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

Night, Peaches

The journey back to the Sanctuary had been uneventful at best.

Simon, as promised, had arrived at their truck in less than ten minutes, receiving a hearty pat on the back from Negan, who had promptly hopped up into the front of the truck with his right-hand man.

Blake had sat in the back with the rest of the Saviours in the dark, listening to the rain which had started up again, harder than that before.

It was coming down in droves by the time they reached Alexandria an hour later.

Blake had gotten to her feet after the truck had pulled up, safe inside the gates, before following the other men, including Dwight and the woman Negan had called Arat, out of the back of the vehicle.

But she had barely made it a step or two out, wincing against the ever-falling rain, when she had felt a sudden figure at her shoulder. And she almost rolled her eyes, pre-predicting who it was.

It was of course the looming figure of Negan, Lucille in his hand, who placed at arm over her shoulders , a grin across his lips.

"Allow me to escort you back up to your room, Doll-face," he uttered into her ear in a charming voice, causing Blake to frown up at him and shrug his arm from her body.

Ok, she might have used him to keep warm for few minutes, but she certainly wasn't going to make this a regular thing.

She strutted away from him in her damp clothes, feeling his dark eyes on her, but kept walking until she reached the inside, stepping eagerly out of the rain.

She raised an eyebrow at Negan as he followed behind, smiling easily as he approached.

"I mean, I'm flattered," she uttered in a mocking voice, stopping in her tracks in the shelter of the building, as the rest of Negan's men all filed past her, disappearing off in the direction of the canteen. "But I'm sure I can find my own way."

But Negan just smirked, slowly coming to stand before her, gazing down into her face, raindrops running down his leather-clad shoulders.

They were on their own now in this quiet corridor. And that only caused to make Blake's heart pound that little bit faster.

"Oh, this ain't flattery, Doll," he said, his tongue poking through his straight white teeth. "And I aint fuckin' askin' either."

Blake rolled her eyes at his arrogance.

He always did this to her.

Riled her up and made her feel a little bit more defensive than she needed to be. Even here, in this place.

But Blake just tutted, raising her eyebrow in an unimpressed fashion in response, before stalking off, knowing that Negan would soon follow.

He always did where she was concerned.

It amazed her, that even with this vast empire he had built up here, that Negan was remotely concerned with her.

He had his wives (Blake making it perfectly clear she wasn't interested in becoming one of those). He had his men and women able to fight....so what was she good for?

He had stopped pushing her for information on Rick. And it was likely of course, he had seen right from the beginning she had had nothing to give him...being dragged here against her will, in the first place.

So what was he still doing here...at her side, as he had been for these last couple of days...?

She glanced over her shoulder narrowing her eyes, knowing it was only a matter of time.