I’m making it so clear and putting it out into the universe that caleb was 0.5 seconds away from confessing he’s in love with jester –– TO jester. and this isn’t just me reaching or whatever, the way he looked at her after all of that, and the way she looked at him, so clearly worried about him, going so far as to tell him not to feel guilty and take that on… I COULD LITERALLY SEE the thought in his head. and I’ve been in love before. I know how painful it is to want to tell someone, to have it there, on the edge of your tongue and not be able to say anything. I could see him thinking it, feeling it. not once, but twice, even. Again, when jester helps him with the manacles or whatever, he tells her that he has tried that 10 times before but only with her help did he manage. and he takes her hand. caleb, who after seeing her with fjord retreated almost entirely, takes her hand and allows himself this selfishness. 

god, I wish. I wish he would have said it. but I don’t doubt that caleb was afraid to say it, and more than that, was likely also thinking this wasn’t the time. 

but when caleb? when? you owe yourself –– and her –– honesty. before one of you dies next time. 

can’t stop thinking about how caleb’s love language is acts of service. how he shows how much he loves and cares about his friends through the things he does for them. through the countless identifys that he casts for any dumb or amazing thing they find. through the times he’s made sure that jester can go home to see her mama. through the construction of the tower and the insane amount of detail and thought and love that went into every room he built for them so that they would never be unsafe again. yasha’s terrarium, fjord’s map of the menagerie coast, cad’s firbolg-sized furniture, beau’s mirror, jester’s statue of her mama, nott’s little children room ––– the amount of consideration that went into every little detail is enough to make you cry. and then you come to his room: sparse and free of major detail. and what does this tell us? caleb widogast is generous with his energy and time, and he puts it all in for his friends, and never nearly enough for himself.