Author's Notes: The idea for this just popped in my head on my way home for lunch. It was too cute to pass up doing while fresh in my head.
Married…with Children: A Collection of Future Sory Ficlets
Chord's Thanksgiving Recital
When Sam came home from work, his husband and children were already home from school, work, and errands. Rory was fixing dinner while Damian played in the living room floor, zooming his toy cars all around the legs of the table. Chord on the other hand, was waiting impatiently by the door, awaiting his other father.
The second Sam opened the door, he was attacked by a little brown haired boy just waist high, squealing in excitement and saying something he couldn't understand. "Whoa, whoa, let me in the door, buddy!" he said, slipping past his son and shutting the door behind them. He knelt down in the floor and put his hands on Chord's shoulders. "What's going on?"
"I get to be in the play! I get to be a big bird!" the boy squealed. Sam looked up at Rory and mouthed 'What play?'
"Tell your dad all about it, honey. It's a musical, right?" Rory urged so that Sam would be in the loop.
Sam walked inside, Chord hot on his heels. He plopped down on the couch with a tired sigh and then a grunt as the excited boy jumped into his lap.
"I get to be in the play at school! I get to sing just like you and daddy!"
Sam smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "That's awesome. What's the play about?"
"Thanksgiving! I get to play the bird and sing and dance on the table with all the indy ants and pill grams." Sam looked confused at first, then realized what his son meant.
"Indians and Pilgrims, son," He corrected with a chuckle. Chord repeated the words back to him properly. That was the custom with their children anytime they mispronounced a word, Sam or Rory would say it the right way and their sons would repeat it. Rory insisted it helped them retain the information, and seeing as how he knew two languages fluently, Sam took his word for it.
Rory smiled at the excited child, bouncing in his father's lap. "He needs a costume, Sam. I'm going to the party shop tomorrow to find him one of a big bird," he said. Chord cheered as it was news to him as well. "After I drop you off at school, I'll pick it up and you can try it on when we get home."
"Yayyyy!" Chord cried out. "Damian! Did you hear that?" Damian was paying no attention whatsoever, much more concerned with his toy cars.
"Huh?" the smaller boy asked, noticing someone was talking to him. He smiled up at his brother and father. "Daddy, I'm hungry," he said. All three of them laughed as the boy poked out his bottom lip in a pout.
"Come on, buddy, let's get ready for dinner," Sam said, urging Chord back onto his own feet, and then reaching down to pick up Damian. "Oof! You're getting almost too heavy to keep picking up!"
"No!" Damian squealed, throwing his arms around his father's neck. Sam giggled. Damian was so much like Rory. When they had been first dating, Rory was always clinging to Sam in hugs and hand holds, always staying in physical contact. Now, their youngest son seemed to be the same way – feeling comfort in the arms of Sam.
The boys plopped down in their seats as Rory fixed their plates. Rory smacked the back of Sam's hand as he reached for the fried chicken. "Okay, okay," Sam replied, blushing. There would be no eating until they were all seated, and the prayer was said.
-ooo-
The next day, Rory dropped Chord off at school and Damian at the baby sitter's then headed to the party store to search for a costume. It didn't take as long as he expected – apparently large birds were popular. He picked out a costume for a large yellow bird with lots of small feathers and a big beak. Perfect!
"Wait until your dad gets home and you can model your costume for us," Rory told Chord when he picked him up from school.
Sam came home to find Damian playing in the floor and Chord watching the TV. Rory was once again in the kitchen cooking dinner. Sam came up behind his husband and gave him a kiss.
"Ewww! Kissies!" Chord teased, scrunching up his face. His fathers laughed, Damian giggling in the floor. "Can I go put on my bird suit now?"
"Yeah, honey, go put on your bird suit," Rory replied happily.
"What did you get him?" Sam asked quietly.
"You'll see. It's adorable," his husband replied, going back to covering beef patties with spices.
They heard Chord's bedroom door shut, but didn't hear the excitement they expected. Chord trudged into the room, wearing his large yellow bird costume, beak and all.
"Isn't it cute?" Rory asked, beaming with pride. "I think it's absolutely adorable!"
Then came the sniffles. Chord was upset and trying not to cry in front of his brother, who was sitting in awe at the large yellow bird who just entered his play space.
Sam was struggling to hide his laughter, having to actually turn away before Chord saw him grinning.
"Aww, honey, what's wrong? Don't you like your bird costume?" Rory asked, wiping his hands on a towel and then kneeling down in front of his fretting son.
Chord finally lost it and started to cry, then ran past Rory and latched himself onto Sam's leg. Rory turned around and looked up at Sam, confused. "What did I do?"
"Uhm, what did the package say?" Sam asked, swallowing back another laugh. Rory trotted off to Chord's room a moment and brought back the plastic container the suit had been in.
"See, right here. It says 'big bird with beak and feathers'," Rory pointed out.
Sam had to pretend to cough violently to keep his son from realizing he was laughing so hard. Rory almost looked hurt. "What's wrong with it?"
"That's a Big Bird costume, babe. From Sesame Street. See the logo?"
Rory scrunched up his face. "I thought it was the brand name. It said big bird. I thought he said he was going to be a big bird."
"No, no, no, babe. A big bird, not the Big Bird. He meant a turkey. You know, a big bird," Sam explained.
Rory turned fifty shades of red in embarrassment. He knelt down and hugged his crying son. "I'm so sorry honey! I didn't know you meant a turkey! I'm so sorry!"
Chord was still sniffling but had finally stopped sobbing outright. The frown on his face was heartbreaking.
"Don't worry, Chord, your daddy will fix it and make it look great, okay?" Sam offered. "Your play is Friday. It's only Wednesday so he has a whole day to work on it."
Chord smiled halfheartedly, still disappointed. He sulked off to his room to take off his Big Bird costume and came back to sit on the floor next to Damian, playing with his cars.
-ooo-
Rory called in to work to let them know he was sick, which he wasn't, but fixing Chord's costume was far more important than going to the office for the day. Rory was determined to fix his blunder no matter what.
To avoid being caught, he drove a half hour to the next town and visited the craft store, leaving with armfuls of fake feathers, felt, paint, glue, and numerous other supplies. He went home, cleared off the kitchen table, and set up shop. He looked over the bird costume, assessing what he had to work with. Getting proper inspiration from a picture of a turkey he found online, he set to making things right.
By the time Rory picked up Chord from school and Damian from the sitter. "I fixed your costume all up, honey. It looks like a turkey now, I promise!"
As soon as they got home, Rory urged the boy to go try on his new costume. A few minutes later, his son burst into the kitchen, making turkey noises and cheering. Rory had covered it in felt feathers, made a large fantail, and transformed the beak into a turkey's beak with paint and felt and some careful cutting. It looked wonderful.
When Sam came home, he found his sons running around the house, Chord clucking like a turkey, Damian chasing him with a toy bow and arrow. "I'm gonna get you Chordy! Daddy will fix you up for supper!"
"Whoa, slow down! Let me see," he instructed, barely catching a glimpse as the boys ran by.
"Chord! Show your dad your costume!" Rory called from the kitchen. He zoomed into the living room, paused, and clucked crazily. Damian wasn't far behind, shooting him with the rubber arrow.
"I got you Chordy! I got you! Daddy, I got supper!" Damian cried excitedly.
Sam smiled as he knelt down to examine the new suit. He touched the feathers (almost getting pecked in the process), and smiled some more as he looked at the fantail. He attempted to touch the beak but was pecked again.
"It looks wonderful!" Sam exclaimed. "You did a good job, babe. Looks like a real turkey!" Rory beamed happily.
"I think he might actually forgive me now, don't you think so?" Rory asked, as Sam gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I think he will, yeah. You did a great job. All that by yourself?"
Rory nodded. "Every bit. Now get them ready for dinner. I haven't been able to catch the turkey since he put it on."
Sam laughed and chased after his sons so they could get ready for dinner.
-ooo-
The next night, Sam, Rory, and Damian sat quietly in the audience of McKinley Elemenetary Auditorium, watching with great interest as the play was announced. There were several parts before Chord's big debut, but when he came on with the pilgrims and indians, he stood on the table, dancing and singing. The other children sang backup and danced around him, pretending they were inviting him to their thanksgiving dinner.
When his part was over, his family cheered and clapped then quieted down politely for the other students to finish up. At the end of the play, everyone came out to bow, the entire audience cheering the loudest at Chord Flanevans' turkey costume.
Later, as they were milling about the lobby, chatting with the other parents, one of the moms asked Chord where he got his wonderful costume.
"My daddy made it! He's one of the best daddy's in the whole world!" Chord exclaimed, throwing his feathery arms around Rory and grinning, finally feeling like he had made up for his mistake.