Five short, classic Spuffy fics I can't stop re-reading

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

You know the feeling. It's late, you're half asleep, you need the right sort of reading to get you ready for bed. Or, you know, *bed.* Here are some classic faves, with the warning that they reflect my sweet, hurt/comfort-y proclivities:

Illumination, and it's sequel, Incandescence, by Annie Sewall-Jennings.

There's something magic about this fic, from its rich food imagery, to its sweet-yet-believable mood. The "Showtime" hurt-comfort and rehabilitated Giles really make it something great.


A Totally Random Occurence, by herself_nyc

I love the source material for the inspiration here (there's no finer movie than "The Manchurian candidate," in my estimation), I love Herself, I love this fic. It just jumps off the page. It's entirely its own creature, so real to me that it's tactile, almost. To me, it reads as a hurt/comfort, no physical injury required; the emotional layers are far too vivid to need it.

Offerings, by OneTwoMany.

I admit this is a bit of a blind spot for me; it was the first Buffy fic I ever read, right after I finished the series and just *ached* for a satisfying ending. My love for the soft comfort comes through here, too. But this fic holds up, I think. It caught the spirit of Season Seven and distilled it, filtered it a bit. It's a pick-me-up, when you need a little more fluff than is good for you with a little angsty self-indulgence mixed in.

Misery Made Beautiful, by hollydb.

This is a bit longer than the others, a few chapters, but oh, what a punch it packs. Season five, if Buffy were just a bit softer, if Spike's foot was just a centimeter farther from his mouth. What? I like me some sweet hurt/comfort fics - if you do, this is the king of them all.

Not to cheaply name-check an author twice, but she's a big fave of mine,
Wagering History, by Annie Sewall-Jennings.

A poker game, some Scoobies, a civil conversation in Season Five. Don't ask me how, but it's deeply believable anyway. :)

Comments

[debris4spike]

I had read Illumination and Misery made beutiful .... and loved - So I shall check out the others - Thanks for the rec

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

Thanks for reading! I have such a soft spot for this kind of thing...

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Excellent list!

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

Thanks! "Classic" is definitely the word, I think...

[jamalov29.livejournal.com]

Wonderful list ,sweetie.
I do believe that we have oldies but goldies in the spuffy fics department.:)

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

I quite agree! I have read these few until the pages wear thin... and they're not even made of paper! (Thanks, ladies, I'll be here all week...) I am somehow such a sucker for a beat-up Spike...

PS - your icon is gorgeous!

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recs. I've probably read the ones by ASJ - she is wonderful - and just forgotten the titles, but it's nice to be reminded of them. And no one does angst/comfort/emotion like Herself. Holly's is lovely also, so I only have one that didn't ring a bell with me. *off to read it and be made happy.*

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

Hee! That one has a special place in my heart because if its "first Spuffy fic" status... I quite agree with you about ASJ. She's so amazing! I really wish I had been here for the first blush of fandom, to see her in action.

[yourlibrarian]

I haven't read the 3rd one and have got it open in a tab now!

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

Hee! I am glad that I managed to dig up one "oldie but goodie" so many of peeps had not yet seen. Hope you enjoy!

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Great recs. I followed the links and discovered that I actually read Illumination and Offerings back in 2002-2003. But the rest are new for me. Thank you!

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

Hee! A blast from the past, indeed. Has Season Seven really been so long ago?

Glad that I turned up some new things for you! I hope you enjoy as much as I do.