#also FIRM BELIEVER OF HOBS SCARS!!!!

[banancrumbs]

I really like the concept of Morpheus going to one of Hob’s work events 🤧🤧 or just meeting with his friends!!!

[llflorence]

Lost you and found Hope

Since AO3 is down, here’s the whole SMUTTY chapter:

The hello-kiss morphed into an I-missed-you-kiss before dissolving into a don't-ever-leave-me-again-kiss. Hob danced along with Dream from one to the next, meeting him with the tilt of his chin, mouth open and oh-so receptive, allowing his partner to take the lead. Memories were returning to Hob more quickly now as Dream grasped the back of his neck, drove his tongue deeper, and then pushed himself to a seated position with Hob in his lap. 

All that primal desire Hob had felt since they'd been reunited came to a head. He wanted – no, he needed – to be inside this man's pocket, tucked close to his chest. Only not in a sudden burst of lust and passion and sex. It was more than that. It lived in Hob's bones and died on his constantly shedding skin. Finding Dream when Hob didn't know he had lost him was a gut-wrenching emotion.

The arms that encircled Hob's waist were just as firm, just as possessive as he remembered. Dream nosed into Hob's cheek as he pulled them even closer together, into a hug that said he was delighted to have his lover back. And yet, there was a hint of sadness in it too.

Dream's heartbreaking moan became a gasping sob against Hob's mouth, ripping the soul where it was anchored inside. It hurt more than any burn from any fire could. Hob wanted to erase everything his Dear Heart had gone through while separated. And as Dream rested his forehead against Hob's, it became clear just how agonized he was.

"I didn't want it to be like this," Dream whispered, forming the words against the part of Hob's open mouth. "I wanted so much for you, but I didn't want this."

"What didn't you want?" Hob felt their shared disappointment with every beat of his heart.

Dream kissed Hob's cheek, trailing his lips ever so softly back to his mouth, hovering there but not touching. "I never wanted you to be Endless, too."

Hearing his lover say it with such agony, while Hob thrilled at sharing the title, was concerningly confusing.

"But," Hob slid his hands under Dream's armpits, back over his shoulders, clutching him, chest to chest. "You would rather I remained mortal? That I would grow old while you stayed the same? And when I died, you would be alone again?"

Hob could see the torment in Dream's eyes as reflected by the firelight. 

"It was your natural path, and now, because of my interference, your future has been irreversibly changed."

"Interference?" Hob couldn't believe what he was hearing. Dream thought it was his fault that Hob was now immortal? "Whatever it was that tore us apart, it's also brought us back together. And if you're guilty of anything, it's of forcing misery and suffering on yourself."

Dream sighed, fingers at the base of Hob's neck, fondling the ends of his hair. "You were always the optimistic one."

Hob fought back a smile and kissed the tip of Dream's nose. "And you, always the pessimist. Perfect match. We cancel each other out."

His partner's frown only increased, though. Hob attempted to smooth out those forehead wrinkles with his thumb. Dream was so tense it was possible to feel the staring even at skin level. Whatever went unsaid between them was causing a fair amount of worry.

Dream was the first to break eye contact, lowering his head onto Hob's shoulder and burying his face there. Hair tickled Hob's neck, breath hot down the front of Hob's shirt. And when Dream pulled back, his attention was suddenly hyper-focused. 

One long finger tugged the collar of Hob's undershirt to the side, exposing the skin. It seemed he wished to peer inside. "But –," Dream paused as he ran a forefinger from his neck to clavicle, pulling the shirt over his shoulder, "– you still have the scar."

Hob barely registered the disbelief; he referenced an injury from long ago, just after they first met. It was a misfortunate accident with a beast of a horse. The animal was well-known for biting. But Hob was distracted, thinking about the dark, mysterious man he wanted to take to his bed. Hob didn't see it coming.

Dream was touching him now in a way that was becoming more and more intimate. "The scar?" Hob asked, understanding he should have been paying attention instead of imagining other things.

"Your scar," Dream repeated, looking concerned. "I would have thought –"

It didn't end there. Dream reached for the tail end of Hob's shirt, rucking it up over his navel before slipping a warm hand inside. Hob couldn't hold back the untoward sound he made.

Dream was a man on a mission, searching under the shirt with his fingers along Hob's shoulder, his bicep, to his sternum. He palmed the front of Hob's chest, dragged his nails through Hob's unruly chest hair, inspecting every inch of him with thorough determination.

Hob couldn't help but laugh. "What are you looking for, Dearest?"

The look Dream flashed was embarrassed as if he'd been caught breaking into someone's personal treasures.

"I'm sorry, I've forgotten myself."

Hob didn't mean to laugh. He was just so damn happy. "I hope not," he joked. "We can't have two amnesiacs, now can we?"

 Hob took his shirt off and flopped backward, his head at the foot of the bed, reaching for his partner to join him. Dream's downturned eyebrows rose in shock, but he followed, still fully clothed, boots and all.

The sigh that left Hob's mouth as Dream covered him? Like coming home after a long, long stint away.

"You haven't changed," Dream purred as he nuzzled into the dimple in Hob's chin. "I'm glad for that. I was afraid that you'd be —"

"Old?"

Dream frowned with his heart-shaped mouth now too. His voice was stern when he corrected Hob.

"That you'd have moved on. Taken another . . . "

The sentence trailed to nothing, but Hob understood. It was horrible thinking that Dream may have left him behind, now that he knew what happened.

Mostly.

"Dream, Darling. I'm sorry I left you. I couldn't hurt you, so it must have been something out of my control."

But Dream was lacing his fingers through Hob's, sinking lower, the faintest brush of lips against his neck. 

"Indeed," was all the answer he supplied. And for now, it would do. Because every hair on Hob's body was standing to attention. Every nerve quivered under Dream's touch. The gentle squeeze of hands, the soft, smoothness of Dream's cheek against his chest. Like a cat scenting its favorite human. Marking as his own.

Sharp memories of Dream marking Hob in other ways made it difficult to think.

Dream continued his inspection, lovingly this time. Inhaling Hob's skin as if enjoying fine wine, nuzzling every inch of his neck, his shoulders, his wrists.

As Dream sat up, his full weight rested on Hob's thighs, and it was suddenly difficult to ignore the arousal manifesting outside Hob's mind. The low ache in Hob's pelvis signaled his heart to pump faster, flushing his cock with life-giving blood. His nipples grew hard and sensitive to the soft rush of wind as Dream finally shrugged from his coat, untied his collar, rolled up his sleeves.

Dream brooded over Hob for a few moments, as he often did in their pasts. Hob could tell he wanted to say something. It was practically falling off his lips as he opened and closed them over and over.

Hob reached for his elbow, wrapping thick fingers around the thinness of him. He hoped it would be reassuring. There wasn't anything Dream could say that would offend Hob.

"You did nothing wrong. It was my doing. The Endless are not permitted to fall in love with humans. We were discovered, and you paid the price."

Although Hob was desperate to know how he'd lost his memory, there was something more important.

"You fell in love with me?"

It was the first time Dream had said as many words, even if they were in the wrong order. Hearing it now took Hob's breath away.

"Of course I did," Dream confirmed, leaning forward on his palms, head bowed to be that much closer. "How could I not? You're unfailingly kind and good, intelligent with the brightness of a hundred suns. Everything is a wonder in your eyes, and you never, ever give up."

"Stop," Hob teased. "You'll make me blush."

Dream's elbows buckled, and the long hair in the front fell against Hob's forehead. His response was a growl, a tempting thing. "No. I'll make you burn."

"Oh."

Hob melted, evaporating like vapor in the suns. Those sinful lips touched Hobs again, teasing now. It was every dream Hob had been robbed of over the past twenty years.

It appeared Dream felt the same. He kissed more slowly while his hands worked their way onto Hob's neck. He found the space over Hob's windpipe and pressed down with his thumb. If Hob could cry out, he would.

It wasn't a hurried thing. Dream was happy to take his time remembering the feel of Hob's skin, tongues tangled, breathing in sync. And when he finished reclaiming Hob's skin from navel to nose, Dream pushed himself off the bed, and began to undress.

Overstimulated and flustered, Hob moved quickly. He righted himself and whipped the covers back. He shuffled out of his underwear and, feeling self-conscious, flung himself under the covers. 

Then he watched.

He'd seen Dream shirtless before the memories came back to him. But now that it held meaning, it was that much more torturous to witness.

Dream turned his back, where he'd gained some definition, but still sported the hint of ribs. His wiry arms were pale, strong, shining with the reflection of the heat source. Hob wished he hadn't loaded so much wood on the fire; they would be sweated out.

Somehow the man's backside was paler than the rest of him. Beautiful still, a thing to be worshipped if Hob were that kind of person. 

Dream sat on the bed and bent over to deal with his boots, socks, and trousers while Hob shuffled closer to be able to run his hand up his lover's spine. It was so good to be touching him.

Unclothed now, Dream pivoted and slipped his feet under the quilt. Time was moving faster, and Hob had mere seconds to prepare himself before Dream was pulling him close, skin to skin, those stunning eyes bright and expressive, even in shadow.

It was different, holding him like that. Now that Hob had his proper wits about him, the tragic reality of it, their embrace beneath that quilt, seemed almost poetic.

They wrapped their limbs more tightly around the other's, pressed chests and sharp hip bones and noses and lips together. There was a soft kind of desperation in Dream's kiss. As if he couldn't believe Hob was there, as if even the slightest loss of connection between them was agonizing, as if he worshipped Hob in return.

Hob slipped one arm under Dream's waist as they lay on their sides, flattening his hand over the smooth part of his lower back. Like collecting blankets around him, Hob guided Dream into his curves, contours that called out to be touched, slid a leg over his, and hooked his foot behind Dream's knee.

The smile that formed against Hob's mouth was delightful. Dream was happy enough to be showing that much. Hob marveled at the difference between this and the night he carried Dream to his bed under more dire circumstances.

That familiar feeling of needing more returned, of being close but not close enough. Hob clung to Dream with everything he had, as if he were falling and scrambling to prevent it. But again, his lover was unhurried. He enjoyed Hob's mouth with reverence and rubbed his back with adoration.

It continued for what felt like hours; Hob quietly pleaded for the future, while Dream was content to focus on the present. Until Hob finally stopped fighting it and fell into rhythm with Dream's languid pace.

It happened slowly, almost undetectable, except for the easy flame in Hob's belly. And then a surge that tugged at his chest, similar to the energy transfer that had renewed Dream to his current state. Only it wasn't draining. It was fulfilling, as Dream's own life-sustaining essence flowed back into Hob.

"You feel that?" Dream whispered, angling his head to be able to have access to Hob's gaze. 

"Yeah. What is it?"

Dream's smile was gentle, lips kiss-swollen and pink. "We're synchronizing."

He'd mentioned that to Johanna back in Sateed. "But, doesn't it . . . hurt?"

A low chortle sounded in Dream's throat. "Not when together. Trust me."

Hob refused to think about Dream like this with someone else, even though Hob had been with others. And it was as if Dream read Hob's mind. His embrace strengthened and he crooned, nuzzling reassuringly into Hob's cheek. "Let me show you."

It began as a faint vibration, like a thunderstorm many miles away. Dream held him close, snuffled into his hair, shifted Hob to his back a little. Where Dream had once been still, smothering Hob with kisses and soft affection, his movements turned shorter, more focused.

Hob relished the feeling of being crushed. A big guy like him didn't often get to be on the receiving end. It had always been so natural with Dream. Like scent memories. Like muscle memories. Like deja vu.

They'd been here before, but not like this. Hob was more powerful; every sensation heightened. He could feel the moment Dream rocked ever so gently forward, dragging his nipples against Hob's chest hair. He could hear the satisfied little growl in Dream's chest. And he picked up on the gentle thrusting his lover had begun. Something Hob was already responding to with an upward grind of his hips.

Suddenly, it was all there, like a blindfold being ripped away. Hob groaned at the long hardness grazing against his own erection, slid both hands onto Dream's narrow ass, and rocked in tempo with him.

That was pleasing to Dream, and he hummed in a familiar way. He brushed the hair on Hob's forehead again, gripped at the nape of his neck, and jerked his hips a little harder.

"Oh," that was heavenly. As soon as Hob cried out, Dream covered his mouth with more obscene kisses and repeated the action.

Hob wiggled a little to get better friction against his cock, seeking out relief in the form of Dream's quickly growing erection. He wasn't rushing; on the contrary, Hob was settling in for a long, long night of grinding and touching, kissing and sweet torture, while the wind blew outside and the storm covered their voices.

Hob was gasping for air by the third thrust. It was as if every receptor in his body had borrowed its sensitivity to one area. And Dream moved as if he felt the same.

They ground their pelvises together, Dream forcing his cock down while Hob tried to arch his back to meet him. When their timing was right, both erections rubbed hot and heavy against each other. Foreskin caught against foreskin, dragged and stretched toward the apex of the thrust, and then that delicious glide as both relaxed.

Hob didn't want it to end. He clung to Dream with fingers as claws, not daring to let go of him for a second. But sweat quickly collected on skin surfaces, kicking up the heat between them and the blanket. With Hob being naturally warm while Dream was practically cold-blooded, it made sense when the covers were kicked off, and Dream sat back to straddle Hob's thighs.

There was a sheen of droplets across Dream's chest, his forehead shiny and his arms trembling. He wiped a hand with its graceful fingers across his chest, collecting the wetness there, and then took up Hob's cock with zero hesitation.

"Fuck." What else could Hob say? Dream had him right where he wanted him, exactly where Hob wanted to be, too.

He did it again with the other hand, wiped himself dry, and then wrapped all ten fingers around Hob's dick.

Hob thought Dream was much too far away, but he understood the need for a break. He could do with one, too, by the time his lover took to stroking him, twisting like he was wringing out a wet towel, watching with eyes that expressed how far gone he was.

It wasn't going to take long; Hob had denied himself for some time. If he was being punished with immortality, Hob would take that one step further and punish himself for that period.

Hob dug his fingers into Dream's slim thighs; he needed something to hold on to, something to ground him. 

Both men watched as Dream allowed Hob's cock to rest on his palm. When it twitched as Hob tensed, Dream pressed a thumb down firmly, just under the head to keep it steady. And then he waited. He waited while Hob squirmed with anticipation. He waited as the storm increased in volume and Hob's gasp of pleasure did too. 

"You're getting ahead, again."

"You bet your ass I – " Hob stopped, realizing that Dream was telling him to stay in the present, to enjoy the process, to forget about the destination.

Dream was smiling now, sliding his thumb back and forth over the most tender skin, offering a little tease while Hob calmed himself.

Here and now, Hob told himself. He clenched and then released his fists, closed his eyes, and jerked them open as Dream took a firm hold and began stroking with fervor.

"Oh, shit." Hob caught a glimpse of Dream's erection poking between his legs, jarred by the motion of his arm as he quickly took Hob to the edge. 

Hob used every curse word he knew, and a few he picked up on other planets but didn't know the meanings of. He tried to sit up to stem the inevitable, but Dream kissed him hard and prevented any chance at keeping his dignity. As his ejaculation peaked, Hob cried out as if he were young again and experiencing his first time. Surprisingly all-consuming and fraught with aftershocks.

While Dream retrieved his shirt for a quick swipe across Hob's stomach, for the spillover into his hand, Hob continued to twitch with ecstasy. Dream held him still, fist flattening on his abs, into his chest hair. Always touching him.

"Thank you," Hob exhaled, feeling suddenly sleepy and about to fight back. "But, wait. You're not –"

"Shhh," Dream hushed, gathering Hob in his arms as he fell backward on the bed. "You should not worry about me. We have more time, My Love. You should rest. Eventually, we'll not want to leave the bed for food or water. We'll be ravenous for each other."

Hob couldn't imagine wanting this man even more, but he was game to give it a go. "You sleep, too." It wasn't a request. It was a demand. Hob couldn't lie there under Dream's spell if he weren't nearby to cast it.

"Very well. But you should really try to sleep. You'll need your strength if you're to keep up with me."

"Is that a challenge?"

Dream tucked Hob's head under his chin, curled his fingers deep into Hob's chest hair. "Just facts. When an Endless finds their forever partner, the first time is always the strongest."

"First time –?"

Dream huffed into Hob's hair and squeezed a nipple, not ungently. "The First Burn. My sister, Death, and her counterpart, Life. Destiny and his partner, Liberty. There is no separation during, and little time apart after. Are you prepared for that?"

It felt like finality, an informal, open-ended request of something that seemed frightfully important. Hob didn't feel at all worthy.

"But what –" Hob lost courage to ask his burning question. It was stupid, really, but he wanted to know. Death had Life, after all. Who – "What is your forever partner's name, Dream?"

His lover's lips brushed the top of his ear, and he suddenly tensed like an animal about to pounce, and pulled Hob onto his chest.

"I've told you. Don't you remember?" Those dark eyes glinted with help from the firelight; all that was left were the red glowing coals.

Hob couldn't remember. It could be the drowsy haze that clouded his senses, now that Dream blinked so lovingly into his eyes. "You're Dream, and I'm – I'm –"

Dream slipped a hand behind Hob's neck and pulled him in for a near-kiss. "You're the reason the universe goes on," he breathed into Hob's lungs. "Your absence was the reason the universe nearly collapsed. With you gone, you took their will to endure with them."

Dream smiled and lifted his mouth to meet Hob's, and then pulled his head onto his chest, snuggling against him, preparing for the first of many recuperations.

"Hob Gadling, once mortal, now forever mine. To be known by the other Endless as 'Hope.'"