[that isn't fair, and bringing up Katherine is enough of deflection for him to groan and make a sour face]

No, they weren't her. They were both you, and I don't even know how to explain it without sounding crazy.

[and that's a lot, coming from him. But it was crazy, and thinking about it only served to make his head pound. How was it possible? Just what the hell was this city doing? And so on, and so forth.

But he gives into one temptation, and he leans over so he can rest his forehead against hers. This is an Elena that knows him, who missed him so much it brought her to tears - he gets caught up on that thought, but he'd let it slide. For now]

One of them didn't even know who I was. Can you believe it? An Elena Gilbert without a me in her life - what a depressing thought.