Thanks so much for the reviews! I love hearing that you think this story is sweet. I have such a place in my heart for Everlark and I know this story is sappy, but hey, it makes me happy. :-)
She threw her cup in the trash on the way out and he held the door open for her, gripping the white bag that held the remainder of cheese buns in his other hand. Automatically, she turned toward campus, but his hand on her upper arm stilled her.
"Let's go the other way," he said, gesturing down Tribute Street, away from the University. She nodded in agreement. She didn't need to be back on campus anytime soon and she had never really explored the area beyond the coffee shop. They walked along in companionable silence for a few minutes, crossing the street and entering a neighborhood of older brick homes, many with large, deep porches across the front. The tree-lined street provided much more shade and Katniss found herself shivering slightly without the sun to warm her bare arms. With regret she realized she had left her sweater in her backpack, which she had stowed with Peeta's things behind the counter at the coffee shop.
"Chilly?" Peeta asked, and without even waiting for her response he grabbed the bottom of his hoodie and pulled it over his head in one swift motion, handing it to her. Katniss eyed him skeptically.
"What about you? Aren't you going to be cold now?" she asked.
"Nah," he replied. "I'm actually getting too warm."
She pursed her lips, twisting the hooded sweatshirt in her hands and trying to decide if he was lying to her just to be nice. They had come to a stand still and he was clearly waiting for her to put on the hoodie before they moved on. He laughed lightly, shaking his head and looking at his feet. "It's fine, Katniss. Really. I promise I'll make you give it back to me if I get cold." He peered up at her then, his eyes crinkled with amusement and she rolled her eyes at him before pulling the hoodie over her head.
His sweatshirt was huge on her slight frame, but she instantly felt better from its warmth. Immediately she noticed that the material smelled just like Peeta had when he hugged her a few weeks ago at the student center-a mix of vanilla and nutmeg and something else that made her think of roasting marshmallows over a campfire on the beach.
"Better?" he asked as they resumed walking in the dappled light that filtered through the trees. She smiled up at him in response, twisting her braid with her left hand as she nodded.
When they reached the end of the street they came upon a large estate, which appeared to be situated on several acres of land. "It's a historical landmark," Peeta told her, before she even posed the question. "I love to come here to paint," he added softly.
"It's gorgeous," Katniss breathed. She took in the magnificent estate, surrounded by the tall, stately trees and acres of velvety green grass. A little to the right she spotted a walled garden, complete with a wrought iron gate.
"Come on, I want to show you something," Peeta gestured toward the walled garden. He led her along a little trail which ended at the gate. Katniss frowned when she realized the gate was locked; she had been hoping to see inside this secret garden. But Peeta surprised her by pulling back some branches near the left hand side of the gate and revealing a low tunnel between the gate and the stone wall, through which they could creep into the garden.
"It's okay, I do it all the time," he responded, smiling at the quizzical look she gave him. "I know the gardener," he reassured her. Katniss crouched down low and followed him through the branches, straightening up on the other side and brushing some dirt and twigs off her jeans. When she looked up she sucked in a breath in surprise. There before her lay a perfect imitation of an English garden, straight out of one of the storybooks she had loved as a child.
She felt before she saw Peeta staring at her, a wide smile stretched across his face. It was then that she realized she was wearing her own wide grin. "You like it?" he asked, but his tone betrayed that he already knew the answer to his question.
"It's just like in the book, A Secret Garden," Katniss explained, gesturing around at the square plots filled with peonies, tulips, lilies and Queen Anne's lace. Perfectly tended gravel walkways connected each plot in a grid pattern, ending at billowing bushes full of pink and yellow roses. Here and there stone fountains trickled with water while wrought iron benches could be found tucked cozily against the vine covered stone walls.
Together they took the main path, circumventing the entire garden, stopping when they came upon a little bench near a sun dial. Through unspoken agreement they both sat down, enjoying the view and a comfortable silence. "I can see why you like to come here to paint," Katniss said eventually.
Peeta chuckled. "Yeah, plenty of inspiration for my art," he said.
"And I bet prettier than the paintings of your nightmares," Katniss teased, nudging him in the shoulder.
Peeta blushed at this, unexpectedly. His hand went to the back of his neck and he looked unsure of what he wanted to say. Finally he stood up, looking down at her with a small smile. "Ready to head back?" he asked.
...