For Better or for Worse (Stucky)

Standing Trial

Steve had known it wouldn't be easy to get Bucky through his multiple trials, but he hadn't been prepared for just how much everyone seemed to want to hate him. Hadn't been prepared for how Bucky'd be judged for every move he made. How everytime they entered a court room, he'd be overrun by reporters who'd try and get a picture of him for next days headlines.

They both knew today was a big day, that today was his last day of trials before the decision would be declared the next day. The decision on rather or not Bucky would be pardoned. A scenario Steve didn't want to imagine.
„You okay, sweetheart?" Steve gently ran his hand over Bucky's cheek before moving it down, carefully straightening his tie that he'd tied for him, as he'd been doing every day since the row of trials started almost six weeks ago.

Bucky nodded slowly, trying to stop shaking. „Yeah..."
Steve sighed softly, putting his hand onto the back of his head and pressing a chaste kiss to his forehead. „I love you."
Bucky smiled softly at Steve's words, closing his eyes. „I love you, too."

„You know today's important. I'm sure you'll do fine, as you always do. You know the drill, you work well with Mrs. Taylor." Steve reassured him gently, running his hand over his neck. „And tomorrow, you'll be free."
Bucky sighed and nodded slowly, biting back a remark about the other possibility of what would happen tomorrow.

„Let's go." Bucky sighed, letting Steve guide him carefully into a next room, where two heavily armed officers were waiting for them. Keeping his head low as always, Bucky turned his back to them and shuddered as they grabbed him, handcuffing him behind his back. Everyone knowing it was simply a formality, that Bucky could easily break these lousy bonds if he chose to.
„I got it." Steve mumbled, stepping in between Bucky and one of the officers, slightly shielding Bucky from him. „In we go."

Carefully keeping his hand on Bucky's back, Steve led him into the courtroom, grabbing a folder he was carrying and lifting it carefully to shield Bucky's face. Knowing Bucky hated flashing lights, having told Steve they made him feel like throwing up. So every day, when the camera shutters started clicking wildly as people called for Bucky to look at them, asking questions and crowding them as they always did, Steve did his best to shield him from as much of the light and noise as he possibly could.
Feeling Bucky's tense back, Steve guided him down to his chair carefully while constantly making sure to cover his face for the most part. Carefully squeezing his shoulder before moving away, he took his seat a couple meters behind Bucky, slightly on his left in the first row.

Watching his tense and quiet lover, he sighed as the guards from earlier uncuffed his hands from behind his back and moved them rather roughly, cuffing them again right away, looping the cuffs through a fixation point on the table he was sitting at.
„Good Morning, James." Mrs. Taylor said as she sat down next to him, putting her folders down.
„Good Morning, Mrs. Taylor." Bucky replied, giving her a polite smile and nod.

„You know the importance of today." Mrs. Taylor said, nodding at him and moving her files.
Steve sighed as he watched Bucky from behind, reading his body language. Knowing his love could do it, but knowing it wasn't easy. Knowing it never was and hating how there was nothing he could do, nothing to help Bucky. Not in the court room.
Sighing as most of the reporters were finally removed, Steve stayed fixated on Bucky as the judge started talking to him.
„Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, under pains and penalties of perjury?" He started asking Bucky, as he always did. Eyes fixed on him, alongside with those of everyone else in the courtroom.
„I swear." Bucky replied, nodding slightly. Hands clenched into fists as they rested on the table, gaze fixed on it.

As the judge and everyone else started talking, Steve continued focusing on Bucky. Watched him shudder and close his eyes from time to time, sighing as he realized he was struggling.
Watching Bucky as they started playing a recording, how he looked at the screen and his eyes slowly became vacant. All color draining from his face as his own face was watched by everyone in the room, whilst his victims were pleading with him. The audio lousy due to the footage being from surveillance cameras, but it didn't change the effect, worsened it if anything. The screams of the people begging him to stop were loud and distorted due to the age of the recording.