Caduceus had known they wouldn’t finish all of their meals in one sitting, and though the tins with their heating charm were keeping everything warm, he had anticipated they’d be...distracted. That was probably the right word. Mostly because when they were close they tended to always start touching, even just petting and holding hands, and it didn’t lead to high productivity. The two of them having their own hobbies away from their bed was a good thing in a way.
He moved his own plate to the table, balancing it with the soup bowls and making space for Caleb against him. His arms wound gently around his wizard, one to the small of his back to keep him there, to encourage his closeness, the other staying pressed to the nape of Caleb’s neck. Turning, Caduceus pressed a kiss to the soft hair beneath his nose. If Caleb was an emotional sponge then Caduceus had an endless reservoir to give him. He would happily sit for hours and stroke his hair, or tell him how wonderful he was, because Caduceus believed it with all of his heart and would never grow tired of expressing it.
“You are mine,” he reaffirmed. “And I’m so happy. I’m happy you feel comfortable coming to me like this, Caleb. I’m so glad you know you can hug me whenever you need to or want to.” That had never been a thing they’d done in their other life. Hugging and Caleb hadn’t seemed to be a thing available to anyone aside from Veth. “This is very good. You’re very good. You’re doing so well.” Caduceus looked down at Caleb, smiling affectionately at him.
A shiver ran through him when the other man found the patch of skin, well, sought it out with clear intent was more accurate, but there were no complaints. Quite the opposite as Caleb’s face pressed against his chest and he could feel him draw in a breath. His grip on the back of Caleb’s head increased, wanting to know how welcome he was to rest here, to breathe, to take what he needed.
They could just spend the rest of the evening this way. Caduceus could think of nothing better. But he really did want Caleb to try the Zemnian tart, just so he could improve on it later. And also because he thought it might please Caleb.
Shifting, he cupped Caleb’s face gently and eased him back from his chest, settling him not too far. Never too far.
“I want you to do one little thing for me,” Caduceus said quietly but firmly, his hand still on Caleb’s cheek, thumb stroking over his cheek bone whilst his free hand opened his robe properly, leaving him bare all the way down. “And then we can cuddle. Okay, Caleb?”
He leant forward, reaching for the one untouched pie and a fork, settling back against the pillows as he chose which part of the dessert to offer, carefully spearing a small mouthful with a good amount of crust and filling.
“Open your mouth,” Caduceus continued, tone unchanged, his eyes locked on Caleb’s as he fed him the pie. “I want you to tell me if you like it. And I’d like you to tell me if you’d like anything changed. There are no wrong answers.”