Love less than perfect

[rahirah]

A lot of people who ship Spike/Buffy do so on the basis of Spike's speech in "Touched" - he's seen Buffy at her best and her worst, and still loves her, without expecting anything from her in return. His love for her is pure and selfless. What I sometimes wonder, though, is... does Buffy return the favor?

That's not to say that I think Buffy

Comments

[angearia]

I think Buffy would be the last person to idealize Spike. I think it's more that the transition from her hating him to loving him has odd starts and stops. I'm reminded of when she says she "sometimes" likes him during Season 6 when they're laughing and actually having "a conversation" while lying under the carpets.

Buffy becomes so insulated and even repressed emotionally as a character by Season 7, so it's not the standard love affair for her. Not in terms of the declarations one would normally expect and the ones we in fact get from Spike. Rather, that when it comes down to doing her duty and believing in him because he needs her belief, she unlocks his chains and sets him free. The key moments to me that determine her emotional love are to me based on what she's willing to do for Spike. Like when Xander is kidnapped by a demon, but Spike gets knocked down and she runs to his side even though Spike isn't hurt. Or the way she calls his crypt "cozy" -- she looks back on his crypt with a smile and fond memories in Season 7

[larabeckinsale]

I see the moment in OMWF with her reaching for the fire "I want the fire back" bookending with the fiery hands of Chosen where she does in fact get the fire back and is able to declare "I love you" once more; she has found the flame of love in her heart again

Wow, I never thought of mmaking that connection!

[rahirah]

I'm positive Buffy genuinely cares (or cared; I think she's probably put him behind her by this time) for Spike. I'm just never entirely confident about the form that her caring takes.

[libco]

Yeah-what she said

[slaymesoftly]

Oh, nicely, nicely put.