Disclaimer: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Warning: A bit OOC (maybe)
This is my first story in SH Fandom. Mention me if you find something wrong. I'll appreciate whatever you write on the review box. Happy reading!

Stupid Riddles

Sherlock Holmes was sitting at the watching room. His fingers were busy in changing the television channels in front of him. From tens of channels, none of them could interest him. Finally, he preferred to turn off the TV and played his dearest old violin at the terrace.

It's been two weeks already since Holmes done with the Baskerville's family case, but till today no clients come to him to ask his help. That day was heavy raining, dominated his old violin sound which so melancholic.

Watson, who just woke up from his sleep, came close to Sherlock Holmes.

"Hey, Holmes," he greeted as his hand covered up his wide-opened mouth. Seemed like he still sleepy even though the clock at their house was 11 AM already.

Holmes just looked back for a moment, and then played back the violin meekly. There's no one could think those hands of spoons-on-mystery guy would give a melodious sound from that instrument. But, that melodious sound not suit with his feeling that time. And Dr. Watson knew it.

"Hey, Holmes," he called once again, "how about we play some riddles or some jokes? Let's say you're handling a case that needs your smart brain now, filling up your boring time."

Holmes stopped play his violin. "I've expected you would say that," the detective said.

"I won't amazed if you've knew it before," Watson responded, one of his eyebrows up at the same time.

Holmes smiled. "So, what's the first riddle you want to give me?"

Watson didn't give the question first. He gave a sign language to his friend that he wanted to get a chair beforehand. Holmes just gave him a subtle nod.

After got the chair which was not far from where they were, Dr. Watson sat and leaned on chin at the same time. "First question," he began, "what is the chemical formula for water?"

Holmes laughed out loud when Watson had done with his first riddle. "Are you kidding me, Partner? That's so easy! A five years old kid can answer it in no time. C'mon, Watson, be serious!"

"Just answer it, Holmes!"

"H2O," Holmes answered with a self confidence on his face. But, Watson shook his head, and said, "That's wrong."

"Huh? But, I'm sure it's true!" Holmes was confused. Once again, Watson shook his head. "So, what's the correct answer?"

"H I J K L M N O," Watson said with a relax expression on his face, made his partner more confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You said 'H2O' before, right?" John Watson asked and Holmes just nodded. Then he said again, "So, it means 'H I J K L M N O'."

"That's 'H to O' not 'H two O'!" the detective protested his friend.

"It's a joke, Holmes," Watson smiled complacently. "Next," he began the second riddle. "There was a man and his son lived together in a house with a big garden behind it. That man has been planting a cherry tree since fifteen years ago. He has been taking care of that tree with love. He doesn't like if anyone want to touch it, even his family," Watson stopped a while and smiled. Then he continued, "One other day, his son chopped down that cherry tree and that boy admitted it too. But, the strange thing was the man didn't punish his son."

"So, you wanna ask me why?" Holmes cut his friend's sentence. Watson just answered with a nod. No need a minute for the detective to answer it. With a brilliant theory, he said, "If he has been planting it since fifteen years ago, and he is so in love with it, he wouldn't plant just one tree. In other word, he has planted another one before."

"That's not it!"

"Because the cherry tree was wilted," Holmes tried another one, but John Watson still moved his head from side to side. "Because the man didn't know and his son didn't tell him too," Sherlock Holmes answered again, but this time without thinking anymore. Unfortunately, Watson disagreed, "I said the boy not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it too," he said with a gruff tone on 'admitted' word.

Holmes then thought hardly. He repeated Watson's question in his mind and arranged his theories. After he got the answer, Holmes told to his partner what he got, but Watson shook his head again and again.

So, the storyline is: Holmes got the answer; Holmes told his great hypothesis to Watson; Watson moved his head side to side; Holmes thought hard with his analysis.

And the storyline kept repeating.

An hour had passed, Holmes has given his tens of answers, but none of them was correct. Watson kept saying 'That is not it!', 'That is wrong', 'False!', 'Wrong answer!', or just shaking his head, then made a little smile on his oval face.

Holmes couldn't control his emotion. "What is it then?" he shouted.

Dr. Watson smiled. "So, you wanna give up?" he asked, underestimated his buddy.

"Just tell me the answer!"

"The correct answer is …"

"…?"

"Because the kid still had the axe in his hand," Watson said then derisive. He has succeeded gibed his partner with a stupid riddles he made. Whereas Holmes just shut his mouth up. He couldn't expect the answer is only that. 'Just because of the kid still had the axe, his dad wouldn't punish him? Just that?' he asked to himself. 'Then why I beat my brain for one hour if the answer is only that?' he murmured to no one, just to himself.

Watson still laughed even to cry. But, Holmes's glare made he retained his laugh. "Ehem!" he cleared his throat. "So," he said, "wanna try again?"

"It's my turn now," Sherlock Holmes said calmly.

"But, I still have—"

"I said it's my turn NOW!"

"Oh, ok then. What's your riddle?"

"Do you know, Watson, what will the people say if they can't answer an illogical riddle, but the giver keeps asking?"

"Umm, maybe 'I don't know'?" Dr. Watson answered doubtful.

"No."

"'I give up.'?"

"Wrong!"

"Ok, I give up!"

"I've said that's not the correct answer!"

"That's not my answer indeed! I want to give up now, because I don't know the answer, Mr. Sherlock Holmes!" Watson shouted whereas Holmes closed his ears immediately right after that, didn't want to be deaf in a minute. If he didn't do that, tomorrow all peoples around the world would call him 'Sherlock Holmes the DEAFtective' not 'Sherlock Holmes the Detective' anymore.

"You have to say that before!"

"I've said it already! You, who didn't understand what I mean!" Watson protested. Then he asked when Holmes just looked at him with an apologize expression, "So, what the answer anyway?"

Holmes kept sitting for a moment. Maybe he was thinking about what the answer—or perhaps what the fittest answer should he gave to his partner. He wanted to revenge, so he though hard to find the stupid answer as well—just like Watson did before.

"So?" Watson asked, his head was heel over.

"They'll say …" finally Holmes spoke.

"…"

Sherlock Holmes looked at his partner eyes deeply, and then continued, "Stupid riddles are the same with the giver!"

In the end, they were speaking on terms.

End