Obligatory Content Warning: The following story contains AGEPLAY between TWO CONSENTING ADULTS.  If this is offensive to you, DO NOT READ ON.  By reading beyond this point, you waive your right to be offended by my work, because YOU WERE WARNED.  For everyone who I haven't scared off... enjoy!

All characters appearing in this story belong to the commissioner.

Raindrops splattered against the windscreen as Orange guided his car through the narrow streets of the village.  It wasn’t a hard rain, just a few drops here and there.  Typical English weather.  At least the older part of the village was spread out.  Fewer pedestrians to try to dodge.

A smile crept across his muzzle as he pulled into the drive toward his home.  The cottage was set a little ways back from the road, so it had some measure of privacy.  Certainly moreso than some of the newer developments since industrialization.  Despite all of the time and expense the upkeep of the property had consumed, Orange wouldn’t trade it for the world.

He cut the engine as he pulled up outside the cottage.  The fox took a moment to relax in the warm car before facing the chilly, drizzly weather.  He sighed, then climbed out of the car.

As he walked toward the door, he glanced around the garden.  It definitely needed some care.  The weekend would be perfect for that work.  But right now, he needed to relax after a long day.  It took him but a moment to pass through the front door and make for the parlor.

Orange stretched out on the couch, his toes splaying as he extended his legs.  It seemed Vlakara was upstairs.  A grin spread across his muzzle as he began to imagine just what the demonic feline might have in store for him tonight.

A knock at the door tore the fox from his reverie.  With a groan, he stood, taking another moment to stretch before walking to the door.

To his surprise, he found two familiar red pandas standing at the front step.

“Well, hello there, Daria, Emily,” Orange said.

“Good evening, Orange,” Daria said.  The elder of the two red pandas smiled demurely at the fox.

Emily showed no such reservation.  She threw her arms around the fox, hugging him tight.  “Hi, Orange!”

The fox smiled and returned the hug.  He had known Emily’s mother for years, and he had babysat for her on more occasions than he could count.  It was still hard to believe that Emily had just turned eighteen.  The top of her head didn’t even approach his chin!

“Ah, Daria, right on time!”

Orange’s head whipped around as he heard Vlakara’s voice.  His jaw dropped.  The feline descending the stairs left him speechless.  She wore a stunning red evening dress that perfectly complemented the red of her paws.  The black fur of her arms, legs, and face stood in stark contrast to the red.

“Damn, Kara,” Orange said.

Kara grinned as she reached the bottom of the stairs, doing a quick twirl.  “Like it?  I just picked it up.”

“Marvelous as usual,” Orange said.

The feline beamed and gave the fox a quick peck on the cheek, then turned her attention to their guest.  “So, shall we go, Daria?”

“Of course,” the elder red panda replied.  “And thank you, Orange, for watching Emily.”

Well, that was a bit of a surprise.  He looked at Kara and raised an eyebrow.  The feline merely stuck her tongue out at him.  “Of course, Daria.  You know how well Emily and I get along.”

The younger red panda giggled and ran into the house, seating herself on the couch where Orange had been sitting mere moments before.  He had to chuckle at that.  Such a predictable girl.

“See?  I told you he wouldn’t mind,” Kara said.

“Of course I don’t mind,” Orange said.  “But, well… isn’t she a little old for a babysitter now?”

Daria blushed a little.  “She’s certainly old enough to look after herself, but she’s not the one I’m concerned about.”  She leaned in and lowered her voice.  “My ex-husband has been lurking around lately, and I don’t like the way he’s been eyeing her.  I’d feel much safer if she was with someone I can trust.”

A shiver ran down Orange’s spine.  He’d never been fond of Daria’s ex.  “Of course,” he said.

Kara leaned in and gave the fox a quick peck on the lips.  “We’ll be gone a few hours.  Just a girl’s night out.  I’m sure you two can find ways to entertain yourselves while we’re gone.”  She grinned as she slipped out the door.  The two females retreated down the walk and climbed into Daria’s car, and in moments they were gone.

The fox shut the door and sighed.  This wasn’t quite the evening he had planned, but he was determined to make the most of it.  He crossed the room and took a seat on the couch next to Emily, then grabbed the TV remote off the table.

“Well, guess it’s just you and me,” Orange said.

Emily grinned and kissed the fox’s cheek, then leaned against him.  “Mmhmm.  Just the two of us, aaaaaall night.”

Orange chuckled as he flicked on the TV.  “Let’s see if there’s anything good on the tellie, shall we?”

As he began browsing channels, the fox couldn’t help but to notice just how cuddly Emily was being.  Her paws roamed up and down his thighs.  Her head gradually got lower and lower down his chest, finally coming to rest in his lap.  He even noted that her gray sweater dress had begun to ride up, and the girl made no effort to tug it back down, even as a little hint of her panties began to show.  Emily had always been close to him, but this was starting to feel just a little TOO intimate.

His penis had just begun to respond to the teasing when the red panda abruptly sat up.  “I think I’m gonna take a shower,” she declared.  With a little giggle, the girl ran off, disappearing up the stairs.

Orange raised an eyebrow, watching the girl as she retreated upstairs.  Odd.  Very odd.

For a few minutes, the fox tried to focus on the TV.  Once the shower started up, though, his curiosity was piqued.  He shut off the TV and stood up.

What was he doing?  Before he consciously registered where his paws were leading him, he was at the top of the stairs.  From the top of the stairs, he could see into his bedroom, and the bathroom door inside.  Emily had left the door open.

Ever the gentleman, Orange walked toward the bathroom door, intent on closing the door.  That plan fell apart as he neared.  He paused outside the door, his ears picking up a very distinct sound, very nearly muffled by the sound of the water: moans.

His dick stirred in his sheath.  He held his breath and peeked around the doorway.

Emily’s form was obscured by the condensation on the shower door.  Despite the veil of water, though, it was pretty obvious what she was doing.  Orange could make out the girl’s paws working between her legs.  The little girl he’d babysat for years didn’t seem so little anymore.

He wrapped his paw around the doorknob and began to shut the door.  Then a word rode across the girl’s moans that stopped the fox dead in his tracks.

“Oh Orange.”

What, what?!  Was she fantasizing about him?!  Bloody hell, that was…

The fox bit his lip and released the doorknob.  He pressed against the wall, his muzzle still sticking around the corner.  His paws moved on autopilot, pulling down his fly and fishing out his manhood.  Might as well join her in fantasy land for a bit.

A soft groan slipped from his lips as he wrapped his paw around his shaft.  He watched the red panda through the shower door, allowing his imagination to paint in the details of her body.  He pictured the delicate curves of her hips, the supple lips of her vulva, the tiny peaks of her breasts.  Even though she was eighteen, with her slight build and modest bust, she could easily pass for eleven or twelve.  Such heavenly ages.

Without even realizing it, Orange shut his eyes, the better to let his mind fill in the details that the shower obscured.  It felt a little dirty to be fantasizing about Emily.  At the same time, though, it felt amazing, especially since the girl was just a few meters away fantasizing about him.

He got so wrapped up in his fantasy that he didn’t hear the shower stop.  Nor did he hear the shower door open.  He did, however, hear her voice.

“Hi, Orange.”

The fox’s eyes popped open.  He stared in horror as he saw the wet, naked red panda standing right next to him.  Caught, and with his dick in his paw, no less!

“Emily, I, uh,” he stuttered.  How was he to explain this?

The red panda merely giggled.  “My, my, what a big dick you’ve got,” she cooed.  “Looks like you could use a little help.”

Orange’s jaw dropped.  He found himself utterly speechless as Emily got down on her knees in front of him and took his tip into her muzzle.  Her tongue slipped under his foreskin, teasing his sensitive glans.

He released his shaft, instead grabbing onto Emily’s ears.  “Emily… we can’t,” he whispered.  But he made no effort to pull her off.  Her mouth felt too damn good.

She brought her paws to his groin.  One wrapped around his shaft, pumping it as she began to bob her muzzle along the top half of his shaft.  Her other paw fished out his balls, fondling those orbs as she worked his penis.  It was a little clumsy at first.  Clearly this was the girl’s first time fondling a real penis.  But for a first timer, she was learning quickly.

The fox finally gave up the pretense and relaxed.  He moaned as she suckled on his tip, her tongue swirling around the sensitive flesh of his glans.  Rockets of pleasure fired through his body as this young girl worked her mouth on his meat.

“Oh yes, Emily,” he hissed.  “G-good girl.  Give the shaft a few squeezes while you stroke it,” he instructed.

He moaned richly as her grip tightened on his shaft.  Yes, that was the ticket.  He began to rock his hips, holding onto the red panda’s ears as she explored his penis with her mouth and paw.  She was a natural at fellatio.

Seconds stretched into minutes as the Emily worked her muzzle and paw back and forth along his shaft.  She was unhurried, taking her sweet time exploring every inch of the fox’s malehood.  His gasps and moans guided her, the red panda drawing an erotic symphony from her first-ever lover.  Orange was in no position to argue, and the experience was too divine to rush along.

The fox’s knees trembled as he felt his orgasm approaching.  He released one of Emily’s ears, his paw flying to grab onto the door frame for support.

“E-emily,” he gasped.  “G-getting close…”

If the red panda heard him, she didn’t react.  Her paw and muzzle kept working his cock at that same sedate pace.  

He tried to warn her again, but his voice caught in his throat.  All that came out was a lusty moan.  His paws squeezed the woodwork as his cock erupted in the red panda’s muzzle, a geyser of semen filling her mouth.  Several bursts filled her mouth before she pulled back off his cock, but he wasn’t done yet.  Her paw held his shaft as it throbbed, his hips humping into her grip as he let loose his last few ropes of seed over her muzzle.

Just as quickly as his peak had snuck up on him, it was over.  Orange gaped, seeing the face of that little girl he used to watch drenched in his seed.  His cheeks flushed.  This cub he used to watch had just given him amazing head.

Of course, she wasn’t quite a cub anymore, despite her petite size.  And the giggle she let out was just the right mix of cute and sexy that he could hardly believe that his spent member was still deflating.

Without a word, Emily stood up.  Her tongue caught a little dribble of his cum running down the side of her muzzle before she shut the door.

The click of the knob brought Orange crashing back to earth.  He took a few steps back.  His heart beat hard against his chest, threatening to burst out at any moment.  The fox stared at the closed bathroom door, his lust-addled mind trying to make sense of the last few minutes.  He shook his head and tucked his flaccid member back into his trousers.  Maybe some TV would help him clear his head.

*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

Wasn’t this supposed to be the “golden age” of television?  You’d hardly know it from watching.  Derivative after derivative after derivative, and none of it the least bit entertaining.  Thank goodness for Netflix.

Curiously, he hadn’t heard much from Emily since their little encounter after her shower.  She’d probably found something in Vlakara’s room to occupy her.  The demon cat had quite an extensive collection of books, and he knew that she’d set Emily up with an account to access her PC, too.  She was probably amusing herself online with something or other, which was just fine by Orange.  Her absence gave him more time to think.

Three episodes of a mindless comedy passed at the fox contemplated what had just happened.  It was a curious situation.  Emily was certainly old enough to know what she wanted.  But then, wasn’t she here to keep her safe from precisely this?  Her mother had even not-so-subtly hinted that she was entrusting him with her daughter because of the lustful glares from her ex?  This had to be some sort of violation of her trust!

But Emily wanted it.  He hadn’t asked her to do what they did in the bedroom.  That was all on her initiative.  And she was a grown woman!  Well, “grown” may not be quite the right word.  She was considerably smaller than most girls her age.  But she was still eighteen!  That was old enough to decide for herself.  May not to make the best decisions — he could never be accused of being a wise teenager — but certainly competent, at the very least.

Bloody hell, why did she have to make things so complicated?

It wasn’t even fair to blame her for it.  After all, he’d pulled his dick out and started masturbating just outside the bathroom.  He’d even been fantasizing about her.  That was all on him.  And he was older, certainly larger, stronger.  He could have stopped it if he wanted to.  The trouble was, he DIDN’T want to.  If anything, he wanted it just as much as she did, perhaps even more so.

The strangest part of all was just how quickly it evolved to that point.  Orange had known Emily for years, been her babysitter for almost a decade.  He had watched that little girl grow up.  And yet it took so little to flip the switch, to change him from seeing her as that little girl he’d have tea parties with to a sexual being, a woman with desires the same as his.

“Hey, Orange.”

The fox flicked his ears but didn’t dare look around when he heard Emily’s voice.  He pretended to be engrossed in his show.

When she walked around in front of him, though, he couldn’t ignore her.  And damn, he didn’t want to!

Emily had gotten changed.  She was wearing a short light pink nightgown with little dark pink hearts on it.  He recognized it immediately as one of the nighties Vlakara would throw on when she made herself “smaller” for him.  But beyond just putting on the girly, childish thing, she’d done her hair up in braids and tied bows on the end.  She hadn’t done that since she was twelve!

“Can I join you?” Emily asked.

For a moment, Orange was speechless.  His eyes roamed over the girl’s body.  Oh, she could definitely pass for a girl far younger than her eighteen years.  He snapped out of his trance as her words finally reached his brain, and he blinked a few times.  

“Oh, uh… of course.”

The red panda cheered and clapped her paws, then skipped over to the couch and flopped down next to him.  She leaned heavily into his side, resting her head on his shoulder as she looked toward the TV.  “Whatcha watchin’?” she asked.

That was an excellent question.  The sudden appearance of that angelic little girl had wiped his memory.  “Just some show,” he said.  He grabbed the remote and brought his TV back to the Netflix menu.  “We can watch something else, if you like.”

Emily grinned and reached a paw over toward Orange’s, cupping hers over his paw holding the remote.  “Can I pick?” she asked.  She batted her eyelashes up at him and gave him the Puppy Dog Eyes.

Orange chuckled and squirmed a little in his seat.  “Of course you can, sweetie,” he whispered.  His grip loosened on the remote, and her paw plucked it from him.

There was something curious going on.  Emily hadn’t been this snuggly in years.  She’d been growing more independent of late.  They were still close, to be sure, but she had been maintaining  more physical distance on their visits.  Not that the fox was complaining, of course.  He adored this little girl, who, admittedly, it was harder to imagine as the eighteen year old she was.  Though the stirring in his sleep pants betrayed, at least to him, that maybe he didn’t WANT to think of her as eighteen…

The theme song of the show Emily selected brought him back to reality, at least for a moment.  He recognized it at once.  It was — wait, why she watching THIS?

“Thought you were too old for kid shows,” Orange whispered.

Emily looked up at him and put a finger to her lips.  “Shhhhh.  Our little secret.”  She winked, then turned her attention to the TV.

Come on, this couldn’t all be coincidental, right?  Emily wouldn’t be acting this way out of the blue.  He knew the girl far too well for that.  But he also knew that he couldn’t be too direct with her.  She’d open up on her schedule.  Might as well just enjoy it while it lasts.

With a soft, resigned sigh, Orange put an arm around the girl.  She nestled in closer, giggling every now and then at a joke or the antics on screen.

While she was preoccupied with her show, Orange’s eyes were elsewhere.  Gods, her body looked beautiful all dolled up like that.  The nightie wasn’t very long, just enough to cover what needed to be covered.  He could just see a hint of the hem of her panties peeking out from under the short garment.  Her legs were completely exposed, the beautiful red fur on full display.  While her breasts were still somewhat slight, they were enough to make noticeable bumps in the gown, and if he could get at just the right angle, he might even be able to sneak a quick peek down at th—

What was he doing?!  Wasn’t Emily staying with him to AVOID having an adult looking at her in just this way?  And here he was, sexualizing her while she was dressed up so young!

But then, hadn’t she blown him earlier?  Whether her mother liked it or not, she was a sexual being now, a grown woman, at least in certain respects.  And wouldn’t it be better for it to be a family friend rather than her own father?

“You’re a lot nicer than my daddy,” Emily said.

Orange shook his head, trying to banish the terrible thoughts and conflicting feelings.  “Oh am I, now?” he replied.

Emily nodded.  “He never buys me nice things, or lets me watch the shows I like, or hang out with my friends.”  She turned away from the TV to look at up Orange.  “But you’re cool,” she added, beaming up at him.

“I, uh, thanks?” Orange said.  Emily was up to something.  He just wasn’t sure what yet.

She moved on the couch, and climbed into his lap facing him.  The light from the TV gave her an almost angelic glow.  She rested her paws on his shoulders and settled her groin down against his.  He could feel the heat of her sex against his erection, only his sleep pants and her panties keeping them separate.

“You’ve always been like a father to me,” Emily whispered.  Her nose bumped his.  “Do you think maybe tonight… you could be my Daddy?”

“Emily…”

Orange shut his eyes and closed the last few centimeters between her mouth and his.  Her lips parted eagerly for him, and he pushed his tongue into her mouth.  Her arms snaked around his head as he found himself making out with the girl.  His arms wrapped around her, his paws cupping the delicate rises of her butt cheeks.

Emily moaned into the kiss.  Little paws entwined with Orange’s headfur, holding him close as her tongue danced with his in the warm cavern of her mouth.  Her hips ground against him, the girl practically humping against his shaft.

Their kiss lasted almost a full minute before Orange pulled back.  “Daddies shouldn’t kiss their little girls like this,” he whispered.

“But what if I want my Daddy to love me like this, hm?  What if I want Daddy to MAKE love with me?”

A shiver ran down Orange’s spine.  He opened his eyes and looked into hers.  There was a fire in them.  She may have been dressed like an innocent little cub, but her eyes were full of knowledge, and longing, and lust.  He grabbed Emily’s hips and pushed her back a little.

“Then Daddy has to make sure his sweetie is ready for him,” he said.  “Sit down next to me, and I’ll show my little girl how to be a woman.”

Emily gave him a girlish giggle, then climbed off his lap.  She grinned at Orange as he slid off the couch and got on his knees in front of her.  Her paws gripped the bottom of her nighty, preserving her modesty even as she spread her legs for her “daddy.”

“Whatcha gonna do, daddy?” Emily whispered.

Orange licked his lips and eased his paws up her legs.  “Well, my sweetie got to taste me earlier,” he began.  His fingers slipped up the sides of her nightgown and hooked in the waistband of her panties.  “So now I think it’s my turn to taste you!”

His eyes traveled down her front as he peeled her pants down her legs.  Her paws kept her nightgown held down, hiding her cunny from his prying eyes.  Gods, she was a sexy little tease.  The fox chuckled as he eased her undies past her knees, to her ankles, and finally over her feet.

He grinned as he lifted her undies to his face.  Light pink, thin cotton.  A wet spot on the front.  He pressed that moist circle to his nose and inhaled.  “Mmmmm… someone got excited just thinking about Daddy, didn’t she?” he cooed.

Emily blushed, but grinned down at him.  “Uh huh.  It feels really tingly down there, daddy.”  Her paws crept upwards, the red panda finally revealing her cunny to the fox.

The fox’s eyes locked right onto that special place.  His penis throbbed almost painfully in his sleep pants.  Her labia were shiny with moisture.  Her mound was a perfect little peach.  Again, he found himself astounded that this girl was actually eighteen.  She could SO pass for twelve.

“Am I pretty there, daddy?” Emily asked.

Orange chuckled and tossed aside her panties.  “My dear, you look good enough to eat!”  His paws flew forward, holding her legs wide open as he dove right in.

Tingles ran down his spine as his lips met hers.  He lapped eagerly at her folds, sampling her juices.  Gods, if arousal had a flavor, this was it.  She moaned as he traced his tongue around her labia.  He flicked his tongue against her clit, and got a shudder in response.

“Oh, daddy,” Emily moaned.

Oh gods.  Orange kept one paw on Emily’s hip as he reached down with his other to free his straining erection.  It took all his willpower not to start stroking it, but he knew that better things were coming.  His other paw returned to the girl’s legs as his tongue probed her folds, pushing between her folds and exploring the depths of her cavern.

She tasted delicious.  Her legs wrapped around his head.  He slid his paws around to squeeze her ass as he worked his tongue in and out of her sex.  His nose squirmed against her clit.  He could keep this up all night.

Little paws gripped his ears.  Orange found his head mashed into the girl’s groin.  Needy little thing.  Her moans were music to his ears as she rolled her hips against his face.

How long he kept that up, Orange couldn’t say.  But he knew it was time when her legs loosened around his head.  He grinned up at her, his face fur matted with her juices.  “Everything alright, baby girl?” he whispered.

“More than alright, daddy,” Emily cooed.  “I think… I think I’m ready for you.”

Orange grinned and crawled up, preparing to line up his cock with her pussy.  Emily shook her head and closed her legs.

“Sit down,” Emily directed.  “I wanna ride you, daddy.”

“Mmmm… whatever you want, princess,” Orange replied.

The fox climbed up and sat down on the couch.  His erection throbbed as Emily slipped back into his lap, straddling him.  He grabbed her hips and smiled up at her.

Emily leaned in and pressed her nose against Orange’s.  She wrapped one arm around his shoulders, hugging close.  Her other paw slipped down and grabbed onto the fox’s erection, guiding it to her moist sex.  Orange shuddered as he felt her wet labia against his glans.  The heat coming from her pussy was divine.

With a little grunt, Emily pushed herself down onto his shaft.  Orange arched his back as he felt two, three, four inches sinking into that warm, snug tunnel.  He squeezed her hips as she pushed herself down, his own responding to help push him a little deeper.

A gasp brought Orange to a halt.  “You okay, sweetie?” he whispered.

Emily nodded and panted.  “Uh huh… i-it’s just bigger’n I thought.  G-gotta go slower…”  She blushed and looked apologetically at the fox.

Orange grinned back at her and gave her a quick peck on the lips.  “It’s fine, baby.  Your pussy feels so damn good…”  He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.  Such closeness, the feel of her body against his and her pussy squeezing his cock… how could he be disappointed?

Her hips began rolling, working his cock back and forth inside her.  With each movement a little more sank inside, until the top of his knot kissed her labia.  Gods, her sex felt heavenly around him!  Instinct demanded that he claim her fast and hard, but he held that in check, letting her choose the pace and moving with her.

He slid his paws up her sides, drawing her nightgown up.  Emily giggled a little as his paws reached her armpits.  Those giggles quickly turned to moans when he leaned down and began to nibble one of her nipples.  He grinned as he teased that delicate little nub, the peak of what against her body was a very modest hill.

“Oh, daddy,” Emily whimpered.

“That’s my girl,” Orange cooed between nibbles.  He alternated from one breast to the other, his paws holding her clothing out of the way as he teased her.  

Her paws gripped his shoulders and squeezed tight, her claws scraping against his flesh beneath his fur.  The red panda’s body trembled atop him.  The walls of her sex rippled around his cock.

Emily’s paws slipped up, her arms wrapping around Orange’s head.  “D-daddy!  I-I’m gonna cum!” she cried.

Music to Orange’s ears.  “Cum for me, baby,” he whispered.  He brought his head up and pressed his lips against hers, his tongue pushing into her muzzle.

That seemed to do it.  Emily moaned into the kiss as she pushed herself down onto him, almost half of his knot pushing into the warm cavern of her flower.  He gripped her hips and pushed himself up the rest of the way just as she climaxed, the fox fully buried inside of her as her body shook through her peak.  Her pussy rippled around him, milking him for the seed her body craved.

Stars exploded in front of his eyes as his own climax hit.  His cock throbbed powerfully as he came inside her, filling her womb with his seed.  His knot swelled, keeping all of his offering deep inside the girl.  His hips bucked, helping to milk his cum deep inside of her, both their bodies urging him forward.

Their kiss broke with gasps from both furs.  They let loose a few last moans as they rode out the last waves of pleasure from their union.

Emily laid her head against Orange, panting heavily.  She nuzzled his cheek and hugged him tight, wrapping her legs around and under him to give him a full-bodied squeeze.  “Oh, daddy… that was amazing,” she whispered.

Orange squeezed the red panda girl’s ass.  “Holy hell, was it,” he panted.  A blinking light caught his eye.

“Oh shite,” Orange muttered.  He held onto Emily with one paw as he leaned forward and grabbed his phone from the table.  A text had come in while he and Emily had been ‘playing.’  A couple of swipes, and a grin spread across his muzzle.

“What is it?” Emily asked.

Orange set his phone back down, then kissed Emily’s forehead.  “Looks like Mommy’s gonna be out all night with Kara.  They’re getting a room at an inn on the other side of town for the night.”

The red panda grinned.  “Guess it’s just you and me, Daddy,” she whispered.

The fox smiled back.  He held onto Emily as he twisted around and laid down on the couch, holding the knotted girl on top of him.  “Indeed it does, princess.”

She nuzzled him, then looked up at him.  “Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

Orange pressed a finger to Emily’s muzzle, then whispered, “Only if you don’t tell Mommy.”  He looked into her eyes, then added, “We’re not going to be sleeping much tonight, are we?”

Emily merely smiled back and laid her head down on his chest.  Her eyes told him everything he needed to know.