{The Winter Soldier} — beginning of all the pain a person would suffer until they reached another date, when it all just stopped. Then —

{The Winter Soldier} — someone would carve those two dates onto a headstone like they meant something, when in reality they meant nothing at —

{The Winter Soldier} — all. Then what the hell did she have this cupcake for? Natasha didn't have an answer. She rarely did when it came —

{The Winter Soldier} — to him, a small chink in her armor that was becoming more and more disturbing as the memories poured in. She'd —

{The Winter Soldier} — never had a birthday. The Black Widow was above such things. But she couldn't help but wonder if he'd had birthdays. —

{The Winter Soldier} — Before. Before the Red Room. Before they died in pieces day after day. Before he became the kind of monster who ever —

{The Winter Soldier} — could have fallen in love with her. She wondered if he remembered it. Having a birthday. The sort of memory that —

{The Winter Soldier} — she would never have. So yes. Natasha bought him a cupcake. Set it on a plate, stuck a candle in it, and placed it —

{The Winter Soldier} — on the table, in plain view from the window. Then she left for the weekend. He knew where she lived. She figured he —

{The Winter Soldier} — was watching. "Happy Birthday James."

Home — Natalia Romanova Read: tl.gd/n_1soei7c

Those who are punished... Natalia Romanova Read: tl.gd/n_1splvlg

She crusades...

Casually leaves for Natalia Romanova.

The Forgotten — {The Winter Soldier} Read: tl.gd/n_1sq3dtg

"It's my birthday." He said over a sleeping Natalia Romanova. "My wish..." he brushed back her hair lightly then scoffed at himself before slipping out the widow and away.

The Winter Soldier Her eyes snapped open just in time to see a shadow fleeing through her window. On instinct, her fingers were already around the gun beneath her pillow, but Natasha released it a moment later. There was only one person who could sneak up on her like that, and the Widow had —

The Winter Soldier — already shot him once for it. It was that mark of trust that let her walk to the window unarmed, a small smile tugging at her lips as she scanned the darkened city for a man who was certainly long gone. It didn’t matter, she knew why he’d come. “Happy Birthday,” Natasha —

The Winter Soldier — said softly, trusting that, wherever he was, the wind would bring her words to him. There she went again with trust. Oh how their old masters would hate what they’d become.

It didn't take him long to find @ABuriedRose. Once he did, he moved among the shadows until she was alone. He moved towards her, hiding each and every demon he bore, he grinned and stepped with a pracriced swagger. "{Little rose, my little rose. Care to say hello?}"