Sherlock and Jayden sat on the couch (still soaking wet) munching on what was left of their take out. John had chosen to sit in between them in hopes to prevent any more chaos. It didn't work.
Jayden, after watching Sherlock do so, started to use his chopsticks. He had never actually bothered to try using them before, it just made more sense to him to use a fork. However, it seemed to be a good boredom reducer while eating. He struggled to get the noodle to stay on his chopstick before finally becoming frustrated with it.
He tried once more, and only succeeded at flipping the noodle across the sofa. And onto Sherlock.
Sherlock looked down at the noodle which was now on his shoulder, then back up at Jayden. He then picked up the noodle with his chopsticks and threw it back at Jayden.
"Hey, I didn't mean to!" Jayden said, throwing the noodle back at him, along with a carrot.
"Why don't I believe you?" Sherlock asked. Over sailed a few peas, shortly followed by a noodle.
"Because you don't want to!" Jayden said. Jayden tried to get a pea pod to throw, but ended up knocking over his takeout box.
John looked down at the food that had been dumped in his lap, then looked back up at the both of them.
Sherlock and Jayden both inwardly winced.
Oops.
They expected John to be angry. He sure did look it. His face had reddened and his eyes were glaring.
He picked up both Sherlock and Jayden's food containers, then dumped them on both of their heads.
"That's the end of that." John declared, looking quite satisfied with himself. "Off to the shower with both of you. Sherlock, don't move a muscle."
John turned to look at Jayden, "You first."
"But John..."
"Not another word." John said. "Go. And wash your hair."
"I'm not stupid." Jayden mumbled. "Take a shower, wash your hair. It's obvious." He slowly made his way to the bathroom, careful not to drop the food on his head to the floor.
"Don't squish those peas on the sofa, Sherlock. You know they won't come out."
"But it's an-"
"I don't care if it's an experiment, you will not rub those peas into it." John said. "It's already been stained enough. Just wait a little longer. Jayden's almost done, I just heard the water turn off."
Within about a minute, Jayden appeared from the bathroom, squeaky clean.
Sherlock sauntered off to the bathroom, and John turned his attention to Jayden.
"Took you long enough."
"If you wanted a faster shower you shouldn't have dumped food in my hair." Jayden shrugged.
Over the next few weeks, pranks ensued. It was not unusual for John to hear a BANG! and a high pitched scream, only to find out that Sherlock had gotten it rigged to where some chemicals mixed and created a small explosion when the toilet was flushed. Unfortunately, poor Mrs. Hudson got to it before Jayden did, and flushed the toilet while cleaning it. (Even though she wasn't their housekeeper.) She was not pleased.
Jayden fixed up a few trip wires that John had fallen victim to just as many times as Sherlock, the intended recipient, had. He had also had a bit of fun with the plumbing of the sink in the kitchen. That was how Sherlock ended up getting doused with water when he had been trying to refill one of his beakers.
Sherlock returned the favor by hiding every bag of crisps in the flat.
When Sherlock eventually succumbed to the needs of his body and fell asleep on the sofa, Jayden decided it was a good idea to put a large glob of whipped cream in Sherlock's hand, then tickle his face with a feather. Sherlock ignored it at first, but eventually reached up to smack it, thinking it was a house fly. He got a face full of whipped cream.
Then there was the incident with the missing skull.
Jayden should have known better.
"Where is my skull!?"
"Uh, I think it wraps around the spot where your brain should be." Jayden said.
"You know exactly what I mean!" Sherlock said, searching desperately for the skull.
"Yup."
"Where is it then!?" Sherlock asked.
"Not telling. You hid my school books."
"You hate your school books."
"Yeah, so?"
"Ugh!" Sherlock groaned. "Where is it?"
Jayden leaned back in Sherlock's chair, letting his legs flay out on the ground. His back was flat on the seat of the chair and his shoulders, neck, and head were curled up against the back rest.
"Zzzzzip!" Jayden said, running a finger across his mouth as he said the word.
"Why do people do that?!" Sherlock said. "Lips don't, never have, and never will have zips on them."
Jayden mumbled incoherently with his mouth closed.
Sherlock glared at him, then rolled his eyes as Jayden 'unzipped' his mouth.
"Zipper. Not zip." Jayden said.
"Americans." Sherlock groaned. "Is your whole point in life to annoy me?"
Jayden smiled triumphantly.
"Is it working?"
"Quite well." At the end of this sentence began a match of verbal sparring the likes of which the world has never seen. Sherlock had always been good with words, and it seemed Jayden was not exactly lacking in that area either.
John came back to the flat after his shift to find them both heavily engaged in the match. After watching for a few moments John decided that enough was enough.
"Shut up! Both of you!" John yelled, trying to get his voice heard above theirs.
To his surprise, both heads instantly turned his way. They stood there for a moment, staring at him, and John realized he had no idea what he was going to say next.
"You're acting like a bunch of toddlers." John said, in a voice much more suited to inside the flat. "Now, what on earth is the problem?"
"He took my skull." Sherlock said.
"All this, was about that?" John asked incredulously.
"No, we were fighting about zips too." Sherlock said.
"Zippers," Jayden corrected.
"You're fighting about zips, and a skull." John repeated.
Hearing it from John's lips did make it sound sort of ridiculous.
Luckily for John, both Jayden and Sherlock had the good grace to look slightly embarrassed, their cheeks flushing red.
John sighed and rubbed his head.
What have I gotten myself into?
"Give him back the skull." John said.
Jayden huffed, then sulked his way over to the fireplace and reached up into the chimney. He pulled it down, and brushed the soot from it. He grudgingly handed it over to Sherlock.
"Sherlock, now's when you say thank you."
"But he took it from me!" Sherlock said. "Why should I thank him?"
"Because he gave it back." John said. "Now thank him."
"Thank you." Sherlock said, almost inaudibly.
"Close enough." John mumbled. "I'm going out. I'll be back later."
These pranks have to stop... John thought. They're going to end up killing each other. Or me. More likely me.
John sat on a bench in the park with a notebook and a pencil.
He sat there, scribbling at it for awhile, before being seemingly content with it. He admired his work.
What's a better way to stop a prank war, than with a prank? John thought, smiling at his own genius.
Time to call for some recruits. First on the list,
Mycroft.
A/N: Oh oh... what is John planning to do? And Mycroft's getting involved? Must be big then... Reviews please!