Walker

I'd like to preface by saying that while I do believe that Ford likely falls somewhere on the aroace spectrum (leaning towards men), I can also just as easily see him steering away from romance out of fear of rejection and convincing himself that such relationships would only distract him from his research, and then using his work to fill the void his lack of close connections created (romantic or otherwise, honestly). Stan in "The Land Before Swine" commentary tells us that Ford got scared after he tried to hold a girl's hand and she freaked out, which is why he created the kissing robot so he didn't fail again (whether this desire to "ace" romancing a girl is due to compulsive heteronormality is up to you). Journal Three appears to corroborate either option, as when Fiddleford asked Ford why doesn't he publish his findings, settle down, and start a family, Ford "laughed at the thought" because romance was "baffling" to him. I won't touch on Ford's relationship with Bill, but I'm of the opinion that while it was a deep connection with feelings, it wasn't specifically romantic (nor sexual. Yes I know about the "one thing led to another" line from the karaoke pages but that's a fake trail if I've ever seen one that Bill wanted us readers to follow, but I digress). Let's just say that Ford's type is "undeniably weird" and leave it at that.

As for Fiddleford, I tend to operate under the belief he's a closeted gay man who, due to his conservative religious upbringing in rural America (I'm not sure which denomination, Southern Baptist is common for Tennessee but I've seen Mormon and maybe even Catholic floating about), stuck to the safe status quo and fulfilled his duties. That isn't to say he didn't love Emma-May or married her just to be his beard, but I think that if you're willing to drop everything in your life to live with your old college roommate for months on a top secret project you know very little about, you must be dissatisfied and yearn for more. And only Ford filled that hole. In their Backupsmore Era, I head canon that they naturally gravitated towards each other and both developed mutual crushes. Ford likely would have been totally oblivious to his feelings, thinking that this fluttery, happy feeling in his stomach is just him being happy to have a friend! He didn't really have a friend of his own before! Plus, with his studies taking up most of his focus, I doubt he would have tried too hard to make sense of his feelings.

Fiddleford, on the other hand, likely would have been a bit more aware of his feelings but repressed them out of denial and because he feared to ruin their friendship. He, too, had trouble making friends, so he wasn't going to risk it. It would be enough just to bask in Ford's presence, this bright, glorious man who was sure to become a brilliant and renowned scientist. And for Ford to view him as an equal? That kind of validation is incomparable to anything else.

Once they graduated with their PhDs, as much as I love the whole "Ford attended Fiddleford's wedding wearing the suit his dad wanted him to get married in" trope, I can picture Ford just shooting off to Gravity Falls to begin his research and Fiddleford kind of just...settling back into normalcy. He must have had Tate very young, maybe even immediately afterwards, and thus revolved his life around his family, moving to California, and slowly building his business up, allowing the calm yet stagnant lifestyle to flow over him, wondering how his old friend is doing... Then Ford calls and offers him the partnership of a lifetime. In Gravity Falls, their old comradery and feelings burst anew, with Ford devoting himself to the portal (and Bill) Fiddleford devoting himself to Ford, all tied together in a messy daisy chain. Fiddleford's companionship is a balm to Ford, whose loneliness and isolation had made him overly dependent on his work to find meaning and thus define his self worth. And Ford's attention and reliance on him makes Fiddleford feel important, that he's doing something meaningful, that his own worth is tied to how well he can do what Ford wants him to do...the slope is slippery, and while Bill definitely greased it, all it takes is for one misstep for you to go tumbling down.

(Side note, but all of Fiddleford's gifts to Ford was soooo cute his love language is definitely gift giving while Ford's is quality time.)

Resentment and paranoia tore Ford and Fiddleford apart from each other, and while we can point fingers at that yellow triangle as much as we want (and we will), in the end Ford did disregard Fiddleford's worries and safety while Fiddleford lied to Ford and kept erasing his memories to continue his shady activities and live in denial of reality. They both became the worst versions of themselves, lost each other in the aftermath, and paid the price for thirty long years. During that time, Ford became down bad for Fiddleford. And unconsciously put the other man on a bit of a pedestal as he lambasted himself for not seeing the truth when first warned. I could see him constantly sighing longingly and saying "If only Fiddleford were here, he'd...". I mean he glazing tf out of A Better World (ABW) Fiddleford and his cute flare for quirky names that he shared with "my Fiddleford". LIKE COME ON!!!

And Fiddleford...you know one of the first words he entered into the memory gun was "Stanford Pines" after the fight. It was too painful for him to think about, so he didn't. Maybe that's why he only said "a traveling researcher" (beyond meta plot reason) in the video tapes...because he literally couldn't remember Ford's name. But Ford and the portal always haunted him, memories or no memories, and there would always be a part of him that clung onto that past.

It's such a shame that their reunion was so short and under such dire circumstances during Weirdmageddon. Ford having asked his family about McGucket before but receiving no answer. Blaming himself for McGucket's condition, that he hurt the man that he "once held so dear", and yet is forgiven...Ford your guilt is showing. And the banjo scene is just so heartwarming and wrenching, that he could still see the same person that Fiddleford was all those years ago.

There's something so sweet and beautiful about old Fiddauthor, that they were able to come back to each other, forgive, and heal. That they are more than just their tragedies, more than the unintentional hurt they inflicted on each other. It hurts to know that they lost so many years that could have been spent growing old together, but they are here now, and that is a miracle in of itself. I think Stan and Ford would sail the seas until they're too old to do so or get eaten by a sea monster, Stan giving the Shack to Soos felt final in that regard, but they'd always return to visit Gravity Falls. And when they do, Ford always stays at the Hootenanny Hut for some alone time with Fiddleford. Sending messages and video chats long distance can't compare to actually speaking face to face.

Honestly, I feel that Ford would confess first, if only to get it off his chest because he can't bear to hold it in any longer. He doesn't believe that Fiddleford would return his feelings, and he sure as hell wouldn't believe he deserved them, not after what he's done. But Fiddleford would be plain and firm with him, confirm that he, too, shares his affections, and wonders why should they torture themselves pretending it doesn't exist when they can be happy together? It's not conventional, not by a long shot, but it works for them, and they're very content.

Everyone would be supportive, even Tate, who would initially have some reservations about Ford and be protective of his dad (whose relationship he's still mending). Stan thinks having a crazy inventor brother in law is great! Say, wouldja build a guy a 70-foot robot bride (it's okay if she's a little homicidal)? Fiddleford would be down for it. Mabel would be over the moon, ofc, and Dipper (having read the journal) is supportive, too. Everyone except Bill, who is raging in the Theraprism after the Axolotl shows him their "Just Married" wedding card (hosted at McGucket's place and with their own pyrotechnic show!).

Honestly, they spend time together as they always did: developing new inventions, debating formulas that define the Big Bang, roasting cans of Baron Num Nums around the fire, it's always been there but now they can truthfully acknowledge it and embrace it.