Chapter Text
Waking up anytime before 9:00 in the morning on weekends was never quite ideal for Varka. He much preferred sleeping in through the early hours, catching up on what he missed throughout the week due to rising well before six to wake Ellie for school. Tragically, he found himself struggling to remain asleep–grasping desperately onto his dreams as they faded into complete darkness.
Varka sighed tiredly as the early morning sun glared into his bleary eyes. The clock to the side of the bed read 5:32–and no matter how much time he spent attempting to fall back asleep, even if just for an extra hour–he never managed to do so. With a heavy frown and weary limbs, Varka climbed out of the bed and made his way down the hall. The house was completely silent–Albedo and Kaeya were likely still asleep. Must be great.
Might as well start on breakfast, he thought, meandering towards the kitchen and gathering supplies. He attempted to be as silent as possible; according to rumor (particularly from Kaeya), Albedo was one to grow distantly irritated when awakened by noise in the early morning. Varka wasn’t trying to accidentally become the target of his blank glares.
He then searched the lightly-illuminated kitchen for ingredients; pulling pancake mix from the cupboard, grabbing potatoes out of their storage shelves–he’d intended on contributing something to their little ‘family.’ With whatever he found, he put to use, remaining silent whilst pouring the batter and slicing potatoes.
By the time Varka was finishing the process, the sun had nearly risen past the horizon–casting a gentle golden glow through the open windows. Soft footsteps sounded from nearby, followed by a low, curious hum as Albedo entered the kitchen and sat at the island. Varka paid him little mind; telling by the lack of an intense, withering glare pointed in his direction, he assumed Albedo woke up on his own terms.
Glancing over his shoulder, Varka asked, “Is Kaeya up yet?”, to which Albedo tipped his head in a nod. Varka assumed he was still attempting to gain the energy to drag himself out of bed; typically, he was already up and active, far before Albedo, but perhaps he was overly exhausted from the ‘excitement’ through the week.
They were soon joined by the man in question–followed by Ellie, who yawned softly and stood by Varka’s leg to try and watch him plate their breakfast. He paused momentarily to ruffle her hair–then returned to his previous actions. Both Kaeya and Albedo looked as if they’d pass out at any given moment, with Albedo’s eyes slipping shut every so often, and Kaeya swaying lightly in his seat. They’d been up late, it seems.
Both of them glanced up from the table when Varka set the plates down, before settling in his own seat and cutting into the pancakes. They’d turned out well, for his first time cooking with that particular brand of batter; fluffy and soft, but not overly squishy. He could even say he was proud.
They ate in relative silence, only broken by cutlery scraping on the plates and the occasional hum. Varka was about mid-way through finishing his meal, when Kaeya spoke up–voice raspy and sleep-filled.
“...Think you can make a grocery trip when you’ve got the chance? We need more…uh…” Kaeya trailed off, peering blankly at his plate momentarily, before he coughed into his fist. “I’ll write a list.”
Varka raised an eyebrow at the odd behavior, but agreed nonetheless. They were clearly exhausted today–blinking blearily at the table, swaying forward, and occasionally tugging their shirts up past their necks. Though, it was primarily Albedo doing the last; Kaeya didn’t seem to care if Varka saw much.
…He’d give them a break from their weekly shopping trips. They clearly had other things to do today.
“Yeah, got it. I’ll get that done,” Varka said, reaching to collect their emptied plates in a pile and carry them to the sink. He barely caught Kaeya’s appreciative smile. “I’ll probably start lookin’ for a job or…something. Don’t wanna make it seem like I’m making you guys support us.”
It was more truthful than he’d expected to admit. Varka’s worry lay in his lack of a stable job, at the moment–which had caused Kaeya and Albedo to temporarily support himself and Ellie. They most certainly weren’t low on money–if that started happening, Alice would come in and assist them–but Varka still felt guilty for asking them to pay for him and his daughter to reside with them.
Kaeya raised an eyebrow at him, leaning forward on his elbows and slowly nodding, although Varka’s back was turned to him as he scrubbed their plates clean. Kaeya didn’t mind supporting Varka and Ellie; he owed him quite a bit for his favors in the past. But, he knew it would grow heavy in the long run–raising children wasn’t a cheap task. Suddenly housing a 36 year old man and his young daughter would become expensive.
“And what exactly are you thinking, there?” Kaeya questioned, watching Varka’s movements. Albedo peered at them curiously from the side.
Varka shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno–mechanics again? I enjoy working on vehicles, and it's good pay,” Varka murmured–though his gaze trailed down to his callused fingers, the bruises on his wrists, and many permanent scars that were left from accidents when working on certain cars. He even had a burn mark from a few years back, when an engine suddenly burst into flames whilst he was actively tweaking it. Varka had suffered intense injuries–but for a while, it was his passion.
He could feel both Kaeya and Albedo’s gazes burning into the back of his head, and he knew they were calling him an utter fool for wanting to go back into that line of work.
Albedo was the first to dare a word.
“...Weren’t you the one who admitted that job took up ninety-percent of your time?”
Kaeya nodded from his side. Varka would constantly tell them about his struggle with balancing his work and family. If he took too much time off to help with Ellie, the shop went into chaos, and his employees struggled. On the other hand, if he spent most of his days at work, his ex would grow upset. Not angry–just deeply saddened by his repeated absence, and Ellie would avoid him when he was at home.
It wasn’t healthy for Varka to remain in that line of work. He moved away from Mondstadt City to attempt to repair his father-daughter relationship–not cause even more damage to it.
Varka proceeded with the process of washing dishes, then placing them onto the drying rack. He then glanced towards the couple where they sat–watching as they both peered at him with almost firm expressions. Finally, he huffed.
“Yeah…you’re right,” Varka sighed, wiping his hands on a soft towel before setting it aside for when he finished this conversation. “Ellie deserves a present dad.”
The final question that remained was what exactly would he do, if not mechanic work?
His options were fairly limited here. Starfell Valley was a small town, with few job opportunities; many of them required driving out of the town, to someplace completely different–and Varka was unsure if he had the patience to do so.
He could work at the local grocery store; it was fair-sized, and he was trained in handling foods and other products. Just another course he tacked onto his college years.
Kaeya and Albedo continued to watch him, as if awaiting any further words before they went off with their own days. When Varka remained silent, they stood from their seats and meandered off to separate areas of the house; Albedo to his office, and Kaeya into the backyard, followed by their golden retriever, who happily trotted behind him. Varka was left alone in the kitchen–as, Ellie had already wandered back to her bedroom.
With that, Varka made his way to his own room to change into proper clothing–bland t-shirt and a pair of black trousers, with his prized wolf-tooth pendant to complete the rushed outfit–before he exited the house and climbed into the driver’s seat of his car. The radio started up on an older channel of guitar-filled melodies, turned down to medium volume to spare his ears this early in the morning.
Varka’s first ‘location of interest’ was, of course, a local florist shop. It was simple enough; Varka considered himself to be fairly alright at picking out colours and species. At one point in the past, he attempted to grow a few plants in the house–unfortunately, raising a toddler and an energetic dog, and a young cat would, inevitably, lead to disaster, as a few months in, the shelf was knocked down and the plants were destroyed. Varka was deeply upset at the time–but he did his best to avoid making Ellie, or the animals, feel like they committed a crime.
Pulling up in front of the shop, Varka inhaled a deep breath. Just ask about job openings, and go from there. He should still have his application from his previous workplace–but it was a tad outdated…
…He would figure it out once he got information inside.
Varka was hesitant as he stepped into the fair-sized shop, craning his neck to glance around his surroundings. Shelves were stocked high of well-cared for flowers, a few on the floor containing varying seeds for multiple plant types. The lighting relied primarily on the sunlight pouring through the windows–though, a few dimmed lights shone from the ceiling.
As Varka approached the front counter, he caught sight of a young woman by the back shelves, arranging a bouquet of pale-blue daisies and lavender, tying them together in a crinkling wrapper with an azure ribbon. Varka watched as she handed them over to a youthful boy–perhaps about seventeen–with a bright flush that contrasted greatly with his almost snowy-blue hair. He dropped a handful of mora into the worker’s palm before skittering towards the door–and for a moment, Varka was reminded of himself when he was that age; doing practically anything to get the attention of the one he’d fallen for.
He managed to catch sight of the nametag pinned onto the woman’s apron–reading ‘Emilie’ in a swirling, pastel-purple script. Her smile was gentle as she turned back towards the flowers on the shelf–sunlight illuminating the pink-ish blond of her short locks. Varka remained quiet until she turned back around, before flashing a small, nervous grin.
“Uh…Good morning, miss! I’m here to ask about jobs?”
Emilie’s features seemed to shift into a look of surprise. She blinked once, twice–then sighed softly and shook her head.
“I apologise, sir–we don’t have any openings. I would certainly tell you if we did.”
From the way she frowned and peered at him apologetically, Varka knew she was being genuine. He doubted that they’d turn him away for no reason, anyways/
Well, he’s already here…might as well buy something.
Varka nodded slowly in response, forcing the disappointment to not show on his face. He glanced around the shelves momentarily–scanning for something he could purchase for anyone he knew. For a moment, his eyes wandered to a cluster of dim,midnight-coloured roses, and his mind unhelpfully supplied him with the idea of gifting them to Flins.
…Absolutely not. He didn’t even know the guy very well–he was just his daughter’s teacher, nothing more.
Instead of entertaining that thought, Varka settled for a couple of soft, pink tulips for Ellie, and a bouquet to liven up the kitchen table a tad. He heard Emilie’s second apology as he exited the shop–simply smiling and shaking his head to convey forgiveness. It wasn’t her fault they were out of job openings.
His next stop was at a miniscule cafe nearby the florist–but, tragically, they also had nothing. The man at the counter had given him a sympathetic frown as he turned him away–though, offering a complimentary blueberry muffin, fresh from the oven. Varka would have been insane to turn such an offer down.
By the time noon rolled around, Varka was teetering on the verge of giving up. Maybe pleading with Albedo to spare some of his leftover professor money to save him the painstakingly long process of finding employment, even.
Around the time Varka was preparing to give into the urge and make the drive back home, his phone chimed its loud ringtone. Working with noisy machines and devices had been bound to lead to complications with his ability to hear properly–so the ringtone was always left fairly high, so Varka wouldn’t miss any possibly important calls. He answered it with a basic greeting–hearing Kaeya’s static-ridden voice through the device.
“A little birdie told me you’re struggling,” Kaeya taunted, the smirk in his voice blatant although Varka couldn’t see his expression. He rolled his eyes until it ached. So Albedo showed him Varka’s desperate messages, begging to share even a dime of his terrifyingly high income. Seriously–is the average highschool teacher even able to make that much…? The answer is no. Absolutely not.
Kaeya’s taunting voice cut Varka’s confused train of thought off. “And, to extend a little…friendly assistance; Angel’s Share is hiring for the kitchen. Definitely not as much as you made in the city–but enough to pay us rent, and for the sheer amount of food you consume.”
Kaeya’s tone had faded into snarky boundaries as he spoke–but he cleared his throat and finished with, “Diluc’s a bit of a hardhead, just be aware.”
Varka had known Diluc for a good eight years–so he was fully aware that he was not, in fact, a ‘hardhead’ as Kaeya said. He’d just enjoyed getting under his brother’s skin–and eventually, Diluc began growing irritated, and strict only with Kaeya. Otherwise, he was a fairly calm man.
“...Got it. I’ll try my luck there,”
Varka expected another remark from Kaeya as he thanked him, and was fairly shocked when there was none. Not even a comment about Varka’s feeble attempt to tempt money out of Albedo.
With that, Varka pulled away from the parking lot he’d been sitting in for the past twenty minutes, and began in the direction of Angel’s Share. Traffic hadn’t been particularly terrible at that hour–allowing Varka to reach the familiar tavern fairly quickly. Throughout the drive, he attempted to focus on the surrounding environment, and the music playing quietly through the radio. He was in his mid thirty’s, and was actively struggling to pick up a job. It was almost pathetic.
Maybe he should have remained in the city, in a familiar home, where he and Ellie had been happy. It had only been about a week since he’d made the move out here, and Varka was already beginning to regret the decision.
If this doesn’t work out, Kaeya and Albedo would kick them to the curb–and he had few friends who would be willing to allow a single, unemployed dad and his six-year old daughter to crash with them.
Arriving at Angel’s Share, Varka forced himself to contain his rising emotions, running his palms over his face with an exasperated sigh. You’re a grown ass man, for god’s sake–get it together.
Varka steeled himself for his third rejection of the day as he stepped foot inside of the tavern, its warm environment welcoming him easily. Multiple patrons sat at the tables around the building, either peacefully eating a tasteful lunch, or sharing drinks with others. He caught sight of Diluc behind the bar, crimson hair curtaining his eyes as he shook a drink and poured it into a tall glass, only to turn his head and make eye contact with Varka across the room. Varka took his raised brow as a sign to approach, sliding onto a barstool and leaning forward on his elbows.
“Hey,” Varka started, and winced at the crack in his voice. Diluc’s lips tipped upwards, just for a glimpse of a moment, before settling into his typical blank features. Varka coughed into his fist. “I need a job. Really need a job. And Kaeya sent me here, saying there’s some openings in the kitchen staff?”
Diluc’s brow raised further, his hands pausing where they were previously wiping a cup clean. “You’d be correct, then; one of the chefs quit last weekend.” Diluc fixed him with a firm gaze, all whilst returning to cleaning the glass. He backed up a few steps when Varka immediately shot up out of his seat, palms braced on the countertop as he watched the bartender’s face for any signs of deceit.
Varka quickly noticed the flash of discomfort and settled back down, clearing his throat and masking the sheer relief that had flooded through him.
“Great! I mean–not the person quitting, the opening is what’s great–” Varka rambled aimlessly, overtaken by the eagerness of an opening, and the hope of actually achieving his goal.
He quickly shut himself up when Diluc’s amber gaze set onto him once again, fixing him with a firm glance.
“You’re…eager.” Diluc muttered under his breath, followed by something else Varka couldn’t quite catch. Nonetheless, Varka chuckled, brushed a hand through his hair, and nodded. Diluc turned away to place the glass upon the shelf with great care, then pulled something out from beneath the counter and slid it to Varka. The latter blinked once, twice–before glancing it over.
“Kitchen Staff—Executive Chef Requirement Form.
- Highschool Diploma
- Culinary Experience
- Food Safety Knowledge (LICENSE REQUIRED)”
The list continued on seemingly endlessly, leaving Varka almost awed at the sheer care that went into selecting their staff. Not surprising–Diluc ran one of the richest, well-known wineries in the entirety of Mondstadt. Of course he’d take great precaution in who he hired.
Varka glanced back up at Diluc once his reading concluded, watching as he cocked an eyebrow and leaned on the counter–waiting.
“To be…honest–I trust you, Varka. I don’t doubt that you’re well-fit to work here,” Diluc began, holding eye contact with Varka as he took the sheet back and slipped it beneath the counter. “I still want an application. And an interview. I’ve gotta ensure you actually fit the standard.”
Varka nearly deflated at the honest words. He should have expected Diluc to hold him at the same standard as the rest of his staff–near perfection, but not so much so it was suffocating, working hard to keep the restaurant portion of the tavern running well—but he had just the slightest sliver of hope that he’d relent, just a tad.
Still, there was a distinct lack of unkindness in his eyes. Diluc peered at Varka throughout the thick silence, awaiting any response. Varka gave a slow nod at the conditions.
Diluc followed it up with further elaborations, tone professional, yet still friendly. “You can come in tomorrow afternoon, if you’re available. Mondays are typically slow enough for an interview.”
Varka agreed far faster than he should have, but Diluc either didn’t notice, or simply brushed it off as typical behavior from the man. The bartender shared another short talk with him, before returning to his work behind the bar, turning his focus to incoming patrons who, for some reason, wanted to get drunk on a Sunday evening.
‘…I could just have someone else pick Ellie up tomorrow,’ he thought, stepping out into the cool air outdoors. Varka meandered towards his car, internally checking “Give one more desperate attempt at getting employed” off of his mental list. Now, his responsibility was to run to the grocery store, then return home and cook supper for his new little ‘family.’ Was it shrimp alfredo they’d requested?
…..
Arriving at the local market, Varka attempted to spend as little time there as possible. He’d never been a huge fan of stores–they were seemingly endless, and he was often convinced he was witnessing everyone else’s first time living during every visit. He’d been bumped with baskets countlessly, had infants screaming until his eardrums ached, and experienced customers snatching the very last product he was just in the midst of reaching for, then giving a snarky glance and hurrying away.
Scratch that–Varka despises grocery stores. Even Ellie shared his distaste for them.
Tragically, it was an adult requirement–so Varka forced himself to man up and step past the boundaries of the bright main entrance, picking up a hand-held basket on the way by. A few workers watched him wander inside, their eyes tracking his movements–one or two hungry, the other wary. Like he’d dare to steal anything from a store. He cried as a kid after accidentally pocketing a teacher’s eraser, believing he was now a criminal that deserved to be jailed until his hair greyed.
Varka meandered through the aisles almost aimlessly, beginning with searching for the sauce listed on the crumpled notepad Kaeya had slipped him earlier. It had grown smudged and wrinkled after hours in his pocket, and his consistent squeezing of the paper when he found himself growing stressed. He found his target quickly–glancing over the shelves for the exact brand he’d been asked to find.
“I hadn’t expected to stumble across…you, here.” A voice spoke from his side as Varka lowered a glass container of alfredo sauce into his basket, causing him to flinch and swivel his full body to face them. Immediately, Varka came face to face with Flins–with his dim golden eyes that always appeared empty, yet so full of warmth, and the ever-slight twist of his lips into a barely noticeable smile. For a moment, Varka didn’t know what to say–he was dumbfounded, like a pathetic teen who had just bumped their crush. God, that’s exactly what it was. But now, he was a pathetic adult.
Varka blinked multiple times and averted his gaze, struggling to come up with any sort of response that wasn’t pure gibberish. Flins awaited his reply, still with the same eased expression on that gorgeous face.
“Uh…Yeah! Just shopping for ingredients. My night to cook, and stuff.” Varka managed, voice cracking once or twice and higher than it was supposed to be. His blatant nerves caused Flins to crack a wider smile and laugh softly. His laugh is so majestic, like a gorgeous melody. He wants to hear it on endless repeat.
Varka internally reprimanded the voice in his head, forcing a calm face and awaiting whatever Flins had to say. The latter simply held his grin, reaching past Varka to grab tomato sauce off of a higher shelf. Varka forced himself to avoid involving himself in something Flins could clearly handle.
“I see,” Flins continued, beginning to step ahead, basket in hand. Varka sped the pace of his movements to catch up with him–an action that clearly amused him, telling by the little hum that escaped him.
“Aside from grocery shopping…what else has gone on in your day?”
Small talk. Flins was attempting small talk, with Varka. He almost felt as if he were dreaming, considering their previous conversation was a heavy one. He’d much rather avoid speaking about his ex to the person he’s starting to develop something for, this time around.
Varka cleared his throat and steeled his expression. “Job searching, nothing else. Need to pay my roommates back for eating half of their damn fridge.”
That just made him sound like a glutton. Varka huffed lowly, dragging a palm over his face and glancing sidelong at Flins to catch his reaction. To his own shock, he seemed amused, nodding along whilst also perusing the aisles for his groceries. Varka sighed in relief.
They remained silent for nearly the rest of the trip–though, Varka followed Flins around like a lost puppy, only stopping to grab whatever he needed, before scampering right back. He really is pathetic. Kaeya would have a field day making fun of him if he witnessed his behavior.
Around the end of their mutual shopping, Varka stumbled over his words as he offered to scan Flins’ groceries at the self-checkout, to which the man simply chuckled and nodded him along. He knew he could be independent–he’d done so for years prior; but having such a seemingly big, serious man like Varka practically scramble to scan groceries for him was almost sweet in a way. To Flins, at least. Illuga would roll his eyes and tell him he’s being feeble.
After successfully getting through Flins’ groceries, then pausing to scan his own whilst waiting for the former to pay, Varka grabbed the baggage before Flins could protest–As if he would have in the first place–then carried them out behind him, following towards a sleek black car parked near the back of the lot. Varka had no issue lugging both of their bags in his hands, they weighed practically nothing–and such was enough to draw Flins’ peering gaze towards his arms. Varka’s shirt clung tightly to his form, the muscles in his biceps very noticeable in the fading sunlight. Flins gazed shamelessly, until the view vanished when his groceries were placed carefully into the back of his car.
Varka seemed to have not noticed his staring, thankfully–instead straightening up with a bright, toothy grin. Flins stared back at him in silence momentarily, gaze slipping to his chest, only for a moment–then back to his sapphire eyes. Varka looked like some sort of god among the sunset’s light. And Flins had to get away before he did something rash.
“...Thank you for the help, Varka. It’s much appreciated.”
Varka perked up noticeably at the praise, though settled it down before Flins could catch his reaction. “No problem! Always here to help a friend out.”
Flins only managed a slow, small smile in response, before Varka was wandering off with a slight bounce to his step, in the direction of his own vehicle. Flins kept his gaze on the man until he’d climbed in and driven off, with one final wave directed his way.
Flins forced himself to do the same, averting his eyes from the car as it turned around a corner into the nearby neighborhood and settling into the driver’s seat, head thumping against the leather seat as he slumped back.
…Varka already considered him to be a friend.
His lips curled into a grin at the thought.
What a kind man.