Reflective Detective One Shots!

Body

[Warning! Mentions of body issues, general stress and angst! Please proceed with caution!]

Rodger sighed. Today had been surprisingly quiet. Not in the usual sense, where he'd be doing his work and simply be left to do it in silence. No, this was different. Rodger had taken a day off, Glisten knew that. But Rodger hadn't seen Glisten once that day. Usually, Glisten would be out and about, trailing after Rodger to talk about whatever crossed his mind, to cuddle, to ask him for his input on the little designs he'd throw together.

Today, Glisten was nowhere to be seen. He'd seen the mirror toon in the morning, of course, though he was uncharacteristically silent. Rodger looked at the clock, 6 PM. He couldn't resist anymore. He hoped Glisten just wanted some alone time, but there was an itching stress in his mind that he couldn't shake. Rodger stood from his chair, making his way out of his office and towards Glisten's room. Rodger knocked carefully.

The detective could hear the sniffling behind the door, followed by the moving of sheets, then footsteps, and finally, the lock clicking open. Rodger pushed it open, seeing Glisten standing there. Glisten was wearing a simple T-shirt, one of Rodger's if the cringe worthy graphic design had anything to say about it. Glisten was also wearing a pair of sweatpants. Overall, not his usual style, which only served as an extra cause of concern.

"Dear, I haven't seen you much today. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No..." Glisten mumbled, wiping his eyes. The puffy lids and running mascara made it obvious that Glisten had been crying. Rodger nodded, he didn't want to push Glisten too much. Even if his detective instincts told him to question, he knew it wouldn't help any.

"Do you want to cuddle?" Rodger offered. Glisten nodded slowly, making his way back to the bed and flopping down on the mattress. Rodger followed, climbing onto the mattress to sit with his back against the headboard. He watched Glisten crawl on top of him, burying his face in the crook of Rodger's neck. It wasn't long before Rodger could hear his lover crying once again.

Rodger watched Glisten, seeing the mirror toon clutch his shirt with a desperation that was unlike anything he'd seen in another toon. Rodger wrapped one arm around Glisten, holding him before his freehand moved to rub his shoulders. Glisten seemed to feel a bit calmer at the hold, as his cries quieted when he noticed it.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong, my dear? I don't like seeing you upset, I want you to feel safe and happy."

Glisten was silent for a moment, shaking his head for a few minutes. Rodger was ready to drop the questioning, until he felt Glisten shift on his chest, pulling his head back to stare at the wall.

"I don't like my body. I don't... I don't like how it looks, how it feels. I look too much like a woman, I look too much like something I'm not. I want to just dig my nails under my skin and pull it off!"

Glisten put his hands over his face, clutching the frame of his head with a frustrated sob. Rodger paused, unsure of how to proceed. He'd never had to comfort anyone through something like this, but he was going to try his best. Rodger took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Dear, I think you look perfect. You're a handsome man, you always will be. I love you, no matter what you look like. We know you're a man, we'd never try to call you something else."

"I still hate it! I can't keep going like this! I want to look like you, I wish I could. I can't. I can barely manage to be masculine like this!  This isn't my body, Rodger! I don't want it to be!"

"Glisten, dear, look at me. I'm not sure exactly how to help, but I know this. In my eye, you will always be a man, so long as that is what you call yourself. You always have been, you always will be. You're my sweet, handsome man. I promise I'll try and find a way to help you feel more comfortable in your skin."

"Okay," Glisten whispered. The words didn't help much, but they were enough to keep him from yelling at the ceiling. All the crying had exhausted Glisten, leading him to curl up on Rodger's chest silently. Rodger could tell Glisten was still struggling as the mirror toon drifted off to sleep, but he didn't say anything. He silently vowed that he would do his best, no matter what, to help Glisten feel comfortable in his skin again.