Author's Note: This started out as a prompt to be added to my A Snapshot in Time series but it turned out to be more a beast and graduated to one shot status. This has some smut near the end so be warned.

A Simple Touch

The reality of it sinks home in a slow (and rather painful) fashion.

Klaus bends to help her to her feet. However, as soon as his hand closes around her arm, he is thrown backwards. He hits the wall with a rather sickening crack and slumps to the floor. Even through the dim light, she can tell he is not amused. "Bonnie, love, I have given you plenty of reason to lash out in the past but I believe we are more than past that."

She sits on the ground, her mouth open slightly. "Uh…I didn't do it?" She answers as she slowly rises to her feet. Her head spins and she closes her eyes to let it pass. When she feels more like herself she looks to him once again. He has pushed himself off the floor. "At least I don't think I did it." Given the chaos that surrounds them and how hard they have fought over the past few hours it wouldn't surprise her to learn that her powers have a mind of their own.

He surveys the damage, looking satisfied with the bloody outcome to yet another threat to his wellbeing. "We should return home before my family sends out a search party." He says it like there is something inherently wrong in Elijah, Freya, Rebekah and Kol helping to fight his battles. She actually wouldn't have minded a little extra backup. That witch had packed a wallop.

She doesn't argue of course. There is no sense in it — she has long learned to carefully pick the hills she wishes to die on. Instead she walks forward, choosing not to look back and see the bodies scattered over the concrete floor. She can sleep much easier that way.

The rest of the Mikaelsons are waiting when they arrive back at the compound. There are varying degrees of concern (Elijah admonishes Klaus for not letting them know of the danger while Kol takes in her tattered and stained clothes and insults her taste in fashion). Despite this, things soon feel like normal with all of them sitting around the courtyard acting civil (or their version of civil). It is only when Klaus drapes his arm across the couch behind her, fingers barely caressing her shoulder that it all unravels once more.

As with his failed attempt to help her to her feet, Klaus is immediately jerked away from her. This time he topples over the back of the couch and winds up in heap on the floor. Everyone is silent for a moment.

Then Kol is clapping. "About time you threw the dog off the furniture."

Out of direct sight, Klaus growls.

Bonnie is sitting there wide eyed. "That wasn't me!" She contends. She knows her magic well enough to know how it feels when she uses it. None of those things are present at the moment. She turns her body, hands gripping the edge of the couch to peer over. Klaus remains on the floor, a dark look on his face. She tries her best to give him a sheepish look. "Sorry."

Then it hits her.

"Oh, oh…" She stands hastily, reaching for Freya's hand. She is too caught up in her realization to explain. Instead she tugs Freya along until they are away from the crowd. Bonnie drops her hold on Freya and tugs off her jacket. Her eyes are moving over her smooth skin for any sign of it.

Freya stands there perplexed and the confusion only grows when Bonnie shucks off her shirt. "Perhaps I should get my brother…"

"Help me look," Bonnie says firmly, turning her back to Freya. She glances downward. Then freezes when she feels Freya poke a finger just below her shoulder blade. It burns. "It's there isn't it?"

"The sign of a hex," Freya finishes.

Bonnie's eyes fall shut. "That witch told me she would take something from me," she began. "I thought I stopped her before she got the chance."

"My brother," Freya says quietly. "She has taken my brother from you." Bonnie turns back, reaching for her shirt. Freya looks determined. "We'll fix this."

Bonnie nods.

They have to.

It is not easy task explaining it to Klaus. He, being the stubborn ass that he is, tries to refute their theory more than once. Each time he finds himself airborne. Finally Bonnie stands over him, with her arms crossed. "Believe me now?"

He looks like a sullen child. "Yes."

With that out of the way, she and Freya hit the books. They know hexes are meant to be everlasting. Breaking one may be near impossible but given everything they have seen and done, she figures that if anyone is going to do it will be them.

At first, her punishment seems easy to cope with. She is far too caught up with solving the problem to dwell on what she is missing. However, when a few days become a week (and she is tired of making sure there is ample space between them in their bed) she finds herself wishing she could touch him.

It is worse for Klaus. She has learned that when Klaus fully trusts someone he craves their touch. For someone who spends a great deal of his time threatening to maim people he is a very hands on person. Not being able to give into that is taking its toll on him. He is moody, withdrawn and quick to trigger that temper of his. A few times he has cursed the hex and reached out to grab a hold of her as if momentary contact is worth what comes next.

Bonnie does her best to console him using what means she has available. She makes sure that she takes breaks from researching to sit with him and just talk. It is a temporary solution but at least he smiles. Elijah warns her that Klaus is reaching a breaking point. She knows this. She just doesn't know what to do about it.

It is the middle of the night and they are both sound asleep when it happens. Klaus has drifted towards her in their bed, nuzzling into her side. He is only there for mere seconds before he is tossed out. He is fully awake before he hits the ground.

Bonnie sits up, unsure of what has just happened. She finds Klaus growling in the corner. Throwing back the covers she hops out of bed and moves to stand as close to him as she can get. "Klaus…"

His eyes are blazing as he stands. Before she can comprehend what will come next, he is throwing the lamp off the bedside table. A vase comes next. Soon he is destroying anything he can get his hands on.

"Klaus!"

Rebekah appears at the doorway. She takes one look at her brother. "I'll get Elijah."

Bonnie shakes her head. Somehow she just knows that will not help. "I've got this."

"Are you sure?"

"If I need help, I'll call," Bonnie promises. She keeps her eyes on Klaus as Rebekah retreats. Then she backs up to close the door. "Klaus, listen to me. Please."

His response is to topple the wardrobe.

Bonnie feels like she has no choice. She needs to get his attention. Klaus finds himself on his knees once more. This time he hasn't even come close to touching her. This time she has made the conscious decision to use magic.

He looks up at her, eyes hooded. His chest is heaving from the exertion. Around them their room is in shambles. Bonnie takes a deep breath. "Tell me what you need."

"You," he says simply, his voice raw.

Bonnie's head falls. She can't give him that no matter how much she wants to. She finds herself staring at the floor, ready to break herself. Only she won't toss things. Tears burn in the back of her eyes and the silence in the room is heavy.

"Touch yourself," Klaus finally says, his voice more restrained. She lifts her head to look at him, her brows knitted together. "Touch yourself as I would touch you."

Bonnie swallows, wondering how to respond to such a request. It seems hardly the time to engage in something like that yet as she watches him strain against losing control once more she can't bring herself to deny him. She nods her head, the movement barely visible.

This is not the first time she has done something like this of course. Still, it feels foreign because usually in the moments leading up to it, he has touched her first. Kissed her. Made her unable to second guess herself as she is lost to the moment. She feels far too self-conscious as she slides the straps of her nightgown down her arms under his watchful eyes. When it pools at her feet, she almost covers herself.

Almost.

"You are by far the most beautiful thing," he tells her. She has a feeling this is not the first time he has said such words but the earnest nature of her voice deters her from questioning it.

She smiles and the stiffness in her arms falls away. She is able to stand there and do just as he has asked: touch herself.

Bonnie starts simple, tracing her fingers up an arm and across a shoulder. They come to rest at her neck. He has a habit of touching her there, just a whisper of fingers before his hand goes elsewhere. She has never told him but she craves those brief moments.

Klaus is still on his knees in front of her. He no longer looks as if he is about to snap. Instead his gaze is one of absolute concentration. He follows the path created by her hand, a slight smile beginning at the corners of his mouth.

She grows bolder, bringing her free hand up to join the other. Together they trace over the mounds of her breasts. He has always been fascinated by them, which surprises her because she never put much thought into her breasts; to her they are small (and therefore insignificant). She never voices this aloud to him but somehow she thinks he knows. He has challenged her notions over and over, spending copious amounts of time teasing her with his hands and mouth. Since she can only replicate one of these things, she figures she better live up to his request. Much like he has done in the past, she catches her sensitive buds between her fingers and gives a careful twist. She enjoys the sensation the move causes and her head falls back.

A moan leaves her lips.

He can't help but move forward.

Bonnie's hands immediately fall away. "Stop," she orders, her tone sharp. "Stop or I'll stop."

He has no choice but to go still.

Satisfied that he isn't going to cause himself any further harm, Bonnie takes up where she left off, teasing her nipples until they are hard against her palms. One hand falls away, tracing down the smooth expanse of her stomach. She realizes this is hardly the ideal way to do what comes next so she backs up, making sure her eyes never leave his. When she feels the edge of their bed against the back of her thighs, she sits.

Then spreads her legs.

From his vantage point, Klaus sucks in his breath.

"You always tease me," she points out. Her hands trace along her inner thighs. "You barely touch me right away. It almost tickles…"

"You never complain," he points out. His voice sounds strained.

"Because I know what is coming next," she retorts. Still, since she is touching herself like he would, she spends a few moments letting her fingers dance across her skin. Her eyes close and she can't help but shiver.

"Bonnie…"

"Now I am teasing you." Her smile is wide for only a second. Continuing to tease him means continuing to tease herself. Although she had reservations minutes ago, she has no patience now.

When she finally touches herself right where he wants her to she can't help but gasp. Her fingers are much smaller than his but she still imagines he is the one touching her. She has enough memories of such an event that it is easy to mimic his patterns. Soon enough she has let herself fall back on the bed, one hand firmly planted between her legs. Her back arches and she pays no mind to what sounds come from her mouth.

To his credit, Klaus comes no closer. He watches as she brings herself to very edge of an orgasm and then lets her fingers fall away. For a moment he is too confused to speak. Then he is asking the obvious question. "Why did you stop?"

Bonnie's face is flushed. "You always do."

"And you always threaten to kill me," Klaus states. "Should I do the same now that the roles are reversed?"

A shaky laugh erupts from her chest. She doesn't answer. Instead, she picks up where she left off, moving with a determined speed until finally she comes apart on the bed. Her muscles tense as her orgasm moves throughout her body and she cries out.

When she is limp on the bed once more, Klaus moves to lie beside her. He is careful now, his hand hovering over her skin with just enough space to spare him any torment. She thinks she feels his energy (which will have to do for now). "When this is over," Klaus begins. "And it willbe over soon, I am going to have to give you a proper lesson. You were close but not quite perfect in your imitation of me."

She resists the urge to roll her eyes. Instead she takes a deep breath. "No one can ever be better than the almighty Klaus Mikaelson."

There is sarcasm in her voice but two days later when they finally circumvent the hex, she finds out that there may be some truth to those words.