#when will we see pinky george in pinky merc?

[standbyric]

ooooo pinky russell george actually made it 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 pats back aggressively

[chandelier-s-notebook]

Chapter 11 (Completed)

Let me know if you wanna get tagged when I post new chapters in “These Streets Are Made For Walking”. @sleepysnails. Ao3 Link

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Bad grabbed everyone’s paperwork and filed them away into the sparkling red fold he had brought with him. He nodded to the officers, and thanked the receptionist as he signed all seven of his charges out of the station.

Then there was the matter of cars. Techno and Bad would be driving, but everyone was pissed at Purpled and people needed their space.

Tommy rode shotgun in Techno’s car and Purpled rode shotgun in Bad’s. Dream and Tubbo took Techno’s back seat, while Sapnap and George lounged in Bad’s. It wasn’t comfortable, but it would have to do.

Both cars were tangibly silent, but it’s for the better. Everyone in their own little world before they must all come together for dinner. None of them were quite ready for that.

They pulled up to the parking garage. The Taken brothers left first, and Techno could feel Tommy wanting him to wait.

“Techno?”

Techno tried to soften his tone, but not enough that Tommy would feel talked down to. “Yeah?”

“Nothing,” Tommy dismissed, going for the door handle. “It’s nothing. Go pick up Ranboo would you?”

“Yeah.”

Dream caught Techno’s eye through the glass and knocked on the hood of his car in solidarity.

Techno drove from Bad’s all the way up to Ranboo’s neck of the city. He slid into the cul de sac and looked at the house for a second. He really needed to chew out a man for not just paying the ransom; it would have saved a lot of people jail time.

Techno walked down the path, every step feeling just that extra bit out of place. He’s about to knock when the door goes flying open.

“Nope! Bye dad! Not dealing with you! Good night! I’ll be back tomorrow!” Ranboo slammed the door behind him. “Hi Techno. Thanks for saving me. Let’s go.” He grabbed the other boy’s wrist and dragged him back down the driveway.

Techno had just enough time to glance back and see the Richmons peering at them through their sidelight.

Ranboo opened the side door to get into the back in a rush and he slid in. “Who are you?”

Techno’s eyes flashed in panic and he quickly made his way around the car to make sure Ranboo was all ready. After a glance he let out a breath. He waved through the window and got into the driver’s seat. “Ranboo, Punz. Punz, this is Ranboo.”

“Why is he in your car?” Ranboo asked incredulously, having accepted that this must be Punz if Techno doesn’t care about the stranger in his car; hello?

“Needed a ride to Bad’s.”

“Why?” Ranboo asked, voice still on the rise.

“Family dinner.”

“Don’t you have your own car? Or the bus?” Ranboo asked.

“I was in town.”

“No,” Techno shut down.

“What?” Punz asked, smile apparent in his tone.

“No.”

Punz put his hands up. “I didn’t even do anything. Promise.”

“I get my best breakfasts when Tommy sleeps over. You aren’t going to Merc them.”

Punz crossed his fingers. “I’d never.” He smiled wide. “Dude, it’s been forever since I’ve been at Bad’s.”

“It’s been forever since I’ve seen you.”

“I’ve never seen you,” Ranboo piped up. “And I’ve known Purpled since the third grade.”

“Things happen kid. Promise Purpled has actually seen me since you’ve met him.”

“I hope so!”

Both Techno and Punz laughed good naturedly at Ranboo’s outburst.

“Thanks for keeping Purp sane,” Punz said in a moment of sincerity once the car started moving. “I don’t know what he’d do if it weren’t for you being the normal friend to keep him grounded.”

Ranboo shrugged. “He had me, and he still tried to join Las Nevadas.”

Punz smiled sadly. “Yeah, but he’d’a done that regardless, just took him a few more years to get the courage to take that leap ‘cause of you.”

“How?”

“Found Family. That’s what the gang is. You made him not lonely.”

Ranboo’s voice took on a sharper edge, “So you admit to making him loney?”

Punz put his hands up. “I said he’s seen me since you met him, not that he’d seen me often or even regularly.”

“You have issues.”

Techno snorted. “He’s a mercenary. Of course he’s got issues.”

“You let me sit in the back seat of your car with a killer?” Ranboo asked, his voice jumping approximately seven octaves.

Ranboo was sitting as far away from Purpled as he possibly could at the dinner table. This was the fullest he had ever seen it. Ten people, all crowded around a space made for four. At least there was enough food to feed about twenty.

“Purp. You didn't need Las Nevadas.”

“No,” Purpled agreed, looking down at his food and away from his brother.

“But even if Dream said yes, there was no way Techno would even consider letting me. And I know he doesn’t really have a say, but he’s the driver. And he’d just use that as a valid reason to not help. Which would put Dream in jeopardy,” he rambled. “And before you tell me I didn’t need that either. Yes. I did! You barely pay attention to me.”

“Purp.”

“Just wanted you to be proud of me.”

“Purp look at me.”

Purpled turned to his brother, making sure he was taking a bite into his homemade burger--this man was still his annoying older brother at the end of the day.

“I am proud of you. You make me proud every day. I’d just wish that you’d do other things if you wanted attention. You don’t need to be like me, and you shouldn’t be like me.”

Purpled chuckled. “It’s a little late for that. Already instilled that I should be like you. You’re cool.”

“He kills people!” Ranboo shouted.

“Not the time,” Sapnap shushed, eating his fries.

“But!”

“Hush.”

Ranboo shut up and dug into his meal quietly.

“How about competitive shooting?”

Purpled smiled. “You just want me close to Bad.”

“Of course I do. I trust Bad. Besides, I shoot. I’m really good at shooting. Shut up Ranboo, don’t start.” He pointed to the boy in question, but didn’t look away from his brother. “Could be fun.”

“Yeah. Might be. We’ll see what the court has to say about it.”

“Yeah. Hug for your big brother?”

“Hug for my big brother,” Purpled said, falling into his arms. “You know, this is the first time we’ve had dinner together in like two years.”

“Shit, I gotta fix that.”

“Mhm.” Purpled took another bite of burger. “I will win all the competitions.”

Dream ruffled Tubbo’s hair. “You did good kid; kept your friend safe.”

“Not really, we weren’t exactly messed with after the kidnapping.”

“Yeah, well Ranboo still had his spunk. He should be more traumatized than he is right now.”

“Don’t complain about that. He’ll be fine.”

“Thanks to you.”

“And Tommy,” Tubbo said, refusing to take the praise.

“Nope!” Tommy smiled wide. “You were calm and useful. I was just a bitch the whole time.”

“Tommy!”

“You did good Tubbo.”

“But--”

“No.”

Tubbo huffed. “Thanks Dream.”

Dream brought his little brother into his third hug of the night. “You did the best you could do, and that’s good.”

Tommy sighed dramatically. “Techno’s in shit, isn’t he?” he asked, turning to Ranboo who just shrugged. “Purpled said he was.” Tommy turned to face Techno directly. “Techno Blade. Are you in this shit?” he asked carefully, wanting a straight answer but hoping that his assumption was wrong.

“Tubbo has been trying to tell you all year that I’m Dream’s getaway driver. You just don’t listen to him.”

“Fuck!”

Ranboo pated Tommy’s head. “There’s a reason I’m the normal one in the friend group. I don’t have an older brother to be in the crime scene.”

Everybody stared at Ranboo. There were a few seconds of silence. Then everyone burst out laughing; rolling on the floor; holding stomachs; wiping tears from their eyes; the whole thing.

Once everyone had calmed down slightly, Bad spoke. “The school called. Even though Dream and Punz are emancipated they didn’t pick up the phone so the office called me. You boys have a week of homework to catch up on.”

“We were kidnapped,” Tommy bluntly stated.

“The school doesn’t care,” Techno said, snorting. “I got called to the office to collect it after school the other day.”

“Fuck you. Fuck that. Fuck this!”

Tommy and Techno were in his car driving back to the house the next morning.

“Techno?”

“Yeah Tommy.”

“You’re okay right?”

“Yeah.”

“You don't get in trouble?”

“Nope. Promise.” He crossed his heart with his free hand. “I promise I’m safe.”

Tommy held out his pinky.

Techno wrapped his around before Tommy could get to the prompting.

“I’m never joining you,” Tommy said very seriously.

“Never.”