BEFORE THE ACADEMY
Duncan's life was fine, normal, until his dad left him and his mother when he was 10. His mother fell into a deep depression and he was sent to a foster home for a month until she recovered, coming back from the hospital and reclaiming her child. She became convinced that his father left them to fail, as though they wouldn't be able to survive without him. She became obsessed with appearances and perfection, insisting that it appear everything was just as well, if not better with him gone. She burned everything he owned or gave them and made Duncan swear to never do art again. Duncan did everything she requested, working hard to improve his grades and try his best to be the perfect son she wanted, popular and liked by everyone in his school, terrified of her leaving him again, or committing suicide- Even as she became more and more abusive, he still desperately did his best. He couldn't bring himself to resent his father like his mother insisted, but he did wonder sometimes, how he could just leave without a goodbye, leave him with her?
As his own depression became increasingly apparent, the only thing keeping him alive was his mother forbidding him to commit suicide on the basis it would "besmirch the family name". So he had to get creative. He couldn't kill himself straight up, but if he died another way, that'd be fine, right? Accidents happen. People are killed. So long as it's not traceable back to him, then he should be fine. The solution presented itself when he was 14, when a new transfer student joined his class. Joakim.
It was hate at first sight.
In came this boy, rolling his eyes at the teacher and sitting at the back of the classroom, aggressive and avoidant, so obviously rite with trauma and pain, it was disgusting. After all the work, all the fake smiles and lies and work Duncan put into seeming like everything was fine, his family was perfect, his life was perfect, and this boy walks around like it doesn't even matter? Like he doesn't even care? How fucking dare he? A fantasy was born in Duncan's mind. He wanted to die by those hands. And then have the man attatched sent to prison, to rot for the rest of his natural life. Acting all miserable - you don't know misery. That can be rectified. Duncan set about ruining Joakim's life, setting him up for fall after fall, making the whole school despise him (despite a few notable standouts), a practical joke with some acid that was poorly thought out-
In order to hurt your enemy, you have to know your enemy, and through their battles they wound up knowing each other a little too well. Better than anyone else. They held secrets no one else knew. The games got a little too intimate. Revenge too personal. They fucked a bit too much for enemies. It became clear the emotion they were feeling wasn't "hatred", not exactly... it was love. Duncan tried to ignore it. Joakim confessed. Duncan panicked and fled, trying to ignore the man, unable to reconcile his feelings. They can't be together, not after everything they've done, he's done... Joakim deserves better.
Graduation came. Duncan was still alive, staring at a pile of acceptance letters from every university he applied to. The idea of more of this, years of this, of school, stress, grades, late nights of no sleep, it was unbearable. He couldn't fathom it. He didn't want to live any longer. He ripped up the letters and walked into the living room, announcing to his mother he would not attend university.
Instead of doing what she promised, she threw him out, with strict instructions to never return, or contact her again.
Shocked to still be alive, and with nothing but a car and the clothes on his back, Duncan was at a loss of what to do. Out of ideas, he decided to just follow Joakim, to his new job, quickly becoming his superior, still striving to make his life hell, half-heartedly waiting to die, living out of his car so efficently no one knew he was homeless. He drank heavily at bars, consistently waking up in strange men's houses, Paul kept finding his car, no matter where he parked... he drank more, eating less and less, sleeping less and less, a smiling husk waiting for the moment he finally shuffles off the mortal coil, however that may be. Lewis and Simon would occasionally kidnap him and force him to stay with them for short periods of time, before he would manage to escape again, not wanting their help. He was perfectly content to be miserable.
Then he heard about Joakim's transfer request.
THE ACADEMY
Children are a fucking nightmare but he'll take it, he'll take anything. Yun? Whatever. Xian? A shithole, maybe he'll die in a fucking mugging. It's fine, so long as Joakim is there.
He certainly didn't expect to actually care about the kids under him, or to try so hard, or to make - actual friends. People were starting to get close to him. For the first time in his life, he was taking antidepressants. Trying to stop drinking. Trying.
There are ups and downs to be sure, but he's never been so... healthy in his life. The better he gets, the more he thinks about his mother.
If he can change...
CURRENTLY
After Joakim came back, he was content to do whatever it took to finally stay by his side. But Vanessa and her threats made a good point - he still doesn't deserve that man. And Cari is nice... even if he is... possibly... Duncan finds himself in a bottle again. It's fine, it's always fine, it'll be fine, just be happy for what you have, Jones.
