A fic inspired by this line from Emily Wilson’s translation of the Odyssey, “Battered and wrecked, I come to you, you first –”
“There are a lot more of these guys than Bucky anticipated, and that’s saying something given his tendency to overestimate. If he wasn’t already beat to shit it probably wouldn’t be a problem, but – he shakes the thought away. If he starts to itemize his injuries he’s not going to make it. Even if he doesn’t, he’s still not going to make it to the rendezvous point tonight. Bucky wipes the rainwater from his face and heaves a long suffering sigh, then winces in pain. He knows what he has to do, or rather, where he has to go. He just hopes that he is welcome.” ~ Bucky finds himself battered and bruised with nowhere else to go but the last place he wants to be.