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    21 "The Vampire Diaries" Moments That Prove Damon And Stefan Were The Ultimate Pairing

    Elena who?

    Everyone lovessss to argue about Damon and Elena vs. Stefan and Elena on The Vampire Diaries.

    Elena walking into the Originals's ball with Damon and Stefan

    But honestly, I think we're ignoring the real relationship of the show: and that's Damon and Stefan.

    Here are 21 moments that prove Damon and Stefan's brotherhood was WAY more important and interesting to watch than either of their relationships with Elena.

    1. In Season 1, Damon helped Elena save Stefan's life, then went out of his way to assure Stefan he had zero guilt in Damon's actions.

    Stefan thanks Damon for helping Elena take care of him, and Damon says Stefan broods too much and the bad things he does aren't Stefan's fault

    2. And then when Stefan was in a vulnerable position again in Season 3, he chose to be the one to turn Bonnie's mom so that Stefan wouldn't have to deal with the guilt.

    Stefan says he lost the coin toss and should've been the one to turn Abby. Damon says he has enough to feel guilty about

    3. And then AGAIN, after Stefan was in a guilt spiral over killing Enzo in Season 8, Damon encouraged him not to punish himself, telling Stefan instead to be with Caroline and be happy.

    Damon tells Stefan he has lots of guilt too, but he doesn't need some redemption tour. He just needs the people he loves, and so does Stefan

    4. Stefan was furious at Damon after he fed Elena his blood before Klaus's ritual in Season 2. But he still refused to let Damon give up on himself...

    Stefan locks Damon in the cellar, telling him, "You're not dying today"

    5. ...And even encouraged Elena to talk to him and make up with him since he could die.

    Stefan says he's looking for a cure but Elena should talk to him if she has anything to say. He says if there's a chance for the cure, he owes it to Damon to find it

    6. And then Stefan literally gave up his entire life to Klaus so that Damon could live!

    Stefan tells Klaus he'll do whatever he wants if Klaus gives him the cure

    7. And before you come at me saying Stefan was the better brother — Damon did the same for Stefan when he asked his Commander for leave when Stefan needed him! Remember the dream/flashback from Season 7?

    in the Civil War, Damon asks for leave because his brother is struggling. The commander refuses, but Damon says he'll do anything to be able to go see Stefan

    8. In fact, the Salvatore brothers constantly offered to sacrifice themselves for the other. Like when Cade tried to make Damon choose between Stefan and Elena in Season 8, and Stefan offered himself up.

    Stefan tells Damon he knows what to choose, but Damon refuses. Stefan tells Cade to take him

    9. ...And then Damon said no, and offered HIMSELF up instead, so that both Stefan and Elena could live.

    Damon says he chooses himself as Stefan begs him not to. Damon apologizes and says it's been a hell of a ride

    10. This whole "die for each other" thing culminated in the series finale, where they had to decide which of them would stay with Katherine to ensure Hell was blown up.

    Stefan says he's fought for almost 2 centuries to make Damon a man who deserves happiness, and Damon finally is

    11. Of course, Damon didn't let Stefan sacrifice himself: he turned into a protective older brother and compelled Stefan to leave him so he could die.

    Damon compels Stefan to leave and let him die, because he's the big brother and hould protect Stefan. He apologizes for not doing so before

    12. Which...did not work. Stefan died anyways, and in his last moment with Elena, he told her THAT DAMON WAS THE MAN SHE DESERVED!!

    13. Speaking of...Stefan was SO MATURE about Damon and Elena. In the Season 6 finale, he admitted Damon meant more to him that Elena, and that he was grateful to Elena for her role in helping Damon become better.

    Stefan says Elena came into his life to remind him that his brother was worth loving, and that her faith in him brought them back together, and that he needed Damon more than Elena

    14. He even took on that role for Elena after he was gone in Season 7, pushing Damon to be the brother he deserved. Like when Damon decided to desiccate in a coffin:

    Damon says he's not a good brother without Elena and is going to dessicate next to her. Stefan says he's done everything for Damon and asks if Damon is really going to turn his back on Stefan

    15. ...And again after Damon woke up, when he called him out for his lack of responsibility.

    Stefan says Damon bailed on him by living in a coffin, and Damon says he did it to prevent himself from making mistakes. Stefan asks why that's so hard for him, and tells him not to mention Elena, since he lived 160 years before her

    16. It actually worked, too. Damon was able to take more personal responsibility than he ever did with Elena. Like when he apologized for abandoning Stefan in the Season 7 finale, and told Stefan to let him go.

    Damon says he's sorry for abandoning Stefan because he was scared. He says he knows his choices suck and Stefan likes to fix them, but this time to let Damon do the hard thing

    17. But it wasn't just Damon who needed Stefan. Stefan needed Damon, too. Remember when Damon died and Stefan became a total dick at the start of Season 6, then went to his family crypt to talk about how lost he was?

    Stefan says he's lost and can't start over without Damon. He throws his bourbon bottle angrily, but Damon comes back and catches it, hugging him

    18. Or the time in Season 6 when Damon put his own feelings about their mother aside to convince her to lie to Stefan so that he'd get his humanity back.

    Damon tells their mother to tell Stefan she wished she'd been there to see him grow up, and the only thing that got her through the prison world was the thought of seeing him again

    19. Or when he refused to let Stefan give up as he lay dying in Season 7, "confessing" to being selfish and not caring so that Stefan would be angry enough to get up and keep walking.

    Damon says he's selfish and never cared about doing the right thing for Stefan - only for Elena. Then he asks if Stefan is mad, and Stefan says he is. Damon says, "Good. Then get up and come kick. my ass yourself"

    20. In conclusion, Damon and Stefan were there for each other from the start. They had SO MUCH history together...

    Damon says Stefan used to hide in their father's office, which wasn't allowed, and that he was scared Stefan would get in trouble

    21. ...And in the end, when Damon died, he didn't find Elena in the afterlife. He found Stefan.

    Stefan opens the door of the Salvatore mansion to see Damon, who says "Hello, brother." Then they hug