I don't love you, but I always will - a Damon/Elena shipper manifesto (part 2)

[upupa_epops]

Here goes part two! Part three will probably take me a good while to write. tvdbloodstream has a Top Ten challenge, and the ship part ends on Thursday, so it appears that first I have to work on something with actual deadline. But for now, part two is alive and kicking. Without further ado:

I don't love you, but I always will - a Damon/Elena shipper manifesto

Comments

[hisui_ryoshi]

You say things so much better than I do! I am so glad to see the second part of this. Where do I start declaring my love? Because I just finished season two re-watch today and I was sitting there thinking to myself...where is the epic Damon/Elena love story? I don't get it. Anyway, other thoughts mine, lets address your wonderful thoughts.

I am deeply in love with how Damon and Elena work as friends. They click instantly, they see right through each other, and they create this amazing bullshit-free zone. No sugar-coating. No easy smiles. No pretending to be a better person. Just Damon, Elena, ugly truths and teamwork.

This. They work so well as friends. Even with the tension. It's almost the perfect friendship for Damon because I think he is flirty naturally and Elena doesn't mind and it doesn't have to mean more. The fact that it does as time goes on is fine.

Also take 2x22 when Stefan tells Elena Damon is dying. She goes to find him and stay with him because they are friends. She's upset not because Stefan's brother is dying after almost making her a vampire, but that her friend is. She understands why he did it, they both can't loose another person, she just wanted more time to process and forgive.

From what I've seen in fandom, many people insist that Elena is delusional, that she lies to herself and stubbornly refuses to address her feelings for Damon.

I may be guilty of this. I try not to be, but I almost think that this is the one thing she has trouble with. I'll buy that she doesn't know really how she feels about Damon, but sometimes I think she tries to deny that there are any feelings at all. Maybe because she's putting on that appearance. Matt calls her on it, and she describes a wealth of feelings. None of which are love, and all of which are scary. I might try and run from those feelings too. So I don't think it's as much about her being stubborn as much as it is that it's too much for her to understand in the context of what she thinks she's supposed to feel for people. The potential love (but I'd rather go with feelings) she has for Damon are too different from what she feels(has felt) for anyone else that she doesn't feel comfortable with them. Elena is still honest with both herself and Damon when she says she doesn't know what she's doing-she doesn't. She's a smart cookie though so she'll figure it out, until then she'll make tragic phone calls and go back to Stefan and Caroline because she may also still be convinced that she's supposed to be the good girl.

So much potential for Vampire Elena. I really can't wait to see what happens.

[upupa_epops]

where is the epic Damon/Elena love story?

In s2? There isn't one. S2 is a huge D/E cat fight ;).

It's almost the perfect friendship for Damon because I think he is flirty naturally and Elena doesn't mind and it doesn't have to mean more.

I think they're both naturally flirty. With Elena, it doesn't show fully, because she's in mourning, and they she's trying to be more serious to match Stefan's seriousness, but look at her when she has fun, or when she's drunk. That's a flirty girl :).

She understands why he did it, they both can't loose another person, she just wanted more time to process and forgive.

OMG YES! But I also love the scene in which Damon comes to ask for her forgiveness, because she's actually allowed to kick him out. Damon is brutally honest about his intentions ("I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need it"), he admits that he has a selfish motivation, and that allows her to act completely on her own judgement. And she says no. Because there's no emotional blackmail between them. I will never not be in love with the honesty of this moment.

So I don't think it's as much about her being stubborn as much as it is that it's too much for her to understand in the context of what she thinks she's supposed to feel for people. The potential love (but I'd rather go with feelings) she has for Damon are too different from what she feels(has felt) for anyone else that she doesn't feel comfortable with them. Elena is still honest with both herself and Damon when she says she doesn't know what she's doing-she doesn't. She's a smart cookie though so she'll figure it out, until then she'll make tragic phone calls and go back to Stefan and Caroline because she may also still be convinced that she's supposed to be the good girl.

I kind of want to frame this.

[hisui_ryoshi]

Thank you!

Cat fight might be the best way to put it. Makes sense. Elena keeps wanting to be in charge and Damon challenges that she can be in charge of everyone.