Stefan wanted Elena to believe that everything was going to be okay. He wanted her to feel safe, protected, and loved, just like she deserved. It didn't make sense to him, to turn off his humanity and continue on with being Klaus' slave when the girl he loved was right here, practically begging him to come back to her. He just wanted it to go back to the way it was, and for the moment, he was willing to believe that it could go back, that they could fight Klaus and save their relationship. He wanted nothing more.
"God, I missed you too," he said into her hair, breathing fast, still holding her and not wanting to let her go. When she pulled back, he took the time to look over her face, the familiar features he hadn't seen in what felt like forever. He cupped her cheek and thumbed over the bone, just underneath her eye. "I love you too," he said without hesitation.
He kissed her back thoughtlessly, not questioning anything, not worrying about Klaus or anyone else but the girl in his arms. It'd just been so long, and here they were standing in the sand with the darkness surrounding them, nothing here but the whisper of the wind and the soft sway of the trees. It was beautiful, it was perfect, and he wasn't going to ruin it. Not again.