standalonehuman | Recolle IC Inbox

At least the weather's nice, if Togusa is willing to settle in for an explanation.

"I've known her for years now. Shortly after she moved here, we became friends. It wasn't until February of this year when I asked her on a date with me -- for Valentine's."

It had made so much sense, though? Ardyn can't help but look pleased at that, as if their match was perfect from the start. He's so inclined to agree.

It's the best way Togusa could put it. He'd known Grell professionally for so long, and known Ardyn for even longer, but he'd never thought of the two of them together. But the shift was so natural into a relationship.

"Ah, that was close to what I had thought. So you two made the choice, instead of submitting to the whims of fate, as delivered by your nephews?" Togusa smirks. If Ardyn had given himself up to that game, the twins probably would have rigged it anyway.

"What did you guys do?"

He remembers Souji's joke, about him asking Grell to marry him out of the blue. And it was a joke at the time, of course, and nothing at all to be taken seriously, even if the late hour might've vaguely annoyed her at the time. But, thinking back, he was rather eager to turn that strange little correspondence into a Valentine's date, wasn't he?

"For Valentine's? A visit to the art museum, and a rather graceless display of the two of us attempting to ice skate."

There's a quick almost-laugh that crosses Togusa's face at the mental image of Ardyn trying to ice skate. Hubris, because Togusa does know he would fare no better on the ice.

"That sounds very you two," trying to cover himself, but there's still some amusement in his tone. "And it just kept progressing from then to now?" He knows, sure, but he would love to hear anything Ardyn is willing to tell him.

"Yes," he admits, and looks rather fond recalling all of this. "That one, non-committal Valentine's date turned into another. And another."

Her visiting his place, surprising her with roses. Spending time together at the beach. Their dance at the gala, which turned into them calling it dating officially.

"Eventually, that crush developed into something much more.... poignant. All the old romantic cliches, and whatnot."

Honestly, as much as he wants to hear this story for the information, he keeps asking these questions because he loves seeing the look that's showing on Ardyn's face. Ardyn is smitten with Grell, and it is one of the best things to see. To watch them so happy.

"I could already see it, the day we all went to the beach," Togusa admits. "As much as the kids were trying to distract us." Togusa laughs at the memory. "She's not one to back down from you. You two are already making each other better."

“Back down from me? Heavens, no, she’s not,” he says with obvious laughter in his words. “Not that I would expect anything else from a woman like Grell, but if anything, I am the one most likely to bend to her will, if she so wishes for it.”

At least he’s self-aware of this fact, so easily said with a smile.

"Now there's a mental image," Togusa admits. "There are few enough people whose opinions you actually value." One of the things that's kept Ardyn, well, Ardyn. "But it's something you can trust her not to take advantage of."

"She's actually one of the most considerate people I know. Up until the exact point where someone might potentially get themselves hurt if they don't listen to her, so okay, maybe that's why it makes so much sense." A touch of a joke, but there's a serious opinion in there, too.

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