( she doesn't know, but damon does. he's seen elena at some of her darkest periods, when it seemed the entire world was out to destroy her, to take the things she loved and rip them from her as traumatically as possible. their home universe has never been kind to elena gilbert, and it's not hard to imagine that this one, and whatever new ones the nest forces them to visit, will be no different.

it just makes him more determined to keep his promise. now that stefan is human, damon is the last person she has who can't die in something as simple and mortal as a car accident. he's the last person she has who can promise to come back and have a chance of keeping that promise, and nothing will make him break it. more than that, he'll do whatever he has to to keep the other people elena loves alive. any friends she makes on the station, on the planets they visit, stefan — none of them will die if he can help it.

elena's put more space between them, but damon closes it, dropping her hand only to pull her into another hug. it's not the best — hugs are not something he does — but he couldn't see her standing like that without doing something. )

You're going to regret saying that one day, you know, ( he says, voice light with somewhat-forced levity. ) One day you'll want me gone and I'll point to this conversation.