Hi everyone, welcome back to this story!

Wow… so this has been a hectic couple of days, so this chapter is really short and kinda lame – sorry! I'll try and make it up to you in the next chapter.

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 5

Dez got back to the apartment to find Austin still inside, having not gone out. At first, Dez was a little annoyed that Austin hadn't left the apartment, but he could soon tell that something was up with him from the way he was acting.

"So… anything exciting happen while I was out?" Dez asked, trying to subtly encourage Austin to tell him what had happened.

"No." Austin said rather too quickly. Dez smirked.

"Really? Are you sure? Cos you're sure not acting like it." He replied, pacing back and forth in front of Austin, as if he was interrogating him – which, in a way, he kind of was.

"Yep, I'm sure." Austin replied, swallowing, before putting on a fake smile and letting out a nervous, and equally fake, chuckle.

"Okay, Austin. Just remember that I know you better than anyone else, and you're not acting normally… you're acting the way you normally do… when you meet a girl." Dez finishes, once again smirking at his blonde best friend.

"Girl? What? Pfft, no, there's no girl…" Austin replied.

Dez simply raised an eyebrow at Austin, he didn't have to say anything at this point and they both knew it. Dez had won.

"Her name is Ally and she lives in this building and she came in when you were gone asking me to light her candle because the electricity went out and she had no heat and she's short but really beautiful with brown ombre hair which really suits her and she's a dancer at the Cat Scratch club but I think she might have some addiction since she came back in looking for her 'stash' but honestly I don't care right now I just can't stop thinking about her!" Austin said all in one breath before collapsing onto the couch and breathing heavily.

Dez just stood there shocked, mouth hanging slightly open… no girl – no, scratch that – no person had ever had this effect on Austin before. "Wow…" He finally managed to say.

"I know." Austin replied.

"So… Ally… that's a pretty name." Dez said, teasing his friend slightly.

"You know it." Austin moaned, rolling over and burying his face in a cushion.

"You have a bit of a crush, huh?" Dez continued to mock.

"You could say that." Came Austin's muffled reply from the couch.

"Well… why don't you invite her with us to see Kira's show? Then she could come with us for the meal afterwards as well?" Dez suggested.

"Dez, I spoke to her for like 5 minutes I doubt she even remembers who I am, why would she want to go on a date with me?"

"But that's the beauty of it, Austin, it's as part of a huge group, so it wouldn't be a 'date' but you're still getting to spend time with her and get to know her."

"I dunno, Dez." Austin replied, nervous about the prospect of asking Ally out, even if just as part of a group of friends.

"C'mon Austin, this isn't like you at all! What happened to the confident, strong, I-can-do-anything Austin Moon I grew up with? Why don't you ju-'' Dez was cut off by a knock at the door.

Austin quickly leapt up and walked towards the door, thankful that the conversation with Dez had been interrupted.

"This discussion isn't over, Moon." Dez said just before Austin reached the door.

"Whatever." Austin grumbled back before swinging open the door to reveal their brown-haired friend they had been waiting for all evening. "Elliot!" He exclaimed, pulling the other man into a bro-hug, before stepping aside to let him in.

"Hey Austin, hey Dez." Elliot replied, walking in and giving Dez a hug too.

"What took you so long?" Dez asked as they pulled away from the hug.

"I may have got a little side-tracked…" Elliot replied.

"What do you mean 'side-tracked'?" Austin asked.

"Well, I was on my way here," Elliot began "and I got mugged and beaten up." He said calmly.

The other two men looked a bit confused.

"You're remarkably calm about this…" Austin said after a few seconds of silence.

"That's because it's not all bad. They didn't really get anything… I mean, not that I had much for them to get anyway. But not only that, I also happened to meet a new friend." Elliot said with a smirk.

Before Dez or Austin could ask about this 'new friend', Elliot put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. Again, the other two men were about to ask what was going on when a man they had never seen before, in full Santa-style drag, burst through the door.

"Austin and Dez, I present to you Dallas Centineo!"

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Umm yeah that's it. Sorry again, I know it's short and nothing really happens but like I said I haven't had any time to focus on writing recently so I had to rush this one a bit.

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Catch you later! :)