Chapter Text
It had become a kind of post marathon ritual.
First, she’d cook him up a carb loaded meal and his favourite recovery smoothie and they’d eat together outside or by the TV, Peaches never far away.
Cassie would set-up the bath, sprinkle in some salts and maybe a few drops of oils then turn up the heat and some relaxing tunes.
Luke would soak for a bit, while Cassie rubbed his shoulders, head and neck, and he broke down the race in detail. Maybe it was weird, but she loved to hear him process things.
When he was done, he’d climb out and she’d massage his feet and legs, or anywhere else he was feeling the affects of running for 26.2 miles non-stop. It had been five years since he was wounded in action, and yet she still couldn’t believe how far he’d come. The stamina and strength of him.
Sometimes, if Luke had the energy, they would even celebrate with a little love making.
Cassie wasn’t feeling overly frisky that evening though. It’d been a long day. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to take care of her man.
It was a ritual. A thing they did. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone other than Luke, but she liked their things. They were comforting. And reliable. A way to come back to each other through the business and distractions of everyday life.
And considering their everyday life was going to change dramatically sometime in the next couple of weeks, Cassie wanted to make the most of the things that had shaped their relationship up until now.
So, despite feeling like a walrus waddling around their townhouse in Carlsbad, Cassie attempted to do exactly that.
Honour their ritual.
“Can I help with anything?” Luke came up behind her as she set to in the kitchen prepping pots for pasta. “You look kinda uncomfortable,” he added, trying not to laugh as she tried to turn on the back burner but her belly kept creating too much space between her and the knobs.
“Nope!” Cassie half turned, shoving him back out to the loungeroom “You’re supposed to be relaxing. I got this.”
The meal took a tad longer than it normally did to prep, but she managed.
They ate on the couch, which was probably a mistake, because Cassie didn’t really want to get up afterwards.
“You stay there,” Luke said, making towards the bathroom. “I can run the water.”
“I want to!” Cassie cried, putting all her effort into hoisting herself off the cushions. “Just let me,” she said, almost pouting.
Third trimester hormones had her losing her shit pretty easily sometimes.
Luke smiled and shook his head. “You are so goddamn stubborn.”
“You love it,” Cassie said groaning as she reached up in the cabinet for the salts. Her lower back was feeling particularly stretched today. Maybe from all the walking at the event.
Since they had the birthing pool set-up in the bathroom already, just in case, they agreed to use that instead of the regular tub. It’d be a practice run for when Cassie would actually need it.
When Luke climbed in, sighing at the instant relief of the hot water on fatigued muscles, Cassie felt victorious. She grabbed a step stool and sat behind him, gently combing her hands through his hair, massaging his scalp. Despite not being in the corp anymore, Luke still liked to keep his hair closely cropped. It wasn’t the only thing he was still particular about. Once a marine always a marine. Not that Cassie was complaining. His neat streak was actually kinda hot.
Phew! She was putting that thought process down to the hormones again.
“This is so good,” Luke drawled, his eyes closed, head leaning back on the edge of the inflatable. “You should get in with me.” He lifted his hand to hers. “There’s plenty of room.”
Cassie declined.
“Tonight’s about you,” she said, lowering her hands to massage his neck and the broad expanse of his shoulders.
“And what if I want you in here with me?” he said in a low voice.
Cassie felt something tug between her legs. God, that tone. It did it to her every time.
“Well… you obviously didn’t give your all today,” she teased.
“What makes you say that?”
“You’ve got energy leftover…” she clarified.
“Maybe a little,” he smirked, and then he launched into a discussion of the track and his pacing and time. It was the fourth time he’d run the Huntington Beach course, so he had memorised plenty of data comparisons to make too, from previous years.
Cassie was grateful that her taunting had led to this, as now she could focus on the conversation and not the stirring sensations she was feeling down below.
By the time they made it to the bed, the sensations were becoming pretty hard to ignore though, even Peaches had recognised something in her and plonked herself at the foot of the bed to be closer. But Cassie was determined to carry on with their ritual. She wanted to help make Luke feel better, she knew he still suffered from his injury sometimes, especially if he didn’t rest post-race, and that he was vehemently opposed to taking pain medication. So, this was how they managed that, together.
Cassie straddled a pillow at the end of him and started rubbing circles into his soles, pushing down on the balls of his feet and pulling his toes. He was sitting up with his back against the headboard, nothing but boxers on.
“Why don’t you stretch your legs out and I can do your feet too?” he suggested softly.
What was with him tonight? He wouldn’t let up.
“I’m fine.”
Luke raised his eyebrows, sucked his cheeks in, pursed his lips and looked at her with lowered eyelids. “Cassie, you’ve been grunting and groaning ever since we got home. Your face has been contorted for the last ten minutes, and your voice is very strained. Stretch your legs out.” Luke commanded.
Cassie huffed in resignation. How dare he boss her around? Even if he was right. She was in pain and she could really do with a foot rub to take her mind off it.
So, Cassie stretched her legs, as ordered. Well… she attempted to. Going from a straddle to sitting with your legs in front of you wasn’t exactly easy on a soft mattress with 8kg of extra weight, the majority of it centred in her midsection.
It was as she knelt on one knee, above Luke’s legs, trying to unravel herself, that Cassie felt a different sensation entirely.
Her eyes widened and her hand clutched at her knickers, under the old shirt of Luke’s that she wore to bed.
“Luke,” Cassie said slowly and deliberately, looking up at him and holding his gaze.
“What is it?” Luke leaned forward; concern etched into his features.
“I think my waters just broke.”
So much for tonight being about him.