A/N: Yes, yes, I should be updating other fics. But I also should be doing homework at the moment. Don't judge me, people. I'm sorry, this has been bugging me since a few weeks ago and I was just drowning in homework, Honor's Society, Student Council, reports, and tests that I just broke down and started typing this. Hope you enjoy!
WARNING: You will be confused.
It had been a rough day.
So rough, in fact, that Merlin didn't even feel like reflecting on it. All he wanted to do was to collapse on his bed and maybe get in half an hour of sleep before he had to tend to Arthur again.
Kicking open his door, he was already in position to spring forward and land face first on his not-so-comfortable mattress. But what he saw sitting on his bed made him stop.
"Hello!" said first Merlin on the bed cheerfully. The one next to him seemed to be hyperventilating. "I bet you're wondering what the hell is going on, right?"
Merlin didn't answer. It wasn't every day that you saw multiples of yourself.
"Well, let me explain," said the cheerful Merlin. Hyperventilating Merlin started to bite his finger nails. "I'm you in half an hour!"
The other Merlin made a noise similar to that of a dying cat. "You told him! I thought we agreed not to tell him!" he squeaked out.
"Oh," said the Merlin-in-half-an-hour Merlin, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, he's you in five minutes."
"You told him!" Merlin in-five-minutes squealed as he hid his face.
Before Merlin could open his mouth to speak (you know, to say something along the lines of: what the hell, what sorcery is this, is this a joke by Arthur, or have I been drugged or something?), the door to the small room burst open.
"Nobody touch anything!" a young child screamed, barging in. The kid was a boy, maybe about five, with bright red hair and sea-green eyes. All the Merlins looked at him with their respectable expressions of cheerfulness, panic, and confusion. "I'm all of you in one hour!"
"Brilliant!" the Merlin in-half-an-hour Merlin exclaimed while Merlin in-five-minutes squeaked and hid his head under the covers of the bed.
"How?" asked the present-times Merlin.
The young child – apparently Merlin in one hour – opened his mouth, but never got to say anything.
"Merlin," a voice drawled, coming from Gauis' chambers. "Your neckerchief fell off in my chambers, and me being the kind prince that I am-" The voice stopped as Arthur entered the room, holding Merlin's neckerchief. First, his eyes flickered to Merlin neckerchief-ed neck, then all around the room.
"What've you done now?" asked the prince.
Merlin shook his head.
"Well," said the Merlin in-half-an-hour Merlin. "You see-"
Yet again, the door burst open before anyone could talk. Surprisingly, it was someone other than Merlin.
"Merlin!" cried a sobbing Arthur, practically breaking the door down (it didn't break, though; it just swung close very hard after he kicked it). He ran straight up to present-times Merlin, knocking himself (as in the other Arthur) down in the process. He then proceeded to bring Merlin into a very tight embrace and started stroking his hair.
"You're here," the sobbing Arthur said, crying into an extremely confused Merlin's shoulder. "You're safe."
"Care to explain what's going on?!" the other Arthur (the one who came in first) barked.
"I'm you in fort – forty-six minutes!" sobbing Arthur chocked out, hugged Merlin so tight that it made it hard for him to breath.
Arthur glared at his future self and opened his mouth to say something, but –
"EVERYONE STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"
The room silenced. Merlin in-five-minutes peeked out from under the sheets, Merlin in-half-an-hour rolled his eyes, as if bored, and young, red-headed Merlin sat down on the floor. Arthur in forty-six minutes crushed present-time Merlin to his chest, and present-time Arthur started incredulously at the door, where a teenage girl with long brown hair and blue eyes stood, wearing what seemed to be Merlin's clothing minus the neckerchief.
"I'm you in one hour and three point seven minutes!" she yelled pointing at both Arthur's, unsure of which one was the present-times one.
At this, everyone jumped up (save for those already standing), and sobbing in-forty-six-minutes Arthur let go of Merlin and pushed him at the present-time Arthur.
Merlin stumbled, then regained his footing with the help of present-time Arthur grabbing him by the elbow to steady him. He looked around the room.
"Would someone please explain what's happening?"