[Elena looks away from Erica for a moment to think about it. Things have been difficult with Stefan's humanity off. Elena's been fighting for her life and trying to protect the people she loves and cares about all the while trying to reach the Stefan she knows with hardly any success.]
[And Damon's been there for her. Through all of it. She appreciates it and in a way, she's proud of him, too. He's finally starting to act like the man he's more than capable of being. She cares about him and they're friends, but that's where the line is. And he crossed it when he kissed her on the porch.]
[She should be angry with him for it. Damon probably thinks of it more as betraying Stefan, but Elena also sees it as a betrayal to their friendship. But she isn't angry about it or at him, she's angrier with herself because she knows she kissed back. She crossed a line, too. Elena can't just blame it on feeling alone or scared simply because of what's happening to Stefan. She knows it's on her. But try as she might to forget it ever happened or sweep it under the rug as just a fluke, it's easier said than done.]
[She'd braced herself for Damon and she got something entirely different than she had been expecting. She's equal parts relieved and more confused than before. On the one hand, she doesn't have to deal with things. On the other, she knows she can't trust Damon now. Not even the friendship they've managed to build is there right now and she's not sure how she can possibly build it all over again knowing more than he does. It doesn't seem fair. If she didn't know what to do before, she's definitely at a loss now.]
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[And Damon's been there for her. Through all of it. She appreciates it and in a way, she's proud of him, too. He's finally starting to act like the man he's more than capable of being. She cares about him and they're friends, but that's where the line is. And he crossed it when he kissed her on the porch.]
[She should be angry with him for it. Damon probably thinks of it more as betraying Stefan, but Elena also sees it as a betrayal to their friendship. But she isn't angry about it or at him, she's angrier with herself because she knows she kissed back. She crossed a line, too. Elena can't just blame it on feeling alone or scared simply because of what's happening to Stefan. She knows it's on her. But try as she might to forget it ever happened or sweep it under the rug as just a fluke, it's easier said than done.]
[She'd braced herself for Damon and she got something entirely different than she had been expecting. She's equal parts relieved and more confused than before. On the one hand, she doesn't have to deal with things. On the other, she knows she can't trust Damon now. Not even the friendship they've managed to build is there right now and she's not sure how she can possibly build it all over again knowing more than he does. It doesn't seem fair. If she didn't know what to do before, she's definitely at a loss now.]
I wish things were different.