shining stars
STEFAN SALVATORE was the youngest son of Giuseppe Salvatore and the kid brother of Damon Salvatore. He was just a child when his mother died, and while his father wasn't absent he was neglectful, therefore Stefan was raised by his brother, Damon. They had a bond unlike no other; nothing could ever come between them.
They never argued or fought, understanding that they were human and humans made mistakes. Fighting wouldn't get them anywhere, and life was too short to waste away on trivial matters that would eventually resolve themselves. They saw how little time they had with their mother, and their father's current...status, and decided that they would be together forever, never succumbing to the allure of darkness (like their father before them).
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DAMON SALVATORE was the eldest son of Giuseppe Salvatore and responsible for the wellbeing and upbringing of Stefan Salvatore. He was just a boy when his mother died, and while his father wasn't absent, he was abusive and cruel. Damon never wanted Stefan to experience the said cruelty anymore than he was forced to watch it, therefore taking it upon himself to raise Stefan the right way — with love.
Damon's hope for freedom was crushed when he was forced to leave his brother, and by order of his father, fight in the war for the Confederates. This upset Damon beyond reason, as anyone who knew the boy could clearly see he hated the idea and practices that the small town of Virginia, Mystical Falls advocated for. That was why he raised Stefan as a proper young gentleman with kindness in his heart. But, alas, he had no choice and his hand was forced by his father, and he spent one last day of joy and laughter with his baby brother before taking his leave, each day he woke up never knowing if it was going to be his last or if he would be able to see his brother again.
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VALERIE TULLE was saved by Lily Salvatore, and she was very grateful for the woman's actions. Unfortunately, she was in love with the most abusive prick Valerie had ever met, Julian. Either way, Valerie had nowhere to go even if she was to leave, so she stayed for Lily's sake, believing she owed a debt to the woman. When Lily asked Valerie to go to Mystic Falls in order to check on her son before they left again, Valerie assumed the task would be a tedious waste of her time, but came to realize the truth of her feelings towards Stefan.
While sometimes she wished they had never gone back to the States and she had never met Stefan in order to keep her broken heart whole again, she could never truly mean it. Stefan was her epic love and she was his. Under the gaze of the shining stars, they made their vows and sealed it with a ring and a kiss, and would be together forevermore.