Dedede has many love languages, gifts included. He likes spoiling Meta. He is a king after all, there's nothing he can't get for his love.
Meta is new to love (I hc him as demisexual) and has no idea how to react to gifts. And about giving gifts - its easier to do it sneakily.
I read a really good fanfiction (forgot the name) where Dedede had penguin animal instincts. One of them being gifting pebbles (that instinct doesnt actually exist but shhhh its cute) So he was unconsciously proclaiming his love to Meta over and over again - just having this urge to Gift. Him. Rocks.
Imagine a guy spends 7 years of your life physically and mentally abusing you, making your life hell along with his 3 friends because he doesn’t have the guts to do it alone, and one day you find him dead, and people expect you to feel sorry for him?? Like, what world do these people live in? They should be thankful I didn’t kill him myself lol.
Started laughing my ass off in the middle of reading the Gravity Falls wiki about the Bottomless Pit because I pictured Ford pausing in the middle of a project, sighing really loudly, and going "I need a break," before promptly throwing himself backwards into the pit.