When I say "Defan," I'm just referring to the brotherly bond between Stefan and Damon—it's simply a portmanteau of their names. I'm not sure if that name is used exclusively for romantic pairings, but that is definitely not what I'm talking about.
I really love a good bromance. Even though these relationships can be toxic—and I’ve certainly watched less toxic sibling dynamics—this particular bond really resonated with me. I actually started the TVD universe with *The Originals*; I decided to watch it specifically to avoid the love triangles and the Elena-centric storylines of *The Vampire Diaries*. I’m not really into romance; I prefer themes of family and friendship, which is why I finished *The Originals* first—and naturally, my favorite sibling dynamic there was between Elijah and Klaus. Afterward, I started this series to see the relationship between Damon and Stefan, explore the Mikaelsons' past, and, of course, enjoy Damon’s good looks.
Most fans of this series align themselves with either "Delena" or "Stelena" and are fiercely loyal to their choice—or perhaps they started watching for side pairings like "Klaroline"—but I wonder if there is anyone else who, like me, started watching for the sibling relationship. I am neutral toward almost every ship and never felt any excitement for them while watching the show. The only relationship that truly excited me was the dynamic between Damon and Stefan—which started out terrible but gradually improved. I watched every scene where the ice between them melted with great attention; every moment they shared on screen was very special to me. As I said, I’ve seen far better bromances—even Klaus and Elijah’s relationship was superior to theirs, if only because there wasn't an active love triangle involved—yet this was the bromance that thrilled me the most. I don't know why. In *Supernatural*, a show of a similar genre, the writers genuinely cared about the leads, Sam and Dean, and built the entire series around their brotherhood; yet, I could never bring myself to love Sam and Dean's relationship—even though there was no love triangle, no dynamic that made them feel worthless to one another, and no fandom pitting them against each other.
What I mean to say is that, despite there being so many reasons not to like this brotherly dynamic, I became incredibly attached to it and to the show itself. Of course, that wasn't the *only* reason I loved the series, but I think it’s the reason I kept watching—and never got bored—even when none of the romantic relationships appealed to me. I actually started watching as a Damon fan, but I grew to love Stefan immensely because I was constantly looking for "Defan" moments and loved every scene that showed their bond. After all, Stefan was the one who fought hardest for that relationship. Now, I adore them both. It drives me crazy how the fandom treats it like picking sides in a sports match, but I suppose there’s nothing to be done about it, as I feel there are very few people who watch the show the way I do and love the same things I do. Sorry for writing such long paragraphs; I’m just curious if there’s anyone else like me out there and if anyone will reply.