It is kind of amazing to me how strongly social conventions, heteronormativity, and amanormativity have such a strong hold on people that even a relationship between a canonically polyamorous man and a demiromantic/demisexual elf who will outlive him by centuries doesn't shake away the specific construct of marriage being the "ultimate perfect idealized romance everyone desires/deserves/wants" idea to some.
Liam says Essek and Caleb never marry, and some people find that disappointing because, I don't know, we're told marriage is the end-all-be-all of a longterm relationship of any kind. Or they'll only accept this by saying they're married in spirit/unofficially because their unconventional approach to romance feels lacking without calling each other their spouses regardless (when they do not refer to each other as such in canon).
Liam says that at some point they "break up," but they remain very close for the rest of Caleb's life. And this is somehow... unsatisfying? Like friendship is a downgrade? As if friendship, or any platonic relationship, is a Specific Thing just like marriage looks and behaves like a Specific Thing (despite the fact that friends can kiss, or possibly share a living space, or do anything a romantic relationship traditionally does and have it still not be inherently romantic). Some think it's stupid because it feels meaningless, but even if shadowgast decided to change up their boundaries near the end of Caleb's life (which they would inevitably have to do this at some point when his health starts to deteriorate) it doesn't suddenly mean Essek can't help take care of him or anything. And they used to be romantic, so their relationship will always have a little bit of that.
Circumstances out of their control, Caleb's polyamory (even if he never gets with anyone else other than Essek), and Essek being aspec makes their relationship very unconventional and dubiously queerplatonic in nature. And somehow the end result of that is... less valuable in the long run? How? Why? Why would a polyamorous man or someone who is aspec subscribe to those social beliefs and systematic structures anyway??? Genuinely?
They don't need to be married to know they love each other. I personally think marriage is the disservice and less valuable direction to take their characters. Why would they ever get married? Why would you think they need to?
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