"All the forgiveness you're going to get" by Cord Smithee (NC17)

[elijahwildchild.livejournal.com]

Fandom: MAN FROM UNCLE
Pairing: Napoleon/Illya
Length: 25K
Author on LJ: cordwainer_s
Author website: All his stuff is archived at CGM

Why this must be read:

Because it's by Cord Smithee... What? You need more...? The challenge was to find some of his work that hasn't already been recced - it's all just so damn good. I'm fairly proud of myself to have found a piece that doesn't seem to have appeared in the van yet - so here it is.

It's set at the end of "See Paris and Die". As with all Cord's episode-related work he teases out a strand that screams for a slashy interpretation and builds around it such that the transition between episode and story is seamless. In fact when you've read the story you see in your mind the episode that should have been. Illya's self-recrimination for failing to find the missing diamonds and his exasperation at Napoleon for shopping him to Waverly and then landing him with the babushka are the starting point. What follows is classic Cord. Let me give you a little taster 

Illya wanted to rock against that weight, press against it. Wanted to feel Napoleon moving inside of him, feel Napoleon lose control. It wasn't going to happen. Napoleon bit his neck instead, grinding his hips against Illya's ass in tiny, taunting circles. Illya groaned, the penetration deep and sweet and hideously, tormentingly unsatisfying.

"Please," he said. "More--"

"In time." Breath so hot on his ear. He arched into the penetration, offering himself, opening himself. Napoleon snuggled closer, edged a little higher as Illya got his knees braced at least and settled himself, lifting his hips, taking every relentless inch of pleasure Napoleon had to give. So slow, so painstaking. Like cutting diamonds, like--

Like nothing at all in the world. Slow, and graceful, and generous, and maddening. Illya strained against him, wanting rhythm, wanting fierceness, craving the harshness and passion of Napoleon at his most intense, and Napoleon gave him none of it. Gave him gentleness and subtlety and a rolling pace like deep ocean swells--until Illya relaxed again, boneless against the bed, accepting and accepted, a warmth growing in him that had nothing to do with any purely physical pleasure.

The quality of his writing is stunning. His trademark hot sex (none hotter, IMHO) and emotional intensity are utterly compelling and are what draw me back time and again to his work, whether it's a quick PWP or lengthier novella. It's an immense loss to us all that he no longer writes for the fandom but - yay that he's left a legacy of such steamy wonderfulness. 

Go and read it now. If you aren't taking a cold shower by the end of it get a friend to check that you still have a pulse...

All the forgiveness you're going to get