Yakko was pretty sure he'd never felt sillier in his life. He stood up to his knees in the water, trying to get up the nerve to move another step. He looked up at his siblings as they floated in the deeper part of the pool.
"Yakko, come on!" Dot called. "It's not deep, you can just put your feet down."
"Yeah!" Wakko said. "And besides, we're here too."
The irony wasn't lost on Yakko; him, the supposedly fearless and confident oldest brother, now dependent on the support of his younger sibs.
"Remind me again why we're doing this, sibs?" he said, trying to sound casual. Dot rolled her eyes.
"You made us learn how to swim, remember? If it's important for us, it's important for you."
"Yeah, but I've never had to do it," Yakko protested. "I mean, I can just avoid water and…"
"But you said an emergency could happen any time," Wakko pointed out. The older brother had always prided himself on his persuasive skills, but now he was heartily wishing he hadn't used them quite so well. But before he could protest any further, Dot locked eyes with him and widened hers, batting them.
"Just try it for us, pleeease?"
Yakko clenched his jaw, cursing himself for being such a pushover. Finally he sighed.
"Okay, okay… I'm coming."
Slowly, he moved deeper into the water, ordering himself not to freak out and freeze. He still had his pride, even if he was currently leaning on his younger siblings. Finally, he got deep enough that the water was almost to his chest. Wakko and Dot swam up to him, moving back and forth in front of him.
"Look at us," Wakko said. "Just do what we're doing."
Biting his lip, Yakko hesitated as he tried to think of any possible excuse to get out of this. But as much as he hated to admit it, he was boxed into a corner that even his eloquent speech couldn't get him out of. Finally, he took a deep breath and released it slowly.
"Okay, just give me a minute…"
Constantly reminding himself that the water wasn't that deep, he leaned forward. With another glance at his siblings, he lifted his feet off the bottom and began attempting to mime their movements. Compared to their practiced, fluid motions, his were awkward and sloppy. He managed to stay up for just a moment before he sank down, sputtering as water splashed in his face. but before he could put his feet back down, he felt two pairs of hands grab each of his arms and tug him back up. Blinking the water out of his eyes, he glanced at either side of him to see Wakko and Dot supporting him with one arm as they treaded water with the other. Far from the teasing looks he might have expected in this situation, their smiles were confident and encouraging.
"You can do it, big brother," Wakko said.
Dot nodded, her smile just as certain as her immediate older brother's.
"Yeah! You're the oldest, you can do anything we can do."
Yakko felt momentarily surprised at their confidence in him, but then a small smile tugged at his face. Whenever he had taught them to do something, he had done the same thing for them: cheering them on, never once doubting that they could do it. Knowing that they had taken it to heart, that they could now do the same for him without hesitation, warmed his heart more than anything. Taking another deep breath, he nodded.
"Okay… okay, here goes."
With his siblings beside him, holding him steady, he began to mime their movements again.
"Keep going," Dot encouraged. "We're right here."
Slowly, as they moved back and forth, Yakko's strokes grew smoother and more confident. As they did, his siblings' grip became lighter and lighter, but not once did they let go. Finally, he glanced at them both and nodded. Both nodded in return, then let go.
His movements were still a little clumsier than theirs, but he stayed up, never once going under. When he finally lowered his feet back down, standing up, his siblings both cheered.
"You did it!" Dot squealed. Yakko's grin was wider than ever and when they swam up to him he scooped them up, one in each arm, and they wrapped their arms around him in a tight hug.
"We told ya you could do it!" Wakko said excitedly. Yakko laughed as he hoisted him up a little higher.
"Just goes to show, pal… I don't know everything."
Dot giggled at that.
"Wow, never thought I'd see the day you admitted that."
Yakko cast her a teasing grin.
"Well, sister sibling, I still know most things."
All three of them laughed as he walked out of the water, carrying his siblings on his shoulders. Once they were out, he set them down and followed them to the poolside, where all three plonked down with their feet dangling in the water. After a few moments, Dot looked up at him.
"Hey, Yakko… how come you never tried before?"
The eldest Warner looked at her in slight surprise, then lowered his gaze to his feet as he swirled them in the water. It wasn't very often that he found himself struggling for words, but he was now. Finally he sighed.
"Well, I… I'm always telling you guys you don't have to be scared of anything, 'cause I'll be there to protect ya. I guess I just… didn't want to admit that there was a way I couldn't."
His siblings sat in silence for a few moments, then he felt them both hug him again.
"Scratchy says there's nothing wrong with admitting you're scared of something, remember?" Dot asked quietly.
"Yeah," Wakko chimed in. "He told me the same thing when I admitted I was scared of clowns. You just need to count on the people who love you to help you get over it."
Yakko smirked, raising a brow.
"So you're not scared of clowns now?"
His smirk widened when his brother gave his arm a light punch.
"I'm better with it!" he protested. Yakko chuckled and ruffled his cap.
"That you are, baby bro."
His grin growing slightly less joking, he put an arm around each of his siblings.
"Thanks for bein' there for me, sibs."
Both Wakko and Dot nestled against him.
"You're always there for us," Wakko said softly. Dot reached up and squeezed his hand.
"So we're there for you too."