Before They Were Lovers (Nothing Special Valentine’s Origin Story)

Chapter Two

Day

Day called it fucking fate that he and Godfrey were assigned to the same precinct after their four-month field training.

It was the first day of orientation, and Day had been strolling through his Starbucks newsletter, getting excited at the new winter blends —Oh damn, chestnut praline latte sounds good as fuck. I’ll grab one during lunch, and then after lunch, and then again before— when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

“God, how in the hell did you get assigned to Zone Three,” a guy hollered, yanking Day from his fantasy. “I thought they’d assign your overachieving ass to patrol the Georgia Supreme Court.”

Day tried not to be obvious as he watched Godfrey— God —fist-bump a short, buff Latino officer with kind eyes and a killer smile.

“Real funny, Joker. What the fuck are you doing here?” God rumbled. “I thought I was done with you after training.”

“Well, my boys and I came to scope out any prospects for my department. Your class wasn’t half-bad.”

The handsome man’s badge read APD SWAT.

“I got a spot open for you, God, if you’re—”

“ Not interested, Joker.”

“Why not?” The officer actually looked offended.

“One, because you play too fuckin’ much, and two, because I don’t wanna be on SWAT.”

“All right, buddy.” He clamped God hard on his shoulder. “You know where to find me if you change your mind.”

God gave the SWAT sergeant another fist bump, then sat on the other side of the room, farthest from everyone else.

Day smiled. Not only were there three new latte options out today, but Godfrey had been assigned to the same station as him. He must’ve done something great to receive this kind of karma from the universe.

God, huh . Seems a fitting nickname.

Day couldn’t tear his eyes away. God exuded power. The way his dark blue polyester uniform stretched over his form made him look as if he was carved from stone.

The captain stood in front of the room and ran through the orientation schedule and the administrative requirements they’d be fulfilling today, but Day wasn’t listening. He was sure he could figure out how to get his logins and where the cafeteria was.

Instead, Day watched Godfrey survey the room, his gaze lingering over everyone with uninterested assessment.

And then it happened.

God’s eyes caught his, and he froze.

Day’s heart sped up as time seemed to slow down. God’s attention on him was intense enough to make the rest of the room fade away. It was so overwhelming that Day had to break eye contact.

Day wondered if God had recognized him. If he’d been subtly watching him like Day had done him at the academy.

“When you’re finished today, I want you all to go home, fuck your wives, and kiss your kids because from tomorrow forward, I don’t give a fuck about office hours. You’re here until I say you can leave. I own your rookie asses until you prove otherwise. Got it? Any questions?” The captain’s voice boomed in the small room.

God was still staring at him, and like any other time Day was uncomfortable or felt put on the spot, he resorted to comedy.

He raised two fingers.

“What is it, Officer Day?” The captain glared at him as if he already knew he wouldn’t like what he had to say.

Day tried to keep from smirking.

“What if you don’t have a wife to fuck, sir?”

The captain stared so long that Day thought he might’ve crossed the line.

“Then fuck your boyfriend, Day. I don’t give a shit. Just make sure you can still drag your ass back in here at zero-dark-thirty tomorrow, smart mouth.”

The captain snatched his paperwork off the podium and left the room.

“Yes, sir,” Day whispered.

The men started to file out of the room, but Godfrey lingered.

Day pulled out his phone in an attempt to stall. He’d wait until everyone was gone, and then he’d approach Godfrey…God. Yeah, he liked God much better.

He had a feeling this was going to be the day his life changed forever, but his good mood was quickly doused when a wannabe Johnny Depp started slinging homophobic slurs.

Day did all he could to ignore him, but this piece-of-shit dick was relentless. Day knew those types. The ones who had the biggest issues with gay men were ensuring they kept themselves under the radar.

“We know who to protect our junk from in the locker room.”

The guy’s name tag said Ronowski .

“I have a strict no-bastards rule,” he muttered. “Now, move on.”

Day stood and gathered his papers and shoved them in his bag.

The juvenile bully was being spurred on by the few laughs he got until God slowly rose from his seat and approached Ronowski from behind. One by one, his small following of flunkies went silent and began to dissociate as they inched away.

God’s silent stalking reminded Day of a cheetah crouched low in the bush, lurking, creeping closer and closer as the gazelle mindlessly continued what it was doing. Oblivious that he was living the final seconds of his life.

Day did his best to be the bigger person, but when Ronowski got in his face, his calmness disappeared, along with the last of his patience.

Day gritted his teeth. “I said move on.”

Godfrey looked repulsed as he stood directly behind Ronowski. While the dumbass continued to hurl one middle-school insult after another, he had no idea he was sandwiched between fury and hatred.

Ronowski gave him one last look of utter disgust before he turned and slammed into a chest that must have felt like hitting a brick wall.

Day held in his chuckle as Ronowski rubbed his forehead while trailing his gaze up until he looked into God’s blazing green eyes.

Ronowski looked like he wanted to shit himself, but all bullies had to save face to not look like even bigger assholes than they already were.

“Who are you, his boyfriend? You gonna make me leave him alone?” Ronowski scoffed, attempting to shove past God as if he were a lump of nothing with the audacity to block his path.

With a swift, almost electrifying motion, God seized Ronowski by his throat, catching him off guard. Catching everyone off guard.

Day had witnessed God’s hand-to-hand, but he hadn’t seen this . His rage.

He liked it.

Panicked “oh shit” and “fuck” sounded around the room as the few officers who remained gave God more space, not one of them coming to Ronowski’s rescue.

Ronowski’s knees wobbled as panic flared in his eyes. He scrambled to remove God’s huge palm from his Adam’s apple, but he ended up having to hang on to God’s forearms instead as he was almost lifted off the ground.

God yanked Ronowski close to his face. “No, I’m not his boyfriend. But if you don’t shut your fucking mouth, I will make you his bitch.”

The deep, menacing growl of God’s voice wrapped around Day’s chest like a vise grip.

“That depends… Does he swallow?” Day asked casually.

God’s mouth twitched as if he wanted to laugh, but his scowl remained.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” Captain Murphy yelled.

God released Ronowski so fast he crumpled to his feet, hacking to catch his breath.

“Just getting to know each other, Cap,” Day answered. “Officer Ronowski was just showing my partner the correct technique for choking the shit out of a suspect.” Day grinned. “Isn’t that right, Officer Ronowski?”

Day slapped the shit out of Ronowski’s back a few times as if helping him with his coughing fit, all while God glared at the homophobe in a way that dared him to say otherwise.

“Yeah. We’re just fucking around, sir,” Ronowski huffed, rubbing his reddened throat.

“Well, knock that shit off and get your asses down to admin, now!” the captain barked, then stormed off.

Day and God locked gazes for a long moment before God arched one dark brow. “Partner, huh?”

“Yep,” Day confirmed. He wasn’t having it any other way.

God shrugged and grumbled, “Works for me.”

They were given a wide berth as they walked out of the meeting room arm in arm.