Another Room Behind the Windows

[IBNI]

Fascinating title, isn't it? Sequel time! :)

------

Tom glanced up at the unfamiliar sound of water running, following the sound to its source at one of the many windows dotting the walls of the room. This one was foggy, the view behind it clouded over and hazy. Instinctively he swiped his hand across the surface, trying to clear it, but to no avail. "That's weird," he mumbled to himself, balling up the hem of his shirt and wiping at the window with the fabric. That's when he noticed the blurry figure moving on the other side of the glass.

Leaning in closer to the window, Tom cocked his head in confusion as the flesh-toned blur swayed in and out of his line of sight. He tried to follow it as it ducked out of sight again, returning suddenly and wiping away the condensation on the glass between them, revealing a scrawny brown eyed boy with a huge white towel wrapped around his head.

"Gah!" Tom exclaimed, jerking back from the window, startled by the sudden appearance. "Who the **** are you?"

On the other side of the glass, the other boy ignored him, rubbing his eyes and picking at a small blemish just forming on his chin.

"Hello? I am kinda talking to you, you know," Tom said, stepping back up to the window and waving his hands in front of the brunette's face. "What kind of oblivious...oh god, don't do that, I'm right here!" Tom wrinkled his nose as the other boy unwound a length of floss and set to work on his teeth. "Hey, come on now, knock it off," Tom said, tapping on the glass.

Bill blinked, pausing in his task, mouth still agape, and glanced around for the source of the noise. Freeing the floss from between his teeth, he quickly spit into the sink before speaking. "Hello?" he asked softly.

"About time. So, who're you?" Tom asked again, crossing his arms across his chest.

Bill blinked again, shrugged, and returned to his dental hygiene.

Tom sighed. "Fine, just be that way then. I have plenty of other windows to watch," Tom said disdainfully, making to walk away. He'd only taken three steps before glancing back over his shoulder to see if he was getting any reaction.

Bill merely gargled.

Raising an eyebrow, Tom stalked back to the edge of the window, waiting a few moments in silence, then leaping back in front of it. "Rawr!"

Nothing.

"You can't see me!" Tom exclaimed, waving his hands wildly in front of Bill to no avail. "You're funny looking and have weird teeth," he declared loudly, watching for any response from the other side. "And you can't hear me either. Or...." Thoughtfully he reached out and tapped on the glass again.

This time Bill jumped, looking around to see if something had fallen.

In the room behind the windows, Tom whooped happily.

"Hello?" Bill asked again, louder this time.

Quickly, Tom knocked against the glass.

Bill flung his attention to the mirror, eyes wide. "Is...something there?" he asked, leaning in and resting his fingertips against the softly damp surface. Tom knocked again and Bill yanked his hand away with a squeak, almost sure he had felt the glass move, just a little. In a flash he had his clothing gathered off the floor and was out of the bathroom, convinced something had just watched him bathe.

Behind the window, Tom sighed. This was going to take awhile.

[drummergirl24]

Oh man...I love this story!
I just read the first part and I didn't even know you were going to write more! That was a really pleasant surprise!
Excellent job! Keep going!

[Dreaminginthestars]

Hooray! A sequel! I'm so eager to read more. You're such an awesome writer. I wonder how this one will turn out.

Always waiting for more,
+ Amy +

[Bill Kaulitz=Love]

Aww, poor Billy was spied on while flossing :D. Great story. Write more soon!

[LipsOfAnAngel]

haha bill flossing!! mehr bitte!

[steevie!]

Holy cheese >.<
I love your stories :D

[amandaaraujo]

ahah that was funny om g so tom got stuck there oh boy well are they going to meet or is it going to be on and off thing oh well but i love it anyway its totally awesome i love the way you write because its new hihih pleae update soon i need to know what happens to them :::::!!!

[IBNI]

Oh man...I love this story!
I just read the first part and I didn't even know you were going to write more! That was a really pleasant surprise!
Excellent job! Keep going!

There's always more. My brain is a limitless resource of story things. Usually. ;)


Hooray! A sequel! I'm so eager to read more. You're such an awesome writer. I wonder how this one will turn out.

Always waiting for more,
+ Amy +

Thank you!

Keep reading and we'll see. :D


Aww, poor Billy was spied on while flossing :D. Great story. Write more soon!

More now!


ahah that was funny om g so tom got stuck there oh boy well are they going to meet or is it going to be on and off thing

Guess you'll find out in the end, eh? :D

[IBNI]

It took the better part of a month of Tom constantly following Bill around the house, knocking on every window that he passed, to finally get Bill to stop trying to convince himself that he was just hearing the usual noises of an old house. The third day that he came home from school only to have to entry way window tap out the tune of a favourite song at him was the final straw. Annoyed, Bill dropped his backpack on the floor and stalked up to his room, the place where the knocking always seemed the most persistent.

"Fine, I get it. What do you want?" Bill asked into the mirror, hands on his hips.

This was an eventuality Tom had not taken into consideration. He could knock on the windows all day, tapping out tunes and random beats, but he had never come up with a way that he would actually communicate with the brunette on the other side if he finally got his attention. Temporarily dumbstruck by this realization, he stood silent, hand poised and ready in front of the glass.

"Oh, so now you have nothing to say? All day long I have these stupid mirrors making noise at me, and when I finally get sick of it and try to find out why, you can't be arsed to talk back. Well, how about you think about things and shut up for a little while? I'm going to go get my homework, and when you have an idea, I guess you know how to let me know," Bill retorted cattily, knocking on the mirror's surface twice before ducking out of the room again.

Behind the glass, Tom frowned, sitting on the floor by the window to think for a minute. "Even if I come up with a plan, there's no way I can explain it to him so he understands," he mumbled to himself, watching Bill walk back into the room and fling himself and his books onto the bed.

The pair sat in silence on their respective sides of the glass for quite a while, Tom fidgeting with his thick, rope-like hair, and Bill scratching away on his homework. Every idea that flickered through Tom's head required Bill to already know what it was in advance. "Well, this sucks," Tom said, feeling entirely defeated as he rolled over onto his back, staring up at the white ceiling of the room.

"Hey," Bill said, sitting on the floor in front of his mirror and giving the glass a tap. "So, I figured that you weren't going to be able to come up with something, since you're more than likely non-corporeal and probably just noise, so I came up with something myself." Ripping a page out of his notebook, Bill held it up in front of the mirror. "Knock once if you can read this."

Sitting back up, Tom looked the paper over, the words 'Morse Code' printed neatly across the top, followed by a legend of letters, dots, and dashes. "Well now, isn't someone clever," Tom grinned, knocking once on the glass.

Bill grinned brightly and set about taping the paper to the glass. "I'm not completely sure how we're going to do the dots and dashes; a knock is pretty much just a knock, but I was thinking that, maybe, you could just knock harder for the dashes. Do you want to give this a try?"

Tom knocked again.

"Cool," Bill said, grinning again and pulling his notebook up into his lap. "Go slow, alright? I don't have this memorized, so I'm still going to have to look up each letter." Grabbing a pencil, he poised it over the paper. "First question, what's your name?"

Tom looked over the paper on the far side of the glass, finding the letters he needed and rapping them out slowly so Bill could write them down.

"'Tom'. Well then, it's nice to meet you, Tom," Bill said, smiling at his reflection. "I'm Bill."

"Nice to meet you, too, Bill," Tom knocked in reply, smiling at his first friend.

[steevie!]

ohmehcheese!!
-happydance-

[Dreaminginthestars]

Yay. They have made a breakthrough! I love this story. It's so...I can barely find the words to describe it. Thank you so much for the sequel!

Much love,
+ Amy +

[tokiohotel26]

yay they can communicate now
i love this sequel already
plus i love the first one 2!!!

[tears.dont.fall]

...wow...speechless...

[amandaaraujo]

ooh aw that was awesome Bill is smart i like that hahah omg this is sucha good story i can't wait untill they meet :D this story is so addictive i can"t imagine this story ending :) but it has to but i hope not to soon.

[jackjackio]

Ohhh yes yes yes.
This just made my night.
Can I be mean and say "GO BILL for being the smart one!"? ;]

I love it!
More please!

[Bill Kaulitz=Love]

Yes! They meet! Clever Bill, they can finally communicate. Write more!

[IBNI]

:D

-------

Tom fidgeted, trying his best to focus his attention on the movie that Bill had made a point to accidentally leave on for him, but his attention kept drifting off towards Bill's window. This wasn't the first time Bill had invited his friend over, and, grudgingly, Tom almost accepted that it wouldn't be the last. It was, however, the first time that Bill had gone out of his way to awkwardly suggest that Tom might want to spend his time around a different window, at least for a little while.

The whole situation made Tom feel a little shunned, and more than a little curious as to what Bill was so interested in hiding from him. Giving the movie a last cursory glance, Tom edged his way slowly closer and closer towards Bill's window, reminding himself that he was only going to take a quick peek to satisfy his curiosity. The sounds coming from the window alone were enough to make him wonder.

"God your hands are cold," Bill said, a smile in his voice even though Tom couldn't see his face yet.

Tom raised an eyebrow, pausing in his crawl for a moment. "Why would you know that?" he asked aloud, leaning forward on his hands and peering out into the other room, only to pull himself backwards an instant later. "Oh."

"I thought you liked my cold hands," Amanda replied, resting one of them flat against Bill's hip, making him squeak softly.

"Not when I'm not expecting it!"

"So this is what you do when you think I'm not around, eh?" Tom asked, crossing his arms in front of the glass. Smirking to himself, he reached out, quickly tapping out 'hi'.

On the bed, Bill jumped, practically shoving Amanda onto the floor in his haste to get the blonde off of him.

"Hey, what the ****?" Amanda asked, pulling herself back from the precarious edge. "Did I pinch you or something?"

Bill glanced between Amanda and the mirror. "Um...no, no. I just thought I heard something and it startled me, is all," he replied lamely.

"Well, alright, then," Amanda replied slowly, casting the mirror a sidewise glance of her own before leaning over Bill again. "So, where were we?"

"I don't...um..." Bill floundered, wriggling away with another glance towards the mirror.

On the other side of the window, Tom laughed softly. This was far more entertaining than the movie had been.

Amanda sighed. "What is with you lately? Every time I come over anymore you keep acting so weird and distant," she paused, sitting back on her heels. "Is there someone else?"

"Yes," Tom knocked.

"No," Bill said, flashing another glance at the mirror.

"And what is your freaking obsession with this **** mirror lately?" Amanda asked, stalking over to it. "You're beautiful, but come on. You've been staring at this thing the whole time I've been up here," she said, tapping the surface. "Are you that self conscious or what?"

Bill stood, fidgeting more and more uncomfortably the closer Amanda got to his mirror. "It's not that. It's hard to explain. Just...come back over here and leave it alone," he said, putting on a grin and trying to wave the girl back over.

"Jesus, Bill, it's just a shiny pane of glass!" Amanda exclaimed incredulously, banging against the mirror and making Bill wince. "You act like this stupid mirror is more important to you than I am."

"It is," Bill said in a faint whisper, his hands wringing together.

Amanda's eyes flashed angrily. "It's glass," she spit, flinging an elbow backwards, sending the mirror crashing to the floor in thousands of glittering pieces. In the room behind the windows, Tom barely had time to jump back before his window shattered before him. For a moment Amanda and Bill just stared at each other, and, slowly, the realization of her actions crept over her face. "Oh, crap, Bill," Amanda said, looking at the fragmented mess shining up at her from the carpet. "I didn't mean to...."

"Get out," Bill gritted, his knuckles white.

"I'll get you another, just like this one."

"Get. Out!" Bill shrieked. "Get out of my room! Get out of my house! Get out get out get out!"

Amanda didn't wait for another request, quickly ducking out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Bill stood stock still and silent, listening until he heard the front door close before flinging himself at the pile of useless glitter decorating his floor. "Tom? Tom?! Are you okay? Are you still there?" he asked, scraping through the pieces for any sign from Tom and ignoring the pinpricks of pain as the sharp edges bit into his fingertips. "Tom?"

Behind the windows, Tom could barely hear Bill at the hallway window, his voice muffled through his bedroom door. Responding in kind to the slightly frantic edge creeping into Bill's voice, Tom knocked just as frantically on the window, hoping to get his attention.

Bill blinked, barely hearing the staccato of knocking from the hallway, but knowing just what it was as soon as he did. Shoving himself away from the mass of broken glass, he flung open his bedroom door and in front of the hallway mirror. "Are you okay?" he asked, eyes wide and fearful.

"Fine," Tom knocked. "I didn't mean to start trouble."

"Oh Tom," Bill said with a relieved smile. "It was brewing up long before now. I guess it all just needed a final spark."

"Still," Tom replied. "My window broke."

"It broke on your side, too?"

"Yeah."

"That's weird," Bill said, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Bill, honey, why did Amanda just storm out of...oh god, kiddo, you're bleeding!" Bill's mother said, finishing her trip up the steps twice as quickly. "What happened?"

"Huh?" Bill asked as his mother flipped his hands over, the little wounds on his fingertips seeping softly. "Amanda broke my mirror. I went to...clean it up, and I guess I nicked myself. It's no big deal, I can take care of it."

His mother frowned. "Alright. Go get yourself cleaned up, and I'll go vacuum that glass up for you. You really need to be more careful."

"I know, sorry mom," Bill said, hanging his head for a moment before rushing off to the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Tom knocked once he caught up to Bill again.

"Yeah, it's nothing too bad. Nothing a few bandages won't fix," he said, wiggling his neon bandage-covered fingers at the glass. "Sucks, though. I'm going to have to find a new mirror for my room soon. It's going to be weird not having you in there tonight." Tenderly he touched his fingertips to the mirror's surface. "Why can't you be on this side?" Bill whispered, almost to himself.

On the other side, Tom pressed his fingers against Bill's, allowing himself to pretend to have the contact for a moment.

[steevie!]

The way you right is amazing, just so you know.
It's pretty captivating, if I do say so myself.

Continue please ^_^

[Dreaminginthestars]

Aww. I <3 this chapter. That's all I need to say.

Waiting patiently,
+ Amy +

[jackjackio]

Aw.
I love it.
I love it more than a little bit.
I a lot love it.
Please update ASAP, I check this all the time. :]

[Bill Kaulitz=Love]

Aww, cute! Will you explain why Bill and Tom can't exist in the world at the same time, and the history of the whole mirror thing? Or is it just a secret that will never be known to us?

[amandaaraujo]

wow thaty was amazing and touching at the same time i love the way you wright its something really new and if you ever publish it i would totally buy it this story is so i dont even know how to describe it its just so breath taking it leavs you speechless i would really like to know what happeneds next update as soon as you can because i dont think i can last a day without reading what happends next in this FF please update this quickly...I liked the part where Tom sees what amanda and Bill were doing it was funny but then when she broke the mirror i was like oh no Tom Tom you ok. ihihihi plese update soon i really like this story :) :D :) :D

[LipsOfAnAngel]

wow. love how they can talk to each other. mehr bitte!

[IBNI]

Tom leaned against the edge of the window, watching as the darkened dining room slowly lit up with flickering candle light. "Happy birthday, dear Billy-Bear," the woman sang, laying the glowing cake on the table carefully in front of the birthday boy, who was rolling his eyes a little.

"Mom," he whined at the nickname, grinning behind his feigned annoyance.

"Happy birthday, dear Billy-Bear!" she repeated, louder this time, wrapping him in a hug. "Happy birthday to you! Now, blow out your candles before they melt everywhere. Don't forget to make a wish."

Bill closed his eyes, his brows furrowing for a moment in thought, then smiled and leaned forward, blowing out every last candle with one big blow.

"So, what did you wish for?" the older man next to him asked, helping to pull the silver and white candles out of the top of the cake.

Bill's mom swatted him softly on the arm. "You know he can't tell you. It won't come true if he tells you," she said, ruffling her son's hair as she walked past to get plates.

The man shook his head, staying silent until she was well out of the room. "What did you wish for?" he asked in a whisper.

Bill shook his head. "I can't tell you. If I do, it won't come true," he replied plainly, smiling up at himself in the mirror hanging on the wall across the table. On the other side, Tom smiled back. "I think it was a good wish, though."

***

"What did you wish for?" Tom knocked against the glass, using the quicker form of Morse Code he and Bill had worked out over the last year.

Bill rolled his eyes, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the mirror in his room. "I can't tell you," he replied aloud. "It won't come true if I do."

"Hint?" Tom knocked, raising an eyebrow.

Bill knocked twice, the familiar knocking for no, and shook his head.

Behind him the bedroom door opened, his mother poking her head inside. "Preening in front of that mirror again, sweetie?" she asked with a smile. "Come on, birthday boy, it's time for bed."

"I don't even get to stay up late on my birthday?" he asked, pretending to be bewildered by the very idea.

"Not when it's a school night. I want these lights out in twenty minutes, okay?"

"Alright, mom," Bill replied simply, watching her until the door was closed again, and sighing softly. "I can't wait for winter break," he sighed.

"Why?" Tom asked back.

"Because I'm going to dad's, and cause there's no set bed-times," Bill replied.

Tom frowned a little. "No me."

Bill frowned in return. "It's only for a month. I'll be back before you even get a chance to notice. Besides, you know that I wouldn't leave forever. I'd figure out a way to bring you with me first," he said with a grin, letting his fingers rest idly on the surface of the glass.

"I know," Tom replied, resting his fingers against Bill's the best he could. "Gonna be dull."

"You'll find something to do with your time. Don't worry, I have faith in you. After all, you had to have done something in all that time that you were hiding in there before we started talking. I can't imagine you spent all your time spying on us. We're not that interesting," Bill said, giving his mirror reflection a grin.

"No, but the showers..." Tom replied, tapping out a slow, thoughtful ellipsis with his own grin.

"Ew, Tom!" Bill said, swatting the mirror and recoiling with a nose wrinkle. "You're talking about my mom!"

"Or dad."

"Ew, Tom!" Bill exclaimed, wrinkling his nose at the mirror.

"Bill, honey, off the phone! It's time for bed!" his mother called up the steps.

Bill sighed. "Alright, mom! Goodnight!" he called back. "I guess we'll have to wait until the warden is out tomorrow if we want to finish this conversation," he said, wandering over to turn off the lights. In the darkness Tom heard the familiar rustle of Bill changing into his pajamas, and waited for the sound of the sheets shifting as Bill climbed into bed. He jumped as Bill's voice came to him again, close and low. "Goodnight."

Tom smiled at Bill's sentiments, reaching out to tap a reply. "Night." Contented, he curled up against the smooth glass of his window, and drifted off to sleep.

[Dreaminginthestars]

Aw. Billy-bear! Spectacular chapter. They have grown so close, like brothers! :D

+ Amy +

[steevie!]

Amazing ^-^

[Bill Kaulitz=Love]

YAY! New update. But boo, Bill's going to go away for a month! I have a bad feeling something bad's going to happen with the mirror, or Bill and Tom will switch again.

[jackjackio]

Awww.
I hope they can be together soon.
You'll make that happen, right?
I can't bear another ending
like the other fic. :[

[LipsOfAnAngel]

this story is amazing but still very weird. love it! mehr bitte!

[drummergirl24]

Oh man! I've missed sooo much! Really awesome job! I am forever a faithful reader! More please!

[IBNI]

A little short this time.

-----

Tom had been right, the world was significantly more boring when Bill wasn't around. Bill's parents didn't watch movies that were anywhere near as interesting as the fare Bill tended towards, and their endlessly smooshy conversations wore on Tom very quickly. Within the first week of Bill's absence, carefully watched by Tom on the kitchen calendar, Tom had taken to spending most of his time either watching the world through a well placed living room window, or curled up sleeping against the window into Bill's room.

It wasn't until the first week ended that Tom noticed that something wasn't right.

He awoke that morning, same as most, to the familiar sight of Bill's bedroom, Bill's shoes still lying in the middle of the floor where he had left them and the bed still unmade. Furrowing his brow, Tom looked closer at the view before him, trying to remember if it had always been quite so hazy. "That's strange," he murmured aloud, hitching his pants back up around his hips and making his way from window to window, finding them all just a little harder to see out of than they were before.

That morning, he chalked it up to a need for a spring cleaning on the other side. A week later, he couldn't make himself believe that any longer.

"What is going on?" Tom asked himself again and again, fidgeting among his windows, trying in vain to see something, anything beyond the milky whiteness coating their surface. "Why aren't you working anymore?" Semi frantically, Tom rubbed at the window's surface, coming away with a handful of powdery dust. Quickly he jerked away, shaking as much of the dust off his hand as he could before wiping it on his shirt. With a whimper, Tom balled himself into a corner of his room and watched his only contact with the world grow more and more opaque before his eyes.

Tom didn't know how long he sat in the corner of his room, arms wrapped protectively around his knees as everything around him grew darker and darker, his whole world fading inexorably to black.

***

"Mom, I'm home!" Bill called out, giving the mirror in the entryway a small wave before dropping his bags on the floor. "Are you guys even here?"

"Kitchen, kiddo! Go wash up, dinner is in half an hour. I hope your dad didn't stuff you before he dropped you off," Bill's mom called back from the other room.

Bill patted his full stomach guiltily. "Um, not too much, at least," he replied lamely, starting off up the stairs to the bathroom. Locking the door behind him, he smiled at the mirror over the sink. "Hey, you, did you miss me?" he asked, touching the surface briefly. "It was weird looking in the mirrors at dad's place and knowing there was no one looking back, you know? They were just...mirrors." Wrinkling his nose, Bill turned on the sink, soaping his hands into a thick froth. "I kept thinking about you the whole time. Is that weird? I guess I just got used to someone being there for me every night, and there just wasn't. God, it was so quiet without all the tapping. I think I drove dad a little insane idly knocking on the table during dinner, but I just needed to hear it a little." Rinsing his hands, Bill sighed softly. "I missed you."

Pausing for reply, Bill frowned softly at the silence that followed. "Tom? Are you asleep over there?" he asked, tapping against the mirror. "Don't tell me I just poured myself out to your snoring."

Once more he got nothing back but silence. "Tom? Come on, this isn't funny," Bill said, knocking a little harder on the mirror. "At least let me know if you're mad at me or something. I told you I was going to come back, and look, here I am! ...Tom?" Nervously Bill chewed at his lower lip, knocking rapidly against the glass. "You're still there, right? You have to still be there, Tom. Just...let me know that you're there."

Nothing.

Bill's eyes went wide as he clasped his hands over his mouth in horror. "Tom, this isn't funny. Stop it."

"Bill, honey, come on, you can't hole up in there all day!" Bill's mother called from the bottom of the steps.

"Right! Down in a minute!" Bill called back, eyes still locked on the mirror. "Come back, please," he whispered to the glass, fearfully giving the surface one last affectionate touch before running down to dinner.

Bill did his best to rush through dinner, begging off any after meal hang out time by claiming that he was tired from his trip back, and hurrying back up to his room in another desperate attempt to contact Tom. Pulling the mirror off his wall, he propped it up against his nightstand, and flopped out across his bed staring at it. "I am not giving up until you say something," he told the mirror authoritatively. "So you can just make this a **** of a lot easier on both of us and just knock out something already. Tell me to blow off, I don't care, just knock." Bill paused a moment, giving Tom a chance to reply. "Fine, then let me tell you all about my trip."

[steevie!]

What!?
What Happened!?

[Dreaminginthestars]

No. Poor Tom!
This story is so amazing. You need more reviews.
Update soon! Gosh, I need to know what's going on!

Love always,
+Amy+

[tokiohotel26]

wat happened 2 tom??

[Bill Kaulitz=Love]

AAGH! NO! What happened to the mirror?! Please write more, I really want to know!

[LipsOfAnAngel]

omg. mehr bitte!

[jackjackio]

Well, okay.
So it probably happened because Bill went away...
but since he's back...
Tom'll come back.
RIGHT?!
Ugh I wish you could update this story every second.

[IBNI]

The final part. Thank you again for all the nice words. :)

------

"Then dad said that he...that he had...had..." Bill trailed off, his head drooping after several hours of meandering storytelling to his mirror. "Dad had one more...."

In the room behind the windows, Tom blinked, almost sure he had heard something.

"A present for me," Bill managed, losing his fight against sleep and falling into a doze.

"Bill?" Tom asked aloud, feeling close to tears as he crawled through the darkness in the direction he remembered Bill's window. Groping blindly up the wall, he felt around for the proper frame, banging out Bill's name as hard as he could once he found it.

Snapping his head up, Bill looked wearily at the mirror, wondering if wishful thinking had made him hear things. "Tom?"

Grinning as wide as he could ever remember, Tom knocked out Bill's name again.

"Tom!" Bill exclaimed, clutching the mirror edges and suddenly feeling far more awake than he had a minute ago. "Where were you? Why didn't you answer me?"

"I don't know, I couldn't," Tom replied, the fingers of his free hand curled against the window frame.

"Why couldn't you?"

"I don't know," Tom replied, looking about as the light slowly returned to his world. "It's because you left," he said to himself, the realization hitting him suddenly. "You left, and it all went away," he knocked. "Everything, gone. You're back, and now it's back. You leave and I'm gone."

"Tom, Tom, slow down, alright, I'm not catching everything," Bill said, sitting up cross-legged on his bed. "What happened?"

Tom sighed. "This would be so much easier if you could hear me," he said to himself, watching as Bill's hazy form began to show in the still murky glass. "Everything on this side went away. It went dark. Everything was gone. I was gone. But it all came back when you did."

Even through the haze, Tom could see that Bill was horrified. "You were...gone?"

"Gone," Tom replied. "It went black and then there's nothing. No memory until a few minutes ago. Nothing."

"Oh my god, Tom," Bill said sympathetically, stroking the mirror's surface consolingly.

"I can't exist without you," Tom tapped out hesitantly. "You make me real."

Bill whimpered softly, his hands pressed hard against the glass in a subliminal attempt to reach Tom. "I won't leave you again, I promise," he said declaratively, his forehead joining his hands on the smooth surface. "I wish you were on this side, Tom. I wish you were here."

Tom rested his forehead against Bill's, watching the other boy's eyes finally return to proper focus. "So do I," he whispered as he knocked out his reply.

***

Bill kept his promise for the next few months, spending as much time as possible in his room talking to Tom, much to Tom's joy. Things were going wonderfully well for the both of them, which made Bill's sudden tearful entry to his room all the more unexpected.

Tom had heard the screaming match between Bill and his mother as they had come into the house, the sound of the shock in Bill's voice sending Tom scurrying to the closest windows to try to hear what was going on. No matter how quick he hurried, Bill was faster, stalking through the house in a beeline for his bedroom mirror. "Tom," he sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "Are you there?"

In his hurry to get back to the bedroom window, Tom almost overshot it, catching himself on the frame. "Here. What's wrong?"

"Oh god, Tom," Bill said, chin quivering as he scooted closer to the mirror still leaned against his nightstand. "They sold the house. We're moving at the end of the month!"

Tom's eyes went wide. "What? But you can't! What about me?" he asked, tapping out his words almost too quickly for Bill to keep up.

"I don't know. I don't know. What are we going to do, Tom? I can't leave you here. I can't leave you," Bill continued to snuffle, swiping at the tears running down his cheeks. "We have to think of something. We need to figure out a way to keep you with me. There has to be something we can do."

Behind the windows, Tom paced rapidly across the floor, trying to think of anything that might work, coming up dreadfully blank at every turn. "I don't know what to do."

"Neither do I, Tom," Bill said, leaning against the mirror as hard as he dared. "I can't wish for you to be here any harder than I have. Wishing just isn't working, but it's all I can think to do."

Tom leaned against his window, pressing himself along Bill's side. "I wish I could be with you, too," he murmured softly, tracing the other boy's hands sadly. "More than anything. You're my best friend."

For the next month, Bill fell quiet, the guilt of knowing that there was nothing he could do to save Tom gnawing a hole through him that grew every time he tried to talk to his best friend on the other side of the glass. Every conversation hurt him, and his silence left Tom with nothing to do but sit and watch him pack, counting down the days until he wouldn't exist anymore. Every night they clung to each other as best they could, silently crying each other to sleep in the dark in their helplessness.

By the end of the month, the house was a sea of boxes pushed up against walls, and Tom's room was down to one last window, the window looking out over Bill. On the last night before his reality was set to begin to fade, Tom sat as close to the window as he could, his knees pulled to his chest protectively. He could hear Bill, whimpering in his sleep, his fingers clicking softly against the glass every once and again.

"I don't want to disappear. I don't want to be gone. I want to be real. I wish I was real. Let me be real," he whispered into his knees, chanting the words over and over again.

"Tom, no..." Bill muttered in his sleep, rolling over for the millionth time that evening.

"I love you like family. I'll miss you," Tom tapped lightly against the glass before burrowing into his knees again, letting his scared, frustrated tears fall to soak into the denim.

It took Tom a few moments to realize that there was really no way his tears could be soaking through the back of his shirt, dampening his back thoroughly in a matter of moments. Unfolding himself, Tom blinked up into the streetlight, fat raindrops splashing off his face and running down his neck. "Why...?" he began, a sudden wave of memories suddenly washing over him.

Age four, angrily throwing blocks at the glass between himself and the sobbing little boy who refused to play with him. Age eight, removing all the mirrors from his bedroom because they wouldn't stop making noise, and his parents not believing him when he tried to tell them. Age twelve, beating his fists against the glass until they hurt to try to get the black haired boy on the other side to pay attention to him. Age sixteen, fleeing from his room as his mirror cracked and broke before his eyes as Bill beat against it.

"Bill," Tom whispered, realizing that Bill had always been on the other side of the glass.

In his room, Bill awoke with a start, fragments of his dream still ghosting through his brain, the image of himself shattering dozens of windows in an attempt to get out of the small white room standing out starkly in his head. "Tom?" he said aloud to himself, the dreams pressing in harder against his conscious mind. Turning, he looked at the mirror standing next to him and instantly knew it was empty. "He's out," Bill whispered before the thought had even fully formed. A moment later his eyes went wide. "He's out!"

Quick as a flash, Bill flung the blankets off of himself, stumbling over boxes as he ran from his room and down the steps, leaving the front door open behind him. His heart beat like a drum as he scanned the horizon through the pouring rain, and leapt into his throat as he spotted the soaked form under the street lights on the other side of the street. Bill didn't even give it a second thought as he darted off the porch and across the road, flinging himself into the only partially surprised arms of the other boy and hugging him like it was the only time he would ever get the chance. "You're real," he breathed once he managed to make himself break away, his hands fluttering over every bit of Tom's face and chest that he could reach. "You're real. You're really truly real!"

Tom grinned, rain dripping off the end of his nose as he traced the contours of the endlessly familiar face. "We're both finally real," he replied.

[steevie!]

Holy Crap!!!

I totally was on the verge of tears.

That was amazing,
you are extremely talented.
Kudos,
like...
for reals -.-

[Dreaminginthestars]

I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU!
I AM IN LOVE WITH THE STORY!
I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
YESH, IT'S SO GOOD THAT I MUST WRITE IN CAPS!

TALENT! SKILLZ! AMAZINGNESS RIGHT HERE!

You must write more stories. I'll read them all. Become a professional writer. I would buy all your books!

LOVE ALWAYS
+ Amy +

[steevie!]

I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU!
I AM IN LOVE WITH THE STORY!
I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
YESH, IT'S SO GOOD THAT I MUST WRITE IN CAPS!

TALENT! SKILLZ! AMAZINGNESS RIGHT HERE!

You must write more stories. I'll read them all. Become a professional writer. I would buy all your books!

LOVE ALWAYS
+ Amy +

I agree -.-

[Bill Kaulitz=Love]

:cry: *tears of appreciation for great writing* That was awesome! Amazing end to the story. Wait, IS this the end? Will there be a sequel to this one?

[jackjackio]

Oh my god.
Jesus.
Mary and Joseph.
I love you.
That was amazing.
I'm almost crying.
Please write more?
A sequel?
Please?!
We'd all love it.

[amandaaraujo]

Oh my god.
Jesus.
Mary and Joseph.
I love you.
That was amazing.
I'm almost crying.
Please write more?
A sequel?
Please?!
We'd all love it.

same here omg i was crying but im sooooooooo happy they are finally real :cry: :cry: :cry: im cryin g tears of joy aawww i cant wait will there be a sequel for them together aaaaaaaa i cant beleive it :) im happy now but still abit tearful hii

[IBNI]

Holy Crap!!!

I totally was on the verge of tears.

That was amazing,
you are extremely talented.
Kudos,
like...
for reals -.-

*tissues* Thank you so much. :)


I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU!
I AM IN LOVE WITH THE STORY!
I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
YESH, IT'S SO GOOD THAT I MUST WRITE IN CAPS!

TALENT! SKILLZ! AMAZINGNESS RIGHT HERE!

You must write more stories. I'll read them all. Become a professional writer. I would buy all your books!

LOVE ALWAYS
+ Amy +

Awww, thank you! Maybe, if I can come up with an idea, I might have to give that one a try. ;)


:cry: *tears of appreciation for great writing* That was awesome! Amazing end to the story. Wait, IS this the end? Will there be a sequel to this one?

*more tissues* No sequel to this one, unfortunately. They're happy and together now, so that's where they get to be. :)


Oh my god.
Jesus.
Mary and Joseph.
I love you.
That was amazing.
I'm almost crying.
Please write more?
A sequel?
Please?!
We'd all love it.

*almost tissues?* I will always always write more, but this storyline is done.


same here omg i was crying but im sooooooooo happy they are finally real :cry: :cry: :cry: im cryin g tears of joy aawww i cant wait will there be a sequel for them together aaaaaaaa i cant beleive it :) im happy now but still abit tearful hii

*even more tissues* :)

[drummergirl24]

IT'S OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my goodness...
OH MY GOODNESS!
Amazing...simply amazing
if you aren't going to continue with this story, please tell me that you are going to write a new one?
Whatever you write...I'm reading!

[tokiohotel26]

:cry: tears of joy and pain!
joy for tom and bill
pain because the story is over

please write a new one :cry:

[tarnished-memory]

I don't care that this was posted over a month ago . . . I'm commenting.

"The Room Behind the Windows" and this one. . . gosh, they both made me cry -- for various reasons. But mostly because your words are like magic, there's something in them that really pulls at me and creates such an amazing scene.
Honestly, I've never read anything like this. Your writing is amazing. >.<

[IBNI]

Awww, you make me blush! Thank you so much. :D

[LipsOfAnAngel]

oh, that was beautiful. it was wonderful. it's sad that it's over but i loved it. i can't wait until you write more stories.

[IBNI]

oh, that was beautiful. it was wonderful. it's sad that it's over but i loved it. i can't wait until you write more stories.

I'm always working on it. :) I'm just having a bit more trouble getting things FINISHED instead of worked on.

[blackmoon91892]

Well, I randomly bumped the first part, so why not bump the second part?

[blackmoon91892]

And I bump it again!

[IBNI]

<33

I loved writing this story.

[~Domi~]

Wow...after many interruptions from my mother I finally finished! So so so great!
I can't even comprehend how amazinglyfantastic this is!

[IBNI]

Wow...after many interruptions from my mother I finally finished! So so so great!
I can't even comprehend how amazinglyfantastic this is!

Thank you very much! I try to do my best. :D

[GustavsGirl14]

AMAZING!!! i cried when tom got out! and when theey couldn't be together.....i cried. I felt like I was there in the room with Tom.....trapped....very good!!!!!!! I LOVED IT!!!!

<3 Em

[rawveggirl]

Oh. My. God. *cries*

Now words can properly describe this story, so I will just say that my hat is off to you for writing a brilliant masterpiece.

BRAVO! BRAVO! *thunderous applause*

[xxxsaricereecexxx]

BRAVO! AMAZING *wipes tears from eyes*
You are an AMAZING writer!!!!
made tears of sadness and tears of joy run down my cheeks!
Bravo! Excellent! *sigh* wow.... BEST FANFICTION I'VE EVER READ ON THIS
FORUM!!!!
OH.MY.GOD...
i still can't get over it, wow! such an original plot!
wow....okay lol :D

[xxxsaricereecexxx]

Btw, both of the Room Behind the Window stories go really well with the song In Die Nacht :D

[Gustis-southern-punk]

ok this was like AWESOME!! like so good... I wanted to cry and it probably didnt help that i listened to An Diener Seite (Ich Bin Da) while i was reading The Room Behind the Window and Another Room Behind the Windows...
Its sooo sad...
But yay for happy endings!!
Do you have anything else written or in the process of writing right now????

cause I want to read it...

[blackmoon91892]

ok this was like AWESOME!! like so good... I wanted to cry and it probably didnt help that i listened to An Diener Seite (Ich Bin Da) while i was reading The Room Behind the Window and Another Room Behind the Windows...
Its sooo sad...
But yay for happy endings!!
Do you have anything else written or in the process of writing right now????

cause I want to read it...
All of IBNI's stories on here


http://www.tokiohotel.com/us/forum/search.php?searchid=165728

[julialyssa]

WOW both these stories were just WOW:shock:

[IBNI]

Oh. My. God. *cries*

Now words can properly describe this story, so I will just say that my hat is off to you for writing a brilliant masterpiece.

BRAVO! BRAVO! *thunderous applause*

Thank you! :D


BRAVO! AMAZING *wipes tears from eyes*
You are an AMAZING writer!!!!
made tears of sadness and tears of joy run down my cheeks!
Bravo! Excellent! *sigh* wow.... BEST FANFICTION I'VE EVER READ ON THIS
FORUM!!!!
OH.MY.GOD...
i still can't get over it, wow! such an original plot!
wow....okay lol :D

Oh wow, the best? :D :D *massive glee!*


ok this was like AWESOME!! like so good... I wanted to cry and it probably didnt help that i listened to An Diener Seite (Ich Bin Da) while i was reading The Room Behind the Window and Another Room Behind the Windows...
Its sooo sad...
But yay for happy endings!!
Do you have anything else written or in the process of writing right now????

cause I want to read it...

Sadly I have NOTHING in the works for the forum atm, but there's a chance that a plot could grab me any day now. ;) And, as Ariel mentioned, you can find links to everything I have on here in the Fan Fic Database post (page 3). ;)


WOW both these stories were just WOW:shock:

:D Thank you!

[Lucky14]

ok, one - my fav FF's EVER at the moment
two - dude, u've done somethin' majorly impossible...i almost cried when they were both real
O_O
three - yer an awesome writer
& four -
WOOHOO THEY BOTH REAL!!! YIPPEE!!! :grin: :twisted2:
:laugh: