[color=silver][center][h2][color=0099aa]𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭[/color][/h2]
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Tired didn't even [i]begin [/i]to describe how Duncan felt, leaning against one of the newly constructed walls of the shelter. Most of the exhaustion was mental, courtesy of all the conflicting emotions he'd had to process earlier in the day - in the span of what,[i] minutes?[/i] From the terror of witnessing Sasuke's blood-overdose to the relief of it not being fatal, from the hope he'd felt for Yuki's recovery to the disappointment and anger of it it still not happening, to the confusion of... whatever-the-ever-loving-fuck was going on with Ayana. Oh, and he'd yet to resolve the whole thing with Shun. 

Still, it wasn't like his body had come out of the ordeal unscathed. This time, the tearing of his stomach had left behind a scar; a long, golden slit that still didn't hurt as much as it logically should have. He felt woozy, out of energy, like he needed a nap and three dinners with dessert - but not like a guy who'd bled all over the place for a solid ten minutes. 

Ever since the failed attempt to heal him, Duncan hadn't left Yuki's side. He knew he couldn't really do anything more for the guy, definitely not without Asahi's help, but he didn't want to just abandon him either. He felt like if he walked away now, it'd be like admitting his friend was gone. Besides, if Yuki stirred, he wanted to be the first one to punch the shit out of him.

Despite his best efforts to keep vigil however, Duncan kept dozing off - only to stir a moment later when a nightmare crept into his vision, when he thought he heard Yuki move, or--

[color=0099aa][i]"Hey!"[/i] [/color]

When Maki fucking kicked him. 

Still, at her words, he blinked his vision clear and glanced over at Asahi. 

[color=0099aa]"Morn',"[/color] he offered with a lazy wave of his hand, only to be drowned out by the pinkhead's fussing. He groaned, but knew the guy was right. There was still a lot to be done. They needed food, Maki's arm was broken and needed fixing, and they had to take another look at Yuki. 

They did, and the results didn't change. Slowly, the last bits of rekindled hope Duncan had managed to hold on to were beginning to burn out. Even Asahi couldn't connect with Yuki - possibly because there was nothing to connect [i]with[/i]. Nothing but a husk. There never would be.

The others gathered for a group meeting, but with a tremble in his voice, Duncan insisted on staying behind. [i]To rest,[/i] he'd said and gestured at his recently closed stomach, but he was really bad at lying, and those who knew him were pretty good at reading him. 

Just this once, though, they didn't call him out on it.

And so, while the rest of the students conducted a meeting on their future outside, Duncan sat besides his friend and prepared to leave him in the past.[/color]