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Hob lived his normal life: going to work, going to a bar, having fun on the weekends, spending time with colleagues (but not too much so as not to become strongly attached to them), and documenting his pub. He did everything the same as for the last 30 years, and at first glance, there were no changes in his life.
But Hob, of course, couldn't help thinking about that day when his friend returned to him, and the relationship between them became noticeably warmer. If you think about it, then for the first time in 600 years, Dream was late for their meeting. It's entirely possible to forgive.
Dream... Now Hob could call his name out loud and in his mind. Before, Hob thought a lot about what name would suit his friend, but he couldn't find anything. And all because for him Dream is the most appropriate name of all possible.
Just think, in a year they have already met as many as three times. The first meeting was the same as all the previous ones in terms of duration. Several hours of talking and, oh good lord, Dream's smile, which has never been so soft and wide before. Then they went their separate ways, but none of them said "a hundred years."
The second time Dream visited him was two weeks later. He was depressed and asked Hob to keep him company. All that was required was just talking, distracting Dream from his problems and gloomy thoughts. Hob knew how to talk, and under his stories about the students, Dream was really able to relax.
The third meeting took place recently. Dream walked with Hob through the park. For most of their sudden meeting, they were silent, but this silence was comfortable, both enjoying each other's presence and trying to capture this moment, keep every minute of it in their minds. Before the last farewell, Dream spoke about the reason for his being late. He said little, but it was enough to make Hob angry and hate with all his heart the people who made his loved one suffer. Dream also told a little more about himself: that he is the King of Dreams and that he has 6 siblings, one of which gave Hob eternal life.
Hob was very grateful for this information. He always wanted to know more about his friend, for whom feelings had been eating away at him from the inside century after century, but he never pressured Dream. Hob gave him time, and the wait paid off. Dream was ready to introduce himself to Hob, who was convinced that he had not been waiting in vain.
In fact, Hob would be content with just the name given to him. Of course, he hoped that someday he would find out who Dream was, but he didn't expect he would receive answers to several of his questions at once in one century. Hob liked to think it was because Dream trusted him enough now. He felt truly happy when he mentally repeated that name several times before going to sleep. It's so pleasant and familiar, as if it were the name of a person who should once have belonged to Hob. Or is it just his dreams.
For many centuries, a bud of feelings for Dream slowly opened in Hob's chest. Since their second meeting. It didn't leave his thoughts, but Hob thought it was just curiosity about the mysterious non-human creature. But with each meeting, this flower bloomed more and more in his chest, and in 1789 Hob gave up. He gave up when he saw Dream's biggest smile at that time in all their meetings, when he noticed his twinkle in his eyes in response to his open flirting. Hob had to admit to himself that this strange creature aroused too many feelings in him.
Hob hadn't seen Dream in about a month. Nothing compared to how long he had to wait before. Dream didn't say when he would return next, but he promised that it would not be as long as their agreement states. This calmed him and made him wake up every morning with the thought that, perhaps, it was today when Dream would reappear out of nowhere and keep him company.
But not everything was good. Something unpleasantly scratched Hob from the inside, like a cat, for quite some time. He had a hunch that he was being watched, but no matter how many times Hob tried to figure out the spy, he didn't see anyone. Even sitting at home, Hob could almost physically feel someone's gaze, so he began to cover the windows with curtains more and more often.
To do this in hot September, of course, is problematic. Deciding to spend his weekend at home, Hob simply couldn't stand the stuffy air in his apartment, so he still had to part the curtains. He opened the window and looked out into the street, peering at the people who were passing by. There was no one in his field of vision who would remain in place for more than a few seconds and who would look out of his window. Sighing, Hob raised his head and quite by chance noticed a bird sitting on a tree branch, which, as if hypnotized, didn't take its beady eyes off Hob.
Well, stranger things have happened in Hob's life than curious ravens. Hob took the nearly empty box of muesli, dumped them into a small bowl, and placed them on the windowsill. There were still too few of them left for himself, and Hob liked to feed homeless animals and street birds. Looking at them, he involuntarily recalled his personal nightmare, his life in the 1400s. Just as dirty, hungry and despised by everyone as them. If Hob could help a person or animal on the street, he did so because he had once been in their shoes.
"Eat, don't be afraid. But if you break the bowl, I'll drive you away with a stone." Hob said in a tone too soft for the bird to understand the threat.
There was a sound of wings and Hob turned to leave the kitchen to continue checking his students' tests in the living room.
"Thanks, buddy."
Hob stopped abruptly. It can't be that he heard. He slowly turned around and stared at the raven, which was pecking contentedly at the muesli.
"Did you say something?" Hob asked cautiously, then shook his head. He's probably just overworked. This week was very hard, he was tired, so everything is imagining.
"I said thanks." after these words, the raven croaked.
Hob groped for the back of the nearest chair, pulled it towards him, and sat down, keeping his eyes on the bird. The talking bird was definitely the second weirdest thing in Hob's life. In front of it stood only his beloved King of Dreams.
“You… Said…” repeated Hob. The raven stopped eating and croaked again.
“Lady Boss said you are a smart guy." followed by another croak, which, apparently, was a substitute for laughter.
Lady boss. Nothing became clearer. Hob could only watch the talking raven with his mouth open.
"Where are you from?" Hob finally asked in a low voice, almost a whisper. He couldn't believe he was literally talking to a bird.
"Boss didn't tell you about me?" The raven pecked at a few more muesli.
After Hob shook his head, the raven flew over to the back of a nearby chair to get closer to him.
"I'm Matthew. The raven from The Dreaming. Lady boss sent me to watch over you so that nothing happens to you."
Matthew. Okay, the raven has a name. Hob slowly began to realize the reality of everything that was happening when Matthew mentioned The Dreaming. After the words "lady boss" something twisted in the stomach into a tight knot, and the heart seemed to have fallen somewhere down.
In all his encounters with Dream, Hob had never once thought that he might have someone else. Someone he would love. Although it may have been so, since the words about loneliness hurt him greatly, but after 1898 a lot could change in his life. It wasn't just Hob's life that was given over to change.
"Are you Dream's raven? Why were you send by his... wife?" Hob asked cautiously, preparing to confirm his words. He didn't notice how tensely he clenched his hands into fists.
Matthew croaked loudly again.
“Oh my god, dude, no, no, no. Lucienne serves the boss just like me. You could say she is his right hand. Just don't tell him I said that. Well, you know, boss sometimes sulks that someone keeps coming to her with questions about the kingdom. His fragile ego can't take it."
Matthew ruffled his feathers, and Hob exhaled louder than he would have liked. The sudden relief allowed him to relax enough that Matthew stopped looking like some crazy thing. And really, why is it stranger than Hob meeting Morpheus himself over the centuries?
“Dream didn’t tell me much about his kingdom. I only know that this is a world of dreams, which are actually much more real than people think. And that he creates all the dreams and nightmares. But still, why should something happen to me?"
“Uh, I don’t think I can talk about this,” Matthew looked worriedly out the window, as if Dream could climb into the kitchen right from there, “don’t tell him, okay? In short, boss had a fight with his family, and Lucienne thought that one of his siblings might use you to influence him. Well, you know, everyone in The Dreaming knows about you. Like, you're important enough for boss to leave his place to spend time with you, which means you can put some pressure on him through you. Lady boss decided it was best to play it safe and look after you for a while."
Hob smiled softly. He himself didn't understand why the words that everyone in the Dream's world knew about their warm relationship made his immortal heart beat faster. And judging by Matthew's story, some of the local creations were worried about him. This Lucienne, whoever she is, must be taking care of Dream. Well, that's good. If Hob can take care of him in the Waking World, then someone must be doing it on the other side of reality.
Matthew's croaking brought Hob out of his thoughts. The raven had already moved to the table and was stomping its small paws on the smooth glass surface. Hob wasn't afraid he might scratch her. How can he drive away a raven who told him so much about Dream?
"I won't tell him, I promise. But I'm completely safe. How long have you been watching me, uh? A week? Two?"
"Two and a half."
“And nothing happened. You can rest, Matthew. Fly home, tell that I'm fine. You can say I began to notice you, so you decided to consult with your lady boss what to do. You deserve a rest, mate."
“I can see why boss likes you." Matthew flapped his wings and flew to the windowsill "I would like to bet, but, you know, I'm really sick of watching you do the same things every day. If they send me back, I'll see you again soon. Don't pine!"
With these words, Matthew flew out the window. Hob continued to smile as he removed the empty bowl from the windowsill and tied the curtains around the house to let the sunlight in. This place clearly lacked it. It was easier to breathe, either from the checked room, or from the thought that Hob was as important to Dream as he hoped.
Along with this feeling, Hob felt anguish. He really wanted to see Dream right now, talk to him about something or just sit in silence. Perhaps try to take him by the hand. Although it's better not to, of course. If Hob wants to try wooing Dream, it must be done with slow, careful steps. He won't repeat their fight again. Dream is like a wild cat that needs to be taken care of for a very long time, so that he finally deigns to cuddle up to his side sometime at night.
Hob knows how to wait. He will wait at least another hundred years to finally be able to hold his hand without fear.
When Hob finished with the last window, he turned around and was already enthusiastically about to return to the students' tests, as he noticed Dream standing on the other side of the room.
"Oh, hi." Hob was a little confused. He doesn't expected to see an old friend so early. Maybe Matthew told him something? "I didn't think you'd visit me today."
"Why not?" Dream asked a little quieter than usual. He walked slowly forward to Hob, looking around the room.
"Well, I don't know. I didn't hear you come." Hob felt stupid. He had just dreamed of seeing Dream again as soon as possible, and now, his dream came true, but so suddenly that instead of joy, awkwardness and some unusual excitement first came.
Dream stopped near the bookcase. It had glass doors, and Hob thought Dream looked a little surprised at his own reflection. His imagination seemed to run wild as well, for for a split second Hob saw a smile on Dream's lips that wasn't there at all.
Dream resumed his stride and now looked only at Hob. He approached slowly, too slowly, making Hob nervous as a schoolgirl.
“I just talked to your… um… raven.”
"Raven?" Dream stopped again, but not for long, and now he was standing very close, very close to Hob. So close that Hob could feel his breath on his face. "Is it here?"
"Yes, the raven, Matthew. No, he left a couple of minutes ago. I thought you are here because he told you something about our conversation." Hob pulled himself together and smiled, trying to ignore how little distance there was between him and his old love.
“I'm here because I wanted to, Robert Gadling." Dream spoke slowly, emphasizing every word, “I'm here because I wanted to see you. Maybe even touch."
Dream raised his hand and touched Hob's cheek, the ground peeling away from under his feet. He didn't understand what had come over Dream, why he suddenly became ... like that. It can't be that he could read his mind. Hob wouldn't like that very much.
"You know, Hob, I saw some of your dreams with me. They were quite exciting. I had no idea how rich your imagination is."
His heart had never fluttered like it does now. Hob felt ashamed at the mention of dreams and blushed. He never pretended to be a saint, but some of his dreams, in which Dream appeared, surprised even him, revealing his most secret fantasies.
Dream's cold hand caressed his cheek, then rested on his neck. Hob couldn't bring himself to look in his eyes. He thought he was probably asleep. It's definitely a dream. When he'll look into his eyes, he will wake up, because even his memories couldn't make them as magical and beautiful as they are in reality.
Instead, Hob looked at other parts of Dream's face. He has incredibly smooth skin, which, most likely, never had and never will have vegetation. He has a neat straight nose, impossibly beautiful pink lips, which he wanted to cling to, which he wanted to lick and bite, from which he wanted to hear obscene sounds.
“I see what you want." Dream whispered, apparently noticing Hob's gaze on his lips.
Both of Dream's hands were now on Hob's neck, and his face began to get even closer. Hob already phantom felt the touch of their lips. Before closing his eyelids before the kiss, he looked into Dream's eyes.
And he froze. Something was wrong. It was Dream, no doubt, but there was something wrong with him. Hob recoiled sharply, preventing his lips from touching, and firmly grabbed Dream's wrists. He took a half step back and took a closer look at his friend.
Dream's eyes weren't blue. Instead of the colour of cold ice, in the pupils of which entire galaxies were hidden, two yellow eyes looked at him. Hob frowned, tightening his grip on his wrists.
“Something is wrong with you."
"What are you talking about?"
Hob's face became more serious. He couldn't explain why, but Dream seemed so alien and even hostile in front of him.
“I know your eyes, Dream. During all our meetings, I looked at them too much and for a long time not to notice the change."
Hob felt a sudden coldness all around him. Sand rose out of nowhere and swirled in a whirlwind, as if a hurricane was about to start right in this room, but he knew that it was sunny warm weather outside. A strong wind snatched Dream from his grasp. When the sand evaporated, Hob saw Dream, from the opposite end of the room, was looking out with a cold gaze that contained all the malice of this world.
But it wasn't Dream that Hob was holding. His doppelgänger was still standing next to Hob, only now it was no longer Dream's face. Instead, there was a blond-haired creature in a black tight-fitting suit with a deep cut to the waist. This creature had a wide, dangerous smile on its face.
“How dare you…” Dream’s voice resounded like thunder in a gloomy night. It wasn't The Dreaming, but Hob was sure that Dream had enough power to create a real storm in the real world. "How dare you appear here? Also on my behalf."
"Don't be dramatic." The creature next to Hob chuckled, “I just decided to have some fun with your loved friend. It's hard to resist curiosity, you know, when your least social sibling of all suddenly takes a liking to a human."
The sibling-named Dream placed a hand on Hob's shoulder and ran a manicured finger along his chin.
"You have a good taste, brother."
"Enough!" Dream's voice carried an undisguised threat. With every step he took, the sand rose again and began to swirl, picking up speed "I told you not to mess with mine on our last meeting, Desire".
"Did that apply to Robert too?" Dream's sibling put his arm around Hob's shoulders, as if he wasn't in the least afraid of his brother's wrath.
“Then I’ll list them all so that you can understand from now on." The sound of Dream's footsteps seemed to echo from everywhere. Each of his subsequent sentences was distinguished by pauses and heavy steps, from which the sand increased speed and volume, “Death is mine. Lucienne is mine. Matthew is mine. All the inhabitants of the kingdom of dreams, all dreams and all nightmares are mine. Hob Gadling. Is. Mine."
The last words seemed to rumble louder than the previous ones. The room turned into a real sandstorm. There was so much sand that Hob could no longer see not only Dream, but even his own hands.
However, a moment passed and everything ended abruptly. No sand, no Dream, no his sibling. Hob remained standing in the middle of the room, not understanding what had just happened and whether it was all real.
But the feelings that Hob felt after the last words he heard were too real for a dream.
Hob Gadling is mine.
Dream said it. Even though he was alone in his apartment, Hob put his hand to his mouth to hide his wide smile.
Dream and Desire ended up into the Dreaming. Namely, in the king's house, in his vast throne room. Now the environment completely changed according to the mood of its king: the castle shook, as if during the most powerful earthquake. If you look closely at the windows, you can see how the sky hid behind huge dark clouds. Lightning flashed here and there, accompanied by a formidable roar of thunder, the wind turned into a strong tornado. All the dreams, nightmares and dreaming people were trying to find some shelter to hide from this terrible weather, which very much resembled the end of the world.
Dream's blue eyes were completely covered in darkness, reflecting the wrath of the Lord of dreams. However, neither fear nor horror is visible on Desire's face. Their lips were still adorned with a smug smile, which infuriated Dream even more.
“You took on my form to seduce Hob Gadling. You ignored my warning".
“Don’t be so dramatic, big brother,” Desire purred, and their gaze became predatory, like a tiger’s, driving a fast doe into a dead end, “you know very well how my power works. I didn't take on your form, dear."
The steps leading up to the throne began to collapse, turning into heavy chunks of stone. Dream wanted to use all his might to make the sibling pay for the consequences of their actions, but they were right. Dream hated it when the Desire were right.
He knows about the strength of his sibling. He knows how it works for people.
“I just wanted to see the famous Robert Gadling we all know about. It's not my fault that he saw you, my little Dream."
Dream held his breath. Hell, he knew what they were talking about, but part of him resisted it. He both wanted and didn't want to hear the sibling's thought continue, which drove him crazy.
“People see me as the person they desire most in the world. It's not my fault that Hob desire you. Seeing you in the reflection, I just could not help but take advantage of it. He is a human, Dream, and subject to desires as much as dreams."
Desire giggled. That sound, coming from the younger sibling's lips, seemed to add fuel to the fire. The shadows on the walls came to life, multiplied, and all, as one, rushed to the anthropomorphic personification of human desires. Here, in the realm of dreams, Dream is more powerful than anywhere else. This is his battlefield and no one can resist him.
"And you, too." Desire sweetly added, and their image changed to Hob. The shadows aimed directly at them collided with the floor and wall, missing their target.
Dream was still, even the storm inside the castle had calmed down a bit. Hob stood opposite him with a sly cat grin. No, his sibling with Hob's face. Instead of warm brown eyes, in which Dream saw all the love of humanity for life, they looked at him with poisonous yellow.
“You can’t harm your beloved human, can you, big brother?” Hob's soft voice, mixed with the cunning of the Endless, caused many conflicting feelings in Dream, making him more vulnerable than ever.
Dream knew it wasn't Hob. Desiia didn't even try to copy his behavior, there's only an outer shell, but it was already enough to make Dream feel weak.
Hob never knew exactly how dangerous his friend was. He assumed, spoke about his thoughts to Dream, but with a bright warm smile he added that he was never afraid of him and never would be. No matter how powerful Dream possesses, Hob won't be afraid of him and will always be at his side.
That is why a new fear was born in Dream, so strong that it could not be compared with anything. Fear of hurting Hob. The man trusted him, and if one day his blood was spilled because of Dream, he would never be able to forgive himself.
Desire knew what to push. They came very close to Dream, walked around him, stood behind his back and put both hands on his shoulders.
“You know, Dream, I can help you with that." They whispered sweetly by Hob's voice in his ear. "I feel your desires. How it flares up in your stomach, how it makes your skin crawl, how hard it's to breathe just thinking about Robert Gadling. I can read about everything you want. I can help your dreams come true. Do you want to feel the weight of his arms, m?"
Desire smoothly slid his hands down Dream's shoulders until they reached his waist. Dream couldn't turn around, couldn't push away. Hob was inviolable for him. No matter how the man might piss him off in the future, Dream would never let himself lay a finger on him. He wanted to protect Hob from everything.
The King of Dreams could not boast of the ability to take care of someone. Because of this, his son even died once. But Dream knew exactly that he could protect. He has so many forces, so much power, which should be enough to hide Hob from all troubles and dangers that can cause him painful suffering.
Dream didn't forget Hob was a soldier. He survived many warriors, fought and killed even when he wasn't yet immortal. Hob came to Dream's defense, knowing full well he didn't need it. Therefore, it would be a mistake on the part of the King of Dreams to assume Hob is unable to take care of his own safety.
But it's one thing — human wars, enemies in the face of the same humans. Completely different — more powerful creatures, such as Desire. Hob couldn't resist them, no matter how much strength and dexterity he didn't hide behind his carefree smile.
“I'm so glad you no longer deny your desires, my brother."
A growl came from Dream's throat. The deep, angry growl of a wild animal. As predatory as Desire's gaze.
Hob wasn't standing next to him. It's just his body, not him. Dream must be strong enough, he must resist such an illusion, in order to be able to protect Hob from the others like Desire.
Dream threw off their hands, turned around and grabbed Hob, no, Desire, by the neck. His fingers clenched tightly, and his nails dug into tanned skin.
“Don't you dare hide behind his face, Desire." Dream tightened his grip, and grunting sounds escaped Desai. Hob's face still planted a sense of guilt in Dream's chest, but the golden eyes kept it from growing. "You'll never get close to Hob Gadling again. Never. And you will never use his face to annoy me."
"And what will you do?" Desire croaked, and even in this position, their eyes didn't lose that dangerous fire that could have burned Dream himself if they had enough power.
“I will not shed family blood. However, I will make things worse. Much, much worse. You know what I'm capable of This is no longer a warning, Desire. The second you think of him, I will destroy you. Believe me, I have enough strength. Do you understand?"
The siblings looked into each other's eyes. Both of them looked cold, full of rage, and Desire looked proudly, not wanting to accept their defeat. However, Hob's appearance was gone, and now Dream was clutching the neck of skin the same pale colour as his own.
"Yes." whispered Desire. Dream threw them to the floor.
Until his younger sibling disappeared behind Dream's sand wall, they stared into each other's eyes with all their mutual dislike and anger at each other.
When the Desire disappeared, the throne room became empty. Dream needed to repair the damage. His Kingdom was not yet firmly on its feet, despite the efforts made. Some of Dream's emotions still hurt his surroundings and dream state, but he would deal with that later. He has more important business to attend to.
After leaving his native abode, Dream again found himself in Hob's modest apartment. It seems that a little more time has passed in the Waking world than in The Dreaming, but this is not surprising, because in the realm of the Dream, time always flows differently.
Dream stood in the same room and in the same place. Only a few moments passed and he saw Hob, who was sitting on the sofa and working on some documents.
"Hob." Dream called cautiously, and Hob twitched in surprise.
He jumped up from the couch and turned to Dream, slowly taking off his glasses. Oh god, he was wearing glasses. Dream saw him in them for only a couple of seconds, but he was already fascinated by this sight. It seemed like any accessory and any clothes would suit this person. He looked great in every way. Dream thought that no work of art could compare to Hob, who combined both simplicity and something magical that is difficult to explain in words.
"Dream! You were gone for over an hour."
“I want to apologize for what happened here. And for you being deceived. I'm sorry."
"Who was that? Why... Why did they look like you?" Hob walked around his furniture to get closer to Dream.
Oh, how Dream wanted to ask him a very stupid question that he already knew the answer to. But he wanted to hear it from Hob. It took great effort for him to force himself to explain first what had happened in front of Hob some time earlier.
“It was one of my junior siblings, Desire. They used you for fun. They knew about you, Hob, and decided to use you to annoy me. It's my fault they played on your feelings."
Dream paused. Finding out the relationship with his siblings, he didn't understand how much he missed the brown eyes on this face. Even though the Desire used his appearance, they didn't look a bit different from Hob. In life they cannot copy his look, his smile, the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. Hob is impossible to repeat.
"Desire takes on the appearance of what a person desires most." said Dream.
He saw how Hob panicked, though he tried his best to hide it. Hob inhaled too sharply, clenched his jaw, and his eyes broke their eye contact.
“Why did you see me, Hob?" Dream finally asked what he wanted.
Hob hesitated. He grinned, trying to hide his eyes somewhere and not knowing what to say. Dream was fascinated by his every emotion.
Hob quickly realized that not real Dream was with him at the time. Even if he almost got what he dreamed of for many centuries, the desire didn't blind him. Hob studied Dream well and didn't let himself be fooled. This only confirmed Dream's thoughts that Hob is an incredibly strong and intelligent man, capable of standing up for himself.
“Probably because you were my old dream, Dream." Hob chuckled again, this time not only from nerves, but also from an unplanned pun. “You know, I’ve wanted to touch you for a very, very long time. Honestly, I don't need more. I'm willing to wait a few more centuries until you allow me to take another step in this direction."
"To touch? Like this?" Dream took Hob's hand and could feel the goosebumps all over the man's body.
Hob looked into his eyes and couldn't help but sigh in relief. This time, real Dream was looking at him, with the familiar ice in his iris and whole galaxies in his pupils.
"Hob, I have a request for you." Dream squeezed his other hand as well "if you feel any danger, any, even if it's just your paranoia, you will call me. Just say my name and I'll be here. I don't want anyone to take advantage of you again for fun."
"Why?" came from Hob's lips before he could think. He pressed his lips into a thin line, mentally scolding himself for such a stupid question.
Dream just smiled slightly. Of course, he's not the only one here who wants to hear the obvious answers from the right person.
"Because you are important to me."
Dream was ready to destroy the whole world and create thousands of new ones from the way Hob shone. He had never seemed so happy, and that made him a thousand times more beautiful. Dream exhaled nervously and immediately clung to his lips, not wanting to deny himself this desire anymore.
The kiss was gentle, timid, they were tasting each other for the first time. Dream wanted to pull away, but Hob seized the initiative, making the kiss more greedy and hot. Hob had poured into him all his longing for Dream, all his night dreams of him. He kissed him as if he would never kiss anyone again in his life.
Hob hugged Dream, holding him as tightly as he could. He wasn't about to let him go until he'd had enough of the long-awaited kiss, and Dream didn't mind. The feel of his tongue nearly made Dream groan at his overwhelming feelings for the man. He wanted it too, and he too had waited long enough to cling to Hob like there was no tomorrow.
Dream was the first to pull away from Hob's lips. He touched his forehead to his, without raising his eyelids, and breathed heavily. Hob admired how swollen and reddened the lips of the Endless from a long kiss, and at that moment there was nothing outside the walls of his apartment. Just him and Dream.
“I won't let anyone hurt you, Hob." Dream whispered, and Hob noticed his eyelashes flutter.
"Clearly. But please let me take care of you too. You care about the whole world. I think you deserve it no less."
Dream didn't say anything, just wrapped Hob in his arms and hid his nose in the crook of his neck. Hob laughed softly, wrapping one arm around Dream's waist and burying his fingers in his unruly black hair with the other. He took these hugs for a positive response.