…And Early Mornings
This also takes place after Advent Children and before Dirge of Cerberus. Just another fluffy fic that came out of the many possibilities I've left open in "Late Nights…" with Cloud and his lackluster awakenings.
Tifa was a fairly deep sleeper. She wasn't restless and jumpy like Cloud; once she fell asleep, she was relatively still and she never jolted awake unless she was having a nightmare.
Often, she would wake up to find that Cloud had rolled over and was lying on top of her. Sometimes, he'd even punch or kick her awake in the middle of the night as he tossed and turned in his sleep. It was awkward at first—since Cloud rarely slept with a shirt on and therefore made Tifa incredibly uncomfortable—but eventually she grew used to it. Cloud was Cloud, after all.
Naturally, the pair had shared some uneasy mornings with Cloud's unpredictable sleeping habits. But there was one morning in particular that stood out in Tifa's mind…
The night before had been an exhausting one for Tifa. Even though Cloud had gotten home early from his deliveries and was there to help with the large number of drinks and food that needed to get passed around, Tifa was still dead tired by the time they had closed and began cleaning for the next day.
After Tifa had yawned for what she thought must have been the millionth time, Cloud spoke up.
"I can finish up here," Cloud offered quietly, reaching over to pull the sponge out of her hands.
"No, I'm all right. You have an early delivery tomorrow, so you should get some rest." Tifa shook her head, picking up a handful of soapy utensils and running them under the faucet.
"But-"
"Go to bed, Cloud." She waved him off with a fork.
"Tifa…" He protested weakly.
She twirled the butcher knife in her hand before pointing it, first at him and then at the hallway that led upstairs. "Bed. Now." She said emphatically.
He held up his hands in surrender. "'Night, Tifa."
"Good night…"
It would be another half hour before Tifa finally retreated upstairs to their bedroom. Almost dizzy with exhaustion, she changed into her pajamas, which consisted of a pair of baggy sweat pants and one of Cloud's rarely worn t-shirts. Honestly, she wore the shirts more often than he did and would have claimed them as her own had they not been three sizes too big.
Cloud gave a start as she climbed into bed, but Tifa—knowing Cloud's mannerisms too well—was already shushing him with a reassuring smile. His eyes, still glazed over with sleep, slowly slid shut as she curled up beside him.
"Good night, Cloud…"
Tifa woke up that morning with a sore lower back and no feeling in her legs. It might've been because of her work the night before, but she doubted it.
'How in the world…?' She thought exasperatedly.
Somehow, Cloud had managed to turn himself completely sideways. He was lying across her legs as he slept facedown, the top of his head and his feet hanging off the sides of the bed.
"Cloud…" She groaned, trying to shift his heavy weight off of her.
His body stiffened immediately, but he was still very much asleep. "Mrrpph…" He turned his face to look at her, a blank look in his half-lidded eyes.
"Can you get off, please?" Tifa asked politely.
His eyes slid back shut.
"Oh, come on…" She rolled her eyes. He didn't respond. "Cloud!"
He was completely ignoring her.
"Geez…" After taking a deep breath, she pushed her knees up and tried to pull her legs out from underneath him. She successfully freed herself, but she didn't count on Cloud rolling right off the end of their bed, bringing the bed sheets with him.
She winced at the loud thud as he hit the floor. "Oops…"
"Ow…" Came the lethargic reply.
She sat up, a sheepish grin on her face. "Are you okay?"
Cloud, still tangled in the sheets, slowly pulled himself into a sitting position and rubbed the back of his head. The perplexed, somnolent look on his face made Tifa laugh.
"Ow," He repeated.
"Sorry…" Tifa didn't sound too apologetic as she continued giggling behind her hand. "I tried to wake you up, y'know."