#hnrgh i wanna write a whole story but i have no plot

[jasontoddiefor]

Anyway, AU where Thrawn finds recently orphaned kid Luke on Tatooine and adopts him.

“My parents,” Eli said flatly, “are going to disinherit me.”

The few calls he shared with them nowadays were dreadful and Eli took every chance to escape those calls. Things had been tense enough since he had admitted that he didn’t just mind working under Thrawn, he enjoyed it at times. What were they going to say when he mentioned that he had gotten married to said man so he could adopt the orphaned son of a Jedi? Eli imagined there would be a lot of screaming that ended with him and Thrawn imprisoned while little Luke Skywalker would be dragged into the belly of the Imperial beast and disappear.

No, he’d have to lie to them.

The worst part was that they likely would be more understanding as to why he had thrown away his entire plans for the future if he actually were in love with Thrawn. It certainly made more sense than his, in their eyes, misplaced loyalty.

It would still end with him being disinherited, but at least Luke would be fine. Eli shouldn’t be so attached to the boy already, but it was hard not to when he was so small and had suffered so much already.

“I take it they will not be happy with the sudden presence of a grandchild?” Thrawn said.

Eli didn’t understand what the point of that statement was. Thrawn was well-aware how strained Eli’s relationship to his parents had become. They had never spoken about it, but the Chiss was certainly perceptive enough to have caught onto it.

“They will not.”

“Pity,” Thrawn said, his eyes never leaving the form of the sleeping boy in front of them. “I had hoped they might be of use in raising him.”

Eli stared at him.

“I have never raised a child, have you? And gifted as he might be, he is no Jedi.”

Eli imagined hearing a ‘yet’ attached to that statement. He didn’t want to know why exactly Thrawn had decided to take in the child of a Jedi, but given that the boy now had Eli’s family name and Eli was one of his adoptive parents, he figured he had to learn.

It occurred to him then that he might be the only reasonable influence Luke would get over the next decade until he was an adult and his own person. Eli was responsible for this child’s well-being and emotional development.

“Children,” Eli said slowly. “Are not chess pieces.”

Thrawn turns his head only so slightly that he was able to study Eli, but didn’t reply before looking at Luke again.

Eli kind of wanted to scream, but given that his new son was sleeping, he settled on getting himself some caf.