The Art Way

Spencer was pissed when Ryan told him about Gerard's offer.
“He can't ask you for that! He promised you this position weeks ago! He should just see that he fucked up and give you the place of that Jamia girl!”
“Honestly Spence? I'm just glad that he didn't ask me to blow him in order to get the job or something, because I'm not sure if I'm not actually so desperate for it that I would've done it.”
“I still don't think that it's O.K. of him.”
“Come on, let's go back downstairs, the day is almost over and it's Brendon's turn to get food and he's probably just gonna get something delivered so him and me should head home first so it's already there when you get home...”
With that they made their way to the elevator to relieve Brendon of Spencer's duties.
Brendon didn't have an actual job at the moment, after he more or less voluntarily left his parents house he only managed to get a job at a restaurant, but they only needed his help for a few hours every Saturday and Sunday evening because those were the busiest times, so he lived on the couch of Spencer and Ryan's shared flat and the only condition was that he provided dinner two days a week.

~*~*~

The Way brothers usually made the journey to and from work together because Gerard's house happened to be on Mikey's way anyway.
So Gerard knew Mikey would be waiting for him outside of his office, probably talking to Lindsey, who had been working at TAW for a long time. Mikey was generally more in touch with everyone who worked for Gerard, but Mikey had the gift of adequate people skills and Gerard just didn't. The only reason Gerard was head of TAW was that he was the older brother and had been guided on this path by his parents and their money. Mikey probably would have made a better boss. Mikey probably wouldn't have played into their parent's hands like he did. But the Way brothers stuck together, Gerard as the designated leader because of age and not competence. As the business grew Gerard had managed to exclude himself from most interactions with his many employees. Mikey was the one people would go to if they needed to contact anyone on management level, or maybe Lindsey, who had her desk in front of Gerard's office, if they really needed Gerard in person, which was mostly to design a poster. Mikey would go and check on the heads of the departments every day and generally make his rounds around the building to check if anything needed his attention.
Spencer was the only other person Gerard talked to that worked here and only because he made his way past him every day. Their conversations were brief and evidently Gerard didn't pay too much attention.
When Gerard left the office Mikey was indeed there, even though he had really hoped that maybe today something would keep him from it, because he knew Mikey would chew him out for his 'keep Frank from finding out who I am' plan, the guy was smart enough to connect those dots.
“Why do you plan to pull that shit on Frank?”, was his greeting.
“You are the one who always tells me to make more friends! And here is someone I actually used to know and I'm just trying to reconnect, Mikey...”
“No, what is happening is that you are lonely and have no one available for a relationship, so you jump at the first chance you see! That is low Gerard, you know he's in a relationship. What is even lower is the fact that you are planning to flat out lie to him! How do you want to hide all that forever??”
“That's not-”
The elevator they had gotten into at one point in their hushed argument announced their arrival in the lobby and they made their way past Spencer who was scowling at Gerard the whole time.
When they got out and made their way towards Mikey's car Gerard continued.
“That's not true! I really just want to befriend him, he is a nice person. The problem is that he thinks I or rather G. Art Way is some sort of Ebenezer Scrooge right now and if I told him who I am he'd be the first one to hate me and laugh about me for the career choices I made, he always believed that art should be free and that is what he liked in me.”
“I still don't get how me pretending to be you and somebody else pretending to be... you? Wait this is getting to meta for me what is happening exactly?”
They had reached the car by now and after they'd gotten in and buckled up Gerard explained his plan in full detail.
“What I want is Jamia to come home with stories about 'Mr. Way' being an awesome boss and also not get confused when Frank mentions the intern Gerard. But since I told Jamia to call me G. I need you to be Mr. Way. She shouldn't have anything to tell about me because I will avoid her. But there has to be an intern called Gerard, and since I don't think that Frank remembers my last name so I got Spencer's friend Ryan, whom I forgot I had promised the intern position to, to actually be an intern but under another name-”
“Ryan? Spencer's flat-mate Ryan? When did you promise him an intern position and why don't I know this?”
“Spencer asked me some time ago and I simply forgot to pass it on... Anyway, Ryan is going to intern as Gerard Sleigh so Jamia thinks Frank is talking about him when Frank mentions me. Easy. Well, maybe I need to talk to Ryan a few times more than I'd usually like to talk to anyone and also Spencer hates me but apart from that...”
“I'd make an actual effort and try to stop you because I love you but seriously? I know you're too stubborn to actually do as I tell you and I refuse to get mom and dad to stop you because for some reason those are the only persons that succeed in telling you what to do.”
“Thanks, I guess?”
“Don't mention it, *really*.”

~*~*~

When Spencer opened the door to their flat it smelled like take out Chinese food and... something else. He knew the smell, he just couldn't place it. Just as his brain provided him with the image of one of his sisters with amateurish died hair (in an attempt to stand out from the other twin) and their mothers shocked expression, Ryan walked into view, still wet and newly black hair.
Spencer stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his best friend with a similar expression his mother had all those years ago.
“I can't believe it!”, he muttered, but kept from making further comments at Ryan's pleading look.
Brendon exited their small kitchen and set plates with food on the coffee table which doubled as a dining table since they didn't have a dining room. They had floor pillows instead.
“What do you think about Ryan's new hair?”, Brendon asked Spencer “I think it's awesome!”
Spencer just made a non-committal noise and went into his room to put away his things, leaving Brendon confused for a while, but it was nothing that could change his usual cheery mood.
They ate dinner together and then watched a random blockbuster that was on TV that day, as was their usual routine.
In that fashion this day would end and the next one would be started: After the movie Spencer and Ryan would prepare for bed and vanish in the bathroom and after that their rooms while Brendon would prepare his bed on the couch and then go to the bathroom himself.
The next day Brendon would wake up first because he was naturally an early riser, see it as his duty to prepare breakfast for his hosts and himself to make their start into a day with actual tasks as pleasantly as possible (Brendon had stopped hunting for a better job after he had been unsuccessful for too long and had been promised the next free full time spot at the restaurant so now he had mostly nothing to do all day, except for keeping Spencer company so he stopped bitching about being all alone in TAW's lobby all day.).
After breakfast Spencer would leave for work and Brendon would either go with him right away or do something else first, like cleaning or shopping. Ryan would also leave, but instead of attending his place of higher education, he would also go to TAW this time. With black hair and a black suit that was not at all the way he usually would dress.

~*~*~

When Gerard and Mikey entered the lobby the next morning, Gerard could have sworn that Spencer looked even more pissed then when they had left the day before. Also his friend with th glasses was there again, looking mildly concerned from Spencer to Gerard, whispering something to Spencer that caused him to shake his head.
Gerard had never been so happy to see those elevator doors close.
When they arrived on top level Mikey left to make his rounds and Gerard headed to his office.
When he saw Ryan standing there he knew his plan might work.

He approached Ryan and invited him into his office.
Once inside he asked him “I suppose you have been informed about your actual intern tasks already?” and really hoped the answer was yes, because to be honest he had no clue what those even were. He used to, he used to be the one to work with the interns a few years ago, but everything had changed as the company grew.
“Yes.”, Ryan said to Gerard's relief.
“O.K. then. What I want from you I basically already told you yesterday. Jamia needs to think that you are me. But also I need you to not get in contact with her boyfriend Frank. Short dude, punk-y hair, lots of tattoos, including neck and hands, not to miss. Actually, if you see him, go get me, I'm usually here in my office. I think that's all...”
“If you promise me that I can blame everything on you in the end...”
“If this works out right there will be no one blamed on the end! So... uhm, go to work, I guess... And maybe meet me here again every morning, so we can coordinate this a bit.”
“Whatever you want.”, Ryan confirmed, and left the office, shaking his head a little.
Gerard was left alone and fist pumped the air after the door has closed behind Ryan. After that he looked around his office for a while and sat behind his desk with a sigh.