cry from the outfits from her past life.

Back then, before the world had gone to shit, Blake would barely be seen without a pencil skirt and blouse, sitting at her desk, commuting to work, grabbing a double-shot-soy-caramel-latte on her way in.

But things had changed a lot since then. For how the hell was anyone supposed to run from a walker with a pair of patent high heels and an oversized purse hanging from the crook of their arm?

Blake gave a small smile to herself, running her fingers through her hair before tossing it neatly over one shoulder and making for the door.

She had just one errand to run this afternoon, before heading out to the garden again, and then coming in in time for supper.

Blake had indeed got into the swing of things with her points now…knowing that if she skipped breakfast and lunch, she would have enough for a full meal at dinner as well as being able to save for another few items from the marketplace, she so needed.

And that was indeed where she was headed now…to grab a few items she was running out of.

So, pulling the door to her room shut behind her, Blake wandered down the empty hallway, heading towards the staircase at the end of the long row of doors.

But the tall, caramel-blonde woman had barely made it a few steps, when a sudden whistle from behind her, caused her to jump slightly and glance around, giving an irritated frown.

But she stopped blinking almost immediately, as her eyes landed on the perpetrator, heading down the long dimly-lit corridor towards her, leather jacket shrugged over his broad shoulders and barbed-wire covered baseball bat swinging limply from his hand.

Negan.

And Blake, even now, couldn't help the twitch that appeared at her lips, as she turned to face him…her heart thudding in her chest.

There he was, looking as tall and as looming as ever. Today in a grey t-shirt, with grey pants, a knife at his waist, as well as his dusty old jacket throw over the top. But he looked happier now than he had this past week, a smug-sort of grin now plastered over his face.

"You're back then," Blake commented in a snarky voice, before she could help herself, falling into that same old repertoire with him, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

But her smile gave her away, as she narrowed her eyes, offering him a questioning look.

Negan was alone now, his eyes glancing her up and down as he strolled towards her, closing the gap between the pair of them, coming to stop just a foot or two away.

"Well you did make me promise to come see you when I was, Darlin'," Negan uttered in a low, humming voice, that caused an instant warmth to flood Blake's body.

God, what was wrong with her? She had to stop this.

This was Negan. And they were just friends now. Nothing more.

Blake's gaze met with his for a moment, before she dragged her eyes hurriedly away, smirking coolly and folding her arms over herself.

"Did I?" she muttered in an airy tone, a hint of teasing to her words. "I don't really remember…"

But this only caused to make Negan's grin widen, as he stared her way admiringly.

"Hmmm. Seems like you've got a pretty short fuckin' memory, Sweetheart," Negan remarked in a light tone, before silence fell over the pair of them one more.

Was this really them back playing this game of theirs, so soon?

Blake's breath hovered in her throat, her eyes flicking back to his, in the quiet of the corridor.

All seemed right between them now…things had been said and done that could not be altered, but perhaps they could move on with their lives….go back that banter they shared, but nothing more.

Blake knew, of course, how much she missed his company …so maybe they could allow themselves a brief conversation every now and again…

Yes. That couldn't be such a bad thing, could it?

Just a chat.

But a thick sort of tension hung in their air between the pair of them for a moment or two, Blake desperately trying to think of something to say, as she pursed her lips together, her eyes dropping to the floor between them again.

"I was just heading down to the marketplace to pick up a couple of things…if you wanted to walk with me…." she said in a quiet voice, before glancing up into Negan's chocolate eyes. "…seeing as it doesn't look like you have anything else to do…"

She bit her lip, watching, as Negan gave a smile, raising a dark eyebrow at her.

"Well, hold you fuckin horses there, Sweetheart," he said as a chuckle escaped his lips. "This you tryin' to insinuate that I don't do anythin' around here?"

But Blake gave a sighing shrug, smirking, as she turned on her heel, bumping his hip with hers as she did so.

"Well only if you count swaggering around, acting like you own the place, doing something," she said breezily, begging to walk back in the direction she was originally headed. Knowing full well that in a second or two Negan would follow.

And, as if on cue, from behind her she heard the dark-haired Saviour let out a carrying laugh, before catching her up and falling into step with her.

"Well fuck me, Doll," Negan uttered. "Last time I checked I did actually own this fuckin' place. Or has somethin' changed since yesterday?"

But Blake just stared up and over her shoulder at him, wrinkling her nose, smirking, but didn't say another word as the pair began to head of down the hallway towards the set of doors at the far end that led to the staircase.

Blake remembered back to oh-so many months ago, when she had been dragged out to this stairwell by David…threatened…bruised…and then pushed down the metal steps themselves.

The memory still haunted her even today. So it was no surprise than Blake gave a tiny gulp as Negan gave the doors ahead of them a small shove open with the end of Lucille and led the way out into the gloomy hall.

Blake gripped the railing beside her tightly as she reached the very top andbegan to descend. And she was grateful when Negan finally spoke again, his presence beside her, calming….like with him here, someone like David would never be able to hurt her again.

And it was then that Blake truly realised how much she needed him in her life. In whatever form it might take. Be it lover, friend, or just fearless leader.

He was everything to her and she hasn't been lying when she had told him that he had helped her in more ways than she could even say.

Blake glanced his way now as the pair headed down the metal grated stairs.

"So," said Negan, running his tongue over his lips, his chocolate eyes gazing back at her "You been keepin' yourself busy since I've been gone?"

His tone was polite, but behind it Blake could just about make out that teasing voice he reserved just for her.

She smiled now, rolling her eyes a little.

"If by keeping busy, you mean working in the garden? Then yeah, I have been," she muttered casually, as Negan nudged her with his leather clad arm gently.

"See I never really had you down for the gardening type, Peaches," he said giving a small, impressed huff. "But what I've seen of it so far, that shit is lookin' good. Looks like we might have ourselves a bountiful fuckin' harvest this year."

Blake smiled to herself now, sliding her hand easily down the railing to her right.

"Looks like we might," she said, chewing on her lip and shooting the dark-haired Saviour at her side a playful look. "Does that mean you'll be laying off Rick a little bit then?"

But Negan almost instantly gave a scoff, nodding his head.

"Well although that might be a fuckin' option, Doll-face," murmured Negan in a low voice, leaning into her side a little as he spoke in a low growl of a voice. "Rick-the-fuckin'-Prick needs to learn his place in this world…one that preferably doesn't involve givin' me that goddamn resentful side-eye of his, every fuckin' time I call in on him."

Blake rolled her eyes fully this time, and tutted, knowing full-well that Negan's chocolate eyes were on her, as they reached the bottom of the long staircase and headed down the lengthy hallway that led to the marketplace.

Things felt natural between the two of them now, but Blake couldn't help but remember back to the days before her birthday when Negan had held her hand…feeling her fingers entwined neatly with his. That moment in time feeling perfect to her. As if that was where she had truly belonged.

But now, Blake, glancing down at their hands between them, felt her cheeks turning pink. And before she could stop herself, she had hurriedly stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans…glancing quickly down at the floor, as the pair of them strolled past a couple of Saviours lingering in the hallway.

The two men and one woman, at once, dropped to their knees, but Blake heard Negan give a huffy sigh and a wave of his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, as you fuckin' were," he muttered tiredly, as Blake dragged her green eyes up to him.

He looked exhausted now, like he hadn't slept properly in weeks. His beard seemingly flecked with more grey than when she had seen him yesterday.

He looked worn and strained. But why?

"So, you have a busy night last night?" Blake asked him conversationally, as the pair of them reached the heavy double doors that led into the large marketplace in the middle of the Sanctuary compound.

Negan placed his hand to the door ahead of her, but paused suddenly, peering down at Blake curiously, as if never expecting her to have come out with that question.

He gave a brief sigh.

"Lil' bit of trouble at one of the fuckin outposts," he said nonchalantly. "But nothing me and Si couldn't fuckin' handle."

He gave a hard blink, the corners of his lips twitching up fiendishly.

"You concerned about my fuckin' welfare, Darlin'?"

But Blake gave a loud scoff, before shoving past him and pushing open the double doors.

"I was just asking," she commented lightly, raising both her eyebrows, but in a second Negan had caught up with her, appearing at her side once again, as the two of them entered the large and looming hall, filled with people bartering and standing in lines at tables filled with numerous types of items.

"Hmmm," purred Negan into her ear, not sounding very convinced, but that only caused to make Blake smile, before turning away from him and gazing around, finally spotting the stall she was searching for on the other side of the room.

A couple of Saviours here and there, stopped what they were doing, as Negan and Blake passed, all bowing their heads respectfully, but Negan just ignored them. His attention seemingly fully on Blake now, as he hovered by her shoulder.

Blake didn't need to turn her head to know he was there, of course, his presence making her entire body warm, smelling that hot musky scent of his as he lingered close by.

Oh god…

She shook herself hurriedly.

They were friends.

Just friends.

Maybe not even that.

"So," uttered Negan suddenly into her ear, breaking Blake from her thoughts. "Just what is on the shopping list for today, Peaches?"

But Blake pursed her lips.

"Well, I need some toothpaste, some more shampoo, and I'm saving some of my points for a couple of other things I'll eventually need," she said in a matter-of-fact voice.

Negan gave a brief huff, as he strolled on by beside her. "Doll-face, you know you don't need fuckin' points for that shit, don't ya? Hell, I'm fuckin sorry for putting you on them in the first fuckin' place. I acted like a fuckin' asshole ."

But Blake gave a frown, shaking her head and turning to face him, suddenly stopping in her tracks.

"Negan," she began earnestly, her green eyes searching his face. "Believe it or not I'm actually happy to be on them. Working for points….well, it gives me a purpose around here. You know I can't go by getting things for free for the rest of my life, all because you once had a 'soft spot' for me."

Blake wavered slightly at these words, a lump appearing in her throat, before carrying on, before Negan could make move to reply.

"It's fine, really it is," she said reassuringly, offering the dark-haired leader of the Saviours, a brief smile.

But a moment later she came to stand in step with him again, bumping her shoulder playfully with his, as she urged him along.

"But I have got to talk to you about some of this pricing, Negan," she said in a mock-scolding voice. "120 points for a box of tampons is insane!"

Negan's eyes met hers, parting his lips slightly as he glanced her up and down, pausing momentarily.

"So you're-"

But Blake tutted, rolling her eyes dramtically, as she grasped at the sleeve of his jacket pulling him over to a small table near to one of the far walls, laden with all sorts of bathroom products and cosmetics.

An older man sat on a stool behind the table, a large ledger propped open in front of him who gave them both a reverent solemn nod as they approached.

"No," said Blake, shaking her head. "I've got another week or so yet until…um, well, mine, but there are so many women here who won't be able to afford that amount of points for these every month!"

And with that Blake snatched up a box of tampons from the pile of items and held them up to Negan's face, before plonking them back down onto the table beside a pair of nail clippers and a bottle of mouthwash.

But Negan let out a long carrying sigh, turning his leather-clad shoulders into her, as he eyed her face, digging his tongue into his cheek.

"What can I say? It's just supply and fuckin' demand, Sweetheart," said the dark-haired man, giving a shrug.

But Blake wasn't happy with that.

She knew how much people struggled around here, and if she was still on speaking terms with Negan, she would try as hard as she possibly could to win him around to her way of thinking.

Blake turned her body into him now, standing side-on to the table, and taking a step closer to him, raising her chin defiantly.

"Don't give me that crap, Negan," she murmured, a frown line sliding its way between her brows, as she raised a finger, pointing at him. "You're making what's already a horrible time of the month, a whole lot worse for these women!"

But Negan frowned back at Blake now, looking irritable.

"Well what do you want me to do about it, Doll?" he said in an incredulous voice. "I ain't about to go around with a cold-fuckin' compress, handing out bars of fuckin' chocolate to these gals, now am I?"

But Blake tilted her head to the side, allowing her long, still slightly damp, caramel hair to drift over her shoulder.

"No but you could lower the amount needed to get them…" she said, gazing up at him now and wrinkling her nose. "…to, say…30 points?"

At this, Negan's eyebrows almost instantly shot up into his hairline, as he arched his back, surveying her as though she was crazy.

"Thirty fucking points?! Jeez, you have got to be fucking kidding me Doll-face. I mean I'll lower it to ninety for ya, but that is my fucking limit."

Blake's lips twitched slightly as she eyed him at this close proximity.

"Thirty," she repeated goadingly.

But the dark-haired Saviour let out an, almost immediate, growl of annoyance.

She was getting to him and she knew it. But this wasn't like their arguments of late. This was back to the same old teasing they had always shared.

That spark of theirs still alight somewhere in the darkness and tension between them.

"See, the last time I fuckin' checked," said Negan, lifting Lucille up and pointing it at Blake's chest before carefully lowering it once more. "I was the one who made the goddamn rules around here, not you."

She could tell that his tone was different to the one he used to scold his subordinates with. This was different. Filled with something that Blake could not quite put her finger on.

But she just smiled now.

"Thirty," she pushed again, smirking up at him and biting down hard upon her bottom lip.

Negan clicked his tongue.

"Fine, sixty, but that's my final offer," he said warningly.

But Blake just smiled, her green eyes never leaving his.

"Forty," she tried finally, knowing that she had him now.

And it wasn't a moment later Negan gave a hard huff, running his free hand down his face in annoyance.

"Fuck me! Al-fuckin'-right, forty fuckin' points then. Christ, you're fucking killing me here, Princess," Negan said, shaking his head and giving a wave of Lucille towards the stall holder who was standing at their side and had been watching their bartering unfold. "Forty fuckin' points for that shit. "

But Negan lifted a finger, pointing it first at Blake, before turning to the stall-holder. "But we fuckin' ration them, no more than one box a month. Shit like that is hard enough to come by without practically handin' them out for fuckin' free."

Blake gave a wide smile, and with her hand that was still gripping Negan's sleeve tightly between her fingers, she gave his forearm a small squeeze. Her eyes meeting with his.

"Thanks," she said earnestly.

And Negan, the irritation falling immediately from his features, stared back at her warmly, blinking down at her with those chocolate eyes of his.

He looked softer now, looking as though he very much wanted to say something important to her right now, but it never came. And instead, all the dark-haired Saviour managed to murmur out, was a low, growling-

"You're welcome, Peaches."

Blake bit at her lip wanting to stay there close to him forever, but she knew she couldn't.

This wasn't how things worked between them anymore. She needed to remember that.

And so, grabbing a tube of toothpaste and a bottle of shampoo, Blake clutched them to her chest, before turning on her heel and heading off in the direction of the garden.

And it wasn't a moment later, after she had barely gone a pace or two, did she hear Negan's sudden voice calling after her-

"I'll see you later for dinner maybe, Darlin'?"

But Blake just glanced back at the tall-dark haired Saviour over her shoulder and smiled.

"Maybe," she murmured gently, as Negan gave a chuckle of appreciation at her insolence, biting on his lip…

….before Blake turned away once again, heading out of the hall…

…and smiling to herself as she went….

So my vacation got cancelled in the end which sucks, but it's my birthday tomorrow so thought I'd update tonight as sort of a birthday treat for myself as I'm feeling kinda down about this week.

I hope some of you are still interested in reading this? Sorry it's taken me a while to update.

Thanks to sreid045, faithackles, alliesmiley2, Guest, Guest, CLTex, Hmc09, Nicolina88, moglefrog, MsSharingIsFun, Keward2592, JasminJW, Guest, LJH, NedStark39, reigningempire and angelvoice15 for commenting on the last chapter!

Was this chapter ok? So Negan and Blake…things are getting a little better between them at least..

Please review and let me know what you thought about this chapter if you get a chance. I'd really appreciate it :)