The World That You Need by Dira Sudis (Explicit)

[beatrice_otter]

Fandom: VORKOSIVERSE
Pairing: Aral/Cordelia, Aral/Jole
Length: 45k words
Author on LJ: dsudis, dira
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read:

Aral is bisexual.  And although he is very thoroughly indoctrinated with Barrayaran sexual ideals about monogamy and heteronormativity, Cordelia is not.  It's not a betrayal if everyone is happy about it.  This series does a wonderful job of exploring what it might be like to be gay on Barrayar, particularly in the military.  It also does a wonderful job of exploring Aral and Cordelia's relationship, and taking an extremely minor character (Aral's aide, Lieutenant Jole) and fleshing him out to a wonderfully three-dimensional person.  It's engrossing and well-done (as if it could be anything else with Dira writing it).  And, of course, there are a lot of complications: it's not enough to say "hey, let's all get together!"  There is a lot of time spent feeling each other out and misunderstanding and negotiating what exactly is going on and what will happen, and making sure it's all safe, sane, and consensual.  It sounds dry when you put it like that, but oh, it's not.  It is so wonderfully angsty and hopeful and when they finally work through all the issues it makes you want to cheer.

Here's the bit from the first fic where Cordelia walks in on Aral and Jole working together and realizes that not only does Aral have a crush on Jole, Jole has a crush on Aral:

 

Cordelia's face heated and her heart leapt, and she found herself smiling rather the same way Aral did when he talked about Jole. In that very instant Jole became quite completely her favorite of all Aral's protégés and all his crushes. She had in a single glance discovered something she had not realized she longed for--rather like the first time she had unexpectedly heard a Betan accent on Barrayar. She wanted, with the sudden intensity of homesickness, to cross the library and take Jole aside, to gossip delightfully about the man at the center of both their lives, to share this particular joy with someone who would appreciate it as she did.

But the impulse popped like a soap bubble as Jole looked quickly away--afraid of being caught in that gaze, because Jole was Barrayaran, of course. And Barrayarans were tediously heteronormative as well as tediously insistent on strict monogamy--on the appearance of strict monogamy, anyway, and for some people merely the appearance of the appearance. Aral was, of course, notoriously sincere in his appearance of strict monogamy. He had no reason not to be, since his crushes tended to be on his irretrievably unavailable bright young men, all determinedly heterosexual and all too aware of Aral's exalted rank to contemplate any form of intimacy, let alone the sexual variety.

All but Jole, it seemed.

Cordelia immediately began to consider what might be done to break the impasse; it was naturally a delicate and difficult one. Aral was clearly unaware of Jole's attraction, or he wouldn't casually torment the boy with such closeness. Equally obviously, Jole saw no possibility of being requited, even if he did dare to show his interest. 

Cordelia had barely begun to see a way clear when Aral turned his head and broke into a bright grin at the sight of her. "Cordelia! You look as if you're plotting something."

Jole was on his feet in an instant, his face a perfect mask of polite attentiveness as he looked toward her. He had no doubt realized instantly--because Jole was doubtless every bit as brilliant as Aral had told her, many times and in loving detail--what she might have seen from where she stood. And Jole was Barrayaran, of course, and would have no grasp of the possibility that adults might choose to share their relationships in a sensible and friendly manner. Whatever she said next, he was likely to hear it as a remark on him.

Well, let him hear it then. Let him take what warning from it he would.

Cordelia smiled brightly and walked over to her husband, reaching out her hands for his as she reached him. He gave her a slightly quizzical look, but accepted the reassurance of her grip and said nothing more. She looked past him to Jole, who was looking down at the comconsole now and doing his best impression of a man not inside the room. A man listening with all his might at the keyhole, perhaps....

"Never fear," Cordelia said, and pressed a brief kiss to Aral's cheek. "We're all on the same side."

 

The World That You Need