"I don't remember," Barnaby says tightly, his hand curling over the scar on his side, such a small thing and yet... "I don't—"

With anyone else, he would have to make something up or brush it off, hide the fact that he has so many moments like this, ones that leave him feeling unsettled in his own skin and distrustful of his own memories.

But Kotetsu only nods, an understanding look in his eyes, and slides his arm around Barnaby's shoulders to pull him close, anchoring him in the present just like he always does.