Hello :P I am back with an extra update this week. This was written a while ago now, in summer, when QUEENSPELLER67 asked me/prompted me to write a chapter where Dylan tells his best friend James (Ketchum) of his autism. So I came up with this. There's also a little insight into James' character at the end too :P I think you can tell it was written a while ago because of the length of it but I think it's still good to go. The reason I'm uploading it today is because QUEENSPELLER67 tells me it's their birthday so here this is! I hope you all enjoy :)

Ages:

Dylan: 12

James: 12

Disclaimer: I own Dylan and James :3

It was one of those simple but special moments that I cherished. Dylan had come over to play with James at the Ketchum residence and they were currently completing a puzzle together. I was lying contentedly on James' back as he lay on his stomach, handing his best friend pieces he could add to the jigsaw. I could feel James' contented sighs as he had quiet but quality time with his dear friend. I could see the look of joy on Dylan's face as he collected pieces together that would complete the wing of the plane in the puzzle photo. I loved those boys.

All of a sudden, Dylan stopped fitting the pieces of the puzzle together and furrowed his brow. He scratched his head and looked over at James.

"My mom is so protective of me, y'know?"

James looked up at his best friend upon hearing this and his orbs were filled with curiosity. This statement was out of the blue but that was just how Dylan was. Instead of judging him, the chestnut haired boy smiled and squinted at the slightly older male.

"What makes you say that?"

Dylan began humming to himself and didn't answer for a moment, quickly putting the pieces he had been collected into the puzzle. When he finished, he sat up and crossed his legs, looking at James and talking while patting his own head.

"It's an observation. And fact." He replied simply before copying James and lying on his stomach. He continued patting his head, however.

James went back to trying to fit pieces to his own side of the puzzle, waiting for Dylan to talk if he wanted to. Although, it would have been normal for that to be the end of the conversation.

Dylan sighed to himself and didn't speak for quite some time and instead begun focusing on the puzzle again. The green orbed male glanced up briefly from organising the puzzle pieces and noticed that his best friend's frown had grown more apparent and he was tapping his head more frequently.

James glanced at me before sighing and sitting up, crossing his legs. I perched on his shoulder and nuzzled his ear to make him smile. After he had laughed quietly and smiled back, he went back to focusing on his best friend. He could tell he had thoughts to get out.

"Your mom is protective of you, Dylan." He began, using his name to get the quirky male's attention. When he did, Dylan looked up at him with his round and puppy-like eyes. James smiled at his friend and continued.

"She's not overprotective though. Not like some other parents I've seen."

Dylan nodded and brushed his flopping locks out of his eyes, humming to himself before replying to James.

"She's not possessive." He noted, causing James to smile and nod, thanking his friend for using the word he couldn't think of. Dylan sighed and his quick breath caused his hair to blow out of his eyes once again.

"I suppose it's cos James says no one is allowed to hurt Dylan."

James nodded and listened to his best friend, taking a break from the puzzle and choosing to sit back and reach for his drink. He took a sip and Dylan copied. He even made the same noise as James when they both put their cups back down. James smiled at his best friend's actions before pulling his legs to his chest.

"Well, no one wants to see the person they love getting hurt. That's normal."

Dylan hummed in agreement before shrugging, still patting his head but not as frequently as before.

"I don't know why. I'm doing okay."

I couldn't help but smile at this, nuzzling into James' ear though I really wanted to be doing it to the purple haired male. He was doing more than okay from what I had seen. Despite his quirks, he was growing into an awesome young man. He was kind, he was smart and he was funny. He was doing wonderfully.

This time it was James' turn to shrug and he reached for his orange juice once again, causing Dylan to do the same. After another sip, James wiped his mouth clean and spoke.

"She's protective because she just doesn't want anybody hurting you. You're her son. Her youngest child too. She just wants doesn't want to see you getting your feelings hurt."

"Impossible." Dylan frowned after taking a sip of his own drink, wiping the corners of his mouth clean. "You can't protect someone from ever-y-thing." He enunciated his words in a way that he must have heard someone else doing before.

James tilted his head and shrugged, running a hand through his gingery-brown locks and squinting at his best friend.

"It may be impossible. But it's every mother's hope to never see their baby being hurt."

Dylan shrugged and sighed, going back to lying on his stomach. He didn't speak for a minute and the taps on his head grew more regular. After sitting back up again, they died down and he glanced at James' nose.

"I guess. I s'pose my feelings get hurt easier than most."

James smiled fondly at his friend's endearing yet true statement and his lack of eye contact. They had been best friends since they were babies. There wasn't anything standing in the way of their strong bond.

"Maybe. So there's your answer. That's why she wants to protect you."

James' own brow furrowed when Dylan's did and his green orbs grew concerned. He was just like his father in that way. He absolutely hated watching his words do little to no comfort for a person. He always wanted to help.

Dylan sighed, lying on his stomach once again and this time ignoring the puzzle. Instead he leaned his elbows on the floor below and rested his face in his hands.

"That's not the only reason. There's another reason she protects me more than most. Why anyone protects me more than most."

When James continued frowning, Dylan sighed once again and he moved once of his fingers to tap the floor instead.

"It's what I am. It's who I am. It's why some people treat me different. Or even laugh at me."

James stopped frowning and sat further up, his eyes full of a look I hadn't quite seen before. They were glistening with acceptance, understanding and respect.

"It's not what you are or who you are. You're still Dylan. To me. To everyone."

Dylan jumped mildly in shock and copied his best friend' actions and sat up, looking down at the floor rather than at him.

"What? How long have you-"

"I've always known." James smiled at him somewhat shyly, looking right at him even though he wasn't going to receive any eye contact right at that moment.

Dylan hummed and tapped his head lightly before stopping. He crossed his legs and looked down at his lap.

"And you didn't say anything?"

The chestnut haired male shook his head and his fingers moved to his front bangs, leaning to rest his head against mine for comfort in this vulnerable time.

"Why would I? You're my best friend. You're still the same to me and it would never change anything. We all have something."

Dylan briefly locked his best friend's eyes before looking away. He scratched his cheek and gave him a big and childlike smile.

"I have something. I have autism." His cheeks went slightly pink as he said his label but he continued smiling, feeling the acceptance from both his best friend and I.

Dylan didn't notice that James wasn't smiling back and he happily went back to fitting the pieces together of his favourite plane puzzle. I could tell he was relieved that he had finally said the words himself. I could also tell that there were words James wanted to say too. I could feel his heart beating as I nuzzled into him. You don't have to if you're not ready.

James' cheeks flushed mildly at my words as if he had forgotten he had recently told me them. He took a deep breath and swallowed. He looked at me with eyes that told me he was ready to open up to his best friend and I smiled back at him. I'm sure he had worries but I certainly didn't. We accepted everyone.

The young boy lay back down on his stomach shakily and he rested his elbow on the floor and cupped his face like Dylan had been doing earlier. He glanced at me before at the floor before finally at his best friend. He swallowed.

"Dylan?" he called to get his attention, causing the purple haired male to drop a puzzle piece and look up at him with those puppy-like and curious eyes once again.

James breathed out seeing his innocent and accepting gaze, giving him a somewhat sheepish smile.

"I guess you could say I have a label too. One that I know is right for me."

Dylan's brow furrowed and his eyes remained angelic before he nodded his head and rubbed the puzzle piece between his fingers. He continued nodding his eyes, his round eyes all knowing.

"Oh. Oh. Oh, I know. I know you do."

When Dylan smiled and fitted the puzzle piece in the correct place, James blinked and his heart thumped harder in his chest, fearing he'd have to say the words properly and out loud. He glanced at me before swallowing and blushing in Dylan's direction.

"You… You do…?" he asked with a mixture of uncertainty and shyness. I couldn't help but smirk at this. Dylan stereotypically might not have been good at reading people but he might have known this.

Once the puzzle piece was in place, Dylan looked up and nodded his head happily, giving his best friend some eye contact.

"Oh yeah." He smiled, squinting over at James like James normally did to him. "I've seen your pupils dilate at both boys and girls."

And with that, the two boys exchanged a smile at one and other before completing the puzzle together. I wasn't sure if James knew exactly what Dylan had meant and I didn't think Dylan didn't know either but that was okay. His words were said with acceptance and James could feel that. That's really all what we have to do in life. Accept. Accept situations for what they are; accept once another for whom they are. Life is too short to judge someone based on a silly old label.

The End.

There you go! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed :3 So yeah, Dylan is autistic and James is bisexual but nobody nor each other cares about their labels and accepts them for them. Dylan is a little differently written here and more factual because I headcanon that after his Pokemon Journey with James, he learns a lot about life and himself and observes lots of people enough to mimic them and eventually get more "normal" traits. Of course, what makes him him and his quirky Dylan-ness will never be taken away from him :P Thanks again and I will be back on Wednesday so see you then!

AmyBieberKetchum signing out :3