Sheesh, Jer, how much more proof do you need that the guy loves you? Seriously though, it’s all well and good to say that Damon only cares about Elena’s happiness and that’s why he’s protecting Jeremy – and the mark. But nobody can pretend there is anything selfish about it anymore. He laid down his life. Three times. First with Kol, who for all he knew wouldn’t have been smart enough to compel him and would simply have offed him to get him out of the way. Let’s face it, it’s Kol. He wanted to kill Matt for shits and giggles. 

Damon thwarted him in this. He would not have been terribly interested in sparing Damon’s life if he hadn’t realized that it suited his cause, and even when he did realize it suited his cause, he was pretty much signing Damon’s death sentence. 

People don’t usually survive the hunter’s curse, after all.
And you know, that hunter’s curse business just makes it even clearer that Damon cares about Jeremy. As Kol said, he was not willing to kill Jeremy then and there, because he would have been afflicted with the curse. But you know what? Ffor Damon, the idea of Jeremy having his arms ripped off was worth putting his own much more vulnerable life on the line.
WHAT’S THAT JER? STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH?
 
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