I don't own The Orville or any of the characters.

Originally this story started off as something else, but transformed into the story before you. The pairing started off as one thing and then became something completely different as the characters led the way. I hope that you enjoy it. :)

Alara awoke with a pounding headache. That was the last time she would be getting that drunk. Even as she said it, she know it was a lie. Lately all she wanted was to be off-duty and drink herself into a coma. If only to forget for a moment.

She knew it was ridiculous, but her emotions always got the better of her. One glance, one look from Ed and she was lost. In the end, he always smiled at Kelly. It would never be at her.

Alara tried to sit up, but a groan from behind her stopped her. It was only then, through the haze of her hangover, that she realized she wasn't alone in her bed.

Slowly she began to register the feeling of another body in her bed. An arm was slung over her midsection and a hard chest pressed up against her back.

She started to sift through her foggy memories of the night before. She had gotten very drunk, more so than usual, when she walked out into the hallway from the Mess Hall right into Captain Mercer. She could recall him looking down at her with those bright blue eyes, filled with concern for her. She could remember someone carrying her down the hallway, a pair of strong arms holding her. She could feel her lips pressing on another's, hands roaming her body... she blushed.

Had she slept with Ed and not remembered? Her heart leapt at the thought. Had her dreams finally come true?

Slowly, so as not to disturb the other person in her bed, she rolled over and felt her heart drop at the sight. More memories circled back as she remembered that Ed wasn't alone when she ran into him.

Gordon Malloy was sleeping soundly next to her without a care in the world.

Her mind cleared slightly as she recalled both Kelly and Gordon being with Ed when she bumped into him in the hallway. It had been Gordon who had volunteered to take her back to her quarters. He had carried her when she collapsed on the way, for once being the gentleman. He had been surprised when she kissed him, even trying briefly to push her away. She had been aggressive and his resolve had broken when she took off her clothes and threw him on the bed.

She must have confused him with Ed in her drunken state. That was the only explanation.

She covered her eyes in embarrassment. Gordon wasn't an unattractive man, but he wasn't the man she was in love with. He was a friend, a good friend, not a fuck buddy.

Another groan from the redhead indicated he was starting to awaken. Alara felt her body fill with panic. She could not be here, in bed with him, naked, when that happened. Slowly she slid out of the bed and rushed into the bathroom.

If she was going to face Gordon after a one-night stand then she was going to do it fully clothed. She turned on the water in the sink and proceeded to brush her teeth, washing the taste of alcohol and sleep out of her mouth, taking her mind off the man in the room just beyond the door.

Gordon blinked awake slowly. For a moment he wondered where he was as he looked about the room. This wasn't his quarters, this was...Alara's quarters.

The events of the previous night came back to him as his mind cleared. Alara had been very drunk and aggressive. He had tried to resist, but he couldn't fight her and found that he hadn't wanted to once she got him in the bed.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes before running his fingers through his short, red hair.

He looked around the room and found that he was alone. He could hear the water running the next room, Alara had awoken first and was hiding out in the bathroom. All the best, he wasn't sure how to face her.

He hadn't intended to sleep with her. When she started kissing him so passionately he had tried to push her away. He preferred sober women who know who he was and what was going on. For some reason he couldn't push Alara away even knowing that she was drunk. After she got him in her bed and started to remove her clothing his resolve had disappeared and he had indulged in what she was offering. He should have tried harder to resist her, but he just hadn't. He couldn't believe himself. He sighed before standing, looking around the floor for his clothes.

He found his clothes quickly mixed in among her pieces. More memories of the night came back to him as he dressed.

Alara's lips on his, on his skin. Her hands roaming his body, her body in his hands. Her moans in his ears. The feel of her body over his, under his. Her voice as she drifted off to sleep afterwards, both of them exhausted.

Gordon took a deep breath as those words came back to him, those words he had almost forgotten as sleep overtook them the night before. He dressed quickly, his eyes glancing over to the bathroom door, listening for any movement from within indicating her coming back out.

After he dressed he checked the time, he was due on the bridge soon, not enough time to go to his quarters and get a clean uniform. He shrugged. It wouldn't be the first time he worked in a dirty uniform.

He glanced one last time at the bathroom door. For a moment he wondered if he should wait for her to come out, but those words from the night before came back to him and he decided that this was for the best. Saying nothing would be the best, for now. He was still barely awake and on-duty in a short time.

He turned and walked out of the room and then out of Alara's quarters heading towards the bridge. He couldn't be late, especially today.

Alara opened the bathroom door and found that the man she had left in her bed was gone. She let out a breath of relief. Even after a shower and dressing she didn't know what she would have said to him.

She know that her shift on the bridge would start soon, that she would have to see him there, but she would be professional and say nothing. Hopefully he would do the same.

She was halfway to the bridge when she ran into Kelly.

"Hey Alara," she said cheerfully.

"Commander," she replied with a smile.

Kelly smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Can I see you in my office for a moment?" she said. Although it was framed as a question, Alara didn't miss the order in the tone. Something was up.

"Of course," she replied, now confused.

The two women walked into Kelly's office and took a seat, each on one side of Kelly's desk. She looked at Alara with a serious and firm gaze.

"Alara, I think you are aware of why I wanted to speak with you."

It took Alara a moment to piece together what Kelly wanted to talk to her about, her drinking. For months she had been able to keep it secret and in just one night it was all out in the open. She cursed her bad luck.

Out loud she responded with a dejected. "Yes, sir."

Kelly started to talk about how, as Head of Security, while a drink or two when off-duty was alright, getting so drunk that she nearly collapsed was unacceptable. The words hit Alara hard. She didn't realize that this was such a big deal. She just wanted to forget.

Forget that the man she was in love with was so obviously still into the woman before her.

"Do we have an understanding Lt. Kitan?"

Alara nodded. "Yes, sir," she responded. "I'm sorry and it will never happen again."

Kelly nodded. "Okay. I won't put this in your file this time."

Alara nodded her understanding. She knew that this should have been put in her file, but Kelly was being courteous. She was lucky.

Of course, this meant that she wouldn't have another way to forget about Ed anymore. She would have to find another outlet going forward. And whatever she did, it would have to be in the privacy of her quarters, away from prying eyes.

After being released from Kelly's office, Alara walked to and onto the bridge.

Usually she would cast a quick glance at Ed, but today she instead cast a glance at Gordon.

He was focused on his station as if ignoring her presence. She decided to do the same. She relieved the security officer that had been there and took her place, quickly getting herself wrapped up in her bridge duties and putting the night and the activities that happened behind her.

After the longest and dullest shift in her career Alara was ready when she was relieved of duty to head back to her quarters. All she wanted was to go to sleep and forget everything, even if she couldn't drink her sadness away.

Today had been another day of listening to Ed and Kelly argue-flirt and all it did was hurt Alara to hear and watch. Even though she liked Kelly, Alara wished that they had a male Commander for Ed. If they did then she would never have to worry about Ed flirting with him in front of her. She may even have had a chance.

With Kelly and their shared history...it was impossible.

She rounded the corner to head to her quarters and stopped short, her eyes widening in shock.

Gordon was standing at her door, casually leaning against the wall. Alara's mind raced.

What could he possibly have to say? What did he want? Why was he here?

Briefly she considered turning and heading in the opposite direction, running anywhere by here. She didn't want to talk about the previous night or why she had been drunk. She just wanted to be alone.

Just as she was getting ready to move his head turned and those brown eyes found hers. She felt a shiver run through her, but it wasn't unpleasant, just confusing. She took a deep breath, straightened her back and approached him. There was no reason to be nervous, it was just Gordon.

He didn't move as she approached which only made her more curious about what was going on.

"Can I help you?" she said as she reached her door, her voice calm.

"We need to talk," he said firmly, his voice low. He didn't look like himself right now, he looked almost...serious. "I'm sure you wouldn't want an audience for it."

Based on how serious he looked and what had transpired the night before, she knew that was probably the truth. She opened the door and led him inside. As soon as the door shut behind them she continued over to her sitting area and sat, picking up her tablet as she did, trying to look busy. "What is it?" she said without looking at him.

"You are in love with Ed."

Alara's head shot up, her eyes wide as she looked at the redhead. He still looked serious and almost a bit angry. She didn't know how he had heard, but she swallowed down her nervousness and decided to play dumb. Maybe he would think he was wrong? "What did you say?"

He took a few steps forward until he was standing next to her, looking down at her as she sat. "You're in love with Ed."

Alara tried to hold back the blush she knew was filling her cheeks. She looked back down at the tablet in her hands, unable to keep his gaze. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"You may have been drunk last night," he said firmly, "but I wasn't. You said his name in your sleep."

She couldn't hold back the blush now and her face turned bright red in embarrassment. She looked back up at him, wide eyed and nervous. "I did?"

Gordon nodded. He remembered the moment vividly now that he had had time to process everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. After they had finished and were beginning to drift off, she had said clear as day those words, "I love you, Ed." He had been too tired to say or do anything at the time, but now...

Honestly, he was more hurt than angry, which surprised him. Oh, the anger was there of course, but for some reason he could feel pain more than anger at knowing she had confused him for another man. Not just any man either, but his best friend, Ed. If he had known that Ed and Alara had something going on he would have tried harder to resist her.

Looking at her now, red faced, embarrassed and almost cute, he almost felt guilty for saying anything. This is where the anger held him and kept him here.

"I don't appreciate being a substitute for whatever game you and Ed have going on, even if he is my best friend."

Alara stood, their bodies only inches apart now. She looked up at him with those wide eyes and guilt flooded him, but he refused to acknowledge it.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I was drunk and sad and...I, well, I..." she took a deep breath. "I have feelings for Captain Mercer, it's true," she said. Hearing those words again caused a fresh wave of pain to course through Gordon, although he didn't know why.

"He knows nothing about it," she continued. "There is no 'game'. I would never have said those things sober or hurt anyone by saying another man's name when together...like that."

Tears began to fill Alara's eyes now. Gordon had never really seen Alara cry before and the sight caused all anger to fade instantly.

"Besides," she said, "anyone can see he's going to get back together with the Commander, with Kelly. It's so obvious." The tears were falling now and she was starting to babble. She didn't even notice that Gordon's expression had changed from serious to concerned. "I know that I shouldn't have fallen for him, that it was the stupidest thing I could have do. Then I get drunk and sleep with another man only to say Ed's name in the bedroom. I just..."

Alara found herself silenced as a pair or arms surrounded her, her head gently pushed to rest against a hard chest.

"Calm down," he said softly, his voice calm and soothing now. "Your secret is safe with me."

Alara relaxed in his gentle embrace. That hadn't been a concern of hers until he said he would keep it safe. She took a deep breath and allowed him to hold her a few moments more. It was warm and safe, something she hadn't realized she wanted until that moment. It surprised her that the goofball Gordon would be the one to provide it to her.

When she pulled back, he released her easily, his arms dropping to his sides. She felt cold and suddenly wished his arms had remained around her, but she shook that thought out of her head. That was a silly and strange thought.

"Thank you," she said with a slight smile. "And I'm sorry again."

Gordon shrugged, as if women always called another man's name while in bed with him. "No worries," he said with a smirk. "We good?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we're good."

The smirk turned into a smile. "Alright." He took a deep breath. "We'll just forget the whole thing, I guess?"

"That would probably be best," she replied with a relieved tone. "Thank you again."

He nodded his agreement, ignoring how much it hurt that she could so easily forget perhaps the best night of his life.

Gordon waved good-bye as he headed out of her quarters, leaving Alara alone. She yawned, suddenly tired and headed into the bedroom.

Perhaps a good night's sleep would wash away these feelings for Ed, or at least allow her a momentary dream of something she knew she would never have.

Tomorrow would be a new day.