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jackiequick · 8 months

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Ex in the flesh | Pre-Marvel Phase 1

Uncle-Nephew: Jason Underwood & Tony Stark

Ex-romantic pairing: Jason Underwood x Sophia Trace

Summary: There are some faces you don’t expect to run into, in the middle of the day and sometimes it’s a feels a odd memory loss in the water.

Timeline: Pre-Iron Man (2008)

Character mentioned: Godson Rei Stark, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Maria Stark, Peggy Carter, Maria Winter and etc.

Note: Jason’s alias here is Thomas Logan Mitchell

——

It was early one afternoon when it happened. Their home in Malibu staying high on the rise as the windows were open bringing in the cold September breeze. Tony was in his lab as always tinkering with his toys as Pepper was given the afternoon to do some stuff for herself.

She definitely deserved it.

The household was mess. Goodness gracious how did they like that happen? Well that answer was the little menace, aka Anakin Skywalker Jr, Rei Stark. He was only 6 years old. But he was a little cocky dramatic tornado of a child.

The boy had so much energy it bewildered anyone who walked by him. He acted like he owned the whole house, technically he did due to it being his property one day, but that’s not the point—he didn’t care to do much. Always sending a tiny glare and a real cheeky grin to whoever he sees unfit to be in his area. He can could sense either a person’s attitude and godly annoyance from a mile away.

Thankfully he had people who he actually liked in his life, so it easier to find a comfortable ground with the kid.

Jason was in the kitchen sipping a glass of water and trying to figure out what to make for lunch.

He was thinking fries and chicken nuggets would work for his godson. Until he realized they were out of animal chicken nuggets and Rei favored those one than the normal nuggets. He couldn’t blame him, he liked those one too.

“Bubba?” Jason called out, hoping he would take the normal ones today, “Come here for a second!”

The pitter patter of sandals can be heard, the brunette came to stop and yelled in return, “What?!”

“You want chicken nuggets for lunch?”

“Yes. With fries. Extra crispy fries!”

“Haha. I got good news and bad news for ya, bubba. We’re all out of the animal nuggets.”

“Noooo! I want the animals ones.”

“We don’t have them, bubba.”

“Please. Just go to the store, pops!”

“Rei. It’s late and it seems like Pepper forgot to buy them.”

“No it’s not. It’s early. Mommy says the store is not far away.”

“Fine. We will go the store.”

“WE?! I don’t want to go papa..”

“Yes, we. Now come on, I’ll let you get a toy from vending machine and—”

The second those words hit Rei’s ears he went racing to the front door to remove his sandals and change into his street clothes until he realized he needed some help with his jacket. His godfather rolled his eyes, fixing the kid’s jean jacket and tied his shoelaces correctly. He told JARVIS to let Tony know they’re heading out before he left with the boy.

————

He let Rei choose which color car they would ride in. Black one with the gold accent seemed to be his favorite. Jason rolled his eyes and nodded as he strapped him into his car seat. One the way to the store, they played some more. A mix of pop, hip hop and rock.

In resulted into a jamming session on they’re way there.

It had Jason smile seeing Rei enjoying himself. He tends to forget about the fact that he’s just a kid sometimes due to how smart he tends to be and cleverness he holds onto. He sometimes fights with Tony to share more time with his son and let him just be a kid, reminding how on he single-handedly help Maria raise his nephew more often than not.

And he’s glad he wins that argument. Because the more time Tony spends with Rei the better.

Rei Stark may be a little distant from other kids, wanting to play alone at times but when he’s in his element—which is building things and just be a creative kid in general—he shines like a diamond. It’s incredible to witness how his mind tinkers in ways, he doesn’t even understand.

Once they reached the store, it was a different type of thing.

The aisles were nicely decorated with eye catching items from cereal to pretzels. Along with the section of fruits was nearby the pastries.

He first let Rei explore. Let his sweet tooth get a look at the delicious offer and his favorite fruits. He got to pick out some to take home. It was good, he seemed like he was enjoying himself. He told his godson to stay close meanwhile he looked at the cereal options before they grabbed the animal chicken nuggets.

But Jason should’ve known better because the second he turned his face to reach for Captain Crunch cereal, Rei scurried off to other end of the aisle to find god knows what! His eyesight zipped through the hall looking for him until he heard it.

“You’re not the boss of me lady!”

Yup. There he was at the corner of the aisle holding up bag of tootsies rolls and sending a tiny glare to the women, who was trying to reason with him. It sounded like the women was asking where the heck his parents were. Jason slide down, placing a hand on the kid’s brown fluffy hair and racing his fingers crossed to calm him softly.

“Bubba, why did you leave me standing?” He asked, looking down at him.

“I saw one lady holding a bag of tootsies rolls and I wanted one.” Rei told him like it was obvious.

“You had to ask me first before going off into the store.”

“I wasn’t that far!”

“You left me hanging bud.”

Then the women spoke with a smile and light scoff, “Hanging, huh? Sounds about right. No offense but the kid was just messing around.”

“Look sweetie, thank you for standing here and wondering about his parents. I can it from here.” Jason replies, raising his head to finally registering the woman but stopped surely.

Both adults stood there quickly examining one another faces in the store lights. The bright warm lights brought up every the women’s face. From her deem eyes to makeup nice reaching her lips. Her bouncing pushed back curls were set in place by a low ponytail as she held close a worn out bomber jacket that hung over a burgundy shirt.

Out of the people he would’ve expected to see today. She wasn’t one of them. He would’ve loved to be caught up in the aisles by an old friend or that lovely short lived ex girlfriend from years ago.

But not her! Anyone but the blind date he agreed on going to get out of the house and stop the protests from the ladies in his life to actually have a social life. It was one date or something like that, in which he cut short rather quickly.

Nonetheless here stood that ex-something of his.

And honestly he sorta regretted it. He was a jerk and he knows it.

“Wow, didn’t expect to see you here today.” Said the brunette with a small smile, decided to stay civil.

“Yeah well, it was an emergency to stock up on food.” Jason replied with a nod, a tiny smile curled his face.

“I can see that, nothing to worry about. You look…good.”

“I am good, Trace. Real good.”

Rei watched both adults thinking, he recognized her voice from a phone call and spoke up, “Wait who are you? You uh sound familiar.”

“I’m Sophia. An..old friend of your pal here—” He replied with a smile looking down at the kid, finding calmer down.

“He’s not my pal. He’s my pops, lady.”

“Pops?”

“Duhhh!”

Sophie paused trying to register what she heard thinking, ‘Mitchell has a kid?! He moved on fast!’ and sighed. The boy looked nothing like him, but the glint of wanting to be somewhere else like at home and not in public, was absolutely similar to the man. Other than that, he looked more like he possibly resembled the mother than him.

Strong enough genes.

“He’s your pops? Wow Mitchell, uh congrats.” Sophie said with a smile, feeling a little bitter wishing it wasn’t his son.

“Relax, Trace!” Jason repiled noticing the story on her face as he picked up Rei deciding to fix his glasses and teased, “I’m not with the mother. So you still have another shot with this.”

“You’re hilarious. That train left the station. It’s fine, you look content and that’s actually kinda cute.”

“What? Life a little miserable once I left?”

“If I’m correct, you didn’t exactly return my calls. And no, it’s not miserable. I’m better off without looking for a someone else.”

“Aww, you’ve got a lot better things to do than worry about me, i bet..”

“Yeah, but you wouldn’t be so bad either.”

The way Jason and Sophie smiled at that last comment, a hint of blush carried onto both cheeks.

Rei joked in his signature tone, “Aw, a compliment and a smile. Can we go please?”

“Yeah, Bubba. You wanna go grab the cart for me?” He asked, with a little smile only for him.

The boy simply nodded as he was put down, scurrying away toward the shopping cart not without sending another glare to the women. Once both of them were sure the kid was gone, they dropped the awkward moments to send a gentle glares deeply to one another.

Almost concerned glares if you asked anyone who can sense the unfinished tension between them.

“Where the heck have you been?” Sophie asked, leaning in with light smirk attached to her glare.

“Oh please. Last time I check sweetheart, you’re didn’t even come straight to me for answers.” Jason added with a match look.

“Really? That’s your play? You’re the one leaves behind a trail off unwanted promises for a date! I called, I texted and asked around. Nothing.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe we weren’t even able to get anywhere, with our whatever we had? You were way out of my league in the first place and sat high on your little cloud that you needed to be brought down a peg.”

“Ohhh funny you say that, cause you needed a little push to realized your not the most interesting man in the room or did you forget that? Our first date, you decided to take it as a favor for a friend but afterwards you liked it! You liked it a lot!”

“I did not! I was being nice, a gentleman with you because you seemed pretty alright in my books.”

“Pretty alright?”

“Yeah you’re half bad.”

“So you liked it?”

“I would say I didn’t hate it.”

Both grinned at that last comment, as a smirked laced their faces. They found each other rather attractive after everything.

The real reason, Jason didn’t follow up on that date was because he felt stupid, insecure and didn’t want to let himself be heartbroken again after so many times. He was just defending himself with an act.

That he cut it off too early but he also knew it wasn’t gonna last in the first place.

He was a complete idiot, a jerk and terrified of starting something new. Especially with the life he lives and the things he had done, he feels like he doesn’t deserve it. None of it.

It was a gut wrenching guilt he carried that made him feel that way, like it’s better to be alone sometimes.

Most importantly he didn’t want to bring anyone into this life either. But he should’ve gone about it a different way than he did, he regretted how he ended it. He wants a second chance.

A small push.

“You left sorta me hanging around for a bit afterward. It actually bothered me.” She admitted with a sigh, dropping the act.

He sighed and nodded, “And you left me questioning, you know that? Uh look, I’m not good at this..”

“Yeah well me either, I got busy. Real busy with my classes and students.”

“I can tell. The eye bags underneath your eyes. You should rest, I mean it.”

“I know I should rest..and I’m sorry too for not taking the initiative to come to you for answers…I wasn’t exactly ready for it..”

“Look, it was something I wasn’t ready for either..I was busy too. I’m sorry, I was complete jerk and I apologize for my inconvenience..and just my attitude towards this point..”

“But you did it. We both did.”

“Yeah I know, I don’t know why we did it but we did it. By all accounts, I think I owe you a second date..”

“Oh definitely you do haha! Yeah and it was—”

Both were cut off by Rei’s racing toward them almost slammed the wheels of the shopping cart against Sophie’s shopping cart. He did it on purpose, Jason was sure of it and he sigh, kinda not proud of him for that.

Yeah, Rei was trying to save him from having this conversation to try and explain himself to Sophie. He’s always thankful for the saves from the kid, but he wished his godson didn’t save him this time.

However he was definitely getting dino nuggets today for at least coming with him to the store.

Rei yanked his godfather’s arm, dragging him down the aisle as Jason shrugged sending ‘I apologize for him’ look to Sophie. She just shook his head chuckling and walked away. They pair turned around waving at each other as they separated into different aisles.

The rest of the trip went somewhat smoothly getting everything they needed from the store and more. The ride home however was quiet, with the radio station blasting music and the bit of traffic up ahead. It was mostly small talk made in the car anyways.

Until Rei said something that confused the blonde.

“She was pretty.” Said the boy, playing with his action figure that he left behind earlier.

“Who was?” Jason responded, looking at the rear view mirror.

“The lady. She was pretty.”

“The same lady you were being a little rude too? Which wasn’t nice by the way, I should’ve corrected you on that.”

“I’m sorry..I will be nicer. But yeah that lady! I was just testing if she can handle us.”

“Wait what? You were testing if she could tolerate your rudeness? Rei.”

“Sorry! And yeah, she passed. Did you dump her? Who set you up?”

———

Jason chuckled at his questions like he was being interrogated by the kid. To be honest, he knew he would ask him eventually. He was a smart kid and he could tell something was up even if he admitted it or not.

He sighed and answered him, “First, it was your mother who set us up. I did it was a favor when you little, she wanted me to head out of the house and have a night off to myself. It was a blind date.”

“Ohhhhh! It was mommy?! Wow what did you do, that she set her up with you?! She is way too pretty!” Rei exclaimed with a surprised look.

“Ouch!” Jason joked, “If you like her so much why don’t you date her?”

“Nahhh!” Rei replies giving him a grossed out, goofy smile.

“But to answer your second question, yes. I did dump her. I should’ve been nicer when I did.”

“Daddy says that’s kinda a dick move, JJ! You dumping her is mean.”

“Rei watch your language! Don’t say that word again, alright?”

“…okay. Sorry I won’t say it again, but that was kinda mean though! Mommy wanted you to date her! Why stop?”

“Bubba, you don’t get it. You’re too young.”

“Tell me! Please!”

He sighed knowing he always tries to tell him everything depending on what it is. Even if it meant dating. Rei was wondering and it was something innocent that every kid wants to know. They want to be part of conversation, even if they don’t understand it all.

Jason took a deep breath and told him, “Alright, alright I will tell you. Your uncle JJ is a dummy, okay? A bit dummy for not going along for more dates. She was nice, but I thought she was out of my league and way too good for me. I was thinking I wasn’t good enough.”

“And? So what? You were scared?” Rei asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but his tone had confusion.

“Yeah I was scared, and it’s a normal feeling to be scared. I lived and loved a lot of people, buddy. I didn’t know if I could go try it out again.”

“I think you should try it out. She got good taste in food, I saw she got Oreo cookies in her shopping cart and gummies too!”

He chuckled, “You only care about food, do you?”

“Yup! Food is always welcome in my mind.” Added the boy with a shrug.

——

Jason then asked something that was more of a honest question for his godson. Something that added to why he refused to date. His life and family he created. It was a hard way to put into words what he meant but he still tried.

So he asked, “Do you think she would be good enough to be with us for a while? Good for us, i guess? You know, handle our lives?…My life? I don’t want to bring her into this crazy world of ours..”

Rei thought for a second, he snorted at his way of wording everything and how he tried to water down what he meant.

His godfather watched him for a moment before he made a turn into another lane. Rei had a cute little thinking face where his nose would wrinkle a little like his father, Tony, but his eyes would narrow down like his mother, Maria. It was something Pepper and Peggy pointed out recently every-time they saw him think of something.

“I think she’s okay, for now. She is pretty, looks smart I think and uh, she is friends with mommy.” Rei said with a shrugged, trying to piece together his thoughts.

“Plus she got some attitude like you..” Jason added with a smile.

“I do not have attitude!”

“Yes you do, bubba.”

“Whatever.”

“Okay bubba. Whatever you say, you want to watch a movie when we get home?”

His eyes light up hearing that, “Yes please! And give me your phone, please.”

“Haha—wait why?” Jason asked with a chuckle.

“I’mma call her for you! ‘Cause you are always busy and said you are dummy.”

“Rei, you are not calling Sophie.”

“Someone gotta do it duh! You say it is okay to be scared but we gotta be brave sometimes, right JJ?”

“Don’t use my logic and words against me, child!”

The boy laughed knowing he won today as the phone was tossed over to him with the contact open to the girl in question. There was a mutual conversation between the two, because it was true.

Sometimes you need a little push to do something, even if it doesn’t always turn out well. If you ain’t gonna do it for yourself, sometimes will always do it for you. It’s something the blonde used to preach a lot, even though it wasn’t advice he didn’t always take for himself.

It was the sad part about advice but it was the truth. Sometimes you don’t take your own words too heart.

———

Moments like this, he knew Rei was the one of the coolest and smartest kids in the world. But he wouldn’t exactly tell him all that too often because according to Peggy, they’re godson’s ego would grow two sizes too big if they did.

But they love the Stark boys nonetheless.

As he left to enter the road leading to the house, he could hear Rei’s voice talking with Sophie on the phone. He could’ve sworn he heard a chuckle or two escape his mouth as his tone tried to remain calm. There were moments he heard Rei give a snarky or rude comment and joke about something in his signature tone of voice.

It was a little out of character for the kid since he didn’t like anyone very often, always giving a rude attitude towards the person that crossed his path and always liked to stay in his zone. Be a homebody and be around people he already knew instead of meeting new people.

Jason blamed himself for that, it was like Rei inherited that part of him.

But this side of Rei, where if determined he will find the confidence within himself and talk to the person, make conversation with them if it meant he got something in return.

That was something he inherited from his mother and grandmother. Maria Winter and Maria Stark.

Because Rei knew if he got his godfather a date with this girl, come Christmas time, he will get extra presents from both adults. Plus he might have another person who makes his Pops somewhat happy for a little while.

He may not always show it, but he very much appreciated Jason and grateful for having him in his life. The least he can do see him enjoy himself every once in a while with someone else, but not too much because at the end of the day that was his pops. No one else’s.

~~~

The rest of the car ride was pretty nice. Music blasting from the radio, the sun shining through the clouds and the small noise the came from the car after Rei finished his small chat with Sophie. According to him, he liked the girl and Jason chuckled at his nod of approval.

The duo were just chatting, even after parking in front of Mansion and walked inside with grocery bags, they kept discussing topics. More like Rei kept rambling on about the movie he wanted to watch, what he wanted for dinner and the idea he had for the garage. Jason just chuckled nodding and responding announcing to Jarvis they’re back home.

As Jason was putting away the groceries and getting started on lunch time, Tony walked in ruffing Rei’s hair. Tony turned to face the two and raise an eyebrow as he asked, “Okay your a good mood. Spill.”

Rei rolled his eyes and shrugged, “Nothing, dad. Relax.”

“Yeah bubba, we just went out to go some shopping. You hungry?” Jason added with a smile.

Tony nodded replies that he’s starving, sitting down next to his son. Jason told them lunch would be started soon, he just needed to change his clothes into something more comfortable, walking out of the kitchen.

Rei smiled leaning back waiting for him be out of hallway and upstairs as Tony grinned taking out the chicken nuggets and fries from the freezer with ease. Once Tony made sure his uncle out gone, he whipped his head towards Rei and asked, “Okay kid, what do you know?”

“I ain’t telling.” Rei replied with a matching grin waiting for his end of the bribe.

His father sighed, “Alright, two weeks at Disneyland park next month.”

“And?” His son added with a tune waiting for more.

“Ice cream after dinner while Pepper is asleep.”

“Much better!”

“Now spill, squirt.”

“JJ saw his ex girlfriend at the store.”

“He did?! And what happened?”

“They talked and whatever. She’s pretty much a nice girl.”

“You met her?”

“We talked for like less than 20 minutes. She is one mom’s old friends.”

Tony thought for a moment trying to remember of ex girlfriend’s Winter friends as his eyes shined, “You mean the one that looked like Disney princess with some attitude that came that last year’s New Years Eve party? Always wears a ponytail and a cute burgundy shirt?”

“Yeahhh? That one. How did you know? Don’t tell me you dated her? Gross!” Rei asked millions of questions with a weird face.

“No of course not! Not my type, I remember her cause she brought us ticket to the Mets game last year. I think your mom and her always get their nails somewhere close by when you were a little.”

“Ohhh! Oh—that was her?! ‘Baseball girl’ you called you?”

“Yup kiddo, that’s the one. I didn’t know JJ liked her.”

“I guess so! He was a chicken and dumped her, I had to call her and see what she is like.”

“You set your godfather up on a date? You’re definitely my kid!”

That was when Jason walked back in the kitchen wearing sweatpants and his favorite t-shirt noticing how they sorta got quiet when he walked inside. Seeing them getting along very well and grinning towards one another.

It was a nice surprise to see them acting like silly gooses but it was odd even the faces they were making.

He gave them a confused look waving his hand in the air and asked, “What you guys talking about?”

Both of them looked at one another then back at them as they replied, “Nothing!”

~—~~—~~

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