Chapter Text
Hob checks his watch as he walks into his office; there's still about half an hour left before his first class starts. He closes the door behind him and walks over to his desk, placing his messenger bag on the chair and the garment bag on a hook on the wall. He had decided to bring his suit already, since the charity gala would start two hours after his last class tonight, and it seemed like too much trouble to make a roundtrip just to get his suit. There's a shower here, anyway.
It's Friday already, but he's been so busy with grading papers and staff meetings that he hasn't really made any weekend plans yet. He'd probably just stay home and catch up on his To Be Read pile of books that just keeps growing. A relaxing weekend does sound nice, especially after a busy week, where all the stress that can happen would be confined in the pages of a book.
There's the sound of sand going through an hourglass, and Hob grins and turns around.
"Dream." Hob smiles at the personification of dreams and nightmares that just appeared by his door. "What brings you here, my friend?" Their next meeting isn't scheduled until next week, but Hob certainly isn't complaining.
Dream returns the smile as he walks towards Hob, but his eyes seem a little worried. "Hob. I hope I am not intruding."
"Not at all, I got plenty of time before classes start." Hob leans back against his desk. "Is everything okay?"
"As you know, I have been spending these past months since my return to attend to matters in my realm which have been neglected while I was absent. It would appear that there are those who had been waiting to seek an audience with me, and simply didn't do so sooner out of respect while I was fixing my realm."
"Has anyone been giving you trouble?" Hob frowns. He's not sure what he can do against any magical creatures that could be harassing Dream, but he's absolutely going to try.
"Queen Titania of the Faerie spoke to me two days ago. She expressed a desire to… rekindle our previous amorous relations."
Hob slowly nods, wondering what the correct response would be to finding out that your best friend's ex-girlfriend is the queen of fairies. "And is that… trouble?" He hopes Dream isn't about to ask him for relationship advice. Hob can't exactly tell him that it would be a conflict of interest on his part.
Dream makes a barely noticeable sigh. "I have declined her offer in the most respectable manner. However, she seems to believe that she merely needs to court me in order to get my affections once more. For two days now she has sent gifts for the gardens and various entertainers for the palace halls. It has been quite… disruptive. I do not know what else I can say to reject her without causing a rift between our realms, and endanger the residents of both."
"So you came to ask me for help about diplomacy?" Hob raises an eyebrow. "You should know that's not exactly my strong suit, mate." He's now far from being the medieval peasant who wouldn't hesitate to resolve a conflict with a knife, but he's never been an expert negotiator, and trying to make peace talks happen between two magical realms feels like a different magnitude entirely.
Dream is silent for a few seconds, like he's trying to find the right words. Which is a rare enough occurence that Hob begins to get equal parts curious and worried.
"Queen Titania might respect my wishes to be left alone if she believes that I am already romantically involved with someone else."
"Okay, so you… want me to help you find a girlfriend?" Hob isn't sure if that's better or worse than Dream asking for relationship advice. "A human?"
"I was hoping… that you could pretend to be my romantic partner," Dream says while meeting his eyes.
Hob had to stand up properly to prevent himself falling over while leaning against the desk. "What? Me?"
"I cannot choose one of the Dreaming's residents, it would be unbecoming of me as their ruler, and Queen Titania would never believe it. You are the one I trust the most to be the consort of the King of Dreams without taking advantage of the position. Or of me."
Dream's consort… Hob knows he's staring wide-eyed at Dream but he can't help it.
"I hope it is not too much to ask," Dream says in concern. "You have no current romantic attachments, and I thought you might at least consider the ruse. I shall give you a boon after all of this is done."
Hob takes a breath to calm himself. In all his fantasies about him and Dream, being his consort had never even crossed his mind, pretend or otherwise.
"I'll do it," Hob hears himself say. The trick would be reminding his fool heart that it's all fake.
Dream looks so relieved and gives Hob such a soft smile that Hob knows he made the right decision. "Thank you, Hob. We can discuss the details at a later—"
The door opens. "Robert—" Hob's colleague stops in his tracks. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know you had a visitor."
"It's okay, Harry." Hob straightens up and gestures to Dream. "This is… my fiancé."
Hob stops breathing and immediately wants to kick himself. He didn't know if Dream wanted his name revealed, so his brain panicked and just grabbed the closest word it could find.
Harry looks bewildered, and Hob can't even look at Dream to see how he's reacting.
Dream steps forward and extends a hand, smiling. "Good morning. My name is Morpheus," he says graciously.
Harry blinks and shakes Dream's hand. "Good morning. Do you have a visitor's pass? I'm not sure if you can be in here."
"I apologise for the intrusion. I have just returned from a work trip and wished to see Robert as soon as I arrived in the city."
"Oh, will you be attending the gala tonight, then?" Harry looks at Hob and the garment bag hanging on the wall.
"You don't have to," Hob immediately tells Dream. The last thing he wants is for Dream to get roped into a social obligation because he blurted out that they're engaged. "I know you're tired from the travel and—"
"I will be there. I'd been away for a long while and wish to spend more time with you." Dream sounds so genuine that Hob could almost believe it.
Hob feels himself blush despite himself.
"Oh, there's a short meeting after classes," Harry tells Hob. "In the dean's office. Just some reminders about the gala. I'm meant to be going around telling our department," he gestures vaguely around them. He turns to Dream and gives a friendly wave, "Nice to meet you, Morpheus." He walks out the door and closes it behind him.
Hob immediately turns to Dream. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"Hob. There is nothing to apologise for," Dream smiles kindly. "You are correct that we should play the same ruse in your life as well as mine. Titania might eventually send some fae to spy on you, and they must see proof of our relationship in your daily routine."
"Fairies could spy on me?" Hob says in bewilderment, decidedly not focusing on what it could mean to appear to be in a relationship with Dream daily.
"They would not harm you. They would not dare incur my anger." There's a touch of possessiveness in Dream's voice that makes something in Hob's stomach curl pleasantly.
"Right." Hob nervously tugs at his earlobe. "Um, I'll see you at the charity gala tonight? 8:30 PM at the main hall. Dress code is formal." It's not the first time he's invited Dream somewhere; they'd gone to pubs and restaurants and parks and other places before, but it feels surreal to be inviting him to an event as his fiancé.
Dream nods. "I shall be there. Thank you, Hob Gadling, for doing this favour for me."
Hob feels a pang of guilt at that. The ruse isn't exactly as much of a hardship for him as much as Dream seems to think. He manages a smile. "Of course, Dream. I'm glad I could help."
Dream gives him a small smile before disappearing in a swirl of sand.
Hob releases a breath he didn't realise he was holding. Maybe agreeing to this whole thing would end up being a mistake, but Hob never claimed to be a wise man. And he knows himself well enough by now to know that he could never refuse spending more time with Dream.
He walks to his bag and prepares his materials for class. He still has several hours before he needs to pretend to be engaged to Dream, he has to focus on his work.
But his mind can't help drifting to his weekend plans, and how they might have suddenly changed now. He finds that he doesn't mind it one bit.