Varka, seeing the boys of Crepus destroying themselves in the name of Mondstadt, and feeling so much guilt. because he had failed them, too. just as much as he had failed his dear friend, he had failed his sons as well.
but he doesn't want to dwell on it, determined to change what he can while he's back home.
with Diluc, it's quite simple. it doesn't take much for Varka to understand who hides under the guise of Darknight Hero, so he comes with quite a simple, foolproof plan. he takes Diluc with him to spar. well, they're competing, and Diluc is still the kid who likes challenges and refuses to back up. they wipe up almost half of the hilichurls camps, Varka is just a tad ahead in body count than Diluc.
they finish late and Varka drags absolutely boneless and limp Diluc back to the Winery and hands him to Adelinde. Adelinde sends him back to the city with her apple pie and countless amount of grateful words as Diluc finally sleeps for 10 hours straight in like, a month.
Varka make sure to repeat it at least twice a week.
with Kaeya, though... it's much harder. he's taken much more from Crepus than he himself wants to admit. and not all good qualities. he's secretive and elusive, charming to a fault, avoidant. Varka feels like both ripping out his hair and aging thousand years at a time with how strong his frustration is.
he invites him to a drink. Varka is almost wasted while Kaeya still jokes and nowhere near to passing out and having at least a nap. (Diluc dilutes Kaeya's drinks out of spite).
he takes him to the missions. Kaeya finishes the missions with such ease that him and Lohen became best friends. he spends next to none energy, so of course, at nights Varka watches the kid walk in the Treasure Hoarders camps.
he sends him to a week long vacation in Nod-Krai. the kid finds the informants, saves the day, brings a ton of souvenirs, and, by the way Nefer talks, impressed her just enough to almost keep to herself; Varka is very against it, because it's his kid and he refuses—
he does almost everything he can and can't find a way to get the kid to rest. Jean once catches him, after observing the whole commotion and his very exasperated grunts and complains, and sits him down.
she says, simple, to let Kaeya wear himself out.
Varka feels as if he's delirious and seeing hallucinations. Jean repeats her words, and Varka recalls, from the days back, that Crepus was a workaholic worse than anyone he ever knew. he had to work himself to the bone as he wasn't particularly impressive in any fields. he was a good man, but a man of very few talents. painting was the one. another was being a good father.
then it clicks.
he gathers Klee, Bennet, Fischl, Durin, Diona, and basically all the kids of Mondstadt and gives them one mission — to keep Kaeya busy.
he watches from afar as Kaeya doesn't get a chance to get a sip of wine, runs around with the kids, has to sit countless picnics and eat, gets to teach them his techniques and tricks, and how a happy heap then sleeps, with no worry in the world.
yeah...
Varka smiles.
Kaeya would be a great father if given a chance.
(after a while Varka throws Diluc in the heap of kids, so now these two babysit the whole future generation of Mondstadt and are finally, finally, sleeping and eating well.)
