Even without eye contact, the direct look makes him stiffen up. His mouth presses into a line, but he doesn't pull away. Instead, absently, he toys with a little bit of his silver fur, as if that explains some of it. It doesn't. But the fact that their hair colors are similar has not escaped his notice.

"Because my hunch was - and still is - that you're trustworthy enough to to lead me into a bathroom. And, secondly, if I felt you were a threat, I would have already tried to dominate you before walking away."

Absently, he taps at his throat.

"My words can have power. If need be, I can make some people do whatever I tell them to." A beat.

"I have not done such a thing to you. Although you only have my word."

It isn't that he doesn't recognize the tenderness. It's more--

"...I could argue you deserve better than me. Someone you-- you can look in the eye, safely, while indulging in intimacy."

His ears pin further into his hair.

"If you try to take my mask off, you'll probably drop to the floor and have to struggle not to choke on your own spit. All while fighting feelings of panic that won't cease until I put this mask back on. And if I can't, I could accidentally kill you."