A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 164 | Wait, What, Sober?

Matthew laughed, gripping her chin, and he kissed the corner of her mouth. With a soft smile, his lips trailed along her jaw till he gently reached the other side of her mouth.

"Last week," he recalled, his eyes glinting with fondness, "you were insanely drunk from girls' night."

Eko, with a playful glimmer in her eyes, laughed. "As most Fridays have been for this year," she pointed out, "um, what did I say?"

A chuckle escaped Matthew, "I got this drunken phone call while working late that night."

"Hmm," her suspicion mounting, particularly noting the mischievous glint in his eyes..

****** ******

Seated at his desk, Matthew dedicated the past four hours to immersing himself in the ongoing progress of the Belle and Ace academy's development. Leaning back into his seat, he acknowledged that this focused work had been the most constructive use of his time—an easily accessible respite, especially considering he had recently undergone surgery again. Despite assuring Eko that he would be taking a rest, his mind raced at a million miles an hour, thoughts and ideas swirling with the project developments.

As he stretched his back, Matthew cast a glance at the clock on his computer, realizing it was well past midnight. While Eko enjoyed her Friday night drinks with the girls and fellow female soldiers from the academy, the weekly tradition granted him a brief reprieve. He knew it wouldn't be long before she stumbled into the office drunk and incoherent and giddy as all hell as she tried to have her way with him.

Twenty more minutes silently drifted by, and as he navigated the ebb and flow of reports, weariness settled in, casting a subtle haze over his surroundings. His eyes, seeking a moment of respite, found solace in the photograph adorning his desk—a snapshot frozen in time, capturing one of his most loved memories from their ceremony. The warmth of that day, the promises exchanged, felt as vivid as if it had just happened yesterday.

As Matthew's gaze lingered on the photo, a flood of emotions washed over him, and that's when the date on the computer actually captured his attention. His eyes widened with realization that it was mid-August. That's when it struck him that he had been married for the better part of two months at that point.

He was lucky enough to be married to the woman that brought his hopes and dreams to life. Eko had given him everything he ever wanted from all the great tragedies that had befallen them. He honestly thought at that point that their relationship couldn't get any better, and its when his phone chimed, and he saw his wife's ID on the screen. 

Smirking, Matthew quickly answered, placing it between his ear and shoulder as he continued typing. He couldn't help but smile at the sound of her voice. "Eko, everything okay?" curiosity tinged with a hint of amusement, wondering why she was calling in the midst of her girls' night out.

"Everything is ah-mazing. I have the best life – I can't believe I'm married to you, honest, baby. You're so dreamy and amaz....ingly...amazing, and I really... reallyyy... do loveeee you, and I had to call to tell you."

Matthew let out a snort, setting aside his work as he picked up the phone and leaned back in his chair. "I love you too, Eko. How much have you had to drink?"

"A few. Well, then, the Parky sisters bet they could handle more alcohol than ussss. Jazzy was like, youuuuuu want to drink, let's drink! Soooo, a few after the first few, and then a few with the other few, and Jesse wouldn't stop, so a few and a few and a few."

A moment of background noise from the bar filled the silence before his wife sighed dreamily. "Mattie?"

He chuckled, "Yes, Ek's?"

"I can't wait until you can't drink." The dream sigh continued.

His eyebrow raised; it took a moment to understand her sentence and the playful response. "What does that even mean?" he laughed, "What is going on in that head of yours?"

"I gotta, start... wayyyy at the beginning. Soooo, you know how the girls always, always, always go out, and there's a group of us. It's changing depending on who comes and goessss, and, like, who can make it? Well, when we were planning our night, Connie said that she couldn't come, and obviously that's soooo rubbish. She can totally come... she just can't drink being you know..." Eko whispered, "with child."

Matthew smirked at his wife's trait.

"So when we got here, we called her and yelled at her, likeeeee, to get her butt over here to at least join us for some fun! She's still not showing or anything; nobody can telllll..."

"Hmm, I totally see where you're going with this."

"You do!" she chirped up.

"No, Eko," he eased into the chair, his hand rubbing against his chest, smirking at the whole conversation, "not fucking clue."

"Okay, okay," she calmed down, "she said, no. Because, becauseeee... she's pregnant, Mattie, and the deal was she and Xander don't dooooo these things. Soooo, she can't go out, like, with us while she's likeeee... creating a baby, you know?"

"Interesting story there, babe, but-"

"-so then, Cathy said how much Xander and Connie love each other, and so I thoughtttt, how much I love you too! And, like... you knowwww... I can't wait until we can't drink together too. Because we, having our own tiny ones, would be so freakin' cute! And we'll have the smartest, prettiest kids because you're sooooo smart annnddd, and I'm such the prettiest person to have ever come into your life. And. And! you're a close second," She gushed like a true fan girl.

Matthew brought a hand to his mouth trying to surpress his smile, because he realsied in that moment that there was suddnely something more he wanted with her.

"We're gonna have the best kids everrrr, Mattie," Eko giggled loudly, intoxicated on life, "oh my godddd, they're gonna dominate the academy! Can you see it already!?"

His smile broadened at her giddiness, and in the haze of fatigue—whether from being up so late or the unusually long surgery earlier that morning —he felt like his emotions were getting the best of him. The dim light in the room seemed to soften as he bit the side of his lip, trying to contain the surge of overwhelming feelings. His vision blurred slightly as tears welled up, and his heart seemed to nearly leap out of his chest in response to her babbling

"They'll be pretty perfect, won't they?" He whispered. 

"Yeahhhh, just like youuuu," another happy sigh from her end, "babe?"

"Yes, Eko?"

"I really can't waitttt till I can't drink. I can't wait to meet themmmmm!"

"Me either, babe. I'm going to head to bed okay? Make sure Mya gets some water into you and come home safe."

"Okay babyyyy..." she smiled like a lovesick fool for the man, "I'll tell her I need allll the water or my super-hot, totally dominating husband will send her boyfriend... to do... Likkeee, the graveyard shifts, for like forever. And Mattie?"

Knowing she would remember none of this in the morning, he patiently responded, "yea, babe?"

"I love youuuuu, like, so much. Like- I wishhhhh I could marry you again. I can't believe you married me!"

"I love you too, you drunken idiot. Now go back to the girls, okay? Try not to wake the whole academy up when you guys get back this time?"

"There are... nooooo promises on that!" Eko giggled as the chatter picked up in the background. Then, her phone hung up, leaving Matthew staring back at the photograph on his desk—the woman who would one day be the mother of his kids.