Sadie: That’s a very good point. John would fight tooth and nail to keep that ‘tough guy’ exterior up around Mycroft…his is not a baby, should anyone need to be reminded. But, Sherlock *does* look awfully content to sit in his older brother’s lap. And Mycroft, while still being his normal stuffy, proper self, doesn’t sound as nearly condescending as he usually does. And John is starting to feel a bit left out.
Jawn gave him a beatific grin, the sauce on his eyelashes smudging against his cheeks. “I can have more, My’coff?” Jawn held his empty plate for Mycroft to see.
“Perhaps you should have eaten what you were given instead of turning yourself into a walking tomato.” Though, Mycroft noted, there wasn’t a piece of pasta in sight.
“‘Mato?” Jawn stared at his arm critically before licking some of the sauce off. “I’m a’licious!”
“My’coff? More?” Sherlock held his mouth open.
“Yes, alright.” Mycroft scooped a bite into his baby brother mouth before getting up to refill Jawn’s plate, holding it in front of himself with only two fingers.
“Jawn ate his salad as well?”
Jawn frowned down at the drawing he was making in the sauce on his shirt. “I eated the carrots. Y’abbits y’ike it.”
“What happened to the lettuce?”Sadie:
Jawn turned in his seat to face Mycroft (further smearing red sauce all over the back of the chair…well, that was something that they were going to have to take care of while they were big, not him. Babysitter, begrudgingly…housekeeper, no) and peered up at him as he shrugged innocently.
“I saw!” Sherlock sat up on his knees and leaned over the table, eager to tell his brother what–
“Ah-ah, I was asking Jawn. You sit and eat.”
The excitement wilted from the little detective’s face and he sat back down, pouting over his plate…it wasn’t the same when Mycroft didn’t do it.
Mycroft turned his attention back to the matter at hand…the sauce-covered matter that looked as if he were starting to gum up already. “What happened to the lettuce, Jawn?”
Jawn blinked up at him, but the angelic affect he was hoping to achieve wasn’t quite as effective when he was coated in rapidly drying tomato paste.
“Jawn. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Jawn lifted his hand and started to suck his fingers. “Ummm,” he hummed, “…y’abbits eated?”
“The rabbits.”
“Y’ah!”
“The rabbits on your bib.”
“Uh-huh!”
“They ate it.”
Jawn nodded quickly.
“…I find that hard to believe, little boy.”
“I know where it is.” Sherlock grumbled.
“y’abbits.” John scowled at him.
“Nu’uuh.”
“That’s enough.” Mycroft put Jawn’s plate down in front of him. “I also know where it is, but i’d prefer to finish my dinner before I deal with it.”
“Not y’abbits?”
Mycroft sat down and put another bite of pasta into his mouth, an eyebrow cocked at the little doctor.
“Finish your supper, boys. Then it’s bath time.” Mycroft held a bite up to Sherlock’s lip
“I y’ike baffs!” Jawn crowed, a piece of pasta flying out of his mouth and onto the table. Another thing for them to clean up later.
“Don’t speak with your mouth full please.”
“Sowwy!”
Sherlock turned his mouth away from the bite of salad Mycroft held to his mouth. “Jawn din’ hafa’ eat veg’ables!”
Sadie:
“He did eat his carrots, and I know for a fact that you like your greens!”
“Do n’yot!”
“Yes, you do.”
“Don’ wan’em!” Sherlock whined, turning his full body away in his seat.
Of course, after the day they’d had (especially after the day they’d had),Mycroft could have threatened his little brother again. He could have swatted him again. He could have raised his voice again.
But Mycroft did none of these things.
“Yes, you do,” he repeated, his voice soft, coaxing. “You do because you’re a good boy, aren’t you…yes, you are.”
Sherlock slowly turned back, eyes big and wide..and ah, yes, there it was! The dazed, dreamy look was misting them over again. “Am?” he asked.
“Yes, you are,” Mycroft cooed at him, smiling as he held the forkful of greens out as an offering. “You’re a good lad, and you want to keep being good for Mycroft, don’t you? Just a bite, for me? Please?”
Sherlock opened his mouth obediently taking offered bite of salad.
“There’s my good boy. Doing such a good job eating his dinner.”
Sherlock ducked his head and looked up at Mycroft through his lashes before accepting another bite of salad.
“I’m good, too. I eated alla dinners, too.” Jawn’s short sauce covered fingers tugged on Mycroft’s wrist. “I can eat lettuces, too, My’coff.” Jawn held his mouth open for a bite of salad. Perfect. They were both tiny and eager to please. Hopefully they stayed that way.
“Yes, Jawn finished his dinner very well.” Mycroft cooed, scooping a bite of salad into Jawn’s mouth. The little Doctor grimaced a bit but dutifully chewed and swallowed. Mycroft helped himself to one last bite, he’d make the driver stop for take away on the way home.
“Is everyone full? Good. Put your plates and silverware into the sink please.”
Mycroft watched as a shard of lettuce wiggled its way out the leg of Jawn’s romper.
“It’s most certainly time for a bath.”
Sadie:
“But I taked one aw’ready,” Sherlock said as he placed his dishes in the sink and turned the faucet on them.
Mycroft wiped the set of saucy fingerprints from his wrist. “ ‘Took’ one, and no, you did not. Sitting in a tub of water and cups does not count as a full bath.”
Jawn reached down to flick the lettuce away; “…Y’abbit spit up,” he said sheepishly, when he saw Mycroft watching.
Mycroft curled his lip and looked away; that was an image he could have lived without for the rest of his life. Almost as bad as the worms. “Just put your plate in the sink, lad, and try not to touch anything else.”
“I go starts water?” Sherlock asked, and was off like a shot before Mycroft could finish telling him ‘Yes, you may.’ “But no bubbles! Don’t add a thing until I get there!” he added quickly, resulting in a loud “AW!” in protest.
Mycroft turned back to Jawn, who while had listened and placed his dishes in the sink, was now playing in the faucet that Sherlock had left running. The little doctor laughed and clapped his hands in the running water, leaving red-tinged droplets and puddles all over the counter.
“You’re a right mess, aren’t you?” Mycroft said as he leaned over and turned it off.
Jawn giggled and reached up with his wet, grungy hands, waiting to be picked. up.
“Oh, no…certainly not. Not in these clothes.”
Jawn whinged, his grotty little fingers clenching the air.
“Aren’t you going to help Sherlock fill the tub?” Mycroft asked, taking a nearly imperceptible step back from the filthy little burgler.
“I can help!” Jawn turned on his heal and raced out of the kitchen, leaving a trail of soggy lettuce in his wake.
Mycroft stood frozen for a moment, repulsed. “I am not picking that up.” He told himself. “Though it would be me who steps in it later.” He grumbled with an eye roll. Using the broom beside the fridge he swept the bits away from the main walkway, following the trail to the bathroom.
“JAWN! THAS BAD! My’coff gunna be mad a’ you!” Sherlock shouted. The accompanying giggle didn’t bode well.
Mycroft left the broom in the hallway and poked his head into the bathroom. Jawn was sitting in the half full tub, struggling to get his romper off. Lettuce floated on top of the water. Christ how much salad had he put on Jawn’s plate!
My
Sadie:
Mycroft heaved a huge sigh..thank God, this would be the last big step before their bedtime, and there would finally be some peace around here. He rolled his sleeves up past his elbows, and went to fetch Jawn out of the bath. “How is this helping, exactly?” he grunted as he lifted the giant, soaking wet toddler out of the water at arms’ length.
Jawn only laughed hysterically, until he snorted. “I y’ike ba’ffs!” he said again, and threw his leg back over the side as soon as Mycroft set him on his feet.
“NO,” Mycroft said firmly, and pulled him back. “What is it with you both and climbing in fully clothed?!” He unsnapped the dripping, stained onesie (another chore for Ms. Hudson; they seemed to keep piling up…she must really care for them if she hadn’t booted them into the street by now), and tugged it over Jawn’s head, the smaller man squawking and fussing the entire time until his head popped free.
Sherlock, who was now on his knees next to the tub, swirling the soggy lettuce leaves in the water, giggled. “Jawn na-key!” he sang.
“AM NOT!” Jawn shouted, kicking a foot out at the little detective and thankfully missing him by a mile.
“Not yet, he’s not.” Mycroft swatted a bare, wet leg, causing a yelp, then tore both sides of Jawn’s nappy open and let it drop to the floor. “Oh, God,” he groaned, looking away.
Bits of soggy lettuce clung to Jawn’s skin and to the inside of his discarded nappy. “Please put your nappy into the rubbish can.”
“Jawn nekkie now.” Sherlock snarked at the bath water, ignoring the little doctor’s indignant squawk. Mycroft helped Sherlock up off the floor and began to undress him.
“Gunna ba’ff wif’ lettuce?” Jawn had been about to get back into the tub when Mycroft pointedly cleared his throat.
“No. I’m not going to bathe you in lettuce.”
“Jawn! Jawn, we can go p’ishing, Jawn!” Sherlock huffed as his shirt was pulled over his head, but was too excited to fuss for long.
Jawn clapped his hands before falling to his knees in front of the bathroom cupboard, rooting through a large bucket of toys. “I foun’ em!” He crowed, holding up to small nets.
Sadie:
Sherlock squealed happily and, just as Mycroft was unfastening his nappy, yanked himself out of his grasp to join Jawn down at the side of the tub, leaving Mycroft holding the (surprisingly) dry garment.
Well, if the boys wanted to make a game out of cleaning up after themselves, he wasn’t going to stop them. Especially when he had no strong urge to touch the whole lot of soggy, disgusting, wilted lettuce himself…actually, he wondered if there was a way to make a game out of cleaning the kitchen, as well. Hm.
At any rate, both boys were now bent over the edge of the tub, chasing after pieces of floating detritus with their little nets and giggling to themselves, with a few minor disagreements about who was going to catch what piece, and even Mycroft had to admit…it was strangely cute.
Doubly so with both of their cute little rounded bottoms sticking up in the air, each one marked with various stages of healing from several spankings throughout the day.
Mycroft took out his phone and snapped another picture…one more for the scrapbook.
“Hurry up, boys, before the water gets cold.”
“No more lettuces!” John cheered as Sherlock scooped the last bit out of the water. “Bubbas, p’ease, My’coff.” John dropped his net beside the tub and half belly flopped into the tub, water sloshing dangerously close to the edge.
“Those nets need emptied into the rubbish can. Both of them, Jawn Hamish.”
“Bubbas first?”
Sherlock dumped his entire net into the rubbish can and raced back to the tub, “Jawn, share, Jawn,” one foot poised over the edge.
Jawn sat up and patted the water, “mon’ Sher’yock!”
Mycroft huffed a sigh. “You are picking that up the second your bath is over, Jawn.” It wasn’t worth the argument.
“Bubba’gum f’wavored bubbas, p’ease!”
“We runned out. We need toys, My’coff!”Sadie:
“Excuse me?”
Jawn had the good sense to look sheepish. “More toys, p’ease?” he added.
“That’s better.” Mycroft sat on the closed toilet lid next to the bath, and started to look through the massive bucket of toys. “And whatever I give you will be dried off thoroughly before being put away so it doesn’t mildew, understood?”
Sherlock and Jawn looked at each other; the thought had never crossed their mind before. Whomever was Big and in charge at bathtime simply left any toys played with in the tub to dry overnight.
The moment was interrupted by a bright blue rubber duck wearing an eyepatch and red-striped bandana hit the water between them with a SPLAT!, sending water into their eyes. Sherlock bleated and furiously wiped it away…he hated getting water in his face. “My’coff, no!”
“You did ask for it…literally,” the elder brother said, unperturbed, and tossed in another duck, this one red with a elegant pirate hat and a beard around its bill.
“I don’t wanna play pirates. Can we have a different toys?” Jawn stretched his short arm out of the tub, fingers barely brushing against the bucket.
“Why n–”
“Ima Cap’n. Swab a’ decks ya scurvy cur!” Sherlock used the red duck to squirt water at Jawn, causing him to sputter and fuss.
“Yes, I see.” Mycroft pulled several wind up fish out of the bucket and offered them to Jawn. “Would you prefer these instead”
“More p’ishing? Cap’n p’ishing boat, Jawn?” Sherlock scooted closer to Jawn, as much as his stork legs would allow, reaching out to pat the fish.
“These p’ish are from the bottom of the ocean. Gotsa go ‘splorin the bottom of the sea.” Jawn took the red duck from Sherlock and pushed it beneath the water until it touched the bottom of the tub. Jawn hooted with laughter as he released the duck and it splashed out of the water and out of the tub.
Sadie:
Sherlock squealed and clapped at the sight. “ ‘gain, ‘gain!” he giggled, and grabbed the blue duck before Jawn could. He shoved it to the bottom of the tub, pressing down hard on it and laughing hysterically at the bubbles coming from the bottom. “Y’ook, Jawn! He–!”
“Don’t say it,” Mycroft interjected.
Sherlock wrinkled his nose at his brother. “You didn’ e’ben know wha’ I was gonna say!”
“I most certainly did. That’s why I said ‘Don’t say it’.”
Sherlock blew a raspberry at him and turned back to his duck, still being held at the bottom of the tub. He let go, excitedly waiting for it to pop up and fly straight out of the tub…
It didn’t.
“Aw,” Sherlock said, face falling as he watched it sadly bobbing at the bottom of the tub, too heavy and full of water to do much else.
“You didn’ do it right,” Jawn said, winding up another fish and placing it in the water, the spinning fins making soft plopping sounds on the surface as is ‘swam’ in a weak circle.
“Didn’?” Sherlock asked, putting a finger in his mouth and peering down at duck.
“Didn’. Try ‘gain.”
“Jawn do it?”
While the two boys had seemingly called a truce (for now) and were babbling peacefully at each other, Mycroft sought out a flannel cloth, bodywash, shampoo, and…for Sherlock, at least…conditioner, as well as a cup.
Jawn showed Sherlock how to empty the duck of water, without squirting it into Jawn’s eyes. “He sinked when he’s gotsta fly.” Jawn shoved the duck below the water and quickly released it, sending it flying out of the water and directly at Mycroft, bonking him in the chest before hitting the floor.
“Ohhhh.” Two little boys gasped in unison.
“Ass’cident, My’coff! Ass’cident!!!’” Jawn cried covering his bum with his hands. Alligator tears on the ready.
Mycroft stared at the wet spot on his shirt for a moment, eyebrow nearly in his hairline. He knew his reaction would make the rest of the evening. “Jawn’s has got terrible aim.”
“Aim?” Jawn asked warily.
“That duck is perfectly capable of making it all the way to the sink.”
“Duck f’wy to da’ sink!” Sherlock half crawled out of the bathtub to capture the wayward captain and put him back under the water. “I try!”
Sadie:
Mycroft quickly bent down and picked up the duck before grabby little fingers could reach it, then picked up the other. He held them both up, and waited until he had two sets of widened eyes focused on him intently. “We’re going to have a little contest,” he said. “You’re each going to take turns with your ducks, and whomever lands theirs in the sink first, wins.”
The eyes turned to meet each other, having a silent conversation. Finally, they both turned back to peer up at the other man. “Wha’ do I get when I win?” Sherlock asked first.
“Or me,” Jawn said, giving the little detective a dirty look.
“Whomever wins…”
Mycroft considered this for a moment.
“Whomever wins, is not required to clean the kitchen when you’re both big again.”
Sherlock and Jawn shared another look, then began reaching for their prospective ducks in earnest, with a chorus of “Me! Me first! No, I’M first! Nu-uh, me!”
Mycroft held the ducks aloft, then cleared his throat loudly until they’d shut their squawking mouths. “Since Jawn was the last one to pop his duck, Sherlock goes next.”
Jawn crossed his arms huffily as Sherlock hooted, as Mycroft handed him the red duck. “Take your time,make sure your aim is spot on,” the elder brother said and, while Sherlock was preoccupied, took up the cup and filled it with water from the bath, and proceeded to wet down Jawn’s hair.
Hopefully the game lasted long enough to get them bathed.
Sadie & Mo's Boutique 