Bruce could not handle Dick’s level of need for physical affection when he first came to the manor.
It genuinely made his skin tingle with how much he was being touched
He had to gently sit the small boy down and explain he wasn’t used to being touched so casually all the time, and it was overwhelming him, not in a good way at all
Dick was disappointed but unsurprised, given Bruce’s entire deposition. It was a hard adjustment. He loved being touched and was used to being touchy with his parents, but the last thing he wanted to do was make Bruce uncomfortable and push him into a meltdown from being overwhelmed
But, there was one thing Bruce would do that Dick fucking loved
Whenever Bruce still wanted to show him affection, but couldn’t deal with anything touching his body or his arms, he’d get in real close and smush his cheek and Dick’s. That was it, so simple. And it was the most wonderful thing in the world
It never failed to make Dick giggle in delight
He would come up to Bruce when he was working on the Batcomputer and nuzzle their cheeks together before cartwheeling off, happy that no matter what, Bruce would allow this kind of touch
As they grew up, as most things do, they stopped doing it so often until it was pushed aside. Bruce got used to other kinds of affection, and DIck was a lot more used to that
Then, they had their falling outs, their busy schedules, and just life in general getting in the way.
Dick can admit to himself that he sometimes misses their cheek nuzzles, but he doesn't think Bruce even remembers doing it
But as they grow older and there are more kids, Bruce allows himself to get help. Not only in the field, but also in mental health help. He’s learning how to be more affectionate after years of pushing it away due to repeated trauma and express himself in different ways
And the first thing he does when Dick comes over for family dinner, uncaring of everyone sitting at the table waiting for them, is smush his cheek against his oldest baby and nuzzle his cheek before casually ambling away to his seat
Dick is delighted, and everyone else is confused because this was a Dick and Bruce thing. He didn’t do it with any of his other children
Dick does give Bruce the go-ahead after the others guilt him, but Bruce does it with Dick the most out of everyone. That’s his first baby, and the one who pushed him to be better
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