As a teenage girl, I followed a relatively normal routine. I’d go to school, hang out with friends and work at the mall. But along the way, the many hours spent reading romance novels caught up to me. I had always secretly hoped to be whisked away at any given moment by a super-hot vampire boyfriend, living out our romance in the most beautiful, forest-hidden home.
Didn’t we all feel this way?
Maybe it started with the film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight. I remember waiting at Walmart on the night of the DVD release by 9 p.m. to receive my very own copy. There was something about Edward Cullen with his honey golden eyes, rough exterior and undying, passionate love for Bella that made 13-year-old me swoon. I was certain the guys I was sitting next to in the middle school classroom were not capable of such grand acts of love and selflessness.
Only a year after the start of the Twilight saga, a brand-new show aired on the CW Network. With promises of good-looking vampires, romance and intense conflict, the series, The Vampire Diaries held all my attention. As one of the leading vampires on the screen, Damon Salvatore was a man after my own heart. Or at least that’s what I thought to myself.
In this article, we are going to break down some of the many times throughout the show that Damon made you want to fight for love, fight for him or fight someone else just to be near him.
1. When Damon and Elena First Meet – 03×22
Although it isn’t revealed until later in the series that Damon had already met Elena earlier in her life, it solidifies that he always had her best interests at heart. Elena briefly opens up about having relationship issues and he restores her faith in romance by saying, “You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure and even a little danger.” And when asked what he wants, Damon says, “I want you to get everything that you want.” Swoon. But then he erases her memory of the encounter to conceal his identity which is a major bummer.
2. When Damon Finds out Alaric Died – 03×22
Because Elena lost both of her parents, Alaric becomes a major parental figure in her life. Damon releases many inhibitions about trust, love and empathy in his friendship with Alaric. Their bond is significant because they both mean so much to Elena. When Alaric finally passes on, Damon finds himself at his grave often to talk about life and get drunk with his old pal. The one-sided conversations are heartbreaking but show the importance of unconditional love.
3. Damon and Elena’s First Real Kiss – 03×19
Damon and Elena shared a couple of kisses leading up to Season three, but they were all in wrong timing or with the wrong Elena (hi, Katherine Pierce). So, when they are holed up alone inside a motel while on a trip, the audience is dying for things to happen. It was worth the wait to watch these two let out their passion for each other in a steamy kiss. A scene so good you’ll want to watch it twice, maybe a third time and I’m not judging if you rewind even another time.
4. When Damon Says “I Love You” to Elena for the First Time – 02×09
Tears were falling from my eyes when I watched this episode. What makes the situation tricky is that Damon reveals his true feelings for Elena while he knows that she is still involved with Stefan. However, Damon knows what he feels is so real and all-consuming that he must tell her, at least once. Even though he erases her memory (which Damon has a bad habit of doing), you can’t help but ache for a man who feels like his true love is always one step out of reach.
Author’s Note: I must say that I do not condone someone pining after their sibling’s significant other in real life nor try to wipe clean someone else’s memory. But I do believe Damon Salvatore gets a Hall Pass for the most part.
All gifs courtesy of giphy.
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