So… Spike and Buffy at the end of the show.
Here’s my thoughts:
1) Buffy loves Spike. For pretty much all of season 7. The reason they’re not together is because they’re both still dealing with what happened when they were together, in season 6.
2) When Buffy says she loves Spike, he believes her. Because he does actually know her fairly well. Why does he say “no you don’t”? See
gabrielleabelle’s thoughts,
here. Right now, I pretty much agree with her.
3) Given that Spike knows Buffy’s in love with him, why does he stay in L.A. in season 5? …Because he knows that she’s in love with him. :)
What I mean is this:
Like Emmie says, Spike-with-a-soul is “extremely hesitant and insecure”. He’s no longer as sure of himself.
And he was fine with being around Buffy, and knowing it was never going to happen again. (see: First Date) What he’s not so sure about is whether he can manage them actually being together.
As of AtS season 5, he knows she’s in love with him. And he knows that, if he goes to Europe to find her, there’s a major possibility they’ll actually end up in a relationship. Which he (post-soul) really hasn’t been expecting. So he needs some time to sit back and absorb that possibility, before he goes to Rome…
So, that’s what I think. Today, anyway.