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BENJAMIN RHYS ESPINOZA was born into the household of a happily married couple and their first child on the 14th of February in 1988. Of course in his adult life he found out that the man he grew up with, wasn't his father — Chase Allen, was the name of the man that had had an affair with Benji's mother, leading to a pregnancy that was played as a planned one, a result of love. That certainly explained why Benjamin never felt included, why he wasn't allowed to do things that his brother was. He just never knew that, leaving him wonder what he had done wrong.
But even if Ben had to feel like the bad apple of the family early on, the memories of his childhood forever tainted with the feeling of not being enough, he had Dan. Dan, always the good guy with a heart of gold and a dashing smile, was nothing short of the ideal sibling. Supportive, loving, caring. Always there for Benjamin. Even— no, especially when Ben started to explore his sexuality and come to the conclusion that he was gay. And it was thanks to Dan's encouragement and reassurance, that he chose to embrace it proudly.
However, the love of a brother wasn't enough to make Benjamin stay. When he was old enough, and no longer watched over by their parents, he fled Los Angeles, in the belief that he'd never experience the full potential of happiness in that city, with those people. He loved Dan, but he needed to do this for himself, and with that in mind, he left behind his brother, his Camaro, his home, and kicked off many years of traveling in Europe.
It was everything he had always dreamed of. Although a sad, somewhat rejected boy, Benjamin was also a resilient, rebellious person with a great interest in adventures and a deep love for all things wild and carefree. Sometimes even forbidden. He lived without regrets and worries, jumping from one plane to another, going through the craziest parties in Europe, sleeping with multiple men and living the life he had wished for.
But it eventually occurs to him that maybe, the happiness he desires doesn't come in the form of booze and abs. (Entirely, at least.) And so, with the thought of reuniting with Dan, his niece, the life he left behind, Benjamin buys one last plane ticket — to L.A.
And needless to say, going back home gives him plenty, good and bad.
