"Bu — Barnaby," Kotetsu murmurs, his nails digging uncomfortably against the back of his neck before he steps forward, closing the space between the two of them. He's never seen Barnaby like this. Doesn't know where to start, or how even to process the impossible gap between where he'd perceived their partnership to be and the reality of the young man in front of him, his normally broad shoulders bowed with clear uncertainty.

With a soft exhale, Kotetsu reaches up with his hand, threading his fingers comfortingly through Barnaby's hair. The strands are fine, even softer than Kotetsu anticipated, but he focuses instead on massaging the scalp and smoothing away the tension.

Barnaby seems to hold more of that in than most people Kotetsu's known.

"I guess this is what happens when I'm not there to watch over you, huh? All this talk about being deserving and proving yourself, the same standards you've always built for yourself. You're always your harshest critic, Barnaby," Kotetsu sighs, letting his fingers splay over the back of Barnaby's neck and pulling him closer. "I started thinking of you as family a long time ago, Barnaby. I couldn't have returned to the business without thinking of you at all. I just didn't think you ever wanted to return. I thought you really were... finding yourself."