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1.
It’s a normal Saturday afternoon when Hob sees Dream in the Waking World. It wouldn’t be surprising, his friend sometimes drops by from time to time, but now he’s not even looking at Hob. Instead, his eyes are trained on an ice cream stand, or more precisely, on the young boy currently buying ice cream - Jed.
Hob doesn’t come closer, staying where he is, but he’s sure Dream’s aware of his presence. Still, the Endless doesn’t look at him, opening one arm for Jed when the kid comes close, a ghost of a smile on his face.
“My favourite is strawberry, so that’s what I got you,” the boy says seriously, beaming at the man.
Dream hums, gently cradling the cone in his long, thin fingers. The pink ice cream looks ridiculous with his all-black ensemble, but he doesn’t say anything, just pulls Jed closer and walks them to a bench.
Hob presses himself closer to a tree, trying not to feel like a stalker as he watches them. He simply wants to see his friend interact with his nephew, not make Jed uncomfortable. Hob knows how busy Dream can be, and he can only imagine how much the boy misses him, when he’s so clearly attached.
Still, it’s strange to see Dream of the Endless like that, sitting on a random bench, eating strawberry ice cream with a young boy pressed to his side. Jed is excitedly talking about something, and Dream’s a great listener, Hob knows. He’s attentive and dedicated, and he replies whenever appropriate, clearly making Jed even more excited.
It’s a stark difference from their meeting in 1589, though Hob has to admit that he also wasn’t the best companion, with his boasting and showing off. Dream always liked him to be sincere and real.
Here, in some random park, Dream looks in his element as much as he does in the Dreaming, sitting on his throne. He’s relaxed and smiling softly, eating the ice cream before it can melt, listening attentively. Even the multiple people around him don’t seem to make him tense, though Hob knows crowds can overwhelm him.
It seems, however, that Jed knows that as well, as Hob sees him frown.
“Is it too much for you, Uncle Dream? There’s a free bench deeper in the park,” the boy says, eyes huge.
It's adorable, how Dream absolutely melts for Jed, awe in his eyes. His friend came a long way in admitting weakness, as he doesn’t even startle, just nods his head calmly.
“I would appreciate a calmer place,” Dream admits. “However, it’s time for your meeting with the football club, I think, so we should go.”
“Soccer,” Jed insists with all the self-assurance of children. “It’s called soccer here.”
Dream hums, and they slowly get going, throwing the papers away, Jed immediately attaching himself to Dream’s side - he’s a very clingy boy for his age, but Hob can tell he's been through some things, he has that look in his eyes. It seems like Dream’s presence is helping him relax and calm down, awe on his face whenever the Endless speaks.
“I don’t wanna go,” Jed whines, but doesn’t struggle. “We just met!”
Hob’s friend chuckles, momentarily glancing at where Hob is hiding in the shadows, a flash of a smile on his face.
“We met 5 hours ago, Jed Walker,” he replies. “Just as I promised. And if I find the time, I shall do my best to visit you tomorrow.”
“For dinner?”
“I don’t tend to eat much, but I shall if it makes you happy.”
Jed shrugs with visibly forced nonchalance. “It’s been a while since we had a family dinner, and-”
“Then I will eat with you,” Dream interrupts kindly. “Just as long as I’m welcome.”
“You’re always welcome.”
Hob smiles when this causes his friend to melt a bit, a smile on his face. They’re too far for Hob to hear his reply, but there’s warmth in his chest even as he watches them walk away again. It’s always good to see his friend relax like that, purely for his own good. He knows what Dream’s been through, and this innocent human contact with Jed is doing him wonders.
2.
The next time he finds Dream in London, Hob’s on his way to a meeting with the dean, though he still has time to spare. These meetings don’t happen often, but because of their schedules, it’s easiest to schedule them for the weekends, much as Hob hates it. He has better things to do on weekends than attending university business, but he does like this job and wants to keep it, much as he doesn’t do it for the money.
He’s passing the cinema when a familiar, striking figure catches his eye - Dream.
Hob stops and just stares, watching as his friend skillfully gathers a group of kids, about Jed’s age, into a little circle, about six awed faces looking up at him in admiration.
“It’s polite to be quiet in public spaces,” Dream is saying. “You behaved very well, so we can go to eat a pizza before your parents pick you up.”
A quiet cheer goes around, but the kids are surprisingly well-behaved, for their age. Hob quickly locates Jed, pressed against Dream's side as usual, but now there are two more kids hovering around the Endless, clearly wishing for the same. His friend solves the issue by pulling one of them closer, and then using his long arm to clasp his hand on the other’s shoulder.
The kids beam up at him, and Dream goes back to watching over them. He's careful and attentive, but he doesn't stop the kids from having fun and running around a bit, though he never allows them to stray too far from him.
His actions are effortless, as if he's just natural with kids, even though he's really not great with adults - Hob would know. Many people don’t like Dream, even after speaking to him only once, but the kids are trailing him like little ducklings, clearly enamoured. It makes a strange amount of sense, in a way, for the Prince of Stories and Dreams to prefer kids. And to know how to deal with them.
Hob doesn’t have that much time to spare, so he throws one last glance at his friend, before hurrying away into the subway - he’s almost late.
3.
“Now I don’t have it,” Hob grumbles, making his way into the library in the rain. “Out of all days…”
He tends to keep many books in his apartment, with some stashed in a storage facility as well, though his true library is good 60 miles away from London - the city suffered too much for Hob to hide his precious books there.
Normally, he has everything he needs on hand, but he just found himself with a new class to teach, with only a few weeks to create the curriculum for, and he doesn’t have one of the books necessary - he needs to read it first and see if he remembers it correctly. This is exactly why Hob’s on his way to a public library on a Friday afternoon, in the heavy rain of a British summer.
He huffs and puffs and finally wrangles his umbrella closed, rolling his eyes when he sees many others leaning against a wall - apparently, Hob managed to make it in time for the reading session for kids. He takes part in it sometimes, but now he really has some work to do, and he even brought his laptop with him for that purpose.
“Ah, Robert,” Betty, the older librarian greets him with a smile. “I think we found a good replacement for you when it comes to story time - dare I say, he’s even better than you were! The kids love him.”
Hob smiles. “This is great, Mrs Jones,” he says warmly. “I’m afraid I don’t have time to chat, I’m in need of a few books…”
It's only because he’s so well-known and trusted that Hob gets some of those books, but he’s grinning when Betty hands him everything. There are quite a few people in the reading area, but Hob finds a free table and settles there with his things, sighing deeply.
The weather is quite perfect for working in the library, and he settles on the soft chair gratefully, appreciating the small comforts (that he may or may not have paid for). Work doesn’t come easy, but he puts on his favourite instrumental and just focuses on the moment.
After only 30 minutes, Hob has to take a break - immortal or not, his body still has needs, and bathroom breaks are one of those. He closes the laptop and makes his way to the bathroom, and on his way back, a faint voice reaches him, causing him to frown.
It’s barely audible and muted, but Hob would know it anywhere, at any time - Dream.
He stopped being surprised by his friend visiting the Waking World without him after the second time Hob caught him there, but it still causes his heartbeat to speed up. And now he has some suspicion about just who the library found as his replacement.
Hob almost tiptoes to the kid’s reading area, peeking into the room only to almost melt on the spot. He fights a blush that wants to climb onto his face when he finds Dream, this time wearing a huge, knitted, black sweater, perfectly soft and warm, surrounded by a bunch of kids, all reclining on the fluffy carpet.
His friend isn’t holding a book, but his voice is even and deep when he tells a story, spinning images in a way only the Prince of Stories can. The kids are awestruck, either watching Dream intently or listening with their eyes closed, smiles on their faces.
A few kids are resting against Dream, one girl almost laying on his lap, holding onto his huge sleeve - Dream allows it all without tensing, carrying on his story softly. Hob’s heart flutters again when he realises the Endless is spinning a story of a brave soldier turned knight who keeps appreciating and loving life no matter what hardships he faces. It’s clear just who that dashing, brave knight is, and Hob blushes when Dream’s stunning eyes lock onto his own.
Dream doesn’t stop talking, none of the kids notice him, but Hob still feels seen and appreciated, as if his friend is telling this story only to him.
“Mister Dream?” one of the boys asks. “Does the knight have a lady?”
His friend smiles mysteriously, and gently pets the kid’s hair.
“No lady, but there is one special man who appreciates and admires him very much,” he replies. “A man not many know, for he walks mostly alone through the world, but the knight is his one true best friend.”
The kids ooh and aah, giggling and blushing, and one brave girl decides to press the issue, causing Hob to chuckle soundlessly.
“Does the man love the knight, Mister Dream?”
In the face of many huge eyes staring at him in anticipation (Hob’s included), Dream doesn’t falter. His smile grows softer, and his eyes are shining only for Hob.
“Very much so,” he says quietly.
Hob has to duck behind the door to hide his gasp, blushing and grinning madly. He presses his hands to his cheeks, desperately trying not to squeal. He knows what Dream meant, and he knows his friend knew he was there - and so this means that Dream did actually mean to confess to him like that.
It’s not a candlelight confession or one thrown in the middle of an argument like Hob imagined before, but somehow it’s even more right this way. Dream doesn’t lie, especially not to children, and he doesn’t lie to Hob either. It’s clear the Endless doesn’t want to say it directly to Hob, not all alone, not yet, but this is more than enough for him.
He can hear his friend continuing on with the story, and finally gets himself under control enough to walk back to his table. It’s hard to focus, his heart still hammering and face flushed, but Hob forces himself to pull through.
Next time he glances at the side of his table, there’s a note there, in Dream’s loopy cursive. Hob smiles when he reads it, memorising the hour and the place - it’s an invitation to Jed’s birthday party, as Dream’s companion.
He can’t wait.
+1
His hands are sweaty and the warm sun doesn’t help with the sweating, but Hob takes a deep breath and steels himself. The Regent’s Park is green and bursting with flowers and people, and Hob easily finds the spot that Dream mentioned - under a huge apple tree, covered in flowers.
Dream is settled on a deep blue blanket, surrounded by food and baskets, Rose settled under his arm with a notebook on her lap. Hob can see Jed running around with his friends, and the kid notices him quickly.
“Mr. Hob!” he calls, causing Dream to look up.
Hob flushes under his attention, and easily allows Jed to tug him closer, Dream’s free hand rising.
“Hob,” his friend says warmly. “I’m pleased you came.”
“Couldn’t refuse such an invitation, could I?”
Jed laughs and nods. “It’s cool! You’re Uncle Dream’s friend and Rose said it’d be good if there were more adults watching, and Uncle Dream wanted you to come, so…”
“I’m honored,” Hob says honestly. “Go and have fun, Jed, I’m gonna say hello to Dream.”
The kid is gone in a flash, and Hob settles by Dream’s side, flushing even more when his friend wraps a loose arm around his back, hand settling on his hip. There’s a question in his movements, and Hob doesn't allow doubt to creep in - he melts into Dream’s side, resting his head on his shoulder, enjoying the absolute intimacy of it.
“You guys are disgustingly cute,” Rose chirps in from her spot. “I didn’t know Uncle Dream could look so soft!”
Hob laughs. “Then you clearly weren’t watching him when he was looking at you,” he replies. “I swear he melts because of you.”
Dream scoffs, but doesn’t deny it, and Rose hides her blushing face in his shoulder. Hob can imagine what they look like - Dream, regal, pale, and dressed in black, surrounded by two colourful people (since Hob is wearing pink and Rose purple) who are cuddling into his sides. Dream seems awfully pleased with himself.
“We decided a party in the park will be good for him,” his friend says quietly as Rose goes back to her writing. “Since he spent more than enough time indoors, I think.”
Hob hums. Dream has told him a bit about Rose and Jed after that first meeting at the university, and Hob is very glad that they get to experience a normal and happy life now, with Dream so clearly involved in making it even better.
“You’re good for them,” he whispers into Dream’s ear.
His friend shudders lightly, and leans closer.
“I do my best,” he says. “It is far from easy, but…”
“It helps.”
Dream hums and Hob rests his head back on his shoulder, almost nuzzling into his neck, The Endless smells like ozone and ash, and it’s a strangely pleasant smell that makes Hob want to bury in his shoulder and never leave. The other man’s arm tightens around his waist, so Hob scoots even closer, senses going haywire with the proximity.
For so long he had yearned and pined, and now he has it - not defined yet, not discussed, but it’s a start, and a lovely one at that. They have all the time in the world to talk about their future, their relationship, and what it means for them. For now, Hob just relaxes into Dream’s hold and watches Jed have fun with his friends.
It’s even better when he’s participating instead of watching. Jed is an energetic child and his friends flock to Hob and Dream like ducklings, Rose chuckling from her space under her Uncle’s arm. They eat the food that Rose and Jed prepared, and Dream entertains the kids easily, Hob sliding in with a few jokes here and there, and it’s effortless teamwork.
It’s been a long time since Hob spent time around something that felt this much like family, and the realisation that this is a family leaves him feeling warm. As always, there’s so much to live for.