[starryeyesxx]

I think that Xander helping her out whenever he could is a big reason Buffy she lived as long as she did too - but I think it was also just his influence & Buffy having human ties, so she never became completely engulfed in just being a slayer

[Crystal Clear]

Originally Posted by starryeyesxx (View Post) I agree, I don't think the writers ever ruled it out completely - I think there were hints in s2 & even a little s5, but they just never quite got there

I think it was such a missed opportunity. Season 4 would have been a good time to explore them as a couple. Riley and his friends even mistook Xander and Buffy for a couple in the Initiative house. I wasn't a big Xander/Anya fan because Anya always felt like a second-rate Cordelia to me, at first anyway. Xander hinted several times that he still loved Buffy, and his jealous reaction to finding out she slept with Spike said it all (he seemed WAY angrier about that than about the Spike/Anya fling).

[starryeyesxx]

I enjoyed Xander/Anya, but I still would have liked to see Buffy/Xander happen at some point - I think s7 would have been a good time for them

I think it was very telling though that in Xander's fake visions in 6x16, it was Buffy dying (& Xander getting seriously hurt trying to help her), that partly caused Xander & Anya's relationship to spiral. Even though those visions weren't real, there's a reason that the demon made it happen that way & Xander believed it so easily....

& I think Xander's reactions to the whole Spike thing were complicated, I don't think it was simply jealousy, but a lot of different things. I think he just thought so much of Buffy, that he couldn't believe she would sink that low....

[Crystal Clear]

I never really shipped Xander and Anya together. It felt very forced to me. Anya was the demon who cast a vengeance spell for Cordelia to try to get over her heartache of Xander's betrayal. I never believed that Xander would know all this and still agree to date her. It felt like a forced way to merge Emma Caulfield into the cast.

The X/A pairing was a way to fool the audience into thinking that Xander was ready for a stable relationship. The truth is, he only proposed because he thought the world was going to end. When it didn't, reality set in for Xander and I think it was very clear that he wasn't able to make a life-long commitment to Anya.

Also, I think it has to be considered if the reason for that is because Buffy was still in his heart. I certainly believed so, particularly in those tender moments they shared when he found out about Spike before Warren shot her.

Xander viewed Angel and Spike as the same when it came to their relationships with Buffy. He never trusted vampires, from the moment his friend Jesse was killed by them, and it irritated Xander that Buffy was ultimately attracted to the thing she is supposed to kill.

Link it back to Xander's hyena transformation in Season 1's The Pack and you'll see my point. Xander enjoys finally being able to show his dark side to her, because he believes it's the key to her finally admitting her romantic feelings for him. In my opinion, part of Xander envied Spike and Angel for attracting Buffy's need for danger in a man.

[AutumnColorsღ]

I never really shipped Xander with Anya either. Only with Cordelia I liked.

[starryeyesxx]

When would have been your ideal time for Buffy/Xander to happen?

[BleedingBlue]

Good question. They had some good scenes where it looked like they would almost kiss. Sadly one or the other was possessed by something or a spell. But this one was when they both were normal.

[starryeyesxx]

I love that, I agree that it showed something real between them...there was definitely something there

[AutumnColorsღ]

I loved that scene as well. They were very close. And I loved when he said "Oh no my life's not too complicated"

I always loved when Xander first saw Buffy at school.

[BleedingBlue]

Aww love that scene too. And just before he runs into the walking rail.

[starryeyesxx]

Those are my gifs, I literally just posted them on Tuesday

I've been working on a Buffy giffing project lately, & I'm sure I'll wind up doing most of their scenes

[LostShadow]

I love that scene when he first sees her and crashes into the rail.

[starryeyesxx]

He was smitten from the moment he first saw her

[AutumnColorsღ]

Originally Posted by starryeyesxx (View Post) Those are my gifs, I literally just posted them on Tuesday

Oh wow, I had no clue. I just found them on google images. I love them, good work!

[starryeyesxx]

I did their first meeting too






STARRYEYESXX - Since we both go there…..