A/N: So it seems that even when the prompt seems to take me far away from Klaine, I lead myself back to them anyway ;p Enjoy! xo

Prompt #17: No one understood how they fell in love, but there was no denying that what they shared was untouchable.

Character(s): Shhhh, it's a surprise!

Words: 688

Date: November 21, 2012

Mercedes scanned the studio as soon as she pushed through the double doors, knowing that he would be here. She couldn't believe her luck. After helping coach the new New Directions' members in Grease, she had returned home to the perfect job waiting for her.

She spotted him immediately. Well, the back of him and boy, was it a gorgeous backside.

With her shoulders squared and her best bitch face in place, Mercedes crossed the room and smacked him on the arm. Hard.

"Hey," he whirled around to find the source of what he was certain was uncalled for abuse.

He stopped short when he saw the woman glaring at him. She looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't place her. Although the angry look on her face was extremely distracting.

"How could you let your little brother cheat on my boo?" Mercedes practically yelled at Cooper.

"Wait, what? What's a 'boo'?" Cooper glanced around and noticed far too many eyes on him for a moment that he was certain would be better spent in private. He took a few cautious steps, not wanting to get hit again, and moved closer to a nearby alcove.

"Kurt. Kurt is my boo. And Blaine cheated on him." Mercedes explained, lowering her voice now that the initial anger toward Cooper was starting to wear off and she remembered that she was at work.

Recognition dawned on Cooper's face. "McKinley, that's where I know you from." And now that she wasn't staring at him with such rage, he could place the beautiful face as the girl sitting beside Kurt when he first entered the choir room.

"You're avoiding the question." Mercedes replied coolly.

"Right, well um, Blaine only told me afterward. He doesn't exactly call me for brotherly advice because if he did, well I would have told him to fly to New York immediately. You know, before he did something so ridiculous as to cheat on 'the love of his life' or at least, that's what he calls your boo." Cooper winked at Mercedes. "Now surely, you have a much lovelier name than boo, may I have the privilege of knowing it?"

She could see him trying to sweet talk his way out of this and she was trying really hard not to fall for it.

"Mercedes Jones, I'll be singing back-up vocals on your commercial today." She replied in her business tone of voice and offered her hand to Cooper to shake, but when he grabbed it, he pulled her into a hug.

"No silly hand shakes. I'm certain we'll be dancing at Blaine & Kurt's wedding one day." Cooper said while he squeezed tighter than was socially acceptable when you're complete strangers.

When he finally let go, he took a step back and smiled widely, "So does that mean, you're here, in LA, booking jobs without ever having gone to college?"

Mercedes nodded.

"You took the advice from the Master Class I gave your Glee Club! That's awesome." Cooper bounced up and down on his feet in excitement.

Mercedes didn't have the heart to tell him that she didn't even remember the class, so she just stayed quiet.

The recording went smoothly. Mercedes was excellent and Cooper nailed it in five takes. As she was packing up to leave, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Would you care to grab a coffee with me?" Cooper asked, voice confident but his eyes betraying his nerves. He was used to women throwing themselves at him, but Mercedes was different. She had approached him out of a fierce loyalty to her friend. He'd be lying if he didn't say that intrigued him.

Mercedes agreed. She was lonely in LA, and having a friendly face to share a coffee with wasn't something she wanted to turn down.

One coffee date led to dinner dates and movies and strolls along the beach and flowers sent to her apartment. It led to family meeting family and a trip to Paris. It also led to the two of them dancing at Blaine & Kurt's wedding a few years later with a little extra sparkle on Mercedes left hand.