Akio's apparent determination to take on the blame for this situation was made clear to him through the other's body language, the way his dismissively claimed to have things to both apologize and be grateful for. Here he was, a captive, and he felt thankful to Dorian? The thought burned a hole through Dorian's insides, the twinge of pain causing a searing feeling in his gut. He rubbed it absent-mindedly as if it were a physical wound as his eyebrows drew together. Biting his bottom lip for a moment as Akio spoke, brining up court, the pain reared its head once more, but only stronger this time. If someone were going to harm him in court tomorrow, Akio was requesting that it be him.

Dorian, admittedly, had been thinking similarly. If Byakuya were to be the one to stand beside Akio in court, he would be surrounded by those that wished ill of him. The general may strive to completely break him, hollow him out as he had Thomas during a trial. Dorian had watched the horror complacently then, only feeling mild disgust, but not he felt so strongly against the idea that it made him feel rather ill to think of. Why would it matter who harmed him, in any case? Dorian knew. He wished him safe, and would know when the pain had gone too far. As Akio reasoned, it would dispel any questions they may have over Dorian's actions today. Yet, even as Dorian had seen this prospect as mutually beneficial in its own dark way, that Akio only reasoned that it was for his sake made his stomach slip into a dangerous knot. His jaw clenched unpleasantly, his gaze lowering itself with the darker edge as he retreated into the horror that was his picturing the court tomorrow.

Cringing at this very brief mental image, Dorian shook his head. Cursing under his breath, he found himself backing away from Akio as his eyes closed in frustration. Pacing for a moment of silence, a low grunt of frustration left him as he paused mid-step abruptly. When his gaze rose again to Akio, it had shed all curiosity, all darkness. Instead, sadness lingered there as he looked over the other's form. "You will not sleep in the dungeons." He stated first, finding it the most obvious to say. Sighing softly from there, one of his hands rose to his face troubledly as he touched his brow briefly before running it up through his hair. "I, well,... You..." He murmured quietly, stumbling across words before he just let his thinking go. Speaking came more easily to him when he could do so without being so careful with words.

Dorian let himself say what was on his mind. Clearing his throat a little, he lowered his gaze again to start anew with a stronger voice. "I do not wish to see you harmed, or conflicted, either. If it were possible to find you safety elsewhere, I... may consider it." He admitted, rubbing his cheek thoughtfully. "As it is, this appears to be our best option. I have already arranged it so that I will be the one to..." He couldn't manage those words, they were of a different sort. They were dark, thought-provoking, and Dorian as he was now was a troubled, warm young man. His demonic side was lost to him as he stood before Akio simply trying to sort himself out. Lifting his gaze finally to look over at Akio, a mixture of determination and curiosity there as he considered his feelings. "I will be the one handling you during the interrogation tomorrow. That way, I thought to ensure you the smoothest trial possible. Free of Byakuya's torment, in the least..."

The words were not quite as bluntly telling of his thoughts and he may have liked, but they were a clear enough start for him. Dorian's words were genuine, firmly spoken but soft in tone as he tried to convey the trouble he saw with this position. Stepping forward towards Akio again now, he hesitantly raised one of his hands towards him, having half a mind to let it fall, but it was too far now to do so. It gently brushed the other's cheek, fingers running gently along the smooth skin there. A halfhearted grin slid along his lips, apologetic as he looked over Akio. "The clothing they chose for you, it suits you nicely." He took the moment to comment, not wishing to alter the subject to it per se, but only now feeling able to say so.