Slowly coming awake, Harry's eyes fluttered open and he found himself smiling due to the warmth and comfort that surrounded him. Which was not hard for him to guess the cause of considering the night before and what had happened. And, as he looked around, the teen found that he was right about said cause, which was a cuddlepile.
To his amusement, he was laying on top of Miitake, who was cuddling him in her sleep with a happy smile on her face. Her arms were wrapped gently, but securely, around him and holding him close with his head pillowed on her chest. Off to one side, head on his shoulder, was Ishikari. The normally tsundere Battlecruiser softly smiling in her sleep as she clutched his arm to her chest. And on the opposite side, he could see Denryuu in a position that was a reflection of Ishikari's own, the Carrier also happily smiling in her sleep.
Of course, that left Ume and Sakura, both of whom were laying on top of Harry themselves, with Ishikari's and Denryuu's bodies bookending them.
Not for the first time in his life, Harry did wonder about how it was it was so comfortable cuddling like that in a cuddlepile. One would think that having two people on top of you who were larger and heavier would be uncomfortable. After all, neither Ume nor Sakura were petite girls compared to him. And both of them were a bit taller than he was as well.
Yet, somehow? It was both enjoyable and comfortable despite what one would think. More than once, the wizard wondered about that. But, as he always did in the end, he simply dismissed it as likely some form of magic. And one that he rather enjoyed as well.
Rather than focus on that, however, Harry just decided to enjoy the moment as the group laid in bed with one another, it still dim outside due to the Caldera wall blocking most of the rising Sun.
Eventually, however, the moment had to end and soon, he felt stirring both under and around him as the girls woke up. Seeing Ume and Sakura open their eyes at the same moment, Harry smiled at them, "Good morning, Ume-Chan, Sakura-Chan. Have a good sleep?"
Both girls nodded at that even as they hummed, "Hai, Harry-Chan, we have a very good sleep."
Leaning forward a little, Harry kissed them, which got him happy smiles, "That's good to hear."
Upon feeling a shift beside him, he turned to find a somewhat flustered Ishikari, who wouldn't meet his eyes, "Well, it was pretty nice, I guess. Though it isn't like I'm saying that to get a kiss or anything…" Chuckles escaping him, the wizard leaned over and gave her a kiss, which she returned happily before burying her face into his shoulders, "Wasn't asking for a kiss either…"
Grin on his face, the teenage boy fought back the urge to laugh, "I know."
Movement on his other side brought his attention to Denryuu, who looked at him with a happy smile and bright eyes before kissing him. As they pulled apart, she snuggled into his side some, "Would it be okay to just stay here for a little bit? Like this, I mean?" Placing her head on his shoulders the Carrier blushed a little, "It is kind of nice…"
A small blush on his cheeks, Harry nodded some, "Well… I'm not going to complain. Not since I love cuddling and, well, yeah."
When he glanced at the others, he noted that the Twins just smiled and nodded in agreement. Ishikari just huffed some and looked away, "W-well, I'm not about to say no, you know. I mean, not that cuddles aren't nice or anything, I don't really care…"
The body moving under him from giggles let Harry know that Miitake was also awake and fully aware even before she spoke up, "I don't mind, since this means more huggles!" Turning his head, Harry found her grinning down at him before it softened into a smile, "And I really like how this feels, you sleeping on top of me."
It took a bit of twisting to do so with Ume and Sakura on top of him, but Harry was able to kiss her which the genki Battlecruiser happily returned before they pulled apart. His next words caused her to flush some, "Well, it is pretty comfortable for me to be here."
More than a little flustered, the energetic shipgirl buried her face in his hair, though the wizard could feel her grin against his scalp, "Mm-hm."
However, as much as they enjoyed cuddling with one another in the bed (as well as kissing, something that they did a lot of), they did eventually have to get up. Sitting up in bed, Harry could not help but notice the various girls around him stretching some with various pops, hums, and soft groans coming from them as they did so. Of course, that also caused him to notice the sleeping clothes that they they were wearing. From the slightly loose sleeping Yukatas that the Twins were wearing, the button shirt that Denryuu wore that he had given her, the shirt and boy shorts combo for Ishikari… or the extra-large shirt that Miitake wore which stopped at her thighs and was red with a Gryffindor lion on it.
Needless to say, the teenage boy felt his cheeks grow hot.
Upon noticing how they had blushed some as well, he winced some before looking down, "Um, sorry about staring…"
Feeling the bed move, Harry looked up to find Denryuu there. Gentle look on her face, the Carrier moved until she was just over his lap before sitting down. Arms over his shoulders even as his hands go automatically to her hips, she smiled, "Harry-Chan, we're not angry." The already there blush on her cheeks deepen, "In fact… we liked it." Pausing for a moment, Denryuu gave him a shy smile, "I know that I like it."
When he glanced at her, Ishikari looked away, "Well, it isn't like she's wrong or anything. Since it's you and all…" Her cheeks reddened some as she glanced at him, "A-and, it isn't as if I mind or anything, what with how if I did, then I wouldn't wear this sort of thing around you…"
Sitting down on either side of him, Ume and Sakura smiled as they placed their hands on his arms, "Harry-Chan, we do not mind you looking. Partially because it is you that is the one doing the looking. But also because we know that we can trust you that you will not make us uncomfortable with both it and how you do it. That while you may enjoy it, you will only do it as long as we are okay with such. Hence… why we enjoy it as well."
Pout on her face, Miitake crossed her arms some and huffed, "Not fair… they already said most of what I was going to say…" Then, she smiled softly and shook her head as she tilted her head, "You've already seen us when we looked our worst, Harry-Chan, covered in rust and the like… and called us beautiful. So…" Her smile then became a grin as the Battlecruiser stretched her arms above her head, shirt riding up her thighs some as she arched her back which caused him to gulp a little, "We like it when you look at us when we're at our best, because… it makes us feel really good about things. That you enjoy seeing our hull lines."
Taking a deep breath, the wizard released it with a slow nod, "Thanks…" He then gave them all a slight grin with a small blush on his face, "And I do like seeing your hull lines."
Various smiles and small blushes met him at that before the girls got up off the bed which allowed Ishikari to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, "And we kind of like seeing yours."
Miitake, too, did the same, but as she turned, she missed the mischievous look on Harry's face. What she didn't miss, however, was when his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back, with the Battlecruiser falling into his lap with a squeak, "Eep! H-Harry-Chan!?"
Of course, moments later, she began blushing as Harry pulled her close, nuzzling her shoulder blades, "Sorry, just figured that you would want to have some huggles."
Unknown to him, the normally genki Battlecruiser was blushing extremely hard with steam coming from her ears. Her engineers, meanwhile, were watching her steam pressure go through the roof with some worry even as they released it. Then, with shaking hands, Miitake placed hers over his and gently gripped them even as she brightly smiled, a tear in the corner of her eye, "Hai… I always want huggles."
From the corner of her eye, she noted her sister give her a small, happy nod before Ishikari continued to get ready for the day ahead.
After a few minutes, Harry took a deep breath before releasing it, "Ishikari-Chan?" He turned towards her from where he was still holding the happy Miitake in his lap, side of his face pressed between the Battlecruiser's shoulder blades, "You know how you mentioned that you liked seeing, um, my own hull lines?"
Lightly blushing at that reminder, the Tsundere shipgirl glanced at her curious sister before nodding, "Well, yeah, I guess we do. I-I mean, it isn't like they're not nice or anything… Geez… bringing that up…"
With a small shrug, Harry chuckled some and shook his head, "Well… it reminded me of something that came up when I was getting ready to become an Animagus. I mean… I kind of wondered and so did Mum if, due to how my biological Mum was a shipgirl, if I could become one as a kind of… shipgirl-magus, I guess."
That made the Twins blink some and giggle, "A shipgirl-magus, Harry-Chan? We don't think that such a thing is even possible."
Just chuckling, Harry grinned back at them, "Well, what is Impossible but something that a Potter hasn't done yet?" That got some giggles from the two former Hitobashira before he shrugged, "But yeah… we sort of wondered about it before I became one. There are tales of some wizards and witches becoming things like centaurs and the like after all."
Now considering the question, Ume and Sakura shared a look of deep thought. Denryuu, meanwhile, sat down next to where Miitake was and looked at Harry, "… Would you have minded much? Becoming a shipgirl, I mean."
Head tilting back, the teenage wizard hummed, "Well… actually, no. I mean… It would mean that I could sail with you all into battle, even as your Admiral after all. Be at your side no matter what…"
Much to his surprise, Miitake chose that moment to twist around and place her arms over his shoulders, holding him close. Then, gently, she kissed him before pulling back after nearly a minute with tears in her eyes, "You already are, Harry-Chan. At our side no matter what, I mean."
When he glanced around at the others, Harry lightly blushed as they nodded with looks of agreement, "Thanks." After a few seconds, he gave a shrug, "Though not sure what sort of shipgirl I would have been if possible."
Nearly immediately, Ishikari answered, "Battleship, you would have been a Battleship for sure."
In their heads they had the image of a female version of Harry who, like the male version, had messy hair. But if was messy of the sort that made one want to run their hands through it. As well, said "Battleship" was tall and powerfully built with large… fuel tanks, and what had to be eighteen inch guns. Not to mention being a "Fast" Battleship with the long, toned legs.
Biting her lip at the thought, Denryuu shook her head some and poked her fingers together, "U-um… maybe a Carrier instead? I-I mean, he is good at flying, so…"
Within their minds eyes, the rigging changed from that of a Battleship, to that of a Carrier, with Harry having an English Longbow in his/her hands. Mostly in a uniform that was green, including tights showing off their legs.
Of course, that was when the Twins spoke up, "Or possibly, a combination like the Re-Class since we know there were such worked on. Like the Strike Cruisers of the Americans…"
Yet again, the image changed, merging the previous two into one… and causing blushes to deepen as they each imagined the shipgirl version of the wizard pulling them into a tight embrace, faces coming close…
Bemused, Harry could only watch as their faces went deep red, steam coming from their ears before he shook his head, 'I wonder if they're really…'
However, after nearly a minute, Miitake shook her head some and turned back towards him with a small smile on her face, "Well… you would make a great shipgirl, Harry-Chan, but… I'm glad that you're you." Giggles escaping her, she pulled him into a hug that found his face smooshed into her chest as she grinned, "Because it is so much easier to huggle you like this!"
Unable to help himself, he just chuckled at that and held her close even as he enjoyed her scent, which also included steel, seawater, and cordite. Once he was able to pull away, Harry looked up at her and smiled before pulling her in for a kiss. A kiss which deepened for a few moments before they pulled apart, "Thanks, Miitake-Chan. And I like the fact that we can huggle like this."
Very slowly blinking as her mind rebooted, Miitake grinned widely, "So do I~"
_____________________________________________________________________________
Pan hissing as he shifted frying mushrooms around, Harry hummed a little bit of a song as he cooked. Now in more normal clothes, mainly in the form of a sleeveless shirt and jeans, Ishikari leaned against the counter as she watched him work, "So you're making mushroom omelets?"
Glancing at her, Harry smiled a little bit, "Hai." Pausing for a moment, he glanced at the nearby plate which had chopped sausage and bacon on it, "Well, that and sausage and bacon omelets as well."
Only nodding at that, the Tsundere Battlecruiser looked at the others briefly before turning back to him, "I mean, it isn't a big deal or anything, but… well, how do you make them?" When he glanced at her, she flushed and looked away, "N-not that I really want to know or anything…"
Lips curling some, Harry gave her a nod as he fought back a chuckle, "Well, omelets are pretty good for breakfast as well as easy and quick compared to some things." He smiled as he tilted his head towards his side, "So, put on an apron and I'll show you how." Much to his amusement, Ishikari quickly did exactly that. Though to some surprise, as well as more amusement, she was joined by her sister, Denryuu, and the Twins. Lips twitching as he tried not to laugh, Harry still grinned a little, "You want to know as well?"
Thrusting her fist into the air, Miitake nodded, "Haaaai!" She then bounced a little on the balls of her feet, "Because this is both a way to spend time with you and to learn how to make some good food!"
Simply shaking his head at that, the wizard chuckled some and waited until they were all ready before he pulled the now cooked mushrooms off the burner, "Now, one of the big things to remember is that with omelets? There aren't really fillings that do go wrong with them. I know that some places use sweet foods, such as apples in them."
Head tilted to the side, Denryuu frowned a little bit, "I… don't know if I'd like one of those. I mean, it sounds odd?"
Just nodding at that, Harry gave her a quick smile as he reached for some eggs and a mixing bowl, "Hai, now, as I said, you can add a lot to an omelet depending on your taste. Something as simple as salt and pepper, or adding vegetables and meat. Now, to start off with… we need to whisk our eggs until they're nice and fluffy." Taking the egg, he cracked it over the rim of the metal mixing bowl, dropping the yolk and white into said bowl. After adding a few more, the teen took the egg beater and began to whisk the egg, "Now, some people will just do enough to mix the yolk and the whites, which is fine. But I go the extra mile."
Interested, Ume leaned over from the side she was on as she watched him rapidly whisk the egg with practiced ease. Part of her mused that she should have felt somewhat jealous, but she didn't because she knew Harry wasn't showing off. After a few minutes of whisking, she raised an eyebrow as the teenage boy slowed, "Hmm? You're done, Harry-Chan?"
A smile on his face, the wizard nodded, "Hai, want to know how I know that this will make a very fluffy egg?" Seeing the interested looks and nods, he dipped the egg beater into the beaten egg and pulled it as some threatened to drip off it, "Now watch…" After a few seconds, some drops of beaten egg from from the egg beater back into the rest of the egg as they others watched closely, "See how it takes a few moments for the droplets to merge with the rest of the egg? That tells you that the eggs are mixed fully and have enough air to make them especially fluffy."
Eyebrows raised, Ishikari glanced at Harry and got a nod as he handed her the whisk, which she dipped into the eggs and pulled out, watching some of the beaten eggs drip from it. Sure enough, for a moment or two, the drops sat on the surface of the egg before merging with the rest, "That… is pretty neat."
Chuckles escaping from him, Harry shot her a grin as she flushed a little, "Hai, it really is…" Gently placing the bowl to the side, he got the pan ready with some butter in it, "Back home, I use a cast iron pan for this, but… this will work well enough."
Once it was ready, the wizard lifted the bowl and poured some of the egg into the pan, which began to hiss. Before it really began to cook, he quickly grabbed some cut pieces of bacon, sausage, and mushrooms, dropping them into the egg along with a quick dash of salt and pepper. By the time he was done, Harry then took the spatula and folded the egg in half over what he had added, pressing down to more hisses.
Proceeding to flip the egg, he pressed down and continued to do this for a little while longer before sliding the now cooked omelet onto a plate, "And ta-daa! A bacon, sausage, and mushroom omelet, ready to be eaten!" At their wide eyes, he nodded at it, "Go ahead and have some."
Quickly grabbing a knife and fork, Miitake cut herself a piece and popped it into her mouth with a happy hum, "Mmm…" Then, she grinned and swallowed before hugging Harry some and kissing his cheek, "Delish~"
Lips twitching a little as the others each took a piece and nodded their agreement, Harry shook his head some and winked at them, "Let me just finish off the rest of the egg in the bowl and I'll help you make some yourselves, okay?"
That got him wide eyes and happy nods as they watched him continue to cook more omelets.
What followed was Harry taking each one of them and guiding them through the process. Often, he would press into their side, or reach around them to take their hands to help them learn the motions. Something that got blushes and smiles from the girls. Though part of the wizard had a suspicion that, at least in the case of Ume and Sakura, the two knew a lot about how to make one, they were just pretending not to.
It was a very happy group of one wizard, three shipgirls, and two Installations that sat down at the table to eat. As she happily dug into her omelet, which she had cooked with Harry's assistance, Miitake swallowed and smiled, "You know what makes this taste all the better?"
Swallowing her own bite, Ishikari blinked and looked over at her sister, "What? Huggles?"
Giggles escaping her, Miitake shook her head and pointed with her fork, "Not this time~" She then smiled and looked over at Harry, who blinked and flushed at her next words, "That we cooked this with you, Harry-Chan."
And, if anything, he became more bashful as the usually Tsundere Battlecruiser spoke up with a blush staining her cheeks, "I mean… I can't exactly deny that, I guess."
Looking down at the omelet on his own place, Harry chuckled a little, "I guess that's true…" He then shot them all a smile that caused them to be a bit flustered along with what he said next, "After all, cooking for people you care for, and with them, always makes food taste better."
Deep blush on her face, Ishikari looked away, "You don't have to say it like that, you know…"
Patting her lips clean of some crumbs, Sakura looked over at Harry, "Are you looking forward to the next few days, Harry-Chan?" When she saw him blink, she giggled a little even as she felt herself blush, "We are spending the weekend at the hot springs out on Hot Spring Island after all, remember?"
Upon remembering that fact, as well as how it meant that he would be spending the weekend with not just the girls around him, but Shinano and the others, Harry blushed, "Um, well… hai? I mean, I am really looking forward to it…"
Shy look on her own face, Denryuu gave him a nod, "So am I since, well… this is my first time to actual hot springs." There was a sparkle in her eyes as she turned towards him, "And I'm glad that the first time I go to one will be with you there."
Redness on his cheeks deepening, the wizard smiled back, "I'm happy to share that moment with you."
Not long after, they finished their breakfast, cleaned the dishes and the like, before sitting down on the back porch to let the food settle a bit. The fact that it also meant that they would get the chance to spend a bit more private time with Harry didn't even pass the minds of the girls. Not in the slightest.
Honest.
