I have fallen into Meddling Minutes hell don't save me.
It was hell to say, being immortal.
It was even worse to know everything.
It was interesting at first. You would watch the world through child-like eyes and watch amazing events unfold and refold over and over. The Great Fire of Northern America? Prevented with a wire cut from a suburban home. But as a result the strained marriage in that household finally broke, the wife thinking the husband forgot to replace a lightbulb and was finally, finally done with his laziness. The kids, only two and six months, grew up in separate homes and never had the bond had the Fire happened.
But soon that became old. So painfully old that Clockwork was sick of it all.
Then Vlad Masters came along. Then, soon after, Danny Fenton. And shortly after that, Dan Phantom.
It was a quick and easy battle. Danny defeated Dan and gave him to Clockwork for safekeeping. Just another trophy to behold.
But he found himself fascinated by the dented thermos. He would attempt to look into the future and figure out when the thermos would rattle in rage.
But he was never correct.
Dan was a paradox, existing outside of time. And Clockwork couldn't predict anything about him.
It was a relief.
When Dan's madness was finally cured after centuries of talking, he saw the most beautiful face in the world. It was the face with the voice that had made him sane. It was the voice that, if he admitted to himself, he had fallen in love with.
And Dan cried. Not because he missed the Thermos, which had housed him and kept him safe for so many years, and not because everyone he knew was long gone.
Because they weren't. He had Clockwork right here. And he wasn't going anywhere.
Clockwork was surprised, and still wasn't quite used to it by now. Crying was very unlike the Dan he knew.
So he comforted him. Awkwardly patting his back, stroking his wild hair.
(If he was honest with himself, it was the first time he touched someone in centuries.)
And he didn't care that Dan would get tears over his freshly washed cape, and that they looked rather foolish hugging on the floor next to a rusty thermos.
Because Dan was unpredictable and he loved him for that.