The moment that Essek was pulled into those arms, he went willingly. The kiss in the grove had been a sweet gentle thing, as soft as the burgeoning emotions between them- tasting of uncertain hope and relief, of a tiny ember with the encouragement of growing into itself patiently. With what had been shared in the Grove, it was a kiss to reflect the emotions of the moment perfectly.

Conversely this kiss, it stole the very breath from his lungs with it. It was like the spice of warm apples, of an autumn's evening spent in front of a hearth fire, and it caused warmth to surge through him irrevocably. It was hard to leave that kiss and he attempted to follow it as much as was possible, and when Caleb's lips pulled away and his eyes opened so that he could look into those eyes whereupon Caleb would see that what glowed there was an abiding sort of love; the first time he'd ever felt such an emotion.

And it was offered like the most precious of pearls to the other Wizard.

"I am in love with you, Caleb. And it's only grown stronger; I know this because I do not feel these things easily." Essek knew they could make this work, the two of them. Despite whatever outside forces pushed and pulled. "I feel your lips and I feel like it is home to me, your arms are home to me and I did not realize it until you held me for the first time."