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When Noah met Duncan on the dock, he’d not been impressed. Garden variety punk with a chip on his shoulder for one reason or another. His reaction to being called out didn’t help this impression. Ooh. The punk responds to criticism with violence. Never seen that before.
Noah didn’t get to interact with Duncan much after that. Not only did they end up on separate teams, but he didn’t go out of his way to talk to the guy in between challenges. Then of course there was the fact that he hadn’t made it past the third challenge. Not his fault dodgeball is a stupid game he would have been no help during.
The next time they had a conversation was after Duncan got eliminated. Considering Duncan had made it to the final four, this was quite the length of time. Most of what he got of Duncan’s personality over that time was from watching the episodes. Of course even if it wasn’t scripted, you can’t completely trust the impressions you’d get from that. Edits are made, moments are cut out. Anything that would ruin whatever the impression the show wanted you to have on the audience.
Duncan had arrived late at night. Everyone had been waiting to see who the next contestant voted off was. Everyone was disappointed that it wasn’t Heather. Of course Noah hadn’t expected it to be. The queen bee was the main villain of the season after all.
Most people were relatively neutral about this turn of events. Geoff and DJ were glad to see Duncan but disappointed he’d lost. Harold was terrified and upset. Courtney ran to him. Noah suspected they may have kissed were it not for the fact that everyone was watching and Courtney was still trying to act like he wasn’t into the guy.
From there Noah had next interacted with him the following day. He’d been drinking a smoothie at the pool bar per usual.
“Hey Nerd. You seen Harold?” The punk asked.
“No. I suspect he’s hiding somewhere.” Noah noted. “Not that I understand. Who’d hide from you after bunny.”
Duncan glared. “How did you know about that?!”
“It’s a reality TV show moron.” Noah scoffed. “They’re always recording you. Do you really think they’d cut out the moment that showed what a sweetheart the punk secretly is? Like seriously, everyone who watched the show knows about it.”
Duncan's eyes widened. “You’re telling me I revealed my soft side on national television?!”
Noah smirked. “Oh no. It’s worse than that.” He said enjoying the chance to torment the punk. “You revealed your soft side on international television. There are people halfway across the world that know all about your secret soft side.”
Noah’s smirk broadened at the look of horror on Duncan’s face. He can’t help but poke the bear. Sure he’s almost certainly going to get bitten, but the temptation is simply too strong to ignore it. “Hey, I’ve never been to juvie. You think they have TV there? I bet they knew you were going to be on the show. You think your old juvie pals know what a softie you are?”
Duncan proceeded to enter the pool and punched him in the gut hard. Then he stormed off, presumably to pick on Harold. Noah felt like he might puke up that smoothie he’d just been drinking. His gut hurt and was almost certainly going to bruise. He totally deserved that. Noah was well aware.
Somehow though, he still thought messing with Duncan was worth it. He doesn’t know why exactly. He’s always been like this. Noah doesn’t cower before bullies. He uses words and wit to insult them. Sometimes he made the bully cry. Which felt really empowering. Sometimes the bully would back off. And of course sometimes the bully reacted as Duncan seemed to, by attacking him.
Honestly though even when he was attacked, Noah always felt like he’d won. He’d gotten a reaction from the bully. He hadn’t backed down. He’d stood his ground. There was also the fact that afterwards he could find whatever meathead he’d befriended that usually protected him and tell them about it.
Which usually resulted in the bully getting beaten up by them. After all, Noah was under their protection. What would it say about their reputation if they did make an example out of those who didn’t take that seriously?
Despite not being in school Noah has a meathead. Eva. She’s the strongest person on the island and Noah had managed to befriend her. It really wasn’t hard. All he’d had to do was stand his ground when threatened, and make it clear that he respected her.
He supposed it was time to let Eva know about this little interaction. He had to admit the fight that broke out later was incredibly enjoyable to watch.
Then the race for the case happened. Noah teamed up with Eva and Izzy to get it. At one point he ran into Duncan right as Courtney stabbed him in the back. Seeing the punk brought down to this made him want to mock him.
Noah really doesn’t know why. Maybe it’s because he’s never been into the idea of him and Courtney as a couple. Maybe it’s because mocking Duncan fills him with a strange giddiness he doesn’t get anywhere else. Maybe it’s because he enjoys chasing after him. It’s stupid really and he knows it is. It’s like an antelope chasing a lion.
Yet he can’t help himself. The words seem to exit his mouth of their own volition, heedless of the warnings his head yelled at him. “So your girlfriend turned on you huh? Hate to see that happen. Bet you feel like a loser now. Less of a man.”
And Duncan broke. “Enough of a man to take your head off geek!”
The next thing Noah knows he’s being pantsed on international TV. Yet somehow even after that Noah didn’t feel embarrassed. He doesn’t even regret ticking Duncan off. In fact part of him wants to do it again. And again. And again. Until Duncan…does something? Noah’s not sure what he wants to have happen.
Of course they won’t be having any more interactions for a while because Duncan made it on the new season and he didn’t. And honestly it was probably a good thing. Noah can’t keep pushing him like that. Going back to the lion and antelope analogy. The antelope is only going to be lucky for so long. Eventually the lion is going to eat him.
He paused at the thought. Did he want Duncan to eat him? It almost felt like he did, or at the very least he liked toying with the idea of it. Toying with him in particular. He’s still not sure why.
Honestly if they interacted more, they probably either kiss each other or kill each other. Noah’s eyes widened at that thought. Wait. What? What the hell did that mean?!
Noah decides it’s better not to think about it.