Young love, true love: could a teen romance actually be the real thing? For these pairs, the search for a lasting bond led them back to their first crushes.(REAL-LIFE READS)

* Most people write off high school relationships as puppy love--and often, that's what they are. But in some cases, the intense feelings young couples have for each other aren't just raging hormones. Take it from these duos, who realized years later that they'd met their perfect matches at a very tender age.

Jennifer, 30, and Matt, 30, Philadelphia

Matt: "I was 14 when I first saw Jen at summer camp. She was gorgeous and totally out of my league, but I got up the nerve to talk to her anyway. And whatever I said must have impressed her, because pretty soon, we were making out behind her cabin while AC/DC played in the background. By the end of that summer, I was in love.

"We lived in different parts of Texas, so we dated long distance for two years. But then right before her senior year, Jen wrote me saying, 'I want my freedom.' I was crushed. Over the next nine years, we talked every few months. I dated other women, but nothing came close to the connection we had shared.

"Then in 2001, Jen returned to her hometown of Austin--where I was living and working as a radio deejay--for Thanksgiving and called me. Turns out, we were both single. The next weekend, we met for dinner with friends, and when I saw her, I knew I was still in love. I drank a lot to ease my nerves, and when we had a moment alone, I kissed her. Luckily, she kissed me back.

"The next week, Jen went back to grad school in Philadelphia, where she was studying to become a landscape architect. We talked on the phone daily and saw each other over Christmas. Then in March, we took a trip to Puerto Rico and got back together.

"A year and a half ago, I moved to Philadelphia to be with Jen, and six months later--or 15 years since our first kiss--I proposed. We were at our favorite restaurant, and as soon as the waitress dropped off the menus, I blurted out "Will you marry me?' Jen started crying and nodding yes. We got married in May 2005, and it's incredible to know that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with the only person I've ever truly loved."