Run Boy Run (can find it on ao3 in the first few chapters for free)

Chapter 5

Endermen travelled in groups when in the overworld, sticking close together. They were nomads, in a way, setting up camp in several places and moving in between them to avoid the rain. They soon became very skilled in building camps to look like abandoned human houses, so that humans wouldn't get suspicious. The only thing that gave them away was that the doors would always be three blocks high.

Dream stayed with this traveling group of Endermen for a day or so. It was nice, being surrounded by Ender magic, hearing songs he hasn't heard since he was young sung in the Ender language. They even helped him start a fire, since they knew Enderborns crave the heat they could never have.

He sat in front of the fire now, his hoodie, sweater, and gloves back with his other stuff. One of the Endermen handed him a wooly sleeveless shirt when he first got there and demanded he change so they could assess how hurt he was. They even got it in a dark green, like they knew him. They're intuitive, like that.

Endermen aren't the best healers, though. He changed for their sake and let them crowd around as he assessed the damage. The markings along his arms glowed dully like pearls in the night light, contrasting the Endermen's bright purple eyes.

There were no humans nearby. He could take his mask off if he wanted to. He didn't.

There wasn't much he could do besides take a gulp of his health potion and go clean off his hoodie, which was covered in hunter blood. He was covered in it as well, and he washed it off down at the river too, flinching every few moments whenever he thought the water was going to bite back.

That was how he ended up in front of the fireplace, trying to dry off. The fire crackled as it danced in the soft breeze- twisting and lashing out, and Dream was tempted to touch it, to feel true warmth. Not something warm like that hunter, but something that felt warm, something that felt safe. An Endermen rubbed his hair as he passed, and he suppressed a flinch.

He didn't feel safe.

Rationally, he knew they would never hurt him. Instinctively, all he could think about was the blood and gore and the empty eyes staring at him, face frozen in eternal agony. He curled up slightly, wrapping one of his blankets tighter around himself.

That could've been him, if his mask was taken off.

Was he scared of them? Or was he scared of himself?

"Child, what's wrong?" A female Enderman came forward, an elder even in a village where everyone was old, twisting it's gangly limbs until she sat next to him. She didn't touch him. "We can smell your fear."

"Sorry." He mumbled, pushing deeper into the rest of the blanket. "You guys saved me, but..."

"Enderborn have always been afraid of that side of them." The Enderman explained, voice soothing and not accusing. "It isn't human, and goes against your evolution. We understand that, child, and we don't blame you."

He felt a sharp spike of guilt flood him. He was a mess right now, and the Endermen had other things to deal with that didn't include a pouting 'child'. "I'm sorry."

The Enderman was quiet for a second, before she started to hum, the same tune the other Enderman had said hours earlier. "Do you know what this tune is? What it represents?"

"No..." He winced. "It's been awhile since I last heard it..."

"It represents the bond between Ender, specifically the bond between us and you." The elder explained, and Dream looked up at her. Humans can never get an Enderman's facial expressions right- since they can rarely look and when they can they don't see the fine differences. Dream, who grew up around them, can easily tell when one is smiling like she was. "Endermen vowed to protect Enderborn, just like most creatures vowed to protect their borns. You came from us, our children, nothing you ask of us will ever be to much. We thrive when you thrive, we fall when you fall. We are at peace when you are safe."