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

Ol' Corpse-Ville

Just over an hour had passed by the time Blake stepped out into the large dusty lot outside the factory walls.

A pale sun hung low in the sky this morning, the air feeling cooler today than it previously had done, winter obviously not far off rearing its ugly head.

Blake, today, with very few clothes up in her closet made for such a chilly day, had opted to pick out a jacket from the marketplace instead, deciding on a short, black suede little number with a cozy fleece lining. She had paired that with a pair of tight black pants, a white t-shirt as well as a pair of trusty black laced boots she had come here in all those many months ago.

But the blonde should, of course, have realised just what her outfit today resembled, a little too preoccupied giving Mia her breakfast then dropping her off at her playdate for the day, to dwell too much on it.

But almost the moment she walked out onto the gravel of the fenced-off lots, did she purse her lips and roll her eyes at her fanfare.

"Well god-damn, Peaches," came a calling voice she recognised very well indeed. "Don' you look fine as shit today, all dressed up an' ready ta' go! But damn, have I gotta be worried about you stealin' my look as well as my goddamn empire these days?"

Negan was stood, leaning up against a large beat-up pick up truck, one the pair had ventured out in together a long time ago, Lucille swung up cockily onto his shoulder as he offered her a wolf-like grin, looking her up and down as though she were a piece of steak in front of a hungry lion.

Blake glanced down at her outfit before staring back up at Negan, doing the best she could to not groan loudly.

For her outfit, down to the white t shirt, was almost identical to Negan's, save for the leather jacket and the baseball bat of course.

"Shut up," she sniped, huffing. "I just threw this on. Don't flatter yourself."

Negan lifted his chin, eyeing her brightly as she approached him, one hand resting on the large knife at her belt.

"Well I am mighty fuckin' impressed, Darlin'," he mused in a husky voice, pushing his lean form off of the truck, and coming to stand up as straight as his long legs would allow him. "Not that you don't look like a damn fox every fuckin' day. But today-"

He gave a whistle of appreciation, leaning in towards her as she came to a stop just in front of him.

"-I mean, I don' know if it's that damn knife you're carryin', or how great your ass looks in those jeans that's gettin' my dick hard, but either way I'm into that shit!"

Blake narrowed her eyes at him, brushing him away from her irritably.

"Are you gonna be like this for the whole day?" she tutted, shoving past him and opening the passenger-side door.

Negan smirked.

"Like what?" he chuckled, moving around to his own side of the truck as he eyed her.

But Blake shot him a glowering look over the hood of the truck.

"Annoying," she muttered, sliding into the cab and tugging the door beside her closed with a loud snap.

Negan grinned ather as he sidled into the driver's seat a second later.

"Now what the hell's got your panties in a bunch today, Doll-face?" he said smoothly, tossing Lucille down onto the seat beside him, between the pair of them, before shoving a jangling set of keys into the ignition. "Fuck, I mean I'm not one hundred percent fuckin' sure whether you're headin' out here to smash a couple of rotter skulls, or mine!"

Blake pursed her lips for a moment, pouting.

"Probably the latter," she uttered in a deadpan tone, earning a side-eyed look from Negan, as the truck rumbled into life.

"Well shit, there's me fuckin' told," Negan said raising both eyebrows into his hairline. "Remind me why I agreed to this road trip again, Peaches."

But the blonde looked at him now, smiling vixen-like at the Saviour, and crossing her legs neatly over one another.

"Because you love me," she purred.

And she could only watch as Negan grinned back at her.

"That I fuckin' do, Sweetheart. That I fuckin' do."

It must have been at least two and half hours later that Blake stepped out of the truck and made a face at the sight before her.

"Jeez, Negan," she said gazing about at the dingy row of long-abandoned buildings they had stopped outside of, in a place a long way from the Sanctuary. "I said I wanted to stretch my legs, not catch hepatitis."

She wrinkled her nose in distaste as her eyes lingered over a large mass of dead corpses that had been piled up a long time ago in the centre of the road just to their right.

"Darlin'," smirked Negan, who was at her side already, giving her a nudge in the ribs with his elbow, leaning into her. "You an' I both know that there are worse thing you can catch in this shit-heap of a world than goddamn hepatitis."

He was right of course, but all the same, the smell out here was overpowering and a far cry from the fresh and green road-side Blake had been hoping they'd stop at instead.

She sighed, folding her arms over herself huffily, watching as Negan took out a snarling walker, that dared wander too close to her, with vigour.

"All the same," she said airily, as the dead figure tumbled to the ground at her feet, black blood pooling at its caved in skull. "Is there a reason you brought me to Ol' Corspe-ville?"

At her words, Negan leaned back against his long legs letting out a chuckle.

"Shit, Darlin' you are on fire today, you know that?" he said in a loud voice, drawing the attention of another couple of walkers from the other side of the wide street. "But fuck, I brought you out here 'cause I thought you might wanna get in a little retail therapy before we hit the road again?"

Blake angled an eyebrow in his direction, frowning bemusedly. But the dark-haired man, merely smiled, biting down onto his bottom lip as he gestured with his head to the row of buildings just over his shoulder, on the other side of the truck.

Blake paused for a short moment before moving slowly around the car curiously, smirking as she saw what was written on the run-down signs hanging from the front awning.

...Ladies Boutique.... Gentleman's Wares.... Welcome to Midsprings Department Store...

Blake turned back to Negan smirking a little and shifting her weight onto one hip.

"You know it's probably already been looted, right?" she mused. "Like ten times over."

But Negan merely grinned that wide and cocky grin of his.

"Worth a look though, right?" he murmured in return, holding out the crook of his arm, as the blonde woman hovered.

But it was only a second later, and with the smallest rolls of her green eyes, that Blake returned his grin, moving over towards him and looping her arm through his.

"Fine," she chimed, bumping him with her hip playfully. "But I get bit in there, you're the first one I'm coming after when I'm dead, we clear?"

And Negan could only let out a loud and carrying laugh as the pair strutted over towards the awaiting department store, Lucille swung up onto the Saviours' other shoulder as they went.

"Oh, Crys-tal," Peaches."