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Always one for dramatics, Ardyn will let the silence linger for a moment or two, looking at Togusa with the slightest tilt of his head. And then he stops being teasing about it, and says quite plainly, "Grell and I are engaged now. We have been for a few days."

He'll just wait for a reaction before continuing further.

It takes a second for Togusa to realize what Ardyn just said there, because his tone was so plain, but then his entire face lights up. He laughs first. "Ardyn! Congratulations, oh my goodness!" More laughing, and he reaches out to pat Ardyn on the shoulder, because he isn't entirely certain how to react.

"Wow! I knew you two were serious, but this is amazing. I'm happy for you both!"

It's only when Togusa clasps a hand on his back does Ardyn let out something of a sincere laugh, smiling. For the sake of dramatics, he drops the dramatic pauses and build-up, instead looking at his friend with bright eyes. It's obvious that the delirious happiness from the day it happened -- unexpected as it was -- still has yet to wear off completely.

"Thank you. It wasn't exactly something I had planned for ahead of time, or else I would've told you about it sooner."

Togusa follows along with the laughter. "Of course you didn't plan on it. Got swept up in a moment and one thing led to another? You two make sense together, she's just as much of a romantic as you are." It's a happy shake of his head, not in disbelief, but in joy for Ardyn. Togusa hopes this level of happiness never ends, Ardyn deserves it.

"Getting swept up in the moment was one way to describe it," he concedes with clear humor in his words. "Unexpected, yes, and maybe others might call us a pair of hopeless, romantic fools."

But since when has Ardyn ever cared of what others thought? As long as they were both happy, comforted by the blessing of their closest friends, then nothing else mattered.

"It feels right. I have no other way to explain it."

"You two are hopeless, romantic fools," Togusa holds up a finger to clarify. "But you're in the presence of a third hopeless, romantic fool, so I'll tell you it was the right choice. If it's right to you two, who cares what anyone else thinks? Not their life to live." The whole matter is as simple as that, to Togusa.

"What is the plan from here, then? Does- Grell have any family in the city?" A curiosity because he's never gotten the chance to ask her. And Togusa knows better than to ask about Ardyn's own family.

The company of another hopeless romantic fool is always welcome. Especially when it concerns talk of engagement and marriage and everything in-between. It's nice to know that he can rely on him for that.

Ardyn shakes his head. "No, she doesn't." He pauses, considering. "The question of family has never been brought up, given that this is a new development, and-- well, you know my thoughts on my own."

That needn't be said. The only family Ardyn cares to share it with is his younger brother and his nephews. He'll likely give his niece a call, as well.

"The news may spread one way or another, unwilling or otherwise. Such is how things are."

Togusa tilts his head to the side. "For you two, no, even family considerations shouldn't matter, it wouldn't stop you two. Don't let it. I repeat, who cares what anyone else thinks? Grell already loves the Twins, and she's uncannily good at dealing with your brother, so I think that's that."

"Mmm," Togusa puts a hand to his chin in thought, then snaps his fingers and points. "There's a young lady named Anya, I accidentally messaged her last month, but she referred to Grell as 'Auntie.' Even though they aren't actually related." Ardyn likely already has it in hand, but it's interesting to see the unorthodox cobbled-together ideas of family on both sides.

"I'm amazed it isn't all over the network already, to be honest."

"Yes, I spoke to Anya once before. Back before Grell and I really started dating properly." That was an interesting little exchange. Her following up with Ardyn, to make certain that he wasn't just playing with Grell's heart. Though, admittedly, his text about marrying her at the time had been nothing more than a strange joke at three in the morning.

"We've no reason to share this news for everyone over the network to know. But I have no doubt the information will find itself in all the right places, with time."

Meaning, it'll probably make its rounds through the grapevine. All manner of news like this does, but in the end, it was theirs to share to whom they liked.

Okay, wait, hang on, Togusa tilts his head to the side and smiles playfully. "Oh really? Do I have my time frame off on this?" He folds his arms and shifts as if he's settling in for a long story.

"How did you and Grell start out, then? When did it switch to dating properly? From our perspective, it just started happening, and made it so much sense that none of us questioned it."

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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