Late Evening
The air outside the city was still and crisp, like the world had finally hit pause. The private countryside estate - rented for the weekend by both bands' managers - was surrounded by acres of quiet hills, a warm bonfire crackling outside, and no paparazzi in sight.
Inside, music echoed through the house: throwbacks from the early 2000s, German punk anthems, and some cheesy Disney songs someone (cough Bill cough) snuck into the playlist.
Phantom Youth and Tokio Hotel gathered around the long wooden table in the main room, candles flickering between soda bottles, half-eaten pizza, and a pile of chocolate from a local bakery.
Gustav and Georg were locked in a video game battle. Bill was teaching Nina how to pose for magazine covers. Isadora sat cross-legged on the couch, resting her hand instinctively on her barely-showing bump as Tom handed her a blanket.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
She nodded, offering a sleepy smile. "I'm more than okay."
A Toast
Their manager, arms crossed and smiling warmly, clinked a spoon against a glass. "Alright. Everyone shut up for a second."
The room quieted, attention drifting toward him.
"I just want to say... you've all been through hell. And not only did you survive it, you showed the world how to stay true - to each other, and to yourselves."
Everyone raised their drinks - soda, juice, or water. No alcohol tonight.
"To Phantom Youth. To Tokio Hotel. And to the loudest, messiest, most stubborn family in the world."
Laughter exploded around the room as the toast echoed:
"To us!"
Later That Night
The bonfire outside crackled as Isadora and Tom wandered away from the group for some air. She leaned into him, wrapped in her oversized flannel and his arm.
"You're really good at this whole 'future dad' thing," she whispered.
He laughed. "I'm just winging it."
They stood in silence, looking up at the sky - stars scattered across black velvet.
"I still can't believe all this," she said.
Tom turned to her. "Believe it. It's real. We're real."
He kissed her gently, forehead to forehead.
"I love you, Isadora."
She smiled. "I love you too, Tom."
Meanwhile...
Back inside, Nina was showing everyone the latest baby name ideas. Bill was vetoing anything "too normal." Georg voted for "Jäger." Gustav wrote down "Chaos" just to mess with Tom.
Everyone was arguing, laughing, living.
And for the first time in weeks - everything felt okay again.
YOU ARE READING
"Strings Between Us
Romance2004. Germany. Tom Kaulitz is used to getting what he wants - the stage, the crowd, the girls. As Tokio Hotel begins to rise, so does his ego... until she shows up. She's the Brazilian guitarist in a rival band - quiet, sharp-tongued, and completely...
