Dream SMP and Other MCYT Oneshots

The Water's Fine But I'm Not- Platonic Tommyinnit + Tubbo

WARNING: This is a platonic fic, meaning it is just a friendship.
In this fic Tommy has aquaphobia, the fear of water (in terms of oceans, swimming pools, lakes, etc.). I don't have aquaphobia so if I don't get everything right I apologize, please make sure to correct me if you have more knowledge than I do. I recently met someone with aquaphobia and wrote this based on how they described their experiences.
Also! Just to clarify, as I've had a couple problems with people not understanding the word 'platonic.' That means that the people involved in the 'ship' are just friends. I am aware that Tommy and Tubbo are uncomfortable with romantic shipping, so rest assured that this is strictly me respectfully simping for their amazing friendship because honestly we all need a friendship like this.
T/W: Aquaphobia, anxiety attack, light angst (don't worry it ends up fluffy)

Tommy didn't want to be there. His anxiety was threatening to spike through the roof.

Tubbo had invited him to a pool party that was being hosted by a family friend, and Tommy, of course, agreed, despite every part of him screaming to decline. He couldn't say no to Tubbo, and he'd never pass up the chance to spend a day with his best friend. That didn't happen often.

He was certainly regretting it now, however, as he laid back in a deck chair and attempted to look as if his heart wasn't beating out of his chest. The presence of such a large body of water made him nervous. Every instinct told him to run far away, but he did his best to ignore it.

Tommy tried not to wince when he heard a splash and Tubbo emerged from under the water, resting his elbows on the concrete edge of the pool. "Tommy? C'mon, the water's fine!"

He snapped out of his racing thoughts by hearing his friend's voice. Tubbo seemed extra happy, maybe just to be around Tommy. They didn't get the chance to hang out in person often, and Tommy wished he could cherish it more.

By now, Tubbo had noticed the panick on Tommy's face. "Hey, you alright? I know you don't really know anybody here, you don't have to stay if you're uncomfortable."

This made Tommy smile a bit and reassure him. "It's not that. Just, um..."

His eyes made contact with the water's surface again and suddenly he didn't feel well.

"I'll be right back."

Tubbo watched with confusion and worry as Tommy scrambled out of his seat and rushed inside. What had happened? Had he done something wrong? What was Tommy not telling him?

Luckily, nobody was inside. Everyone else was swimming, giving Tommy the opportunity to sit alone at a kitchen barstool and put his head down against the marble countertop. He didn't want to cry here, that would be so embarrassing. Nonetheless, he found himself crying anyways. He couldn't slow his breathing, he needed to calm down but for some reason he just couldn't. He felt pathetic.

"Tommy?"

He looked up to see Tubbo, his hair messy and dripping wet, trailing water on the floor but not seeming to care. He only cared about the state he had found his friend in.

"Tommy?" He repeated, gentler, sitting beside him at the table. This wasn't his first time handling someone experiencing an anxiety attack and he recognized the symptoms, but he didn't know about Tommy's triggers.

"Can you follow my breathing, Tommy? In...out...in...out...there you go. You're okay, just take a second."

When Tommy had gotten his breathing under control and his heart had slowed itself a bit, he spoke. "Thank you."

Tubbo smiled slightly and nodded. "Do you want to talk about what happened, or do you want to talk about something else? Or, we don't have to talk at all, that's okay too."

Tommy wanted to cry, in a much better way than earlier. He'd never had someone care so much about the state of his mental health, or bother to help him through an anxiety attack. In all honesty, most people never knew how to help him. Thank god Tubbo was different.

He took a moment to further regulate his breathing, thankful for his best friend's patience.

"I-I got triggered by the water. I have aquaphobia...it means that I have the abnormal fear of water...or large bodies of water, specifically...it's really stupid, I don't even know why-"

"Don't call it stupid. You're not stupid," Tubbo added. "Can I hug you? You look like you need a hug."

Tommy laughed a little bit and nodded, letting Tubbo reach over to embrace him. He hadn't bothered to dry himself off from being in the pool, so they were now both soaked, but Tommy didn't mind. He rested his chin on Tubbo's shoulder and allowed himself to feel relieved and safe. Thank god someone listened to him and understood him. Thank god for Tubbo.