Usual disclaimer: Don't own them, Square Enix does. This story is written for fun and not profit.
Cloud was not an early riser unless he had to be - whether it was for drill or for classes, and Zack was only too happy to nudge his lover awake on such mornings. Zack would be bounding out of bed and full of energy, even before his first coffee of the day. Watching the morning sunrise always filled Zack with a sense of hope and awe ; the promise of a new day to be conquered, and new adventures on the horizon filled him with a boundless energy that could be somewhat contagious.
Contagious to anyone but Cloud, that is, who held onto sleep like a prospector holding onto precious chunks of gold. Zack usually respected Cloud's need for sleep on their days off, and would try to be as quiet as possible in their apartment, getting chores done while the blond cadet slept in a few hours later than Zack.
Zack would try to be as quiet as possible, but given his bubbly nature, was not always successful. Such was the case one Saturday morning when Zack thought he would get a head start on the chores that needed to be done; namely, tackling a few loads of laundry, and running the dishwasher. The First Class was well pleased to have a small, stackable washer/dryer unit right in his apartment; it had been a recent purchase thanks to some overtime money he'd earned by taking a few extra jobs patrolling Sector 7.
He hastily loaded the dishwasher and poured soap in the dispenser, then turned his attentions toward the pile of laundry, giving it a rueful glance. Cloud normally stayed on top of these things, but after a recent bout of food poisoning hadn't been feeling well, and as a result there were at least half a dozen loads of dirty clothing needing to be washed. Zack felt a mild pang of guilt over forgetting the laundry over the past week; Cloud was just so much better at keeping track of these things, that Zack had completely taken it for granted. He vowed that he would make up for slacking off by attacking the laundry and the dishes. Later on, he would make some toast and tea for Cloud's breakfast, provided that the cadet was improved enough to keep anything down.
Cloud was shivering underneath the down comforter; he was still running a slight fever, though his temperature had dropped significantly in the past twenty-four hours. In the distance, he could hear Zack bustling about the apartment, none too quietly, humming to himself as was his habit. Zack could never stay still - or silent - for very long. Still, Cloud was grateful to have the bed to himself for a bit so he could get some much needed rest; and he could tell from the low hum of the washing machine and dishwasher that Zack was getting some of the chores done so that he wouldn't have to worry. Cloud smiled and burrowed even further into the warm cocoon of bedcovers, hoping that after another good long sleep, he would emerge fully rested and fever-free.
Hours later, Cloud woke, but not of his own volition; he could hear Zack yelling frantically out in the kitchen. Gods, Zack...what happened now? Cloud wondered. He groaned, head pounding as he sat up slowly. He rested his butt on the edge of the mattress and shoved his feet into his slippers, one at a time. He arose very carefully and deliberately, making the slow walk across the bedroom to retrieve his robe from a hook on the door.
Cloud shuffled down the hallway, still gripped by the fog of fever and illness, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the bright light outside of the dark sanctuary of the bedroom. Making his way to the kitchen, Cloud's brain could not register what his eyes were seeing; a sea of soap bubbles about five feet high filled the small galley kitchen, and in the midst of it all was a familiar looking head of black spikes.
"Zack?" Cloud croaked. "Zack! What in the hell happened?"
Zack's head whipped around as he heard Cloud, and his expression immediately changed from annoyed to shamefaced. "Shit...I hope I didn't wake you," Zack muttered apologetically. He blew away a wad of suds and laughed. "Um. We have a situation here."
Cloud sighed and shook his head. "What's wrong with the dishwasher? Zack?"
Zack emerged from the wall of suds, brandishing a string mop in one hand. "Things...got a litttle out of hand," he began sheepishly. "I, uh...used the wrong soap," Zack admitted, wincing at his own stupidity. "I didn't think, Cloud! I think the washing machine is messed up too...see, I got the soap mixed up. I put laundry soap in the dishwasher...and dish soap in the washing machine. I wasn't paying attention, but then I figured, soap is soap, right? It'll all come out the same."
"Oh gods," Cloud groaned. "I should have stayed in bed."
"Apparently I should have stayed in bed today too," Zack said guiltily. "I'm so sorry, Cloud. I was just trying to pitch in so you wouldn't have to worry about things piling up...and now I've made a mess."
"It's all right," Cloud replied, smiling in spite of the minor disaster. "We needed to clean the kitchen floor anyway, I guess."
"This is a bit of overkill though, don't you think?" Zack deadpanned. He grinned, leaning on the handle of his mop. "Go back to bed, babe. I'll bring you some toast...as soon as I can reach the toaster. Angeal's coming over to help. I called him right away. Of course, he was laughing at me for about five solid minutes. I dropped the phone in there somewhere...I hope it's okay." Zack added, pointing back at the sea of bubbles.
Cloud chuckled, ignoring the pounding in his head. "I love you, Zack. I think I'm going to go back to bed though, if you don't mind. Tell Angeal I said hello when he gets here."
"I will," Zack replied, gazing fondly at Cloud. "You look a hell of a lot better than you did last night, at least. Are you feeling any better?"
"I am, Cloud said, nodding. "Just tired, though."
"Okay, good," Zack answered. "I mean - I'm glad you're feeling better. Go get some rest, babe."
As Cloud nodded, and shuffled back down the hallway, his expression turned to one of horror as he heard Zack teasingly call after him: "I'll try not to burn the house down while you're sleeping!"