AAAAAGHHHH I KNOW It's LATE and I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN MORE OF THISSS AGHHH

Here have some fluff y'all.

Above SKETCH by ME so you can se pRoper pOrportionsss of Jake to....new guy

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RECAP

(I INCLUDED A STUNNING FANART FROM @PallePathos SHES SO COOL tysm ;;)

     Up in his tree, the being watched the warm, yellow squares of golden light thrown from the windows of the cabin flicker and dance. His hands were numb, he couldn't feel the bruises from crushing the spines of those hostiles. His heart still felt oddly heavy, he hoped the humans would not suffer infection. It would only prolong his stay and the possibility of them getting hurt again would only be greater.

     Rustling branches all around him lulled him into a sense of relaxation. He leaned against the rough trunk, letting his eyes drift closed. Hopefully he would not fall out of the tree this time. He remembered the humans had to leave behind a few things. If they were unable to get them the next day, he could possible help them...though it made him nervous to get too near any belongings of a human. He just didn't know how they would react.

     The quiet sounds of the snow-bound forest soon caused him to fall asleep entirely, still thinking of the humans' wellbeing.

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Another Find

     "Jake, I'm fine. You, on the other hand, can't walk."

     "You don't know where my traps are—"

     "I said you could give me a map. Stop being so stubborn, I'm an adventurer, I can handle myself." Steve glanced over his shoulder from where he was standing by the furnaces, ladling soup. He smirked at the disgruntled look Jake shot him.

     The hunter finally let his head fall back, sighing dramatically, "Oh all right...I suppose you could check my traps... But Notch help me I will go out there myself if you aren't back by noon."

     The taller miner rolled his eyes chuckling as he made his way over to Jake, limping only slightly. He helped the hunter sit up, shoving pillows and blankets to support his back, then handed him the warm bowl, "Deal, now eat up, and stay off that leg. I don't want to spend my entire visit taking care of you." He lightly shoved Jake's shoulder as he went to go grab the trapper's hunting pouch.

     Jake snorted, blowing on his soup, "Not my choice..." His tone softened as Steve packed a bag with some medical supplies, slinging it about his shoulders as he bundled up in his winter gear, "Seriously, Steve. If you go missing or run into trouble, I can't help you...just...be careful."

     Steve fingered the bloodstained rent in the shoulder of his thick jacket, then glanced at Jake, smiling a little, "I'll be careful, I swear. I've got your maps and my own survival skills. I think I'll be alright. Plus, we got that new little guardian of sorts now, don't we?"

     Jake shrugged, sipping at the warm stew, "Still don't know if I trust him..."

     Steve tugged on a glove, then snapped his fingers, "Oh! I nearly forgot...I need to get our supplies back to the house...and give him that cloak."

     Jake waved him off, "Then get going, don't got all day. Remember, noon."

      "Right, right...I'll be back."

     "By Notch you better be fast."

       Steve shouldered the door open, shutting it firmly, still grinning a little at Jake's parting shot. The air was freezing, making his breath condense into little clouds, stinging his cheeks and nose. Tugging up his white scarf around his lower face, he adjusted the pack on his shoulders, then began tramping back towards where they had left their sled as they fled from the Strays last night. His leg throbbed with every step, but the cut was minor, thank Notch. He could work through the pain.

     The sun was bright, glaring golden off the snow and making the icicles on the pine needles glisten. Blue shadows from tracks from the night before led down, weaving through the dark pine trunks, towards a dark pool of frozen blood, and an abandoned sled.

     Steve winced at the iron smell as he neared it, skirting the deep red snow and approaching the sled. It seemed as though nothing had been touched, so he quickly looped the harness over a shoulder and tugged it up the small rise, panting a bit. His leg protested, but he ignored the pangs, pulling stubbornly at the weight until the sled was resting against the wall of the cabin. Steve wiped his brow, warmed already from the exercise, then began rooting through the bundles, looking for the thick, warm cloak he'd bought for the cold little being always hanging around their place.

      His gloved hand brushed dark fur, "Aha!" Tugging it out, he again admired the thickness of the cloak. This would be perfect for the guy; he was always shivering. The miner turned, peering into the thick branches of the surrounding pines.

       Nothing.

     Shrugging, Steve looked to the roof. Again, seeing nothing, he merely balled up the cloak, took aim, and hurled the soft thing up. It landed, splayed out, on the snow. Perfect, any time the being came back, or decided to sleep on the roof, it would be right there, waiting for him. Brushing off his gloved hands, though there was no need, the turned on his heel and set out for Jake's first set of traps. He'd be finished emptying them by noon if he hurried.

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       "Just a couple more..." Steve mumbled to himself as he tramped through the forest, powerful legs shoving snow aside as he walked. The cut on his leg was aching, as was the one on his shoulder. The pain was bothersome, but not enough to make him stop. The sun was steadily inching to the center of the sky, signifying his ever-shortening time limit. Steve had found a couple frozen rabbits in the traps, which he quickly packed away to skin and clean later. The traps, as Jake said, were a one-hit kill. He didn't like when animals struggled to the point of losing limbs in his traps, and made them solely for small game, keeping it as humane a trap as he could.

     A strange, warbled cry had Steve halting in his tracks, head jerking up. The muffled silence from the surrounding snow was again broken with the same strained cry, something Steve had never heard before.

     "What in the..." The miner picked up his pace, now almost sliding on the packed snow, downhill. That had come from where one of the traps was placed, he was sure of it. Scrambling through the drifts, he hears the weakening tone once more before he came upon the source. He rounded a rather large spruce and stopped abruptly, eyes widening at the sight before him.

     A strange, lanky black creature, almost like a cat, was on the ground near a trap, one slender black leg caught in the metal and wood. Small, clawed...hands almost...tugged and scrabbled against the metal joint where its leg was caught. Another raspy call of frustration came from it, the trap not budging in the slightest.

     Steve blinked, "What in Jeb's name..."

      At the sound of his voice, the little creature's head jerked towards him, intelligent, purple, glowing eyes locking with his deep blue ones. The two stared, frozen, for a solid five seconds before the little thing made a vlurp noise, tugging again at its slender leg.

     Steve shook his head as if coming out of a trance, shuffling forward and kneeling, reaching forward cautiously. The creature, one he now recognized as a young End monster, hissed weakly, pawing at his gloved hands, but its tiny claws couldn't penetrate the thick leather and wool. Steve hushed it, "Hey, heyyy little guy...it's alright I won't hurt you."

     His deep voice must have done the trick, as the creature quieted, bright purple eyes locking on his gloves as he gently took ahold of the trap in hands the size of its head, prodding at the joint where the little leg was caught. Dark blood, shining a blackish-purple in the sunlight, dripped from a slight cut above the creature's ankle joint, darkening the snow.

      "How did you find yourself in this mess..." He murmured softly. The little thing made a mlup sound in response. Gritting his teeth, Steve took a firm hold on the trap, sliding it and prying it apart. The tiny End creature made a stressed sound, and then the little leg was free and being grasped in small claws. Steve reset the trap, then sat back on his heels and looked at the little monster. After making a few small noises to itself and licking the leg a little, it glanced up and stared right back at him with those alienlike purple eyes, making little vrup sounds in the back of its throat.

     Steve sighed, reaching forward and tracing the thing's head with a large finger. It reached up, taking the finger and promptly dragged it down to inspect...and then chew on. The miner smirked a bit, "You're supposed to be this big scary monster who kills whenever it's looked in the eyes...what's up with this?"

     "Rlurp vrmt."

     "Right...well I know Jake's not gonna be too happy...but here goes." Gently reaching out, the miner scooped up the catlike Ender creature, bringing it close to his chest and wrapping his scarf around it. The thing didn't struggle all too much, seeming tired and, oddly enough, trusting. It did continue chewing on his finger, though.

     "Let's get you home, lil' guy."

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     Jake was asleep when Steve arrived back at the cabin. Smiling at Jake's soft snores, Steve slung the game bag off his shoulder, then carried the still-vlurping creature over to a chest, kneeling down and opening it. Reaching within, he pulled out a few rolls of bandages, then quietly shut the chest and went to sit cross-legged by the fire, the End creature in his lap. It had moved from chewing on his finger to his scarf, and then his jacket trimming.

     Shrugging off his jacket and pulling off his gloves, then handing the tiny thing a pine branch from his pockect to try, Steve took the thin leg into his hands, examining the cut. It didn't seem deep, then again, he knew nothing about these creature's anatomy, so he could be dead wrong. Sighing, Steve finally settled for merely wrapping the leg in a few bandages, keeping it secure and unable to bend. The little creature just happily spat out chewed pine needles as he finished, and he tossed the bandages in the general direction on the chest, "Right, let's see you move shall we?"

     He scooped up the creature, setting it about an arm's length away. The skin was rough if brushed the wrong way, but the movements were very much like a cat's, Steve noticed. He settled the creature on its stomach, but it quickly scooted upright again, grasping the pine branch in slender fingers. It vlurped, and then it was scooting over to a chest, touching it, exploring the smooth wood and, unsurprisingly, chewing on it a little. It favored the wounded leg, but otherwise seemed unhampered.

     Steve grinned at the tiny thing's enthusiasm, then stood, gathering up his gloves and jacket, turning to put them away on the rack—

     ...and meeting Jake's wide eyes.

     Steve froze, glanced at the little thing, now inspecting its bandage, back to Jake.

     The blond breathed, "Steve...what is that thing doing here."

      Steve winced, limping over to hang up his jacket and remove his boots, "I...ah...found it in a trap...it's little and didn't react to looking me in the eyes, strangely enough."

     Jake dragged a hand down his face, "Steve...those things grow up to be monsters nearly as tall as a house...it's dangerous."

     The miner huffed, "Look at it Jake, it's just a little one. I'm sure it'll teleport away as soon as it's well enough."

     The tiny End creature had turned at the sounds of the voices and was staring deep into Jake's eyes, nibbling again at the pine branch. Spitting out another needle, it turned away without a care in the world.

     Jake breathed a sigh, leaning back and staring at the ceiling, "Where there's a cub, Steve, there's always, always a mother."

      "Well...I think these guys are just abandoned when they're little...never seen a little one around the bigger ones... Like I said," Steve tramped over to grab the bandages he'd thrown on top of the chest, "It will probably leave as soon as it can."

     Coming closer to Jake, Steve began to inspect the bandages, which were dyed red in the middle, "That said, I need to change your bandages."

     "This time, I swear, there will be an I told you so."

     Steve chuckled, "Sure, sure."

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     Why was there a dark patch on their dwelling?

     Still shivering in the cool wind, the being stared suspiciously at the fluttering thing on top of the snow-covered place those two lived within. He'd left for only a few seconds to inspect a strange noise from nearby, and when he'd come back, there was a fresh pair of tracks heading away from the cabin, and something laying on top of the snow layer on their dwelling. It couldn't have been meant for him, perhaps it was some strange ritual he didn't know about, humans had a lot of those. Upon closer inspection, the younger human was still inside, the elder, gone. Drawing the edges of his own ragged cloak tighter about his thin shoulders, the being felt his stomach roll a little. He wanted more of that stuff the human had given him...it had been so good. Was that bad that he wished for more? Was it supposed to keep him coming back?

      The being shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts. No, they ate the same thing all the time, and it didn't force them to stay near something...

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     The sound of a door opening made him jump, startling awake, and he glanced down through pine needles at the sudden noise. He had no idea he'd fallen asleep...he had to be more alert, dropping off to sleep every second would only put him in danger...

     His softly glowing eyes brightened just a fraction as his heart leapt. The larger human was coming out, and he had the same things as last time in his hands! The being eagerly leaned forward in the branches, peering down as the human looked around, shrugged, then placed the objects down onto the snow before turning and going back inside.

     The being could hardly force himself to wait to look for traps, and not five seconds after the door had shut, the being was teleporting down, scooping up the warm bowl, and appearing back high in the sturdy branches he stayed in. The smell from the bowl was different from last time, but it didn't make him lose the desire to consume it. The same lump of soft brown stuff was in it too, and he eagerly took it and bit deep, eagerly lifting the bowl to his mouth to drink the stuff inside. Again, it was gone too soon, and the being was licking the bowl again, wishing, stronger this time, for more.

     Sighing and glancing at the cabin, illuminated with golden firelight and fading sunlight, he wrapped himself in energy and appeared next to the spot the human had left the bowl, placing the object back and reappearing in the branches, preparing himself to rest again in the freezing cold of the night.

     He heard the door creak as it opened, and he glanced down again. The human must have been watching for him to put it back. He'd have to be careful if they were really paying attention that closely to his movements.

     His mouth fell open a little when he saw another filled bowl in the human's grasp. The being noticed this time that the human was limping but didn't seem all too affected as he switched out the bowls, then headed back inside. The being stared in disbelief. He got more?

     Watching the door and windows carefully, he quickly appeared next to the bowl, scooped it up, and vanished back into the trees. He stared, unbelieving, at the food. It was full of the same stuff, the smell just as tantalizing.

     Within seconds, the bowl had been drained and cleaned and put back into the snow, and the being watched, hopeful, from the branches for more.

     Sure enough, the larger human was back in a minute, setting a filled bowl down and taking the empty one. The feeling filling the being was one he could not begin to describe, but it was not fear, which was strange, as usually he only ever felt fear at this amount. However, he liked this feeling, that must be a good sign. It made him feel light and a little more energized. He wasted no time in finishing off a third, fourth, and even a fifth bowl, feeling, for the first time in...what seemed like forever, satisfied.

     On the seventh helping, he began to feel drowsy, and warmer than he ever thought he'd be. To try and show he needed no more, he left the bowl upside-down. It must have worked, as no more appeared. He realized he wasn't shivering as badly as he slowly succumbed to the tiredness pressing over him. Nestling against the rough trunk of the tree he had claimed, the being felt his heart swell with a warm feeling, and he smiled a little before his eyes shut completely and he was asleep.

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Wow ok I was up till 3 AM writing this and I'm not proofreading shush... I'll probably regret this because I'm SURE I could add more but for now...enjoy baby Ender ;D

ALSO AAAGHH HE FINALLY GOT TO EEEAT YAYYYY

(Image below was my sketch lol)

Still needs his cloak tho, the lil gUy