They're friends, right? Friends make jokes like they do all the time; you can make inappropriate jokes about your friends and not mean it. You can joke about how much you're in love with them, right? Right? Dream and George have been and will always be friends, even when George smiles like that, and laughs like that. Even when every word he says adds another butterfly to Dream's stomach. Life without George would be unbearable, but living like this, every day in agony, can he stand that either?

"I promise you. I promise I'll come back." He promises, George thinks wistfully. He promises such a thing- to offer George with his word on something, to uphold it. It's as if he's saying that he'll give the world to him, just for him. But somewhere is the lingering thought in George's mind is that he won't come back. That the cruel war that had riddled their land will take him too, and he will be left wonted and worry worn. George shivers at the thought. "You promise?" That you'll come home to me? And as if he heard those unspoken words. Dream beams at him. "I promise. You won't even notice that I was gone, my love." George releases a wet and broken laugh at the cheesy pet name. Dream does too before pulling him back into his embrace. They stay there for a bit. The war can wait. "I promise I'll be waiting." (or, the war au with letters and oscar wilde quotes.) ORIGINAL STORY ON AO3 (@Qekyo)

THIS IS NOT MINE!!! ALL CREDITS GOT TO: astronomika