Fanmix: There's Nothing You and I Won't Do
Medium: Books
Fandom: Lois McMaster Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan series
Subject: Cordelia Naismith/Aral Vorkosigan
Title: There’s Nothing You and I Won’t Do
Warnings: Huge spoilers for Shards of Honor and Barrayar.
Notes: I know, I know. I ship this like burning and it won’t go away. So, you get another fanmix (in the possibly futile hope of making somebody write me some fanfic?). With bonus Kou/Drou! And yes, I’m very fond of Vienna Teng. So should you be.
Everything's behind the cut as usual.
Companion to falling is like this, which has been reuploaded just because I love you.




zip with picture, explication and songs

1) Falling in love, Cordelia to Aral—The Walk, Imogen Heap
It’s not meant to be like this, not what I planned at all
I don’t want to feel like this, yeah
No, it’s not meant to be like this, it’s just what I don’t need
Why make me feel like this?
It’s definitely all your fault
His eyes bothered her, and his smile. His curtness she could meet and match with her own flippancy, guarding herself as with a fencer’s foil. His kindness was like fencing with the sea, her strokes going soft and losing all volition. She flinched from the smile, and his face fell, then became closed and grave again.

2) Falling in love, Aral to Cordelia—Iris, Goo Goo Dolls
And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now
…
I just want you to know who I am.
He reached out to her shoulder, to touch one curl of red hair resting there, then turned away.

3) Refusal—Don’t Forget Me, Way Out West
There’s just one thing that I need to say
Before I close my eyes and walk away
There’s just one thing that I need to feel
Before I walk away against my will
Don’t forget me
Don’t regret me
Last chance to leave a message for Vorkosigan—no. The absurdity of transmitting the words “I love you” through Tafas’s mouth shook her with painful inward laughter. “My compliments” sounded rather swelled-headed, under the circumstances; “my regards,” too cold; as for the simplest of all, “yes”…

4) Seperation—Happy Ending, Mika
This is the way you left me,
I'm not pretending,
No hope, no love, no glory,
No happy ending.
This is the way that we love,
Like it's forever,
Then live the rest of our life,
But not together.
“I see. I should have trouble getting a job as a judo instructor, then…”
She looked up at his bleak face. A mistake; it wrenched her heart.

5) Opportunities—Gamble Everything for Love, Ben Lee
Tell me, do you lose your way each day
Are there people you don’t recognise, do they lie?
Tell me, does it make you feel too real?
Tell me the truth, and I’ll tell you the truth
If you gamble everything for love
You’re gonna be all right, all right
“I discovered, when I went home—it was changed. Or I was changed. Nothing fit anymore. I offended nearly everybody, and left one step ahead of, um, a whole lot of trouble. I can’t go back. I resigned my commission—mailed it in from Escobar—and everything I own is in the back of that flyer down there.”
She savored the delight that ignited his eyes during this speech, as it finally penetrated that she was here to stay. It contented her.

6) Together, Cordelia to Aral—L-O-V-E, Nat King Cole
Love is all that I can give to you
Love is more than just a game for two
Two in love can make it
Take my heart and please don't break it
Love was made for me and you
She nestled down with him, arms around his chest, resting her head on his shoulder, and hooking one leg over him as well, to emphatically complete his campture. The captive emitted something between a sigh and a laugh. She wished they might sit like that forever.

7) Together, Aral to Cordelia—Must Have Done Something Right, Reliant K
And I'm racking my brain for a new improved way
To let you know you’re more to me than what I know how to say
You're OK with the way this is going to be
This is going to be the best thing we've ever seen
If anyone can make me a better person, you could
All I got to say is I must’ve done something good
“I give you good morrow, my lady,” he sang out to her, reaching for her hand. The syntax was self-conscious but the sentiment naked-sincere in his mirror-bright eyes... His thick hand was dry and hot, welcome heat, live heat, closing around her cool tapering fingers.

8) Pregnancy—Now Three, Vienna Teng
Love, love, love is a word so small. Let it fill up, up, up 'til I can't see at all.
I want to be blind, only my hands to guide me, bring all of you inside me.
…
Strangest beauty cries, one and one, by and by, now three of us here lie.
Love, love, love for one so small, come fill me up, up, up 'til I can't see at all.
He looked up to meet her smile, unsuccessful at concealing the eagerness in his eyes. “Well?” He bounced a little, on his heels.
“Well.” She attempted a sad and disappointed look, to tease him, but the grin escaped and took over her whole face. “Your doctor says it’s a boy.”

9) Regency—Hope on Fire, Vienna Teng
You're a one-man shift in the weather
You're the woman who just won't sell
Climbing up and ringing the bell
Ooh, you're gonna make your mark this time
Ooh, you're gonna set your hope on fire
“When we came up here,” said Cordelia slowly, “with this vague talk of a post, I thought I might urge him to take it up. He needs work. He’s made for it. I confess I wasn’t anticipating that offer…But I’ve always thought—tests are a gift. And great tests are a great gift. To fail the test is a misfortune. But to refuse the test is to refuse the gift, and something worse, more irrevocable, than misfortune. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“No,” said Vortala.
“Yes,” said Vorkosigan.

10) Social life, Cordelia to Aral—I Don’t Feel Like Dancing, Scissor Sisters
I'll just pretend that I know which way to bend
I'm gonna tell the whole world that you're mine
Please understand when I see you clap your hands
If you stick around I'm sure that I'll be fine
But I don't feel like dancin' when the old joanna plays
My heart could take a chance but my two feet can't find a way
You'd think that I could muster up a little soft shoe, gentle sway
But I don't feel like dancin', no sir, no dancin' today
Aral returned to her side, looking stimulated. “Dance, milady?”
After that dinner, more like a nap…She shook her head, smiling. “I don’t know how.”
“Ah.” They strolled instead. “I could show you…”
“Mm,” she said, doubtfully. “If you can find a private spot.” If they could find a private spot, she could think of better things to do than dance, though.

11) The calm center, Aral to Cordelia—In the Middle, Theory of a Deadman
As we lay here together I feel your heart beat with mine
With time standing still, here is where we've always been
Well there goes the world and we're right in the middle again
I said leave me here, I said leave me here
I said leave me here, I said leave me here with you
He rested in her arms. “I know. There wasn’t really a question, about the decision. I was just…kicking a bit, going down.” He disengaged himself and stood again. “Dear Captain. If I’m still sane, fifteen years from now, I believe it will be your doing.”

12) Soltoxin poisoning—Trouble in Woodsboro, Marco Beltrami
[instrumental]
She awoke in the dark to a tinkling crash and a soft report, and drew in her breath with a start. Acridity seared her lungs, mouth, nostrils, eyes. A gut-wrenching undertaste pumped her stomach into her throat. Beside her, Vorkosigan snapped from sleep with an oath.
“Soltoxin gas grenade! Don’t breathe, Cordelia!” Emphasizing his shout, he shoved a pillow over her face, his hot strong arms encircling her and dragging her from the bed.

13) Piotr’s Ultimatiam—You’re My Home, Billy Joel
Well I'll never be a stranger
and I'll never be alone
Wherever we're together
that's my home
“Get out of my house. Both houses, Vorkosigan House too. Take your woman and remove yourself. Today!”
Aral’s eyes flicked only once around his childhood home. He set the viewer carefully aside, and stood. “Very well, sir.”
Piotr’s anger was anguished. “You’d throw away your home for this?!”
“My home is not a place. It is a person, sir,” Aral said, gravely. Then added, reluctantly, “People.”

14) Vordarian’s Coup—The Flight, Immediate Music
[instrumental]
“We’d found Vordarian was conspiring, at HQ and elsewhere…Negri called me last night with the word that he had his evidence in hand, enough to move on at last…Clearly Vordarian was warned. His original move wasn’t planned for another month…”
“Aral…” Her voice came out a stupid squeak… “Take care.”
“You too.” A last light flared in his eyes.

15) Shopping trip— Harbinger, Mike Oldfield
[instrumental]
“Forever,” he snarled whitely. “I will avenge her—avenge them all—“
Wrong answer, Cordelia thought, with a curious light-headed sadness. “Bothari. Pick up that sword.” …She set the replicator on the floor and laid her hand atop his… “Bothari, execute this man for me, please.”
…”What?” yelped Vordarian in astonishment. “You’re a Betan! You can’t do—“
The flashing stroke cut off his words, his head, and his life.
--
“Good God, woman, where have you been?” he cried, furiously.
A morbid lunacy overtook her. She smiled fiercely at him, and held up the bag. “Shopping…Want to see what I bought?” Cordelia continued, still floating. She yanked the bag’s top open, and rolled Vordarian’s head out across the table.

16) Reunion—I Melt With You, Sugarcult
I'll stop the world and melt with you
You've seen the difference and
It's getting better all the time
There's nothing you and I won't do
I'll stop the world and melt with you
Cordelia fell into Aral’s arms as the door sighed shut, into his lap, catching him as he rose for her. They both landed with enough force to threaten the balance of the chair. They embraced each other so tightly they had to back off to manage a kiss.
“Don’t you ever,” he husked, “pull a stunt like that again.”
“Don’t you ever let it become necessary again.”
“Deal.”
He held her face away from his, between his hands, his eyes devouring her. “I was so afraid for you, I forgot to be afraid for your enemies. I should have remembered. Dear Captain.”

Epilogue: Eric’s Song, Vienna Teng
strange how you know inside me
I measure the time and I stand amazed
strange how I know inside you
my hand is outstretched toward the damp of the haze

and of course I forgive, I've seen how you live
like a phoenix you rise from the ashes
you pick up the pieces, and the ghosts in the attic
they never quite leave
and of course I forgive, you've seen how I live
I've got darkness and fears to appease
my voices and analogies, ambitions like ribbons
worn bright on my sleeve

strange how we know each other

strange how I fit into you
there's a distance erased with the greatest of ease
strange how you fit into me
a gentle warmth filling the deepest of needs

and with each passing day, the stories we say
draw us tighter into our addiction
confirm our conviction that some kind of miracle
passed on our heads
and how I am sure, like never before
of my reasons for defying reason
embracing the seasons, we dance through the colors
both followed and led

strange how we fit each other

strange how certain the journey
time unfolds the petals for our eyes to see
strange how this journey's hurting
in ways we accept as part of fate's decree

so we just hold on fast, acknowledge the past
as lessons exquisitely crafted
painstakingly drafted
to carve us as instruments that play the music of life
for we don't realize our faith in the prize
unless it's been somehow elusive
how swiftly we choose it
the sacred simplicity of you at my side

Bonus Kou/Drou: A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me, Fall Out Boy
‘cause you’re just the girl all the boys wanna dance with
And I’m just the boy who’s had too many chances