We need more screentime for Scarlet (Gay Pirate, as my friend likes to call him). This ship works in my head because I see Scarlet as being gay and Neptune as being bi. It's also been established that the two are close. Ships have been built on shakier foundations than that! Enjoy.
Scarlet and Neptune were breathless with laughter as they entered their dorm room. Their clothes were thoroughly soaked and cold from a recent snowball fight with Sun and Sage. The latter two had decided to join some people who were going to a nearby pond to ice skate. Due to Neptune's absolute conviction that the ice would break and he would drown in the freezing water if he so much as stepped on the pond, he and his boyfriend had elected to go back inside.
Neptune was quick to toss his coat onto his dirty clothes pile and start peeling the rest of his wet clothing off. The more modest Scarlet grabbed dry clothes and went into the bathroom to change, blushing a little as he caught a glimpse of Neptune without his shirt before he closed the door.
Deciding to go casual for the afternoon, Neptune put on some navy blue sweat pants and a long-sleeved black shirt. He placed his wet goggles on the table by his bed. "Yo, Scarlet! I'm gonna get some cocoa from the kitchen. Want any?"
"Yes, please," was the immediate reply. "And could you put some vanilla in it if there's any in the cupboard?"
Neptune was already taking a small bottle of vanilla extract from the drawer on his desk and slipping it into his pocket. "Sure thing." He took their mugs from on top of one of the dressers, nudging Sun and Sage's to the side, before walking out the door and toward the kitchen.
The milk and cocoa powder were in their usual places. There was no vanilla extract in the cupboards. There never was. Scarlet didn't know this, but Neptune had started secretly buying bottles of vanilla once winter began after he found out about his boyfriend's preference for it.
After the cocoa was finished, he added a few drops of vanilla to Scarlet's mug before returning to the dorm room. Scarlet, in keeping with his ongoing sense of style, had put on a maroon sweater that exposed his left shoulder, a pair of black jeans, and a black scarf that would probably be useless in the cold weather outside. He was in the process of blow drying his damp hair.
"They had vanilla," Neptune said as he put the mugs down on Scarlet's desk. "You know, you don't need to blow dry. Your hair will be dry in like five minutes."
Scarlet rolled his eyes. "Five minutes of having a wet mop in my face? No thank you." He ran a comb through his hair as he finished before patting a spot on the bed next to him. "Come on. Might as well do yours while it's plugged in. No sense in you catching a cold."
Neptune opened his mouth to say that he could just rub it down with a towel. Before the words came out, however, a thought occurred to him: Sun and Sage would likely be out for at least another hour. That meant there would be no one to tease him about having his hair blow dried and combed by his more stylish boyfriend. And the thought of Scarlet methodically stroking his hair was definitely appealing.
"If it'll make you feel better," he muttered, sitting down with his back to Scarlet. He heard the smaller boy let out a gentle laugh and felt a ghost of a kiss on the back off his neck. He shivered at the sensation before letting out a sigh as warm air from the dryer caressed his neck and head. As the air ruffled his hair pleasantly, a comb ran gently through, stroking his scalp and speeding up the drying process. He closed his eyes as the treatment continued. All too soon, his short hair was dry and Scarlet was turning off the blow dryer. He yawned as his boyfriend's slender, muscular arms wrapped around his middle.
"Don't fall asleep yet, Nep," Scarlet murmured, kissing the side of his neck. "Your cocoa will get cold." He smiled at the sleepy look of contentment on Neptune's face. "Come on, love. Sit up so I can get your mug."
Neptune sat up and accepted his cocoa from Scarlet. The two boys were silent for a few minutes, except for some quiet slurping. Neptune finished his first and placed the mug on the desk before snuggling into Scarlet's side. He happily rubbed his cheek against the soft material of the maroon sweater.
Scarlet chuckled softly to himself. Neptune always got super clingy and cuddly when he was tired. It was rather adorable. His spine stiffened when he felt his boyfriend move upwards. Warm lips brushed his left shoulder before slowly moving toward his neck.
"I like this sweater," Neptune murmured in a slightly-groggy voice, grinning tiredly at his red-haired teammate. "But why is that annoying scarf in the way?" He tugged weakly at the black scarf, pulling it loose before nuzzling a few more kisses into the crook of Scarlet's neck.
"Hmmm…" Scarlet placed his mug on the desk before wrapping his arms around Neptune, brushing his lips against his forehead while Neptune's started to lavish attention on his throat.
After a few minutes, Scarlet elected to lie down, pulling a willing Neptune down to lie on his side next to him. Leaning close, he began to tenderly kiss his boyfriend's lips. Both of their mouths were warm and sweet from the cocoa, and neither could get enough of the taste. When they pulled back, Scarlet noted a mischievous glimmer in Neptune's blue eyes and found himself wanting to take full advantage of their teammates' absence.
Then, Neptune let out another yawn and started to blink slowly. Scarlet's expression softened as he realized that his boyfriend was just barely staying awake. Leaning close, he kissed his forehead. "Let's take a nap before Sun and Sage get back. How's that sound?"
Neptune immediately pulled Scarlet close and nuzzled his chest. "Sounds good," he mumbled. "Love you." He smiled as he felt the pulse under his ear increase in tempo for a few seconds.
Scarlet sighed happily, slipping his fingers into Neptune's soft hair and stroking slowly. "I love you too, Nep," he murmured before closing his eyes.
And that's Day 4. I'm on a roll! I may actually succeed in doing this challenge. Once Winter Break starts in a few days, I'll hopefully have time to do other fics alongside this series. See you guys tomorrow. Peace out!