a really really random question for people who are more widely read in buffyverse fandom than i am

[lirazel]

Although my flist might not be the best place to ask this:

Are there many Buffy/Angel fics where Buffy and Spike are really good friends? Because I was thinking the other day about how much I enjoy writing Angel as a friend to Buffy and Spike in my future 'verse, and how much I enjoy whenever he pops up in other people's stuff in a similar way. And I was wondering if the other side of the "shipper debate" (whatever--like what you like! I don't care! Am I supposed to get upset about it or something? I don't!) enjoys writing a Buffy-Spike friendship in the same way. Anybody know?

Comments

[rahirah]

I've seen a few - I wouldn't call myself enough of a B/A expert to say whether there are many, but my impression is that it's small but significant number. (I think there's a subset of those that tend to pair Spike up with Dawn.) Most of the ones I've read are pretty short, set post-Chosen, and the main focus is either upon making it clear that Buffy never loved Spike romantically, or upon Buffy and/or Spike's realization that a romantic relationship between them is undesirable or impossible, and Spike often either bows out when he sees the inevitable, or acts as matchmaker.

[worldwasasong.livejournal.com]

Let me amend what I said to - yes, actually, I have seen a few with Spike/Dawn and B/S. There's a pretty good post-Chosen series called the Boston 'verse that's B/A with some not bad S/D in there too.

[rahirah]

I'm thinking cornerofmadness and evil_little_dog did some along those lines at some point, but COM had a shanshued Spike who was going bald, and that totally threw me out of the story, considering JM's still-pretty-luxurious locks. *g*

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that sort of thing really defeats the point for me. What I want to see is what a B/A-er thinks an actual friendship between them would be like. Most of the stuff I've seen demonizes (heh) Spike pretty strongly, so I wanted to see if there was a different reaction. Oh, well!

or acts as matchmaker.

My first impulse on reading this was to laugh hysterically. I just...can't see that happening? Like, ever? Interesting though.

[rahirah]

I've seen some B/S writers do the same with Angel, and it doesn't strike me as terribly realistic that way, either. Even if Angel and Buffy are over, man, the BAGGAGE...

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Seriously! There's just too much going on there for something like that.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Oh man. I try really hard not to make Angel a total asshole in post-Chosen B/S fic, on the "do not bash" principle. I want them to be friends, if only so Buffy can have somebody to commiserate with about Spike's frequently less than grown-up behavior. But it feels like a lie, Peewee. *shakes head*

[rahirah]

I had Angel get his assholishness out early, so I'm free to write him being non-adversarial in later years (and of course my Angel has other things going on in his life - I haven't written much about it, but he's really busy off in L.A.) but it takes years for him and Spike to develop the prickly familial relationship they finally end up with, and even longer for him and Buffy to reconcile. And oddly, I think what they end up with is more familial than anything else, too. They will always love one another, but they can't be in love again - and Spike was right, they can never be friends, either. But if either one ever needs help, the other one would move mountains to give it.

[spiralleds.livejournal.com]

or acts as matchmaker.

My first impulse on reading this was to laugh hysterically. I just...can't see that happening? Like, ever? Interesting though.

Mmm, my fic, Serendipity (http://archiveofourown.org/works/78148) likely fits that category, sort of.

And I suppose Chrisleeoctave's Fair Play (http://archiveofourown.org/works/107184) would too. Which is funniest, yet sweetest story where pegging plays a central role.