There was a moment, a long, breathless moment, where their foreheads touched and where Caleb was sure, he was very sure, he could have kissed him again. There had been so many moments that he had thought of kissing Essek, and this was closer to those than Essek's arrival had been, but it still wasn't--

No, this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Him damaged and hurting, sitting in cooling water with his blood diluted through it, Essek lingering like this was the last time it might ever happen.

He touched Essek's arm gently, slowly, from his elbow to his shoulder, until he could cup the back of the drow's neck.

"You have to move if I am to get out," he pointed out gently. As if he was helping with that, keeping Essek close.