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Dream seemed to tower over him as he approached Hob from his throne, making Hob feel like he was the size of a pea.
It was all wrong.
The hair wasn’t dark like the midnight sky; the eyes didn’t twinkle with amusement when they saw Hob standing there.
There was nothing familiar about this being.
This was not HIS Dream.
“Wake up.” He pleaded with himself, “Wake up, wake up, wake up! The dream is over, the dream is over, the dream is OVER!”
…...........................................................
He woke up with a start, feeling the morning breeze brush into the room, making the curtains flutter. He blinked hard, eyes adjusting to the morning light. Looking over to his other side, he wasn’t surprised to find it empty.
Even if his heart did sink at the sight.
And then he smelt the burnt bacon coming from the kitchen, prompting him to spring to his feet and rush in that direction, knowing that where there was smoke and the smell of burning, fire wasn’t far behind. If he nearly knocked himself out walking into a doorframe thanks to still being half asleep, then that was his business and his business alone.
“I made coffee.” HIS Dream stated, before glaring at the bacon in the pan, “This is inedible.”
“Thank you.” Hob chuckled, the noise sounding weak to even his ears.
They’d managed to avoid the end of the path that would have led to the end of Morpheus.
Hob knew these nightmares would never come to pass.
It didn’t stop him from having them.
…………………………………..
It was three in the morning in the Waking world, and Dream couldn’t find his husband.
“There are rumours that one of the Nightmares has been focusing on him.” Lucienne reported, “Unsubstantiated, but- “
“Which one?”
“…Daniel Hall was most displeased at the role he received. It is believed that he is doing this out of anger, lashing out because of a perceived wrong. His subjects don’t like being treated like they are a punishment to rule over.” She adjusted her glasses, “One of them could be persuaded to tell you the truth.”
“… I must check in with Hob in the Waking World. There, it will be easy to see if a Nightmare does indeed have him in their clutches.”
Without waiting for an answer, he re-visited the Waking world, appearing in the room that he shared with Hob.
He observed the twitching and jerking of the muscles for a moment, frowning at the obvious signs of distress emanating from him.
“Hob?” He was just about slip into the other man’s dreams, when Hob suddenly flinched and shot up into a seated position, breathing hard, to the point where he almost sounded like he was hyperventilating.
“Hob?” He asked again, watching as Hob’s attention suddenly turned to him, “Are you alright?”
“I-I just need something to drink.”
Dream watched as he stumbled out of bed and down the hall to the kitchen.
This would not stand.
It just wouldn’t.
………………………………………….
Hob stayed in the kitchen for as long as he could get away with. When he finally returned to his room, his mattress had cooled and whilst there was no visible sign of him anywhere, it was clear that Dream was still watching over him.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Dream watched as Hob threw himself into his work as hard as he could, even in the middle of summer when the sun was high in the sky and showing no signs of abating any time soon.
It wouldn’t be long, until he needed to rest again, and Dream would be ready this time.
As predicted, Hob went to sit in a nearby deckchair in the shade. It wasn’t long before he fell asleep, and it took even less time before he was frowning and twitching a little in his sleep. Slowly, he moved over to him, kneeling by the deckchair and placing a hand on Hob’s chest.
Hob was not going to suffer with this for any longer.
…………………………………………………
Plague victims were dying all around him.
His friend and family were lost to the ravages of time.
“Hob.”
All except him of course.
His beloved Eleanor and Robyn were dying in front of him.
“Enough. You have tormented him enough!”
The White-Haired Dream was reaching out for him.
There was a horrible scratching noise, before the light in Dream’s eyes flashed in the darkness and he seemed to grow around them, towering high above him, one pale hand reaching out for him until…
“HOB!”
…he was awake.
He looked over to his right, seeing Morpheus sitting there, his face twisted in concern.
“Would you like someone to drink?” He asked gently, “Some of this…lemonade?”
Hob nodded slowly, “Yeah… please.”
Morpheus nodded, going to fetch the drink, only pouring one glass, the fizziness of the cool liquid not being a personal favourite for him. Hob downed the glass, wincing when the concerned look on his lover’s face only deepened.
“I guess I was thirsty, huh?” He forced himself to smile, as Morpheus shook his head.
“I do not think thirst was the only reason behind it.” He poured Hob another glass and sat back.
Hob wasn’t sure what the look in his eyes was about, but decided that he didn’t want to get into it right now, looking away and taking soft sips at this second glass.
….
Daniel would not be permitted to do this again.
…
Morpheus woke up, feeling a disturbance in the bed, hearing Hob heading over to the kitchen, bare feet on the tiles.
It was half three in the morning.
He got up, grabbing Hob’s dressing gown, wrapping himself up in it, before following him. When he found him, Hob was sitting on the floor, his back against the countertop, trying to stop hyperventilating.
“Hob?”
“I keep seeing it...every awful thing that has ever happened to me.”
Feeling like his heart was being squeezed in his chest, Dream went to make some tea for them, keeping the noise to a minimum so that Hob wasn’t too startled. All the while, he knew his lover was watching him, as though committing him to memory.
From what he’d seen of the nightmares, that wasn’t much of a shock.
“Here.” He whispered, handing Hob the mug, sitting on the floor next to him, “Drink. It will help.”
“Can you die in your sleep because of a nightmare?” Hob blurted out, “Because I know I'm immortal, but that Daniel kid is clearly trying his best.”
“I won’t let him get away with it.”
“I don’t regret not dying.” Hob whispered softly, “But I don’t want to have to remember all those I left behind.”
“As soon as I am able to, I will rid you of this nightmare.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“I intend it to be…drink the tea.”
Hob finished the drink, returning to the bedroom, seeing that the sheets had been changed somehow as Dream was rearranging the pillows. “You know…” He chuckled, “…I remember an old wife’s tale, about if you turn you pillows over after a nightmare, then it can’t come back.”
“Why?”
“I have no idea… does the nightmare leak out of your ear and into the pillow?” Hob climbed into bed, “In that case, why not change the pillowcase entirely?”
His breathing was loud in the silence, as Dream pulled him into his arms.
…..
Dream was standing over Daniel.
He shouldn’t be here?
The Kindly Ones had taken him away, Daniel had seen it.
"You have made a grave mistake." Dream hissed, the voice making Daniel's teeth shake in his skull, making him feel small and insignificant, "You have targeted Hob Gadling, for slights unknown and that cannot go unpunished."
"You can't do anything to me!"
"I cannot." Dream acknowledged, "But all the Endless are held to a high standard. My sibling Desire has felt the sting of Destiny's punishments before...and now you will feel the same."
Daniel's form shimmered a little, as he fought to change the surroundings, trying to show that he still had the control here.
But nothing happened.
“Say hello to my brother for me.”
And then everything went black.
…
Dream stared at the spot where Daniel was, before turning away.
It was over now.
Hob needed him.