Ned and Conor

Chapter 5

"Ned!" Conor called to the red headed boy across the field. "Ned!" He repeated to the boy who sat in the green grass, spacing out about who knows what.

Conor slowly began to walk over to, reaching the ginger and messed with his pin-straight hair. Upon taking a seat, he watched Ned's gaze and tried to find the capturing sight. "What're we looking at?"

"Ants." He replied, picking one up onto his small finger. "They're tiny and red, like me."

Conor chuckled, taking the small boy with the ant in his protective arms and holding him with his hip. "Are we adding him to the farm?" The boy nodded, playing with the ant that ran through his fingers. "Alright, I'll get a cup to carry the guy in.

After a short walk, plastic cup in hand, they made their way up to the apartment hand in hand. "We got another little friend." Conor called out to Mr. Sherry as he pushed the door open and gave his son the cup to go add an addition to the ant farm.

The boy ran off to the room that he shared with Conor, scurrying in the cutest way possible. "He's just like-"

"Don't"

"I know." Mr. Sherry unhappily replied. "He's transferring colleges, you know. To one nearby."

"You know what the doctors said."

"Mr. Sherry put his papers down on the table in front of the couch. "It's been four years, Conor. He doesn't even know he has a son. Doctors don't know everything."

"When I.T comes to medicine, they do." Conor scoffed. "Philosophy can't fix that rubbish. Little Ned is proof of that; I can't use poetry to fix his weak heart." Conor angrily walked into his room, immediately softening at the sight of his son introducing the new ant to the others. "How's he fitting in."

Ned shrugged, "He'll get used to the new setting."

"Nice word, bud." The little boy smiled widely at his fathers approval, jumping onto his small cot that sat beside Conor's bed. Conor went over to the stereo and turned on an old CD that Ned had left before little Ned was born. They listened to it every night because Little Ned was absolutely obsessed and I.T had been the only way he'd fall asleep, even when he was just a newborn. Mr. Sherry had told that Ned listened to I.T all the time so the kid must be used to hearing I.T before he was even born.

"Dad?" Conor brought himself back from his little space out to look at his son, "Tell me about Daddy again. I heard you and Uncle Danny talking, and I don't wanna meet him if I.T will hurt him, but...I wanna know him."

Conor took a seat on the washer of his bed, looking into his little boy's hazel eyes that were filled with curiosity, "He was short with wavy red hair, and freckles on his cheeks. He listened to this CD all the time, and was sassy, but he cared very much about you."

"And how you met! That's my favorite."

"Of course. Dad was new to the school and became roommates with your Daddy. At first, he was very closed off but you Dad pried, while balancing rugby, and eventually we became very close friends. Your Daddy taught the whole team, and the whole school that it's okay to be a bit different." Conor reminisced, then concluded by driving home that being different and embracing yourself is encouraged in this household. His son smiled brightly by the end, loving the image he'd made of his father in his head.

"It's okay if he can't know about me, but can I meet him. I heard you and Uncle Sherry. Please, Dad."

Conor pauses, thinking for a moment, "Yeah. I'll take you tomorrow, I have off from work." The signature Masters smile spread across the little one's face, and he turned around on his side to read a book.