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"Etiam sanato vulnere cicatrix manet."

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—•—

The sun glowed high in the sky, sat amongst an entire ocean of blue like a golden pearl, simmering where it lay. Wisps of white cloud fluttered through the rippling azure, floating past idly as a delicate breeze brushed them over Rome.

The horizon, however, was bleak. In its far away state, the hills bore the weight of dark clouds, filled with the heaviness of rain. The darkening clouds inched closer and closer, but were still far enough to allow the city of Rome to enjoy the next few hours of sunshine.

On a day like today, George would be lounging amongst the flora in his garden, a book in hand, enjoying the rays of sunshine before the rain was meant to set in later that afternoon.

But, as per usual, his husband had other plans.

"This way," Dream whispered, approaching the boundary wall of the imperial villa. "I'll go first, and then help you up."

In an effortless stride, Dream jumped and took hold of the top of the wall, pulling himself up with ease. Smiling, and now straddling the stone wall, Dream turned to George and reached down a hand.

"Come on, my love, jump up."

George looked up to where Dream was offering a hand. He scowled, realising how high the wall really was.

"I'm not jumping the fence," George whispered urgently. "I'll just walk around."

Dream rolled his eyes. "George, the point of sneaking out is to sneak out without being seen."

George grumbled bitterly, but eventually reached his hand up to allow Dream to grab onto him. The emperor hid a squeal as Dream pulled him up with one arm, yanking him into a sitting position atop the wall.

Throwing his legs over, Dream let himself drop down to the other side of the wall, landing catlike amongst the slightly trampled foliage.

"Jump over." Dream stated, looking up to where George had swung both his legs to dangle over the side of the wall.

Considering he was quite high up, George shook his head. Rolling his eyes for the second time that minute, Dream stood straight and lifted both of his arms up, opening his hands in a gesture that he was going to catch George.

"Here, jump to me. I'll catch you, I promise."

With one last deep breath, George jumped from the wall and right into Dream's arms. George buried his face in Dream's chest for a moment, and the two stood at the edge of the imperial villa in each other's arms.

"See?" Dream muttered as George pulled away. "That wasn't so hard was it?"

"I should have just gone through the hole I went through last time." George grumbled to himself, pointing at the fence before wrapping his shawl tighter around his face.

Dream laughed. "But where's the fun in that? Now, come on, my love, let's go."

—•—

After meandering around the market in disguise, the two emperors made their way across the city to Kristin's apothecary.

Dream pushed through the heavy wooden door and entered the sweet smelling room, George following closely behind him, having tucked his finger into a loop on Dream's belt.

As if searching for something, Dream looked around the room, before Kristin emerged from the back.

"Good morning, boys, how are you both?" Kristin asked as Dream tucked his shawl away from his face.

"Good thank you, Kristin. Now, did Zephyr tell you about...?"

"Ah, yes!" Kristin understood Dream's prompt, quickly vanishing to the back, before appearing again with an enclosed wicker basket in her hands.

"Here you go, my dears. Enjoy yourselves," Kristin handed Dream the basket, reaching a hand up to pat him lightly on the cheek. "And be safe."

Dream nodded, pulling a fold in his pale green toga away to reveal his trusty sword attached to his belt. Kristin nodded at this, smiling, before letting the two emperors leave the apothecary undetected.

Outside, and braced with the afternoon sunshine, George examined the basket that Dream was holding.

"What's in there?" George asked, watching as Dream wound his shawl back around his face.

"A picnic basket."

"Oh?" George smiled, unhooking his finger from Dream's belt. "And what's inside the picnic basket?"

George looped his arm into Dream's as Dream chuckled. "You'll just have to wait and see, domine."

The pair walked for a few minutes in comfortable silence, taking in the calming beauty of Rome from outside an imperial litter. Soon, the disguised emperors were walking along the river Tiber, and out towards the outskirts of Rome.

Crossing a bridge, and travelling down a hidden, tree-lined path, Dream led George into a small clearing on the edge of the Tiber river.

The clearing was lined with flourishing trees and beautiful wildflowers that lit the clearing in bright, summery colours. Towards the edge of the river, Dream set down the basket and opened it, pulling out a blanket which he draped along the soft grass.

"This is cute," George mused, taking a seat on the blanket. "An ex-gladiator taking his husband on a picnic? Really sweet."

"Are you mocking me, domine?" Dream asked playfully, unloading the contents of the basket onto the blanket.

Smiling, George shook his head, turning to cast his eyes along the river; the water running past smoothly, each ripple glinting like a shard of glass in the sunlight.

After a moment filled only by birdsong and the distant chatter of the city, Dream settled in across from George, offering his husband a glass.

The blanket was now covered in golden plates of George's favourite foods, and the dark haired emperor blushed at Dream's careful attention to detail.

Uncorking a bottle of wine, Dream offered George a cup, then poured them both a generous amount, slipping the bottle back into the basket. George reached out, clinking his cup against Dream's, and the pair took a sip.

After another peaceful and blissful silence, George sighed blissfully, swirling the crimson liquid around his cup.

"This is really nice, Dream," he said honestly. "Thank you for bringing me here."

Dream shrugged, placing his cup down and using his hand to grab George's free hand. "It's no big deal. You deserve a break, and some time away from your imperial duties."

George smiled, the warmth of Dream's calloused palm and fingers a comfort against his colder, softer hand.

"No one has ever been this thoughtful," George murmured, nodding to the array of foods on the blanket and the of amount of love radiating from Dream. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, Dream."

Dream scoffed, squeezing George's hand. "Oh, come on now, domine. Don't get all sentimental on me."

George sniffed, and Dream nudged him lightheartedly. Then, when George looked up, Dream gave in; forcing the dark-haired emperor to put down his cup of wine as he was enveloped into the blond's arms.

Dream hugged George to his chest, wrapping his strong arms around George, who comfortably buried his face into the soft, clean-smelling fabric of Dream's toga.

"I adore you, domine."

George smiled against Dream's chest. "And I adore you... did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

George forced himself out of Dream's warm embrace to look around the clearing, ears straining to hear the sound he had heard over the ebbing orchestra of the forest around them.

Dream raised a brow. "What—?"

"Shh!" George slapped a hand over Dream's mouth as he whipped his head around, eyes scanning between the wildflowers, peering down to the rivers edge.

As George was getting to his feet, Dream licked the palm of his hand. Recoiling, George grimaced, shaking the saliva off of his palm as Dream chuckled quietly but triumphantly to himself, leaning back against the blanket, supported by his elbows.

George took a few steps away from Dream, before suddenly stopping. "There it is again! Did you hear that?"

Dream shook his head. "No? What the hell are you doing? George—?"

George gasped as the noise got louder, and he jogged down the slight embankment to the edge of the river. Dumbfounded, Dream got up and followed George, pulling his sword out of its resting place at his side.

At the edge of the river, George skidded along the soft sand and gatherings of pebbles, placing his hands on his hips as he let his eyes dart from the water to the bank, from his left to his right.

Dream appeared beside him, sword brandished and recently sharpened, it's polished surface mimicking that of the water; refracting the sun like a piece of shattered stained glass.

The noise, small and barely audible, puffed out into the air again and this time, George followed it, taking several steps along the river with steam following closely behind.

Soon, both emperors stopped abruptly, with one gasping and the other gripping the hilt of his sword.

Perched half on the bank and half in the river was a woven basket, rocking gently with the current. A dirty cloth covered the opening, with the corner flapping upward to allow the noise to be heard.

George squinted at it. "What in Jupiter's name is that?"

The basket then gurgled, with whatever it was inside hiccuping, causing Dream's brows to furrow.

He leaned over, using the tip of his sword to prod the basket. It shook, and whatever was inside giggled. Now thoroughly confused, Dream gently pushed George aside. Once again, he used the tip of his sword to hook onto the dirty cloth, and rip it away from the basket.

Inside the basket, bundled in an abundance of dirty cloths, was a baby.

George gasped, one hand slapping across his mouth and the other shooting out to grab onto Dream's bicep.

"Oh my gods!" He exclaimed, almost breathlessly. "Dream, look! It's a baby!"

"I see that..." Dream mumbled, crouching down into a frog-like squat, looking at the baby in the basket. "Hello, baby."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" George asked and Dream laughed softly, reaching carefully into the basket to try and get a better look at the baby.

The baby hiccuped and giggled when Dream enclosed his fingers around the blanket. The gladiator smiled when the baby wrapped a set of pudgy fingers around his wrist.

"I— oh, it's naked. Oh, it's a girl." Dream squirmed, before sheathing away his sword and ignoring George's amused chuckles.

Carefully, Dream reached into the basket and picked the baby girl up, gathering the infant into his arms. Dream turned and George got nearer, looking at the small child.

The child looked like every month-or-so-old baby, except for a few things. Her eyes were the most colourful and bright that the pair of emperors had ever seen; with one eye a dazzling green, and the other a rich brown.

The baby's hair was also multicoloured, with majority of it a dark brown, but a tuft of whiteish blond falling over her forehead.

"Who would dump a baby into the river?" George questioned, smiling as the baby took hold of his finger, tugging.

[: Unfortunately in Rome, children born with any kind of disability were treated as "objects of scorn". Babies who were born blind, deaf, or with any other physical/mental ailment were often publicly persecuted and, in some reports, thrown into the Tiber river by their parents. So, infanticide (the killing of ones infant) and abandonment of babies was quite common in Ancient Rome).

Dream remained silent for a moment, watching as the baby used one hand to cling to George's finger, and the other to grip onto a pleat in Dream's toga.

"What's going on in that brain of yours, hm?" George asked, giggling as the baby giggled.

Dream hummed. "You said we needed an heir, right?"

George stopped giggling. "What?"

"You said we need an heir, right? Well, since neither of us can, obviously, get each other pregnant, how about we adopt?" Dream looked to George as he still held the baby. "You know I'm not a religious man, George, but I do think this is a sign from the gods."

George took a deep breath. "Dream... are you sure? I mean, look at this baby. It's been abandoned, presumably, because of the way she looks. Also, how are we going to look after a child? Neither of us have any experience with children."

"We'll learn together, George," Dream whispered. "But this kid needs help. Our help."

George took a deep breath, looking from his husband, to the bubbling baby, to the now cloud-darkened sky above.

"Fine," George said, nervous face being swept away by an excited smile. "Let's do this."

Dream beamed. "We're gonna be dads."

"We are going to be dads."

"Bah!" The baby clapped from her position in Dream's arms.

Dream laughed, eyes filled with pure happiness as he looked at the baby in his arms, to the love of his life at his side.

"She's gonna need a name," He mumbled, pressing his nose gently against the baby's round cheek in a display of affection. He then gazed at George. "Any ideas?"

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Hey homies, this is an authors note!

I couldn't resist the happy ending 😭

(Also, if you're seeing this chapter being re-published, it's because I changed the baby from a baby boy to a baby girl cause I like it better this way lmao)

This is the last bonus chapter, meaning that Champions is officially completed! Thank you all so much for your support <3 ily x

Do you have any names for George's and Dream's baby girl? Let me and others know your thoughts :)

This chapters last question/statement: tell me your favourite part/quote/character in Champions, and why.

With that being said, thank you all for reading, and stay tuned for more of my work that may appear in the future!

Donec obviam iterum.

Blue :)