It felt so good to eat a warm, homecooked meal. I was used to fighting for scraps ever since I could remember but the last year on the streets had been especially harsh. In the first few weeks, the raw hunger had made my stomach cramp, completely draining me of energy, although, after a while, I had gotten used to the emptiness. By now the leftovers we picked out of dumpsters were enough to keep both of us running. Actual food was something we saved for rare occasions, like successful thefts. Whenever Hansol and I had stolen a purse, we celebrated by buying streetfood and filling our stomachs until we felt like we would explode. In those happy moments, I had been sure that everything was going to be alright - but the warmth had never lasted long and the hunger had returned shortly after. We slept in abandoned houses and lived in places regular - no, normal people avoided, steering clear of anyone who could possibly rat us out. Coldness and darkness were our constant companions and the latter was our helper too, since it hid us from eyes we didn't want to get seen by.

But the eyes that were currently watching us stuff our faces were different. True, the smaller one - who grudgingly had introduced himself as Chan after the other had forced him to - still looked highly distrustful and had flat-out refused to sit at the same table as Hansol and me but the older guy... he was just so warm. I had never experienced anyone who was so concerned about a strangers well-being, especially not after those strangers had tried to rob him and had threatened his friend with a knife.

And now we were in his flat, sitting in his tiny kitchen and eating food he had cooked for us. I honestly had no idea what was going on in his head. If I would believe in god, I would assume he was some sort of angel, especially with his gentle eyes and good looks - but the snarling little Forcebearer behind him kind of destroyed that impression. Chan had almost ripped our heads off after seeing the busted hands and knees of his Wielder - and honestly, I felt bad about it too. Even Hansol had apologized and I hadn't heard a honest apology from him in ages. But Jisoo had just laughed it off and had allowed Chan to fuss over him with a smile before he had begun to prepare our dinner.

Hansol seemed more relaxed now as well. I was pretty sure he had been preparing for an ambush when we had followed them after their introduction and invitation (Chan hadn't been happy but Jisoo had insisted on it) and he had looked incredibly tense the whole time. I had been nervous too, not gonna lie; it generally wasn't a good idea to trust random strangers, especially not in a situation like ours. But there was just something about Jisoo and the way he spoke and behaved...

I watched the interaction between the Wielder and his Forcebearer with interest while slowly chewing my food and I knew Hansol was doing the same. We hadn't believed Jisoo at first when he had told us that he was a Wielder but he had shown us his mark - Hansol's wariness had been almost palpable afterwards. He had never been one to trust others easily and the experiences with our previous Wielders had only made it worse. But admittedly, the way Jisoo and Chan behaved around each other was completely different from everything we had come to know so far.

Right now, Chan was teasing his Wielder about the rice stuck to his cheek and he even dared to reach over and wipe it away. I couldn't stop my heart from beating faster since I had learned from a very young age to never touch my superior, regardless if it was an elder, a Wielder, or a higher rank. Subconsciously, I was waiting for a scowl, harsh words or maybe even a punch - but Jisoo only blushed and laughed with Chan.

I relaxed and I knew without looking that Hansol felt the same relief rushing through him. There was so much kindness, affection and trust in each word, gaze and smile between the pair in front of us. It was heartwarming but also a bit upsetting. Feeling that way made me a terrible person but I couldn't help but be envious. It filled my chest at the same time as sadness and a strange spark of happiness for Chan and his luck to find an amazing Wielder. I looked down at my food and schooled my face into the best poker face I could muster.

"So," Jisoo suddenly said, causing both Hansol and me to jump, "is it okay to ask about your story now?"

"I told you before that I'm originally from China, right? Well, I was brought here by the Organisation when I was around 8 and I don't really remember much about my parents or my life before that." Not that I wanted to. I was pretty sure my parents had sold me to get rid of their debts but that wasn't something the two of them needed to know. "I met Hansol shortly after moving into the headquarters. He's a year younger than me so I took care of him often and we got close."

"We're brothers," Hansol interrupted gruffly. "I'd die for him."

We shared a look and affection was warming my heart. He was rude, stubborn as hell and sometimes annoying but he also was the most important person in the world to me and I would give everything for him.

I ran my fingers through my hair to sort my thoughts before c