Hi everyone, it's Friday and you know what that means! Another chapter of RENT!

Just a little note: this story will not be completely Auslly focused… they will play a key part of the plot, however the storyline of Rent also means that their story is not all that we focus on. I will do my best to include them as much as possible, however this will just not be an intense Auslly story (i.e. Auslly will not feature in this chapter). I hope you guys don't mind and continue to read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own RENT: The Musical (or movie), Austin & Ally or anything you recognise from the show in any way, shape or form, nor do I own any recognisable brands, songs or lyrics within them.

I hope you guys like this chapter!

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Chapter 4

Trish was getting more and more aggravated at her inability to figure out how all this damn equipment worked! She had been so keen to make Kira happy and take over Dez's role as her production manager as well as lover, but it just didn't seem to be going her way at all. She was a lawyer, not an electrician!

It didn't help that it was Christmas Eve, and therefore – not at all surprisingly – very, very, very cold! Trish continued desperately moving everything round, mumbling incoherently to herself about how it would be so much easier if she could actually feel her hands.

She was surrounded by a mess of cables, and was seriously starting to consider just using them to strangle herself, when she heard a voice she hated call out to her "Hey Trish."

Dez was here.

"Dez! What the hell are you doing here?" Trish growled at him.

"Well, since you seem to be completely incapable of the setting up the simplest electrical equipment…" He began, and already Trish wanted to rip his head off. "Kira had to call me and ask me to come and give you a hand." He finished smugly, with a smirk on his face and his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Watch your tone, freckles." Trish warned. "And besides, I'm fine, I don't need your help. So why don't you just run along." She said waving him off.

"Yeah, it sure looks like you have this under control." The tall man replied, sarcastically.

"Whatever." Trish grumbled.

They both let out a sigh, knowing that the sooner they got this done, the quicker they could both go home and relax before Kira's performance.

Trish shifted over slightly and allowed Dez to walk over and crouch next to her, inspecting the equipment and pick up from whatever Trish had, or hadn't, done thus far.

He stifled a laugh when he saw how little she had achieved, and that most of what she had done was completely wrong. "You really have no idea what you're doing, do you?" He asked with a chuckle.

"No, not at all." Trish replied with a giggle. "I'm just doing it to make Kira happy."

"Well, that's one thing we have in common, at least." Dez replied with a sigh.

"Oh get over it, Dez." Trish said, returning to her standard harsh tone. "Kira's moved on from you, she doesn't like you anymore."

"Yeah yeah I know. Whatever." He grumbled, and he set to work setting everything up the way it was supposed to be.

After a few minutes, Dez had got one of Kira's microphones set up. "Okay Trish, I need you to say something into the microphone for me."

"What do you want me to say?" Trish asked, standing up.

"Anything."

"Anything?"

"Anything!"

"Fine!" Trish snapped. "Test one, two, three." She spoke clearly into the microphone and Dez cringed, having known that was what she would say.

"Anything but that!" He snapped back.

"You said anything!" Trish shouted, the two of them quickly getting into a heated argument as they so often tended to when they were around each other.

"Yeah but could you not be any more creative than that? Seriously!"

"Oh shut up Dez! Did it work or not? I want to get out of here!" She retaliated, bored of the constant shouting matches with the redhead.

"Uhh I think so, just say something again – just not 'test one two three'!" He said, imitating Trish's voice as he quoted her previous attempt.

Trish stepped back up to the microphone with a smirk. "Dez is a doof, I repeat, Dez is a complete, ignorant, stupid annoying doof!" She spoke clearly.

"Much better!" Dez said sarcastically, glaring at the short woman. "But it worked so whatever."

"It worked!? You mean I actually helped make some of Kira's equipment work?" Trish said excitedly, and Dez just slowly nodded his head in response, a little confused. At this, Trish let out a short, high-pitched squeal. "My Kira will be so proud of me!" She gushed, and Dez chuckled.

"Oh Trish. Poor, poor, deluded Trish." He said, shaking his head at the ground with a smirk.

"What?" Trish replied, annoyed.

"Nothing. You'll find out soon enough. Just a shame you've fallen into Kira's trap, is all."

Trish narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" She hissed menacingly.

"Kira's got you all caught up in her little dance, Trish. You're wrapped around her little finger, exactly like she wants you to be. It happens to everyone she dates."

Trish scoffed. "Actually, I'll have you know it's completely different with me." She said smugly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Now it was Dez's turn to scoff. "Really?"

"Really."

"Hmm. Sure. Let me give you some examples."

Another scoff from Trish. "Whatever."

"Has she ever pouted her lips at you…" Dez demonstrates this. "and called you 'pookie'?" He said, doing a whiny voice to represent Kira.

"Never." Trish said.

"Ah, then relish this time. That's how you know it's near the end."

"You're not scaring me, Wade." Trish said, using Dez's rarely used last name.

"Have you ever doubted something about your relationship when she's kissed you?" Dez continued his questioning. He could see this question made Trish a little uncomfortable, as she squirmed a little in her spot before answering.

"Umm… nooooo?" Trish said in a questioning tone and extending the word, a dead giveaway to Dez that she was lying.

"You have, haven't you?" He said, but not in a mocking tone like Trish had expected. It was almost sympathetic and caring. Almost.

"Maybe…" Trish said. "Okay so maybe I don't completely trust Kira, but is that so wrong?"

"No, it's right to be. I'm advising you to be cautious here. I've been in your position Trish. And, as much as I don't like you very much, I wouldn't want you to have to go through the same thing I did, cos let me tell you it's not a nice experience."

Trish smiled slightly as she looked up at the tall redhead. Maybe he wasn't completely awful after all. "Can I ask you something?" She said hesitantly.

"Sure."

"How did you know when things were going wrong… with Kira?"

Dez chuckled grimly. "Well that was the problem. I didn't. That's why I'm trying to help you. She had me swooning, I was hooked."

"I can relate." Trish added, jokingly. "Did she flirt with other people… like whilst you were together?"

Dez scoffed again. "More than flirt, I'm sure." Trish looked slightly sad and sympathetic. "But it didn't matter, I had fallen hard for her anyway and nothing was really gonna stop that. I knew that I would never willingly leave her. So I had to just sit and wait and then just accept it when it happened."

"Wow." Trish said grimly.

"Yeah." Dez replied in the same tone. There was silence for a few seconds before Dez spoke again. "Anyway, the equipment's all set up now, so I guess we're done here."

Trish brightened up a bit at this news. "Great! I… I know I should have said this earlier, but thanks for helping me out."

"No problem." Dez replied with a smile. "I guess I'll see you at the performance?"

"Sure."

And with that they parted ways, heading back to their apartments until they would head back out to see Kira do what Kira did best… well, apart from cheating on her lovers, that is.

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That's the end of chapter four!

Sorry there was no Auslly in this chapter, I know that's what most people are here for, but like I said at the start of the chapter this story isn't really focused on their relationship alone, but I will do my best to manipulate it so that they are in it as much as possible!

Remember to follow, favourite and review this story and check out my others whilst you're at it!

Catch you later! :)