Percy needs to keep a list of everything he wants to praise Essek for later. His husband certainly deserves it, and maybe Essek already knows that, but he'll do it anyway. Those elegant fingers leave his hair to rest instead on the swell of Essek's belly and Percival has to resist the urge to touch him.

"You," he answers, and perhaps that is too honest and too quick, but he could say nothing else and if he is to be proving his worth to Essek one way or another, shouldn't his husband know that he is desired? Percy swallows and tries to clear his head from the haze of arousal.

"Your approval," he adds. "I want to do whatever it is that will make you see my worth to you."

There's a light in Percy's eyes, the same he gets when he's looking at a puzzle or something else that needs to be overcome. He wants to prove himself and he is quite determined to do whatever that takes.