King and Lionheart

Tony was a handsome boy with long, layered, raven-black hair and chocolate brown eyes. His skin was as tan as ripened wheat, which contrasted against his stunning white smile and blackened ink. His dark appearance gave him a mysterious presence which warded off people like a repellent. However, when he spoke, his voice gave off comforting vibes and created a warm glow around him. He spoke of magical things, like fairies flying in the soft breeze or witches’ silhouettes against the white curve of the moon. Every moment with him was an adventure, a quest to cure boredom and daily routines and as each day passed, I craved more and more of his company.
Every day that I spent without him was like an alcoholic going through withdrawal, but somehow I managed not to go running to his house whenever I had the urge to be around his charming self.
Before I go any further, I must ask you this: how can you understand how much he means to me without telling you our fantasy fairytale?
The day we met was a warm spring day in the middle of May. The heat was breathing down our necks as my best friend Alicia and I walked down the street to the town’s small mall. The shocking cold felt like Heaven as we walked through the doors, breathing in the smell of tangy perfumes and leather shoes that defined Macy’s. Bored within minutes, we left the department store and made our way to our favorite store at the time: the gothic Hot Topic. Inside, it was dark and loud heavy metal music blared from the surrounding speakers. Walking over to inspect a aisle filled with chokers, chains, and other various jewelry, I felt someone clap a hand on my shoulder and cheerfully shout my name.
I turned around and recognized the face of an old childhood friend, Chris. He was a tall lanky boy with short brown hair and a medusa piercing. He smiled a genuine smile and pulled me into a hug. Happily, I hugged him back and called Alicia over. Grinning, she opened her arms and welcomed him in a tight squeeze.
“What are you girls doing here?” he asked and looked over his shoulder as though something was missing.
“We just got bored and walked over here.” Alicia said, tucking a long, brown strand of hair behind her ear. Her honey brown eyes danced in the light as she looked Chris up and down.
Chris again looked over his shoulder and seemed to catch sight of something. Timidly appearing from behind a shelf, a tall boy wearing black skinny jeans and a tanktop walked over to the group, keeping his eyes on the ground.
“This is Tony.” Chris said, pulling him further into the group.
As he shyly looked up between his long, choppy bangs, I saw the most innocent yet daring eyes staring back into mine, making me shiver all over. Oh, the feelings he would give me with just a glance will never fail to fascinate me.
In that moment, however, I felt a pulling feeling in my heart. I didn’t recognize it at that time, but as I look back I do realize what that feeling was. The shivers he gave me, all the leaps my heart did, and the flips my stomach would do with just a single thought of him revealed the most sincere and heart-wrenching feeling I would ever experience.
That feeling was love.