They'd all noticed it for nearly two weeks. Buck was not himself. He'd been just barely making it through shifts, and that was with Bobby giving him relatively light duty to cut him some slack. He wasn't communicating with anyone when he wasn't at work and barely did so there.
Finally, Bobby had enough. He showed up at his apartment with Athena, knocking to no avail.
"He's not answering." Athena pointed out anxiously, rocking on her heels impatiently as Bobby knocked once again.
"I'll use his spare key." Bobby decided, pulling his keys from his pocket and finding Buck's spare key that was only for emergencies. This felt like one.
"Whoa." Athena spoke lowly as they opened the door and took in the state of Buck's apartment. Dishes were piled high, trash hadn't made it to the can, dirty clothes hadn't made it to the hamper, and the place did not smell good.
"Buck?" Bobby called out, not seeing him in the kitchen or living area.
"Upstairs?" Athena looked towards the loft. Bobby took a deep breath and nodded, heading for the stairs that were littered with clothes, trash, and dirty dishes.
The couple got to the top of the stairs and their hearts sank at the sight; Buck was lying on his unmade bed, his tv playing a YouTube video that he wasn't watching as he stared up at the ceiling with a blank expression.
"Buck?" Athena tried to get his attention but didn't get any response or indication he'd even heard her.
Bobby moved to sit on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on his chest. "Buck." He spoke firmly.
Buck blinked slowly. "When someone doesn't answer the door, that doesn't usually mean to come in."
Athena rounded the bed and sat on the other side of him, lying a hand against his cheek. "What's going on? You feeling okay?"
Buck shrugged, still staring at the ceiling. "I can't."
"Can't what?" Bobby pushed, the sight in front of him not making him feel any better about his concerns.
"I just can't do it." He sighed sadly.
"Can't do what?" Athena gripped Buck's face gently in her hand and turned his head to face her. "What can't you do, sweetheart?"
"This. Exist. I just, I don't know what's wrong. I have no energy to do anything or even feel anything." He didn't make eye contact with her as he spoke, instead staring at a pile of discarded takeout bags behind her.
"Okay, we're gonna get up." Bobby decided, grabbing Buck's arms and pulling him to sit up.
Buck whined at the movement, pouting when Bobby wouldn't let him lay back down. "No."
"Yep, come on. We're going to get up, clean up a bit, and have a talk. The first step is getting out of bed." Bobby explained, dragging Buck to the edge of the bed. He expected him to stand up but instead Buck slid to the floor, landing in a heap.
Sitting on the floor, Buck whined again. Bobby knelt beside him on the ground. "Up. Come on. You need a shower."
"No, I just-I can't do it." He turned his head away from Bobby.
"Evan Buckley." Athena spoke authoritatively, coming to stand over him and Bobby now.
"Okay, okay." He gave in, letting Bobby help him off the floor and to his feet.
"There he is. Let's go get you cleaned up, okay? You need a shower and some clean clothes." Bobby gave him a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll get started on cleaning this room up." Athena decided as Bobby led Buck to the bathroom.
Bobby closed the bathroom door and turned to face his disheveled unofficial son. "If I leave you alone in here, are you actually going to shower? Or are you just going to lay down in the water?"
"The second one." He sighed honestly.
"I was afraid of that. Come on, get in the shower." He pushed him towards the shower. Buck got in the shower and closed the curtain before tossing his dirty clothes over the curtain and turning on the water.
"I'm staying right here. Wash up, I better smell soap soon." Bobby tossed the dirty clothes out into the overfilled hamper before sitting on the closed toilet seat lid.
Buck begrudgingly washed himself before turning off the water and reaching for his towel. He wrapped it around his waist before stepping out. "Happy?"
"Hey, you smell better now." Bobby teased lightly. "Brush your teeth." He instructed, gesturing towards his toothbrush.
Buck sighed before doing as he was told. He couldn't get himself to do these things alone but somehow they were easier when Bobby and Athena there walking him through it all.
As he brushed his teeth, Bobby ran a comb through his wet hair. Once Buck spit the toothpaste from his mouth, Bobby turned him around and began putting moisturizer on his face.
"Alright, look at you. All cleaned up." Bobby beamed proudly at him, as if this were somehow a large feat. "Let's find you some clean clothes." He led him out of the bathroom and back to his bedroom.
There, Athena had changed his sheets and made the bed, picked up the trash, clothes, and dishes that littered the floor, and sprayed air freshener throughout the room. She was already downstairs, working on the same tasks.
"Here we go, clean clothes." Bobby spoke as he pulled boxers, socks, shorts, and a hoodie from the dresser. "Get dressed, come downstairs." He left no room for argument before going downstairs.
Buck put the clothes on before trudging down the stairs to find Bobby and Athena in the kitchen.
"Look at our boy, all cleaned up now." Athena smiled, running a hand through his damp hair. "Did you eat today?"
Buck shook his head 'no.'
"Yesterday?" Bobby asked as he put a new garbage bag in the bin after emptying the trash.
"Yeah, peanut butter and takeout." He explained as Athena guided him to sit at the table.
"Okay you need some real food. Bobby?"
"I'm on it." Bobby assured them both, beginning to rummage through Buck's fridge for ingredients.
As Bobby cooked, Athena finished cleaning up and even tossed a load of laundry into the washer. Buck sat at the kitchen table as they moved about, zoning out and feeling guilty that they were here taking care of him at all.
"Here we go, a ham and cheese omelette and some grapes. I would've added some peppers or spinach to the omelette but you have no vegetables here, which can't be healthy." Bobby set a plate in front of him along with a glass of water. "Eat."
Buck looked at him gratefully before beginning to eat. Bobby and Athena sat across from him and exchanged looks before Athena started.
"What's been going on, Buckaroo? How long have you been depressed?" She asked as he picked at the eggs.
"But I-I'm not depressed?" His eyebrows furrowed, setting down his fork.
"Buddy, look around. You're withdrawn, isolating, have no energy, not much appetite." Bobby gestured towards the barely touched food. "That sounds like depression."
"Well I...I guess there is a family history just-... is that what's wrong? I'm depressed?" Buck made the connections for himself.
"It sure looks that way." Athena placed her hand over top of his.
"Oh." He deflated. Bobby saw him shrink and moved to sit next to him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders.
"But that's okay. It doesn't make you weak or a burden or defective. It happens, it's okay. We're right here to help you, there's therapists that can help and medication if you need. For right now, we aren't leaving your side." He kissed the top of his head. "Eat."
Buck leaned into Bobby's side before taking a few more bites. "I'm done."
Athena cleared his plate and Bobby led him to the living room couch.
"What should we watch?" Bobby asked, turning on the tv.
"Will you turn on The Lion King?" He sounded like a child, barely speaking above a whisper.
Bobby smiled at the request and started the movie as Athena joined them on the couch. Buck leaned into Bobby's side and Athena traced patterns on his arm as the three of them watched the cartoon.
Buck fell asleep soon and Bobby readjusted him so he was laying down with his head in his lap and his legs over Athena's lap.
"We aren't leaving his side until he sees a therapist." Athena decided softly with no room for argument.
"You're damn right we aren't." Bobby agreed, carding his fingers through Buck's hair.