A Long Time

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Fanfiction
Title: A Long Time
Author(s): Count Spikeula/The Mad Poetess
Date(s): 2003 or before
Length: 75kb
Genre: slash
Fandom: Buffyverse
External Links: online here

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A Long Time is a Buffyverse story by The Mad Poetess.

The pairing is Xander/Spike.

Reactions and Reviews

Spike and Xander are lovers but Xander can't leave Sunnydale - and every now and then, Spike does.
"Come in." And just like that, he did, and I let him in. Yeah, literally and metaphorically, and anatomically, and permanently. I led him back to my room, and there was us, me being awkward and shy and twenty and male, and him being more tender, and less mocking, than I could ever have imagined, and it was good. Good. That's a laugh, but I'm not Baudelaire, though I've gotten a bit more wordy with advanced age. It was better than good. It was... well, it was Spike. It was there, in that moment,and I've never gone back, never regretted for an instant. Oh, everything else, I live for regret, but not Spike. Never Spike, never the paper-white skin, the silken cords of his muscles, the hair still soft after a century of bleaching, the rough throaty English voice in my ear, whispering into my mouth. Never that night or any of the ones after.
This story could use a more stringent beta and purists will nitpick various flaws in characterisation etc but it's a good read if you don't take it too seriously. It's one of those stories that I don't necessarily believe could happen, but it's one in which I can suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy an entertaining romp with some of my favourite characters.[1]

Xander and Spike have Issues: some are mystical, some are just plain pigheadedness. I love this story, beginning to middle to end. I love Xander's immortality, and I love the end, and oh, Willow, how much do I love Willow in this story?[2]

Oh, and then there's "A Long Time," which just broke me down. God, something about those life-long stories, the passage of time... I like this one better than CG, I think, even though I would've liked more set-up for the schmoop. I just... there are some lovely, lovely character sketches in there, a few elegant brushstrokes that wrap it all right up.

Lives. God. This one is staying with me.

I look forward to more from Mad Poetess, to be sure.

[Dude. OLD school recs...] [3]

Spike/Xander. When Xander becomes immortal, the drawbacks just might outweigh the benefits. Spike develops wanderlust and decides he has to leave Sunnydale. And he just keeps leaving.

Why you should read this: After I read this story the first time, I kept thinking about it. And thinking about it. It fucking haunted me. I didn't have any choice but to come back and read it again, and again. I started to feel a bit like Spike, myself - I kept leaving, but I had to keep coming back. I'm not a crier by nature, but this is one of the three Jossverse fan fics that have brought me to actual tears. The characterization is spot on. Xander's angst will make your chest hurt, and Spike's inability to stay is right and heartrendingly painful at the same time. [4]

References