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Dream was horrified. Hob was less horrified and more amused as he looked at his raven-haired lover, a small smile curling the corners of his mouth. The dishwasher hummed softly in the brightly lit kitchen, a miracle device if Hob had ever seen one, except when it was vomiting subs all over the time kitchen.
“What…how did this happen?” Dream sounded incredulous as he watched as another fall of suds cascaded down the front of the infernal machine. He had been careful this time! He looked at Hob with a frustrated expression, trying to figure out what he had done wrong this time.
Hob bit his lip, trying his best not to simply burst out laughing as Dream had turned his wounded blue-eyed gaze to him. The former King of Dreams was taking the whole thing as a personal affront, and it was all Hob could do to keep his laughter in check.
He nearly lost control of himself when Dream had stepped back as the suds advanced across the floor, increasing as the machine shifted into another wash cycle. “What did you put in there?” Hob’s voice was an octave higher than normal as he fought back his laughter.
Dream glared at the advancing suds. The blue liquid in the bottle on the back of the sink was mocking him. It had read “Dishwashing Liquid”, and this was a dishwasher, it only made sense that it would go in there. He couldn’t remember there ever being bubbles when Hob had run the dishwasher. Sighing deeply, he looked back down at the suds. He would have to walk through them in order to show Hob what he had done to the dishwasher. Grumbling about wet socks and traitorous machines, he forced himself to finally walk through the suds and collect the bottle off of the back of the sink.
“Oh, duck!”
Dream’s dark look returned as Hob took the bottle. “It says Dishwashing Liquid,” Dream fairly spat, the blue bottle suddenly becoming the enemy in his mind. “It is clearly mislabeled.” The regal haughtiness in his voice was hard to miss and that finally sent Hob over the edge.
He pulled Dream into an embrace, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “This is not the first time this has happened, love of mine.” He smirked at Dream, kissing him again. “I can bet that nearly every human on this planet has done this at least once.”
That did little to pacify Dream, who was watching as yet another fall of suds cascaded down the front of the machine, inching its way across the floor.
Frowning at all of it, Dream stopped the machine, his heart sinking at the scene that awaited him. The inside of the machine was filled with berry scented suds, all the way to the top. Dream groaned, covering his face with his hands.
“Alright, love,” Hob kissed him a final time before he went to find towels and a bottle of white vinegar.
Dream began to empty the dishwasher in silence, piling the sudsy dishes in the sink to be rinsed while Hob poured a half a cup of vinegar into the dishwasher, casting little glances over his shoulder at Dream. “Will that work?”
Hob nodded, closing the door to the dishwasher and beginning the cycle over again. “It did when I did this.”
That got Dream’s attention and the former King of Dreams turned to face his lover, an eyebrow raised. Hob had also made the mistake of putting the wrong soap in the dishwasher. He wasn’t angry at Dream for making the same mistake. Together they cleaned up the mess on the floor, Dream loading the wet towels into the washing machine while Hob finished mopping. He was getting the hang of being human and knowing that Hob had made the same mistakes was a balm to his soul. He wandered back into the living room, settling on the battered green sofa next to Hob, tucking his head under Hob’s chin. “Thank you, my love.”
Hob kissed Dream’s temple and pulled him closer, nuzzling into Dream’s raven hair. “Love you. Next time, though, use the little tab things under the sink.”