I have fallen in love with your Riley vs. fatherhood moment. The dream itself is beautifully melancholy from the beginning, with him alone, and it's evocative without seeming soap-opera-y... just a quiet moment of sadness and wistfulness, something he's come to terms with and is saying his goodbyes to. I... personally find the Willow Solution a bit too pat, possibly because I've seen it in other fics, and just... yeah, it could work, but not so easily, not without a lot of complications and questioning and uncertainty, and I feel a bit cheated that that side of things is never addressed. On the other hand, I really do see that such aspects couldn't have been included here without taking the story off track and breaking it's smooth momentum, and so I don't think you *should* have included it... sometimes I'm just a complicated, hard-to-please reader when it comes to big issues like this, and I don't really have a point... I'm just babbling on.
You have really handled the multiple emotions here in an *excellent* manner... we move swiftly through wistful depression to humor to flirting and sexy, and it could easily have felt jumpy and rough, but you take us through it seamlessly.
The sight of it was still erotic, but now the purpose was starting to press on Riley, the idea that he was opening Xander up so he could fuck him. Riley had to close his eyes.
I love this moment. And this:
"You're the best prize I ever won," Riley whispered into Xander's hair.
It's a little cheesy, but it's so.... oh, just love! Love the cheesy, utter sappiness of it, and it's warm like a sweater just out of the dryer, and just... awww! I want to squish them up and keep them in this moment in a little box on my desk.
I wish that the dreams hadn't been a new experience every time, because it gives it that formulaic, 'checking off each act' feel that some fics have, if you know what I mean? At the same time... I would hate to have lost seeing any of these moments, and I don't think you could have had another dream sex (repeating an act, so it's not a checklist) without it seeming gratuitous and messing up the excellent balance you otherwise have. So, once again, perhaps I'm impossible to completely please, but... yay, concrit and feedback? Oh, and yay for condom use! I'm not a stickler for it but I like seeing it.
Riley has gotten so comfortable with the dreams, and I understand his reluctance to end them when it comes to light. In many ways, it echoes his reluctance to end things with Buffy, and I agree with that, because (while it's not REAL real) he *is* in a loving relationship with dream Xander. In some ways, it must be an ever harder "break up" this time, because (aside from not being real) his relationship with dream Xander doesn't have the growing, unsolve-able problems that he and Buffy had.
And yet, there's never any question in my mind, because bottom line? It's the right thing to do. And once again, you paint my take on Riley perfectly, because while he *knows* that he's flawed and only human and bound to make mistakes, he tries so, so hard to always do the right thing the first time, every time. He's honest and caring and loyal and just... a *good* person, you know? Doing the best he can and beating himself up when he's not good enough. I just want to give him hugs and cocoa. And yeah, the magic explanation for the dreams worked for me and I liked his little moment of, "It was just an accident?" and can imagine the inner Riley pouting in disappointment, even if the outer Riley wouldn't.
The ending! How much do I love tentative, hopeful Xander asking if they can still be friends? And brave, asking-out Riley! Wow, this is just gleefully satisfying, you know? Hee! It's all the happy ending I could have wished for, and entertaining on top of that! Kinda schmoopy in the best of ways, and an excellent cap to the fic... I'm not left wanting at all.
Well, it's not, but it's better than my middle name.
Oh, Xander!
Xander tasted just like he remembered.
Oh, Riley!
You give me so much love for these two boys and this pairing, and especially for this story, and I thank you.
and part 2...
You have really handled the multiple emotions here in an *excellent* manner... we move swiftly through wistful depression to humor to flirting and sexy, and it could easily have felt jumpy and rough, but you take us through it seamlessly.
The sight of it was still erotic, but now the purpose was starting to press on Riley, the idea that he was opening Xander up so he could fuck him. Riley had to close his eyes.
I love this moment. And this:
"You're the best prize I ever won," Riley whispered into Xander's hair.
It's a little cheesy, but it's so.... oh, just love! Love the cheesy, utter sappiness of it, and it's warm like a sweater just out of the dryer, and just... awww! I want to squish them up and keep them in this moment in a little box on my desk.
I wish that the dreams hadn't been a new experience every time, because it gives it that formulaic, 'checking off each act' feel that some fics have, if you know what I mean? At the same time... I would hate to have lost seeing any of these moments, and I don't think you could have had another dream sex (repeating an act, so it's not a checklist) without it seeming gratuitous and messing up the excellent balance you otherwise have. So, once again, perhaps I'm impossible to completely please, but... yay, concrit and feedback? Oh, and yay for condom use! I'm not a stickler for it but I like seeing it.
Riley has gotten so comfortable with the dreams, and I understand his reluctance to end them when it comes to light. In many ways, it echoes his reluctance to end things with Buffy, and I agree with that, because (while it's not REAL real) he *is* in a loving relationship with dream Xander. In some ways, it must be an ever harder "break up" this time, because (aside from not being real) his relationship with dream Xander doesn't have the growing, unsolve-able problems that he and Buffy had.
And yet, there's never any question in my mind, because bottom line? It's the right thing to do. And once again, you paint my take on Riley perfectly, because while he *knows* that he's flawed and only human and bound to make mistakes, he tries so, so hard to always do the right thing the first time, every time. He's honest and caring and loyal and just... a *good* person, you know? Doing the best he can and beating himself up when he's not good enough. I just want to give him hugs and cocoa. And yeah, the magic explanation for the dreams worked for me and I liked his little moment of, "It was just an accident?" and can imagine the inner Riley pouting in disappointment, even if the outer Riley wouldn't.
The ending! How much do I love tentative, hopeful Xander asking if they can still be friends? And brave, asking-out Riley! Wow, this is just gleefully satisfying, you know? Hee! It's all the happy ending I could have wished for, and entertaining on top of that! Kinda schmoopy in the best of ways, and an excellent cap to the fic... I'm not left wanting at all.
Well, it's not, but it's better than my middle name.
Oh, Xander!
Xander tasted just like he remembered.
Oh, Riley!
You give me so much love for these two boys and this pairing, and especially for this story, and I thank you.