Title: Vulnerable
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Author: veronyxk84
Characters/Pairing: Spuffy
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Word count: 200 (Google Docs)
Spoilers/Setting: Set in S7, during ep. 7x20 “Touched”
Summary: Buffy reflects about her relationship with Spike.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created for fun and no profit has been made. All rights belong to the respective owners.

Challenge: #473 - Taking Turns
Also for: #35 - Acceptance by emotion100

—

Spike curled up by my side was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes.
As I waited for uneasiness to hit me, I realized that what I felt in that moment was something else entirely. I felt comfort, trust, a genuine connection… and I felt vulnerable.
Not because of his presence, but because of everything he’d said to me before we fell asleep.
His words kept playing in my head… a testament to his unwavering support in a moment when I almost gave up to despair.
Spike believed in me when everyone else shunned and deserted me.

Not long ago I did the same for him.
I believed in Spike when nobody else wanted to—not even himself; when both The First and his chip were messing with his head. It was almost like we’d been taking turns, not giving up on each other.
A raw and unfiltered emotion seeped through the cracks of my hardened heart as I realized we were at a turning point.
We saw each other at our best and our worst, but that didn’t destroy us; instead, it left us with newfound understanding, acceptance, and a growing respect.
We were healing, at last.