Yuri watched as the leaves on the trees began changing colors, another season come and another year to his life he mused as he brought a cigarette to his mouth.
His Солнышко liked autumn, their walks on the acreage were better than the rest of the year from what she used to say, the colors of thousands of different tree species made the land a much lovelier sight and Yuri would be lying if his thoughts didn't go back to when Anya was young and ran through the leaves when she joined them whenever autumn came around again.
But his Солнышко was a cheeky woman and it was far more likely that she claimed it was her favorite season because his birthday was in September, she was the spirited one between them, but their relationship wouldn't have lasted as long as it did if she wasn't.
Love at first sight she had claimed after spotting him at one of her shows, most wouldn't think to brag about working at the circus but his Солнышко was lively woman that loved her work making thousands be so amazed, and she had the patience of a saint for dealing with his problems.
Living for nearly three centuries, fighting in multiple wars and running an international criminal organization for most of it tends to leave someone quite jaded and disconnected from people in general, he was thusly not a person most people would consider marrying, plus he was a smoker that was almost too cold for even other ice-quirked people to handle wasn't helping.
Eliza however took all of that in stride apparently unbothered by all of that and somehow managed to charm him enough to get married and have a child, Yuri was quite certain there would never be another person like his Солнышко to grace the earth in his lifetime after she passed away.
But life tended to surprise him, came with the territory for those that lived as long as he did.
Someone had managed to convince Anya, the only person as stubborn as he was into speaking with him again and he learned of his little внучка before they were taken from him forever.
Izuku Midoriya was not as proud as his Солнышко was but there was that spark of life, Anya herself said the boy reminded her of mother, and Yuri could see exactly what she meant soon after meeting the boy.
Izuku carried a near religious zeal when it came to helping others and his adoration for the children tugged on his heartstrings the same way his Солнышко used to.
And after meeting the boy a second time it was impossible for Yuri to not see Izuku as what he had always pictured a second child of theirs could be like, as kind and caring as his wife but with the strength of himself to protect what was theirs, sure Izuku was a fair bit meeker and wasn't prideful but god Izuku could be stubborn.
Even his inner circle saw the "family" resemblance as the only thing missing was the white hair he and his Солнышко both had when they met the boy but that hardly mattered and he didn't bother to pretend he thought of Izuku as anything less than his son, it would be obvious either way and he would only be protecting Izuku by claiming him as his own as most wouldn't cross him knowing how cold he was when it came to his family.
While his Солнышко insisted he could be kind, Yuri knew that he was closer to mirror a petty god of old that could raze cities because of a slight against him, that was what kept people from actively attacking him and his own.
However there was one man that would dare, the only man Yuri knew he would not win against if he had to fight him one-on-one, All For One.
Yuri was hardly more than a trained animal sent by the government to destroy whatever they thought was a big threat in those days, that was when he first met All For One, or Shigaraki as he still called himself back then.
He had been tasked to find and kill the man because his mutant rebellion could become a threat to their control over the mutant population as other countries were reporting similar groups forming in their wake, he wasn't as strong then, but he had given All For One a good fight and taking one of the man's arms before All For One cast him into a cell.
All For One wanted to study his quirk before he took it which left him in a grace period where a separate group managed to free him and the scarred man leading them warned him to get the hell off the island and never look back while a sickly man helped to bandage his side.
Free he took those men's advice and returned home to Russia, started the rebellion the government feared and built up his private army, all the while he kept a cautious eye on Japan and cut off any trade that would come from there if he could without war.
After two hundred years All For One decided on trying to make peace with him but Yuri knew damn well that a man willing to kill their own brother for defying him wasn't a person to make your bed with and refused him, killing all of All For One's spies as soon as they made landfall.
Unfortunately, All For One was smart enough to recognize the asset Izuku was and had started asking questions through the farce that was the Japanese H.P.S.C. and worse the H.P.S.C. seemed to be hoping to use Izuku to get out from All For One's grip on them.
And Izuku was too stubborn to stop his work so it would only be a matter of time before All For One or one of the others looking for the boy would catch him, and they would not be so kind when they realize Izuku wasn't quirked, All For One would pick him apart while the H.P.S.C. would lock him away where they could break him down.
Yuri had doubts of what the heroes would do, far too many to know for sure but the safest bet were the ones Izuku claimed to like, they seemed to be the ones less likely to simply hand Izuku over to H.P.S.C.
Still though Yuri didn't trust any of them would be able to protect Izuku from All For One's wrath once he discovered it was a two-toes was the one collapsing his empire right from under his nose, which was what lead him to standing outside the oldest of the Vespas properties in Japan.
Yuri finished his smoke and crushed the butt under his heel before he walked up to the building and to the large flop guarding the door "I believe I am expected." he told the woman, she stared at him blankly for a moment then stood aside.
Yuri stooped to enter the building walking past multiple people as he made his way unguided to the master chambers, he hadn't been here before but the Vespas made enough building in Russia that he had visited more than enough times and the building's layout has never changed too much over the last fifty years.
Finding the only room with the large grand doors Yuri made sure to use an extra cloth to keep his quirk from freezing the metal handle and entered the room.
The hall was not all too big only meant for smaller private meetings but was made up for it with the grand decor, the room itself having been hand-carved over decades nearly a hundred years ago if he remembered when the construction started correctly.
All this for the appropriate respect for who was the current head of this branch of the Japanese family, Yuri had met more than a few in his lifetime and he knew this head the longest, the man starting as a mere foot soldier guarding the cargo that was brought to his men.
Ambrogio Vespa was quite an old man nearing his eighties now, and his once shiny red fur was a dull copper, one ear little more than a stump while what was left of the other was dotted with holes, they both stood in attention as he entered and Ambrogio grinned up at him with the special set of dentures he had insisted on being made of solely of canines.
"Добро пожаловать, Юрий Морозов! Как мы давно не виделись." Ambrogio gleefully announced opening his arms wide like he was expecting a hug then he pat the pillow he was sat on "Come come, it has been far too long since we've been able to speak in person." Ambrogio insisted and Yuri couldn't help a small, bemused huff "Hah! Don't think I didn't hear that Yuri, might not have much of them left but these ears still work." Ambrogio exclaimed.
"So, they do Gio." Yuri agreed walking over to the much larger cushion to get seated himself, feeling relieved that his old friend was still as spry as he remembered despite how his body had changed in the past sixty years. That wasn't something most people could say as he has seen over his life.
Gio chuckled and smiled at him as he reached for a cup of tea "Here you are, and I still can't believe it. You, in Japan, I never thought I'd see the day." Gio commented "I'm not complaining Yuri, but I think you understand where I'm coming from right?" Gio said.
Yuri nodded, he had refused to step one foot in Japan after he was freed and didn't let most people from Japan anywhere near his operations, and that choice led to not seeing his friend for nearly ten years now since Gio broke his hip.
"I hadn't meant to stay as long as I have." He replied reaching out for the plastic cup perfectly his size.
Gio's ears fell "Ah, my condolences. Anya was a spirited woman who took after you in many ways, and you have my deepest sympathies over the loss. Losing family never gets easier Yuri, not in years or with more bodies." Gio said and Yuri knew his words weren't hollow, his friend had more than enough experience to be an equal in this regard.
"She took after me a bit too much." Yuri mournfully replied.
"And to lose such a sweet bambina on top of it, I only wish we could've gotten through to you sooner." Gio regretfully told him, shrinking in on himself a touch.
Yuri tsked "Do not blame yourself Gio, I would've stayed in that... state for far longer if you hadn't found someone to organize my mind." Yuri pointed responded and he took a drink, his favorite liquor in the glass as he would've expected, Gio never failed to make him feel welcome.
His lips twitching up in slight smile "Besides Gio, I might not have met my сын if you had." Yuri commented fondly and Gio perked up almost immediately.
"Oh Yuri, I cannot congratulate you enough on gaining such a lovely figlio. I've only met the boy a few times but he is such a dear and my grandkids are obsessed with him." Gio happily said "My nipote, Elmo seems to fancy himself one of the boy's friends now that he's learned that little code Izuku made for his books." Gio mentioned with a soft laugh.
Yuri hummed back "Elmo? You mentioned considering him to be next in line for head after you, yes?" He brought up, slightly curious.
"Indeed, only one of my kids that went to college and of all the things he went for he chose history. Might be the only one with a brain actually, and he's already gotten a head start on building a better relationship between our groups." Gio confirmed, with a shake of his head and a chuckle.
He sighed "I'm afraid our children are why I asked for this meeting, as I'm sure you know. All For One and the commission have taken an active interest in Izuku." Yuri said and the mood of the room dropped.
"Yes, Yuri. I've lost quite a few members of family to All For One's crusade." Gio responded ducking his head.
Yuri felt the need to apologize for that, but Gio would not accept that "And if things continue on like this, it will not be long before someone that cannot be trusted finds Izuku." Yuri added, getting a slight nod from Gio.
"We could try to teach Izuku some of our ways, we could certainly show him a lot of the old martial arts that have been lost to time as quirks rose but even then Izuku would still be at risk." Gio told him.
"Yes, he would... that is why I'd like you to find people he can trust, with your network I'm sure you could find someone trustworthy enough to keep him safe." Yuri requested and his friend's ears perked.
"Hm, I can think of a few off the top of my head but how would we explain this new bodyguard to Izuku without informing him of All For One's searching?" Gio questioned.
Yuri huffed "That will be quite simple, find one with a "useful" quirk and merely introduce them as someone that is looking for more legal work." Yuri answered with a dismissive wave of the hand.
"Ah, then I think I know the perfect person. Have you ever heard of the children of Harima? There are a few bad apples but Sako, his youngest great-great grandson has taken after his old man, calls himself Mr. Compress." Gio mused scratching behind his ear stump.
Yuri turned that name over in his mind, it was familiar though it took him a moment to remember the name "You're speaking of the Peerless Thief, he was a modern robin-hood if I recall, and an activist against the hero system of the time, yes?" Yuri asked taking another sip.
Gio nodded "The very same, Sako has made a bit of a splash using his quirk: Compress to escape from heroes after stealing from their agencies. He has shown interest in an analysis from Izuku from what we've heard but has yet to ask." Gio explained.
"Compress?" Yuri questioned with a raised brow.
Gio grinned "Turns out the kid got a... version of his grandpa's quirk. Whereas Harima's son had a quirk that only let him turn inanimate objects into other things, Sako can turn anything, including himself into easy to carry marbles." Gio elaborated for him.
"That would be perfect." Yuri commented, the dynamics of Sako's quirk would be enough to interest Izuku but his ability to transport large quantities swiftly would secure his legal employment with his сын "How fast can you arrange a meeting with him Gio?" Yuri inquired.
Gio rubbed his chin. "Hm, we'll need to herd him for a bit before he would be comfortable meeting you old friend, your rep does its job but I think we could get him in a room with you by the first week of October." Gio offered.
"That shall be fine, Gio. Thank you for this." Yuri said raising his glass.
Gio laughed at that and clinked their glasses as had become a custom between them "It's no problem, Yuri, what are friends for?" Gio joked and Yuri huffed at that "Now that business is done why don't you stay a couple hours and catch me up on what's been going on with you for the past ten years? I'm sure you've got a few more stories for me now." Gio suggested.
A slight weight was removed from his shoulders and Yuri began to unwind with his old friend, mainly trading tales of their children's actions and accomplishments.
Солнышко
Little sun
Добро пожаловать, Юрий Морозов! Как мы давно не виделись.
Welcome, Yuri Morozov! It's been far too long since we've spoken last.