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The space heater had stopped working.
Peppino had felt it, waking up as the warmth quickly left them, the heat they had collected escaping the blankets as they shifted. Tucking the blankets tightly around them, in an effort to trap what little heat they still had left, they tapped at the heater, the usually hot metal cooling, able to touch it without burning.
Had it been unplugged?
Getting up from the couch, they followed the cord to the plug, to find it still plugged in, to their disappointment.
Had it suddenly stopped working? Had it simply been a waste of money?
They could figure it out in the morning, for now, they needed warmth. They hoped turning up the temperate wouldn’t increase the heat bill too much.
Wandering over to the thermostat, they noticed the screen was dead too, unresponsive to the buttons. Or maybe the LED had died? They flicked the light switch in hopes of getting a better look, only for nothing to happen.
Oh, the power had gone out. In the middle of a winter night.
Peppino shuddered, feeling sluggish as the cold of the night began to seep into them, the blanket losing most of its remaining heat as they moved around.
They could just bear the cold, allow themselves to fall into a temporary state of hibernation, at least until the power turned on, and yet…
The fits of hibernation they’d gone through at the tower had been miserable, Pizzahead often searching them out in their immobile state to poke and prod at them, only half aware of the unpleasant sensations, and how much worse they felt when they finally woke up.
They knew Pizzahead wasn't here, that they were safe, and yet, they knew the stress and anxiety of anticipation would make them have a fitful and restless sleep. Their body would be forced to rest, but their mind wouldn’t.
Letting out a soft stressful croak, they turned their gaze to the bedroom door, debating their choice.
They could seek out the warmth of the other Peppino.
They knew he would likely get upset, already having disapproved of cuddling for warmth before, getting them the heater so they wouldn’t have to when it got cold, but…
No, they could already feel their body slowing, a pang of panic rushing through them at the realization. They had to.
They hoped Peppino would forgive them.
Shuffling over to the bedroom door, they slowly turned the knob, doing their best to quietly open the door, despite knowing he was a heavy sleeper.
The room was already warmer than the living room, as Peppino was graced with the sound of the other Peppino's loud snoring, a trait they didn’t seem to share. Carefully closing the door behind them, they tiptoed closer, able to make out his sprawled out form in the darkness.
They could feel it, the heat pouring off his portly little body, luring them closer like a moth to the flame. They just had to be careful, not too eager, and they could steal that warmth for the night.
Loosening their form, they slowly slithered beneath the covers, covering him like a weighted blanket, before tucking their limbs around him like a gentle boa. Carefully, they pressed him deeper into their mass, sinking his hot core into them, his heat bleeding into their body, chasing all the cold away. They could feel his heart beating, chest moving with each snore, as Peppino carefully shifted into a more comfortable position.
And thankfully, the other Peppino didn't stir, his snores only pausing for a moment, before the loud sound rumbled through him once more.
He was a living space heater, louder and softer than the one by the couch.
Fears of hibernation and Pizzahead melting away, Peppino slipped into a comfortable sleep, the sound of the human's heartbeat lulling them to rest.
Peppino woke with a heavy weight around his body.
At first he was confused, think it he must’ve twisted into an awkward position, wrapped his blanket tight around him in his sleep, or it was the lingering anxiety of a nightmare.
That was, until he felt it shift.
Peppino's eyes snapped open, as he struggled to sit up, the filtered morning sunlight through his blinds revealing the cause.
Fake Peppino was wrapped around him, its arms clutched snuggly around him, his back sunken into its chest.
He squirmed for just a moment, a blind panic, before the rest of his brain woke up and he relaxed. It wasn't a threat anymore, they lived with him now. Although that didn’t temper his irritation.
He'd found out they were cold blooded, the hard way, the doppelganger getting clinger ever since the weather had turned colder. So he'd gotten them a space heater, in the hopes they wouldn't do something like this.
Clearly, such money and efforts had been wasted.
Letting out a grumble of annoyance, he glanced over at his clock to see what time it was.
His alarm clock was off.
Oh, the power must’ve gone out. And if the power was out, that meant—
He could feel them shift more now, likely stirring thanks to his awakening, feeling their soft mass around him move and shift, before a quiet ribbit sounded in his ear.
“Hey big guy…”
They seemed to stiffen as he spoke, a solemn croak sounding in his ear.
“…sorry…”
He still wasn't quite used to hearing it imitate his words like a parrot, but it had gained more of a vocabulary hanging around him, and it was getting less jarring hearing his own voice talk back to him.
“The power went out didn't it? The heater stopped working?”
He could feel it nod its head against him, Peppino relaxing as his suspicions were confirmed. It had gotten better at respecting him anyways, it was rude of him to immediately assume they had simply disobeyed his wishes without cause.
“I forgive you then. Would've preferred if you asked first, mamma mia you gave me quite a scare.”
“…Didn't want to…wake you…”
He hummed in understanding, untangling an arm from its hold to pat their head, earning a purr in return.
Well, if the power was off at his apartment, it was almost definitely off at his restaurant. Whether or not he wanted his place open during a heavy snowfall, he couldn't make pizza with an unpowered oven.
He learned back against his inhuman copy, his jaw stretching with a yawn. He didn’t often get a full night's sleep, but with a mandatory day off and a soft and squishy doppelganger wrapped around him…
“Looks like we’re gonna be closed for the day anyways, hope you don’t mind if I catch a bit more sleep.”
His fake seemed more than content with this, nuzzling against him as they tightened their hold on him once more, a purr rumbling out of them. Peppino chuckled, shifting himself slightly before he closed his eyes, their soft rumbling helping pull him back under.
The two Peppino's fell back asleep with ease, warm and comfortable in their shared embrace.