It's the important questions that concern me.

[doyle]

A question for Spike/Xander fans: connorbeast and I were debating this, and since we've only read maybe a dozen S/X fics between us we thought we should ask the experts...

[Poll #427979]

See, I say it's Spike, CB says it's Xander, and we don't know. So if I've left out an obvious option or you have something to add, reply in the comments...

Comments

[bandgeek.livejournal.com]

Here's my rather simple solution for my (non-statistical) feeling that Spike tops more often.

Nearly half of the stories out there are "first-time" fics -- not that I can blame us for loving them. :) On the whole, Spike is characterized as the more experienced partner, and tends to initiate Xander into the more sensitive aspects of m/m. Usually, Xander isn't the one to take the initiative and penetrate Spike first. If they switch off in the story, Xander is almost unfailingly the second top.

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

:lightbulb: Ah, that makes sense!

[mpoetess.livejournal.com]

{Returning late to the scene of the crime, because eliade linked back to the post}

That ratio might be affected by the chip, at least pre-season 7, though. One of the more popular takes on who topped first while Spike had the chip, was that Xander did, because Spike was too afraid of setting off the chip if he caused Xander any pain. So though they'd usually eventually end up switching off, there were a lot of stories where that didn't happen until they figured out a way around the chip, and Xander's first time was Spike volunteering to be the bottom.

[mpoetess.livejournal.com]

Heh. Or I could've scrolled down a whole inch to see that entrenous already said that.