Something something something, Bruce gets gravelly injured somewhere in Red Hood territory and he finds him and freaks out and brings him to the Cave and threatens Dick and Alfred to save him now.
And Dick has some words to say.
"What?" Jason growled, sick and tired of the side long glances Dick kept throwing him, the furrow between his brows and the searching- detective- face he had on.
“No, no, it's nothing.” Dick said with a shrug. “Just… didn't know you cared. That’s all.”
“Well I fuckin’ do, alright?" Jason snapped, ignoring Dick's look and fixing the way the blanket was tucked around Bruce on the bed. His voice was too hoarse for his own liking. "So just back off.” He muttered gruffly.
Jason blinked in surprise. “No?”
“No.” Dick repeated. “No I will not back off. Because this is my Dad we’re talking about and you have given him hell for the past few months that you’ve been back and it is killing him, but now- now when he’s physically hurt and it’s- for once- not your fault, you suddenly decide to forgive him and show up for him.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “So no. I will not back off. Not when, for maybe the first time, I am truly confident in the fact that Bruce is in the right.”
Jason stumbled back as though struck, but anger was already building, blocking out his guilt, steadying his footing. “You think he’s right?” He screamed. “He replaced me! He didn’t even last a few months-”
“Bruce loved you!” Dick roared. “He loved you more than anyone! More than he loved me.”
And there it was. He’d finally said it.
Jason scoffed. “Yeah right, Golden Boy. Bruce’s head is shoved so far up your ass you can brush his teeth for him-”
“He never adopted me.” Dick said darkly.
“He took one look at you and went ‘I want that boy to be my son. I want to be his father. I’m ready to be a father, for him.’” He shook his head, turning away.
“I was only ever his ward.”