Roman Holiday by Clare Chew (NC-17)

[vysila.livejournal.com]

Fandom: MAN FROM UNCLE
Pairing: Napoleon/Illya
Author on LJ: lyrebird
Author Website: lyrebird*mound
Why this must be read:

I confess to being a bit prejudiced about this story, as it was written to my prompts for the holiday story exchange on muncle. It's a glorious blend of canon and fanon (Napoleon buys clothes! Illya eats!), wonderful visceral details, and lively dialogue that's as revealing as it is clever. Clare captures their personalities vividly as they indulge a rare opportunity to play tourist in Rome.

And because it is a Clare Chew story, there is steaming hot sex. The story is told from Illya's POV, beginning with the snarky, superior and detached voice we know and love, but as events and decisions affect them both, all that begins to unravel. Oh my, how it all unravels.

For us, travel is not recreation; it's a means to an end. We catch glimpses of famous landmarks from the corner of our eye during car chases, shoot-outs and punch-ups. Sightseeing is a luxury we can rarely afford.

So being in Rome with Napoleon Solo on a break between assignments was a rare opportunity. No one to chase, and no one chasing us.

How novel. It almost felt like a holiday.

Roman Holiday, Part One
Roman Holiday, Part Two

I hope you enjoy this story as much as I do.

Comments

[tatkreiswok.livejournal.com]

I adore Clare Chew, and this is such a delightful story! Thanks for rec'ing!

[vysila.livejournal.com]

She's one of my faves, too, and this story has all the qualities I've come to love and expect from her work. So great to read it again in preparation for this rec. It stands up well to re-reading.

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Good choice. I like this story a lot. It's filled with lots of nice details, from the travelogue stuff about Rome to the way the agents interact.

[vysila.livejournal.com]

Yes! The details in the story just blew me away. I could practically taste the veal, feel the splash from the fountain, see Napoleon standing in the light. Very very visceral. The dialogue especially fascinated me, the way she managed to reveal so much characterization through their words.

[vysila.livejournal.com]

I imagine most folks did read it back in December, but it's well worth a re-read - stands up well. I think it's her best mfu story - certainly my favorite.

[ardent-muses.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I loved this one. It felt like a really fun vacation. She did a great job with the settings and also, as usual, with the characters.

[vysila.livejournal.com]

It's a sizzling, fun read, isn't it? :)

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

Excellent; I would have recced this story myself if it had not been so new the last time I did MFU recs; I thought everybody had read it on Muncle. Personnally, I loved it.