In the moments of silence that passed between the two of them, Dorian's eyes patiently fixated on Akio's expression, unsure of what to expect of an answer. His facial expression had smoothed into a sort of calm, casual again as he most always was, but in a sense that lacked his more typical sinister agenda. He curious of the reaction he'd just had to the other's decision to leave in a manner that startled him inwardly, but a part of it also felt distantly familiar. It felt almost as if it had been a part of some dream he'd had some time long ago. What were these familiar notions coming to him, the warmth drawing in his chest as the other man smiled? He hadn't allowed himself the time to think further on it, afraid of cracking once more.

Instead, he allowed himself to simply act on whims. Dorian was so used to calculated behavior, to reeling in the reactions he wished for, so this was quite a different method of interacting with someone. "I suppose so." He replied simply to the first words from him, not wishing to think on those in particular, though the next set were some he could settle his mind on. Books were something he was comfortable with, completely. "I look forward to your thoughts on it." Dorian spoke with more feeling this time, a grin curling up along his lips as he looked curiously over the man standing beside him. Whether he was showing a favorable reaction to his sort of apology or just being polite, Dorian was unsure. It needn't matter, though. He could not seriously care for what a human thought.

Even so, as he heard the other say he'd like to hear his playing, the gleam in his eye visibly brightened. "You would?" He replied at first, taken back, but then scolded himself for verbalizing his surprise as he casually joined the other at the piano. "I don't mind having an audience. It's been a nearly two centuries since I've played for another." He instead replied as a correction to his earlier doubt. It was still a rather open statement to make, but Dorian hadn't put stock into it as the words left him. He sat beside the other man on the piano stool, minding a casual distance, but still painfully aware of the proximity he was now in to Akio. This made him thankful for the subject change as Akio mentioned his mother, albeit that appeared to be a sensitive one.

His golden gaze swayed from the sheet music to the other's form, grin dissipating as he tried to conjure a response. Prodding him about the sadder details of her apparent passing came to mind nearly immediately, but he shook his head once to cast it out of his mind. That would not do to keeping this peace between them. He would have to be more creative. "Do you not play any longer?" He questioned, words careful as he didn't want to approach a touchy topic. Dorian could always save that for later, he inwardly mused. The dark voice curled contentedly inside his head, but the more human side of Dorian tugged at instead the aspect of getting to know Akio. What a silly endeavor.

Carefully his hands found the first keys he was to play, hovering above them for a quiet moment before gently pressing them down in a coordinated manner, his fingers beginning to slowly trail along the keys in a learned manner. This was a piece he'd played before, though his eyes yet skimmed the music to ensure he missed no notes of what was one of his favorites pieces to dawdle in in his spare time. He found himself forgetting the other's presence, though the determination to perform well was still present in his careful finger strokes of the keys. While he sat with good posture, Dorian allowed himself to slip into a relaxed ease as he played, calmed to a peaceful state where he was not quite so worried over himself. He held no painful memories in the piano, no resentment, and it did little to remind him of their present situation. In a way, it was the perfect instrument of drawing himself out of a shell he wasn't always aware of.

As the piece came to a close, Dorian calmly lifted his gaze from the music to shift to Akio, a peaceful smile lining his lips. "I suppose I'm a sucker, for liking such a thing?" He spoke in something of a playful manner, though the tone was altogether light this time around. His eyes were held wider, like a boy's, as he awaited some sort of reaction.