The sun remained out, and the afternoons stayed very warm for the next couple of days that followed.
One could have almost mistaken the heat and humidity for Summer, but it was when night fell that the residents of the Sanctuary were reminded just how far into Fall they actually were.
The evenings were cold and lieutenants were sent out on runs with extra blankets and warm sweaters on their list of things they needed to bring back. And people who worked outside in the lots and gardens, or standing guard near to the high chain-link fences, all began to put on extra layers as the days drew on.
Some already seemed to be dreading winter and the perils that that came with it...
...Frost on the ground making it impossible for anything to grow...
...Snow making supply runs futile and dangerous...
...And the cold and drafty Sanctuary, with no carpets, no indoor heating, and only cold water for most of the residents.
But this year was to be different, with Blake, already putting in place, plans to change all that.
Hard work by all on the garden meant that this seasons crops were in abundance, and with careful planning they would certainly have enough fruit, vegetables and grain to see them through until Spring.
And fuller bellies had already meant that lieutenants and workers had worked harder and happier, clearing several new paths leading out of the Sanctuary, meaning that they could cover their asses incase of snowfall or attack.
And Blake, on the first night of bitterly cold weather just a day ago, had already used her powers of persuasion with Negan, to make sure that's plans were put in place to make this place into much more of a home for everyone here. Work was to start on unused rooms on the upper levels being cleared out to make way for families and those most in need to move in. To make this sometimes horrible and dark place, one of light and life and joy.
A place of hope, for their future. That was all that Blake wanted.
Things had started to get a little less painful for her now.
The grief and loss were still there but even so, she felt herself smiling a lot more, talking too, trying to take her mind off what had happened to her and move on. She had to keep looking forwards, for not even Negan, as strong and as powerful as he was in this world, could change the past.
They had to keep striving for something better, something good.
For the past two nights, like the night before that, Mia had slept in with Blake and Negan.
Blake spending the hours after the toddler drifted off, talking with Negan, catching up on his day, clutching the baby girl to her, breathing in every inch of her and never wanting to let her go.
Negan didn't argue with anything she did either. Usually so arrogant and headstrong, it surprised her how gentle and kind he was to her, allowing her space to breathe when she needed it, but holding her tightly when she needed that too.
He hadn't argued about how quickly Blake had gotten back out in the the garden either, but still headed out to check on her, under the pretence of 'just passin' through' but acts like this only made Blake smile, seeing how much he cared.
She loved him, so dearly.
But she could still feel herself holding back. Part of her still felt tender and weak, like she was missing something. And of course she was. Missing that life she had grown inside her for all those many weeks.
It was a tragedy and no one could have predicted it. Yet Blake still felt embarrassed. A pointless feeling in this world, where everything was stark and soul-baring, and yet the blonde woman felt it nonetheless.
And it was tonight, despite it almost being a week and a half since it had happened, that those feelings came to a head.
Mia, after days of sleeping in with the couple, had announced, while she and Blake were down in the dining hall having dinner, that she wanted to sleep in her own room tonight.
And Blake, for the briefest of seconds, had felt a little hurt by this. By knowing her baby girl didn't feel the need for her warmth or love for tonight.
But Blake had sighed knowing full well that that was not what this was. Not at all, and so she had sighed and taken Mia to her pretty bedroom, before reading her a story, tucking her in and kissing her goodnight.
Just like every Mom needed to do.
She had brightened a little at this, sighing before heading back into her own room next-door, finding that the lights were on, meaning that Negan was already done for the day.
She shut the door behind her, hearing the sound of the shower running from the other room and noticing Negan's leather jacket and familiar barbed-wire covered baseball bat lying across their large leather couch.
To Blake's utter anxious relief,the gorgeous white crib that had been assembled in the far corner of the expansive room had been taken down days ago, leaving nothing but an empty space by the window which hurt Blake a little to look at even now. But still, that looming reminder was gone, leaving only the same old room that Blake had grown so familiar with.
She appreciated everything that Negan had done for her since her first few moments at the Sanctuary. And now she couldn't imagine her life without him.
And speak of the devil, Blake had barely slipped off her boots when the man himself appeared around the bathroom door, strolling casually into the bedroom dressed in nothing but a towel wrapped around his lean middle, his tanned torso beaded with droplets of water.
He grinned her way, noticing her almost instantly.
"Hell, I was startin' to think you'd abandoned me for good for that goddamn garden, Sweetheart," he teased, causing Blake to smirk and roll her eyes.
"Uh, well I do have a job as well as a three year old to feed and put to bed," she said with a tut, stretching her arms with a stiff groan. "Not all of us have the luxury of strutting around carrying a bat and pretending to look busy, Negan."
Negan gave a loud chuckle at this, shaking his head as he padded over towards her.
"Oh, now you have gotta stop with that smart-mouth of yours, Peaches," he said coming to stop just a breath away from her, leaning in, his lips hovering just an inch or two away from hers. "Otherwise Daddy's gonna have to throw you over his damn knee."
But Blake smirked back, sliding herself from his grasp easily, beginning to unbutton her blouse.
"Oh I'd like to see you try, tough guy," she purred, shooting him a look.
But that look only excited Negan further, and Blake let out a giggling squeal, darting out of his reach, as he gave a low, hungry growl, making a grab for her middle.
"Negan, stop..." she laughed breathlessly, as he eventually caught her, grabbing her middle hard, and giving it a squeeze, spinning her around on the spot.
She slapped his arm gently, as she composed herself a little and turned in his arms to find him staring down at her, his mouth fixed into a wide grin that showed off his line of perfect white teeth.
"Ah, ah, ah, Doll-face," he said raised both of his dark-eyebrows suggestively. "I'd hoped you'd know better than to fucking test me."
Blake smirked, leaning back and staring up at him, raising one of her own slender brows.
"That so?" she murmured back, her hands on both his biceps.
She could feel her heart pounding at their proximity and the warmth that was between them.
That spark was still there, as strong as ever.
"Mhhhmmm," he replied. "You gotta remember who's in charge around here..."
But Blake wrinkled her nose, standing up on her tiptoes and leaning her mouth into his ear.
"Umm, that would be me, wouldn't it?" she said in a simpering tone, before giving him a sudden playful shove away from her and sauntering back over towards the bed, making sure his eyes were on her ass, swaying in her jeans, as she walked.
"Hot damn," he groaned, Blake almost hearing him leaning back on his legs from behind her, which made her smile, as she pulled off her blouse and moved her fingers to the top button on her jeans.
She chanced a glance at Negan over her shoulder as she bent down and peeled off her pants, watching as he marvelled at her for a second or two.
"What?" she asked innocently.
But Negan just lifted his chin a little, his dark eyes twinkling.
"Just wonderin' how I got so damn lucky is all..." he said after a short moment or two, causing Blake's smile to widen as she tore her eyes away, dropping her clothes the floor and peeling away the bedcovers, slipping inside the cool sheets.
"Charmer..." she teased back, but in reality, those words warmed her heart to hear.
Negan let out a warm huff, a smirk still fixed to his face as he moved to his side of the bed and dropped his towel, sliding beneath the covers to join her.
Blake immediately turned her body to face him, just in her matching black bra and panties right now, but her side was still banaged, still sore from her bullet wound that was certainly taking its time to heal.
God he looked good, several droplets of water still clung to his collarbone smattered in dark hair that run all the way down towards his ample member.
Blake felt herself becoming warm as he shifted close to her, his tanned hand sliding over her waist and tugging her towards him a little.
It was quiet now...
Just the two of them in this warmly lit space.
Blake could hear Negan's breath, shallow in his throat as he leaned forwards, his lips brushing over hers.
"Negan..." she breathed gently, feeling her heart suddenly begin to pound hard within her ribcage.
But her words were cut off, as Negan's mouth reached hers, pulling her with him into a kiss that was deep, and hot, and very much needed...
And it didn't take either of them long for tongues to begin to lap against each other's, Blake's fingers tentatively reaching Negan's chest.
Her heart hammered away as she broke away from the kiss and turned her head away slightly.
"Negan..." she breathed out again, as the dark-haired Saviour's needy lips found her neck, presing open-mouthed kisses to her smooth skin there, running a trail all the way down to her slender collarbone.
But Blake's heart kept on thudding away, her cheeks burning slightly, the hand against Negan's chest became taut...
...just as Negan's expert digits reached Blake's thigh, sliding up and up towards his goal...the space between Blake's legs, as his kisses against her neck became more needy and heated...
But the blonde's heart was thundering in her ribcage now, and Blake, for the first time, realised just why that was...
...her cheeks were flushed as she lay there uncomfortable, almost squirming within Negan's grasp.
"No," suddenly muttered, shoving him suddenly away. "No, Negan stop!"
Her voice sounded hard and coarse in the quietness of the room, and Negan, at her words, suddenly stopped what he was doing, staring up at her with wide, confused eyes, a frown between his brows, looking almost a little hurt.
Blake's could feel the blush of her cheeks creeping down to her chest, shame passing over her as she shimmied back away from him, before suddenly sitting up and clutching the sheets over herself to hide her modesty.
Suddenly a overwhelming feeling of embarrassment flooded over her.
What was wrong with her?
She felt suddenly dirty and unattractive, like Negan was playing at finding her anything but repulsive.
But this was all in her head, she knew that of course, yet why could she not shake this awful feeling?
Maybe he would be better of with someone else...
Someone better...
Someone more attractive who wanted to do this with him... Who could give him what he wanted...
For right now Blake's couldn't.
She didn't WANT sex. Not after what had happened, for it was a trauma that would take her a while to heal from.
But how long would this take to get over? What if she never felt like sex ever again?
Negan couldn't wait forever for her. And she didn't blame him if he wanted to find someone else, despite how much that would kill her.
Blake felt pointless tears slipping down her cheeks as she kept her eyes on the white sheets covering her legs, feeling Negan shift beside her under the covers and sit up beside her.
"I'm so sorry," Blake said turning to him and shaking her head, her eyes wet and earnest. "I just....I can't...."
She clutched the sheet tighter around her breasts, dropping here eyes from his again, feeling so ashamed of herself.
But she took a sniff, her voice wavering as she spoke.
"There are plenty of beautiful women downstairs who would be more than willing to be with you...women that will give you what I can't right now..." Blake said shaking her head, but Negan's hand suddenly grasped her cheek.
The blonde woman's eyes met with his again, her cheeks pink, but instead of the anger or sadness she expected of him, she found that, to her surprise, he was grinning.
"Jeez, Peaches, as gorgeous as you are, you can be a real fuckin' idiot sometimes, you know that?" he said suddenly, his thumb stroking across her cheek, swiping away a stray tear that lingered there.
Blake opened her mouth, frowning a little at his choice of words.
"Yeah that's right," he nodded seeing the look etched upon her features. "You fuckin' heard me. You're a goddamn idiot if you think I'm gonna jump into bed with the next gal who comes along just because you're denyin' me sex, Darlin. Hell, you know how long I had to wait to get you into the sack in the first place? Fuckin' months, hell my balls were blue as shit waitin' on that ass of yours to screw me. So if you think I can't hold out a while until you're in the damn mood again....then you're really underestimatin' how good I am at rubbin' one out."
Blake parted her lips for a long moment staring at this crazy guy as she lifted her own hand to his stubbly cheek, gazing at him in utter amazement.
But she didn't get the chance to do so for long, as Negan leaned in snatching another kiss from her lips before pulling away and smiling.
"Though when the day fuckin' comes again, when you want me tongue deep between your thighs for ninety minutes, then I am fuckin' there Darlin'. We clear?" he finished, offering her an arrogant look as Blake nodded warmly. "Just say the fuckin' word."
"Thank you," she murmured tilting her head to the side, so utterly in love with him now, as the pair settled down together, with Blake's blonde head resting against his tanned chest and his tattoo-covered arms tangled tightly around her.
"Don' fuckin' mention it, Peaches," he growled into her ear, closing his eyes, as the pair of them were silent for a few minutes, before they both drifted off into a comfortable and peaceful sleep....
...not needing sex....
...for tonight anyway.
But what neither of them noticed in their state of slumber, nor did the armed Saviours watching from their positions from the lots, was a shadowed figure, holding a gun tightly to her, slip silently through the fence she had just sliced open.....
...gazing up, with dark and steely eyes, at the looming factory ahead of her...
...determined to get inside, even if it was the last thing she ever did....