Caleb's delight in his ears would have been enough for Caduceus to absolutely encourage his exploration even if the two of them hadn't become as close as they had. He was absolutely certain of that. How could he possibly resist giving someone that amount of joy?
"I'll have to build up to grabbing parts of you," he admitted at length, still smiling at the way his ear was twitching and moving under Caleb's touch. "It's different when we're tangled up together in bed, but outside of it-" Caduceus paused, thinking over the words, eyes closing again whilst he enjoyed the gentle fingers through his hair and around his ears. He hummed, pleased at the change of position and how close it brought them. And it gave him ample opportunity to demonstrate what he was talking about, letting his own touch drift down and around to cup Caleb's ass in his hands.
Once again he hummed, the gentle drag of nails on his ears making a shiver run through him. Caduceus' eyes opened slowly, still mostly half-lidded, his smile lazy and pleased. "We are, yes," he agreed. Mates felt right, but it also felt like a lot so soon. There was an enormity, a finality to that word that he didn't think he could properly convey right now. "That's why you're allowed to touch wherever you want. And you give me everything I could desire, Bren. I want you to know that everything I do for you gives me pleasure. Being able to take care of you gives me pleasure. The exchange is equal in my eyes."
There was another pause, but Caduceus kept his eyes on Caleb's the whole time, still smiling, just letting his brain work through what he wanted to say.
"You're very good to me, you're very good for me," he started. "When you say I can grab anything I want," Caduceus continued, his hands groping Caleb's ass as he spoke. "It seems like a very possessive thing to do. To have the power to move you, pull you to me, push you...onto the bed." His voice shook just slightly, the tiniest quiver in it. "Is that what you want? Is that something you'd be okay with? You are my equal in everything we do, I will never think otherwise. But I like-" His hands squeezed Caleb's ass again, hard enough to draw their bodies closer. His heart was hammering in his chest and he wondered if Caleb could feel that, too. "-I like how well behaved you are for me. I like you belonging to me. You're such a good boy, Bren."
He needed to know it was alright, that they were both on the same page, that his desires were matched by the man he loved. Caduceus ghosted his lips across Caleb's jaw, then over the other man's mouth. "Whatever you tell me is fine, no wrong answers."