Chapter Text
"Wait, wait, wait. Was that an evil karaoke machine!?" Tygra yelled in disbelief.
"Yeah? I mean, pretty much everything in here is evil. And now that I have you here to fix and organize all of it, I'll rule Third Earth yet again! I'll name you my Prime minister of organizing stuff."
Mumm-Ra stated, pointing at the small cat man.
" My dream job! Wait. No, no sorry. That is an evil plot and I just don't do evil. Any moment now the rest of the Thundercats will come to rescue me!"
"You won't want to be rescued if you're mind-controlled!"
Mumm-Ra pointed the Quartz-a-Bellum gem at Tygra.
"Wait, wait, I'm sorry. You didn't think that actually works do you? I thought we both knew the whole mind control thing was just to keep things less… awkward while I cleaned."
"Awkard?! Impossible! Mumm-Ra is the master of social graces."
"Well think what you like, I'm leaving."
Tygra turned toward the door, but before he could even take a step, Mumm-Ra swooped him up into his arms.
"I don't think so."
Tygra struggled against his captor's closed hand, trying to find a way to free himself.
"The Thundercats will be here soon to put you down!"
"Fine, let's wait then," Mumm-Ra taunted, placing Tygra in a cage suspended from the roof.
"Any moment now!" Tygra shouted confidently. And continued to shout over the next day and a half.
"... any moment now ," he whispered, his spirits starting to fail. Mumm-Ra, who had stood patiently next to the cage all night, placed a hand on its bars.
"Look. I'd rather get my plans on the way, you as my Prime Minister or not. How long are you planning to wait?"
Tygra tried to glare but didn't have the strength, he was feeling woefully doubtful of his companions. Maybe the lack of sleep is causing him to lose courage! Tygra lay on his side and brought his knees to his chest.
They will come, they have too.
A mink blanket interrupted his thoughts. Feeling it cover him, he glanced up to see Mumm-Ra exit the room. Why do anything nice for him when he had tried to leave? The thought made his heart catch and it was followed by others. Mumm-Ra letting him clean, the lemonade in the closet, the karaoke, the fleeting touches. Maybe life under Mumm-Ra wouldn't be so bad...
He shook the invasive idea away. He was a Thundercat, he was good. It's just the lack of sleep clouding his judgment. He will wake up to the Thunder-Tank blasting through the wall to the rescue, he was certain of it.
Tygra was jolted awake by the sound of metal sliding across metal and the cell door locking shut. The source of the noise was easily found, steam wafting from a plate of burnt bacon and eggs sitting on a metal tray in the cell corner. Mumm-Ra hadn't said anything, just placed it then exited. It tasted bad but no worse than some of the stuff Lion-o had cooked up back at the base and he hadn't eaten for a few days now. It was a strange yet welcome meal.
Mumm-Ra didn't have to give him food or the lemonade earlier. He is a prisoner, he could have just left him to starve while conquering Third Earth but he didn't. When had his team ever given him that much?
It had been three days since the rest of the Thundercats had left him here and they still hadn't come back. His stomach knotted. It wasn't the first time they had forgotten him too. They had left him at the base when it was moments from exploding. His throat tightened. Acting as if he was the worst for wanting to follow manuals and training regiments. His eyes pricked with tears. They were the last members of his race and they didn't even care that he was missing.
He exhaled, trying to hold himself together.
It was all too much. Shaky breaths devolved into strangled sobs. He didn't want to be seen by his greatest enemy in such a state. But was Mumm-Ra still his enemy? He felt they had really connected recently and he hadn't left the pyramid yet to do evil even though he was at full power.
Was it all for Tygra? Surely not, but what other reason could there be? He had made sure he was comfortable and fed. When had his team ever done that for him? Thinking of him was making him feel better too. Recollecting the feeling of a warm, reassuring hand on his shoulder.
When Mumm-Ra re-entered the room, it was obvious he was trying not to look at the crying Tygra who was looking away in turn, furiously trying to dry his tears as they formed. Maybe he should talk to him, he thought, but he looked up only to see the room empty again. His shoulders sank. Of course not. Mumm-Ra didn't care, either. He was the enemy. His tears started again with a vengeance.
Suddenly the door to his cell swung open behind him. Large hands encircled him, pulling him against Mumm-Ra's chest. Tears streamed from his eyes as the larger man held him close. He wanted to thank him but all that came out was choked sobs. Mumm-Ra stroked him back, cooing softly as he waited for his tiger to stop crying.
He sat on the floor, holding Tygra on his lap till his tears subsided. Loosening his grip on the Thundercat, Tygra pulled back and looked at his captor's face. Strangely, the man looked concerned. He did care about him. Tygra's heart raced, any words he tried to say coming out jumbled and breathless. His face was growing hot, made worse by the strange feeling of intimacy coming from sitting on the other man's lap.
He had to break eye contact or he was going to do something dumb.
Tygra leaned back into Mumm-Ra's chest, tension tightening his whole body.
"Thank you. You didn't have to do any of this..." Murmured Tygra. He felt Mumm-Ra tense beneath him.
"If you would still have me, I would like to become your Prime Minister of organization. If you still want to I mean ." The last part came out in a rush as confidence left him.
"But the Thundercats..."
"Aren't coming, and if they do... I think I would rather be here." Tygra stated, gently touching the large arm that wrapped around his waist.
Mumm-Ra coughed and looked away but Tygra kept up.
"First orders for your new prime minister?"
"Really?"
"Really."
He scooped up Tygra and placed him on his muscular shoulder.
"Come look over my plans for Bolkin Village."
______
Later in the evening they sat around the dining table. Why Mumm-Ra had one was perplexing, as he didn't eat, but Tygra didn't mind. It was nice to eat dinner with someone who wasn't spraying food everywhere.
The first day of evil wasn't bad. Tygra had suggested improving the Bolkin infrastructure whilst also removing their mayoral system; replacing it with Mumm-Ra as their supreme leader.
Was it even evil? Forcing people to your will because you know what's best for them? Of course not!
Mumm-Ra had cooked again and it was terrible. Blackened and burnt to a crisp.
"Do you have a kitchen?" Asked Tygra, pushing a black lump across his plate.
"Uh no, never needed one before now..." replied Mumm-Ra, awkwardly.
"Then how did you cook... this ." Tygra gestured with a lump of black coal at the end of his fork.
A flame sparked from the end of Mumm-Ra's finger in explanation.
"I can order the Berbils to make one tomorrow? I should make you a room as well. Can't have my prime minister of organization sleeping in a cage."
"I would like that... Speaking of, where should I sleep tonight?"
"Here, maybe?" said, Mumm-Ra gesturing to the tabletop. Tygra looked at him hesitantly.
"It's not like you can be in my sarcophagus or anything."
"Your what ?" Exclaimed Tygra, dropping his fork with a clatter.
___
In the morning, Tygra awoke to the sound of Berbils flooding the dining room. By the time he had untangled the blankets from himself and crawled off the table they had filed out again. Berbils really do work fast.
Tygra walked through the new doorway from the dining room to find a kitchen that rivaled the one he designed at Thunderbase.
"Do you like it?" Boomed a voice behind him
"I love it." He turned around beaming.
"Let me make something for you." And in a flurry of spices and flour Tygra whipped up the best looking pancakes Third Earth had ever seen. Mumm-Ra looked at him incredulously.
"I know you don't eat but please, at least try some."
Mumm-Ra cut the smallest piece off and placed it in his mouth, eyes growing wide as he took in the flavour. He began shovelling more into his mouth.
"This is incredible, is this what all food tastes like?"
"Just the stuff I cook." Replied Tygra, sitting on the edge of the table near Mumm-Ra.
"I could get used to it." Smiled Mumm-Ra as he pulled Tygra into his lap.
They both froze for a moment as they realised what Mumm-Ra had done.
"What else could you get used to?" Tygra laughed, trying to make light of the situation, but it came out more sultry than jovial.
Mumm-Ra placed his head on Tygra's shoulder, who pressed back into him. What was he doing?
"I hadn't realized how alone I was. My subjects were all under me. I had no equal, until now." Mumm-Ra's words ruffled Tygra's fur as he talked, the warmth causing him to blush.
It had been a long time since Tygra had been attracted to anyone, even longer since he managed to get this intimate with them. And he was attracted to Mumm-Ra, wasn't he? It had been there from the beginning and he had ignored it till now. He shifted, trembling in Mumm-Ra's lap. Was he really going to do this? His former enemy, his new master and the only person to care for him since Thundera exploded. He slowly leaned forward, studying Mumm-Ra for any second thoughts. Mumm-Ra seemed to know what he wanted and leaned in a little.
He shut his eyes and kissed Mumm-Ra's chapped lips, maple syrup causing their lips to linger after they pulled apart. He stared, eyes half-lidded, gauging Mumm-Ra's reaction as he seemed to be doing the same. Tygra moved in for another but Mumm-Ra hesitated and with his hesitation all of Tygra’s worries came flooding back; enemy, traitor, evil, wrong .
He stood up and cleared the plate from the table.
“I’ll finish up the planning for the Bolkin Village today, Lord Mumm-Ra.” Tygra said flatly, willing his heart to calm down and his mind to forget.
“I’ll go there in person, make sure the population is willing.”
With those parting words he left, leaving Mumm-Ra alone to contemplate in silence.