I think I liked you better when you didn't have a knife in your hand, Peaches

Smile like you love me

Blake lifted the spoon to her lips once again, taking a grateful sip of broth, as Negan gave a laugh, shifting back to his original position surveying the room.

But after a second or two Blake felt him dig her ribs with his elbow.

"Hey, doll-face," he muttered in a low, but excitable drawl. "Lover boy's here."

Blake immediately looked up from her food, knowing exactly who Negan was talking about.

And there he was indeed.... David...walking into the large room, alone.

He was still in his blue shirt and blue pants from earlier, but he was scratching at his sleeve, glancing over his shoulder looking slightly harassed.

He, in fact, looked much less confident than earlier, but that didn't stop Blake from feeling slightly nervous as she saw him....the bruise at her arm still throbbing....

"Now Davey-boy over there," said Negan, with nod over towards Blake's fiancé. "Now he's been given a nice room and all....nothing compared to yours, mind you....but unlike you, he is on the points system. So unless you can give me what he promised you could, very soon he is soon going to have to start finding other ways to earn those points."

Blake gave an immediate gulp, which she noticed Negan catch, but right now she was filled with worry....for she knew what David would do if he had to start working for his food.

David had been an art student when Blake had met him....and even though she spent long hours in the office at her admin job, she had always been the one to come home, make dinner and do all the housework.....and even after the world had gone to utter shit, David had still had a hard time fending for himself.

Soon after they had left Atlanta, they had made friends with small group of people and had travelled around with them for a while, scavenging as best they could. It had been hard and they had, of course, like everyone, lost people along the way....but whereas Blake had thrown herself into the tasks that needed to be done, David wasn't quite so familiar with a gun or a knife. He wasn't particularly good at hunting...and at best could take a 'walker' down with a headshot from a few feet away.

He had always struggled by himself.

Blake always feared that that was the real reason he had kept her around this long....and it wasn't long after they had arrived in Alexandria, when the resentful stares and vile comments had started creeping in. He no longer needed her, or the group they had come in with, there. There was no need to leave the gates of the community if you didn't want to....but despite being a 'kept' man there at Alexandria, David hadn't even thrown himself into work either. He had just stayed holed up.....listening to records, reading and painting....but obviously feeling so frustrated, that he would often take it out on Blake....

Her breath caught in her throat for a second before she lowered her eyes to her lap.

"C-Can I talk to him?" she asked giving a gulp, part of her hoping that Negan would say no. But the tall, dark-haired man at her side, merely gave a wave of his hand.

"Be my guest," he said scratching at his stubbly cheek.

Blake placed down her spoon, getting to her feet once again and crossing the room, finding David at the end of the line for dinner.

She knew that Negan's eyes would be fixed on her the entire time. Not that she was willing to try anything right now anyway.

Negan's hold on her was a clever one. She felt strangely protected with him.