One Rec for Every Buffyverse Pairing, Ever

[crazydiamondsue]

Or, you know, not.

I wrote in my 'I don't need romantic endings' post that I'd read most of the Buffyverse pairings. I quickly realized that this couldn't possibly be true (D'Hoffryn/Skip is still on my to-read list) but I have read a large selection of pairings featuring primary and secondary characters.

So I decided to make a recs list of them, despite the fact that it's not EVERY PAIRING EVER OMG.

These are all stories I greatly enjoyed. They span every possible genre and rating and all are well-written. Will they all be every Buffy fan's cup of tea? Most likely not.

I did not try to reinvent the wheel for the "big" pairings. If you're a Buffy/Angel, Buffy/Spike, Spike/Angel or Spike/Xander (or other more common pairings) fan, you're probably not going to find anything new. But if you've been curious to try any of those pairings, you'll at least find a well-written story. ETA: I forgot to say that a lot of these stories are older, written pre-2007 or pre-pre-pre-2007. A few are new.

I struggled in choosing a Spike/Xander fic, since I wrote, read and 'shipped it so long and the majority of my long-time LJ friends are (or were) S/X writers. So I took the easy way out: I rec'd myself. I might not have been the best S/X writer of all time, but I certainly didn't suck.

Halfway through compiling these recs I thought, "Why, exactly, am I doing this, again?" It's not every pairing ever. It's not Sue's List of Must Read Fics (there would be more Xander if that were the case.) What this ended up being was a long list of fics that feature 'ships. I believe all the canon ships are represented, and most of the "almost canon." There's one fic per pairing and pretty much one pairing per fic (I didn't have time to roundup all the threesomes and moresomes; I have an unlife you know.)

This was hard. It was hard to leave writers off because I was only listing *one* Buffy/Angel or Spike/Angel fic. It was hard to pick fics for 'ships for which I'd read multiple fics. It was really hard to track down those Willow/Kennedy, Giles/Olivia and Faith/Robin fics. But in the end I'm left with a lengthy recs list that those new to fandom and those who are interested in trying out new pairings can use as a starting point.

Yes, I'm sure I left a popular pairing or two off. I am actually only human, all the awesome to the contrary. Feel free to leave recs for me in comments, that would rock. (I already have that Skip/D'Hoffryn to read, though, so be creative.)


The Recs

Angel/Connor
Five Years Later at a Holiday Inn by romanyg, NC-17

Angel/Darla
Eternal Return by Sera C, PG-13

Angelus/Darla
Morning After by selenak, PG-13

Angel/Doyle
I'm Not One by kita0610, NC-17

Angelus/Drusilla
Lamb of God by lostakasha, NC-17

Angel/Faith
Half-Lit World by marenfic, R

Angelus/Fred
Mind Fuck by ash_carpenter, NC-17

Angel/Giles
Grief That Does Not Speak by estepheia, R

Angel/Gunn
This Is Our Grace by idyll, NC-17

Angel/Illyria
Not Yourself by deird1, NC-17

Angel/Kate
Call It Closure by clawofcat, PG-13

Angel/Lilah
Mortal Taste by likeadeuce, R

Angel/Lorne
But We're Not (Losing Faith) by Dusk, PG

Angel/Nina
Something Else by romanyg, R

Angel/Oz
Clair de Lune by spikendru, NC-17

Angel/Penn
Salvation by ely_jan, NC-17

Angel/Riley
Damage Done by chrisleeoctaves, NC-17

Angel/Spike
Vicarious by lynnenne, NC-17

Angelus/Spike(William)
Chevachee by peasant_, R

Angel/Wesley
Full Circle by lyrstzha, NC-17

Angelus(Angel)/Willow
Rematch by Medea, R

Angel/Xander
He Never Did Listen by viciouswishes, NC-17

Anya/Andrew
A New Hope by rubywisp, PG

Anya/Tara
Resistance is Useless by missmurchison, PG-13

Anya/Willow
First Time for Everything by snowpuppies, R

Buffy/Angel
Weight of Life by marenfic, NC-17

Buffy/Anya
For Her Pleasure by lunabee34, PG-13

Buffy/Connor
New York Blooms by entrenous88, PG-13

Buffy/Cordelia
Remedial Buffy by glossing, NC-17

Buffy/Darla
Calisthenics With Words by sevendeadlyfun, R

Buffy/Faith
Dreaming of We by femmenerd, R

Buffy/Fred
Lemon Sprinkle Frosting by brutti_ma_buoni, PG

Buffy/Gunn
Average Love Story by marenfic, NC-17

Buffy/The Immortal
Tramps Like Us by likeadeuce, PG

Buffy/Nina
Love Lost and Found by tinpanalley, NC-17

Buffy/Oz
Experiments With Normal by glossing, PG

Buffy/Riley
As You Weren't by Alexandra Huxley, PG

Buffy/Spike
Stick Shift by stultiloquentia, NC-17

Buffy/Tara
House Full Of Women by witling, PG

Buffy/Wesley
Clarity by thomasina75, R

Buffy/Xander
The Bright Blessed Day, the Dark Sacred Night by nwhepcat, PG

Buffy/Willow
Discretionary by ladycat777, NC-17

Connor/Dawn
Les Cousins Dangereux by annakovsky, R

Connor/Oz
The Post-Finals Tradition by mireille719, R

Cordelia/Angel
Washer at the Ford by lostakasha, R

Cordelia/Darla
Vessels by carlyinrome, NC-17

Cordelia/Doyle
California Dreaming by lycomingst, PG

Cordelia/Fred
Remembering by mirielle719, NC-17

Cordelia/Gunn
Enormous Panties and Other Things by viciouswishes, NC-17

Cordelia/Harmony
Almost by chicken_cem, PG-13

Cordelia/Kate
Browser Memory by Lar, R

Cordelia/Lilah
Universe, You're On Notice by viciouswishes, NC-17

Cordelia/Wesley
And Other Strangers by likeadeuce, NC-17

Cordelia/Willow
Closet series by gabrielleabelle, R

Cordelia/Xander
Knowing by inlovewithnight, G

Faith/Buffybot
Wind Her Up and She Slays by brutti_ma_buoni, NC-17

Faith/Cordelia
Gods and Monsters by marenfic, NC-17

Faith/Dawn
Never Brought to Mind by queenzulu, NC-17

Faith/Drusilla
Draw Back Your Bow by clawofcat, R

Faith/Robin
Carry An Island Around On Our Backs by callmesandy, PG-13

Faith/Xander
Contrite Spirits by liz_marcs, PG-13

Fred/Faith
Doctor Kink by stoney321, R

Fred/Gunn
And I Would Know You Anywhere by inlovewithnight, PG

Fred/Lilah
Point of Reference by likeadeuce, R

Fred/Riley
Unified Theory by likeadeuce, PG-13

Fred/Tara
Experiment in Fast Forward by soft_princess, NC-17

Fred/Xander
Five Ways Xander and Fred Never Got to Fall in Love by inlovewithnight, PG (1st part as standalone)

Fred/Willow
Third Time's the Charm by jennyo, PG

Giles/Andrew
The Scapegoat by kindkit, NC-17

Giles/Anya
Left Hand by ljs, PG

Giles/Buffy
The Big Three-Oh! Part One and Part Two by uberaeryn, NC-17

Giles/Drusilla
Remains by violethamster, R

Giles/Ethan
The Glass Will Fall Forever by mirielle719, PG

Giles/Faith
Sleepy Tears Undone by The Pirate Queen, PG-13

Giles/Jenny
Dressed to Kill by Runawayscrape, NC-17

Giles/Joyce
Twilight's Last Gleaming by Laura Shapiro, NC-17

Giles/Olivia
Vex Not the Roses by seraphcelene, NC-17

Giles/Oz
'Til It Bleeds Daylight by Sarah T, R

Giles/Xander
Damage Control by janedavitt, NC-17

Giles/Wesley
Glad You Came by janedavitt, NC-17

Giles/Willow
Too Much by doyle_sb4, PG-13

Gunn/Anne
On A Clear Day You Can See Culver City by mikelesq, PG-13

Gunn/Gwen
Beginning, Somewhere in the Middle by marenfic, R

Lindsey/Darla
In the Waiting by Lar, PG-13

Lindsey/Eve
Stumble by ely_jan, R

Lindsey/Lilah
Morale Events by minum_calibre, R

Oz/Devon
Words Are Flying Out Like Endless Rain Into a Papercup by doyle_sb4, R

Riley/Dawn
Every Day Was Like the End of the World by bear, R

Riley/Graham
Reconnaisance by Lar, NC-17

Spike/Andrew
A Few Degrees Cooler by wesleysgirl, NC-17

Spike/Anya
Not That Simple by flurblewig, PG-13

Spike/Connor
Begin at the Beginning by ladycat777, R

Spike/Darla
Triangles Are Falling by lillianmorgan, NC-17

Spike/Dawn
An Encyclopedia of Why Not by romanyg, NC-17

Spike/Drusilla
Vamp Dolce by violethamster, R

Spike/Ethan
Library Fees by wesleysgirl, NC-17

Spike/Faith
All the Sinners Saints by amybnnyc, NC-17

Spike/Fred
Breathing for Two by Sabre

Spike/Giles
This One Does by uberaeryn, NC-17

Spike/Gunn
Charles Gunn Is Alive And Well and Living in Nebraska by mireille719, R

Spike/Harmony
Shagging Harmony Kendall by Indri, NC-17

Spike/Holden
Fly Like a Cannonball by doyle_sb4, PG-13

Spike/Illyria
The (Organic) Broccoli Test by lyrstzha, PG-13

Spike/Lilah
The Earth Beneath by doyle_sb4, R

Spike/Lindsey
By Any Other Name by lyrstzha, PG-13

Spike/Oz
Concurrence by rubywisp, NC-17

Spike/Tara
Done to Death by Anne Hedonia, NC-17

Spike/Xander
Choices by crazydiamondsue, NC-17

Spike/Warren
Fett for Bot by brandil, NC-17

Spike/Willow
Geek the Girl by Rachel A, PG

Tara/Drusilla
Come Into My Parlor by bookishwench, R

Tara/Jenny
This End is No Beginning by neverneverfic, R

Tara/Oz
Down Through the Morning by Kyra Cullinan, NC-17

Wesley/Faith
Further On Up the Road by likeadeuce, R

Wesley/Fred
Feathers, Lightsabers, and Lead by tartanshell, PG-13

Wesley/Gunn
If You Find the Riot by shrift, NC-17

Wesley/Lilah
Perpetuity by likeadeuce, NC-17

Wesley/Lindsey
Those Lost at Sea and Never Found by shadowscast, R

Wesley/Virginia
Piatto Dolce by likeadeuce, PG-13

Willow/Dawn, Willow/Amy
Twice My Burn by doyle_sb4, R

Willow/Faith
All the Kings Horses by doyle_sb4, PG-13

Willow/Kennedy
Which Of You Is The Man? by stormwreath, PG-13

Willow/Oz
Waiting for You by desoto_hia873, G

Willow/Riley
First Contact by Zyre, PG

Willow/Tara
Deserved by stoptocheer, R

Xander/Andrew
Only in Cleveland by entrenous88, R

Xander/Anya
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Sex Poodles by doyle_sb4, R

Xander/Ben
The soft Darkness, the Dreamless Sleep by lunabee34, NC-17

Xander/Connor
A Little Bit Louder and a Little Bit Worse by allyndra, PG-13

Xander/Dawn
Indelible by nwhepcat, R

Xander/Devon
That's What Vans Are For by entrenous88, NC-17

Xander/Drusilla
La Fée Verte by cityphonelines, R

Xander/Jesse
The Same, Only Different by mireille719, PG-13

Xander/Larry
Empty Graves by H Nonny Nonny, R

Xander/Lindsey
Along for the Ride by entrenous88, NC-17

Xander/Oz
Nice Shirt by glossing, NC-17

Xander/Riley
Starting From Nowhere by st_salieri, NC-17

Xander/Wesley
Bodies In Motion, Bodies at Rest by nwhepcat, NC-17

Xander/Willow
Hand Me Down by rubywisp, PG-13

Comments

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Thank *you* for writing such a wide variety of pairings, and doing it so well! And consider this a wee bit of feedback for fics I've greatly enjoyed, I tend to suck at feedback when I read off of websites. (I especially loved your Cordelia/Kate fic, and was happy to find it again.)

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Well, you know once I actually do something, I obsessively do it to excess. ;)

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

but its existence makes the world a better place Yay! And I agree, there can never be too many Buffyverse recs posts. There's always something good to find there. Thank you!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I know I have a Spike/Fred! I'll have to check my masterlist, I must have missed it while coding. I haven't read In Dreams yet, but I'll definitely check it out -- thanks!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

You know, I hadn't read that Xander/Giles fic, either, and I've been reading Jane for years. When I started back on my re-watch, re-read, I went through Jane's and Wesleygirl's websites again and found a ton of fic (including G/X) that I had somehow never read. It was like Christmas in December! Er...you know what I mean. I *loved* "The Giles Thing"! That's probably one of my favorite newer fics ever. Such great characterization for everyone. I think you'll like the G/X story I rec'd -- Jane does such good work.

[mirasol.livejournal.com]

Giles, Willow and Some Otters by pinkdormousehas to be my favourite non-cracky Ethan/Lorne fic.

Also... *jaw drops* Awesome. You are awesome.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I know I've read a lot of Cordy femme slash, but I don't think I'd read that much Willow/Cordy (tons of Cordy/Buffy, though. Odd.) I really like your characterization of Willow (she's so easy to get wrong) and your set-up. It's a great series (and I really needed something that's been written in the last century, too, hahaha.)

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I am a master of html and six-year-old fic tabs. Haha. And YOU rock for keeping StA up and doing recs and such. I've found so many Angel and/or Connor fics via you, so yay, Kita! And thank you for the Connor head's up!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I have been marinating in awesome for DAYS as I compiled this. :)

I really, really love that Cordy/Doyle story. Such wonderful characterization, and so true to canon. And as you said, so sad that they lost that day.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I am reading that fic based on the title alone! I was sad that I only had the one Lorne link, but I was just never that into Lorne fic. Poor Lorne, because I loved the character (and Andy) so. Thank you!

[secondalto.livejournal.com]

Eeek! Willow/Riley fic! *GASP* They are like my super-secret OTP (says the multishipper). You are awesome.

[lynnenne]

This is one of the most awesome lists ever. What did fandom ever do without you?

Thanks so much for including me on the list. Although I don't know that I would have picked "Prometheus Unbound" as an example of Spike/Connor fic, since it's primarily a Spangel love story. *g* For Sponnor fic, I'd recommend Begin at the Beginning by ladycat777.

But that in no way detracts from your awesomeness. <3

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Although I don't know that I would have picked "Prometheus Unbound" as an example of Spike/Connor fic, since it's primarily a Spangel love story. I know! But I've read so little Spike/Connor that I cheated. Ahem. I will read Andrea's story tonight! Thanks, sweetie.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I found Willow/Riley! I was looking for something else (Lord knows what) and found that and it's adorable! Exactly what I wanted, so I hope you enjoy it, too.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Oh, and without me, fandom's hair is far less shiny and way too serious. *g*

[stultiloquentia.livejournal.com]

Uh. *flabbergasted* That's...wow, amazingly flattering. Thank you. Heh, I totally wouldn't have picked me, though; I've have picked one of these ten: stultiloquentia/ficrecs.html#spuffy (http://www.sand-in-my-shoes.com/stultiloquentia/ficrecs.html#spuffy)

Eeee, lookit the company I'm in! You apparently have great taste. I am so excited to dig in. <3

[bookishwench.livejournal.com]

Wow. This is beyond amazing! And thanks for reccing "Come into My Parlor"!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I can TOTALLY tell you why I picked you. First of all, though I like Spike/Buffy, I'm not a Spike/Buffy shipper. The first Spike/Buffy fic that I read and connected with was KJ Draft's "Tooth and Nail." She has removed her fics from the 'net, tho. What I like about Stick Shift (besides the obvious) is that you have that same sort of give and take in your dialogue.

tkp wrote a beautiful review of your fic (oh, that I could write fic as well as Joy writes reviews) where she talked about why it works for the non-S/B 'shipper. I knew any Spike/Buffy fic I picked wasn't going to satisfy S/B 'shippers (since it's different when you 'ship it, you know?) so I picked the one that worked most for me, since I'm not claiming 'ship authority on any of these, just what I enjoyed. And I enjoyed the hell out of your fic.

I hope the above made any kind of sense and was remotely complimentary, since I was trying to be. Hee.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

I agree completely with Sue. I rarely read Spike/Buffy, I don't like the pairing that much. But your fics are a whole different matter. I always feel you remain true to canon and the characters and the whole thing works.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

Sue, you are the awesomest person in the whole world!

One ship you missed though - Cordy/Faith. (I looked for it because I was thinking, now that could be hot.)

[snickfic]

Wow, is this a fabulous list!

And, have some Cordelia/Lorne: One Night in Heaven.

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

This is such a cool idea, and an amazing list! I am feeling your Buffy love, Sue!

Many thanks for listing a few of my stories on this -- I'm very touched by that. ♥

Lots of great reading opportunities for me -- definitely things (and pairings) I haven't read. Soo thank you very much for compiling everything.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Let me second that rec!

I think the issue with Lorne fic is that he just didn't get paired with anybody that often. Tsk.

[mpsadreamin.livejournal.com]

Wow! I've been looking for new fic, different pairing to read, and boy did you deliver! This should keep me busy for a very long, long time. Thank you!
Oh, one thing I did notice, not trying to be picky here, but Mind Fuck was totally Angelus/Fred, not Angel/Fred. I only point it out because you do list both here, and he was so totally evilbastardangelus in this fic. Which I'd already read and absolutely loved, btw.

[stultiloquentia.livejournal.com]

I'm just beaming, here. What you say makes lots of sense -- the give-and-take, push-and-pull quality of their relationship (or any relationship I, er, ship) is important to me. I appreciate couples who know (have learned) how to argue, and how to both take point and surrender it, depending on who needs what at any given moment. I'm hyper-tuned to power dynamics, and I like snarky, combative banter.

The list I linked above was actually me trying to rec Spuffy for non-shippers. It was an interesting headspace to get into at the time, because I WAS definitely a shipper. But I'm less shippy as I go along. Or rather, more focused on complex characters and less forgiving of unearned or unjustified happy-shippy endings than I used to be. I think shipping goes in stages that way: you start by devouring everything labeled S/B, and then you slowly grow a palate.

(Minor housekeeping note: The LJ link to Stick Shift is perfectly fine, but if you want to swap it for the AO3 link, http://archiveofourown.org/works/2626, it includes the sequel I wrote for herself_nyc.)