CHAPTER ONE — ᥫ᭡ the pilot.

"Kids, I'm going to tell you the story about how I met your mother."

"Are we getting punished?" Margaret mumbled under her breath as she and her siblings sank onto the couch.

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It was the year 2005, I was twenty five, just starting to make it as an architect living in New York with Cregan, my best friend in college. My life was good, until your Uncle Cregan went and screwed the whole thing up.

You see, he was absolutely head over heels for his girlfriend, Arra Norrey, who we met during the first week of our freshman year of college. He hasn't been single since then, I haven't stayed in a fully committed relationship since then. But that's the beauty of our friendship— our so-called bro-hood. Because ever since then, your Aunt Arra has stayed an important figure in my life. In both our lives.

Anyways...

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"Will you marry me?" Cregan was kneeling right in front of Jace with the biggest smile, who stood in front of him with a wig, twirling the faux hair in his fingers.

"That's perfect!" Jace exclaimed, jumping excitedly as he snatched the wig off his head, revealing his already naturally curly hair. "And then she says yes, and then you two celebrate, and then you two have sex on the kitchen floor—"

"We are not having sex on the kitchen floor."

"You said that about the bottom bunk bed a month into college."

This earned a giggle from Cregan. "Sorry, we didn't know you'd feel it."

"It's basic knowledge, Cregan. When the bottom moves, the top shakes."

"Yeaaah..."

"Yeaaaaah..." Silence overcame them before some kind of realization hit Jace. "Holy shit, you're getting married."

"Isn't that grea—"

"Holy shit, you're getting married."

Cregan raised his eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

That, kids, was when I realized that your Uncle Cregan was getting married, pretty soon he'll be living with Arra doing who knows what. He'll be a lawyer, with a kid or two, saying 'happy wife, happy life' for the rest of his years. What do I have? My two bedroom apartment, my mediocre career as an architect, and literally nothing else.

So I did the one thing I thought I wouldn't do that night.

"I'm going out," Jace announced, quickly grabbing a jacket from the couch.

"Wait but with—"

Not even a second later, I was out the door and on the phone with the one person I hated and liked at the same time.

"Jace, McLaren's, and suit up!"

Now your Uncle Aegon and I had nothing in common— except that he and my mother shared a last name. The crazy thing was a year after we met, we came to find out that we were not at all related.

That's the funny thing about the Targaryen last name— it's too common. But because of that, Aegon uses it as an excuse to leave failed dates.

The Velaryon sat in the bar, drinking yet another glass of beer. He knew he had work tomorrow but you know, what else was he supposed to do? "I said suit up! Not... whatever you're wearing right now," Aegon sneered in disgust behind the man, as Jace turned around he noticed Aegon's face scrunched in plain disgust.

"I live right upstairs. I don't need to wear something formal all the time."

"You're not gonna pick up any ladies tonight looking like that. If anything you'll look like that cousin of Cregan's—"

"We've never met the girl."

"Yeah well, someone whose nickname is Dora certainly probably doesn't seem the type to dress to kill."

Your Uncle Aegon was the worst womanizer to ever live. And yet women LOVED him. Years ago I met him at the same bar, my goatee growing out to become a beard. He said, "Jace, I'm about to change your life."

In 2005, it was still pretty much the same.

Jace could only sigh, looking at the outfit he wore. "Yeah, you're right. I guess life just hits you when you least expect it, you know?"

"Oh God, don't star—"

"I mean, my best friend is upstairs planning to propose to his girlfriend and—"

Aegon immediately whipped his head to face Jace. "Best friend? I thought I was your best friend."

"Aegon—"

"No, Jace, say that I'm your best friend."

He only stared at Aegon before shaking his head. "You're my best friend, Aegon."

"Good, and as your best friend, loyal wingman, and the one to snap you out of your self deprecation, what the absolute fuck is going on with you?"

Jace shrugged. "I mean, I was never the type to want to be in a committed relationship."

"Yeah, commitment sucks–"

"But I'm a changed man now."

Aegon almost immediately spat out his drink. "What did I say about thinking about marriage before thirty?"

"Think about it this way, I find the one, date her for five years, then boom! Marriage, done, easy."

He felt Aegon's arm swing around him. "Women, Jace, they're not easy creatures."

"Creatures?"

"But if you insist, I guess it's time to play my favorite game. Haaaaaave you met Jace?"

Jace groaned as he buried his face in his hands. "We are not playing have you met–"

"Hi, have you met Jace?" Aegon asked a girl, who sat a few seats down from Jace. She waved at him, Aegon mouthing a 'thank me later' before running off to find someone to bring home that night.

My God, what did Jace get himself into?

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"She's with the bartender."

"Ooh, bummer," Aegon said, though he wasn't serious. "Cheer up, friend. Because there's a lot of hot bachelorettes tonight and–"

"No, Aegon, I'm not trying to hook up with anyone tonight."

"You're not going to find the love of your life in some bar."

But he was so wrong, because sitting across the bar was a girl I knew would be in my life forever. The way her lips curled into a smile, how her hair fell in all the right ways. Time started to move in slow motion, and I swear I felt my heart leap when she locked eyes with me.

As soon as your Aegon pulled yet another, "have you met Jace?" move on her, I knew it was over for me.

"Let me guess, Jace... right?"

"Oooh, was it that obvious?"

And she laughed, something that would haunt me for a few years because of how perfect it sounded. Because that, kids, is how I met your Aunt–

"—Yuliana, I'm Yuliana."