This is HISTORICAL FANFICTION. DO NOT KILL US FOR BUTCHERED HISTORY: IT'S ALL FOR A REASON.

Summary: In 1579, the Nuvola overthrew the Medici for control of Florence, taking control of the entire city-state and lying down iron law. Now, in 1603, one of the young heirs of the Nuvola, Kyouya Hibari, is 24. After losing the traditional battle to see which unfortunate Cloud in the family would be forced to marry off, his older brother Alaude having won the fight, Hibari struck a deal with the head of the family, Riccio Nuvola. If he could find a talented enough painter that the family could patronize and thus increase their reputation, he would be let off scot-free and Fong's children would inherit the name of Nuvola. It is during this search for an artist strong enough to pass his father's trials that Alaude accidentally gets handcuffed to poor street artist Tsunayoshi Sawada, who had just came to Florence in order to make money to send to his sister Kyoko to hire a doctor to treat their mother.

And thus a snowball of events becomes an avalanche, and Hibari refuses to let the one that will set him from his fate capture his heart, as he wishes to be free from marriage, love, and romance. And Alaude will not stand to see the innocent artist drawn into the world of lies, politics, and deception that is Renaissance Italy. In the meantime, Tsuna is wondering how in the world he got two noblemen unwilling to let him go, and now he can see his plans to help cousin Giotto's vigilante group fly out the window.

For the bird that has a cage chasing it will do anything to be free, the free bird does not believe that the ends justify the means, and the artist is falling, slipping into their hearts all too quickly.

"Tsuna," Giotto muttered in an exasperated tone, "Stop seducing all the guys around you."

"What do you mean!?" Tsuna yelped, cheeks turning red as he fell off his stool in the middle of unbuttoning his linen shirt, cloth falling away to reveal his slim upper torso. At that moment, two thuds were heard outside his room, and Giotto facepalmed as he opened the door, revealing Alaude and Hibari glaring at each other, both on their knees as they clutched their nosebleeds.

With a dull click, he slammed the door shut. "Now you get it?" Giotto asked his poor cousin.

A Renaissance Affair

First Sketch: Florence Gates

In the residency area of the city of Florence, a young spiky-haired brunet looked at the city towers longingly. He had finally arrived in the city that would help fulfill his dreams. "Thank you for everything, Kyoko," he said to his companion gratefully. The woman next to him smiled kindly.

"It's okay, Tsuna," she said, "No need to thank me. You need to do this, and I'll take care of Nana. We both care for Mama, you know."

"Love you, Kyoko," the artist said, hugging his sister briefly. "Stay safe, please. I'll send money every month when I start making some steady income." Kyoko's smile turned sad.

"Tsuna, the city is dangerous. Don't get fleeced, don't get tricked by anyone," she warned, knowing full well the extent of her brother's gullibility. He laughed nervously, and Kyoko swung a leg up onto their horse. Her orange hair had been pinned and she was wearing their father's old clothes, allowing her to just barely pass as a male. "Love you, brother." Tsuna stood there and waved as his sister cantered out of sight.

Setting his luggage down on the cobblestones in front of the building, Tsuna sat down on one of his knapsacks, allowing himself a sigh. Hana, their friend that had moved to Florence a few years ago, had kept in contact with his family ever since she and his big brother had moved. He was to be staying with her until he found a steady income and earned a few commissions. But seeing as she was not in the house at the moment, Tsuna was left to sitting on his luggage to wait for her to come home.

As the minutes passed, Tsuna quickly grew bored. When the city' bells tolled the hour in the distance, he sighed once again, unfolding from his position and unpacking his drawing pad, easel, and charcoal sticks. Flipping to a blank page, he began first lightly sketching the bustling city scene in front of him, quickly growing absorbed in his work. However, in his concentration, he grew ignorant to the amount of people watching him, selecting different pieces of charcoal for shading, sketching, and switching perspective.

Tsuna didn't consider himself a particularly amazing artist. He had been taught by his deceased father, Iemitsu Sawada, and had continued painting and drawing mainly as a hobby. Sometimes, he sold pieces to people and travelers going through his tiny home village in Emilia-Romagna for extra money. His close friends and the other villagers held him in great esteem, but with the onset of Nana's illness, Tsuna had chosen to leave for Florence to hopefully begin his career as a professional artist, to finance his family and maybe gain renown. As he finished sketching the whole scene and picked up a charcoal to begin adding in the finer details, Tsuna became aware of the people crowding around him, looking at his drawing pad with amazement and appreciation.

He sputtered out of his concentration; a furious blush spreading across his face, as Florence welcomed its new artist to its land.

When the Nuvola had overthrown the Medici in 1575, they had taken over and ruled Florence with iron discipline. Florence had the lowest crime rate in Europe, all due to the Nuvola. The current family head was a man by the name of Riccio d'Nuvola, a man with a ridiculous name but could easily and mercilessly beat down even the most hardened of criminals. His eldest child was Fong Nuvola-Arcobaleno, one of the Il Prescelti Sette and one of the seven bestowed with the name of Arcobaleno. His wife's name was I-Pin Nuvola, his former student but now his lifetime partner, a woman of fearsome agility and wit. The second eldest of the family was Lal Mirch Arcobaleno, also one of the Selected Seven and one of the chief commanders of Italy's elite COMSUBIN. Then was their second son, Alaude Nuvola. There were rumors that he was an illegitimate child between Riccio and a Frenchwoman, but none dared cross him as long as he was Chief of City Order. Then, there was Kyouya Hibari, the youngest child, but he certainly wasn't weak. The world would end, the people of Florence would say, when one of the Nuvola family was weak in their prime years.

No-one dared try to revolt against the Nuvola, and as long as the family's main interest was just keeping discipline in their city-state, no one really had the urge to do so. Thus, Florence was a great city for artists to come and begin their careers without worry of being robbed or worse. But one of the major flaws of the Nuvola which prompted artists to keep away was that they all had exceptionally good appearances. Thus, every year on the celebration of the Nuvola's takeover of Florence, the streets were plagued with young women hoping to catch the eye of one of the unmarried sons, and there were contests among the bachelors to catch Lal's attention. If any of the younger Nuvola appeared on the streets that day, they would promptly be swarmed with fangirls. Often, young men did not pick Florence as a place of residence, as nearly all the eligible women were hopelessly infatuated with the younger Nuvola heirs.

At the moment though, steel clashed in the training garden as Hibari and Alaude fought viciously, going at each other with full intent to kill, mouths set in grim lines and eyes only showing bloodlust. On the side of the area stood Riccio, Lal, Fong, and I-Pin, all simply observing the struggle with mild interest. This spar was an important one for the family. Both of the youngest were eligible bachelors, and as Arcobaleno, Lal and Fong were unable to inherit the Nuvola's fortunes and have their descendants carry the line. Thus, the loser of the fight would be the one to find a bride to continue the line and add to the fame of the Nuvola by preferably marrying an allied family's daughter. Now, it might seem odd that it was the loser to be bestowed with this duty, but it was truly rare for any of the Nuvola to be like Fong and willingly bond themselves to a person. Hence, it was the loser that would be married off.

With one last clash, handcuffs met tonfa and Alaude struck Hibari's temple directly with the other handcuff in his hand. Hibari flew sideways, and blonde took the opportunity to disarm his younger brother of his tonfa and cuffed Hibari's wrists together. When the dust cleared, it was obvious to the four observers that the youngest had lost the battle, hands down. The black-haired man struggled upright, eyes flashing with anger, resentment, hatred, and resistance all at once. "No…"

"The loser is Kyouya," Lal announced, raising her arm in front of her. "You know the rules." The defeated clenched his fists, standing up and dusting off his clothes, giving Alaude a venomous glare as the winner tossed the keys to the handcuffs to him. There were no second chances; his fate was sealed. "You have one year to propose to a bride. After that, you'll be marrying the next woman that tries to court you." Everyone grimaced at the implications.

Hibari scowled, "Why must I marry and be chained down to some herbivorous woman?" he demanded, even though he knew it was a childish question.

Riccio frowned at Hibari's behavior, "Prestige. Strengthening alliances. Carrying the Nuvola line," he explained briefly, "The standard reasons for marriage. Prestige is the most important, of course."

"An artist, talented and charismatic, would help our reputation more than a marriage," Hibari rebutted.

Riccio raised an eyebrow. "Are you daring to refute me, child?" the man asked in an amused voice. His son gritted his teeth at the affectionate word. He was twenty-five years old, not five, for God's sake! "But as I know that you would rather be a priest than marry, shall we make a deal?" All eyes shot to the patriarch.

Lal was the first to respond with a, "Father, have your brains been addled? What of the bloodline?"

Fong frowned at Lal's choice of words, "Lal, calm yourself. I am sure Father has a good reason for this."

His wife spoke up next. "I am curious to what deal you wish to make with your youngest, Father." I-Pin referred to Riccio as "Father" as a sign of a respect. "To let him off would be breaking tradition."

Riccio held up a hand to cut off the talking. "Have you any words, Alaude?" When the blonde just grunted, he continued, "If you can find an artist that can match my expectations and standards, one that will raise the Nuvola's reputation as a patron of the arts like the other families, then you do not have to marry and Fong and I-Pin's firstborn will inherit after your generation dies. After all, the rule is only that the Arcobaleno be unable to inherit their original names. I-Pin is not an Arcobaleno, so their children can carry on the line. But you only have one year to find someone. Understood?" Hibari nodded, despair turning into determination.

"I will find an artist to decorate our house and the name of Nuvola," Hibari murmured, bowing respectfully.

The patriarch nodded. "You are all dismissed, children." With that, the Clouds dispersed, the youngest with a dark smirk on his face.

Really, how hard would finding a skilled painter in the city of Florence be?

That had been seven months ago

For seven months, Hibari had fruitlessly brought painters, sculptors, ever architects to his father. None passed the trial set before them. Riccio's test was a test of combat, a test that no aesthetically-minded person would have chance of winning. After that was a trial of artistic talent, but no one had passed the first to know the second. The man gritted his teeth, punching the wall in frustration. Oh course his father would set him an impossible task like this.

"Young master, please don't punch the walls like that. My husband has enough trouble repairing the training rooms that you and your relatives bash up every hour," one of the head maids, Hana, snapped while she took out a scrap of paper from her apron as well as a small quill filled with ink in the rachis, allowing her to use it without having to dip it constantly. She quickly jotted down a note, probably to her husband to fix the new hole. Hibari grunted, walking down the hall and towards the training rooms. To his displeasure, the head maid followed right behind. She watched in amusement as Hibari's hands tensed, twitching for his tonfa. "Still mulling over your artist problem?" she jibed.

"None of your business," he snarled, stalking away. Hana snorted, then paused, weighing the consequences of asking for an early leave for today. Her brother-in-law was supposed to be arriving in Florence today, and she hadn't exactly left the door unlocked.

"Master Hibari," she called after her boss, "I request an early leave today. My brother-in-law is coming to Florence to stay awhile, and I need to help him settle in. He is an artist, so it would be inconvenient for him to simply wait outside my home until I am off my shift."

Hibari stopped in his tracks. Hana's husband, Ryohei Sasagawa, was a strong man and excellent fighter. Logically then… "You may not go," he commanded, spinning on his heel to stride towards the great front doors, "until I am back." Hana was left blinking in semi-confusion, and then face-palmed at her realization of Hibari's newest train of thought.

"Tsuna… please don't die by the hands of that demonic bird," she prayed, "And please don't grab his interest either. Heaven knows that he might end up forcing you to help him."

"Young man, what is your name?" an elderly gentleman exclaimed, peering over Tsuna's shoulder to stare at the charcoal sketch. The people in the crowd clamored and pushed, wanting to see the charcoal sketch more. Charcoal sketches were new in these days; a novelty. Most "high artists" preferred traditional painting, sculpture, and other forms of art; charcoal and simple sketching were disdained as an "amateur's work". But the crowd milling around Tsuna were highly appreciative of his work.

Suddenly, the crowd fell silent as they started fleeing from the scene, leaving behind a bewildered artist who was still at a loss for words.

The rattling of chains met his ears as Tsuna stared into the eyes of the stranger that had suddenly appeared in front of him. "For causing a crowd, I will have to arrest you," the man rumbled. Tsuna squeaked in fear as the blond took out a pair of handcuffs.

"Eeh!? But I didn't do anything!" Tsuna stammered in confusion, "And I only arrived in the city about four hours ago!"

Alaude looked at the herbivore in distaste. He had been bored lately; Florence had a rather nonexistent criminal population as of late. His siblings had been preoccupied with their duties, and in short, Alaude Nuvola was a fight-deprived carnivore. With a sigh, he swiped at the herbivore's arm with a handcuff, and to his surprise that instead of attempting to dodge like a normal herbivore, the strange one's eyes seemed to flash gold as he allowed himself to be cuffed, then grabbed the chain and used his momentum to break from Alaude, spinning the handcuffs around one wrist while the other still clutched a charcoal stick. A few feet away, Alaude looked at the artist in interest. For the reputation that artists were physically weak, this brunet defied that. "You. Fight me," the Cloud demanded.

Tsuna blinked several times, his eyes going to normal as he processed what the blond policeman had said. "Hieee! What do you mean – and how do I get these cuffs off!?"

"I have the keys to unlock them," Alaude grunted. "Now what is your name?"

Tsuna flushed, berating himself for missing such an obvious answer. "M-My name is Tsunayoshi Sawada, Mr. Policeman," he replied, holding his arm out. "Will you please uncuff me?"

"Only if you fight me." Alaude's eyes gleamed with fighting lust. "And I am Alaude Nuvola, Chief of City Order; not 'Mr. Policeman'," he introduced with a trace of humor.

The brunet stepped back, holding his hands up in protest. "But- fighting is bad! A-and why me!? How was I supposed to know that you were Alaude Nuvola!? I said I just got here four hours ago!" Here Tsuna was forced to backflip away from the young lord as another handcuff hit right where his arm had been. Alaude smiled in delight, pleased with the reaction. "Hey! Are you- are you listening!?"

"Do not tell me what to do, herbivore," the policeman snarled, stepping forward and exchanging blows with Tsuna. To his satisfaction, his sparring partner was able to dodge or block all of his strikes, and he even managed to slip in a few punches and palm strikes. "Who taught you to fight?"

"My-" Duck, aim for the waist, draw back to block. "-father!" Tsuna panted. He didn't have much stamina for prolonged fights, Alaude noticed disappointedly. But that could be improved. The blond moved his head to the side to dodge a punch from Tsuna's cuffed hand. "But he's dead!" The last line was said in a flat voice that indicated it was a subject not to be broached. Alaude frowned at the faraway expression that Tsunayoshi wore, throwing another handcuff only for it to latch onto the other end of the cuff already around his opponent's wrist. "Eeh!? Another one!?" he shrieked, flailing and missing Alaude's stomach by a centimeter. Alaude reached to grab for another pair of cuffs, but when he raised them to block another swing, Tsuna tripped, falling on top of him with an "Uhn!"

The skylark found himself on his back, on the cobblestones, his sparring partner sprawled on top of him with red cheeks, panting heavily due to exertion, and to his surprise, the blond felt no immediate urge to shove the artist off his body. It was a weird sensation; something in the back of his head telling him to leave the strange herbivore alone, on top of him. Another niggling voice insisted that he should be on top; to flip the obviously tired younger man under him. Both were confusing and giving him a headache, so Alaude just shut both of them up and shoved them into a mental cabinet for later observations.

Tsuna, on Alaude's chest, was tired, his hands clutching the cloth in front of him weakly as he closed his eyes, trying to recover his breath. He leaned his head against the chest under him, completely oblivious to their positions, their legs tangled together suggestively. It was when Alaude propped up on his elbows that Tsuna's eyes shot open, the movement bringing him to his senses as he shot up, leaping up from Alaude's body as he went red with embarrassment. "HIIIIEEE! I really apologize, Mr. Nuvola!" Tsuna cried, wringing his hands. Before he could continue apologizing, though, or Alaude could cut in, an ominous click greeted their ears. If possible, his blush grew redder as he realized that he was now cuffed to a… rather handsome guy. Tsuna was pretty sure he was not homosexual, but artists knew how to appreciate eye candy. "You do have the keys on you, right? Dios, I'm sorry for being so clumsy!"

Alaude's expression remained stoic as he observed the situation. He and the not-herbivore were linked together by three handcuffs, their left hands attached. As the half-French stood up, dusted off his trench coat, and flatly explained, "The keys are in my office," he observed the other male's reaction, which ranged from sputtering, bowing several times in apology, and passing several worried glances at his luggage.

"B-but I-I can't leave my belongings in the open l-like th-this…" he stammered, unaware of Alaude's keen gaze on him. "I mean- no offense to the police force and all, but-"

"I get it, not-herbivore." Tsuna's brows furrowed in confusion at the nickname. "By the way, exactly what is your age?"

If possible, Tsuna's face went redder. "I-I'm nineteen!" he cried.

Alaude blinked several times. "I nearly mistook you as fourteen," he muttered, Tsuna's sharp ears picking it up.

The artist pouted miserably, looking more like a child than his age. "But- well, you look like you're twenty-eight, mister," he rebutted.

"The name's Alaude, and I am twenty-eight," came the amused reply. "So what do you propose to do?" he asked, gesturing to their linked arms. "My office is near the center of the town, about an hour and a half away from here if we take the shortcuts."

Tsuna's complexion returned to normal as he grimaced and pointed to his items. "But- my stuff! And I'm waiting for my brother-in-law and his wife to arrive so I can move in, but I don't know when they'll be back. I also wanted to finish my sketch, but if it's a bother . . ." He trailed off, looking at Alaude uncertainly.

The man was thinking furiously. If he dragged the art-herbivore off to get the keys from his office, people would probably steal from him, and that wouldn't be good. But if he stayed, then he would have to wait an unknown amount of time for the house's owner to arrive, and then help the brunet move, and then the trip to his office amounted to make the whole situation about five hours long. "We can stay here and wait," Alaude said decisively. "I'll get one of my men to get the keys from my office and we'll wait here in the meantime."

"A-are you sure?" Tsuna stuttered. "I mean, wouldn't it be a bother? You're a policeman and all . . ."

The blond raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh? Do you not know the name 'Nuvola'?" Tsuna frowned, biting his lip in confusion. "Truly and seriously?"

"I… er… the name rings a bell, but I sort of don't remember a lot of stuff unless it has to do with art or anything my parents taught me," he admitted sheepishly.

Alaude scowled. "Nuvola. We overthrew the Medici and took hold of Florence," he stated, causing Tsuna to facepalm, then stop and stare at him in shock.

With a trembling finger pointing at the nobleman, he cried, "Th-the-then you're- holy strawberry sheetcake I'm truly sorry, sir!", bowing down apologetically even more.

Alaude yanked upwards on the chains, stopping more apologetic bows. "Silence, herbivore," Alaude demanded, dragging Tsuna back to his luggage and art items. The poor teen watched inquisitively as Alaude adjusted the luggage, sitting down on some bags as he gestured towards the easel. "Well? What are you waiting for?" The younger teen sat down in confusion. "Finish drawing."

"Eh?" was his intelligent reply as Tsuna sat back on his stool, their chains clanking.

"One of my men should be coming by shortly. In the meantime, you may as well finish your drawing," Alaude ordered curtly. Tsuna nodded hesitantly, picking up his charcoal once again and turning to his giant drawing pad, setting the black to the paper and sketching the tailor shop in front of him once more with measured, precise strokes. The policeman raised an eyebrow in fascination at the amount of detail the artist caught. The realism was impeccable and the shading impressive as Tsuna swapped between charcoal and different grayscales. Alaude found himself drawn to the artwork and was barely able to remember to flag down one of his men and instruct them to fetch the keys of the handcuffs from his office, with additional warnings not to tamper with the keys whatsoever. The man walked off as Tsuna flipped back his page, revealing a new sheet of paper. "Finished already?" Tsuna nodded sheepishly. "May I see?" The sheet was turned back, leaving the nobleman nearly speechless. Alaude had seen many great works by the Masters before, and Tsuna was just shy of mastery.

"I think this is one of my better pieces," he whispered softly, not going unheard by Alaude.

"Are you going to draw more?" he asked carefully. Even if they didn't seem it, the Nuvola Family had a good eye and appreciation for art pieces and their makers. Thus, Alaude wanted to see more of Tsuna's hands at work on the paper. The teen's eyes started between the policeman and the drawing pad. "Hm?"

"Since- well- we'll be waiting a while can I . . ." The last part was muttered, Tsuna's face going red. Hurriedly, he asked, "I . . . can I draw you, Mr. Nuvola?" His face went even redder as he quickly added, "You don't have to if you don't want to, it's just I like drawing people and you-" He stopped, looking at Alaude with wide eyes as he bent over, shoulders shaking as he laughed soundlessly into his palms. "E-eh?"

"Haha- hahaha . . . you are a rather interesting artist, herbivore," Alaude choked between chuckles. "By all means, go ahead. And for the last time, call me Alaude, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna was now as red as a tomato. "Uh- o-okay- uh- Alaude," he stuttered shyly, cheeks red with embarrassment. "C-could you move closer to me so I can draw you more easily?" The man complied and Tsuna suddenly felt very self-conscious about his own scrawny, ordinary appearance. As he slowly began drawing the faint outlines of Alaude, Tsuna marveled at his first encounter with a nobleman. Tsuna thought that they would be more haughty and cool, but Alaude was a just a kind person under a gruff exterior. It was with a happy, soft smile that Tsuna drew his new friend (in Alaude's eyes, fighting partner), and it was that beatific smile that Eros decided to have a little fun and sniped Alaude's heart with a dove-tipped arrow.

It was a little while later that Tsuna fidgeted a bit, growing slightly uncomfortable with the intent stare Alaude was giving him. Our favorite Tsuna-fish really had no clue as to his own appearance. He thought of himself as scrawny, but one could easily see he was on the lithe side, muscles hidden with some baby fat still on his cheeks, giving him a slightly feminine appearance. He had rather large eyes that seemed to convey his every emotion so easily, and his brown hair stuck out everywhere in spiky locks. Sometimes, one couldn't help but compare him to an innocent little rabbit, stuck in a world full of wolves and foxes. Tsuna couldn't help but compare his poor image of himself to Alaude. The cloud had light, white blond hair and sharp, narrowed blue eyes. He wore a fine trench coat, obviously for work purposes rather than showing off his status, and the way he carried himself with pride and self-confidence would make a lesser man feel ashamed and humbled. He was a good five inches taller than Tsuna.

It was this air of calm observation that curious souls, many of them Alaude's fangirls, once again started gathering around the duo, shocked whispers running about like wildfire. Apparently, not only was the newcomer a talented young artist, he had managed to get on a Nuvola's good side upon first meeting. Imagine their surprise at the discovery of the new friends. It was not lost on Alaude that Tsunayoshi was growing steadily more uncomfortable as the crowd talked with each other, some commenting on the portrait of Alaude, many girls squealing at his appearance in public, and some speculating on how Tsunayoshi and he had gotten on good terms.

Before Alaude could threaten the crowd away, Tsuna asked softly, "Can you turn back this way, Alaude?" A few gasps ran through the crowd at the brunet's use of his first name, but the duo ignored them as their eyes met. Alaude found himself drowning in those expressive caramel eyes, nabbing the feeling and shoving it in a mental cabinet with the previous emotions for later interrogation and examination. "Hold that pose, please; I'm trying to do your eyes," Tsuna instructed, voice slightly shaky with embarrassment. Alaude was sitting in a relaxed position, legs open and head propped on one hand, staring at the artist and his drawing pad.

One skylark had just fallen out of the clouds and met the gentle, friendly sky.

In order to distract himself from the people's unnerving stares, Tsuna, who had just begun on Alaude's hands, asked, "If you're a nobleman, then you have a lot of power, right? So why were you patrolling the streets yourself rather than just sending a subordinate to do your bidding?"

Alaude snorted at the sheer ridiculousness of the thought. "Tsunayoshi. Subord-"

"Tsuna. Just call me Tsuna. Tsunayoshi is a mouthful," he interrupted. The blond gave him 'the look', not liking being interrupted. "Sorry!" Tsuna immediately squeaked.

"Fine… Tsuna." Alaude found himself on the receiving end of a bright smile, and he could swear that there were flowers in the background. "Subordinates may be reliable, but a noble knows more about his lands and governments if he himself walks among the people than having fifty men report to him every day. Furthermore, what fun is there in letting lackeys defeat all the prey?"

"Oh," Tsuna commented lamely, feeling a bit stupid. "Umm, what is your family like? I- my father is dead; I told you that already. I have a brother and a sister. My sister is staying with our mother in our hometown because Mother is sickly. Big brother lives here in, Florence, with his wife, and I came here to live with them while I try to make money to send to my sister to pay for Mother's medicines. She's rather sickly as of late." Here he moved to the upper body, lightly sketching the shoulders. "Do you have siblings, Alaude?"

"Yes. Two brothers and a sister," he replied gruffly, senses going alert as he felt a familiar sense of bloodlust coming near them. Presently, the screams of fear and fangirls started up. "Speak of the devil."

"Ah, brother. What a pleasant surprise," Hibari greeted sarcastically, brandishing his tonfa. "I was wondering why the herbivores were crowding. Now," His eyes flicked between Alaude, Tsuna, and the handcuffs. "Why are you handcuffed to an herbivore?"

Before Alaude could answer, Tsuna turned on his stool, looking at Hibari. "It's my fault, really!" he cried, "I tripped and fell on Alaude and the cuffs closed!"

Hibari didn't know whether to be pleased or disappointed. He wasn't enough of a fool not to realize that the only reason the artist was calling Alaude by his first name was if he had been given expressed permission. Not only that, but the reason for three pairs of handcuffs linking them would be if Alaude had gotten in combat, thrown the handcuffs, and the herbivore had managed to fight back on a somewhat even level with his brother. 'Weakling' he mouthed, receiving a dark glare from Alaude. "If so, what are you doing here and… crowding?" The last word came out as a snarl.

"Waiting for one of my men to get the keys from my office," Alaude retorted. The crowd looked on in interest, as the Nuvola were notorious for their hatred in crowding and generally being in a large group of people, relatives included. Thus, seeing two clouds together in public was a rarity. Tsuna looked between the noblemen curiously and innocently. "Tsunayoshi. This is my younger brother, Hibari Kyoya."

"Different last names?" he asked politely, shrinking away a bit from the black-haired man's stare. Really, where was Hana!? he thought desperately, picking up his charcoal once again to finish Alaude's portrait. All he needed to do now was the torsoand finish shading. With a yawn, Tsuna stretched his arms, loosening his tense back, then putting charcoal onto paper once again, tuning out the sounds around him as the crowd fled in the face of two crowd-hating skylarks.

"Why not just break the handcuff, like you did the one time Lal got you to a pole?" Hibari grunted, looking at Tsuna from the corner of his eye with a predatory glint. Alaude, recognizing the look, glared back.

The question jolted the brunet from his zone, and he looked at Alaude with alarm. "You can break them!?" he cried, pointing at his chains. "Why didn't you say so before? O-or at least did it?"

Alaude glared daggers at Hibari. "I was handcuffed to an iron pole by my elder sister. I broke the chains and the pole in the process of getting free. The iron pole was snapped in two," he clarified. Tsuna paled in shock. "Now you understand?"

"Well, in that case… wait, you broke an iron pole!? You're that strong!?"

A soft, kind voice slipped into the conversation. "Alaude is one befitting the name 'Nuvola'. A true fighter, a strong, aloof, drifting cloud; it is natural that he'd be able to do such a thing." In Tsuna's field of vision, there was a man similar in appearance to Hibari, but his eyes were softer and his hair was in a long braid. They were also dressed differently; the newcomer was in loose, red garb and baggy white pants as compared to Hibari's more formal white dress shirt with black jacket draped over his shoulders. "Father says that we have received guests from the Nebbia and that your presence is required at dinner this evening. Both of you."

"Fong," both skylarks synced darkly. "All the Nebbia?" Tsuna felt the suppressed tension in the air grow tenfold.

"Daemon Spade, Fran Spade, Mukuro Rokudo, and Chrome Dokuro," the man said calmly. "By the way, Daemon has gifted his son a scythe similar to his. It is repeated that Daemon is teaching him his battle techniques. Same with Mukuro and his sister, though I have not heard much about her fighting progress as Fran's."

"Great. All the fruits are coming," Alaude growled darkly. "The female pineapple and the frog apple are tolerable, but I will arrest the melon to death."

Tsuna broke out of his reverie, setting down his darkest charcoal stick with a contented smile, the one he wore wheneverhe was feeling pleased with himself. The portrait of his new… acquaintance wasn't half bad, he supposed. Turning to Alaude and ignoring the irritation in the air, Tsuna gently tugged the handcuffs. "Alaude! I'm done!" With a grunt, all three of the clouds broke out of their irritated manners and turned to the drawing pad. It took a tad bit of effort to not show their surprise. The brunet was startlingly good at capturing detail, from the folds of his trench coat to the individual cufflinks. The drawn eyes were looking off to the side yet observing, and the body drawn and ready to move at any time, the tightened muscles in the fists tucked under Alaude's chin, faint yet noticeable. It was at that moment which Hibari knew he had found the artist that would set him free from marriage.

"Wao," he said, breaking the stunned silence. "Not bad for an herbivore."

"You are quite skilled, Tsunayoshi," Alaude commented idly, a little surprised at how the portrait was so detailed. It was like looking in a mirror, "And that was quite fast."

Fong simply observed the interactions with approval. It appeared that both skylarks had somewhat taken a shine to Tsunayoshi, something good considering how antisocial both were. Maybe the artist would be able to influence them both positively. "It is currently three in the afternoon," he remarked, the bells of Florence tolling the time in the distance. "Your presence is expected by five thirty. Dinner starts at six, but I am afraid of the possible consequences of leaving five bored Nebbia roaming the mansion."

Hibari's attention went from Tsuna to his eldest brother. "Five? You only said the four fruit-heads were coming. Who else from that family?" he interrogated.

Fong frowned in thought. "I forgot to mention Mammon as well," he admitted.

"Fantastic. Three Arcobaleno in the same city," Alaude said sarcastically. "Why are the Nebbias coming to Florence?"

"Apparently, Fran, Mukuro, and Daemon destroyed half the Indigo Manor while dealing with assassins. Chrome also accidentally destroyed the east wing, and Mammon was worse with the rest of the buildings since the assassins planted bombs in the foundations. They'll be staying here as punishment from Alphonso Nebbia for all the damages," the man explained kindly. "The rest of the family will be staying in Bologna while they finish interrogations for rebuilding." With the last line, Fong zipped away over the rooftops, praying that the illusion-wielding relatives hadn't traumatized any of the staff yet.

"I'll be off as well, then," Hibari said darkly. "I have a pineapple to bite to death." Here he made eye contact with his brother and Tsunayoshi, smirking a bit as Tsuna turned away with a slightly blushing face. "I hope to see your work someday," he said politely as he bowed slightly and then disappeared over the rooftops.

Alaude frowned. That brother… intends to use Tsunayoshi, he thought to himself. It wasn't a pleasant thought. True, the artist would receive patronage and possible fame, but at the same time, it was apparent that Tsuna was content with making small, gradual money. With a mental sigh, Alaude discarded the thoughts and settled on his seat. A sound of light brushing caught his attention and he looked up, only to see Tsuna sketching an outline of Hibari and Fong with a delighted look. He clearly was a true street artist, drawing whatever and whoever he saw. With a resigned shake, Alaude leaned back and just watched as the lines grew from the edge of the charcoal. For the moment, he enjoyed the peace.

Hana didn't know whether to be worried or relieved. Master Kyoya (because with the youngest Nuvola, he had to be referred to by the staff as 'Young Master Kyoya' or 'Hibari'), had returned with a smirk playing on his lips. He was in. A. GOOD. MOOD. And as she and the other servants often said, every time a cloud smiles, except Master Fong or his wife, a person's fate was doomed.

"Mou. A penny for your thoughts?" A monotone voice cut in. The head maid spun from her work with the laundry, not letting her expression change upon sight of the 'bad joke' of the Nebbia, because Fran Spade was the only adopted child into the Nebbia Family, and the city-state of Emilia-Romagna considered it a really bad joke from God to make the addition a somewhat hybrid between Daemon Spade and Mammon Viper.

"Ah, good evening, young Spade. What are you doing here?" Hana asked cordially. Fran was generally a 'good' person. 'Don't attract the green-haired child's interest' was common advice.

The androgynous boy yawned, bored, and answered in monotone, "There's no one to make fun of. Nappo-aniki and Daemon are in their room, Chrome is in the kitchen, and I need my malevolent energy to live. Mammon's counting money again. So what were you thinking about?" Hana paled. "Come on, tell me. I'm bored."

At least, Hana thought coldly, at least the 'bad joke' doesn't terrorize the staff like his family when bored. "It's nothing that concerns you, young Spade. Now, why not find something to do?" she replied lightly.

Fran yawned again, not bothering to cover his mouth. "Don't want to. Too lazy," he said back lazily, plopping onto a couch.

Perhaps an explanation of Nebbia Family relationships would be useful now. The Nebbia patriarch was a sly, cunning man by the name of Alphonso Medici de Nebbia, the deposed Medici heir from before the Nuvola had overthrown the Medici. It had been rumored that the Medici had kicked out their youngest heir because of murdering the first one, Giovanni, and his would-be-fiancé, Dulcina of Aragon, preventing Spain from helping the Medici stop the Nuvola revolution. Then Alphonso had gone off and married to one Catherine Nebbia, landing him his position today. He had four children: Mammon Viper Nebbia Arcobaleno, Daemon Spade, and then Catherine had borne a second pair of twins, Mukuro Rokudo and Chrome Dokuro, dying shortly after labor. Daemon and Mammon were twenty-eight, Mukuro and Chrome twenty-four. It was when Daemon was nineteen that rumors had begun circulating about him having a child. It was only partially true, really. Fran was currently twenty and his child, dragged off the streets for reasons known only to the Nebbia siblings. However, sometimes Daemon would hint at the reason, but no one had ever gotten a concrete answer.

Said Daemon Spade was rather fearsome when it came to destroying a person's sanity. A master at both combat and mental games, and his insignia of work was a spade. The Nebbia Family was repeatedly the greatest group when it came to infiltration and intelligence. 'Deception' was Daemon's second name. That also went for Mukuro Rokudo. The brothers were extremely similar with their 'fruity' hairstyles, choice in weapons (scythe and trident, respectively), and signature laughs, both of which were heralds of future catastrophe. As the popular expression went, "'Nufufu,' run to Fran. 'Kufufu,' flee to Chrome." The youngest children were the only few capable of pacifying an angered Nebbia. Though Fran would probably just join in on the destruction.

Chrome Dokuro was by far the nicest, kindest Nebbia in the whole bloodline, which is saying something, considering the treacherous, misty history of the Nebbia. Her purple hair was spiked up in the back like Mukuro's, and she wore an eye patch with a chrome skull on it, having last her eye during a nearly successful assassination attempt on her life. The whole Emilia-Romagna countryside was fiercely protective of Chrome. That was how popular of a figure she was.

And the most elusive Nebbia of the lot was Mammon Viper Nebbia Arcobaleno. No one was really sure of the Mist Arcobaleno's gender, as they were always seen wearing a dark, hooded cloak that only showed their lower face. Most referred to Mammon as female, but one could never know, especially with the Arcobaleno, and the Nebbia one at that.

Hana Kurokawa Sasagawa was not a head maid of the Nuvola for no reason. She knew the power balance of Italy very well, and her father had educated her on the works of Machiavelli. She knew the minds of rulers. She knew many things. But she did not know how to escape interrogation by Fran Spade, if it was humanly possible.

"Mou. So?" Hana bit her lower lip nervously. "Well, is it about the black birdie's artist problem again?"

"Stop abusing your powers, Fran," Chrome chided softly, shuffling quietly into the room. "Hana, Kumo-san is home." Hana looked at the noblewoman gratefully.

"Chrome-nee, stop using Asian honorifics," Fran hummed, leaping up from the couch and leaving.

The woman let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Lady Chrome." Her relief was short-lived, however, when there was a sound of crashing from the front hall. With worried expressions, the women dashed off, only to see Fran and Mukuro brandishing their weapons against Hibari. "I saw this coming…"

"Kufufu~ Happy to see me, birdie?" Mukuro mocked.

A vein throbbed on Hibari's forehead. "Silence, pineapple," he snarled, rushing forward to exchange blows with the other. Sounds of metal clashing resounded in the hall and a bored Fran stood off to the side, leaning on his scythe. "Frog-apple. The idiot-bronco and his brother are coming to pay a visit soon as well," Hibari warned abruptly, causing him to fall over.

"Okay, thanks, bye." With that, he poofed away somewhere unknown, probably to his 'father's' side.

Mukuro and Hibari's fight continued, sending chunks of marble stone flying everywhere. Destruction of the front hall continued as Chrome, Hana, and the other innocent staff members took refuge in a nearby hallway. Hana was on the verge of screaming when her husband burst into the doorway with an "IT'S EXTREMELY BAD TO FIGHT IN THE FRONT HALLWAY, YOU TWO! THAT'S EXTREMELY WHY I JUST FIXED UP THE TRAINING ROOMS!" The fighting ceased as both nobles were picked up by the collar and dragged to the fighting room by Ryohei Sasagawa.

When all three were out of sight, Hana and Chrome shook their heads in resignation. "Come on, ladies; don't just stand there. It's time to clean up this mess. Again."

It was two o'clock when Hibari and Mukuro finally laid down their weapons, leaving the room with satisfaction from getting the opportunity to beat up the other. The cloud immediately made a beeline for his father's study, observing that Alaude was still not home. Coming in front of the impressive oak doors, he knocked respectfully before entering. Riccio looked up from his paperwork at Hibari's entry. "What is it?" he asked brusquely.

Hibari smirked before answering. "I found an artist to undertake the trial." This prompted Riccio to raise an eyebrow curiously. "I will have persuaded him to assist me by the end of the week. Good day, Father."

Riccio watched his son leave impassively. He did not know when to give up, really. With a sigh, Riccio continued his paperwork. If there really is an artist ready to receive patronage from us, he thought grimly, I'll do my paperwork every day.

After leaving his father's study, Hibari passed by Hana. "You may leave now," he smirked. Hana was never so glad to get home, hoping that Tsuna was okay.

The woman nearly facefaulted when she arrived in front of her modest home in the outskirts of Florence. There, on a Nuvola's shoulder, he was napping like no care in the world. "M-Master Alaude! I apologize for my brother-in-law's behavior!" she cried, coming out of her stupor.

Alaude blinked at her impassively. "Where… this is your home?" he asked slowly. Hana nodded and moved to wake up Tsuna, who had started to fall of Alaude's shoulder. However, her boss shot her a look and gently- gently- shook Tsuna awake. "Tsunayoshi, wake up. She's here."

Tsuna stirred groggily, yawning cutely before stretching up, back making popping noises. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he visibly brightened at the sight of Hana. "Hi, Hana!" he greeted cheerfully. "I just came here today! You got our letter, right?"

The maid nodded, stepping to unlock her house after fishing out a sizeable key ring from her pockets. Opening the door, she eyed Alaude cautiously, the handcuffs with alarm. She had a strong feeling that she did not want to know what had happened in her absence. "I was- I'm sorry, Tsuna, my boss didn't let me go until a little while ago. Your brother will be home sometime soon." Something unrecognizable flashed through Alaude's eyes. "Have you been waiting long? And…" Here, she cleared her throat nervously. "Why are you and Master Alaude handcuffed to each other?"

Tsuna blinked innocently several times before he looked at his left hand, the chains clinking. He laughed nervously. "O-o-oh!... uhh... an… accident…? But it's okay, Hana; I don't mind waiting!" he said hurriedly. "What's your job, anyway?"

She pointed a finger at Alaude. "I'm head maid in Nuvola Purple Estate. That man is one of my bosses." Here, she scowled. For her brother-in-law to have attracted the attention of such dangerous people was a bad omen. "Come on in. He lives on the second floor." Her house was by no means shabby. It was small and cozy, but had the luxury of having two floors. Ryohei had built it himself. Once she heard the chains again, she nearly facepalmed. "M-Master Alaude. Tsuna. I'll take in your stuff." It wasn't because of the state of disarray that her home was in that she didn't want him to enter. It was simply because to invite a noble into the house of someone of lower class was considered a grave insult.

The blond grunted and picked up one of Tsuna's knapsacks, walking past Hana and dragging Tsuna in with him. "Cut the formality, Sasagawa. I'll help him move in, and by that time my men should be here with the keys to the handcuffs. Come in, Tsunayoshi." The bewildered brunet managed to snatch a second knapsack before being nearly dragged upstairs with the handcuffs.

Hana stood frozen by the door, stunned by the expression Alaude had addressed Tsuna with. That was… "Is this the infamous Nuvola weak spot for small, cute things?" she whispered. The higher staff members were very well aware that virtually all Nuvola had that weak spot. It was a notorious fact, but somehow was humanizing that such frightening people were fond of such a thing. But still, for it to manifest in such a way…

Hana shook her head resignedly, catching eye of the drawing on the easel that was left outside, and she had to force herself not to go slack-jawed at the picture of Master Fong and Hibari. He had pinned down their individual expressions perfectly, and if Hana didn't know better, then she would have thought that they were looking at her from the paper. He had advanced so much as an artist! Where her little friend that doodled stick figures in the dirt gone? With a small smile, she headed to the kitchen to cook dinner while Tsuna bounced down, dragging Alaude to pick up the last of his things.

Soon, a knock resounded on the front door, prompting Hana to go and open it. A policeman stood there, looking around curiously. He held an iron key ring. "Where's Master Alaude?" he asked. "He ordered me to return here with his handcuffs keys."

Before she could so much as blink, a hand shot out from behind her, snatching the keys. There were a few clicks, and a moment later, three pairs of handcuffs clinked to the ground. A sigh of relief was heard as Tsuna rubbed his wrist. "Thank you," Alaude said gruffly. "Now, return to your patrol. Tell no one of this."

The three watched as the man bowed and walked off respectfully. When he disappeared, Hana regarded the two curiously. "Good day, Master Alaude," she said with finality.

He nodded to her and turned to Tsuna, who was looking slightly disappointed. "Good day… Tsuna," he said after a moment of deliberation. "I should hope to hear of your fame someday, preferably soon." With that, he hesitantly patted Tsuna's hair, like one would pet a pet. Hana's eye twitched as Alaude took off. Seriously; Tsuna needed to hit puberty soon. He looked so childish that- She shook her head again.

"So, while we wait for Ryohei to come home, mind telling me how you got handcuffed to my boss?" she asked dryly.

On sighting one of two Nebbia that he could actually tolerate the presence of, Hibari threw a tonfa at Fran's head, causing him to tilt his head to the side to dodge. "Oh. Hello, Cloud-Man," he greeted rudely. "Why are you so happy on this fine day? Did you kill someone or something?"

Hibari eyed him carefully. If he played his cards right, then he would be free from marriage. "What would I have to do to get you to do something for me?" he asked carefully.

Fran raised an eyebrow, weighing his options. Helping Hibari would kill his boredom and annoy his Nappo-brother. "I don't see why not. But what is it?"

"Help me… ah… persuade someone to help me," he said vaguely.

He received a deadpan look. "Verbally or violently?" he asked matter-of-factly. At his skeptical expression, he held up his hands, saying, "Okay, okay; verbal it is. Who, what, when, where?" he rattled off.

"An artist. Sometime this week. Head maid Hana's home. Understood?"

"You so owe me a favor for this, Cloud-Man."

"I don't care, frog herbivore. Do as I ask, and I'll do whatever favor you need," he said impatiently, drawing out his other tonfa.

Fran started wondering whether agreeing to help him was a good idea or not. Oh well. Too late. At least now he had figured out a way to kill his boredom.

Exile: Credit goes to Lunakatsuma for typing this. We wrote it by hand, and then recorded it verbally, then sent it to her to type up... because we're actually very slow typists.

Review? And please don't expect the next chapter anytime soon... in a month, at least.

*Is capable of doing 200 words = 1 review for this fic*