The Parasite [Yandere x Reader]

Chapter 36 - (The Rerun)

The following evening, Damian decided to set up a movie night. He transformed the living room into a cozy viewing area, complete with blankets, pillows, and an assortment of snacks. It was an odd semblance of normalcy, a thin veneer over the dark reality of our situation.

Stay calm.

Watch, listen, plan.

He chose a collection of old movies—favorites from my childhood and classics that we had once watched together. The screen flickered to life, and I settled into the couch, my body tense. Damian sat beside me, his arm draped casually over the backrest.

Act normal.

Pretend.

As the first movie began, I tried to focus on the screen, but my mind was elsewhere, constantly searching for a way out. We watched in relative silence, with Damian occasionally making comments or laughing at a scene. I forced myself to respond, trying to maintain the facade of compliance.

Keep him talking.

Learn everything.

By the time the third movie started, I could no longer contain my curiosity. The question had been gnawing at me for days, and I needed to know the answer.

Ask.

Listen.

"So... why did you actually start living in our walls?" I asked, my voice low but steady.

Damian turned to me, a playful glint in his eyes. "Aw, you called it ours," he joked.

I grumbled, looking away. "Just answer the question."

He chuckled and looked back at the screen, his expression softening. "Didn't have any place else to go after the fire," he said.

The fire.

His vulnerability.

I frowned, my curiosity piqued. "The fire?"

He nodded, his gaze distant. "Yes. My childhood home burned down when I was a kid. Lost everything. My parents... they didn't make it out."

For a moment, there was a flicker of genuine pain in his eyes, a glimpse of the trauma that had shaped him. But it was quickly replaced by that same unsettling smile.

Understand.

Plan.

"I remembered your grandparents' house," he continued. "It was empty most of the time, and I knew the layout. It seemed like the perfect place to stay hidden until I figured things out."

The house.

His sanctuary.

"And you just... decided to live in the walls?" I asked, incredulous.

He shrugged. "It was safe, and I could move around without being seen. I learned the house inside and out, made it my own. It became a game, a way to survive."

Survival.

His twisted logic.

I stared at him, trying to process the magnitude of his actions. "You were there the whole time? Watching us?"

"Not at first," he said, his tone almost apologetic. "At first, it was just about survival. But then... I saw you. And everything changed."

Me.

His obsession.

I felt a shiver run down my spine. "Changed how?"

His delusion.

His reality.

He turned to me, his eyes intense. "You became my reason. My purpose. I knew I had to be with you, to protect you."

"Protect me?" I echoed, my voice trembling. "Damian, you kidnapped me. This isn't protection."

He sighed, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "You don't understand now, but you will. I saved you from a world that would never appreciate you. Here, you're safe. Here, you're loved."

Delusion.

Madness.

I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes. "This isn't love, Damian. This is madness."

He reached out, brushing a tear from my cheek. "You'll see. In time, you'll see."

We returned to watching the movie, but my mind was reeling. Damian's past, his twisted perception of love and protection—it all painted a clearer picture of his deranged mind. But it also reinforced my determination to escape.

Escape.

Plan.

Act.

I had to find a way out of this nightmare, to reclaim my life from the man who had stolen it. And I had to do it soon, before Damian's delusions consumed us both.

Soon.

Escape.