This is a story that happened during our days living together. One of many, as I can tell.
It was an ordinary morning, during spring break, and prior to our move to the second year. It was a free and peaceful day, which we used to rest and do some household chores, like cleaning the floor, tidying things inside the refrigerator, washing clothes, etc. Since it was just the two of us, we divided the work to get it done faster. Thanks to the mutual understanding we had between us, it wasn't difficult to adapt to each other's pace.
By this time, Atsushi was cleaning the kitchen, while I was doing some of our laundry. I was in the laundry room taking out dirty clothes, dividing them by colors; the white clothes on one side, and the colored ones on the other; likewise, the ones that were prone to stain other clothes were placed apart. Then, I started to put our clothes in the washing machine, until I came to find two things; a shirt, and a underwear of Atsushi.
When I saw the underwear, the first thing that crossed my mind was how big it was, compared to the ones I used to wear -and still wear from time to time-. I kept being astonished at the size of it, as my mind started thinking stupid things that are not relevant, and that could make me look like a pervert. I shook my head, and put the it in the washing machine. Then we had the shirt, which was a simple black colored one. It was there to be washed, and that I was going to do; however, I could detect a smell coming from it, and I couldn't let it go. It was some sort of perfume, which had a somewhat pleasant fragrance, so I unconsciously began to sniff the shirt, in search of said scent.
I should ask him what perfume he uses... It smells really good.
I kept saying in my mind, until I realized what I was doing.
Wait, what the hell, why am I smelling his shirt?
In that process, another strange smell became present, which was, so to speak, Atsushi's "essence"; his scent.
... I feel like a pervert doing this. No, I really think I have become one.
I was saying to myself as I felt both fragrances enter my nostrils, and begin to consider whether I was really right in the head. For a moment I looked regretful of what I was doing, as a grimace formed on my face.
No, I should definitely stop doing this. Now... Now I feel weird.
I said blushing, and tried to pull my shirt down; however, at that moment, he appeared.
"..."
"... Ah!" I shrieked as I looked startled at the person in front of me, who looked confused, surprised, and somewhat disgusted.
"... What are you doing, Ry-...?"
Before he could even finish saying anything, I let out a scream that, most likely, was heard the length and breadth of the entire block we lived on.
"I-It's not what it looks like! This is a misunderstanding, don't get confused! I didn't mean to do that! No, no, noooooooooooo!"
I threw the clothes towards Atsushi, and ran in a panic from the place, going to do something else. I didn't even take the time to go back and finish what I was doing, due to embarrassment.
I went to the second floor to organize my room and my mother's room, as I didn't dare go into Atsushi's, especially after what happened. To all this, he just stood there, not knowing how to react. Sighing, he went to finish doing what he was supposed to, and then followed up on what I left half-done in the laundry room.
Later, when I had calmed down a bit, I went downstairs again; though, during this time, I was trying to avoid any eye contact with him. But when I went down to the first floor, Atsushi was nowhere to be found, so I assumed he was in the laundry room. Entering there, I was dumbfounded at what my eyes were seeing.
Atsushi was bent over taking clothes out of the dryer, and just as I walked in, he had a pair of women's underwear in his hands, which were mine. He was holding them carefully, though he seemed somewhat curious about it; or so I thought.
When he noticed my presence, he looked at me with the most indifferent look possible; and I, blushing at the sight of him holding something so personal in his hands, said to him:
"What do you think you're doing with that?!"
"Taking it out of the dryer."
"Ah, right."
"..." He looked somewhat serious, and looked at me with a very strange grimace to describe, until then I saw his face turn into something even weirder, and he said:
"Kyaah, it's not what it looks like. I'm not a pervert, kyaaah, kyaaah." -He said in a mocking but dry tone, almost as if he didn't mind teasing me, and threw my underwear towards me, just as I did before.
"..." Seeing that scene, the embarrassment completely passed me by, and my face showed total confusion.
... What the fuck just happened?
"... You..."
"See? You don't have to be so melodramatic. I don't have a problem holding your underwear either. I'm not that kind of guy to begin with." He was saying as he finished taking out the clothes, and took what he had thrown at me.
"A-Ah... Right..." I would say, trying to understand what had happened.
"If you understood, help me hang the clothes out."
"Ah, okay." I said, and helped him carry the basket with the freshly washed and dried clothes.
After that, we finished cleaning what was left of the house, as well as that curious day of the many we would live from now on.
Although I still had two doubts at that moment: what was that perfume Atsushi was wearing? And also, why did I start smelling his clothes in the first place? There were things I didn't understand about myself since the change happened; and now with Atsushi closer than ever, I felt even more confused than before.
Thinking about it, I didn't come up with an immediate answer to either of these two questions.
Although, subsequently, I did get the name of the perfume he used, and he bought me one just like it before I could.