The trip to the western store had gone as planned, with Dean being good and waiting outside while his lover shopped. He knew that Noah wanted to surprise him, and he was more than willing to be surprised, so he didn't mind waiting at all. They'd decided to have dinner delivered later after they'd cleaned up and spent a little quality time together. Once they were home, Dean made quick work of getting the bags into the condo and ordered Noah into the shower immediately.

"I'm right behind you, baby," he said, putting everything into the bedroom.

Dean had to work on Noah's birthday, but he arranged to have a delivery made to his sweetie. The gift basket and box would arrive just after lunch time. Among the sensual oils, body chocolate and honey dust, Noah would find an invitation for him to meet Dean at dinner at Noah's favorite restaurant. A limo would pick him up and take him there in style. In the box would be a new suit for Noah to wear to dinner. Dean had a surprise in store for him.

When Dean had heard from Sara and Jack Quinn that Dev and his boyfriend would be coming out to the west coast for spring break, he couldn't help getting excited at the thought of seeing his friend again. He wanted to introduce him to Noah and show off his sweet boy to the one other person who had made him fall in love with him so quickly. The difference was that Noah had been able to return his feelings and was the most special person in his life now. That was the kind of thing he really wanted to share with Dev. Mostly, it was because Dev was a special friend to Dean, but there was also a part that wanted to rub it in that he was able to find happiness with someone else. Not just anyone, but a man who loved him completely for who he was and not what he could give him. He sometimes thought that Dev got a bit of a kick out of knowing how hung up Dean had been on him. While he hated to think of Dev being that deliberately cruel, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility considering Dev's history with relationships.

He and Noah were at the house in Malibu, and while he'd told his lover that he was going to introduce him to a good friend of his, he hadn't said much else about him. Dev had actually called from his parents' beach house and said that he'd be on his way over with Tom to say hi, but Dean had been just as mysterious with him and only told him that he had someone he wanted him to meet when he got there. Dean had decided that if he was going to play host for part of Dev's visit, he would prepare a few appetizers to go along with their drinks. It was for this reason that he was busy in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.

"Baby," he called out to Noah, "could you get that for me?" He didn't see any reason why Dev shouldn't get a little surprise when the door was opened and he saw someone else standing there.

Dean had decided to do some work at his condo rather than go to the studio. The truth was he simply liked spending time at home with Noah, and if he could catch up on some of his paperwork, all the better. He'd been a little worried about Noah lately, but couldn't be sure what was bothering him. Sometimes he would catch his lover looking a bit wistful and wondered if he was thinking of his home and his family. He never wanted to ask too much about them for fear of upsetting Noah, but he wished he could do something to make him completely happy. He wasn't sure if it bothered him more that he couldn't do anything or that Noah's parents sounded so damn unreasonable.

He was on his way from his office to the kitchen for a bottle of water when the buzzer sounded indicating that someone was downstairs. There wasn't anyone he was expecting, but thought perhaps Noah had ordered something online and it was a delivery.

He pressed the intercom button. "Yes?"