The sky had become pink, tinged with purple, by the time Negan had pulled his truck up into the large Sanctuary lot.

He had left Blake's place a little over an hour ago, a heart-wrenching pain coursing through him the entire journey home.

Shit. He had missed her more than he could say, and seeing her for those few hours, rather than sate his longing for the blonde woman, had in fact only made the pain of leaving her feel far worse.

Negan gave a sigh, running a tanned hand down his face for a moment, before his eyes drifted over to Mia, who was sleeping, buckled into the seat next to him.

Her little head was flopped down onto her own shoulder and her mouth was hanging open. Obviously the excitement of today, and seeing Blake again, had been all too exhausting for the toddler.

Negan got out of the truck (leaving Lucille in the footwell, where she had stayed the entirety of his visit to Blake's too) moving easily around to the passenger door and tugging it open.

The rain had long since stopped leaving the ground sodden and wet beneath his booted feet.

He reached inside to unbuckle Mia, just as he glanced up to see Arat approaching.

"Hey….Negan," she murmured, a hint of warm concern there amongst the formality.

But Negan merely remained quiet, his focus on easing the snoozing toddler from her seat without waking her.

Mia at once gave a small grizzled whine, as Negan hauled her up into his arms with ease.

"Thata' girl, shhh," he hummed lowly, his hand moving up to Mia's tiny back, feeling her head instantly drop to his leather-clad shoulder as she resumed her sleep.

And it was only then, that Negan turned to Arat, shutting the truck's door steadily behind him trying not to wake the sleeping baby..

"Did you see her? I-Is she ok?" Arat said speaking again in a quiet voice. And of course Negan knew who she was referring to, his chest restricting almost instantly at the mere mention of her.

"Peaches' is good," he nodded, his eyes drifting to the ground, as he pressed his lips together.

Goddamnit. He wanted nothing more now than to turn that damn truck around and go out to see her again.

But he stopped, his mind lingering on this thought.

Fuck, he had enough gas, so why didn't he just grow some fucking balls and do it? He was the leader of this god forsaken place and didn't need to answer to anyone. So what was really stopping him?

Negan blinked a couple of times, his heart beginning to pound within his chest.

This was impulsive and probably fucking stupid, but right at this very second he was passed caring.

He looked up at Arat suddenly, giving a small distant frown.

"Can you take sleepin' beauty here up to Frankie an' the girls for the night?" he said, carefully easing Mia into Arat's arms before she could protest.

"I...uh...yeah...sure..but where-" Arat began, but Negan with a grin dancing its way over his lips, merely ignored the curly haired woman once more, moving around to the driver's side of the truck and sliding back into the seat.

For where he was going surely didn't need any explanation…

Blake had taken her time to tidy what little mess Mia had made of the living room, before drawing all of the drapes and a lighting a couple of candles as night well and truly set in.

She had made the most of dwelling on their presence here, remembering where Mia and Negan had been, and stood, and what they had touched or commented on. The whole pace filled with more life than it had likely had in it in years.

But god she missed them both already, every fibre of her body screaming for them. Needing them close to her.

Especially Negan on this cold, damp night.

The rain seemed to have eased off somewhat, as all Blake could hear now as the crackling of the fire in the grate and the drip drip drip of the last of the excess rainwater running off the porch guttering.

She sat down onto the couch, sitting back against the cushions and closing her eyes.

She prayed that Negan would keep his words and come back and see her soon.

But gas was a difficult commodity to find at the best of time and the blonde woman knew that each time he made the trip here, that was one less run the Saviours could go out on. One less haul of loot they could bring back for the needy folks back at the Sanctuary.

And Blake knew she was being selfish if she expected Negan to come and see her too often. But still she longed for the dark-haired Saviour, his presence in this home earlier having overwhelmed her senses, bringing back gorgeous memories of night's spent together and the days too of course.

They were a good team, always had been, and Blake was so glad they had found each other.

For now, it almost seemed as though they were always meant to be, and fate had brought them together at the end of all things.

Blake let out a sigh, biting on her lip as her green eyes reached the ceiling above her head.

Mia was her ray of sunlight, making Blake's heart whole again. And Negan was like Blake's oxygen, giving her everything she needed to get better and survive. He was hers and she was his and nothing would change that.

She smiled to herself, lowering her eyes gently, hoping that her sleep tonight would be better. That she would have dreams of love and warmth, instead of nightmares that shattered her sleep into pieces.

Huffing a little, bored after so much excitement long gone now, Blake pushed herself once more from the couch, making to head into the kitchen to grab herself a cup of water from the water she had collected from the well only this morning.

But before she could move, there came a sudden knocking on her front door, sending her jumping in fright at the noise.

Blake frowned, parting her lips, worry flooding through her.

Who would be coming here now, at this time of night?

The blonde woman gulped hard, her eyes fixed now on the darkened hallway beyond the living room door.

Fuck. Sh could hide of course but to what ends?

So not knowing what else to do she slowly crept towards the hallway, hoping perhaps to get a glimpse of who it might be, just as there came another knock, louder this time.

Blake's heart pounded in her chest, as her mind desperately trying to remember where she had stashed her knife.

But she didn't need to….

...for a second later, there came another knock, and with it a low murmur of a voice outside the door.

"Peaches, open up, it's me…"

Blake stopped dead, a look of utter disbelief appearing over her face in the shadowy hallway.

But in an instant, the caramel-blonde woman had moved to the door, and tugged it open with a flourish….

…. to find Negan stood there, breathing hard, looking as though he had almost run here hair windswept and messy, chin lowered to his collarbone..

And now, even in the gloom of late evening, Blake could see the look that lingered in his eyes, one of yearning for her now. And one that Blake was surely she was mirroring as he stared up into his hazel orbs.

The handsome dark-haired man was stood before her now in the same clothes as earlier, his usual rumpled black leather-jacket, white t-shirt, grey pants. But he now had the addition of Lucille hanging loose from his left hand.

He looked like a wolf now, hungry for his prey, ready to devour her at any second.

"Negan...w-what are you doing back here, I-" Blake just about managed to utter, with a disbelieving shake of her head.

But before she could say even another word, Negan had, all of a sudden, lifted his hand to her cheek, stepped over the threshold….

….pressing his lips firmly to hers.

Blake felt herself instantly smiling into the kiss, elated, giddy at the fact that he was here again.

But mid-way through a laugh, she gave his jacket-covered chest a shove, prising her mouth from his.

"You said you'd be back in a day or two..." she said she shaking her head once more.

But Negan didn't reply, merely kissing her again and cutting her off as she audibly squeaked out a giggle into his lips.

"Negan…" she laughed.

But the dark-haired man was unrelenting now, maneuvering Blake backwards as he took a long step into the hallway, kicking the front door shut behind him with his booted heel.

Blake parted her lips, letting out a pleasurable moan as his hot tongue flicked against hers.

She heard him drop the bat in his hand to the floor, his big calloused hands reaching both her hips as he eased her backwards pressing her into the wall behind her.

Blake felt a heat emanating off of him now despite the cold night air that had already settled inside the small house, as he pressed his tall, lean form up against hers, their lips grazing each others again and again, parting and meeting audibly in the gloom.

Blake felt her lower abdomen lurch with arousal as her hands slid up and over his shoulders, her fingers threading through the dark hair at the nape of his neck.

It was the first time she had felt this way in weeks and couldn't deny now that it felt good, her panties flooding with a creamy wetness, as one of his hands reached the wall just over her shoulder, steadying himself against her.

She pulled away breathlessly. "Negan-" she tried, smiling, but Negan barely allowed his name to leave her lips, as he grazed them once again with his own.

But Blake, at this, moved her hand down to his chest, pressing her hand to his chest and forcing him to stop.

The tall Saviour pulled away from her, giving a pout at the disturbance.

"Negan, stop for a second. " Blake said, breathlessly, smiling up at him. "W-What are you doing here?"

Negan stared down at her now, his lips curving up into a wide grin as he leaned into her, his hot breath grazing her ear.

"Missed ya..." he murmured, pressing a hot, open-mouthed kiss to her pulse-point causing Blake to close to her eyes and bite down longingly on her plump and bee-stung bottom lip.

But she shook herself, frowning bemusedly at his words.

"You've only been gone two hours," she said with a gentle laugh, which caused him to pull back and look at her.

He was a wolf now waiting for her to become one too.

But Blake merely pursed her lips together, giving a long slow blink.

"C'mon," she muttered with a small roll of her eyes, as Negan dived back in to kiss her again. But this time she dodged neatly out of his reach, grasping his hand and pulling him in the direction of the warm living room. "It's freezing out here."

And from behind her she heard him give a needy groan, but follow her obediently anyway, closing the door with a snap behind him.

Levang Lucille on the floor in the darkened hallway…

Abandoned…

Blake had been right, it was far warmer in here than that cold hallway, despite how hot under the collar Negan had gotten.

He watched the damn goddess in front of him, as she stopped just short of the mattress on the floor in front of the fireplace, before turning back to him , a smile lingering on gorgeous features.

Fuck, Negan was in love with her, and couldn't help the way he was tailing her now like a damn school-kid with his first crush.

He felt like a man obsessed, under her damn spell. Not that he fucking minded all that much of course…

Negan let out a small sigh, lifting his chin and closing the gap between the pair of them as Blake wrinkled her nose, throwing her head back in delight as Negan leaned his face in, his lips finding her throat.

"Negan...s-stop!" she managed to say in between a laugh, prising him from her once more.

He ran his togue over his lips teasingly as she pulled away. "Can't get enough of you, Darlin'..." he growled, earning himself a shake of the blonde's head.

"Stop," she scolded once more, and this time Negan did ease off with another hard sigh.

She could be a hard one to read, and Negan wasn't going to push his luck now and risk everything with her again.

He needed her now and didn't want to be the one to make some dumbass mistake and have her disappear from his life for god knows how long. Especially as he had only just gotten her back.

So he leaned back against his legs instead, his dark eyes roaming over her soft features, watching as she cocked her head to the side, licking at her bottom lip gently.

"So, did you just dump Mia back at the Sanctuary and then drive back here to make out with me, is that it?" she goaded, with a smirk, folding her arms over her chest. Leaning all of her weight onto one hip.

But Negan lifted his hand and scratched at the underside of his chin with a single tanned digit.

"Oh hell fuckin' yeah, Sweetheart," he growled back. "Daddy's gotta get his kicks somewhere. And where better, than some goddamn love-shack just down the road with a blonde, .shit, fox."

He gave his eyebrows a waggle, watching with glee as Blake rolled her eyes at his comment.

"Love-shack…" she muttered, with a despairing shake of her head.

"Alright then what would you call it, Peaches?" he asked. "Cause we'd practicaly fuckin' signed the damn papers for this place bein' our next vacation home before you decided moved your oh-so fine fuckin' ass in here. See, we could've been grillin' out out back, got ourselves one of those pop up pools, you coulda' been in that kitchen in there makin' us some margaritas...livin' the apple pie life."

He saw Blake gave a gentle smile,a hint of something lingering in her eyes.

Was it perhaps a yearning for all that?

Because as much as Negan joked about all that shit, there would have been nothing he could have wanted more now, than to share shit like that with her.

His mind now, as it so often did, drifting to the world as it once had been, where the possibilities of where life could have taken them, endless. And yet now that that perfect fucking American dream, of having a goddamn family, and a nice house, and even a damn dog, was nigh on impossible.

And unfortunately both of them knew now that this dream of theirs would only be just that.

"Sounds perfect," she murmured gently. "Although I can cook a mean hot dog. So how about I man the grill, while you make the margaritas."

Negan grinned at this, marvelling at her proudly.

"Oh it's a done fuckin' deal, Sweetheart," he said, with an enthusiasm to his voice.

They stared each other out for a long moment, Blake let her eyes drop to the floor for a second, before gazing back up to him once again.

"So…" she said chewing on her lip and tilting her head to the side. "...you, uhh, planning on booking a room here at Casa el Blake, or was it more of a flying visit? Because, well, it's a pretty long drive back to the Sanctuary from here and it's getting kinda late."

There was a twinkle in her eyes now that hadn't been there a moment ago, causing Negan to tilt his own long head to the side.

"That you anglin' for a slumber party with yours truly, Darlin'?" Negan growled, dipping his chin, his eyes taking every inch of her in as she turned on the spot and smiled at him over her shoulder, tossing a cushion from the couch in his direction.

"Only if you're the big spoon,"she purred teasingly, causing Negan's grin to widen as he showed off his line of straight, white teeth.

Fuck, she really was goddamn amazing…

And the dark-haired man could only let out a shuddering breath, watching as she began to unbutton her shirt, peeling it from her shoulders to reveal just a black cotton bra beneath that clung to her smooth tanned skin like it was the most expensive of silks.

"You can take the couch if you like…" she uttered in a soft voice, as though telling him he was off the hook if that's what he wanted.

But Negan gave a frown, taking a step towards her, parting his lips, his grin disappearing as he closed the gap between them.

"That what you want?" he asked in what was just a whisper, here, in the warm light of the open fire, that flickered over Blake's face, illuminating her in blushes of orange and gold.

But the blonde, to Negan's relief, let out a shallow breath, placing her hand to his chest, her fingers wrinkling the fabric.

She shook her head. "I want you with me..." she said in a mere ghost of a voice, causing, what felt like every inch of Negan, to ache with a longing for her.

And with that, Blake, toying with the zipper of Negan's leather jacket, slowly tugged it down until it was undone. Negan only releasing his breath when the blonde let go, turning away once more to shimmy her pants down her thighs, kicking them away.

Negan noticed her give a small shiver before kneeling down onto the mattress by the fire, before clambering beneath the comforter.

Once in, she gazed up at him, offering him a smile.

You gonna stand there all night?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Damn.

He was done for.

Negan's eyes lingered on hers, a small lump appearing in his throat.

Fuck, he wanted her bad, but was this her saying she wanted him too?

He remembered what she had said to him only a couple of weeks ago, about understandably not being ready for sex again.

Had she changed her mind? It was fucking hard to tell.

And so, giving a hard gulp to steady himself, Negan made up his mind...that rather than put himself in awkward position, only to be turned down by her again, he would be the perfect fucking gentleman. Of course he fucking would be.

"Well shit I thought we were goin' to be braidin' each other's hair first and talkin' about boys," he said with a teasing grin, sliding his jacket from his shoulders and tossing it backwards onto the couch behind him, before pulling his white t-shirt over his head and letting that join the pile.

He noticed Blake's smile falter for a fraction of a second as she caught sight of his bare torso, but she fixed the warm smirk back onto her features before replying.

"Some of us need our beauty sleep," she murmured softly, with a small wrinkle of her nose, making Negan's grin widen.

"Well Jesus fucking Christ, Sweetheart, if you manage get any more damn beautiful, I'm gonna have to start battin' those fuckers away with Lucille," he said with a lick of his lips as he slipped off his boots and his fingers began to expertly unbuckle his black leather belt.

Blake bit her lip, making a face of silent laughter at his words.

"Anyone ever tell you you're a total charmer?" she commented lightly after a second had passed, as Negan pulled off his pants leaving him in just a pair of black boxers.

But the dark-haired Saviour narrowed his eyes brightly, poking his tongue out through his line of white teeth. "Oh, all the fuckin' time, Peaches…" he growled back, pacing across the small space between himself and the mattress, before easing himself down onto it with a stiff groan. "One of my many qualities which makes me so goddamn irresistible to people of the opposite sex."

It was far warmer down here by the a fire, and with cold legs, Negan slid himself beneath the comforter beside Blake as she shifted over making room for him, propping up her head with her elbow and coming to lie on her side.

"That so?" she purred, smirking.

And Negan who grunted again as he shifted underneath the sheets slightly, moved to mirror her pose, a grin still lingering on his lips.

"Mmmhmmm," he murmured back huskily, his hand sliding over around her waist, tugging her suddenly into him. "Most fuckin' definitely, Darlin'"

He practically growled the words into her ear, as she squirmed a little under the covers. But this was not the squirming of the last time he had tried to hold her in bed. For this was full of something different now, as her bare leg brushed his, the curves of her body fitting perfectly in his.

Blake's delicate hand came up, her fingers threading themselves through the back of his hair, as her lips grazed against his, barely touching him but giving him enough to make him almost groan with a longing as she teased him.

The heat of the fire at this distace felt like it was burning his skin, bathing the pair of them in a orange haze that seemed to consume the dark-haired Saviour.

He felt like he was under a spell, unable to breathe, his chocolate eyes filled with a fire, locked with Blake's.

His calloused hand slid over her skin, gliding up her spine, savouring the closeness between them.

"Peaches..."

The word escaped Negan's lips with a whispered breath as her mouth hovered against his own.

His body was urging him on, his heart pounding, his cock throbbing, but still he held off, not wanting to overstep his mark.

Not wanting to fucking force Blake into things she didn't want.

But this teasing of hers was fucking killing him, another hard gulp trailing its way down his bearded throat, the movement catching the blonde's eye.

She pulled away from him for a second, her dark green eyes blown wide as she pressed herself into him, feeling the heat of her burning his skin, the scent of her filling his nostrils.

Negan let out a difficult breath, closing his eyes and groaning out as she felt her hitch her leg up over his, her fingers trailing down his chest and coming to stop just above the waistband of his boxers.

She was everything he had ever wanted now.

Far too good for him.

Like a angel sent from heaven, tangled up with him, a guy that most certainly belonged in Hell.

He felt her now press a kiss to his earlobe, her face and neck hovering in front of him.

And Negan couldn't help but let out a needy grunt, his eyes rolling back into his skull as he felt her teeth graze his ear, tugging on his earlobe wickedly.

"Darlin'..." he groaned, almost pleading with her now. "You've gotta stop this teasin'..."

But she didn't…

...In fact she did the opposite…

Her hand instead sliding down and brushing over his cock, hard and erect beneath his black underwear.

Negan gave a hard swallow, parting his lips as a frown line came to rest between his brows, feeling a drop of pre-cum leak out from his tight swollen head at this contact.

He looked at her, gazing into her eyes, the question there, that Negan barely needed answering now, as his gaze met with hers. That one look for the caramel-blonde woman he loved so fucking much, telling him all he needed to know...

Blake wanted him and he wanted her.

Oh so fucking much.

And without another word exchanged between the pair of them, Negan's mouth found hers.

She tasted good, better than ever before, if that was even possible.

And amidst trembling hands and soft moans, Blake had pushed down her damp panties and Negan's boxers were off…

...and he found himself inside her, before either of them could stop themselves.

His hand was behind the crook of her knee, her thigh hitched up around his hips, perfecting the angle between them, as hot breaths filled the room, mixed with the crackling of the fire beside them.

Blake moaned out in pleasure and so did he. Again and again and again.

Negan felt closer to her now than he had in a long time, thrusting up into her, as she held him close, urging him on, her hips moving against him like waves on the ocean.

He felt now like a man possessed. Obsessed. Infatuated. Not having felt this way about another person in his lifetime. Even Lucille, with who things had always been bittersweet between them, high school sweethearts but probably too young for what each of them had been thrown into...good sex...marriage...even a steady, faithful relationship. And as much as he had loved her, with him and Blake, this was different.

So very intense…

He needed her. She was like his lifeforce, leaving everything else forgotten, like there was only the two of them now.

And here and now, in this little white house away from everything, there was.

Negan breathed the blonde woman in, his nose sliding against the burning skin of her neck, intoxicating him.

Her scent was honey and the ripest and sweetest of peaches.

He longed for her, body so achingly desperate for hers as they writhed against each other, each coming apart moment by moment.

"Negan…" Blake murmured breathlessly, with parted lips grazing over his temples and fingers trailing down his chest.

The heat between them seemed to scorch the sheets tangled around the pair of them, even in the cool night air.

And Negan let a harsh 'fuck' escape his lips as, after when felt like eons of being locked together, needing release, that he felt Blake, her tanned collarbone beaded with sweat, arching her spine against the mattress beneath her.

And at that tell-tale feeling of her soaking walls clenching around his dick, Negan let his head fall forward against Blake's shoulder, his orgasm crashing through each of their bodies like a speeding freight train.

They held each other there in the moment, for what could have possibly been hours to Negan, all sense of time lost on him now.

But eventually, with another groan, the dark-haired Saviour rolled himself off of her, onto his side, his chest rising and falling hard as he tried desperately to catch what little breath he had left in him, feeling well and truly spent.

The tall, naked Saviour gazed at the caramel-blonde woman beside him now, both of them knowing that had been...well, that had been more than just sex.

Instead it was love, and passion, and intensity, and something that Negan knew he would never share with another again as long as he lived.

Blake caught her breath, the slightest of well-pleasured frowns grazing her own beaded brow as she lifted a hand to his stubbly cheek, her thumb grazing along the hollow around his eye and up to the scar that lingered there at his cheekbone.

"I love you.." she managed to say, in what was barely a whisper, and far more of barely held in breath that had escaped her lips almost by accident.

And Negan let his hand slide around her body, pulling her into him, waist-first, as he lifted his mouth to hers tracing her lips with his own as he spoke, in the stillness of the night...

"Fuck, I love you too, Blake," he whispered out in an earnest voice, saying her name out loud, as though the very words were etched into his soul. "I love you too..."

Soooo what did you think?

Thanks to Moonwolf27, ElysiumPhoenix, stacey40, LJH, topthis808, BlueBloodsSVUOrder, 3Emma, CLTex, Guest, altheapierce, Runaway Fantasy Princess, Elizabeth and Guest for reviewing.

I'm really struggling to find the motivation to write lately so I'm sorry if I go AWOL for a while.

Please review!