Awesamdream - His Beloved Warden [Fic 1]

6. Going For a Walk

Sam brought the finalized prosthetic in the morning along with Dream's breakfast. The prosthetic looked more streamlined now, the previously exposed mechanism of its ankle joint now hidden behind supple leather. The casing was still mostly white, but there were artful green swirls on it that were appealing to look at. The leather and the cup that attached to his leg were dyed a soft gray.

"It looks great," Dream said.

"Thank you," Sam replied, cheeks lifting as he smiled. "You can go ahead and eat, and I'll put it on."

While Dream ate, enjoying the pancakes Sam had made, Sam knelt and began attaching the prosthetic. Dream winced again as it was tightened on, but he didn't complain. He knew it had to be snug, not wanting it to fall off as he walked. Sam gently caressed his leg though when he flinched and Dream smiled at how nice that felt.

Sam got up once the prosthetic was on and Dream gave it a few twitches. As he shifted his leg, he watched the foot move slightly, and wondered how mobile it could be if Sam made a redstone-powered one. But he was happy with this.

Sam sat next to him as he often did now during meals, watching him eat. Dream rested a hand on Sam's leg, feeling it shift, but Sam didn't pull away. Dream kept his hand there the whole time he was eating, and after a while, Sam set his hand over Dream's. There was a flutter in Dream's belly and he cheerfully scooted closer to him, leaning against him. The flutters only continued as Sam leaned slightly back against him.

"We're going to go for a walk once you're done eating," Sam said. "You need more practice on your new foot."

"Okay." Dream ate more quickly, ready to get out of the cell for a bit. When he finished, Sam took the dishes from him and stored them in his inventory, then stood and held out a hand to help Dream up.

Dream needed a few moments to get used to having the prosthetic on again, but as he took some careful steps through the cell, he relaxed and began to feel confident. Even so, he kept holding Sam's hand, just in case. Sam didn't seem in any hurry to let go anyway.

"Ready?" Sam asked, giving him a small tug toward the exit from the cell.

Dream nodded, eagerly following him. "Yeah, let's go!"

It was amazing finally stepping out of there, crossing the bridge over to the control room. He looked behind him at the obsidian room that's been his prison for months, and sure, he was still confined, but he already felt more free being out of there. He might have briefly left during those rare showers he was allowed, but then he was being brought right back. He had a feeling that this time, he would be out for longer, walking around the prison with Sam, maybe even going outside.

He looked forward and walked with Sam, watching as he collected a keycard and then took him toward the stairs. When they reached the top of the stairs, Sam paused, then slowly let go of Dream's hand. "Alright. Before we try those, let me see you walk around on your own up here for a bit."

Dream walked across the room a few times. He felt unbalanced in a way, but he felt like he was getting better at it with each step. The prosthetic seemed to move even more smoothly than it had yesterday, and he wondered what Sam had done to improve it further. Dream felt energetic again and began to jog, then run laps, enjoying the larger space he had to move.

Sam gave him an exasperated look. "You're gonna hurt yourself."

"I'm fine," Dream assured him. "I've just been stuck in bed so much, I have to move!"

"Just be careful. When you're ready, come over here so we can try going down the stairs."

After a few moments, Dream stopped running and walked over to him. He looked down at the stairs, then hesitantly moved his foot forward, not feeling as confident now.