Fic rec list part two (here's part one) with a few more and some variety:
Some more Hob saves Dream + AUs:
Unclip My Wings by starsniper (1.4k):
When Roderick Burgess unveils his circusâs latest spectacle, Hob is one of the only spectators who doesnât gasp or recoil in abject horror at what he reveals.
AKA - Circus rescue mission, and then they fall in love.
ocean lullaby by starsniper (2k):
âI will break you, you sin against God,â Burgess growls at Dream, snapping the whip directly at the end of Dreamâs tail. It takes all of his self control for Dream to not flinch. Especially when Roderick hits the same spot again, this time drawing blood. The wound is shallow, at least. Merfolk are not easy to harm, their bodies are far more hardy than humans, but they can still die if bled out. Burgess knows this, knows that the whip will hurt more than harm, and so he utilizes it to make Dream sing for him.
But still, Dream will not sing. He will never sing for any mortal man.
An Inn and The World's End by ginoeh (8.9k):
~ A Winter Tale ~
An Inn stands bright and warm in a world of snow and ice and twilight. The Innkeeper is no hero but when Death comes calling, he takes what any hero does - a guide, a companion and a magical weapon - and takes up the task to find the Nightking at the edge of the world.
In the arms of Morpheus | Dans les bras de MorphĂŠe. by aalisse (12.3k):
Death comes for a raven, and finds her brother. He doesn't ask her for help, but prevents her possible entrapment, so she finds Hob Gadling and suggests he do something about the situation at hand.
Cue a one man resque mission in 1926, which leads to dozens of years of platonic, yet vaguely romantic dating both in the waking world and in the Dreaming.
who wants to live forever? by ranchdiip (18.2k):
It's 1989 and Hob Gadling thinks he's been stood up. Death herself is kind enough to inform him otherwiseâand, well, now Hob's got to bloody do something about it, doesn't he?
Spite (Is As Good A Reason As Any) by Blue_Sunshine (24.6k):
Hob has a bone to pick with (Dream of the Endless) and damn if he isn't going to find the bastard to have it out.
~*~
The White Horse Inn is officially condemned in 2009 and Hob, twenty years after being stood up, decides that he's not going to let that be the last word.
~*~
Or, ten years before Paul Maguire either finally loses his nerve (or gains it, perhaps), Hob Gadling and Johanna Constantine become unlikely partners on a seemingly ill-fated search for an immortal man who never actually gave his only friend his name.
The reverse Dream saves Hob:
Baring of Fangs by AceDragonType (15.8k):
Hob plan's for the week definitely hadn't included being kidnapped and tossed into a dungeon to be a vampire snack. Thankfully for everyone (except the kidnappers) Hob had teeth of his own.
Prometheus, Bound. by LeotheLionathefootofOrion (18.2k):
In the year 1916, Roderick Burgess attempts to summon and capture Death. He misses his mark by quite a way, but heâs never been one to waste an opportunity.
Dream of the Endless was friend-zoned back in 1889. He does not get captured in 1916. The Dreaming remains in good order. He has never been more powerful.
And in 1916, Hob Gadling is just a soldier, until he isnât. Immortality, it seems, has its pitfalls.
Oh, and The Corinthian? Heâs having a wonderful time.
The Storms of Life by Torte (20k):
What if someone heard Hob shouting after Dream in 1889? He was pretty damn loud. What if he gets himself caught? Will Dream notice?
My Stranger, My Dream by SigniorBenedickofPadua (67.2k):
Roderick Burgess' spell does not summon Death, but someone who has been touched by Death. Hob Gadling ends up in his cellar instead of Dream.
And Though I Burn (How Could I Fall) by Purplesauris (52.5k):
In 1916, Dream is summoned by an amateur magician while chasing a rogue nightmare.
In 1916, Hob Gadling is caught in the cross fire of said summoning.
Like the Ocean to the River [a Sandman fic] by TUNiU (2.8k):
Back in 1789, Hob Gadling collects some of the sand Morpheus leaves behind. This changes the whole story. In 1922, when Roderick Burgess summons Morpheus, the summoning redirects, saving him.
still every night i burn by winterbuckyy (4.1k):
Daydreams lay within Dream's domain, and they can be quite powerful, if only created with enough intent. And Hob's intent is potent, strong and sweet, reaching even into the cage Dream is kept in, feeding him power needed to free himself. Without knowing it, Hob saves him, and Dream gets to have his revenge, merciless and brutal.
With that done, he's free to visit the man who unknowingly saved him, finally have the happy ending they both deserve.
or in 1989 hob daydreams. dream escapes the cage, goes apeshit and murders some people, and then goes to kiss his human. in that order
May Dream by virgodream (10.5k, unfinished):
It's been 10 days since Dream of The Endless was rescued from Fawney Rig by one Hob Gadling, who takes it upon himself to see to Dream's recovery. While with Hob, Dream is provided with something he'd been missing even before his imprisonment: to be cared for.
Happenstance by cuubism (13k):
When Hob runs into his Stranger for the first time outside of their meetings, he is, of all things, getting mugged.
or, five two times Hob ran into Dream between their centennial meetings, and one time Dream called on him intentionally.
Sycamore, Ash, Moss And Loam by Rauchendes_GNU (53.5k):
Hob Gadling doesn't really expect having to save his Stranger from his prison in Fawney Rig. Dream doesn't expect to have his Endless essence ripped from him by a brutal spell that leaves him weak and painfully human. Lucky for him, Hob has gone through many lifetimes and knows how to be human.
Maybe sprout wings by Moorishfloer (91k):
There's a dead man in The Dreaming.
Hob Gadling navigates life after death, falling in love, friendship with otherworldly entities, and ravens. A retelling of a story about stories. A study of a complicated man.
Yeah. Cats isnât the only thing it kills.
This Dream Is Over (Another Has Begun) by SigniorBenedickofPadua (115.4k):
The last person Dream expects to see in Burgess' basement is Hob Gadling, who has apparently been asked to consult on the restoration of the historic manor. He is pleased when his old acquaintance helps free him without a second thought, despite their past squabble, but he is horrified to realise that breaking the binding circle does nothing to return his powers to him, and that he cannot return to the Dreaming after having been released from his cage.
