The Flow of Time

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine; I don't own x.  I don't even own this story technically.  It was inspired by a music video that I once saw… I cant remember what it was though…

Sorata studied picture of the girl in his locker before slamming the door.  Finally he could go home.  Everyone had already left several hours before when school was over, but he had to stay afterschool a few hours for tutoring.  Oh well, things could have been worse. At least he's not failing…yet.  Things are actually pretty good right now.  Two weeks ago he finally had the courage to ask out Toriko, the cute girl who sits two seats in front of him.

"Sorata!" a girl called out to him, "Hi!"

"Toriko," smiling, he ran to greet her and to give her a hug. "What are you doing here?  Did you miss me that much? " He asked as they started to walk home.

"You wish!" she laughed, "I just finished running ten laps and I thought I'd see if you were ready to go."  She took out her ponytail to let her soft, light brown flow down to her shoulders.

"You like running don't you?"

"Yeah," she replied.  "I'm not sure why really.  I feel like I owe it to myself to run or something, as if I'm wasting something if I don't push myself to my limit."  When they reached the front of her house she turned to face him.  "I'm going to take shower and change.  I'll see you later."

"Don't forget about our date!" he shouted to her as she disappeared into her house.

"I won't."

Sorata stared at his wrist and carefully paced himself for his date.  He didn't want to be too early; that would make him seem too eager.  He didn't want to be too late; that would make him seem uninterested.  The timing had to be just right.  Without watching where he was going he bumped into something, or rather someone.  An old woman fell to the ground and her groceries were scattered all over the place. 

"Gomen!" he quickly apologized as he helped the old woman up.  He scurried to pick up the remainder of her groceries that hadn't rolled into the streets and gotten crushed by the oncoming traffic.  "I'm really, really sorry.  I wasn't watching where I was going."

"That's quite all right," she said as she looked up to him.  "Oh," she gasped as she saw his face.

"Huh?" Sorata started wiping his face onto his shirt, "do I have something on my face?"

"No," she kindly smiled.  "Will you be kind enough to help this old woman home?  It's really not that far."  Without any hesitation Sorata gently took her by the arm and walked her down the street.

"By the way, I'm Sorata." He introduced himself to the elderly woman.

"Yes, I know exactly who you are."

"Huh??" Sorata pondered for a second, "…I guess you have to."  He smiled again, "since I grew up in this area.  Everyone here knows everybody else, but…"  He pouted. "How come I don't know who you are?"

"That's because I just moved here recently." The woman smiled, "It's probably because of fate that we met today." Sorata was more confused than ever now.

"Huh?"

"This is it." she said as she stopped in front of a small run-down house.  "Sorata, please wait here for a few minutes." The little old lady ran into the house leaving Sorata standing outside a little confused.  About a minute later she came back and handed him a silver pocket-watch.

"This is nice-looking watch.  It must be really old."  He noticed something strange about it.  "Why is it moving backwards?"

"It is old.  Over a hundred years old."

"This really is a nice watch. Too bad it's broken." He smiled and held it for her to take back, but she shook her head.

"No, I want you to keep it.  Consider it a present for helping this old lady out"

"I can't do that." He looked at the dilapidated old house, and wondered why she didn't sell the watch for money.  "This watch must be worth a lot of money."  Suddenly he got a brilliant idea, well, brilliant to him anyway.  "How about I fix up this watch, and then I'll bring it back for you."

"The watch is not broken," she tried to convince Sorata, but he wasn't listening.  He had already made up his mind.  "Well, I guess I can't stop you if you have your mind set on fixing it, but there's another favor I want to ask of you."

"Anything."

"When you see her," her voice became low and serious, "tell her that Sora said she's sorry."

"Huh?  Tell who?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

Sorata screamed in frustration as he stared helplessly at the silver watch.  He must have taken it apart and put it back together ten times already.  But no matter what he did, nothing changed.

"What's wrong with you?" he examine the watch for the millionth time.  "Time doesn't go backwards!"

"Sorata," a voice outside his room called.

"Yes, mom?"

"Go to sleep."

"In a minute mom."  He looked at the clock, one that works normally.  "It is getting kinda late," he said to himself.  "And you," he threatened the watch, "I'll deal with you tomorrow."  He collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep right away.

"You know, when we walk like this, it feels like we're on a date."

"We're only meeting for business."

"Well, if you say so…but I'm getting excited.  Having dinner and a movie with you, it feels like a dream.  This is going to be great!"

Sorata's eyes sprung open.  "My date with Toriko!  I totally forgot!"  He leaped out of bed and picked up the phone.  "No, I can't call her now.  It's the middle of the night.  I'll have to talk to her tomorrow."  He crawled back into bed and fell asleep again.

"When we first met, you said that you decided on something, right?" a girl with long black hair in a school uniform asked the man standing next her.

"Yeah, that's right," He replied, "I've decided that it will be you."

"What have you decided?" she asked earnestly.

The girl's eyes widened in shock at the response that she was given:   "That you are the person I will give my life to."