Wreckage

(By request from several Tesla loving readers who complain there's not enough on him. Let's do what we can to fix that!)

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Chapter 1: Left Behind

The first thing to return to Tesla's hazy mind was the feeling of the dry desert air on his bloodied skin. He couldn't move, couldn't tell if he was breathing, or even really still alive. But the soft throb of another life force left him hopeful that his master had not died.

Maybe it was just my usual nightmare. I had that same nightmare for so long. I tried to tell master Nnoitra about it, but he didn't want to hear. He only scolded me for caring too much, and said it was making me weak and ineffective. I have always looked up to him, always thought that he was so much wiser than me.

But I wonder now...

He heard a male and a female voice, but hadn't the cognizance to tell who they were, only that they were familiar. And he was sure that the male voice was not Nnoitra's.

If it was Master Nnoitra, he would be scolding me for lying around while he had to attend to everything, himself. And he is right. I am taking too long to live or die. If Master Nnoitra is gone, I choose to go with him, but if he lives, then I must live to serve him. It is all very simple...like me.

He felt a hand slide under the back of his neck and cool liquid was brought to his lips.

"Drink this," said a female voice, "It will make you feel better and help you sleep."

He realized, then, that he was horridly thirsty, and that was why he hadn't been able to speak. So, he accepted several halting sips of the sweet liquid, then croaked out the only thing that mattered to him.

"M-master Nnoi-tora?"

There was a long pause, then a voice he finally recognized as Nel.

"You are going to be all right. You can talk when you wake again."

"B-but...!"

"Didn't you hear her?" said the male voice, snappishly, "Go to sleep, baka!"

"Are you sure you should be moving him so soon?" Nel asked softly.

"Hell yes," the male voice admonished her, "Things are falling apart. We have to go to ground for a while. You need to go find those idiot fraccion of yours and bring them to the cave."

Tesla felt a blinding shock of pain as his body was lifted, even though he could feel that the one lifting him was trying to use care. He gasped, but barely made a sound, half expecting Nnoitra's voice to scold him, and more pain that was not accidental.

"Hold still."

Tesla tried desperately to hold on to consciousness as he was removed from the battlefield and carried off. He wondered if it was weak to be happy, for the moment, that he was still alive and to feel even the dark emotion that emanated from the one carrying him. Even more comforting was the knowledge that he wouldn't simply be devoured, but would be healed...and then, he would return to know his master's fate.

I don't feel anything from Master Nnoitra, but that has happened before, when he was badly damaged. He will be all right. He has to be!

Tesla flinched as he felt a fingertip touch his cheek, where a tear had leaked onto it.

"Stop it, okay? The bastard doesn't deserve your sympathy. Don't you get that he never gave two shits about you?"

"D-don't...talk about...!" Tesla stammered.

"All right, fine," said the voice he finally recognized as Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques.

"Grimmjow?"

"You're lucky I don't trash your ass for being so informal with me, you little demon whelp. But...I guess titles have become kinda meaningless, ne? You're lucky you don't have any idea what's going on. Believe me, little warthog, you don't wanna know."

Tesla shivered at the sound of Grimmjow's voice, the odd inflection that suggested warmth. He was sure it wasn't respectable for an Espada to talk to him like an equal, but having used his store of energy, he was unable to speak anymore. He began to lose consciousness, but was cognizant long enough to feel a cool, wet washcloth touch his face and for Grimmjow's gruff voice to reach him one last time.

"What the hell am I doing? You're probably gonna wish I'd let you die."

The darkness that followed should have been comforting, but was filled instead with Tesla's worst nightmare.

He employed his fastest sonido, following a trail of blood in the sand, chasing over sand dunes, and through the deserted cliffs and valleys, screaming his master's name. The scent of the blood filled his nostrils, and he knew he was badly injured, but didn't care. He forced himself to run long past the ends of his strength, seeking that one source of power that sustained him...his love for that one who would only love him back if he became strong enough.

He remembered Nnoitra's promise.

"Right now, you are nothing. Right now, you give yourself to me, body and soul, because I am your master. If you want more than that, then get stronger. Beat me into submission and I will love you."

He didn't care that the words were harsh, and that they were accompanied with pain. The pain had a purpose. Nnoitra wouldn't stand for anyone weak to be close to him. So, Tesla decided that he would not be weak. He trained hard and gave everything in his service to the fifth Espada. And he learned to find the hidden warmth in the hard words, the small signs of affection, despite the painful discipline. Nnoitra was a complex person who only spoke the language of true strength. And if he was cruel to Tesla, it was because he was grooming the younger man to be like him. And those small signs of affection, here and there, reminded Tesla that Nnoitra had to work to be stronger too. He wouldn't have dared voice that little truth. He would have paid for it in blood, he knew.

But, caught up in the nightmare he was in, he felt the distance growing between his master and him, and he ran beyond what his body could tolerate, and felt it begin to disintegrate. He collpased, at some point, but managed to crawl forward on his hands and knees, loathe to give up the search until he knew...

"Master Nnoitra!"

He felt arms curl around him and a warm body press up against his back, then. But there was too much comfort in those arms. He wanted to throw them off, to yell at the Sexta Espada to never touch him.

I am the property of Master Nnoitra alone!

"Stop it," Grimmjow's low voice said, as a restraining spell immobilized him and healing reiatsu flooded his body, "I'm not letting you die."

"D-don't touch m-me!"

He could feel that Grimmjow was wearing his usual cocky grin.

"What was that, little warthog? You want me to let you go? Then, get better and make me let you go. Until then, you're keeping me warm."

He hated the Sexta Espada for being so familiar with him, but having no choice, he relaxed in Grimmjow's arms and let the healing forces around him work.

I have to heal anyway, so that I can go and find him. He has probably healed by now, and it is only that my weak, broken body cannot sense him. I am a disgrace.

"That's better."

Tesla's mind froze for a moment, as he realized that he was naked and wrapped in blankets, and that the body pressed up against his was bare as well.

I should have known that damned cat would take advantage of me. Master Nnoitra will punish me if he has taken me. He doesn't like sharing with anyone weaker than him.

He quivered as he remembered the night Ulquiorra had come upon Nnoitra and him having sex and had asked why they enjoyed it. He hadn't been able to stop blushing or feeling the cold hands of the fourth Espada on his skin for a long time afterwards. He didn't like being touched by anyone else, but he'd had no right to refuse his master's admonishment to let Ulquiorra explore him.

But Grimmjow had no right. He was weaker than Nnoitra and shouldn't have touched him, unless he had advanced in rank. He supposed that could have happened. Several of the Espadas had fallen. But even so, as long as Master Nnoitra lived, he was stronger than Grimmjow.

"G-get away from me!"

"Aww, you gonna make me?" Grimmjow mocked him gently, "Let's see you try, asshole. Not bad, but it will be a while before you can defy me, so get used to it."

"Master Nnoitra will kill us both!"

"Your master's dead. Get used to it," Grimmjow growled, glaring so that Tesla felt unusual heat on his skin, "He died, but you're going to live. And unless you can beat me in a fight, I'm claiming you, you little snot. So, do what I tell you, or when your body can take it again, I'll beat your ass."

"He's not..."

"His guts are splattered all over the desert. He's gone."

He managed a hard, defiant scream, before the weight of his injuries stole away his breath and he collapsed, panting and sweating.

I'll kill him for saying that!

"That's right. Get pissed. Get really mad."

The words sounded more tired than harsh, as of one who had waited up and worried over someone they cared about. He, himself, had given in to that weakness on occasion. Somehow, seeing such a strong person as Nnoitra struggle with pain was unbearable to him. And so, he would make the master sleep, then lie down with him and dream of earning Nnoitra's respect enough that they could be equals. It would never happen, of course. He could never hope to be that strong. But, he hadn't wanted to give up being close to Nnoitra, even though the master mocked closeness and camaraderie. Such things approached reliance, and so they would never be acceptable to him.

Tesla stirred in his sleep, finally feeling like he could move again. That other warm body was still wrapped around his, and he could feel Grimmjow's hot erection burning the skin of his lower back.

"Let go of me," he snapped, starting to tear free.

He sucked in a surprised breath as he was flipped onto his back and Grimmjow's body pinned his.

"What was that?" the Sexta Espada asked, glaring down at him, "You want something?"

"I want you to get off of me, you thieving bastard! You have no right to touch me! Get off!"

"Sorry," Grimmjow said, without a hint of remorse, "If I get off of you, then your body's going to fall apart. You're barely held together right now. So, shut up, rest, eat and drink. That's all you have the strength to do...and that's asking a lot."

"I hate you!" Tesla hissed viciously, "Master Nn...!"

"He's dead."

"He isn't. You're lying."

"You can feel it now. You have enough ability to sense it. You just don't want to. I get it. You were in love with him."

Tesla wasn't sure how it happened, but somehow, he delivered a stinging slap to the Sexta Espada's face, making pain lance through his healed hand and bringing a flush to the skin of Grimmjow's cheek. He stared, dumbstruck into the ice blue eyes as anger flashed in them, but Grimmjow restrained himself from returning the blow.

"You have to hit a lot harder than that, if you want to make your point," Grimmjow said bitingly, "Why don't you argue the point? You can't, can you. You were in love with him."

Grimmjow caught his wrist as he tried to strike at him agian.

"Stop it. You can't do anything to me. You're not strong enough. Get stronger and try again."

Tesla just let his worn body collapse onto the bed again, his brown eyes distant and trying to ignore the hands that followed the curves of his naked body, infusing it with healing power and soothing him.

"Why are you doing this? Did Nel force you to...?"

"Hey, no one forces me to do anything, little wartog."

"Stop calling me that!"

"That's your source of power," Grimmjow said, pressing up against Tesla's bare back again, and resting his cheek on the wounded Fraccion's, "You should be proud to be called that. It's a strong form, one of the strongest left."

"What?"

"Come on. You know Nnoitra's been stringing you along. You were strong enough to become an Espada a long time ago. Not that it matters now, with everything shot to hell, but I plan to make use of that power."

"Do you mean that I must serve you?" Tesla asked, his reiatsu swelling warningly, "I would rather die."

"Yeah, I saw that," Grimmjow said, smirking, "You tried really hard to die. I'll give you that. But, seeing as how you failed and I kept you alive against your will, you belong to me now. What I say goes. And I say that you are going to become as strong as me."

"I am already as strong as you!"

"Yeah, you look it," Grimmjow said sarcastically, "Fine, when you prove you can beat me in a fight, then I will free you, and I will stop calling you little warthog. How's that?"

"Get away from me!"

"No, I don't think so," Grimmjow said, moving his hips and teasing the younger Arrancar with his hungry, engorged member, "I've been wrapped around you for days, keeping you from dying. And even if you didn't want to be saved, you lost to me, so you have to serve me, right?"

"Erm..." Tesla said, blushing brightly, his heart pounding as Grimmjow's hand slid down the bare, white flesh of his belly and stopped, just short of his own inflamed erection.

He swallowed hard as Grimmjow loosed a laugh and sank into his mouth, giving Tesla a momentary respite from his feelings of weakness.

"Fool, I'm not going to rape you. I think you'd come apart if we had sex right now. I would like it, though, if you would touch me a little. I think we're both going to be lonely for a while, as I've lost my fraccion and you've lost your master."

"I will believe Master Nnoitra is gone when I see for myself," Tesla said stubbornly, "And you can use your own hand if you want pleasure!"

"You're kinda cute when you resist," Grimmjow chuckled, "It's good to have someone around who can make me laugh, little warthog. Now...how about you touch me?"

"No."

"Okay, but you are going to be sorry."

Tesla scowled.

"I thought you said that you wouldn't rape me!" he objected hotly.

"I won't," Grimmjow said, smirking and rubbing his hardness against Tesla's round bottom, "But I'm not going to get blue balls, just because you want to lie here, naked and teasing me."

"I...I didn't choose to be naked, and...!"

His breath was taken away as Grimmjow's mouth found his, over a pale shoulder, and his blazing, feisty tongue invaded the fraccion's mouth. He rubbed harder against Tesla, resting his head on the younger hollow's shoulder.

"Now, I can just get myself off, or I can give you a little pleasure too," Grimmjow purred in his ear, "Which will it be?"

Tesla tried to turn his head away, but had it captured and turned back, then invaded again.

"I thought you'd see things my way."

"I d-don..."

His words left off in a dismayed gasp as Grimmjow's hand captured him and began to pleasure him.

"Go ahead," Grimmjow said in an unusually soft tone, breathed into his ear, "If it makes you feel better, think about him. It's okay to miss him, even though he was a complete prick. You loved him, and, in his way, Nnoitra loved you too. You need to deal with that. Now that your body's on the mend, it's time to start fixing the rest of you."

Grimmjow turned him onto his back, and looked down into his tormented eyes for a moment, making him blush as turn his head away. He gave a soft inhale as the Sexta Espada's hand brushed his eyes closed, and warm fingers touched him more intimately.

"What are you...?"

"Shhh, just go there. Let your mind do what it needs to. I'll be here when you come back."

The words brought back a previous time, a time before he had been bonded to Nnoitra...when the sound of Grimmjow's voice had made him smile, and the touch of his hand had made his heart race.

But that was before.

It was before he took me from you and made me his.

That's why, isn't it?

That's why I really hated you.

Master Nnoitra defeated you and took me away from you, all of those years ago. You weren't strong enough to keep me, and you've never been strong enough to take me back. And I vowed never to forgive you.

And I never will.

He reeled as Grimmjow's fingers slowly prepared him, then the Sexta Espada looked down into his dazed eyes.

"Who is your master, Tesla?"

Tesla held a defiant pose for all of a few moments, then crumbled.

"I belong to you," he whispered tonelessly, "You are my master now."

"No," said Grimmjow, "Guess again."

"What?" asked Tesla, blinking.

"I'm freeing you. You are your own master now," the blue-haired Espada told the stunned fraccion, "Now, do you want me to make love to you or not? Choose."

He stared, stunned into those ice-blue eyes.

"But I thought you said that I had to beat you, first."

"Heh, I think you and I are both a little too trashed to fight. Don't you agree? We'll fight later. And we'll keep fighting each other until you win. But, I don't want you feeling like a servant anymore. Nnoitra held you back."

"No! He made me strong!" Tesla objected.

"Don't you understand?" Grimmjow chided him, "He knew you were growing in strength, so he used that mental bullshit to warp your mind. You're a strong Arrancar now. You haven't needed to be his fraccion for a while, but he played with your head, so that you wouldn't realize. Now, I asked you to choose! What's it gonna be?"

Tesla's lips tightened.

"I am not doing anything with you! You aren't worthy to touch what isn't yours!"

Grimmjow surprised him, by laughing and turning him back onto his belly.

All right, we won't make love, then, little warthog. But, I still need relief from the hard on you gave me. So, be a friend and help me out here."

"Grimmjow!" Tesla seethed, "Get off!"

"Okay, give me a sec," the Sexta Espada teased, rubbing against his bottom and reaching down to pleasure him, "I'm pretty close already. You still have a really nice ass, you know."

"Grimmjow!" the fraccion yelled, blushing, "Stop it! Stop!"

"Oh, no way," the blue-haired hollow said, in a deeper, huskier tone.

His hand moved, making Tesla too breathless to speak. Nnoitra had never tried to attend to his pleasure, although sometimes inadvertently granting it. To be touched directly, with intent made him go weak. He closed his eyes as pleasure flooded his body, and he felt Grimmjow's hot breath on the back of his shoulder.

He felt Grimmjow bite down on the back of one shoulder, then splashes of hot fluid struck his back. Grimmjow's warm weight settled next to him, and Tesla could almost swear the other hollow emitted a feline purr.

"Welcome back, little warthog. I'm sorry that you had to be with him for so long. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Shut up and leave me alone," Tesla said, not quite able to put any force behind the words.

"Go to sleep, now. Tomorrow, we're getting you back on your feet."

He tried to utter a sharp retort, but reeled as a flood of calming reiatsu seeped into his body, making his mind go into a long, winding spin. The last things he felt were Grimmjow's naked body pressing up against his back and a soft kiss on his throat.