What If It's Us (Part 1):
In 2018, Arthur Seuss a 16-year-old native from Milton, Georgia took an internship at a law firm that his mother works at in New York City. He’s currently staying at his Uncle’s apartment. He’s of Hebrew origin and comes from a middle-class background. Arthur’s life at home is tenuous due to being caught in a crossfire between his bickering parents (in part of his father being laid off from work) and as such he longs to return home to Georgia to reunite with his 2 best friends Ethan and Jessie though Arthur is put off with how standoffish Ethan has become as of late after coming out to his friends. Nevertheless, he still enjoys their company via group chatting. Weeks before Arthur is due to return home, on a coffee run one day, Arthur bumps into a slightly despondent Ben on his way to the post office. Ben, a New York native of Puerto Rican descent, was trying to mail his package of items to his ex-boyfriend Hudson after an argument between the 2 ended with him kissing another guy (mistakenly believing they were broken up) resulting in the relationship. Things certainly didn’t help when Ben and Hudson both had to attend Summer School (with their mutual friend Harriett) to pass chemistry or risk repeating a grade. Ben is shown to be easily distracted and often his mind trails off to a fantasy world that he puts into writing, his frequent tardiness (Puerto Rican timing as he calls it) only makes it worse for himself. When Ben and Arthur first meet at the post office, they are both taken into each other and engage in conversation about the Universe and how things work. Unable to mail the package back because of the expensive shipping Ben rips the return address and when the 2 were interrupted by a man proposing to a worker separating the 2, Ben leaves a bewildered Arthur neither knowing each other’s contact info. After consulting with their friends they make an effort to try and find each other but come up short (with Arthur humorously meeting Hudson under the impression that he was Ben) until Arthur makes a bold move to use a poster at a coffee where Ben’s t-shirt is from asking him for a second chance in reconnecting. Ben sees this, agrees, and asks Arthur on a date. The boys first try (at Ben’s request) Dave and Busters however, Arthur is terrible at arcade games and Ben is reminded of when he and Hudson used to play together. Agreeing it wasn’t a great start, the 2 do a do-over with Arthur planning the date to a (very expensive) restaurant. However, Ben (hailing from a lower-class family) is disturbed by the expensive pricing, and things are made even more awkward when Arthur mistakes a random man for a celebrity and winds up getting the 2 boys kicked out when said boy buys Ben an alcoholic beverage forcing the 2 to instead finish their date outside with hot dogs. Undeterred they agree to yet another date around Central Park where Ben has intentions to kiss Arthur but Arthur ruins the moment by questioning Ben on his past with Hudson causing an uncomfortable feeling between the 2. Despite that, Ben feels no ill will and requests that Arthur double dates to Karaoke with his very eccentric best friend Dylan and his girlfriend Samantha to which Arthur agrees after apologizing. Both Ben and Arthur have a great time with Ben admitting to Arthur about attending summer school, and Arthur singing over an instrumental of "Ben" by Michael Jackson. Eventually the 2 leave and have their first kiss. Over time they begin to grow and find more about each other’s interests such as Ben’s fictional book and Arthur’s obsession with Hamilton. During one of their dates however, the 2 fall victim to harassment on a train home when a male passenger with a child openly expressed displeasure for the 2 being cuddled up together leading to Ben nearly getting into an altercation (much to Arthur’s worry). Despite being shaken up over the event, Arthur makes a decision to introduce Ben to his parents which then leads to Ben (finally addressing Arthur as his boyfriend) inviting Arthur and his parents over to his parents' apartment for dinner. After a nice dinner, Ben takes Arthur out on a surprise date to collect tickets for Lin-Manuel Miranda due to a lottery for public school kids. Knowing Arthur loves Hamilton, Ben applies (and later wins), unfortunately, Ben’s tardiness and subsequent events involving the train stopping causes them to be late and their tickets to be given away, leaving Arthur extremely upset. In an effort to cheer him up the 2 sing karaoke outside until Ben’s phone dies. A couple of days later, Arthur is invited to spend time with Ben in his apartment (without parental supervision). Though Arthur is somewhat hopeful that he and Ben can have sex together, his nerves get the better of him and he backs away. Ben understands and eventually states in Spanish that he is in love with Arthur and despite their limited time he enjoys spending time with him. Things however take a dramatic turn when Hudson decides to patch up his friendship with Ben and Arthur surprises Ben by visiting the school. Upon seeing Hudson, Arthur feels upset and betrayed that Ben never told him (him not wanting to due to Arthur’s jealousy towards their past) and irrationally accuses him of sleeping around with Hudson resulting in an argument between them ending with Ben revealing that he never gave back the box full of his stuff back to Hudson. Extremely upset and hurt, Arthur breaks up with Ben and leaves in the rain where Ethan and Jessie call and reveal that they have been dating ever since their prom. However, Arthur is upset at the secrets being kept from him and calls Ethan out for being distant since he came out this then escalates to an argument with Ethan explaining it was due to keeping their relationship private. Still pained and upset, Arthur hangs up. A couple of days later Ben winds up getting into an argument with Dylan about their relationship after Ben claims that he and Samantha will not last resulting in him leaving in fumes and speaking with Hudson. Arthur stays home for the next few days feigning an illness. Before his mom leaves for a business trip she calls Michael and the 2 assure him that their relationship is not on the rocks as they are merely bickering. While staying home, Arthur suddenly gets a text from Ben about Dylan it turns out he had a severe panic attack after saying I love you to Samantha but was taken to the hospital to be sure. Nevertheless, the 2 reconcile and celebrate Arthur’s birthday with Jessie and Ethan joining (having been sent as a surprise by Arthur’s parents) and later joined by Dylan and Samantha (and briefly Arthur's work colleagues Namrata and Juliet) with all 6 staying the night at the apartment until morning. Arthur reconciles with Ethan and Jessie and apologizes for his behavior. Upon their leaving Arthur sits alone with Ben briefly upset about the prospect of leaving Ben in the next few days. Ben also opens up about Hudson and admits how they were friends in the past along with Harriett before lovers and how difficult it was for them when both Dylan and Ben broke up with them. Arthur feeling remorseful for the way he acted tells Ben to reach out and assures him it’s ok. Ben also promises to be more open and honest with Arthur. Feeling reassured, Ben undresses and decorates Arthur’s bedroom, and the 2 have sex for the first time. As Ben and Arthur make the best of their final days together, Ben decides to reunite Hudson, himself, Harriett, and Dylan to reconnect as friends (as well as give Hudson his box of belongings back). Dylan also apologizes for dumping Harriett as well. Due to his upcoming final exam, Ben and Arthur are forced to cancel plans to study. During this Ben reluctantly decides to break things off with Arthur being unwilling to prevent him from pursuing his own goals, dreams, and potentially meeting other guys he has a stronger connection with. On the day when Arthur is scheduled to leave, at 6:45 AM, Ben suddenly faceTimes him to have him head out on a quest down significant parts of Arthur and Ben’s time together, ranging from Arthur’s Job to the coffee shop where he hung his poster for Ben on, to Karaoke (with a slight delay thanks to Arthur’s unwillingness to wait) to finally the post office where Ben and Arthur first met. He sees Ben holding a box filled with pictures of their time together and souvenirs as well as a Levain Bakery Cookie. The boys embrace as Ben drops off the box to have shipped at Arthur’s home before walking to Ben’s summer school for his final exam. As the 2 sadly lament on parting and hug one last time promising to keep in contact before Arthur leaves for his flight and Ben heads into the classroom with the 2 fully acknowledging that this was an unforgettable summer for them and no matter what happens they will still have each other as close friends.
In the epilogue; about a year and 3 months later, Arthur has begun to attend Wesleyan College in Middletown, Connecticut (having been waitlisted by Yale), has made more experience with other guys, and now has started seeing a guy from college named Mikey whom he has met in an a cappella group. Though Arthur isn’t much of a party person like his peers he nevertheless keeps trying for the sake of experience. However, rather than focusing on the party, Arthur is more concerned about Ethan as he and Jessie revealed to have broken up and though Jessie was taking it well, Ethan however wasn’t returning his messages or answering his calls. He still keeps in contact with Ben and decides to inform him of Ethan’s situation. Sympathetic, Ben informs Arthur that it gets easier. He reveals that while he and Hudson remain cordial they have drifted apart as a result of their breakup and do not talk as often; Arthur also admits he’s still jealous of their relationship even though he and Ben are no longer dating. Though the boys remain great friends, Arthur internally finds it hard to shift his relationship and feelings for Ben in favor of being friends and Ben makes a note that despite all they’re still great friends.
Back in New York, 1 month later Ben has finally published the totality of his book The Wicked Wizard War on Wattpad which has since gained over a thousand views (in part due to Dylan and Samantha’s cover art the latter designed) with Ben even gaining fans due to it. Rather than tormenting himself refreshing the views, Ben decides to FaceTime his biggest fan Arthur to tell him about it. As with Arthur, Ben also reflects on the impact Arthur has made in his life, with Ben taking his education more seriously to avoid another summer school incident and has even improved his frequent tardiness (though he was late a few times). Ben managed to make it past his senior year and graduate from high school and is now attending a creative writing class. Both Dylan and Samantha now attend college in Illinois leaving Ben alone though he retains a cordial relationship with Hudson and Harriett he admits that things were not the same as they used to be. Like Arthur, Ben also still holds onto some feelings for Arthur and seems to hold out hope that perhaps the 2 can reunite and have a new story together either as lovers or best friends but for now Ben remains focused on himself and trying to believe in his worth alone.
Here's To Us (Part 2):
2 years after the epilogue of the original book both Arthur and Ben are still living separate lives. As mentioned before in the first book, Ben has begun to attend a creative writing class where he is working on finalizing an official version of his beloved book The Wicked Wizard War. He has become more open about his writing and enjoys the feedback from his friends, especially Dylan and Samantha. Speaking of the latter 2, both have returned to New York City for the summer being the only couple from the first book still holding out strong. Not having many friends to communicate and hang with due to differing paths, Ben began to bond with a guy named Mario from his class. He is of Puerto Rican descent and has aspirations of being a scriptwriter and film producer. Both he and Ben became drawn to each other due to their similarities and affectionate behavior and became somewhat intimate with each other but not in an official relationship though Ben is heavily considering it. Arthur has also entered the romance department, he rekindled his relationship with Mikey from the previous book and originally intended to stay with him in Boston while working as a Camp Counselor. However, Arthur (being a Broadway Theater Nerd) decided to apply for an internship for Jacob Demsky’s assistant, Taj. Despite not being paid as much as a counselor job, Arthur still agrees as it aligns closer to his interests to Mikey’s noticeable dismay. The internship also means that Arthur will be journeying back to New York and staying at his Uncle Milton’s apartment like he did before. Despite this revelation, it has been revealed that Arthur and Ben have not contacted each other for many months. This was due to Arthur’s growing relationship with Mikey and Ben’s own insecurities and struggles to accept Arthur’s path with Mikey as well as feeling lonely. At one point he even ghosted Arthur during Ben’s birthday. Both boys are sure they have likely moved on and forgotten about each other until Ben sees the wedding of the female postwoman from the first book back when he first met Arthur in Central Park. He intended to send a video of it to Arthur only to discover he was arriving back in New York (Ben had muted Arthur’s post) recognizing the postcard Ben had made for Arthur (containing explicit content from Ben’s fiction) Ben psychs himself up to like the picture catching both Arthur and Mikey off guard. Though Arthur assures Mikey that his relationship with Ben is in the past, Mikey’s uncertainty is visible and he even made it clear he felt threatened by Ben due to the way Arthur talks about him. Despite this reassurance, Arthur’s old feelings about Ben begin to make a resurgence. Meanwhile, Ben is struggling to accept the possibility of meeting up with Arthur again despite Dylan’s doubts. His feelings only increased upon meeting Jessie again who is staying with Arthur as a roommate after her housing for school fell through. Jessie later relays her finding Ben to Arthur who after much consideration (despite Jessie’s doubts) decides to make an attempt to reconnect with Ben believing this to be a sign from the universe that they can still be friends again (whilst keeping Mikey updated as a compromise for himself). Ben is also taken aback by Arthur suddenly attempting to reconnect but nevertheless humors him by telling him he is in the post office inciting Arthur to go meet him there (despite Jessie’s objections). For the first time in 2 years, the 2 see each other with their feelings about the abrupt meet being mixed but mostly positive. Arthur is also taken aback (and somewhat intimidated) by Ben dating Mario, mistaking them to be lovers on account of the casual kissing in front of him prompting him to leave but not before agreeing to double date with Ben and Mario (the 2 mistakenly believing Mikey was visiting with him). Internally despite the 2 being convinced the other has moved on and the 2 are in happy relationships, their inner dialogue implies that they (especially Arthur) are envious of the other’s partners. Before the double date, Arthur goes down to his Off-Broadway internship, meets the director Jacob Demski and his assistant Taj, and starts work doing inventory though Arthur being extra as always attempts to outdo himself by pulling up his own spreadsheet to take inventory to Taj's dismay and Arthur’s own embarrassment when he advises against it. On the day of the double date both Dylan and Samantha tag along. Arthur invited Jessie and explained the misunderstanding that Mikey was not in New York but was arriving soon for a Broadway Show. The 6 decided to go to Dave & Buster’s (Ben and Arthur’s first date) and play a lot of games with Mario beating everyone and Arthur dreadfully losing in last place. Arthur (narrating his POV of the event) starts to become extremely jealous of how charming and talented Mario is as well as the closeness he has with Ben over his own. He even attempts to show off and outdo him when he is challenged to win a plush animal for Dylan out of a crane machine (which he “gifts” to Mario). He relays all this to Ethan who via FaceTime (whilst still in the Arcade) is humored by Arthur’s supposed jealousy towards Mario. It soon becomes painfully clear that Arthur still has feelings for Ben. After the triple date, Mario heads off to Los Angeles to see his uncle who owns his own production studio. Ben, trying to truly reconnect with Arthur and feeling remorseful for ghosting him, decides to invite him out to a hipster restaurant that does show tunes. Without baggage or lovers in the way the 2 manage to re-establish their bond (whilst being humored by the performance and a witty waitress/performer). When Ben suddenly brings up the fact that he and Arthur aren’t in an official relationship yet, Arthur is left wide-eyed (almost happy). Ben mistakes this as Arthur attempting to weigh in and explains that he’s happy this way and briefly makes a note of Arthur declaring his love for Mikey which Arthur states is not the case (despite confessing to Ben that he does love Mikey). Arthur explains to Ben (and himself/the reader) that Mikey’s shyness is what keeps him and Arthur from having a more serious and exclusive relationship while he and Ben were very clear and much in love with each other when they were dating. Regardless, Arthur suggests that he meet Mikey, despite the awkwardness and doubts pertaining to both boys, Ben agrees knowing how important it is to Arthur. Mikey is also taken aback by meeting Ben on the day he arrives (after Arthur kept putting it off until Jessie lets it slip) but agrees understanding how important he is to Arthur. During the meet (at an ice cream shop), Mikey spontaneously confesses that he loves Arthur catching him off guard. After Ben arrives, despite his best efforts the interactions between the 3 came out awkward at one point, Mikey passive-aggressively suggested Ben should’ve accompanied Mario to Los Angeles. Eventually, Mario returns and he accompanies Ben and Dylan to Arthur’s uncle’s apartment for a “double date do-over”. Things go swell with Mikey even socializing more with Mario; eventually, however, Arthur gets too intoxicated as a result of drinking too heavily causing him to vomit in the toilet effectively ending the double date. Both Ben and Mario return to Mario’s house in Queens and after a fun sensual night (with the condom being buried in the trash), Mario decides to confess to Ben that he has been offered the opportunity to work as a writer’s assistant for a show that might get pitched however this will require that he moves to LA leaving Ben somewhat upset at the possibility of another boy leaving him in order to pursue their dreams and ambitions. Mario offers Ben to accompany him but Ben remains unsure. While at work Diego overhears his conversation with Mario (during his shift) and objects to his consideration to leave arguing that Ben is risking a lot by leaving with some guy who’s not only not his boyfriend nor hasn’t been known about for over a year and hasn’t even met Diego and Isabel yet. Realizing he is right and wanting to become more serious he decides to invite Mario over to meet his parents. Meanwhile, Arthur begins to struggle with his fleeting feelings, he had been avoiding his “I love you” conversation with Mikey due to being unsure of his own feelings yet it begins to become clear that Arthur is still thinking about Ben. The 2 friends begin to talk about Dylan as Ben notes how distant Dylan has been lately but is unsure of what’s happening. Arthur playfully offers counsel and Ben takes him up on inviting him out to speak on it since Arthur works close to his neighborhood. On the day of… Arthur accompanies Ben back to his apartment and meets Isabel and Diego. However, things become awkward again when Diego casually drops the bomb that Mario is meeting Diego and Isabel and cooking for them shocking him so much that even Ben notices his not-so-subtle change in behavior. Arthur passive-aggressively feels hurt by the fact that Ben may become serious with someone despite their limited time together with Ben purposely omitting the fact that he may be moving himself to be with him. On the weekend, Mario arrives and cooks for Ben’s family successfully gaining his parent’s approval. Sometime later while Arthur is still juggling the idea of responding to Mikey’s “I love you”, Ben invites him out to Bloomingdales to try on suits with Dylan for Samantha’s “cousin’s” wedding. While this is going on however Mario lets it slip that Ben intends on moving with Mario to LA greatly upsetting Dylan (and silently Arthur) and causing a strain in their relationship as they argue about Ben leaving even as Samantha tries to mediate between them before being accused of not supporting him. Arthur also tries to grasp the idea of Ben leaving before getting a call from Mikey who invites him to his sister’s wedding on the opening day of the play opening which Arthur cannot miss. This causes a brief argument between the 2 as Mikey accuses Arthur of not doing more in their relationship minus “the big things” Eventually the call ends. Surprisingly, Arthur is then informed that the date of the play is being moved to a week later thus allowing Arthur to visit Mikey if he wishes but ultimately he feels conflicted as despite the turn of events Arthur still feels as though he is missing something and begins to flashback to his Bar Mitzvah where his Bubbe (grandmother) cheers him up over him skipping the line to his Torah position giving him advice that “There’s no particular way a ritual has to look. You could have stood up there and done the Charleston, and it wouldn’t have mattered, as long as you felt it right here… it’s our link to the generations who came before us, and it’s how we hold space for the ones who haven’t been born yet.” Coming back to reality, Arthur begins to realize that he IS in fact in love but not with Mikey… believing he deserves better than Arthur and unwilling to further carry him along, Arthur makes intentions to break up with him. However, things become further complicated when Mikey makes his own “grand gesture” by surprising Arthur at his Uncle Milton’s apartment. The next day in an effort to do more things with Ben before he leaves, Ben and Mario are invited by Samantha and Dylan to an open mic night with Arthur and Mikey tagging along (having been “accidentally” invited by Ben). Ben notices that Arthur is very upset and close to crying and checks on him but is assured that he is fine (though Ben remains suspicious). Arthur feels even worse when Mikey gets on stage and sings a song he wrote titled “Arthur’s Theme” and Ben and Mario reveal that the show he is working on has gotten picked up for a season enabling Mario’s journey and more so his Uncle pulls some industry connections to potentially get Ben’s book released. After straining himself for what feels like a lifetime, that night he finally confesses to Mikey about his true feelings and tearfully reveals that he’s not in love with Mikey and breaks up with him disheartening & frustrating him. As Mikey begins to lose his composure the already tense conversation gets even worse when Mikey (correctly) suspects that Ben is the cause of Arthur’s change in feelings. Arthur remains defensive, insisting he hasn’t cheated on him but Mikey is completely heartbroken and angry that Arthur is hung up on his first love story while Mikey’s love story now has a rough beginning and chilling ending (as Arthur is his first love). Arthur finally confesses that he does still have feelings for Ben but feels as though Mikey shouldn’t have to wait for Arthur to get over those feelings. Eventually, the conversation is tabled as it becomes clear that Arthur is adamant about his choices. By the next morning, Arthur is alone as Mikey leaves the apartment without a trace effectively leaving their relationship irreparably damaged; Jessie immediately notices his disheveled face and comforts him as he breaks down ultimately relieved but still heartbroken over the outcome of losing Mikey and possibly Ben as well. Sometime later, Mikey silently cut ties with Arthur by “soft blocking” him, Arthur hasn’t informed Ben of his breakup with Mikey nor has he responded to his text messages (leading Ben to assume he’s still hanging out with Mikey) at which point Ethan visits Arthur for Pride month and heads down to a Pride Festival where he confesses to Arthur that he is Bisexual. Despite learning that his “bi-awakening” came from Arthur forwarding Mario’s Instagram; nonetheless, Arthur remains supportive and accompanies him as his “wingman”. Unknown to Arthur, Ben also spots them at the festival when he accompanies Mario, Dylan, and Samantha there but mistakes Ethan for Mikey and decides not to speak to them. After Ethan leaves, Arthur reports to his work where he takes his mind off losing both Mikey and Ben by helping organize the setup for the play impressing Taj and Jacob enough to even offer Arthur the day off to see Mikey to which Arthur confesses his single status and the fact that he’s still in love with Ben. Sympathetic, Jacob offers Arthur some advice about living his story and tells him that his story with Ben may not be finished if he doesn’t confess his feelings to Ben before he successfully moves. Arthur remains unsure as he is unwilling to interfere with Ben’s happiness despite longing for him. Meanwhile, at an escape room party (which Arthur was invited to but turned down) both Dylan and Ben (along with Dylan’s “rival” and Samantha’s Best friend Patrick) are locked in a room (with a Zombie apocalypse theme). The 2 converse about Ben’s moving while Patrick is more focused on the clue to leave the room. Ben confesses that he’s thinking about leaving a lot sooner with Mario but Dylan objects and in the heat of the moment confesses that he and Samantha are getting married in a week and are also expecting a child. The real reason why Dylan was distant from Ben was because Dylan had to deal with both their families' objections and opinions and intentionally looped Ben (and Arthur) into doing activities in order to set it up such as Ben trying on a suit, picking out flowers, and the escape room which is a bachelor party. To add insult to injury, Dylan learns that Patrick already knew and solved the puzzle on his own allowing the 3 to leave. Both Arthur and Mario also learn from Jessie and Ben about the upcoming wedding inciting Mario to postpone his plans to move in order to be there for the couple. Arthur also contacts Ben and agrees to head out to accompany him to give Dylan a baby shower gift. Ben learns of his breakup with Mikey and the misunderstanding during the Pride Festival. Arthur also (to his dismay) learns of Ben’s intentions to move sooner but puts on a smile for the time being. Ben is also conflicted about his feelings as while he understands this is beneficial for him he still worries about potentially leaving his life behind and even the possibility of him and Mario breaking up. Despite this added uncertainty, Ben remains determined to take the risk. Later while packing, Arthur stops by knowing this may be the last time he sees Ben, he goes to see him at his apartment where he gifts him an autographed ticket for the dressed rehearsal signed by Em Kester much to Ben’s joy he gives him a very affectionate hug. At first, Authur takes his leave without incident but upon getting a text from Ben, he cannot fight his feelings any longer or leave without saying how he really feels. So he (in typical dramatic Authur fashion) knocks on Ben’s door and finally confesses that he still loves Ben and wants to be with him even though he knows Ben wishes to live his dreams with Mario and leaves Ben jaw-dropped until he leaves with both boys in awe and tears. The further conflicts Ben as while he is happy that Arthur’s feelings for him never changed, he is also upset that it had taken him this long to admit it, and this makes it even harder for him to leave. Although his parents remain neutral over his choices and give him a tough love response over growing up and not being able to protect everyone’s feelings, he decides to ask Hudson for advice despite not being incredibly comfortable after Ben bailed on bowling with Harriett for her birthday after they wanted to fix things with Ben. Though Hudson remains cordial, his frustration with Ben is visible. Nevertheless, Hudson offers his thoughts explaining that no matter what happens, Ben will wind up hurting someone but it’s not his job to control other people’s feelings, rather just figuring out what he actually wants for himself. Taking this into account, desiring a new chance with Arthur, unable to avoid his own feelings, and wanting to be there for Dylan and Samantha, Ben ultimately decides to decline Mario’s offer to leave with him to Los Angeles (and consequently break off their budding "situationship") leaving Mario sad for the night but also happy for Ben’s resolve. Before leaving, Ben gives him the LA Wizard shirt he made for Ben. Meanwhile, Arthur is incredibly disheartened over the radio silence from both Ben and Mikey (whom he futilely tries to make amends with) until Ben casually shows up next to him on the final rehearsal date and watches the play before heading off for a private discussion. Finally, alone, Ben stops Arthur from rambling and confesses that in spite of being offered everything he desired, he still felt incomplete because Arthur would still be in his thoughts and wishes to try again with Arthur for better or for worse. Touched (and realizing the date is when the 2 met) the 2 embrace and take each other in before returning to Ben’s apartment and having sex for the first time in 2 years. During Dylan’s wedding in Samantha’s home in Queens, Ben serves as Best man and helps Dylan get ready before accompanying him in the ceremony spotting Arthur in his hot dog tie. After the vows are said and Dylan and Samantha are wedded, Arthur and Ben dance and embrace. Everyone takes notice of how happy Ben is and realizes that Arthur is indeed right for Ben. Ben reaffirms that he does want to try to give their relationship another shot and since Arthur’s school is closer to New York, Ben can actually take a train to see him (cheaper if he brought the tickets in advance). Satisfied but still somewhat perplexed, Ben still verbally ponders whether or not the relationship will last this time around…
In the epilogue; between 4 years, Ben has dropped out of school to finish his book and made a bold choice to follow Arthur in Connecticut to stay with him during his sophomore taking up work in a nearby bookstore. Ultimately Ben managed to finish The Wicked Wizard War and wanted to release physical copies, however despite its online popularity the book wasn’t able to successfully sway publishers into releasing it. Despite this heartbreaking setback, Arthur and Ben’s agent continued to encourage him to keep writing. Unwilling to write a sequel, Ben instead writes a contemporary novel titled “The Best Us” which gets picked up by publishers 10 months later. Arthur has also begun work in Off-Broadway plays under Jacob’s employ after graduating college. Arranging a family party in their small Brooklyn apartment to celebrate Ben’s success. As Ben watches all his loved ones, friends, and families from both sides getting along he later announces the book getting published gaining pleased yells and claps all around. As a surprise to Arthur and everyone witnessing, Ben had written on the dedication to Arthur addressing him as “[His] forever husband” in the beginning and proposes to a jaw-dropped Arthur ("awww 🥹").
2 years later in Middletown Connecticut, Ben and Arthur are now 23 and are moments away from getting married, Arthur spots some familiar faces composed of friends he made along his journey though he’s visibly disappointed (albeit unsurprised) that their ex-boyfriends such as Mikey (still spiteful to Arthur’s rejection), Hudson, and Mario (who got tied up with work but still sends his regards) had rejected their invitations. Marry You by Bruno Mars begins to play (a song of great significance to both who heard it when they first met before getting separated by a marriage proposal, then at Dylan’s wedding, and finally…) as Ben steps into the aisle before meeting Arthur. With Dylan as the officiant, the 2 conjure up some wedding vows reflecting their time together before they finally kiss (with Dylan unsurprisingly being unpredictably inappropriate towards them to Samantha’s exasperation) and begin the stage of their new lives together.
Thoughts:
Zachy (the guy I’m “friends” with) and Orlando hate this book because they break up at the end. Zachy’s feelings about it certainly did not improve when I filled him in on the sequel if anything they got worse. He says and I quote “I just hate that in the book they were like “🤷🏻♂️ welp we tried” to then get boyfriends see each other again, break up with said boyfriends (because the relationships they had were that fragile to break for them both) to get together again even tho they were like “nahhhh” last time they had a chance… Like what was the point of literally any of the middle… And all it seemed like with the ex bfs was “ur my bf and i love u until i see a guy is met and dates few years ago””. My response “They haven’t said I love you to their ex-boyfriends yet but hey… people are flawed like this in real life. It’s one of the reasons why I’m like idk if I can handle it. Part of dating is no matter how much you try to control it you’re gonna wind up hurting someone for some reason. It really is hard to tell people that you found someone else. I want my first bf to be special and great but I rather not get into anything serious with anybody because I’m not in the right mind to. To some degree, I’m still hung over my ex as well as other things. But yeah they got back together 😭😭😭. And broke it off with their boyfriends and situationships. Arthur’s still in love with Ben and Ben still has feelings for Arthur. Romance soooo hurts especially when ur young”.
Honestly compared to Zach’s reaction I like the book in terms of realism, you’re still young and trying to figure it out. Everybody is selfish, unfortunately, so in terms of realism, it makes sense and they don’t really shy away from it. It’s a book of fiction meant to serve as an escapism but it sort of feels real. Admittedly gay culture is pretty toxic and I have many stories, like people are kinda just here today and gone tomorrow, I’ve grown used to it to the point of becoming numb to it. This book is also a play on that because what happened between Arthur and Mikey in the sequel is incredibly fucked up admittedly I can’t imagine paying money to surprise your boyfriend and then performing and declaring your love for him in front of his ex and his friends only to find out that he’s still in love with his ex and wants to break up with you. Does that make him a terrible person? In a way probably and Mikey's anger toward Arthur is justified (it’s even more surprising that he and Arthur still have contact with each other). But what’s worse is stringing someone along when you’re not truly feeling them anymore. I get it… truly I do but unfortunately, that’s the game for you. We’re all terrible people and sometimes we’re either hung up on our past or we just want a little more than what we’re given when we find that in other people. No one can control how people feel all we can do is do our best and hope it all works out in the end. Hudson once said in the book "You’re going to hurt someone! That’s just how it is sometimes, and it sucks, but what’s the alternative? Never make a real choice? Close yourself off completely? You have to be honest, at least with yourself. Ben, I learned that from you. Just be real! Either tell Arthur you’re moving on, or tell Mario to move on without you." That's actually how it is, it's the harsh truth that you cannot control everyone's feelings, and becoming standoffish is honestly going to make it worse. Unfortunately, I linked with a lot of people but I never really told them how I really felt I just fazed things out instead of being honest you know and that's something I regret because I wasn't being honest from the start and instead I just led them on for the sake of having someone there. On the other side of it, you also have to realize that you are not only the prize but you also want someone worthy of your time and truly appreciative of your quirks and qualities (even the more embarrassing traits). The book also asks the question What If...? I always ask myself what if things had gone a little differently? What if I was gay before I turned 18, what if me and Sho never fell out, what if he did return my feelings, what if I went about my education a little differently, what if I went to a different high school, what if I knew exactly what I wanted prior to going to college, what if one of the guys I dated gave me a chance, What if me and Orlando gave it a shot, what if I had the balls to come out to my family at 18, what if my family wasn't homophobic, what if I was just like everyone else. Do you see where I'm going with this? Often I look back and wonder what could I have done differently, would things have been better or worse? I’m a firm believer that when one door closes another one opens and people who are meant to be in your life will always find their way back to you no matter what. I didn’t believe it at first until I reconnected with my twin and my “brother” Sho and we have a closer bond than before when we fell out. I actually believe he's supposed to be my soulmate. Truthfully I miss him but I try to focus on what I have now. There are always lessons to what goes on in our lives. The wedding at the end kind of took me off guard, I was so shocked, that I was not expecting but that admittedly was a great way to end the sequel and the book series overall. Zachy was still not sold though, lol. The book also shows that no matter what happens even if you fail in your ambitions you’re still gonna thrive so long as you have people to help put you back together. Another thing I’m fond of is the limited diversity. Unsurprisingly not many black people are in the books but there is a touch on Ben’s ethnicity. He is Puerto Rican but is white-passing and is frequently irritated because he is referred to as white at times and often has to deal with the pressures that come with it such as no one being able to pronounce his last name and not speaking an advanced-level of Spanish compared to his family. I found it kind of cute that he found someone to help him work with that.
Sometimes it’s really hard to be friends with a guy you were in love with. It might’ve been easier for me and Sho because we were just friends not in a relationship and I accepted that, that’s probably how far it’ll go for the best. But someone you actually kissed and went on dates with is more difficult; I was on a date in October with some guy named Luis. And I kinda told him what was going on. He seemed to understand, you know despite trying, it’s a little hard to be friends because of boundaries and baggage. It’s weird. Having him talk about his man and boyfriend kind of jabs me a bit but I’m trying to deal and leave it in the past for the sake of friendship since we agreed even if we didn’t work out we could still have a close friendship. Just yesterday, a friend texted me saying that is pretty awkward admittedly. People were saying “Block him” but it’s funny because those same people I don’t even speak to anymore because they on that weird energy. So I can relate to how they winded up ghosting each other in between the books because seeing each other with their potential partners is kind of hard. I also relate to how Arthur is inspired by his initial relationship with Ben enough to express himself more and link with other guys in an effort to live without saving himself for someone in his past. I mean 6 guys in a year is crazy, Arthur didn’t skip out on a body count compared to Ben. It’s sad because the book makes you root for “BArthur” more and you want them to get back together but nice to see that Arthur is trying to live a little more in between books. Honestly, I would have to say these are some of the best queer books I read. Up until I read “All That’s Left in the World” this was a very impactful read. Admittedly the sequel is a little toxic and cringe-worthy especially when Arthur breaks up with Mikey after he was trying his hardest to be the best boyfriend for Arthur and Ben later breaks up with Mario due to the possibility of resuming his relationship with Arthur despite passing up on a great opportunity for him but still it's a great book series. One thing that really stood out to me was how extra the boys were to each other, I mean the quest at the end of the first book was incredibly romantic. Reminds me of how I am with people, not to that point but I at least work within my resources to make something memorable and within my skill set. Unfortunately, though not everyone reciprocates the effort so I kind of just toned it down a bit. Overall the 2 books serve as my favorites and I give it an 8/10 rating. The only thing that actually drags it down ultimately is the plot of the sequel since both boys demonstrated their inability to move on from each other and managed to hurt other people dreadfully in the process (Mikey more so than Mario). I sure hope the exes are doing well!
Overall Score:
8/10
Characters:
Arthur James Seuss: A Jewish-American 5’6 16 (later 19) year old from Milton, Georgia and Ben’s husband. His Hebrew name is Aharon. Arthur seems to suffer ADHD and takes medication for it. Thanks to his mom getting an internship for Arthur (mostly for college) during for her job at a law firm in New York for College points, Arthur spent much of his summer in the city though he longed to return back to Georgia and reunite with his friends (and his car). He has a love for Barack Obama (whom he shares a birthday with), Hamilton, Broadway Plays, and is shown to be quite awkward and dramatic (or extra) often taking big leaps and risks though he means well at heart. He first meets his future husband Ben on a coffee run at the post office which (after several attempts to reconnect) led to the 2 dating and falling in love. Due to his ADHD, Arthur was easily distracted in the past requiring many tutors and medication to focus properly. He is a believer of “the universe” and that things are meant to bring people together. By the end of the first book Arthur began to attend a college in Middletown, Connecticut. By the second Book Arthur was in a new relationship another boy and begun an internship ship for an off-broadway theater. Despite being happy in his own relationship, Arthur’s feelings for Ben made a resurgence which was made clear from the beginning as his inner dialogue suggested he still holds feelings for him. Eventually he began to realize he was still in love with Ben over Mikey and eventually “breaks up” with him and reveals his true feelings to Ben afterwards who decides to give their relationship another shot. Compared to Ben he has also dated multiple guys and was in an on and off relationship with Mikey since meeting in an a cappella group. By the epilogue, Arthur has graduated college and begun working for Jacob Demski in New York full time, he and Ben continued their relationship and Arthur had served as Ben’s biggest fan and continued to encourage him to keep writing despite his book failing to sell. They both (as of the epilogue) now live in a small apartment in Brooklyn, New York with a dog named Beauregard. Ben then surprises Arthur during a party to announce his book being published by proposing to Arthur and the 2 later wed and begin a new life together.
Benjamin Hugo Alejo: A New York native who is of Puerto Rican decent (though to his ire he is consistently mistaken for a Caucasian person and frequently has his last name mispronounced), a book writer, author, and Arthur’s husband. He hails from Alphabet City. He is taller than Arthur (implied to be 5’11) and has a passion for writing and often writes fantasy literature as a hobby and an escapism. He speaks an entry level of Spanish as a secondary language but is capable of understanding the language to an extent. Unlike Arthur who comes from an upper class background, Ben has grown up near poverty and does not take pleasure eating food or doing things way past his normal budget nor having other people pay for it. Ben is not without flaws however due to him being on what he calls “Puerto Rican timing” this causes him to be late countless times including but not limited to school (resulting in numerous detentions) and his dates with Arthur which at one point costed him his surprise to Arthur when they couldn’t receive tickets to see Hamilton. By the end of the first book, Ben has graduated high school, began taking a creative writing class, and published his fan fiction The Wicked Wizard War. In the second book, Ben is now attending a community college whilst working as a cashier at Duane Reade. He had also begun seeing another Puerto Rican named Mario who offered to help improve his Spanish. However Ben was ultimately dissatisfied with how his life is progressing due to the stress and remaining in New York City while his loved ones are in different cities (being unwilling to let Dylan pay for him to visit Chicago). When Mario states that Ben could accompany him to stay in Los Angeles, Ben begins to consider despite the disapproval of his family and friends especially Dylan. Ben is tempted to leave nonetheless until he is presented with 3 very important revelations… Both Dylan and Samantha are not only getting married but are now expecting a child and Dylan wants Ben to be his best man and godfather… and Arthur has broken up with Mikey and confesses that he IS in fact still madly in love with ben. Realizing he is also still in love with Arthur and unwilling to leave without getting a “do-over”, Ben decides to stay in New York. Arthur’s presence in Ben’s life seems to have greatly affected him as both Dylan and Samantha make a note of how happy Ben is since reuniting with Arthur romantically. Willing to give their relationship and his career another shot, Ben makes a bold choice to drop out of school to focus on writing full time, followed Arthur to Connecticut in effort to be closer, and kept up paying for bills working at a bookstore. However, to Ben’s dismay The Wicked Wizard War did not sell or get picked up by publishers. Arthur however kept encouraging him to keep writing and he felt inspired to write his novel The Best Us” which managed to get approved for publishing and achieve Ben’s dream of becoming a published Author by the time the 2 boys returned to New York staying in a permanent residence in Brooklyn. Content and inspired by Arthur’s encouragement Ben decides to propose to Arthur during his announcement party and the 2 successfully wedded at 23 beginning a new life together as husbands.
Dylan Boggs: Ben’s heavily eccentric (and somewhat dramatic) best friend. He is 16 (later 19), of Irish descent, and has known Ben since the 3rd grade since first pestering him for supplies. He is implied to come from an upper class family since he freely offered to pay for Ben’s food at times and even wanted to pay for Ben to visit him in Chicago (though Ben being prideful and unwilling to take advantage of his friendship with Dylan refused). Their relationship is platonically intimate and very close to the point where many including Arthur and Ben’s parents assumed that Ben may have had feelings or relations with Dylan when that is not the case. He is described with a beard and average length hair (later tied in an “impressive” man bun by the second book). He also has a heart condition called mitral valve prolapse and has been advised not to overdose on coffee. He also tends to have severe panic attacks due to it. By the end of the first book, Samantha and Dylan remained the only couple shown still together as Dylan attended college with Samantha In Illinois. In the books he has dated Harriett and Samantha the latter he later marries and has a son named Sammy (who seems to have picked up Dylan’s mannerisms) with. He kept his engagement a secret, even from Ben, out of respect for Samantha due to their families weighing on their choices. Despite being engaged, Dylan has a slight rivalry with her best friend Patrick (purely because he is a boy and they were platonically close) though he seems to have gotten close to him by the end of the book. Samantha later reveals that Dylan proposed to her on April Fools day. Dylan also served as the officiant for Arthur and Ben’s wedding (being as eccentric and inappropriate as usual).
Ethan Gerson: One of Arthur’s best friends alongside Jessie. Since Arthur came out to him and Jessie, Ethan has uncharacteristically kept an emotional distance from Arthur and not responding to any text outside the group chat leading Arthur to assume he has a problem with him being gay when in actuality the reason was due to him keeping his relationship with Jessie private from Arthur and him not wanting to reveal too much to Arthur out of respect for Jessie. He is described as white and nerdy by Arthur though he has a better physique as noted by Ben upon reaching puberty. By the Epilogue both Ethan and Jessie have broken up and by the second book they no longer speak for a time but remain mutual friends of Arthur. By the second book he now lives in Virginia. On Pride Weekend, Ethan visits Arthur and later comes out as bisexual to him having felt so due to looking Mario’s instagram. In the epilogue, Ethan has begun dating a boy named Jeremy whom he’s met in an a cappella group.
Jessica (Jessie) Franklin: One of Arthur’s best friends alongside Ethan. Compared to Ethan who kept a more reserved behavior around Arthur, Jessie is more engaging. Secretly however she and Ethan have been dating since their prom but they both decided not to inform Arthur due to circumstances and not wanting to take away his attention from his current life. Jessie is mixed and has a tan complexion compared to Ethan and Arthur. By the Epilogue both Ethan and Jessie have broken up. By the second book Jessie still remains a mutual friend of Arthur’s and was allowed to stay with him as a roommate in his Uncle Milton’s apartment when her housing fell through. She is a law student currently. She and Ethan no longer talk though she kept tabs on him and has been helping him with his sexuality. She seems to provide voice of reason to Arthur. While she likes both Ben and Mikey, she remained doubtful of Arthur attempting to rekindle his friendship with Ben due to Mikey’s own insecurities about him but remained passive about it. She still keeps contact with Arthur’s colleagues from a law firm as well as Samantha.
Hudson Robinson: Ben’s ex-boyfriend and a mutual friend of Harriett. Implied to be as tall as (if not shorter than) Ben and is obviously taller than Arthur. Hudson serves as a driving point in the plot (particularly Ben’s story) as he was the reason Ben was going to the post office to mail his belongings back to him which led to him meeting his future husband Arthur. He is described as white, effeminate, and attractive. Besides Arthur, Hudson was the only one who knew of Ben’s fantasy novels. He and Ben first started off as friends and then lovers however due to his complicated life at home as a result of his parents’ seperating and later him believing he can never have a love like in the movies which offended Ben this led to a fight between the 2 before Ben ran off leading Hudson to assume that they were broken up and hooked up with another guy leading to their true breakup. Due to spending too much time together instead of studying, both Ben and Hudson (along with their friend Harriett) had to attend summer school together leading to uncomfortable reactions towards each other. Ben was unwilling to let go of his past with Hudson and has kept the box describing it as holding out hope despite seeing Arthur at the time. However in the weeks following both Ben and Hudson agree to patch things up and become friends though this led to Ben and Arthur breaking up after finding out he never gave the box back. Nevertheless they agree to continue their friendship and remain cordial with each other though they do not talk as much as they used to. At one point Ben bailed on Bowling for Harriett’s birthday causing some tension between the 3. By the second book, Ben reveals that Hudson is in another relationship with someone named Rafael. He also offers some advice on Ben after he reveals his dilemma of leaving to be with Mario (whom he isn’t in an official relationship with) or staying and potentially starting something new with Arthur explaining that no matter what happens he’s going to wind up hurting someone. It is implied that their current relationship is on the rocks as a result of past actions from both boys as Hudson rejected Ben’s invitation to his wedding with Arthur 6 years later.
Harriett: Dylan’s ex girlfriend, before they all dated, Harriett, Hudson, Dylan, and Ben were all great friends however things changed when Dylan abruptly broke things off with Harriett due to losing interest resulting in the group separating. Things became much worse when Ben and Hudson’s relationship ending resulting in Harriett keeping a distance from Ben whilst mediating with Hudson. Harriett is shown to be great with makeup and is a social media influencer massing in thousands of followers some of whom even followed Ben because of his presence in her pictures (though they quickly unfollowed him because of his irrelevant post). Her post has even garnered some monetary value. By the end of the first book. Ben, Dylan, Harriett and Hudson made amends though the communication was no where near as fluid and casual as before.
Mara and Michael Seuss: Arthur’s parents, Arthur’s mom Mara works as an attorney at a law firm of which Arthur has an internship with (hence his presence in New York) while his father works as a computer programmer and web developer however he had gotten laid off and spends most of his time at home tinkering while applying for other jobs. Mara is from New Haven, Connecticut while Michael is from Westchester, New York. They are aware their only son is gay and support his interest though the 2 are overbearingly protective of Arthur. However, due to Michael’s layoff this sparked never-ending arguments between the 2 which they do not hide from Arthur leading to him assuming that they may get a divorce. His parents later clarified that this is not the case and noted that we’re simply bickering over disagreements. They also comforted Author during his breakups with Mikey and were present during Ben and Arthur’s wedding.
Diego and Isabel Alejo: Ben’s parents. Isabel works as accounting for a gym though she has a love for cooking she claims she does not pursue it as a career due to fear of falling out of love for it despite enjoying cooking for her family. Diego works as an assistant manager at Duane Reade. Both are Catholic along with Ben but still support their son’s sexuality and work to try to keep their family close. Ben takes pride in what they do for him despite their working class status. By the second book, Diego was promoted to manager and hired Ben to stock shelves. They remained supportive, although doubtful, of Ben’s rash decision to move to LA and retained neutral stances on whether Ben should choose Mario or Arthur.
Samantha Boggs (neé O’Melley): Dylan’s wife whom he has been dating since the book has started. Their relationship starts off “interesting” though Samantha has begun to grow used to Dylan eccentric quirks and quickly befriends Ben and later Arthur by proxy. She also has a best friend named Patrick whom Dylan is jealous of and dislikes on account of him being a boy. Though Ben harbored doubts that Dylan and Samantha would last on account of Dylan’s previous relationships that ended, he remains supportive of the 2 and genuinely enjoys spending time with Samantha. Samantha is also very tech savvy and has ambitions to start her own app akin to the game frogger. She is also very artistic and created the cover art to Ben’s Ebook on Wattpad of which he gets a lot of praise for. By the second book, she and Dylan are the “last couple standing” Samantha is revealed to be pregnant and later gives birth to a son named Sammy (named after her) but kept this private from Ben and Dylan’s friends due to her family’s tenuous relationship with Dylan. Both she and Dylan marry at the end as well and she is present within Arthur and Ben’s wedding.
Michael “Mikey” Phillip McCowan: Arthur’s ex-boyfriend, the 2 having met during freshman year in Wesleyan College in Middletown, Connecticut begun dating. He is from Boston. He is described with bleached hair and wire framed glasses and is described by the third best kisser out of the 6 boys in between the ending of the first book and the epilogue. Arthur was attracted to him but found himself conflicted due to his feelings for Ben, Mikey not having a better grasp on Hamilton, and not liking arcade games (even though Arthur himself is horrible at them). Their initial “situationship” lasted little over a month but have gotten back together by the second book on New Years. More details were also revealed as Arthur describes him to be very orderly and organized as well as easily flustered and shy with a faint accent that comes out when he pronounces O’s. Arthur explains that his relationship with Mikey initially felt forced before suddenly realizing his feelings for Mikey and Arthur (being extremely dramatic as always) traveled to Boston to ask for a “do-over” and get into an official relationship. Before Arthur’s internship the 2 made plans for Arthur to stay with Mikey for the summer in his hometown in Boston, Massachusetts. Due to his history with Arthur, Mikey isn’t very fond of Ben and confesses to feeling threatened by Ben despite trusting Arthur’s loyalty. He eventually confesses that he loves Arthur but Arthur later admits he does not feel the same way on account of Mikey’s emotionally distant behavior and Arthur still being in love with Ben. Despite Mikey doing his own “grand gesture” for Arthur by surprising him at his Uncle Milton’s apartment and singing passionately about him in Open Mic; Arthur later sadly breaks up with Mikey the night after (“As a person who tries himself to do grand gestures for people I care about I gotta say… ouch! I fucking felt that”) to the poor boy’s grief. He admits that Arthur breaking up with Mikey the first time has broken him and completely disturbed the dynamic at his household. Unable to stand being in the same room and city as Arthur, Mikey later leaves the apartment in the morning and cuts off contact with Arthur by soft blocking him (forcing him to unfollow him) leaving their relationship in tatters (“Poor Mikey 🥺”) and unwilling to respond to Arthur’s many apologies. Despite the less than amicable breakup the 2 are implied to remain cordial 6 years later though Mikey was likely still spiteful to Arthur for dumping him and (unsurprisingly to Arthur) rejected his invitation to his and Ben’s wedding years later (as he should… there’s no way I’m going to attend a wedding of a jerk who dump me for an old love after putting my heart out there for you 😒). He is currently dating a man named Zach.
Mario Colón: Ben’s “friend-with-benefits” and former love interest in the second book. He is 20 years old and originated from Queens, New York. He and Ben share many similarities such as both of them being Puerto Rican (albeit white-passing), kind-hearted, very affectionate, enjoys writing, tend to be tardy, and can speak Spanish (though Mario is far more fluent in the language than Ben). He even offered to become Ben’s Spanish teacher to further enhance his vocabulary. He stands slightly taller (by 1/2 foot) than Arthur (meaning he’s physically shorter than Ben as well). He and Ben met in Creative Writing Class but did not bond until months later when paired together on an assignment. He has aspirations become a film director and producer, taking a liking to suspense films and desiring to make them in Spanish while helping Ben finalize his book. Due to Ben’s desire to not rush his relationship with Mario and keep himself on a set path, Ben and Mario retained a more open but intimate (and sexually active) relationship though Ben heavily considered finally becoming exclusive with Mario. In the end Ben realizes that he is still in love with Arthur and is unwilling to risk another chance with him over his own dreams and decides to reject his offer to follow him to Los Angeles (and end what can be considered his “situationship” with Mario). Mario is visibly crushed but nonetheless proud of Ben’s resolve and remains on decent terms with him. Compared to Mikey’s insecure feelings with Ben, Mario shows no animosity, intimidation, or awkwardness towards Arthur and was very sincere & friendly towards him going so far as to remain on great terms with him despite Ben choosing Arthur over Mario and was the only “ex” to show remorse on not being able to make Ben and Arthur’s wedding instead sending a congratulatory video message to compensate.
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