#dick literally doesnt even imply a smile... not even the barest hint

[bluegarners]

dick does not muster one smile during the conversation where bruce gives him all the reasons he never adopted dick. even him saying "Thanks, Bruce. Really." just reads as so flat after bruce tells dick he's proud of him, that he could've never loved a son more even though he never adopted him. like, i dont subscribe to the idea that you can only be family by name or blood, and that some little piece of paper doesn't make you someone's family regardless of feelings, but. bruce totally couldve. and the reasons he gave dick amounted to "i was young and too busy to adopt you" and it's like well no wonder dick doesn't even crack a smile throughout that conversation. he was with bruce for near a decade and never got adopted, and then once dick leaves, bruce does try to make the time and even legal proceedings to adopt jason almost right after meeting him even though things never really died down. the only thing that changed was that bruce had a little more experience and wow i cant even imagine how much that stung to hear that and then make a toast to the new family each of them now carry on, which just so happens to not include the other