Nodwydd had settled rather neatly into life in Balamb. Really, it was hard to think of life being any better.

During the day he watched Kiel for Bella, doing whatever he could to keep the boy happy and occupied. If the weather was fine, he'd take Kiel down to the beach for games of beach volleyball and surfing or other water sports. Though April meant cool weather for many places, Balamb's temperatures stayed pleasant year-round. It was a tourist season, in a way, as visitors from cities now just leaving winter or entering fall came to Balamb to enjoy the temperate weather.

It was...enchanting, in a way, to be around Kiel. The boy was a few months shy of eleven years old, and quite short for his age, but he was so energetic. He couldn't sit still for more than a few minutes without fidgeting unless he was eating, and all the rest of the time it was full speed ahead full tilt action. He cared nothing for appearances, but only wanted things to be simple and quick. So he wore his mid-brown hair in a short buzz cut, and Bella tended to dress him in clothes too large for him (perhaps out of a hope that he'd grow into them) that were held on with sturdy belts. All in all Kiel looked something like a clean version of a dock rat most of the time, with his constant outdoor activity tanning him so that the cornflower blue of his eyes were even more bright and vivid.

The day Nodwydd realized he was in love with those bright blue eyes, he had a stern argument with himself on the topic of leaving Balamb. Kiel was a boy, just a boy, not even eleven years old. He still made 'eww ick' faces when he saw people kissing on the beach, for heavens' sake. Not to mention that he was the only son of Zell, who dead or not was still Nodwydd's friend and who Nodwydd knew would not take kindly to any idea of hastening the boy's education in certain matters. And that was assuming Bella, alive and much closer, didn't bring her shuriken out first to explain why touching her little boy was a Bad Idea. She had plenty of reasons for hating Nodwydd already, by her standards, without him handing her a few more.

And yet. Bella doted on her son, that much was plain, and Nodwydd quite agreed with her. But despite Kiel's friendly nature, he didn't have many friends. On observation, Nodwydd could only conclude that most people simply couldn't keep up with the boy, even other boys his age. He was a literal human ball of lightning - which always made Nodwydd think of Taran, who really was human lightning - and most people simply didn't have that kind of energy. Nodwydd, however, did. If Kiel wanted to footrace along the shore, Nodwydd could do that. And go for sno-cones afterward. And then play volleyball for a while, and race again, and even practice kata all afternoon if the weather was rainy. Kiel needed someone to keep up with him, someone who could wear him out, and the only one in Balamb who had a chance was Nodwydd.

And if, breathless after a really good footrace, Kiel hugged him like a long lost uncle, well...it was kindly meant, and Nodwydd didn't take it as an invitation to do anything but hug back. Love couldn't be foreseen, and couldn't be stopped, but Kiel was still just a boy and Nodwydd would wait. It was entirely possible, even probable, that Kiel would turn out to be straight anyway, exactly as his father and mother were. Sometimes Nodwydd wondered if it were some sort of family curse; he knew that his father had loved Kiel's father, and nothing had ever come of it for exactly that reason - Zell was straighter than the proverbial arrow, and Squall wouldn't lay a finger on him or even suggest the possibility without some sign it would be well received. Adding extreme youth to the equation just turned it up a notch, that was all.

It gave him something to do during those hours after Bella had come home - and Nodwydd knew that the price of getting to watch over Kiel during the day was making absolutely sure he was home when his mother came home - and before he had to go to work. He indulged in a bit of escapism then, using some of his saved income to go to the shows in the theater district. He'd learned a strong love of music from his brother Taran, and a love of dance from his grandfather Laguna, and live musicals just enchanted him. He went to all of them, even the really bad ones, just to compare styles and moves and catalogue in his mind how they looked. He became, in a few short months, so much a regular that the troupes knew him on sight.

Chai was one of the makeup artists for the acting troupe called Cattails - so called because their best performance was the musical Cats. Generally a quiet man, all that he did and said tended to have at least two meanings and often more, though he had a rather biting wit when he had a mind to use it, and a sense of the absurd. And most importantly to Nodwydd's mind, he didn't make demands. He was one of those rare men that preferred a night of bliss once a month to a string of ordinary encounters on a semi-daily basis, and being with the theater Chai knew how to plan. Being on the receiving end of that planning made Nodwydd's nights off much less lonely, at least on those occasions when Chai was also free.

And best of all, Chai didn't mind that Nodwydd's eyes shifted to fields of solid black when aroused. Or to be more accurate, it didn't throw him for too much of a loop - the first time, he'd had a bit of adjusting to not knowing where Nodwydd was looking. He still found it unnerving, but it didn't drive him away and he didn't want to tell anyone about it. In a way he didn't mind, because at least it was an unmistakable sign he was having an effect.

It was Nodwydd's night off, so he'd gone to see the production of Cats that was Chai's troupe's signature work. And Chai had arranged for the night off as well, so the two men quietly chatted during the show about dance steps and the makeup job that Chai's substitute for the evening had managed, and where both could be improved and where they couldn't. In the dark of the theater Chai's fingers traced lazy patterns over the back of Nodwydd's hand as they talked, which was in its way a silent offer. So when the show ended, as opposed to going backstage, Nodwydd moved for the door and the walk back to the docks - and Chai walked with him.

"Does it ever bother you, living over a club?" Chai asked inconsequentially as they turned a corner. "I'd think the noise would be unbearable."

"Not really," Nodwydd replied. "I sleep mostly during the dead times - after two a.m. and on, when most of the kids have hit curfew. And of course during the day the place is closed, completely quiet."

Chai smiled. "You sleep? The world is sane after all."

Nodwydd blushed; he knew exactly what Chai was referring to and figured he probably deserved the teasing.

And blinked, and stopped, his head cocked slightly to one side, listening. "Hey, wait. You hear that?"

Chai listened to the night for a moment, and shook his head. "I don't hear anything unusual, but then my ears haven't gotten over the show yet. I really ought to invest in some earplugs."

"Shh," Nodwydd asked, raising his hand. "I hear...a fight, I think. I wouldn't want you to get caught in it."

Chai blinked. "Excuse me," he replied. "I can take care of myself, which is generally more than I can say for you."

"This isn't some manager getting upset about me not owning a tie," Nodwydd commented softly, still listening. "Come on then." His steps made no sound, and it was only then that Chai realized Nodwydd wore no shoes - only toe sandals that gave the appearance of footwear and allowed him to enter theaters and restaurants. Not that sneakers were noisy, as such - as Chai quickly proved, following after.

Past another corner - they were almost down to the docks now, not far from Nodwydd's flat - even Chai could hear the sounds of a fight. A rather big one. Grunts and cries could be heard and were expected, but when a higher-pitched yelp sounded Nodwydd froze. "Kiel," he breathed. "Oh gods, Kiel."

"Who?" asked Chai, but it was to the empty air - Nodwydd was now running, impressively fast, and Chai had to bolt after him just to keep him in sight.

When he caught up he had to watch for several moments as he caught his breath - he'd never seen Nodwydd during working hours, and the demonstration was brain-twisting. Nodwydd was bodily picking up combatants and throwing them out of the fray - and several of them were larger than he was. Most of them, when they landed, were a bit stunned - and no wonder.

"Noddy, what are you doing?" Chai gaped, but Nodwydd wasn't listening. He was bent over the body of whoever'd been at the bottom of the pile, and he was weeping.

"Kiel, wake up. Wake up, wake up, come on talk to me..."

Chai ran over to join his friend, and found that Kiel was a little boy - very battered at the moment, and unconscious. "This kid..." he looked around. "All these men were held off by this kid?"

"Kiel's hard to beat," Nodwydd said quickly, tapping the boy's cheeks worriedly. "Come on, I can see you breathing, wake up..."

"You're not going to help him doing that," Chai stated firmly. "We've got to get him to a hospital. What's he doing down here anyway? The docks are no place for a kid."

"Looking for me," Nodwydd replied, picking Kiel up and putting him in Chai's arms. "I'll bet he was looking for me. Please, get him to the hospital for me. Please!"

Chai almost asked why Nodwydd wasn't doing it himself, but one glance at black-shifted eyes told him that. Nodwydd couldn't go until he could calm himself down, or get a pair of sunglasses from his flat. "Right," he said, and ran off - Kiel carefully cradled in his arms.

Nodwydd stared at the men who'd attacked Kiel, noting that he knew some of the faces as belonging to people who hung around outside the nightclub where he worked. The Planter was a teen club - anyone over 21 couldn't go inside unless they were employees. But it was on the docks, and that meant that unsavory types were never far away. Judging by some of the things they held, they'd probably wanted Kiel to sell somewhere else as a rentboy.

They thought that since Nodwydd was alone and unarmed, they'd have a chance. Or better than a chance.

They didn't. Nodwydd had learned his martial arts from Kiel's father, who'd been the best in the world. And he was angry.

But all he said was, "I don't think you should be doing that," in a very soft voice. "I think perhaps I should get to know you."

He paid no attention to their replies to that remark. He knew they thought him too pretty, too quiet, to really be any danger. Fights were about bravado and proving you were tough.
 
Nodwydd knew better. He'd killed his first victim at seven years old. Fights were about winning, and that was all they were about. As each man fell he put them near the others, and when he had all of them down he needled them into unrecognizability.

So long...so long since he'd used his power. Over ten years, really. Never since his father had explained what it was he was doing. It was the breaking of a long-held dam, release beyond any orgasm, leaving him feeling a bit hazy and light-headed and happy even as the tiny part of him that could still think twisted off the cap of a fire hydrant to wash the gore off the streets. For a split second he knew everything about those men's bodies as the needles penetrated, and his breathing was ragged and unsteady for a few minutes as he tried to regain his equilibrium. Kiel. They'd threatened Kiel, hurt Kiel. No one needed to deal with them, if they would beat a little boy senseless. Right?

Nodwydd had learned long ago that his particular curse wasn't killing. It was learning how not to kill once he'd started. His victims felt only an instant of pain - the needles were very effective weapons. And it felt so good, so very good to use them. Even as he put the hydrant cap back on - the water pressure hurt, and he worked quickly - his power wanted release again. He'd probably feel that for days now, his power pushing for release. He shivered. It's not a good enough reason, he reminded himself. It's not a good enough reason.

I've got to get back to Kiel. Chai had never met the boy before now, and wouldn't be able to help the hospital staff. Nodwydd had to get there.

But first he had to go home, clean up, change clothes, and grab a pair of sunglasses. And then he had to run to the hospital, hoping Chai had managed to snag at least a chocobo carriage or something. Bella would murder him if she knew he'd trusted Kiel to Chai's care even for a few minutes, no matter how necessary. He'd have to call Bella from the hospital, and pray Kiel would be all right. He was intensely grateful just then that the flats above the nightclub also had street entrances accessible by stairs. There was blood on him and on his clothes, and explaining that to his employers could be very tricky. The only part of him that was clean were his hands where he'd held the hydrant cap in place, and they were red and inflamed from the water pressure. He'd probably have to wear gel gloves for a few days - water tended to do that to him, if there was a lot of it or he was exposed too long. When Kiel did watersports, Nodwydd either wore a waterproof outfit or didn't actually get into the water. The voyage here by ship had been handled mainly by staying in the rigging as much as possible.

Chai was waiting for him nervously when he arrived, making no comments about his rather more complete attire. "Room 138," he said. "I'm not family or guardian so I couldn't stay, but they did say he should be fine."

Nodwydd was so relieved he practically fell into Chai's arms. "Everything. Tell me everything."

Chai shook his head. "Don't you want to tell the kid's parents where he is?"

"No," Nodwydd demurred. "Not until I have a complete story for her, or she'll have hysterics and I'll end up on the receiving end."

"All right," Chai conceded. "Basically...from the marks they figure he was fighting for quite a while before we showed up. There's bruises on his bruises, and they didn't get him down until they started breaking bones. He broke his right shin, and his left forearm, both in multiple places. I don't know why they kept after him once he was down, unless he got in some good kicks before that. Or they needed him out for a long time."

Nodwydd had to put the sunglasses on - the recital of injuries upset him so much his eyes shifted, and he flexed his fingers. "They were child thieves, I think," he told Chai quietly. "I'd seen some of them before, outside The Planter."

Chai blinked. "The police took them away?" he asked, and the question carried another - you did call the police, right?

Nodwydd's voice was quiet and firm. He was still fighting down the urge to do that again, let the needles out again, and it wasn't helping matters any. "They won't be bothering anyone again," he replied.

He could smell the panic radiating off of Chai, the edge of hysteria on the night that had started so well just hours before. "Great Hyne, you didn't...?"

Another time, another place, with Kiel not battered, bloody and broken nearby, and Nodwydd would have done anything to erase that worry. Right now he didn't have time for it. Right now half of him wanted to violate hospital policy to be at Kiel's side and make sure the boy was all right. And the other half of him twitched for targets to needle, to feel that rush of power released again. The conflict was not making thought at all easy. He cocked his head at Chai and gave the best explanation he could under the circumstances. "They hurt Kiel. No one will miss them, I think."

Chai heard that as a threat and snapped his mouth shut, evidently wary of saying or doing anything that might put him in the category of 'target', and Nodwydd gave up. "Thanks for your help," he said softly. "I'll call Bella now - you'd best go home. The night is shot in any case - I won't leave here until Kiel does. I'll call you in a few days?"

It was question as much as statement, and Chai evidently didn't know whether to consider it a good thing that this very nearly self-confessed multiple murderer would be giving him a phone call. He swallowed, and nodded in a rather shocky way, and quickly left the hospital.

That just left Bella. Nodwydd used his cell phone to call her, not surprised to find she'd been asleep - it was by now rather late in the evening. It took a few repetitions to convince her that no, Kiel was not in fact sleeping in his room - but when she understood she agreed to come to the hospital.

When she did she had all the bearing of an enraged she-dragon protecting a clutch of eggs. She refrained from taking out her temper on Nodwydd for once - knowing that Kiel had been under her watch for the evening - and instead stormed through the hospital dragging Nodwydd by the wrist behind her, all the way to Kiel's room.

Her first response on seeing her son with bruises and casts and bandages was, "If you didn't kill them, I am going to kill you. And then them."

He could be more direct with Bella than he could with Chai. "I needled them, Bella," he admitted. "There is nothing left of them to find." He held up his hands, currently in cooling gel gloves. "A hydrant washed them down the drains."

In this sort of crisis it was easy to see Bella's SeeD training. She checked her son over with careful, tender efficiency, reading medical charts as she did so. "Care to tell me what happened, now that I'm awake?"

"I think he got out of his room after you went to bed and meant to pay me a visit," Nodwydd admitted. "He got down to the docks, but I don't think he made it as far as my flat - he's got a key to that and would have waited for me."

"He's done this before?" Bella pounced, her tone accusatory.

"No," Nodwydd replied, shaking his head. "But I gave him my spare key long ago, and he's intelligent enough to know waiting inside is safer than waiting outside. A gang of child thieves found him, to judge by the gear they had on them. They tried to disable him without doing permanent damage, I think, but Kiel's too good for that. They didn't get him down until they started breaking bones - and fortunately I was close enough to hear his cries when they did." He took a seat by Kiel's bed, letting one hand pet down Kiel's short brown hair - spiky and damp from the doctor's rinsing, checking for wounds. "I got them off him, needled them and washed them away, and Kiel was brought here."

"Don't touch him," Bella snapped, and Nodwydd pulled his hand away. "You should've brought Kiel here first, and then gone hunting for those thieves. He could have died!"

Nodwydd made no reply. Admitting he'd had Chai with him would give Bella entirely too much information. The minute he admitted to liking men as much as women, he'd not be allowed within a hundred yards of Kiel again. Instead he said, "Bella, you have to let Kiel join the dojo, as he's asked of you before. I can teach him, yes, but he needs more than I can give. He needs people to know he's as good as he is. Maybe then they'll think twice before attacking him." Cactuar needles, Kiel was so small in the adult sized hospital bed, so fragile under bruises and the tan. Nodwydd wrapped his fingers around the metal bed rail and tried not to think about how long Kiel must have held out before they resorted to more brutal tactics. Child thieves generally wanted their merchandise no more than bruised, for they'd have to cover upkeep while breaks healed.

"And maybe he'll fall in love with it, and want to be a SeeD," Bella retorted. "You said you wouldn't encourage that!"

"I won't!" Nodwydd snapped, hurt enough to lose patience. "But Kiel likes to take risks, Bella. If you don't give him the backing he needs, he's not going to survive the lifestyle he seems to prefer, in SeeD or out of it. I promise you - I will go to the dojo with him. I will walk with him there and back, and no one will bother him and I'll make sure he doesn't pick fights. But he needs to be able to defend himself, and part of that is letting people know that he can defend himself. He's never going to be one of the big kids, Bella. A black belt or two will help immensely in keeping him out of trouble. And the dojo will teach him discipline that I can't."

"Well, on that at least we agree," growled Bella. "I'll ask him when he wakes up if he still wants to go. You can go to bed, or whatever it is you do on your nights off. I am going to stay with my son."

Almost, Nodwydd argued. Almost he told her that without his help Kiel would be kidnapped or dead.

Instead he snapped his mouth shut, gave Bella a slight bow as he got up, and left the room without a word or a backward glance.