A Thousand Oceans Wide

It felt like the longest drive ever for one Tom Kaulitz when he made his way to the Free University of Berlin. He had just returned from a regional tour, and he had spent the past two days at Bill's because Heidi was having her graduating exams. Being thoughtful, Tom granted her the whole apartment to herself. Markus was with Maria, as usual, and Tom visited him before driving to the bustling city of Berlin.

Tom tapped on his steering wheel as he drove. The past two years had made him mature twice as fast as he would have if he had never met Heidi and Markus. The milestones he had marked made him reflect on his life so far, and his life to come. He was never ready for more, not until he spoke to Bill the night before.

The young man, who was four months shy of his much-anticipated twenty-first birthday, kept his eyes firmly on the road as he half-distractedly reached for his sweater pocket, feeling around for a little velvet box. He rubbed his thumb over it and took it out, staring at it. He sighed at how magical the diamond ring looked.

It shone brightly when he gazed at it, glistening like the stars did at night when he was lying on the sandy shores of the beautiful Ibiza with Heidi. The most special thing about it was picked out with the help of Simone. Tom had never seen the day coming that he would choose an engagement ring, let alone do it with his mother. As anyone would say, a mother knows best. Indeed, Tom knew it very well.

He smiled at the ring and covered the box back before keeping it in his pocket. Driving into the school compound, he picked out a parking lot near to the main office. It was safer, he thought, and it was always where he parked whenever he visited her. He had only came here twice, and this time, it would be the third. The next time, in a month or two, he would be here for her graduation. Four times in total.

Giving a shaky sigh, he took out his phone and called Heidi. He looked around as the phone rang, and he saw the crowd of students overwhelming the front steps of the school. It was peak period, it being lunchtime. Despite the gloomy examination period, there were smiling faces everywhere. He noticed a few others had their gaze casted at his car. Just then, the phone clicked.

“Hello,” Heidi said, almost unenthusiastically.

Tom smiled at her voice. It always managed to calm him down but for some reason or other, he was extremely tense. There could only be one explanation for this.

“Hey, babe,” he said, smiling through the phone as best as he can.

Heidi beamed. “Tom!” She exclaimed, putting her pen down straightaway. ”I didn't think it would be you.”

“Why not?” Tom laughed.

“I wasn't looking at the phone, silly. I was studying,” Heidi laughed, putting her pen in between her notebook and closing it. She rested her chin on her open palm, elbow on the table.

Tom scanned the outside before leaving his car, grazing his knuckles against the side of his black Cadillac Escalade as he locked it, making his way through the school. He decided to take the outside trail, seeing as he would need as much fresh air as he could use before he finally saw her.

“Fair enough,” Tom said. “Anyway, where are you?”

“Is that your car?” She asked, hearing that familiar beeping sound in the background of Tom's voice.

“Yes,” Tom said. He knew she was really smart, and so he told her the truth. “I'm here. I want to meet you. It’s your last paper today, right?”

Heidi straightened her back, eyes wide. She was in the middle of unwrapping a fruit bar when she stopped, just to respond. “Yes. Where are you? I thought you were in Magdeburg?”

“It isn't that far when you've got a car, right?” Tom chuckled lightly, masking his nervousness extremely well.

“I'm walking. I don't know where I am but I see lots of people. Well. I'm outdoor and walking past the main office inward.”

The young woman laughed, resting her hand on her stomach after taking a bite of the fruit bar. “Then you're going to reach me soon,” she said, pushing herself up as best as she can, her phone clipped in between her cheek and shoulder.

Heidi, flipped her long, blond curls lightly over her shoulder as soon as she got up. She excused herself from her friends and made her way to the railing that enabled her to oversee the university's garden square.

“Where?” Tom asked, looking around for a glimpse of his girlfriend.

“Somewhere,” Heidi teased, eating her fruit bar once more. She looked around and tried to spot him. “You should see this huge plot of garden, and walk right through it to the other side where there's this maroon architectural building? Yeah, I'm on the third floor.”

“The engineering block?” Tom asked, catching the words that was spelled distinctively across the building of similar description. “I'm right in the middle of that garden, if you can catch me.”

Tom continued walking, ignoring the few glares and stares he received every now and then. He was notoriously known in the Free University, and it made Heidi infamous. His reputation all over Germany and the world wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly good. He didn't care, and neither did she. All that mattered was that they were in love, and were willing to pull through.

Heidi stretched her gaze, looking out far beyond most common looking students of the university. Finally, she found her boyfriend. He was most interesting, being that prominently dressed, and she laughed at that thought.
“I found my prince charming,” she laughed warmly, waving at his direction. “Can you see me?”

Tom grinned when he did find her, and he waved back briefly. “Of course,” he said. “You're glittering, babe.”

“Please,” Heidi rolled her eyes, crossing an arm to latch on the other.

“And you're very big,” Tom said, albeit softly, into the phone. “Very easy to spot from afar.”

Heidi pursed her lips as she gazed at Tom, walking closer and closer with every step. “Sorry, you're attached to a fat lady,” she smirked, going down the stairs as carefully as she could, her hand holding the fruit bar sliding down the railing.

“Yes, and Jesus, please be careful!” Tom's concern jumped greatly as he watched her come down the giant spiral staircase. Heidi gave a nodding laugh.

Tom reached out a hand to hold his girl, the other gently on her stomach, and a foot adorned with a plain white Nike stepping on the first step of the staircase to hold them both steady. They shared a little grin as he helped her down.

The young couple smiled when they were at ground level. Mutually, they embraced each other with a hug and kiss simultaneously as soon as they hung up. They could feel eyes on the both of them, but they were very much used to it. What could a bunch of young adults do to them? This wasn't high school, so they felt safer, at the least.

Heidi smiled at him, “Hello.”

“Hello,” Tom answered sheepishly, rubbing her enlarged abdomen.

“How's Marki?” She asked.

Tom tilted his head side to side. “He's good,” he said. “My mother's waiting for him to go over, and I'm afraid we won't have him till the weekend.”

Heidi laughed. “That's three days!” She said.

“Sorry, I couldn't say no,” Tom said regrettably, half-smiling. Heidi shook her head and eyed him for a while before glancing around, looking for a rubbish bin to throw her unfinished snack bar in. Tom quickly caught on and took it from her.

“I'll just put it in here,” he smiled softly, folding down the opening of the wrapper and stuffing it into his pocket.

Heidi looked amused. “I don’t want to know what else you’ve got in there,” she winced teasingly, hands on his waist.

Tom raised his eyebrows at her, his confidence picking up slowly. “Really?” He said, pulling out his hand as soon as he exchanged the bar for the box.

Heidi stared down at his spread out palm, atop it being a midnight blue ring box. Tom didn’t hesitate to open it up as he dropped on one knee, looking up to gaze at the beautiful young woman he would love to call his fiancée.

“I’ve thought about it, babe,” Tom said, sighing, trying his best in recomposing the words he had earlier thought of. However, they were in a mess in his head, swimming around like victims of a shipwreck, making Tom decide to come up with an impromptu engagement speech. “I’ve thought about it all the past twenty-four hours.”

The blond girl inhaled shaky breaths, unable to make a sound as she gazed consecutively at the glittering engagement ring and Tom. Everyone around them stopped to stare. Those who didn’t know Tom Kaulitz looked on as well. How rare was a proposal in a university among young adults? It was definitely a scene to behold.

“Oh, my God,” Heidi eyed her darling boyfriend tenderly, awaiting his words to come.

Tom mustered the biggest smile he could offer as he watched her slowly tear up. She didn’t let them fall yet.
“There’s a reason I wanted you to keep this baby,” he said, placing a hand affectionately on her seven-month-old baby bump before taking her hand. “There’s a reason we even had it at all.”

Heidi nodded, wiping some tears away. Camera flashes came from all directions as people captured the magical moment.

“I know your mother hates me right now because of our little girl you’re holding safe in you. I know she thinks I’m going to give in someday. I know your father would have shot me down if he had a gun. I know, Heidi. But I also know that you believe in me. Each time, I ask you if you trusted me, and you always said you did. That’s what gets me through each day as this man in your life, this father to Markus, and this boyfriend to the sweetest girl there possibly is.”

“Just yesterday, I spoke to Bill. He now knows that there is finally someone that I can trust better than him, someone that I admire greatly. I told him how much I appreciated you, and he told me that I was the luckiest man alive. I slept on it, and this morning, I asked your father for your hand. He wasn’t keen, but he said that as long as you’re happy, he would be. We’ve been together for two years, baby. You know me like the back of your hands, and I know just what to say to make you smile. I have never wanted anything more than for you to wear this and look at me and tell me that one word that would make my life...”

Tom raised the ring box a little higher, wrapping Heidi’s hands in his grip. “Marry me, Heidi. It’s the only thing I want right now.”

There was utter silence as the crowd around the couple held their breaths. Each of them had their eyes fixed on Heidi, watching as her blue eyes shimmered like a flowing river.

She gave several small nods. “Yes!” She squeaked in reply before being engulfed by Tom in a warm embrace. Cameras flashed from every direction, but Tom didn’t mind. He was too happy to care, and he was proud of this moment, and he was willing to show off.

Tom laughed nervously, blushing and pulling back to take the ring out of the box. “I love you, Heidi.”

He slipped the diamond encrusted ring gently onto Heidi’s ring finger and it was a perfect fit, just like his mother had suggested.

“I love you, too,” the young woman laughed through tears of joy.

Tom gave the widest grin he had ever given, pulling his fiancée in for another hug with a hand cupping Heidi’s belly, not leaving the littlest unborn Kaulitz out of the celebration.

* * *

Tom shook his leg, fidgeting as usual, much to Gustav’s annoyance.

The interviewer flipped through his question cards as Bill gazed intently at her.

“Ready,” the woman started. The camera rolled.

The band maintained their composure, knowing how much Tom would be tackled since it was the first interview since that very special event two weeks ago.

“So,” the female interviewer started, “Tom, we’ve got no pictures yet, but we’ve heard you’ve just received a new member into your family. Is that true?”

Bill smiled, eyeing his twin brother as he waited for his response.

“Yes, that is true,” Tom nodded, smiling.

The interviewer beamed. “How are mother and child doing? And what is the name?”

Tom hesitated for a while, but figured that it wouldn’t hurt. He would love to share it with the world. “Nikole,” he said. “The both of them are fine, and are already home.”

“She’s beautiful,” Bill gushed, unable to keep quiet for more than a minute. He reddened a bit when Tom glanced over at him with a smile.

The woman laughed. “I’m sure she is, whichever parent she follows after. So, how was it like? Were you in the delivery room with your fiancée?”

“This time, I was,” Tom laughed, and so did everyone else. “So yes, I was with her every step of the way.”

“Up till the diaper-changing?”

Tom smirked. “That’s very necessary.”

Bill snorted, and Georg laughed aside. Gustav simply smiled.

“How was it like to hold your own child?”

“I’ve did once, with my son, but he was already three when I met him, so…”

“What about the baby?”

Nodding, Tom responded, “She smells very delicate, like nothing I’ve ever smelled. Felt very small and fragile, too.”

“That’s why Tom’s very, very careful with her,” Bill chirped, rocking on his chair excitedly. “Extremely careful.”

“You should see the look on Tom’s face when he holds her. It’s like he’s constipating,” Georg said.

Tom glared at Georg with a slight smirk.

“That’s the look of concentration,” Gustav corrected Georg.

“Yes. He’s very serious when he’s around the children,” Bill nodded. “It’s priceless!”

“Getting engaged, having children, cutting down on smoking; you’re sounding more and more mature, Tom, if we will compare today’s interview with the past ones you did with us,” the lady said.

“Have you done so? If yes, I’d love to see it,” Tom joked.

Bill added, “You wouldn’t.”

The interview received a few notes from the crewman on the side. “It says here, to the question, ‘Have you been in love so far?’ You answered, ‘No, I haven't been in love, yet. To be honest, I don't believe in love. Except for love for one night.’”

Everyone kept quiet, and Georg was closing his eyes while Gustav faced down, hiding his face. Bill broke into a huge grin and looked at Tom for an answer.

Tom rubbed his blushing face, stretching his body a bit as he let out a long groan, laughing it off at the end. “Did I ever say that? That wasn’t me.”

“Yeah, right,” Georg chuckled.

Gustav smiled, “You need to show him the video.”

Bill gave a soft giggle. “He needs to see to believe.”

The interviewer laughed. “You don’t believe in love. That was two years ago. Do you believe in love now?”

“Evidently, yes,” Tom answered.

“Why?”

“Because this is Father Tom speaking,” he smirked.

“Father Tom?” The woman asked.

Bill snorted, “Father Tom?” He looked at his twin brother. The other two young men in the band looked at him, amused.

“Father Tom, full of morals,” Tom nodded sheepishly, crossing his arms and leaning back into the chair.

“The older, more mature Tom Kaulitz?”

Tom nodded, “Correct.”

“Father Tom,” the lady smiled. “And there is another question, ‘Who will be the first to get married?’ Bill said you would be the first, with four children. Two down, two to go. Correct?”

Tom’s eyebrows rose. “I’ll have to dedicate all my time to my family by then, and quit the band,” he joked.

Bill chuckled. “I think he’s serious.”

“He can be, if it’s about his girlfriend,” Gustav added, his eyes casted blankly past the interviewer with a small smile on his face.

“If he quits, we all quit,” Georg said.

Everyone gave a little ‘aww’ sound, and Georg shrugged with a simple smile.

“Is it true?” The woman asked.

Tom shrugged. “Right now, it’s family first for me. I don’t want to miss out on the growing stages. Music is still important, but it can be made anywhere, so we’re having a full studio built in my apartment come next month.”

“You have to soundproof your walls,” the lady pursed her lips.

“And put a little soundproof cot in the corner to watch daddy play the guitar,” Bill smiled.

“And to watch uncle sing,” Tom mocked in return.

Bill winced, crossing his arms. “I’m not even twenty-one yet!”

“They have soundproof cots?” Georg asked randomly, pondering on that term since a few seconds ago. Everyone laughed at him, pushing his head.

The interviewer grinned. “So, it’s Markus and Nikole?”

“Yes,” Tom gave a nod with a little smile, entirely humbled.

“Wonderful, Tom. A big congratulations from the crew here as well,” the interviewer smiled laughingly.

Tom gave a silent smile, wide and tight-lipped. He interlaced his fingers and gave slow little blinks, feeling entirely sheepish about the topic that was the rest of his life.