Damon/Elena

Damon/Elena is the pairing of Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert from The Vampire Diaries franchise.
==Canon==
Elena Gilbert met Stefan Salvatore's charming and vindictive older brother Damon Salvatore in the second episode of the television series. They have saved each other's lives so many times, it practically deserves its own summary.
From the start of the series, Damon stirred up trouble between Elena and Stefan. Elena had every reason to hate Damon after he killed Vicki Donovan and others, but somehow she ended up caring for him. She believed he could be a better man. Through season one, the two forged an unlikely friendship. At the end of the season one finale 'Founder's Day', Damon encountered Elena on the porch of her house. He thanked her for deeming him worth saving and kissed her, not knowing that he was kissing Katherine (Elena's vampire doppelganger, Damon's sire).
Elena's feelings for Damon grew more conflicted in season two. When Klaus Mikaelson and his brother Elijah came to Mystic Falls intent on using Elena in their magic ritual, Damon was esperate to save Elena's life. While doing so, he got bit by a werewolf and while he was on his death bed, Elena kissed him.
End of season three was when Elena was forced to make a choice, which brother she wanted to see before they died and she chose Stefan. While she was on her way to see him, Matt Donovan (who was driving the car she was in), drove the car off a bridge to avoid colliding with Rebekah. As a result, Elena died and due to vampire blood in her system, she turned into a vampire.
For the majority of season 4, Elena was sired to Damon, compelled to follow his orders. When she turned off her emotions, Damon was unable to use their connection to get her to feel again, so he killed Matt in front of her, making her feel the grief was her friend. At the end of season four, unsired Elena chose Damon as the man she loved.
==Fandom & Fanon==
People began shipping Damon/Elena since the book series that inspired the TV Show. Delena is one of the shows most popular relationships.
It's worth pointing out that not all fans ship Damon and Elena. Before the pairing became canon, some fans (Stelena shippers among them) argued that since Elena said "no" to Damon on a number of occassions, she shouldn't be pressured into "giving him a chance."
A lot of Delena shippers also shipped Nian (Nina Dobrev/Ian Somerhalder) RPF pairing, especially when the actors were still together.
===Sire Bond===
When Elena became a vampire it was also revealed that she was sired to Damon. A lot of fans (Delena shippers being the majority) ignored the consent issues connected with that fact, instead, choosing to enjoy the ship and the characters as they were presented. The sire bond plays little to no role in fanworks.
However, some fans of the show saw the relationship that developed under the sire bond as non-con or dub-con at best.
==Archives & Communities==
* Damon/Elena at Archive of Our Own 
* Damon/Elena at Fanfiction.net
* Damon_Elena Official LJ community, over 3,000 members.
* Vampire Diaries @ FanForum Over 1,000 threads dedicated to Damon/Elena.
* Damon/Elena @ FanPop Over 4,000 fans.
* Temptation Damon/Elena fansite.
* Waiting On Delena Popular fan tumblr.
* DELENAfied Watch The Vampire Diaries with only references to Damon/Elena.
* TVD Recs An LJ community with Damon/Elena fanfic recs.
==Notable Fanworks==
===Influential Authors=== 
*BadBoysAreBest Best known for 'Memory Serves' and 'You Know I'm No Good'.
*Angel's Blue Eyed Girl Author of many (smutty) shipper favorites since Season One.
*Iamnotavampire2 Very clever and funny alternate universe stories.
*Mystewitch Novel length adventures of Damon/Elena.
*DomOx Smut.
*zeppoJane Smut.
===Influential Stories=== 
*The Darkest Side Of Me Dark Damon/Elena, extremely controversial.
*Care For A Sip? Damon tastes Elena's blood, set Post-2x05
*One Kiss - Season Two D/E rewrite.
*Rules of Attraction Stefan never moved to town.
*He's Easy Like That Fan favorite for 'Elena gets pregnant with Damon's baby' plot.
*Don't give up on my son, a dying man's wish AU/AH novel length story about Damon's father asking Elena for a favor.
*Come Back When You Can Short story about Elena's slaps.
*Inside Damon and Elena are buried alive.
===Vids===
* Lack Of Color by dominoesrising
*Bloodstream by taytay565
*Cut by HeathMichelleMatilda
* Love The Way You Lie by luvinbigbrother Over 700,000 views. Anti-Stelena, Pro-Delena. Tweeted by Julie Plec.
*Because I Love You by Kirwani90 Tweeted by Julie Plec.
*The Darkest Side Of Me by lucas13oth Video in reference to FanFiction above by the same name.
*Never Let Me Go by xxWhisperOfDreamsxx, over 1 700 000 views
===Fanart===
* I'm not Stefan by SPRSPRsDigitalArt
* you can not die by NLevaschuk, pencil drawing
* Damon and Elena by Maarel
* Time Still Exists by DavidDeb
* Forbidden love by DavidDeb
===Meta/Essays===
* '9 Crimes' Nine Arguments Against DE That Don't Make Sense
* The Damon and Elena Shipper's Manifesto by badboy_fangirl
==Resources==
* Fathomless Love by D-Chan Ship manifesto that regards the book series only.
* Elena and Damon page at The Vampire Diaries Wiki
==References==
Category:Het Pairings
Category:LJ Smith Category:Vampire Diaries Relationships