#princesskay

[swissmissficrecs]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Word count: 55,675 Chapters: 9/9 Fandom: Mindhunter (TV 2017) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Holden Ford/Bill Tench Characters: Holden Ford, Bill Tench, Nancy Tench, Brian Tench, Wendy Carr, Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Heavy Angst, Breaking Up & Making Up, Internalized Homophobia, Period-Typical Homophobia, Slurs, Unsafe Sex, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Semi-Public Sex, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Heteronormativity, Emotional Baggage, Falling In Love, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Hurt/Comfort Summary:

1975: A dimly lit encounter in a dive-bar bathroom between two strangers portrays itself as an anomalous deceit never meant to be repeated.

1978: Three years later, Holden is looking into the eyes of the man he promised himself he'd learn to forget and agreeing to be his new partner.

Life will never be the same again.

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Rec: Hands-down some of the best smut you’ll find, embedded in a smoldering, slow emotional burn of pain and longing. Best to be familiar with the series, as this heavily references several key events.

[swissmissficrecs]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Word count: 58,355 Chapters: 9/9 Fandom: Mindhunter (TV 2017) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Holden Ford/Bill Tench, Minor or Background Relationship(s) Characters: Holden Ford, Bill Tench, Ted Gunn, Original Characters Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Case Fic, Period-Typical Homophobia, Canon-Typical Violence, Graphic Description of Corpses, Slurs, Internalized Homophobia, Past Child Abuse, Blood and Injury, Slow Burn, Explicit Sexual Content Summary:

When the murder of the son of a prominent senator is linked to the unsolved homicides of three gay men in Georgia, Bill and Holden are sent down to assist the local police in an investigation fraught with political upheaval. The focal point of the slayings appears to be a gay bar called the Golden Falcon, owned and operated by a face from Bill’s past. Meanwhile, Holden proposes a risky strategy that makes him question everything. As the hunt for the smart, elusive killer intensifies, old wounds and new revelations are forced into the light of day.

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Rec: This is an intense, high-stakes casefic that forces Holden and Bill’s relationship forward not only through backstory and prolonged hours working together, but also a risky operation in which Holden goes undercover at a gay bar... leaving Bill to watch and listen as other men woo and touch him. It’s a terrific setup with lots of opportunity for angsting and pining while maintaining a strict no-homo facade for the deep Southern brass they are compelled to work with. Mix in a layer of political maneuvering and another case across the country demanding their attention at the same time, and you’ve got all the fixings for dams to break and emotions to finally meet their match.

(I know most of the people reading these recs are Sherlock fans and don’t care about Mindhunter, but the character dynamics and mystery genre are really a lot like Sherlock. And this author is simply a fabulous writer.)

[swissmissficrecs]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Word count: 17,234 Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: Mindhunter (TV 2017) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Holden Ford/Bill Tench Characters: Holden Ford, Bill Tench, Nancy Tench, Brian Tench Additional Tags: Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Blow Jobs Summary:

One night in Adairsville, Georgia opens a rift between Bill and Holden that only widens through the course of Atlanta and Bill's divorce - but not for the reasons Holden might think. A year later, an issue at his apartment causes him to find temporary housing, and Bill surprises him by offering his guest bedroom. Could the arrangement lead to yet another misunderstanding, or will the truth at last come out?

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Rec: Both leads pine like champs in this smorgasbord of self-denial and missed opportunities over the backdrop of early 1980s suburbia with all of its false cardboard facades. Refreshing for the lack of simmering latent homophobia, this focuses instead on domestic issues and what it means to be a family. I thought Brian (Bill and Nancy’s son) was used to particularly good effect as both catalyst and lens through which the characters gain new perspectives.

[swissmissficrecs]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Word count: 83,131 Parts: 4/4 Fandom: Mindhunter (TV 2017) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Holden Ford/Bill Tench Characters: Holden Ford, Bill Tench, Nancy Tench Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 02, Season/Series 02 Spoilers, Hurt/Comfort, Drinking to Cope, Shameless Smut, Infidelity, Blow Jobs, Angst Summary:

Bill is good at compartmentalizing his mistakes and running from his problems - he's been doing it his entire life. This time, Holden is standing in the way.

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Rec: This is an absolutely beautifully written descent into infidelity, internalized homophobia, denial, and unhealthy coping mechanisms, all over the backdrop of psychopaths, murderers, and the early 1980s. The characters are fantastically true to canon, and I thought that stoic Bill’s struggles were especially well handled.

This fic series (and the Mindhunter universe in general) ticks a surprisingly high number of the same fandom boxes as the Johnlock pairing in BBC Sherlock, so I would suggest that any BBC Sherlock fans give it a try.

[www-vallure]

At Princess Kay island on the beach just getting my feet wet and soaking up the sun with @hawaiian_love21 I can definitely get use to this Day 3. 👥 👩‍❤️‍👨 😎 😎 👕 🩳 🩱 🎒 ⛴️ 🛳️ 🌊 🏖️ 🏝️ ⛱️ #Bahamas #PrincessKay #BeachVibes #SunSoaking https://www.instagram.com/p/CmtnCrxObVG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[swissmissficrecs]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Word count: 15,937 Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: Mindhunter (TV 2017) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Holden Ford/Bill Tench Characters: Holden Ford, Bill Tench Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Mental Health Issues, Heavy Angst, Hand Jobs, Breaking Up & Making Up, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary:

For most of his life, Holden believed that no one could ever love him completely - until he met Bill. It’s nice, and for the first time in his life, he feels happy in a relationship; but insidiously, just like a black hole, his disorder absorbs and mangles everything - even the good.

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Rec: This focuses almost exclusively on the toll that Holden’s condition takes on his personal life, although we also get glimpses of coping mechanisms (or lack thereof) for other situations. The thing I liked best about it is how realistic it feels. Well, that and the happy ending! As a (relatively) neurotypical reader, I have no idea how accurate the portrayal of OCD is, but it felt like it conveyed all the right emotions: helplessness, frustration, anger, despair, and through it all a small glimmer of hope that shone bravely through in the form of love. There are no easy fixes, especially given the pre-SSRI era in the 1980s, but that makes the resolution that much sweeter as it is hard-won.

It’s not warned for, but there is one sex scene that I read as dub-con.

[swissmissficrecs]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Word count: 28,691 Fandom: Mindhunter (TV 2017) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Holden Ford/Bill Tench Characters: Holden Ford, Bill Tench Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Masturbation, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Edging, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Praise Kink Summary:

Holden's praise kink (among other things) gets him and Bill into all kinds of sexual adventures.

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Rec: This is an ongoing series with currently three parts completed, which together form a satisfactory narrative arc. Part 1 sets up the dynamic, part 2 gets them together, and part 3 delves into the possibilities of them in a relationship, and man is it some of the hottest stuff I’ve ever read. All while staying relatively vanilla with just a hint of gentle Dom/sub interaction.

[swissmissficrecs]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Word count: 27,541 Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: Mindhunter (TV 2017) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Holden Ford/Bill Tench Characters: Holden Ford, Bill Tench, Nancy Tench, Original Characters Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Case Fic, Canon-Typical Violence, Internalized Homophobia, Angst, anger issues, Phone Sex, Choking, Hand Jobs Summary:

A drunken phone call unveils a hidden aspect of Bill and Holden's relationship. Understanding what they both want from each other becomes a dark, winding path that grows more and more complicated as the disturbing case of three murdered young girls in Alabama unfolds.

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Rec: This really brought back to me what great fanfiction can be. Stunningly written, drenched in emotion, thematically complex, and of course simply a great story. This overlays the investigation of serial stranglers with a burgeoning erotic interest in choking and powerplay, blurring the lines in a brilliantly impactful way.

Warnings for mention of rape and murder of minors with some graphic descriptions of crime scene photos.