DUNCNEY WEEK 2023: DAY 1

Duncney Week 2023 has finally begun!

(9.10) Day 1: Admitting Feelings

After losing another challenge, Duncan and Courtney find themselves battling more than just an opposing team.

It had to be hours since the most recent Killer Bass elimination. The plan had gone accordingly; Tyler was now miles away from the island. Yet, a strange feeling crept up on Duncan as he forced his feet to the familiar campsite. His mind replayed the last few hours.

"You guys better vote for Tyler."

Harold and Sadie shared a look before Harold asked why.

"Because all he had to do was sit on the ground with a few baby chicks and blew it!"

"Yeah, but Courtney's the reas–"

Duncan grabbed Harold by the shirt, lifting him slightly off the ground. Harold gulped as Sadie covered her eyes at the possible unfolding brawl.

"Okay, we'll vote Tyler! Gosh!"

Duncan's red Converse kicked dirt as he shuffled up the tiny hill. Why had he forced those two dweebs into voting off the jock? It's not like they were wrong. Courtney had been a reason the team lost today, but she was also why many faced their fears. Especially him. His hands bawled into fists as he recalled how her silky hand molded into his callused one. The way she lowered her voice to assure him everything would be okay. The way she encouraged him to no end. Fuck, he hoped the cameras missed the way he softened to her.

His mind argued with him as he approached the uneven stumps of that campfire pit. He couldn't possibly like her. She was everything he hated: a stuck-up princess, a goody two shoes, yet she had a side to her he had only caught glimpses of. Her freckles popped up from the bridge of her nose when she was flustered. The way her composer would relax whenever she was high off of adrenaline to help the team win—still, the thought of actually having a heart made Duncan want to vomit.

He reached his destination and sat looking into the fire's dying embers. He'd shove those feelings aside. There was no way a chick would change his stance in the game, let alone one so high and mighty. His thoughts were cut by the sudden drop of logs into the pit. The fire sprang freely; his face would have taken a few burns if he hadn't moved in time.

The teen punk looked past the flames and saw her. Courtney. She was dusting her hands off on her pants as she sat back down on a stump. She looked relieved yet angry, which was insane for Duncan to think about, seeing as he was the sole reason she was still on this stupid island.

He studied her for a moment. The flames made her skin glow slightly darker, and her eyes reflected the dancing flames. She ran her fingers through her thick hair with a sigh before making eye contact with him.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" She snarled.

Something snapped in him. Every sane part of him told him he hated this girl. Yet he found himself smirking at her foul words. Something about the way she wasn't afraid to challenge him stirred a mix of emotions within him. He liked it. She was bold, aggressive, and dare he say a beautiful representation of the female population.

He liked her. Fuck it, he liked her a lot.

Courtney was trying to have a few moments to herself when she noticed Duncan sitting across from her. She was over today's challenge and was confident she'd be sent packing, but she didn't question her safety as Tyler sailed away on the boat of losers.

Everything about the past couple of days had been a major fuck up. The alleged cuddling with said Neanderthal, her reaction to that stupid dessert, her unbelieved display of affection in helping said Neanderthal face his fear, just to top it off with chickening out of her own. She was a complete failure. A complete joke. If she prayed hard enough, none of the final edits would keep her stupid encounters with Duncan. She could not believe she even let herself get so close to him more than once!

Enough was enough. That sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach would cease whenever he called her some stupid nickname. The way her heart raced when the two made sudden eye contact would simply go away if she kept her focus on the game. She was here to win, not make friends– or whatever he would be subcategorized as.

She'd think Duncan thought she respected him if she knew any better. Heck, liked him even. Now more than ever after that pathetic pep talk. God, how had she gotten so lost in the moment that she hugged him? Her eyes narrowed as she thought about how his fingers squeezed her waist just before everyone approached them. That simply could not continue.

Courtney caught him staring at her through the flames. Some of her was thankful for the fire, and she was sure her face was heating up more. She needed to come off as unappealing as ever to return to the zone. Without thinking, she snarled at him vulgarly, but the sudden attack didn't meet her with the wanted scoff and possible disappearance of the punk. No, it slapped her face with that cocky smirk that twisted her insides.

Fuck. She liked him, and she hated herself for it.