Bruce cared.
Goddamnit, that's what everyone outside of the family never seemed to get. They tried to hide it with uncertain smiles, but they were worried.
Worried that the bat couldn't be a caretaker. Worried they were by his side against his will. Worried his emotional constipation would emotionally stunt their growth. Worried he pushed them to hard. Worried Batman didn't care.
But they were Wrong. Maybe not wrong to be worried, he could admit, but they were wrong. They chose this themselves. The Bat wasn't a caretaker, maybe The Bat didn't care. But Bruce did. Bruce had (somehow, miraculously) raised a perfectly well adjusted Son, and Bruce cared way too much. Perhaps he was a bit hard on them, pushed Tim too hard sometimes, but that was okay. Tim asked for it. Tim knew he was coping with Jason.
Tim knew that, underneath the blood and grit and shouting of training, there was a father terrified of seeing another kid (not another son, tim wasn't Bruce's, son, and that's fine) die for his cause.
But that was fine. More than fine, really. Tim had never been much cared for At All by the other adults in his life. Maybe it was some strange force that decided that someone had to care for him extra hard now since no one ever had before. Making up for lost time, or something. A misguided apology from whoever was in charge of making sure Tim was cared for but forgot to do so, by way of harsh practice and policy that proved he mattered. Even if he only mattered enough to make a point, to prove that Jason was the exception to others, to try and prove to bruce that he wasn't poison, to prove to Dick that Jason wasn't anyone's fault but the Jokers.
Bruce fucking cared. He cared more than anyone ever had for Tim. And it was temporary, with an expiration marked 'until upgrade is available' but the numbers in the date smudged, but it was his. It was Tim's. It was the best Tim was ever bound to get. He'd take it while it lasted.
Besides, it wasn't just the rigorous training. It was movie night on holidays after a short patrol. It was stopping to get food, and swearing not to tell Alfred as they ate icecream and french fries. It was being listened to when he cautiously offered insight to a case. It was having his own darkroom in the batcave that Bruce swore he'd never go into without permission. It was being introduced to what he'd dare to call friends. It was learning bruce could Sing, and getting him to do so when he was (pretending to be) drunk at Gala's. It was the casual touches and encouragements, the awkward shoulder pats and the 'good work's that still made him flinch a little. It was getting to see Batman honest to god Smile. It was someone who at least pretended to give a shit. Even if it was all Bruce projecting the son he actually wanted on to Tim.
Dick smiled when he was Robin because it was a game, a game he was winning so he could ignore his tragedy, and he was having fun.
Jason smiled when he was Robin because he was protecting his people, flipping off Gotham herself as a child from her streets started cleaning them.
Tim smiled when he was Robin, teeth bloody and blinding, because if this was all it took to have someone care he would have done it sooner.
