the rest is confetti

Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.” I agree with the second part.

like, in fanon AND canon.

He only makes sense as a character if he has a very strong sense-of-self and firmly believes that Bruce loved him before he died.

Because Jason came back and not only did he believe that Bruce would love him enough to kill the Joker, he was furious when he found out he didn't! His belief that the little boy he was deserved to be avenged was the driving force of his returning arc, and he believed that Bruce should have loved him enough to do it!!

Only after the completion of Under the Red Hood does self-doubt start to creep in. Not about whether the boy he was deserved love, mind you. That immutable fact sits at the heart of his character, even now.

No, what Jason begins to fear is that there is no love left in the world for the man he has become. That he burned it all up in his return, and none of that love exists for him anymore. Bruce still quietly mourning Jason's death even now that he's back only compounds this.

And it just makes him angrier, it just makes him sick and angry and more determined. It just commits him further to his cause because this PROVES the only thing he ever could depend on was his own heart. His own sense of right and wrong.

He hates Batman so much it makes his chest ache.

So really, Bruce can love and miss baby Jason all he wants, but he's not getting the actual, living Jason back until he can process that grief and love Jason for who he is now.

But Bruce can't let go of his grief because it's the retraumatization of losing his parents all over again. The complete loss of control. The inability to fix it even 30 years and a lifetime of training later. So he just shuts down. Shuts Jason out and weaves that grief into the heart of himself to drive him. And looks through him. Doesn't see him. Doesn't dare love him.