Derpy Heart

by Tired_eyes

Chapter 5 - Adventures in Foalsitting

A few days after Nightmare Night, I sat on my steps waiting for my grey angel to come by with the mail, like I did most mornings. She was later than usual, and I'd nearly finished my cup of coffee before I saw her trot down my street. Most mornings she had that huge goofy grin that I loved so much, but that day she looked fretful, and nearly walked into several annoyed ponies as she made a bee-line right for me.

"Hey sugarcube, what's got you down?" I asked when she was in earshot, "Got another pinfeather needs cracking?"

She shuffled her hooves and gave it to me straight, "Dovetail, I'm really sorry to spring this on you with no warning, but we've got a big rush of packages that need to be routed to Cloudsdale, and all of the pegasi need to work late. Carrot Top is out of down and Berry Punch is really nice and all, but... well, you know... so is there any way you could please please please watch Dinky tonight?"

I thought for a second, and told her, "I don't see why not. I never foalsat before, but she seems to like me well enough, so I reckon it can't be that hard. Sure, why not?"

She scrunched her face in that adorable way that she does and hit me with a hug that squeezed the breath right out of me, and a quick kiss that took the rest away. I spilled my coffee, but paid it no mind.

"Thank you so much! I'll take a break to get her from school and bring her over here, and I should be back by around ten o'clock. I'll bring you a tacky souvenir, okay? Thank you thank you so much! I've got to go though, or I'll be late on my rounds. Thanks! Bye!"

I tell you what, I ain't exactly the silent type but Derpy made me look like Big Macintosh compared to her. Still, there's worse things in a relationship than not having to worry about doing all the talking.

She had already trotted and fluttered to the next house before I realized what we'd both forgotten, and hollered after her, “Sweetheart... you forgot to give me my mail."

I made sure she saw me smile, so she'd know I wasn't bothered as she swooped back to me, set a few letters on my head, and flitted away again, saying "My bad, sorry..."

- - -

At around two o'clock I found a good stopping point in the table I was building for the town hall, and spent the next hour cleaning up my shop. Since the workshop was also the closest thing to a living room I had, I figured it wouldn't do to leave any nails or other sharp things around that a little filly might hurt herself on.

It was a good thing I did, too. When Derpy and Dinky came to my door at a little after three, I'd barely opened the door before the little unicorn hugged her mom, hugged my leg, shouted "Bye Mom I love you hi Dovetail your workshop looks cool can I check it out?" and darted past me into the workshop. Derpy and I rolled our eyes at each other, smiled, and spared a moment for a nuzzle. From behind me I heard the tappity tap of little hooves and Dinky murmuring, "What's this? Oooh, what's this? What's in heeeere?"

Derpy looked a mite worried and whispered in my ear, "Are you sure this is okay?"

I'll be honest, I was a bit worried myself, but I grinned, pushed my hat back at a jaunty angle and told her, "Don't you worry none. I can handle her for a few hours. You go and get your work done, and I'll fix you something to eat when you come to pick her up, okay?"

She nodded and looked less worried. "Okay. Good luck. And thanks again," she said and kissed my cheek. She hollered through the doorway, "Bye Muffin! Be good! I love you!"

Dinky's head poked out from between the legs of a sawhorse and she said "I will, I love you, hey Dovetail do you have any coloring books, because there isn't anything fun to play with in here, just hammers and boring stuff, and I'd really like to color!"

I shooed my favorite pegasus out the door and shut it behind her, then turned to watch my favorite unicorn. "Uh... let me look," was all I could say.

Of course, I didn't have any coloring books, but I did find some birdhouse plans that came as part of a big pack of carpentry blueprints that I had ordered a while ago. The fancy designs, like a four poster bed, were useful, but I sure as heck don't need any plans to build a little old birdhouse.

I didn't have any crayons either, but I had a beat up old cigar box full of colored pencils, and that seemed to do the trick. She cheered and stamped her hooves when I brought her the makeshift coloring setup. The little thing just assumed I'd color with her, and handed me some of the sheets. Well, what could a pony do but get down on the floor with her and color?

I know that I said Derpy sure could could talk, but Dinky made even her mom seem like the silent type. Fortunately for me, the chatty little unicorn didn't seem to expect me to keep up.

After a loud but pleasant enough couple of hours during which time we went through most of the paper, she showed me one of her drawings, looking mighty proud of herself. She'd turned one of the birdhouses into a real house, with a lawn and flowers and a chimney. I wasn't used to looking at the things children drew, but after a bit of a squint I saw that inside she'd drawn a little grey pony doing... something, and an orange and a grey bigger pony kind of squished together.

She pointed at them with a hoof and grinned at me as she explained, "That's me playing because I like playing, and that's my mom hugging you because she loves you, and that's a tree because every house should have a tree outside, unless the house is a tree I guess, like the library, but that's a library where someone lives instead of just a house so I don't think that counts..."

She worked this idea over a bit more, out loud, but when she was done I asked her, "Dinky, how do you know your momma loves me?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes at me. "Because she told me, dummy. She says it all the time. Anyway, you could tell even if she didn't. She's always really super happy every time she sees you, and when Carrot or Berry come over she is always talking about you. Like no really, always." She stuck out her tongue and made a gagging sound, then asked me, "Anyway, let me see what you drew. What is it?"

I showed her and said, "Uuh.. it's some ideas I'm working on for the inlay on the table that the mayor is having me make for her."

"Ooh, those are pretty. I like the ones that look like flowers the best. Those would look really cool on a table. You know, we have a table at my house. Well, of course you know, but it's wobbly and Mom says I need to stop leaning on it so hard because the leg is loose. You should fix it. Or maybe make a new table? You don't need to lay flowers in it or anything, but I do like that thing you do around the edges of the tops of thing sometimes, didn't you call it a bezel or a bevel or a weevil or something? Your wood stuff uses so many weird words. Anyway..."

She went on, and on. And on. I listened to most of it, but I was pretty distracted. Had Derpy really said she loved me? Why hadn't she told me? Was she waiting for me to say it?

Well confound it, it was about time I did. Once I had a mind to think that way, I realized I did love the ditzy mare. She wasn't just a pretty lady who I was courting, she was the pony I loved.

- - -

There ain't much to tell about the rest of the day. Somehow I managed to get Dinky to stop talking long enough to get a sandwich into her for dinner. I let her play with a cup-and-ball game that I'd made, and let her keep it. I should have realized that would be hard to sell in a town with mostly other earth ponies. When eight o'clock rolled around, I tucked her into my bed. I didn't have any kids' books around, but I told her a couple of stories that my momma used to tell me when I was little. For all that she said she wasn't tired, she was asleep before I finished the second tale, so I tiptoed downstairs and fixed up some fruit and a sandwich for Derpy to have when she showed up.

- - -

I did have a bit of a worry when she didn't come back at ten. It was after eleven when she tapped softly on my door and I let her in; and boy did she look beat. Her eyelids and ears drooped, and she didn't even bother to take off her saddlebags before flopping down in the one soft chair I had by the fireplace.

"We had to use a wagon, and make two trips," she explained when I came back from the kitchen with her food, "and there was a headwind." She perked up a bit when I set the food in front of her, and smiled at me gratefully. I was used to her eyes by now, but it seemed fitting that one was watching the food while the other looked at me. "You're the best. Thank you. I hope Dinky wasn't a problem."

I gave her mane a stroke and smiled back at her as she munched quietly. "Don't think nothin' of it. She was a little chattering angel."

Derpy smiled and murmured approval around a mouthful of bell pepper and cheese sandwich. I sat down on a wooden chair next to her, took a deep breath, and said what was on my mind. "It's the least I can do. I love you, and whenever you need anything, you just ask, okay?"

She stopped chewing and just stared at her food (or the wall, it's always hard to tell with her) for a moment. Then she swallowed and looked at me, her eyes going all misty. At first I was afraid I'd said something wrong, but then I was barely able to grab the tray and stop it falling on the floor as she leaned towards me and wrapped her forelegs around me. She fairly squeezed the life out of me and whispered in my ear, "I love you too, Dovetail... I love you too."

Comments

[bucknorris]

DAAAAAAW
I Hereby claim FIRST

[Chloronium]

D'awwww indeed, nice chapter!

[DaBeejees]

452026
I love how on here, people don't really give a shit if people call 'first', but on EqD the mods'll send you to the moon if you do it.

[Tired_eyes]

452190

I'm just flattered that anyone gives enough of a damn about a story update from me to bother to pull a "first" :)

[Halosnake]

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW

[Mysterious Pony]

[Tired_eyes]

Thanks for all of the positive comments! Things like this make me keep writing.

[guilmon182]

NYAAAAAAAAAWWWWW-HNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RealityCheck]

perfect little chapter like a smile in a box.

[thewaffler]

The diabetes you gave me from the last chapter has evolved into Super Diabetestron Devourer of D'AWWW. Dude this is my favorite Ditzy fic.period. I really like how you handle the interactions between Dinky and Dovetail, by making him a responsible male role model and just a good person. In fact I think I pegged why this fic is great, all the protagonists are extremely likeable, different and there actions make sense in context to the story.

chzgifs.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/seor-gif-shut-up-and-take-my-money.gif

Peace Out

[MclarenMP4-27]

This has become such as nice, sweet little story. I can't wait to see how you further develope it.

[iSmartMan]

"What's this? Oooh, what's this? What's in heeeere?"

I spy with my little eye...A PORTAL REFERENCE! There's no other voice I could envision saying heeeere.

[Tired_eyes]

453032 454061 454247

Aww shucks, guys... the positive feedback means a lot to me. I'm glad I'm making something that people enjoy. I've got to get working on the next chapter...

[Aziraphael]

I'm sorry, but the brain posting this comment is currently out of service from Diabeetus Overload. Please hang up and try your call again later....*beep*....*beep*.....*beep*....

[J0HNS0N]

daaaaaaaaaaw thats just so awesome i love this derpy fic i need moar

[Blue Streak]

I shed a man tear

[Drakmire]

I thought this was a really cute fic. Any word on the next chapter's progress?

[Tired_eyes]

503161

Thanks! I'm currently working on a chapter of my other story series, Princesses & Stepladders, and toying with one other half-formed story idea, but Derpy Heart is not forgotten. Lately I've been alternating between the two, so I can write whatever style of story fits my mood at the moment. Don't worry... there will be more to come.

[Green_Hooves]

I really hope you are close to the next chapter being done.

there have been several moments when derpy was late for a meeting, do i sense a plot twist in the making?

anyways, this is my favorite derpy story, keep writing.

[FlowerGirl3765]

I hereby claim 20th! Then I will be honoured when this gets famous. :D