We'll Meet Again
“I cannot believe that after everything we’ve been through, you did that,” Kitty spoke accusingly towards Bucky.
Bucky rolled his eyes, “It’s applesauce, does it really matter?”
“It matters,” Kitty narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, “Kurt, back me up here.”
“Nein, ich kann nicht. He’s right. Applesauce goes better vith ze latkes. It is just ze truth,” Kurt agreed with Bucky with a smug smile.
“Look, Kitty I tried it with the sour cream and they were fine, but they just taste better with applesauce,” Bucky argued, sticking his fork into the remaining potato pancake on his plate.
“You are both traitors,” Kitty pointed at both of them before she went back to eating.
“I’m sorry, but I agree with her. Sour cream on top,” Sam grinned as he scooped up another glob of sour cream for his plate before asking Torres, “Which side are you on?”
“Applesauce,” Torres answered hesitantly. Kurt and Bucky both smirked at Kitty and Sam respectively.
“Logan?” Kitty turned to him.
“Sour cream,” He answered bluntly.
“Let’s just leave it at a tie zen,” Kurt attempted to mediate.
“Hold on, Sarah and the boys are here too. Their votes matter,” Sam gestured to his sister. Everyone looked at Sarah expectantly as AJ and Cass played in the grass behind her.
Sarah stopped eating, now being caught in the disagreement, “I’m goin’ with applesauce. Sorry, Sam.”
“And you can’t count your nephews because they ate theirs plain,” Bucky finished.
Kitty and Sam groaned in defeat as Bucky and Kurt fist-bumped.
“Alright, back to the matter at hand,” Sam had everyone return their attention to him before he went on, “We invited you guys down because we’ve got some news.”
“Please tell me Sharon’s going to prison for life,” Kitty crossed her fingers.
“Not life, but a pretty long sentence,” Sam nodded, “But that’s not it.”
Kurt tilted his head, “Was?”
“Do tell,” Logan requested gruffly.
“Buck and I talked to Fury and Val,” Sam began.
Kitty, Kurt, and Logan all looked at Sam with confusion.
“Why?” Kitty asked outright.
“Let me finish,” Sam responded before taking a breath, “We convinced them to let you guys go free which means they’re not gonna have their guys come after you.”
There was a brief moment of silence as the trio processed the new information.
“You’re free to go!” Torres added.
“I- thank you?” Kitty replied.
“You did not have to do zat. Zat vas very kind of you. Warum?” Kurt asked.
“You helped us more than you needed to and your intentions were never to harm anyone. You’re a good group and you don’t deserve to be hunted down,” Bucky explained.
“But Fury’s condition was that you guys don’t try doing anything outside the law,” Sam added.
“That’s the plan,” Logan huffed.
“You won’t have to worry about us doing anything for a while,” Kitty responded, smiling now, “Hopefully.”
“Hopefully?” Bucky questioned.
She shrugged, “You never know what happens. Honestly, I didn’t think we’d be having latkes at Sam’s sister’s house in Louisiana as friends as few months ago yet here we are.”
“True that,” Bucky agreed, “Just no crime fighting, alright?”
“No promises,” Kitty and Kurt said in unison, they then laughed together.
Sarah got up and started picking up dishes. Bucky stood up and offered his hand for the dishes, “Let me.”
“Are you sure? It’s a lot of dishes and I don’t want to put that all on you,” Sarah spoke, shaking her head slightly.
“And you’ve been a great host, just allow me to do my part,” Bucky insisted before taking the dishes.
“I can help,” Kitty jumped up and collected AJ and Cass’s plates.
“Thank you both,” Sarah smiled at them.
Bucky began the small journey to the house with Kitty following behind him. He held the door open with his foot as Kitty slipped inside and set down the plates on the counter. Bucky soon did the same.
“You clean, I’ll dry,” Bucky directed. Kitty nodded and snatched a towel hanging above the sink.
Bucky turned on the sink and put soap on a sponge before he began cleaning off one plate. Once he was done, he handed it to Kitty and she began to quickly wipe it down and dry it off.
“What are you and Sam’s plans after everything is done here?” Kitty asked as she set down the plate on the rack.
“Sam’s going up to DC to some meeting with the president,” Bucky replied, handing her another dish.
“And you?” Kitty repeated.
“Don’t know,” Bucky answered with a shrug.
“Seriously? No plans at all?” Kitty tilted her head.
“Not that I know of,” Bucy shook his head again.
“Then I still think you should get a cat,” Kitty brought up the old topic.
“Why are you so insistent on that?” Bucky questioned, handing her another plate.
“Because pets are cool and they get you on a deeper level. I think you need an adorable furry friend,” Kitty explained.
“That’s horrible reasoning,” Bucky shook his head.
“But I’m right,” Kitty insisted with another chuckle.
Bucky rolled his eyes and focused on cleaning a particularly tough spot before handing it to Kitty. She flipped over the towel to the dryer side and got to work.
“I know you’ve probably heard this a million times at this point, but I think you should talk to Illyana about your feelings,” Bucky advised.
“It’s still complicated,” Kitty spoke.
“It’s really not,” Bucky persisted, “She likes you. You like her. It’s incredibly apparent to everyone but the two of you.”
Kitty scrunched her nose and laughed, “I’ll think about it.”
“Please,” Bucky said, giving her the last plate.
“You know, you’re surprisingly chill about this for a guy from the 1940s,” Kitty remarked.
“Kitty,” Bucky sighed, “A raccoon has taken my arm before. Two girls being in love with each other is not something I’m concerned about. At all.”
Kitty’s lips curved into another smile before drying off the last dish and putting it on the rack.
Kitty then turned to him, “Give me your phone.”
“What?” Bucky furrowed his brow.
“Sam mentioned something about your therapist being an asshat about the amount of numbers in your phone,” Kitty explained, “I’m putting my number in your phone.”
Bucky’s expression changed and he nodded, slowly handing her the phone, “Alright?”
Kitty went to his contacts and typed away as she added herself. She then returned the phone to him.
“Should we head back outside?” Bucky asked as he crossed his arms and looked out the window.
Kitty matched his body language, crossing her arms as well, “Sure.”
Bucky rolled his eyes as he looked at her before lightly nudging her shoulder and leading her out, back to the table.
They rejoined the group. Kurt was saying farewell to Torres and shaking his hand. Sam and Logan were locked in a conversation with each other. Kurt then teleported away with a puff of purple smoke.
Logan finished his conversation and approached Kitty, resting a hand on her shoulder, “We gotta head out, Cat. Got a long drive. Say yer goodbyes.”
Kitty nodded, before jogging over to Sam and Torres and speaking with them.
Logan remained by Bucky, “Ya did the right thing.”
“Excuse me?” Bucky looked at him with his hands in his pockets.
“Yer kindness meant the world to her. She needed it,” Logan went on. He then abruptly ended the conversation and went quiet as Kitty came over.
“Can I hug you?” Kitty asked Bucky cautiously.
Bucky hesitated before nodding. He was then caught in a tight hug with the girl. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and reciprocated the hug.
“Thank you for coming back into my life,” Kitty whispered before pulling back and smiling at him.
Kurt drove up in the car the three mutants owned. He got out of the driver’s seat and let Logan take over. Kurt waved at the group again before getting in the passenger’s seat. Kitty gave Torres, Sam, and Sarah a smile before waving to Bucky again and running over to the car and getting in the backseat.
Bucky softly smiled to himself.
He rarely had moments when he felt this content, especially after seventy years of being HYDRA’s puppet. He’d never admit it, but he had had most of those moments with Sam. A couple with Steve.
But now, he felt like he’d done the right thing. He’d made amends with a girl he never thought he’d see again. Kitty had forgiven him. He hadn’t quite grasped that that had happened until that moment, watching her get in the car with her friends.
Sam placed a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, drawing his gaze over to him. The two men exchanged a fond smile.
***
“So vhere to?” Kurt asked as he buckled his seatbelt.
“Westchester, New York,” Kitty said suddenly.
Both Logan and Kurt were slightly stunned by her quick answer. Kurt’s shock then turned to a warm smile and he laughed.
Logan relented and let a faint smile from across his lips, “Westchester it is,” He turned the key and started the car, “It’s about time we visit an old friend.”