Billford Fic Recs: Part 1
Everything on this list is rated either Gen or Teen, so itβs accessible for the sex-repulsed billford fans out there. Part 2 will be all the fics that donβt fit within those ratings! Everything on this list (aside from the still-updating one) is a completed fic that was written year/s before Book of Bill came out. Most of these are under 5k words, and while most of them are pre-betrayal and canon compliant, thereβs a few that cover different eras in the timeline and AUs. These are some of my all-time favorite billford fics, plus some bill-centric fics at the end of the list.
A Change of Scenery, by Nelja https://archiveofourown.org/works/10914882 Pre-betrayal, Fordβs perspective, 4k words
This fic really nails the devotion-to-the-point-of-obsession that Ford had for Bill. Itβs one of the very first fics I think of when someone asks for recommendations. Really really top tier stuff. I wish there were more fics that had this same tone and a central focus on Fordβs obsessive worship of Bill. I canβt do this fic justice, you just have to experience the writing for yourself.
The Writing of Destiny, by Nelja https://archiveofourown.org/works/6256570 Pre-betrayal, Fordβs perspective, 1k words
This fic says so much with so few words. It goes over Fordβs feelings for Bill, as well as some moments in Fordβs life that led up to becoming the kind of person who would fall for Bill.
Devote, by orphan_account https://archiveofourown.org/works/8783656 Pre-betrayal, Fordβs perspective, 600 words
Ford gets a tattoo. This one is also chock full of the obsessive devotion Ford had for Bill. Itβs a delicious little peek into how potent his feelings for Bill were.
Loose from the Lever, by clockheartedcrocodile https://archiveofourown.org/works/32120011/chapters/79575955 Pre-betrayal, mostly Fiddlefordβs outside perspective, 9k words
The imagery and voice in this one is fucking impeccable. Best Iβve ever read on ao3. Itβs also an absolutely chilling read. Fiddleford can sort of piece together the fact that Ford is working withβ¦ someone. And meanwhile, Fordβs relationship with Bill in this one is gut-wrenching to see. Bill is cold and calculating in ways that are arguably disproven by the book of bill, but itβs still such a believable read on their relationship.
Now You See, by MaryPSue https://archiveofourown.org/works/8134141 Mostly pre-betrayal, AU where Bill comes through the portal in the 80βs, 4k words
Only billford if you squint. This oneβs about Ford undergoing a slow body horror transformation while building the portal. Bill stops him from enlisting Fiddlefordβs help, and his uneasiness and isolation is so palpable. This fic is good at building atmosphere.
The Olβ Three Legged Waltz, by equilateralromance https://archiveofourown.org/works/35691013 Pre-betrayal, AU where Bill is upfront about a lot more things from the start, 3.5k
This one has such a unique writing style, it feels very romantic in the classic sense of the word, like it was written in an era gone by. Their relationship is very soft and tender in this one, a win for fluff fans everywhere. Itβs about the first time Bill possesses Ford, and is a very sweet what-if for a world where Bill is better at letting Ford in, emotionally speaking.
Stars in my black and blue sky, by idrilhadhafang https://archiveofourown.org/works/41989533 Ford reminisces on how much he used to love Bill. 1k words
Solid characterization in this one. Itβs short and to-the-point and feels true to canon.
Weirdpocalypse, by completetheory https://archiveofourown.org/works/20798036 Post-canon, Bill visits Fordβs dreams, 1k words
This oneβs a really interesting take on why Weirdmageddon failed. Very bittersweet.
One Stage of Grief, by Fooeyburr https://archiveofourown.org/works/13969392 Post-betrayal, Ford in the multiverse grappling with how he feels about Bill, 8k words
This one is all about Ford obsessing over what he had with Bill while refusing to come to terms with the fact that he cared about Bill! Which is all set up/framed by some fun multiverse worldbuilding, too. - Bonus round: Bill-centric fics -
Wasting Away Again in the Goldilocks Zone, by ckret2 https://archiveofourown.org/works/57714430/chapters/147167545 Post-canon, Bill dragged kicking and screaming down a very long road towards redemption, updates weekly and will end up being hundreds of thousands of words at minimum.
This is the fic for Bill growing and changing as a person in post-canon. Every single doubt and hesitation you might have about whether Bill is even capable of change? Itβs absolutely taken into account in this one. Seriously, its characterization of Bill is so scarily good that it accidentally predicted a mountain of things that got revealed in the Book of Bill. If you invest your time in one super long fic in your life, make it this one.
A Romance of Many Dimensions, by Haley3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/20796845/chapters/49427522 Covers the span of Billβs entire life in detail. Finished work. 250k words
A breathtakingly ambitious fic that consistently knocks it out of the park. There are so many things I could say about this fic that I donβt even know where to start. I feel a lot of things about this fic. If youβve ever wanted a fic that delves into Billβs psyche and is tragic in its (pre-tbob) canon compliance, and has an opening set in flatland that approaches things from a really creative angle, and has my favorite interpretation of the axolotl, and rewires your whole brain, then this is the fic for you. Feels a bit reductive when it covers Billβs time interacting with Native Americans on earth, but otherwise one of The Fics of All Time.
