I sat at the table across from its owners, Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch, the latter of whom was serving tea.

"Vinyl, you never struck me as the type of girl who'd drink tea."

The blue-maned unicorn shrugged, then nudged the grey Earth pony next to her. "She got me into it."

Octavia gave a gentle smile, reaching up to adjust the purple sunglasses resting on her girlfriend's horn.

"Do you have to wear these everywhere, dear? You look just as good without them."

"Hey, DJ P0N-3 isn't just a stage name, it's a way of life. I thought you knew what you were getting into, Octy."

"Speaking of getting into relationships," I spoke up, though I hated interrupting their cute banter "Bon Bon told me you two might be able to give some advice regarding my current predicament."

I gave them a synopsized version of the past several days: of the cavalcade of dates with Treehugger and Doc, of my steamy tryst on the balcony the night before, and of my concerns for that night's date with Doc.

Vinyl gave a long whistle and fanned herself with a napkin. "That's a lot to unpack there, Derpy. But I think we can help."

Octavia sipped her tea with an air of loving amusement. "Derpy, do you know how this one asked me out on our first date?"

I shook my head. Somehow, I'd never been told the story.

The cellist smiled and looked at her DJ, who puffed out her chest in pride. "She invited me to a classical music concert."

"But Vinyl, I thought you hated classical music?"

"Whoa whoa whoa; 'hate' is a strong word. It's definitely not my favorite, for certain. Buuut… I was willing to put up with it if it meant I got to be close to Octavia for a couple of hours."

"The poor thing was so nervous." Said mare added. "She looked about ready to pass out after I noticed she was holding my hoof."

"I wasn't even sure if you liked mares!" Vinyl added from across the room, where she was getting even more sugar cubes.

"Fortunately for her, I did. And I really liked her a lot as a friend. After seeing her bring me to watch an orchestra of all things and being so nervous about wanting to date me, well... that's when I knew she was meant for me." Vinyl arrived back at the table and planted a kiss on Octavia's cheek. They both smiled. "Plus," the posh-sounding mare added "even though she was shy around me, she was outgoing socially, and part of that bravado rubbed off on socially awkward me. If I hadn't have fallen in love with Vinyl, I might never have come out--to my family, or to anypony." Vinyl leaned her head on Octavia's shoulder, her magenta eyes gazing up at her lovingly. She nuzzled the unicorn with her snout. "But my life has certainly been a lot happier since I did."

Sitting across the table, I was trying not to let my heart melt out of my eyes and into my tea.

"Wow..." I muttered, holding back emotion. "I hadn't known about how you two met. That's really sweet, you guys."

The two mares across from me embraced each other. Octavia sighed. "She's my everything."

Vinyl barely held back a coo of affection. "And you're mine."

"After we started dating, we soon realized that being girlfriends was basically the same as being friends, except that we were closer on a deeper level. Before, we had a strong affinity for one another, certainly, but after we began courting, it felt like our very souls were intertwined."

'Courting'... what a beautifully old-fashioned word.

"Our souls weren't the only things that got intertwined, Tavi…" Vinyl gave a look of playful mischief, biting her lower lip and grinning.

Octavia snickered. "Yes, well..." she said, trying to regain her composure "it was a bit unusual at first, climbing into bed with your best friend, but after that happened, it only served to strengthen the bond of love between us. It's served as a restorative, almost spiritual experience for us since then."

"How long before that happened?" I inquired.

"Before our first time?" Octavia looked lovingly back at Vinyl, who blushed ever so slightly. "Why, about a year into our relationship, I believe."

"A whole year?" I said, not with shock, but mild surprise. "Hmm."

"It's perfectly okay to wait even longer, Derpy." Octavia said to me.

"Yep. Everypony's different." added Vinyl. "Some even wait ages before they kiss."

"So I guess that if I want things to go well with Doc, I should just be myself and let things progress naturally?"

Vinyl gave a quick tilt of her head in approval. Octavia turned her hooves out towards me as though saying "It's up to you."

"I'll tell you what, though." Vinyl piped up. "On Thursday, Tavi and I have a gig at this--"

Octavia gave a somewhat disappointed glance and cleared her throat quietly. Vinyl rolled her eyes.

"An engagement at this Hearts and Hooves ball."

"I'm sorry, Miss Scratch but you can call it a 'gig' when it's one of your raves."

"Anyway, if you and Doc need something to do for your last date, you could take him there! I'll be sure to whip up some dope tracks for ya!"

"You'll do no such thing." Octavia remarked. "This is a formal event, and we've been asked to come dressed as though we were performing a concert hall. They'll kick us out if you bring that record-scratching so-called 'instrum--'"

Vinyl interrupted her lover's complaint by planting a deep kiss onto her muzzle. I couldn't help but snicker under my breath. After Vinyl broke the lip-lock, Octavia blushed deeply and lowered her gaze.

"That doesn't work every time, you know."

"I think it does, Miss Melody." The white unicorn upturned her snout playfully. "I truly think it does."

My second date with Doc was mostly spent on a walk through the park (well, I flew mostly.) Somehow, it had been a while since we'd actually talked about our personal lives, so the opportunity to catch up was nice. I didn't dare tell him what happened with Treehugger--neither of us could've handled it. That said, we enjoyed ourselves; he bought me a muffin, which I shared with some ducks, and luckily, managed to avoid falling into the pond. As I started to fall forward, Doc caught me by the waist. It was blush-worthy for both of us, but I appreciated it. I felt safe in his hooves. Afterwards, he and I stopped by Sugarcube Corner to visit Pinkie and grab something sweet.

That evening, after Doc and I parted, I stopped by the Carousel Boutique about 15 minutes before it closed. Rarity was inside, taking measurements on her sister Sweetie Belle for some sort of frilly dress.

"I told you, Rarity, it's not at all formal!" The little pony protested. "Everyone in class is literally just passing around cards! I don't need a dress to do that!"

"Oh nonsense, Sweetie Belle." Rarity said with a tsk. "You'll be the most fabulous filly there! Besides, the flyer calls it a Hearts and Hooves Day party, and what girl wouldn't want to show up in a dress for that?"

"Me!" she replied, wincing slightly as the tape measure was pulled tight around her child-sized barrel. "You realize that nopony in class wears clothes on a regular basis? Not even the teacher! And neither do you!"

Rarity simply ignored this remark as she scribbled on her notepad. "Oh Sweetie, you've grown taller since I made your last dress!" She adopted a cute voice as she nuzzled her sister's belly with her nose. "And you've also grown wider and cuddlier!"

Sweetie Belle's laughter rang out like a bird chittering at dawn. "Stop it, Rarity, that tickles!"

I gave a small cough to make my presence known, and the two sisters' heads snapped towards me with wide eyes.

"Um, Rarity?" I said stepping forward. "I'm here to call in my Hearth's Warming gift."

Rarity's eyes narrowed in fiery determination. She knew why I needed a dress. "All right darling, let's make you the star of Hearts and Hooves Day!"

Sweetie Belle mouthed the words "thank you" at me for distracting her sister with a new project.

My third date with Treehugger was also very low-key. After our usual yoga session, followed by meditation, she took me to a little music festival of sorts, held by her friends Flax Seed and Wheat Grass. There were a lot of ponies there being very chill and lighting lots of candles and incense; it seemed easy to get lost among the herd, but Treehugger and I stuck by each others' sides and had a good time together. Little did I know that she can actually play the guitar quite well, and even sing. Flax and Wheat run a local business outside of Ponyville where they make all kinds of all-natural wellness products; they introduced me to a skin cream that they thought could fix my eyesight. While it didn't work, it did make my skin feel refreshed. There were also a lot of plants there like the one Treehugger had... I'm still not sure what they do. Maybe it's good luck.

Early the next day, Rarity had my dress ready. I told her I was sorry for the short notice, but she said she didn't mind. According to her, it was these sort of passion projects she lived for. Whatever makes your life interesting, girl.

Even though she only had about a day and a single set of measurements to go off of, Rarity had produced quite the work of art. It was an elegant reddish-pink piece, not quite magenta but not a solid red or pink. The peytral was lightly colored and shaped like a large heart, the cleft at the top curving down into a sort of V-neck; a popped collar styled like a white doily framed my blonde mane like a halo, and the rest of the dress clung to me like barding, though it stopped at my waist like a shirt for convenience. There was a hole for a wing on either side of the long zipper. The back of the dress formed a ruffled crupper of cloth, curving like a dome out over my rump, and accentuating it quite nicely, I might add. It was secured at the small of my back with a large bow, and formed a long train behind me, the outermost edge of which was lined with cloth hearts and more doily fringe. It even came with four little cloth slipper...boot...things... that had hearts holding the laces... hey, heartstrings! Overall, it was an exquisite dress, and I felt very flattered to be wearing it.

"Why Rarity, it fits perfectly."

"Of course! It was made to your specifications, dear."

"Are you sure you don't want anything for it? I'm sure something like this would usually go for a lot of bits."

The seamstress placed a hoof on my shoulder. "Derpy, the only thing I want you to do is to have a good time. Go out there and render them speechless, darling!" She turned to look about the room. "Now where is my baby sister?"

Outside, I noticed Sweetie Belle scurrying away in the company of her friends. She seemed to be in quite the hurry.

That evening, I did my mane up in a fancy part, held in place by a plastic rose. I'm not one for a whole lot of makeup, mostly because I have trouble putting it on with these eyes, and, y'know, hooves, but I did do mascara, some lip balm, blush, and a bit of eyeshadow. Just about when I thought I looked as good as I ever would, I heard a knock at the door. Doc had come to pick me up.

I'm not sure what I expected at first, but I was pleasantly surprised nonetheless: Doc cleans up nicely. He had his mane slicked back and was wearing a bowtie and tux, with coattails way too long for him. A small flower I couldn't identify adorned his buttonhole, and he had cufflinks in the shape of atoms. I noticed his eyes jump when I answered the door.

"Derpy!" he said, seemingly caught off guard. "You---I---I mean, er--- you look... astounding!"

I blushed and scratched my foreleg. "Like a million bits?"

He smiled and shifted awkwardly himself. "Oh!" he snapped to attention "I brought you something!" he produced a small, flimsy box from somewhere on his person and presented it to me. "For tonight."

Taking the box, I flipped open the lid. Inside was a plump, colorful corsage which seemed to glitter with a rainbow of colors in the moonlight. I gave a small gasp as the strange flower shone out brighter than my future.

"It's an altered version of my fireless fireworks." Doc said. "I believe I altered the formula enough so that it shouldn't explode."

I slipped the corsage onto my hoof and admired it, turning it this way and that in the moonlight. Doc offered me a hoof to come down off the porch, which I folded a wing over and stepped down. Soon, we were on our way to the venue.

"Have you ever been to a dance before, Doc?"

"Me? Well, I... I've attended celebrations that involved dancing, like the wedding reception. You and I danced there, if I recall."

I nodded and smiled with my cheeks, one eye rolling away from the other. "You do."

"But as for, well, a dance proper, I'm not exactly sure. I'm well-acquainted with the Unicornish dancing customs of the prior two centuries, as well as traditional Pegasan war dances and the so-called Earth pony 'hoedown,' but as for actually participating in the sort of event we're attending tonight, I don't think I have. What about you? I do believe there is some sort of coming-of-age ceremony at Ponyville High known as 'prom,' correct?"

Oh sweet Celestia, my senior prom. If somepony were to pick a single definition of the word "awkward" to be etched in a monolithic stone that would stand for all eternity, long after civilization had crumbled to dust around it, it would have to be an account of my senior prom.

I suppose the best thing about that night had been my dress, a cute little red strapless thing that billowed across the floor and hugged my lithe teenage body just perfectly: I still have it, but I couldn't hope to fit into it now. I've put on a good 20 pounds at least since then, mostly in my barrel and flanks.

I had gotten a date at the last minute, because I really wanted to go, but didn't want to be that wallflower who just sits around as a third wheel to all her friends. The poor colt who'd agreed to go with me clearly wasn't used to being around mares. Pretty much the whole time we were there, he breathed uncomfortably and looked to be in physical pain (if I had to guess, his suit looked about a size too small for him.) He was also the pariah of the school, that kid with curly hair, big teeth, acne, thick glasses, you know the one. I can't even remember his name now, but his Cutie Mark was some weird die, and all he did, aside from ace tests, was sit around in the cafeteria with his herd and play Ogres and Oubliettes, which I'll be honest, looked kind of fun, but I didn't want to get laughed at for playing it.

Our picture, taken in front of a curtain in the gym, sits tucked between the pages of a yearbook somewhere in my attic. He, again, looks to be extremely uncomfortable on an infinite number of levels, while I'm standing there, eyes looking two different directions (neither of which were at the camera) with a look on my face that reads "What have I gotten myself into?" I suppose our dance wasn't too awkward, although he was too afraid to put a hoof on my waist, no matter how much I reassured him. Poor guy couldn't even bring himself to kiss me, and I was unsure for years whether that said more about him or me. I think the dude was just surprised that a mare had asked him out at all, even more so that said mare was me, and was just kinda scared because he didn't know what to do. I hope it didn't traumatize him too much. I wouldn't be surprised though if he's a millionaire by now and I'm just me.

"Yeah..." I said to Doc after a moment of silence. "Yeah, I had a prom."

"What was that like?"

"NO."

As we entered, there were countless other ponies about, all dressed in their finest. Some of the ensembles were clearly Rarity's work, while others likely came from boutiques in Canterlot or Manehattan. Even among such colorful clothing, however, me and my corsage stood out, attracting several oohs from the other mares, many of whom I see on a daily basis. Big Mac and Sugar Belle were there too; never would I have expected to see the big guy in a tux, but I can now say that I have. Maud and Mudbriar sat in the corner of the room like chaperones as Twiggy and Boulder "danced" atop their table. Doc and I were quick to spot Octavia, standing up on stage with the band and her cello, with Vinyl sitting slumped in a chair off to the side of her. She didn't look very happy: she'd been forced into a frilly blouse and overcoat, like something out of a previous century, and had traded her purple shades for even more decorative but even less cool pince-nez glasses. Octavia meanwhile was wearing a long black dress that dragged the floor and glittered with rhinestones, though her characteristic bowtie and collar still remained. Vinyl seemed to perk up significantly as we walked over to greet her.

"Well I'll be damned, if it isn't our girl Derpy!" She said cheerily. "Someone's lookin' sexy tonight! And Doc, is that you under all that? I've never seen you spruced up before! Lookin' sharp, my dude!" She offered him a hoof bump, which he accepted, having recently learned what they were.

Octavia, from up on stage, winked and smiled at me, saying in a moment what she'd loved to have used an hour for. Then, she turned to her favorite unicorn.

"Vinyl!" She said in just above a whisper. "Get your instrument ready! We're starting the next set soon!"

The mare formerly known as DJ P0N-3 sighed and rolled her eyes powerfully enough to shift the tides. From behind her chair, she levitated a small metallic triangle and the stick to strike it with.

"As if playing the triangle wasn't bad enough, I have to wear this!"

"Vinyl dear, you look fine."

"Look at this shirt! I look like a pirate! And NOT the cool kind!" She flipped up the ruffles on her blouse in frustration.

"If you'd worn the pants that came with it, the whole ensemble would make a lot more sense." Octavia remarked as she adjusted the tune on her cello.

"Hey, I told you: no pants! Mama needs to breathe down here! Besides, this is probably the only way ponies will even know I'm a mare!"

Doc and I had slowly managed to ease away as the odd couple continued their bickering, taking up positions on the dance floor for the next song. It was a waltz of sorts, and though Octavia and her ensemble played it beautifully, it probably would've sounded better on a full orchestra. The piece was slow and calm and dominated by strings, with occasional dissatisfied dings from Vinyl and her triangle. I was trying to keep an eye on my hooves, reciting the 1-2-3 steps I'd learned from a book without stepping on my dress or Doc. My dance partner would occasionally laugh a little as I narrowly dodged another couple or stumbled slightly to catch myself on him. Mostly, I let him lead, because I had a feeling his feel for mathematics and rhythm could help us out. At the very least, it kept us from knocking over anything or anypony.

We took a breather as the band set up for the next song. I could detect Vinyl's displeasure. She ran her hooves down her face and across her eyes, tugging down at her cheeks with a groan before slapping down on her knees.

"This is sooooo boriiiing!"

Octavia grinned, and, ever so slightly giggling, leaned down to speak in her ear, quietly, but just loud enough that I could perceive it.

"Remember when I first told you about this, Vinyl? Remember how I said that, if you made it through the evening, I'd do that thing to you when we got home?"

The unicorn immediately sat bolt upright in her chair, ears raised, eyes enlarged, with a hint of rosy blush on her cheeks.

"Yes ma'am!" She proudly proclaimed, rising to her hooves and crossing the stage. "Gimme that mic!"

Before Octavia or the conductor could protest, Vinyl Scratch was standing center stage at the microphone and turned back to face the band. "All right, ladies and germs, you know my favorite song for gigs like this. Moderately slow, D major, six-eighths; watch me for the changes, and don't get ahead of me."

As the band slowly started to comply with her request, the crowd of dancers churned back into motion. Soon, Vinyl began to sing with a voice I'd never heard come out of her; it was almost as if she'd been replaced by an angel. It was an old song, one I'd heard my parents hum to themselves before on Hearts and Hooves Day. I don't know it myself, but it was something about how "only fools rush in" but "I can't help but love you" or something like that.

"Derpy…" Doc said to me softly, drawing my gaze from my hooves and towards him as we slow danced in our little circle. "I just want you to know that these past few days have been some of the best, most fun days I've ever had, and that I feel greatly honored just being considered for your affections."

"Doc..."

"I may not be perfect, Derpy, and I'm definitely not wealthy, nor charming, but... I'd give you the world. I... I didn't think--- I never thought that I'd ever meet a mare who'd put up with me. I just ignored that part of the equation. But ever since I met you, I... I don't think my life can be complete without it. It would be an honor to me beyond belief if you would replace the n in my equation."

"Huh?"

"Er--- if you would be my special somepony." He chuckled to himself, gazing into my eyes. "But nonetheless, you are and have always been my very best friend, and no matter whom you choose, I will always stand beside you with my strongest show of support."

His simple words, delivered quietly on that dancefloor from his own heart, were enough to move me, to weaken me. I realized then and there that Doc just wanted the same things I did: a friend he could become closer with than any other, someone he could dedicate himself to, and someone he could call his own. And I, of all ponies, had been the only one able to bring that epiphany out of him. In his eyes, I was his one and only chance.

"Doc..." I said, my voice weakened from emotion. I put a hoof to his chin to look more directly into his eyes. "You're the sweetest, friendliest, most kindhearted stallion I've ever met. You'd do anything for your friends, and even more for me."

He tried to blush and look away, but I redirected him.

"You see past these eyes, this body, into who I truly am. That's a skill beyond worth, and beyond gratitude. You're priceless, Doc... how can I pass that up?"

Shaking only slightly and holding back only a few tears, I brought Doc in for an actual kiss. The way he held me was sublime; I could've died in his embrace. I could feel the heat from his face radiating against mine, but the heat was soothing. My wings, along with my heart, fluttered, and I think I even popped a hoof off the ground.

My first kiss with a stallion. What I would later find out was his first kiss ever. We held it out for a good minute or more, just standing there in the middle of the dancefloor for everypony to see. Vinyl finished her song on a beautiful note and saluted us; Octavia had to wipe tears from her eyes.

"You really should sing more often, dear. You have a beautiful voice."

"I'll sing for you anytime, Tavi."

Doc and I held each other close throughout all the rest of the night, dancing, kissing, expressing innocent little emotions whenever we found our voices. Naturally, we spent the next day together too, and the day after we went out with Lyra, Bon Bon, Vinyl and Octavia for some fun on the town. Treehugger was very gracious about my choice, and we're still on friendly terms with one another; I even suggested that Doc might benefit from meditation or yoga to calm him down when he gets high-strung.

I'm writing this many days later as I prepare for bed. There's a framed picture of me and Doc on my nightstand; I like to look at it until I drift off to sleep. Soon, I'll put up this diary and do just that.

What kind of dreams will I have? I don't know for sure, but by Luna's grace and the love I share with Doc and my friends, I have a feeling they'll be good ones.

Yours truly,
Derpy Hooves

Author's Note

Hey, that's a reference to the chapter titles!
But of course, can't put copyrighted lyrics in the text!
In the TEXT!
And as much as I wanted to link to a video of what I think Vinyl singing this song would sound like, none of the covers I found really clicked with me.
This may be an hour or so late for Valentine's Day, but it's the thought that counts.

Peace and Love, everypony! More stories coming soon, I promise!
-TMB