"Oh!" Caleb let go of Essek to take the cat statuette into his hands. He held it up and could not stop the smile that spread over his face. It was an adorable variation on sending stones, clearly designed with care and a personal touch. "Essek..."

He stroked his fingers tenderly over the cheeks of the stone cat like one would pet a real cat. "I will treasure this. Always." He paused to laugh at himself. "And I would love to hear how you combined a cantrip with Tethered Essence. One would think the more powerful spell would overwhelm the other and make the whole enchantment unstable."

His mind was already working through how he might manage the same thing as he brought the little cat stone over to the desk in the room and set it right at the stop in the center. His first urge was to put it by his bedside but that was foolish when the man himself was in the room. He didn't need a reminder of Essek watching over him when the man was right there.

Caleb walked back towards Essek also thinking about what sort of gift he would give Essek in return. Perhaps a pair of journals where the writing in one would show up in the other so they could theorize all the time together? He was thinking of that when he took Essek's face in his hands and kissed him slowly.

"I love you," he murmured, a giddy rush going through him with the words.