elena thought they would remain silent until morning breaks, and she would have been comfortable in that silence. their understanding has always gone beyond what they choose to say. but damon talks, and he keeps talking, and elena holds her breath as his words fan across her skin. he whispers them into her shoulder like he doesn't want the rest of the world to know. some of these confessions she already knew. some of them she didn't.
damon is a work-in-progress. who isn't?
the past five years have been hell on him, and this is not news. he returned to wonderland with those years aging him despite being a vampire.
her capacity to understand, forgive, and accept damon is still there, so long as he meets her halfway. she walked into this relationship with her eyes wide open, and elena's learned from past mistakes and past relationships: she does not idealize damon. when he mentions his darkness, elena understands fully what that means, just like she understands the inherently cruel nature of their world. darkness will abound, and death will seek maidens. and here is her own confession: ) He's a part of you. He exists because you do. I couldn't turn him away any more than you could hold my mirror's actions against her. Because you love me.
( she rests her cheek against his hand. ) And I do love you, too. More than you hate yourself. ( that was never going to save him. it wasn't meant to. love is not meant to fix people, it only makes room for the warts. he'll get to where he needs to go. she believes in him. )
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elena thought they would remain silent until morning breaks, and she would have been comfortable in that silence. their understanding has always gone beyond what they choose to say. but damon talks, and he keeps talking, and elena holds her breath as his words fan across her skin. he whispers them into her shoulder like he doesn't want the rest of the world to know. some of these confessions she already knew. some of them she didn't.
damon is a work-in-progress. who isn't?
the past five years have been hell on him, and this is not news. he returned to wonderland with those years aging him despite being a vampire.
her capacity to understand, forgive, and accept damon is still there, so long as he meets her halfway. she walked into this relationship with her eyes wide open, and elena's learned from past mistakes and past relationships: she does not idealize damon. when he mentions his darkness, elena understands fully what that means, just like she understands the inherently cruel nature of their world. darkness will abound, and death will seek maidens. and here is her own confession: ) He's a part of you. He exists because you do. I couldn't turn him away any more than you could hold my mirror's actions against her. Because you love me.
( she rests her cheek against his hand. ) And I do love you, too. More than you hate yourself. ( that was never going to save him. it wasn't meant to. love is not meant to fix people, it only makes room for the warts. he'll get to where he needs to go. she believes in him. )